A new study led by University of North Carolina School of Medicine researchers is the first to identify a genetic risk factor for persistent pain after traumatic events such as motor vehicle collision and sexual assault. The study is to be published in the journal, Pain. 

“Our study findings indicate that mechanisms influencing chronic pain development may be related to the stress response, rather than any specific injury caused by the traumatic event,” said Dr. Samuel McLean,  senior author of the study and assistant professor of anesthesiology. “In other words, our results suggest that in some individuals something goes wrong with the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response or the body’s recovery from this response, and persistent pain results.”

The study assessed the role of the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal) axis. The HPA axis is responsible for the body’s response to stressful events. The study evaluated whether the HPA axis influences musculoskeletal pain severity six weeks after motor vehicle collision and sexual assault.

HPA Points The Way

It was found that a variation in the gene encoding for the protein FKBP5 – which plays an important role in regulating the HPA axis response to stress – was associated with a 20% higher risk of moderate to severe neck pain six weeks after a motor vehicle collision, as well as a greater extent of body pain. The same variant also predicted increased pain six weeks after sexual assault.

“Right now, if an someone comes to the emergency department after a car accident, we don’t have any interventions to prevent chronic pain from developing,” McLean said. Similarly, if a woman comes to the emergency department after sexual assault, we have medications to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease, but no treatments to prevent chronic pain. This is because we understand what causes pregnancy or infection, but we have no idea what the biologic mechanisms are that cause chronic pain. Chronic pain after these events is common and can cause great suffering, and there is an urgent need to understand what causes chronic pain so that we can start to develop interventions. This study is an important first step in developing this understanding.”

This study can help to bridge the mind-body gap as it relates to pain. “Because we don’t understand what causes these outcomes, individuals with chronic pain after traumatic events are often viewed with suspicion, as if they are making up their symptoms for financial gain or having a psychological reaction,” McLean said. “An improved understanding of the biology helps with this stigma.”

Related Story: Can Stress Cause Physical Pain? New Clues Emerge

May 5, 2013
The Healthy Mind Network
 

Story Source: The above story contains original content and/or information reprinted and editorially adapted by The Healthy Mind. Material is provided by the University of North Carolina and Eurekalerts. 

Image Credit: Pensiero

NOTE: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our TERMS AND CONDITIONS.   

The answer to a longer life may come in the form of our morning coffee – as long as it’s Greek coffee!

The island of Ikaria is a healing place. The elderly inhabitants of this Greek island boast the highest rates of longevity in the world. In fact, many scientists turn to them when looking to discover the ‘secrets of a longer life’. In a new study in Vascular Medicine, researchers investigating cardiovascular health believe that a cup of boiled Greek coffee holds the clue to the elderly islanders’ good health.

Only 0.1% of Europeans live to be over 90, yet on the Greek island of Ikaria, the figure is 1%. This is recognized as one of the highest longevity rates anywhere – and the islanders tend to live out their longer lives in good health. 

Gerasimos Siasos, a medical doctor and professor at the University of Athens Medical School, Greece set out with his team to find out whether the elderly population’s coffee drinking had an effect on their health. In particular, the researchers investigated links between coffee-drinking habits and the subjects’ endothelial function. The endothelium is a layer of cells that lines blood vessels, which is affected both by aging and by lifestyle habits (such as smoking). The team homed in on coffee because recent studies suggest that moderate coffee consumption may slightly reduce the risks of coronary heart disease, and that it may also have a positive impact on several aspects of endothelial health.

From a sample of 673 Ikarians aged over 65 who lived on the island permanently, the researchers randomly selected 71 men and 71 women to take part in the study. Medical staff used health checks (for high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.) and questionnaires to get more detail on the participants’ medical health, lifestyles and coffee drinking, in addition to testing their endothelial function.

Opa!

The researchers investigated all types of coffee taken by participants – but interestingly more than 87% of those in the study consumed boiled, Greek coffee daily. More importantly, subjects consuming mainly boiled Greek coffee had better endothelial function than those who consumed other types of coffee. Even in those with high blood pressure, boiled Greek coffee consumption was associated with improved endothelial function, without worrying impacts on blood pressure.

