Concussions in high school athletes may increase depression and suicide risk

One of the most common forms of traumatic brain injury, a concussion, could lead to an increased risk of depression and suicide in adults, says a recent study.

Research published suggests high school students with a history of sports-related concussions might be at an increased risk for suicide.

The research examined the link between self-reported history of concussion and risk factors for suicide completion.

It was the 1st study to include a nationally representative sample of high school students.
It's important to remember that when it comes to concussions, there's no visual test to confirm them. Unfortunately, you can't take your child to have a lab test done to diagnose one, said a researcher.

Common symptoms of a concussion include loss of consciousness, headache, confusion and change in mood.

Researchers discovered that teenagers who reported having a concussion in the last year were more likely to report feelings of depression, suicidal ideations and planned or previous suicide attempts.
Of the portion of students who reported a history of concussions, approximately 36 % reported they had felt sad ot hopeless ( compared to 31.1 % of all teens) and around 21 % had thoughts of suicide ( compared to 17%).

Male participants with a reported concussion in the last year were twice as likely to report having attempted suicide and 3 times more likely to report a history of receiving medical treatment for attempted suicide than those who did not have a recent concussion.

The study also revealed female students with a history of concussions had greater odds to report all risk factors of suicide.

They were more likely to have reported feeling sad or hopeless, having suicidal ideations, a planned suicide attempt, having attempted suicide, and were twice as likely to indicate a history of receiving medical treatment for an attempted suicide compared to female who did not report a concussion in the last year.

A recently published article revealed female high school athletes have higher concussion rates than their make counterparts.

The researchers noted that while the study did control for commonly associated suicide risk factors like sexual orientation and a history of being bullied, it did not account for other risk factors like drug or alcohol use.

There were no measures of per-concussion mental health for survey participants.

Concussions are a traumatic brain injury and they are even worse for young people with developing brains, said one of the authors. These injuries can have long term effects such as memory issues and sleep disturbances.

According to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, warning signs of suicide can include talking about feeling hopeless, withdrawing or social isolation, extreme mood swings and reckless or anxious behaviour.

Everyone needs to be aware of the warning signs of the risks that come with concussion- parents, teachers, coaches, but also the students themselves, the researcher said.

If there is any concern that a child may have suffered a concussion, it is critical to seek medical attention. If a child is diagnosed with a concussion, everyone in their support network should look for changes in mood or behaviour that may be warning signs of reduced mental well-being, added the researcher.

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From healthy eating to drug: Beat obesity most effectively

Obesity has become a significant global health challenge with an increasing prevalence in both developed and developing countries. The worldwide occurrence of obesity has nearly tripled in the last 40 years, and 31.3 per cent of India’s population was diagnosed positive in the year 2015. 

 Obesity is associated with a plethora of metabolic diseases including cardiovascular anomalies, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and sleep apnea. The primary cause of obesity may be genetic—including monogenic disorders and conditions like Prader—Willi. Secondary causes may be neurological illnesses like brain injury, tumours, hypothalamic obesity), endocrine imbalances like hypothyroidism or depression or drug-induced problems like the effects of antidepressants and beta-blockers. 

Obesity causes decreased cardiac output, increased left ventricular wall thickness and accelerates atherosclerosis. It also results in diabetes by altering levels of adipocytokines, increasing circulation of free fatty acids and altering body fat distribution, causing insulin resistance and increased blood glucose levels. Weight loss can bring in significant differences in this condition. A loss of 5-10 per cent has been shown to improve hypertension, insulin resistance, and glycemic control. In the diabetes prevention program, a cut-back of approximately 7 per cent achieved through lifestyle changes was associated with a 58 per cent reduction in the risk of developing type 2 DM in obese, prediabetic individuals. A weight loss of 10 kg increased life expectancy by 35%.  

While many methods for weight loss are available these days, lifestyle interventions and maintaining a healthy diet are most preferred. All scientific guidelines mandate at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week, along with 3 weekly sessions of resistance training. Mediterranean diet which is rich in vegetables, fruits, lean meat and fish cooked in olive oil is shown to aid in weight loss. 

Drug therapy is indicated when lifestyle interventions fail in long-term weight management of patients who are obese—with body mass index >30 kg/m2 or those who have BMI between 27-29.9 with obesity-related morbidity (eg diabetes, hypertension, etc). Doctors were facing a holy grail when it came to safe and effective anti-obesity molecules for non-diabetic obese patients until we found the answer in lorcaserin.

This drug is promising as it acts on the 5HTc receptor selectively and stimulates them in the appetite center of the brain. This further reduces food intake and increases a feeling of fullness, thus aiding weight loss. Compared to other similar molecules it has fewer cardiovascular side effects like valvular heart disease. 

