Research Round-Up
Antidepressants prescribed for pain in older adults despite weak evidence of effectiveness
University of Sydney research has found people over 65 are being prescribed antidepressants as pain treatment based on international guidelines that use limited evidence. The study found that in the last 40 years there have been only 15 trials globally focusing on the benefit of antidepressants for pain in older people.
This study fills a much-needed gap in research by bringing together the information from these trials to look at the efficacy and harms of antidepressants for acute and chronic non-cancer pain in those over 65-years old.
Menopausal Women Are Often Gaslighted by the Medical Profession
A survey published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that just 7 percent of new physicians in family medicine and gynaecology felt adequately prepared to deal with patients’ menopause, with 20 percent reporting they had not received a single lecture on the topic during residency.
“This has led to women who experience symptoms being told their symptoms are either all in their heads or nothing to complain about,” she explains.
Mental health symptoms, including depression, anxiety, or brain fog, worsen the odds of being dismissed, Dusenbery says. “It’s all too easy for medical providers to see middle-aged women struggling with anxiety and depression as just stressed by the everyday challenges of midlife.”
Read more here.
Older Cancer Survivors Face Elevated Risk of Stroke and Heart Attack post Chemotherapy
Older cancer survivors face a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and hospital treatment for heart failure, especially if they had chemotherapy, Monash University research study data has revealed. Published in the journal CANCER, researchers investigated the effects of cancer treatment on older people and found the cancer and its treatment elevated the risk of cardiovascular events.
Rates for stroke, heart attack and hospital admission for heart failure were twice as high in those who developed cancer compared with those who didn’t: 20.8 versus 10.3 events per 1,000 person-years. The elevated risk remained even after accounting for traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Cardiovascular disease incidence following cancer diagnosis was greatest in patients with metastatic, blood and lung cancers. Chemotherapy was associated with twice the risk of cardiovascular disease events compared to other cancer therapies.
A Starch and Sucrose-Reduced Diet (SSRD) Outperforms Low FODMAPS Diet in Treating IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most prevalent disorder of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). Functional gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are reported in about 40% of the general population, with many patients experiencing exacerbated symptoms after eating.
The primary treatment for IBS is dietary modification, specifically a low fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet. Alarmingly, 25-50% of IBS patients continue to experience symptoms even while adhering to a low FODMAP diet.
The high consumption of sugar and processed foods in Western diets may also increase the likelihood of developing IBS symptoms. Given these recent findings, the efficacy of a starch- and sucrose-reduced diet (SSRD) has been explored in IBS, showing marked symptom improvement.
A 4-week SSRD intervention was found to be more beneficial when compared with the low FODMAP diet regarding gastrointestinal IBS symptoms. Additionally, both diets resulted in significant reductions in other gastrointestinal symptoms, with SSRD showing more pronounced decreases in weight, BMI, and sugar cravings.
The latest health research news from around the world, compiled by Lead Instructor and Program Director Leanne Scott, FNTP.
Table of Contents
Antidepressants Prescribed for Pain in Older Adults Despite Weak Evidence of Effectiveness
Menopausal Women Are Often Gaslighted by the Medical Profession
Older Cancer Survivors Face Elevated Risk of Stroke and Heart Attack post Chemotherapy
A Starch and Sucrose-Reduced Diet (SSRD) Outperforms Low FODMAPS Diet in Treating IBS