“Boiled Greek type of coffee, which is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants and contains only a moderate amount of caffeine, seems to gather benefits compared to other coffee beverages,” Siasos concludes.

The new study provides a new connection between nutritional habits and cardiovascular health. Given the extent of coffee drinking across the world, and the fact that even small health effects of at least one type of coffee could have a large impact on public health, this study provides an interesting starting point. However, further studies are needed to document the exact beneficial mechanisms of coffee on cardiovascular health.

Related Article: Ikaria: The Island Where People Forget To Die

March 18, 2013
The Healthy Mind Network
 
 

Story Source: The above story contains original content and/or information reprinted and editorially adapted by The Healthy Mind. Material is provided by the University of Athens and Eurekalerts. 

Image Credit: Aspros

NOTE: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our TERMS AND CONDITIONS.   

New research provides yet another reason why it is so important to get a good night’s sleep.

According to a new report in the European Heart Journal, it appears insomnia is associated with an increased risk of heart failure. Additionally, the more insomnia symptoms a person experiences, the greater their risk of heart disease.

In a study involving more than 54,000 men and women aged 20 to 89, Norwegian researchers collected data on insomnia symptoms (including difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep and having nonrestorative sleep). They also obtained sociodemographic information and health status, including established cardiovascular risk factors.

Taking It To Heart

The researchers identified 1,412 cases of heart failure in the study population during an average follow-up of 11 years. They found an association between the number of insomnia symptoms and risk of heart failure. In other words, the more symptoms of insomnia that were present, the greater the risk for heart disease (compared with people who reported no insomnia symptoms).

The study authors noted that their study did not prove insomnia was the cause of heart failure. Until direct causation between insomnia and heart failure can be proved, the researchers urge physicians to evaluate patients for insomnia, noting that “evaluation of insomnia symptoms might have consequences for cardiovascular prevention.”

So make sure you are doing everything in your power to get a good night’s sleep. Your heart will thank you for it…

March 12, 2013
The Healthy Mind Network 

For more information on insomnia (including powerful tips for getting a better night’s sleep) please click on the following links:

1. Beat Insomnia: 3 Essential Tips For A Good Night’s Rest 
2. How Insomnia Damages Your Health 
3. Why You Can’t Sleep And How To Fix It  
4. How To Sleep Better And Have More Energy During The Day 

Story Source: The above story contains original content and/or information reprinted and editorially adapted by The Healthy Mind. Material is provided by the American Psychiatric Association  and Eurekalerts.

Image Credit: Hang In There

NOTE: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our TERMS AND CONDITIONS.   

A new study, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, adds to growing evidence that particular genes are involved in chronic pain and highlights this pathway as a potential target for more effective pain relief treatments for patients.

The collaborative study between King’sCollege, Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), and Pfizer Ltd used a new method to study and compare DNA, called exome sequencing, to identify genetic variations relating to pain sensitivity.

Lead author Dr Frances Williams, from King’s College London said, “Chronic pain is a significant personal and socio-economic burden, with nearly one in five people experiencing it at some time in their lives. Current pain treatments often have either limited efficacy or side effects for many, so the possibility of a new approach to pain relief is an exciting development.”

It is known that people who are most sensitive to pain encountered in everyday life are more likely to go on to develop chronic pain. To identify sensitivity levels, researchers tested 2,500 volunteers using a heating probe on the arm. Volunteers were asked to press a button when the heat became painful for them, which allowed the scientists to determine individuals’ pain thresholds. Exome sequencing was then used to analyse the DNA of 200 of the most pain sensitive and 200 of the least pain sensitive people.

The results showed different patterns of genetic variants in each group – the pain sensitive people had less variation in their DNA than those who were pain insensitive. 

Xin Jin, project manager from BGI, said: “More and more evidence supports our theory that rare variants, which were overlooked in genome-wide association study, play a very important role in complex diseases and traits. The next generation of sequencing will make it possible to explore these rare variants and will lead to a wave of new discoveries in biomedical research.”

December 23, 2012
The Healthy Mind Network
 

Story Source: The above story contains original content and/or information reprinted and editorially adapted by The Healthy Mind. Material is provided by Kings College London and Eurekalerts. 