It helps in effective weight loss when taken on a long term basis accompanied by exercise and diet control. This, in turn, will reverse many of the obesity-related complications mentioned earlier too. However, It cannot be used in those with major depressive disorders. Surgery is yet another way to beat extreme cases of obesity. Bariatric surgery is a good option for those with a BMI above 40, but all surgeries have their own set of complications. An appropriate weight-loss strategy must be chosen only after taking aspects like cardiovascular safety, and maintenance of kidney health into account.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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New Drug Combo Could Repair the Brains of Alzheimer’s Patients

Neurons receive, process, and transmit all the impulses in our brains. Essentially, they’re the building blocks of the human nervous system, and once they’re damaged by Alzheimer’s disease or some other brain injury, they’re done for — they have no regenerative abilities.

In contrast, the glial cells that support and insulate neurons do have regenerative abilities, and now, researchers think they've found an efficient way to actually transform glial cells into neurons — a discovery that could lead to a pill to repair brain damage.

Molecular Report

Based on a previous study, the team knew it was possible to convert human glial cells into neurons using a sequence of nine tiny molecules. However, the large number of molecules and specific sequence made transitioning the research from the lab to something that could work in a clinical environment difficult.

In a study published on Thursday, the  team describes how it found a way to streamline the process of creating neurons out of a type of glial cells called astrocytes with remarkable success.

“We identified the most efficient chemical formula among the hundreds of drug combinations that we tested,” a researcher said in a press release. “By using four molecules that modulate four critical signaling pathways in human astrocytes, we can efficiently turn human astrocytes — as many as 70 percent — into functional neurons.”

Dream Delivery

 The team acknowledged in the press release that it still has a long road ahead before its latest research will be able to help people with brain damage, but it’s extremely optimistic about the future.
“The most significant advantage of the new approach is that a pill containing small molecules could be distributed widely in the world, even reaching rural areas without advanced hospital systems,” research leader said.

“My ultimate dream is to develop a simple drug delivery system, like a pill, that can help stroke and Alzheimer's patients around the world to regenerate new neurons and restore their lost learning and memory capabilities,” he continued. “Our years of effort in discovering this simplified drug formula take us one step closer to reaching our dream.”

 

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Drug Combination Generates New Neurons from Neighboring Cells

In a study published in Stem Cell Reports, scientists at Penn State University have developed a drug cocktail that converts neighboring cells—often known as glial cells-- of damaged neurons into functional new neurons. The study could open doors to treating stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and brain injuries. Glial cells normally provide support and insulation for neurons.

" The biggest problem for brain repair is that neurons don't regenerate after brain damage, because they don't divide," explain researchers. "In contrast, glial cells, which gather around damaged brain tissue, can proliferate after brain injury. I believe turning glial cells that are the neighbors of dead neurons into new neurons is the best way to restore lost neuronal functions."

The current research study tested various numbers and combinations of molecules that will identify a streamlined approach to the reprogramming of astrocytes, a type of glial cells, into neurons. The result was chemically converted neurons that can survive for a while in a culture dish. These neurons form robust neural networks that send electrical and chemical signals for communication—just as normal neurons do.

"We identified the most efficient chemical formula among the hundreds of drug combinations that we tested," says a researcher. "By using four molecules that modulate four critical signaling pathways in human astrocytes, we can efficiently turn human astrocytes -- as many as 70 percent -- into functional neurons."

"The most significant advantage of the new approach is that a pill containing small molecules could be distributed widely in the world, even reaching rural areas without advanced hospital systems," he said. "My ultimate dream is to develop a simple drug delivery system, like a pill, that can help stroke and Alzheimer's patients around the world to regenerate new neurons and restore their lost learning and memory capabilities."

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/       
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Silent Signs of Sleep Apnea

Our sleep quality is influenced by many factors, the most important of which is the time we devote to it. The experts' general recommendation is to sleep 7-8 hours every night, but even if you sleep the recommended amount of time, you may still wake up tired and exhausted without understanding why. If this is the case, you may have sleep apnea, a syndrome most people suffering from it are unaware of, and in fact, about 6% of the population suffers from it, or 1 in 20 people. So how do you know whether or not you have sleep apnea? Go over the following silent signs and see if they describe you. We’ve also added a section about children so you can make sure your child doesn’t suffer from it as well.


What Is Sleep Apnea?
This syndrome is a sleep disorder that is manifested by a break in the breathing process or a decrease in breathing rate during sleep. It is usually caused by obstruction of the airway, with the lax tongue and palate blocking the airway, also causing snoring. The condition is rarely caused by a nervous system problem or by a brain injury. The cessation of breathing can last from 10 to 30 seconds, which causes the person suffering from the problem to wake up in the middle of the night to catch their breath. People who suffer from sleep apnea experience restless nights, even without knowing it, and eventually wake up tired as if they didn’t sleep properly - because they truly haven’t.

