As the population ages in the more developed countries, there is also an increase in illness, many of which could be prevented to a certain extent, like type 2 diabetes and some types of heart disease. While some risk factors have been identified and are being targeted, researchers are reaching as far back as they can to perhaps stop the diseases before the risk factors even begin, rather than stopping the risks once they have started.

To do this, researchers in the United Kingdom studied 1,037 people from New Zealand who were born during a one-year period between April 1972 and March 1973.

The researchers monitored the subjects for their first 10 years of life, specifically looking at three particular issues:

• poor socioeconomics
• maltreatment
• social isolation

The subjects were then assessed again when they turned 32 years old. At this time, the researchers were looking for:

• depression
• high inflammation levels in the blood (which could indicate heart disease, for example)
• high blood pressure
• abnormal cholesterol levels
• obesity

What the researchers found was that the subjects who had had more difficult childhoods also had higher levels of depression and high inflammation levels, as well as high cholesterol,  high blood pressure and obesity.

“The effects of adverse childhood experiences on age-related disease risks in adulthood were non-redundant, cumulative and independent of the influence of established developmental and concurrent risk factors,” such as family history, low birth weight or high childhood body mass index, the authors write.

Of course, parents don’t usually want their children to grow up disadvantaged and usually do what they can to raise their children’s standard of living. But this type of finding may help doctors and other healthcare professionals take these issues to heart and be more aware of the long-term impact. Other professionals may work on interventions that could help minimize the impact of a difficult childhood on adults.

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Post from: Blisstree

Hard Childhood May Lead to Adult Illness

There has been a suspicion that there is a connection between depression and osteoporosis, but studies have been small. To address this, researchers from Hebrew University researchers looked at data from all studies analyzed them to see what they could find. The results of their meta-analysis were gathered from 23 studies, which studied 2,327 people with depression and 21,141 without depression.

According to this news release, Connection between depression and osteoporosis detailed by Hebrew University researchers, the connection is clear.

[D]epressed individuals have a substantially lower bone density than non-depressed people and that depression is associated with a markedly elevated activity of cells that breakdown bone (osteoclasts).

[The researchers] found that the association between depression and bone loss was stronger in women than men, especially young women before the end of their monthly period. This connection was especially strong in women with clinical depression diagnosed by a psychiatrist, but not in community studies, in which women subjectively identified themselves as being depressed using self-rating questionnaires.

Osteoporosis is a devastating disease. It affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over 50, throughout the world.

The authors of the study say that women and men who are diagnosed as clinically depressed should be monitored for osteoporosis. What would be interesting would be to know if these people take antidepressants and if this may affect the development of osteoporosis.

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Image: iStock.com

Post from: Blisstree

Depression and Osteoporosis Connection

Most of the time when you’ve been cheated on you will want to immediately end the relationship that you are in.  If your relationship has been a struggle and you believe that the cheating was only a manifestation of other problems in your relationship like distrust, manipulation, and constant lying then making a complete break is the right decision.  If you feel like the relationship is now over, then trust your instincts.

Cheating will crush you and break your heart, but if you have decided that this is the end then the hard part has only just begun.  First, give yourself time to accept your pain.  Truly feel the pain and let yourself be sad.  Let it all out because you have been hurt and it is wonderful that you are in touch with your emotions.  After some time, try to be calm and analytical about your situation.  Acknowledge the relationship as a whole and include all other aspects outside of the cheating that led to the end.

Here are some extremely important ideas to remember when struggling with the post break-up depression and confusion after a relationship involving cheating:

• Don’t blame yourself. Two people are involved in the relationship…remember that!

• Don’t spend energy hating the cheater. It only gives them a role in your life that they don’t deserve.

• Don’t look back and point out all of the signs that you missed and places where you made wrong decisions.  It doesn’t help!  The past is the past and the mistakes were made and you must move on.

• Do look back reflectively to figure out what you can learn from the situation.

• Don’t be a flip flopper. Trust your initial instincts and stick to them.  It’s going to be tough!  There is no doubt about that.  But you are strong and independent.  If you are broken up, then you are broken up.  Remember that!

• Keep the situation private. There is no need to start a smear campaign against the cheater.  There is more to him than just the cheating and you will get nothing from spreading your private life into the public.