NOTE: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our TERMS AND CONDITIONS. 

Vitamin D is critical in our overall health and well-being. But many of us simply do not get enough vitamin D in our diet, leaving our bodies deficient in this key vitamin. This can have important health consequences, as emerging research has shown an association between vitamin D deficiency and physical illnesses such as asthma, colon cancer, heart disease, chronic pain,  and even depression.  

It may be time to add excessive daytime sleepiness to that list as well.

A new study has found a fascinating relationship between sleepiness and vitamin D levels.  First, in patients with normal vitamin D levels,  it was found that higher levels of daytime sleepiness occurred when vitamin D levels progressively decreased. Secondly,  patients with vitamin D deficiency, sleepiness and vitamin D levels were associated only among African-american patients. Curiously, researchers found that higher level of daytime sleepiness were associated with progressively higher vitamin D levels among African-american patients.

A Complex Relationship

“While we found a significant correlation between vitamin D and sleepiness, the relationship appears to be more complex than we had originally thought,” said David McCarty, MD, the study’s principal investigator. “It’s important to now do a follow-up study and look deeper into this correlation.”

The study, appearing online in the Dec. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, involved a consecutive series of 81 sleep clinic patients who complained of sleep problems and nonspecific pain. All patients eventually were diagnosed with a sleep disorder, which in the majority of cases was obstructive sleep apnea. Vitamin D level was measured by blood sampling, and sleepiness was tracked

According to the authors, this is the first study to demonstrate a significant relationship between sleepiness and vitamin D. They noted that it is logical for race to affect this relationship because increased skin pigmentation is an established risk factor for low vitamin D.

It should be noted that the study was not designed to examine causality. However, the authors’ previous and current research suggests that suboptimal levels of vitamin D may cause or contribute to excessive daytime sleepiness, either directly or by means of chronic pain.

December 18, 2012
The Healthy Mind Network
 

Story Source: The above story contains original content and/or information reprinted and editorially adapted by The Healthy Mind. Material is provided by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Eurekalerts. 

NOTE: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our TERMS AND CONDITIONS. 

Chronic pain among children and adolescents is common and young people with chronic pain can experience disabilities and difficulties in life. However, the causes of chronic nonspecific pain are poorly understood.

Chronic pain in parents appears to be associated with chronic nonspecific pain and chronic multisite pain in adolescents and young adults, according to a study published in  Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Gry B. Hoftun, M.D. and colleagues,  of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, examined a possible association of parental chronic pain with chronic pain in adolescents and young adults. They also investigated whether socioeconomic and psychosocial factors could explain any relationship or whether it would be affected by differences in the family structure. The study was done in Norway and included a final study population of 5,370 adolescents  (ages 13 to 18) for whom one or both parents participated.

“This study showed that both maternal chronic pain and paternal chronic pain are associated with chronic nonspecific pain and especially with chronic multisite pain in adolescents and young adults. Moreover, we found a substantial increase in pain among offspring for whom both parents reported chronic pain,” the authors note.

Maternal Pain More Predictive

Maternal chronic pain was associated with chronic nonspecific pain and chronic multisite pain in adolescents in adolescents and young adults, while paternal chronic pain was associated with increased odds of pain in adolescents and young adults. The odds of chronic nonspecific pain and chronic multisite pain in adolescents and young adults increased when both parents reported pain, according to the study results.

While adjusting for socioeconomic and psychosocial factors did not change the results, differences in family structure did. Among adolescents living primarily with their mothers, maternal chronic pain was associated with increased odds of chronic nonspecific pain and chronic multisite pain in children, but the researchers found no clear association was with paternal pain.

“In summary, parental chronic pain is associated with adolescent and young adult chronic nonspecific pain and especially chronic multisite pain and suggests a strong relationship between chronic pain in the parent and offspring living together, indicating that family pain models and shared environmental factors are important in the origin of chronic pain,” the researchers concluded.

Related Story: How Worrying Activates Pain Centers In The Brain

November 23, 2012
The Healthy Mind Network

 

Story Source: The above story contains original content and/or information reprinted and editorially adapted by The Healthy Mind. Material is provided by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Eurekalerts. 