7 Silent signs of sleep apnea

1. You feel tired all day long

If you are tired at all hours of the day, don’t just blame your busy life. "A lot of people feel tired, but don’t know why and attribute it to lack of sleep, among other things," says the director of sleep and airway surgery. Fatigue during the day that results from sleep apnea affects men more than women.

2. You wake up with a headache

If your day starts with a headache, sleep apnea could be the cause. Even if you sleep seven to eight hours a night, as recommended, this syndrome prevents you from sleeping properly and wakes you up to 100 times every night, according to a study.

3. You visit the bathroom many times throughout the night

According to the Dr., many patients try to find a reason for their frequent wake ups in the middle of the night thus attributing it to the need to relieve themselves. "Many people wake up in the middle of the night and don’t know why, so they’ll think maybe it’s because they need to pee." While this may be the case for you, you should still be aware: If these are frequent and many, your bladder may be fine, and the problem may be sleep apnea.

4. You are anxious or have frequent mood swings

A lack of sleep can make everyone anxious, no matter what kind of ay they’re having. Frequent mood swings are the product of stress and anxiety, and may also be indirect signs of sleep apnea. In a study conducted , people who don’t sleep enough every night often suffer from depression and mental exhaustion - all of which can be suspicious signs of sleep problems.
 

5. Your driving skills are worsening
“One of the biggest signs of sleep apnea is car accidents,” says the Dr.  In fact, a study conducted in 2015  found that people with sleep apnea were 2.5 times more likely to be involved in a car accident. In another study, there was a 70% reduction in the number of road accidents of people with sleep apnea who received medical treatment for the problem.

6. You gain weight for no apparent reason

Hormones that regulate your sense of hunger work hard at night throughout your sleep cycle. "When you disturb the natural circadian rhythm, some hormones don’t reach their peaks or get released at all," says the Dr. , meaning that during the day you will feel hungrier and your body may develop insulin resistance, which means you will eventually develop diabetes.

7. You’re experiencing intimacy problems

"Impotence is a big sleep apnea sign for men. Many blame it on low testosterone or stress, but sleep apnea can be the cause," Dr. says, adding that people with erectile dysfunction were twice as likely to suffer from sleep apnea than those without it, and the cause of this is a problem sleep cycle patterns.

Signs of sleep apnea in children

Children can also suffer from sleep apnea, and there are signs that may seem common and insignificant, but when they appear together, they can indicate that your child suffers from sleep apnea. Irritable behavior, nervousness, difficulty in concentration and decline in academic grades are symptoms of this problem, according to Dr., a study in 2015 found that the professions most affected by the syndrome were art, mathematics, and science.
As noted, all of these symptoms can occur in any child regardless of sleep apnea, but another sign that may cause you to suspect the problem is bed-wetting. Dr. says: "When their breathing is disturbed, oxygen levels drop, which makes them lose bladder function." If your child is already potty trained but still wetting the bed, it is recommended to take them to a doctor and discuss the possibility of sleep apnea.

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7 Science-Backed Side Effects Of Drinking Too Much Water

While drinking a lot of water through the day doesn't hugely affect a healthy person, having more than 1 L water per hour can strain the kidneys and the heart. If you're sweating, or retaining water in your body due to a medical condition, overhydration can lower the sodium and potassium levels dangerously. This can cause muscle cramps and swell up brain cells fatally and even lead to death.

Side Effects Of Drinking Too Much Water

• Swells Up Your Cells
• Lowers Sodium Levels Abnormally (Hyponatremia)
• Lowers Potassium Levels Abnormally (Hypokalemia)
• Causes Muscle Cramps
• Overwhelms The Kidneys

All your life, you must have heard you need to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration – 8 glasses, each of 8 oz, to be precise. But there is such a thing as water intoxication, caused by drinking too much water too frequently. Usually, in a healthy person, the kidneys can excrete around 6 gallons (about 22.7 L) of water a day, but only close to 1 L per hour. So drinking more than 1 L water per hour consistently can cause overhydration. The most common side effect is, of course, excessive urination, but there are other dangerous side effects. While healthy people may not show these side effects immediately, endurance athletes, people with kidney and heart problems, people on drugs like ecstasy, and infants with immature kidneys will have a lower threshold. Here’s a look at the side effects of drinking too much water.