• Don’t put up a wall. You were hurt, but it doesn’t mean that you will be hurt again.  Let yourself love and be loved.  Let yourself trust and be trusted.

Post from: Blisstree

He Cheated, We’re Over, Now What?

Specifically, the study of 776 young adults found that females with an alcohol problem at age 24 were more than three times as likely to be obese at 27. The study also found that obese women at 27 were more than twice as likely to be depressed at 30. Females depressed at 27 were at increased risk for alcohol disorders when they were 30.

Carolyn McCarty, UW research associate professor of pediatrics and psychology, said:

“For women there is a great deal of overlap between these common emotional and health problems that span early adulthood. Men may develop one of these conditions but they don’t tend to lead to another one later on.”

McCarty said that the caloric intake often found with drinking alcohol may lead to weight gain, possibly explaining the connection between obesity and alcohol abuse. She said other women may substitute food for alcohol.

McCarty also believes that body image may play a role in the connection between obesity and depression. She believes that intervention programs addressing stress management and helping young women deal with situations and emotions may be beneficial to preventing the cycles of depression, alcohol abuse and obesity.

If you’ve suffered from any of these problems, do you think they were related?

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

New Links Among Common Diseases in Women

Many years ago in the transitional period between college and “real life” I found myself floundering around a bit and was falling into the common problem of questioning who I was if I was alone away from a boyfriend or close friends and family.  This period of life is definitely extremely challenging and can result in intense feelings of loneliness, low self-confidence, and depression.  It’s common during this time to search online and in books for self-help resources and bits of advice to give yourself direction through this confusing time.  You might find something in your searching that really relates to your situation and helps you to feel stronger when you are down.

I came across a few little colorful cards with statements on them during that time that I posted on my wall because they reminded me of the importance of being strong and independent.  I came across these cards recently and I wanted to share them because even now just reading them reminds me that just saying the words out loud can sometimes have a big effect on how you feel about yourself.  Here are my special cards:

• My positive thoughts create a positive life.
• You can reshape your thinking so that you never have to think in negatives again.  You and only you choose your thoughts.
• My destiny is mine to control.
• When you acquire enough inner peace and feel really positive about yourself, it’s almost impossible for you to be controlled and manipulated by anybody else.
• When you are at peace with yourself and love yourself, it is virtually impossible to be self-destructive.
• I love myself — body, mind, and soul.

These statements are so simple, but so strong!  If you find yourself in a lonely place where you might be struggling with a recent break-up or living in a new city by yourself, try reading these statements and see if they can bring some strength to you as well.

Post from: Blisstree

It All Starts With Loving Yourself

Does that sound unusual to you? It should. The study is unique. The new hopelessness study by University of Minnesota Medical School researchers is the first to establish that women who feel hopeless could have a higher risk of stroke and heart disease. Findings were published in the journal Stroke.

Study participants:
559 women around age of 50 with no clinical signs of heart disease

Tests:
Researchers asked participants about their personal goals and the future. Symptoms of depression were measured via an assessment scale with 20 items. Ultrasound images measured thickness of neck arteries.

Results:
Women reporting hopelessness about personal goals and the future also had more atherosclerosis (thickening of neck arteries), a predictor of stroke. After adjusting for other heart risk factors, the difference found was still significant.

The study authors conclude that middle-aged women with higher levels of hopelessness may have “greater subclinical atherosclerosis independent of age, race, income, CVD risk factors, and depressive symptoms.”

Sounds like women should take action against prolonged feelings of hopelessness.

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Post from: Blisstree

Women: Feeling Hopeless May Cause Stroke

This abrupt and unexpected type of break-up can be the most emotionally crushing, but surprisingly with some time and mental control, can be one of the easiest to get over.  If you have just suffered from this experience, here are the steps to take to re-evaluate your view of the situation and find a way to pull yourself out of the depression that it may be causing you.

• Take care of yourself. You probably feel desperate, anxious, out of control, and like your whole world has just come crashing down around you.  Slow down, breathe, and realize that the world is still a wonderful place to live in.  Don’t punish yourself for what happened!  You deserve to be loved and you can start by loving yourself.