Image Source: Katrina

NOTE: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our TERMS AND CONDITIONS. 

Want to feel better after a punishing day at work?

Well, according to a new Penn State University study, the answer may be as simple as extending your regular exercise routine by a just a few minutes! Researchers found that people’s satisfaction with life was higher on days when they exercised a bit more than usual.

“We found that people’s satisfaction with life was directly impacted by their daily physical activity,” said Jaclyn Maher, graduate student in kinesiology. “The findings reinforce the idea that physical activity is a health behavior with important consequences for daily well-being and should be considered when developing national policies to enhance satisfaction with life.”

The team examined the influence of physical activity on satisfaction with life among emerging adults ages 18 to 25 years. They chose this age group because this population’s sense of well-being appears to worsen more quickly than at any other time during adulthood.

“Emerging adults are going through a lot of changes; they are leaving home for the first time and attending college or starting jobs,” said Maher. “As a result, their satisfaction with life can plummet. We decided to focus on emerging adults because they stand to benefit the most from strategies to enhance satisfaction with life.”

The researchers recruited two groups of college students at Penn State. The first group, consisting of 190 individuals, entered information into a diary every day for eight days. The second group, consisting of 63 individuals, entered information into a secure website every day for 14 days. Both groups answered questions aimed at determining participants’ satisfaction with life, physical activity and self-esteem.

For the second group (the 63 individuals who filled out questionnaires online for 14 days), the researchers wanted to further investigate whether physical activity was indeed, the cause of participants’ increased satisfaction with life rather than some other factor such as mental health, fatigue, or Body Mass Index.

“Shifts in depression, anxiety and stress would be expected to influence a person’s satisfaction with life at any given point in time,” said PSU professor, Dr. David Conroy.  ”In addition, fatigue can be a barrier to engaging in physical activity, and a high Body Mass Index associated with being overweight may cause a person to be less satisfied in a variety of ways.”

By controlling for these variables, the researchers were able to determine that the amount of physical activity a person undertakes in a particular day directly influences his or her satisfaction with life. Specifically, the team found that by exercising just a little more than usual a person can significantly improve his or her satisfaction with life.

“Based on these findings, we recommend that people exercise a little longer or a little harder than usual as a way to boost satisfaction with life,” said Dr. Conroy.

October 27, 2012
The Healthy Mind Network
 

NOTE: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our TERMS AND CONDITIONS. 

One of the missions of The Healthy Mind is to emphasize the importance of the mind-body connection. The importance of proper emotional health goes well beyond the psychological benefits of a positive and happy outlook. Growing evidence is confirming that poor emotional states – like depression and anxiety – can have serious consequences on our physical body as well. A recently-published European study is a sobering, yet critical example of the mind-body connection in our health. 

According to a large-scale population based study published in the British Medical Journal, people with even mild mental health problems have a lower life expectancy. The findings may prompt further research into the way doctors treat patients with psychological problems.

A team of researchers from University College London (UCL) and the University of Edinburgh analysed data from over 68,000 adults aged 35 years and over. The research team looked to see whether people who reported symptoms of anxiety and depression during the study were more likely to have died over an 8 year period. They also examined whether there was an association with death from cardiovascular disease, cancer or from external causes of death.

Even Mild Is Deadly

Their results reveal that people who experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression had a lower life expectancy than those without any such symptoms. Even people with minor symptoms of mental health problems seemed to have a higher risk of death from several major causes, including cardiovascular disease.

Dr David Batty,  of UCL and senior author on the study, explains: “These associations also remained after we did our best to take into account other factors such as weight, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption and diabetes. Therefore this increased mortality is not simply due to people with higher levels of psychological distress having poorer health behaviours.”

There is a possibility that mental health problems may be associated with biological changes in the body that increase the risk of diseases such as heart disease.

A Change in Treatment Approach

In this study, approximately 25% of people suffered from minor symptoms of anxiety and depression. These are typically individuals who do not come to the attention of mental health services. The authors say that their findings could have implications for the way minor mental health problems are treated.