1. Swells Up Your Cells

Your body has sodium and potassium ions that act as electrolytes in the body and maintain fluid balance between your cells and your blood. When there is excess water in the blood and a higher amount of salts and ions within the cells, water rushes into the cells, swelling them up. This is especially dangerous for neurons or nerve cells in the brain, where space is restricted by the skull. The result can be headaches, seizures, brain injury, coma, and even death.

2. Lowers Sodium Levels Abnormally (Hyponatremia)

Drinking too much water can also upset your body’s careful balance of sodium. This critical mineral should hover between 135 and 145 mEq/L. But when it drops below 135 mEq/L, a condition called hyponatremia develops. This too results in water from the blood stream flowing into the cells, making them swell.
Hyponametria is more likely in athletes who lose a lot of sodium through sweat. Drinking water in this condition only dilutes the sodium density further. Hyponatremia has been seen to even cause death in athletes.
You’ll start to notice mild symptoms as sodium levels dip below 120 mmol/liter. Typically, symptoms like confusion or muscle cramps will be more visible under 110 mmol/liter. But when levels drop to 90 to 105 mmol/liter, your symptoms will probably become more severe. At first, you might feel drowsy, but it may result in a coma. Now, if you’ve had a lot of water in a very short time, the progression from mild to severe may happen pretty fast.

3. Lowers Potassium Levels Abnormally (Hypokalemia)

Overhydration can also lower potassium levels in the body. Loss of potassium may cause hypokalemia, the symptoms of which are vomiting, low blood pressure, paralysis, nausea, and diarrhea.
This effect may be even more pronounced if you are on anti-diuretic medicines like vasopressin. The medicine is the synthetic form of the hormone vasopressin, which helps retain water in the body, especially in times of stress such as physical exertion. So if your body is already on a water-retention mode and you keep drinking more water, the result is disastrous.

4. Causes Muscle Cramps

As mentioned before, consuming too much water will lead to a drop in your body’s electrolyte levels. The resulting fluid imbalance also affects your muscular function and could lead to muscle spasms and cramping. If you’re involved in high-endurance activities, it’s important to not only drink more water but also to replenish your electrolytes with sports drinks.

5. Overwhelms The Kidneys

As you know, kidneys help filter toxins from blood. The first stage of filtration happens in a cluster of capillaries at the end of each nephron (the basic functional unit of kidneys). The toxins are then flushed out with urine.
Overhydration can affect the glomeruli because your kidneys need to work overtime to filter the extra water from your blood. So when you drink liters of water within an hour, your kidneys get overwhelmed. Drinking up to 800 to 1000 ml of water in an hour should be fine if you’re in otherwise normal health.

Overhydration is particularly dangerous when you have kidney problems. Researchers suggest that it can actually cause chronic kidney disease progression. It may also spark an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

6. Strains The Heart

Your body has an effective water absorption mechanism. Almost 80% of the fluids you drink is absorbed by the small intestine through a process called osmosis. Water then enters the blood stream, thereby increasing the overall volume of your blood. Drinking too much water can put undue strain on your heart due to the increase in blood volume and also lead to seizures in some cases.
Kidney function and heart health are also closely related. Patients with congestive heart failures or other heart issues that also affect the kidneys tend to retain more water in the body, compounding the problem. In their case, drinking too much water can stretch the heart muscle fibers and result in heart failure.

7. Makes You Feel Tired

Excretion of fluids is mainly the function of your kidneys. When you drink more water than is needed by your body, it’s your kidneys that are strained the most. They need to work hard to remove excess water, which can lead to a stress reaction from your hormones. This could make you feel tired or fatigued. Moreover, the dilution of electrolytes could trigger exhaustion.

Drinking Chlorinated Water For A Long Time Can Cause Cancer
As much as we would to think that tap water is safe to drink, the fact remains that most drinking water in the United States is treated with chlorine to disinfect it. Drinking too much of chlorinated water over a period of time means increased intake of chlorine. Studies have shown that the risk of bladder cancer increased with intake of tap water and beverages made with tap water.

How Much Water Should You Drink?

But how much you need to drink really depends on your age, gender, body weight, activity levels, metabolism, and medication as well as environmental conditions. People in temperate climates and with little physical activity may not need the 8 glasses of water daily. The  doctor recommends limiting intake to 6 to 8 glasses of water, totaling about 1.2 liters a day, especially when you drink other fluids and water-filled foods.

The general rule to follow is to watch out for your body’s thirst signals. In a healthy person, the color of the urine is a good indicator as is the number of times you pee in a day. On hot and humid days and on days that you do strenuous exercise, drink 1.5 to 2.5 cups more, preferably with some electrolytes to balance the salts. But make sure you drink the water in small quantities through the day and not at one go.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                
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