• Give yourself time. It is completely normal to feel sad and uncomfortable in your life now that you are alone.  Let yourself be sad for a little while.  It’s good to know that you are a human who can feel deeply and has the ability to care about someone.   Love yourself for being able to love someone else and accept that it will take time to move on and heal completely from this.

• Don’t try to get him back. Don’t focus your efforts on him.  Focus your efforts on healing yourself.  If he dumped you then you were not a perfect match and you need to let each of you go your separate ways.  It is hard to accept that you no longer have a future together, but the sooner you accept that then the sooner you will find happiness in your life.

• Re-evaluate your interpretation of the relationship. It is clear now that you are broken up that there was something missing in the relationship.  What was it?  Look back at your time together and be realistic.  Everything wasn’t perfect.  Try to understand where the problems were so that you can notice them next time you are in a relationship.  You had love blinders on and didn’t see the reality of the situation.  But maybe you can see it now and learn from it…

• It wasn’t a match. Regardless of how you felt about him, he wasn’t the one.  Everyone is different and everyone is looking for something different in their mate.  The sad reality is that he just wasn’t looking for you.  If you truly love him, then you will want him to find the person that is his match and will make him happy.  Whatever happened between you does not change who you are.  For now, focus on being the best person that you can be on your own.

Image: sxc.hu

Post from: Blisstree

He Was The One and He Broke My Heart

Major depression strikes twice as many women as men, about 10% to 25%, and it often runs in families, usually starting somewhere between the ages of 15 years and 30 years. Depression can be treated through counseling, psychotherapy, and medications. Often, medications are used to stabilize someone so he or she can get a good start with psychotherapy, although some people must stay on medications for the long term.

According to a study published in the newest issue of Archives of General Psychiatry , about 13 million people were taking antidepressant medications in 1996, but in 2005, the number rose dramatically to 23 million.

All groups were similarly affected, except for African Americans who were on the lower end of the scale in both 1996 and 2005. Antidepressant use did rise among Hispanics, but not as high as with others.

What is particularly interesting about this study is that researchers found patients who also took antidepressants were often more likely to be taking antipsychotic medications, treatments for schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses. As well, they were less likely to be going for counseling or psychotherapy.

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Post from: Blisstree

Antidepressant Use Doubles in U.S.

Japan has recently approved its use in that country.

Mirtazapine has been quite helpful in relieving the symptoms of clinical depression in many people, but as all medications, also has side effects. They include:

*  abnormal dreams
* constipation
* dizziness
* drowsiness
* dry mouth
* increased appetite
* muscle pain
* nausea
* weakness
* weight gain

Patients who take mirtazapine are also warned to tell their doctor as soon as possible if they experience any of these problems:

*  agitation
* anxiety
* decreased sexual ability
* hallucinations (hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there)
* increased or decreased movement
* menstrual difficulties
* mood changes (undesirable)
* mood swings
* rash
* swelling
* unusual excitement
* vision problems

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Image courtesy PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Blisstree

Japan Approves Remeron (Mirtazapine)

Image: Zuma Press

I didn’t really know what to expect when I started this movie, but I have to say that I was extremely impressed.  The movie uses the art of conversation to expose insecurities and confusion that arise in a marriage.  I felt that the film was almost Shakespearean in the way that the archetypal characters delivered heart-wrenching monologues expressing frustration and confused emotions.  The characters and their interactions were truly brilliant.  A mentally ill neighbor pops in at key moments and delivers lines of brutal honesty to the couple about the lack of truthfulness and happiness in their relationship.

Although the movie is depressing in its portrayal of married life, it does expose the real challenges that men and women face when they find themselves trapped in a life of mortages, child-rearing, monotonous work days, and household chores.

If you are in a serious relationship, I strongly recommend watching this movie with your significant other or spouse and having a conversation about it.  Your reactions to the characters may bring ideas to the surface that would be worthwhile to discuss.  The movie brings up issues about the difference between male and female roles in a family and the contrast between emotional detachment and complete expression of extreme emotions.

Just as the characters in Revolutionary Road struggle with communication in their relationship, I encourage movie-watchers to explore the best ways to communicate with their partner in order to understand and help one another when they are going through a difficult or transitional period.  Successful communication is the key to a healthy and balanced relationship.

Revolutionary Road is now available on DVD.

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Revolutionary Road: Relationship on Film