“The fact that an increased risk of mortality was evident, even at low levels of psychological distress, should prompt research into whether treatment of these very common, minor symptoms can reduce this increased risk of death,” said Dr Tom Russ, of the University of Edinburgh. Previous studies investigating the association between symptoms of mental health and life expectancy have been small and unable to reliably measure thresholds of risk. This is the largest study to address the problem to date.

“People with mental health problems are among the most vulnerable in society. This study highlights the need to ensure they have access to appropriate health care and advice so that they can take steps to improve the outcome of their illness,” said Dr. John Williams of the Wellcome Trust. 

Related Story: Anger: How A Common Emotion Affects Your Body
 

All of us know the importance of a good night’s sleep. But for too many of tonight, sleep will not come easy, nor will it be restful. And for some of this evening, sleep will not come at all. According to The National Sleep Foundation, about 20% of Americans average less than 6 hours of sleep per night. 

Sleep is increasingly recognized as important to public health as well. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as insufficient sleep is linked to motor vehicle crashes, industrial disasters, and medical and other occupational errors.  Persons experiencing sleep insufficiency are also more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity, as well as from cancer, increased mortality, and reduced quality of life and productivity. 

Our friend – Peter Kim – prepared this wonderful inforgraphic on sleep, entitled: Sleepless In America, The Hazards of Being Tired. Thank you for allowing The Healthy Mind to post this wonderfully informative graphic!

Chronic inflammation is linked to numerous conditions, including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the frailty and functional decline that can accompany aging.

New research from Ohio State University shows that omega-3 fatty acid supplements can lower inflammation in healthy, but overweight adults.  This suggests regular use of these supplements may help protect against and treat certain illnesses.

Omega-3 supplementation over a period of 4 months decreased a protein in the blood involved in signaling the presence of inflammation - interlukin-6 (IL-6) - by more than 10%. Additionally, a modest decrease was found in another inflammation marker - tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a). In comparison, participants taking placebos as a group saw average increases of 36% and 12% respectively, of the same markers.

Both IL-6 and TNF-a belong to a class of proteins called cytokines. When cytokines are stimulated, they produce an inflammatory response to an injury or infection.

“Protective and Therapeutic” Effect

Participants in the OSU study took either 1250mg or 2500mg of active omega-3 fatty acids in their supplements. ”Omega-3 fatty acids may be both protective so that inflammation doesn’t go up, as well as therapeutic by helping inflammation go down,” said Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of psychiatry and psychology at Ohio State University. Statistically, there was no significant difference in lowered inflammation between the two doses, but each dose clearly produced cytokine reductions that differed significantly from the placebo group.

“This is the first study to show that omega-3 supplementation leads to changes in inflammatory markers in the blood in overweight but otherwise healthy people. In terms of regulating inflammation when people are already healthy, this is an important study, in that it suggests one way to keep them healthy.”

The scientists recruited 138 adults – 45 men and 93 women – who were in good health, but who were either overweight or obese and lived sedentary lives. Their average age was 51 years. Based on body mass index (BMI), 91% of the participants were overweight and 47% were obese.“We wanted to have enough room to see a downward trend. Most other trials testing the effects of omega-3 supplements on inflammation used people who were seriously diseased or skinny and healthy,” said Kiecolt-Glaser.

More Is Not Always Better

“These data support the idea that a higher dose of omega-3 is not necessarily better than a lower dose in terms of prevention of inflammation,” said Martha Belury, professor of human nutrition at Ohio State and a co-author of the study.

“Although omega-3 fatty acids cannot take the place of good health behaviors, people with established inflammatory diseases or conditions may benefit from their use,” Kiecolt-Glaser said.

The researchers also sought to determine whether omega-3 fatty acids could reduce depression symptoms, but participants had relatively few symptoms to begin with so no significant reductions were seen. Depression is also associated with chronic inflammation, but research hasn’t yet fully defined the mechanisms behind that relationship.
 

June 23, 2012
The Healthy Mind Network

Story Source: The above story contains original content and/or information reprinted and editorially adapted by The Healthy Mind. Material is provided by The Ohio State University and EurekAlerts. 

NOTE: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our TERMS AND CONDITIONS.