Health
People with brain aneurysms at higher risk of some mental health disorders, study finds
People who have been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm may be more susceptible to certain mental health conditions, according to a study published by the American Heart Association (AHA).
The knowledge of an unruptured aneurysm increased the risk of anxiety, stress, depression, insomnia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and alcohol or drug misuse by 10% over a 10-year period, the researchers found.
An unruptured aneurysm occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes weak and bulges out — creating the risk of a potentially deadly rupture, per the AHA.
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The effect was most seen in adults under 40 years of age, and the risk was three times greater among those who received an official mental health diagnosis.
The researchers analyzed data for 85,438 adults with untreated aneurysms between 2011 and 2019, comparing them to 331,000 adults without aneurysms.
An unruptured aneurysm occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes weak and bulges out, creating the risk of a potentially deadly rupture. (American Heart Association)
The data came from the National Health Information Database in South Korea.
The findings were published in Stroke, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the AHA.
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“As a neurosurgeon who treats cerebral aneurysms, I often see people who do not undergo surgery, yet feel fear and/or anxiety about their condition before each imaging or screening test to monitor their condition,” said study co-author Na-Rae Yang, M.D., PhD, an assistant professor of neurosurgery in the department of neurosurgery at Ewha Womans University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, in a press release.
“Even when it is medically judged and explained that follow-up observation is the best course for their aneurysm rather than surgery, they still worry about the very slim chance of developing a fatal brain bleed.”
The fact that younger adults were more likely to have a “significant psychological burden” could be linked to other life stressors, an expert noted. (iStock)
The fact that younger adults were more likely to have a “significant psychological burden” could be linked to other life stressors, Yang noted, such as building their career and/or raising a family.
“This elevated rate of mental health conditions suggests that younger people might be particularly vulnerable, highlighting the need for targeted mental health support and interventions for this age group,” she added.
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Dr. Daniel T. Lackland, an American Heart Association EPI and Stroke Council member and professor of epidemiology at the Medical University of South Carolina, was not involved in the study but said he was not surprised by the findings.
“While there is no evidence that aneurysms directly cause anxiety and mental disorders, this study suggests there may be a connection between stress and aneurysms, and that unruptured aneurysms can increase emotional distress,” he told Fox News Digital.
The knowledge of an unruptured aneurysm increased the risk of anxiety, stress, depression, insomnia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and alcohol or drug misuse by 10% over a 10-year period, the researchers found. (iStock)
“For example, an enlarging aneurysm may physically affect nearby sympathetic ganglia, which could produce panic or anxiety symptoms.”
Extreme emotional stress could also increase the risk of an enlarged aneurysm rupturing, which could increase anxiety, Lackland added.
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Based on the findings, Lackland recommends maintaining active and regular communication with health providers, particularly for individuals with a family history of brain aneurysms.
“If diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, [the patient should] follow through with the appropriate and proper treatment,” he advised.
“Brain aneurysms, like aortic aneurysms, are life-threatening if they rupture, but can be treated with appropriate therapy and/or procedures.”
Although the findings suggest an association between aneurysms and mental health conditions, they can’t prove cause and effect, the researchers noted. (iStock)
Dr. Bradley Serwer, a cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, a Cincinnati-based company that offers cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals nationwide, has also noticed this phenomenon in his own practice.
“Whether the patient is told they have a brain aneurysm or they have an abnormal heart valve, irregular heart rhythm or aortic aneurysm, the psychological ramifications are significant,” Serwer, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
Younger patients may have fewer coping mechanisms, he noted.
“They tend to perseverate more on the medical conditions, and this can lead to anxiety.”
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This study highlights the importance of taking a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, Serwer said, as well as the “dramatic need” for more behavioral and mental health services to support these individuals.
Potential limitations
The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged.
The analysis relied on a national database of medical codes rather than input from individual patients.
“Brain aneurysms, like aortic aneurysms, are life-threatening if they rupture, but can be treated with appropriate therapy and/or procedures.”
Additionally, the research did not take into account the size or location of the aneurysms.
Although the findings suggest an association between aneurysms and mental health conditions, they can’t prove cause and effect, the researchers noted.
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“As the authors indicate, there is inadequate evidence to indicate that brain aneurysms cause increased mental health risks,” said Lackland.
“Also, the study was done in Korea — and it is unclear if the results can be generalized to other populations.”
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A highly contagious digestive virus is surging across the U.S., experts warn.
Rotavirus, a double-stranded RNA virus, causes acute gastroenteritis — inflammation of the stomach and intestines — which can lead to severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain.
The virus primarily affects infants and young children, but there have also been outbreaks in elderly populations, such as nursing homes.
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Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in the week ending April 4, out of 2,329 rotavirus tests, 7.3% were positive for the infection. Last year’s highest infection rate was 6.77% as of the week ending April 19.
Rotavirus, a double-stranded RNA virus, causes acute gastroenteritis — inflammation of the stomach and intestines — which can lead to severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain. (iStock)
“We’re seeing a lot of rotavirus in the wastewater right now,” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, confirmed to Fox News Digital. “Testing for rotavirus is way down, but the percentage of positive tests is up.”
While the virus typically peaks in the spring, it is not currently slowing down, he noted.
Why cases may be rising
Patricia Pinto-Garcia, M.D., a medical editor at GoodRx who is based in California, said there are several possible reasons for the rotavirus spike.
“Vaccine rates are down overall among young children, as they decreased during COVID,” she told Fox News Digital. “This means there’s a growing number of infants and young children who are vulnerable to infection.”
The rotavirus vaccine series must be completed by the time a child is 8 months old, she noted.
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As a result of the declining vaccinations, herd immunity isn’t protecting vulnerable children, according to Pinto-Garcia. “Children who haven’t finished the vaccine series yet, are too young to get vaccinated, or can’t get the vaccine due to medical illness are more likely to get exposed to the illness because other children aren’t vaccinated,” she said.
Siegel noted that before the vaccine became available, rotavirus resulted in 55,000 to 70,000 in the U.S. per year.
“Vaccine rates are down overall among young children, as they decreased during COVID,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. “This means there’s a growing number of infants and young children who are vulnerable to infection.” (iStock)
“I am concerned that the vaccination rate has been declining over the past seven years and is continuing to decline in the current climate of vaccine skepticism,” he said.
Surveillance methods are also much better than they used to be, Pinto-Garcia noted, which means public health experts are able to pick up and track cases better than ever before.
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“But we see that rotavirus-related healthcare visits are also up, so improved detection is not the only reason we are seeing this spike,” she said.
The COVID pandemic also disrupted the pattern of infections, according to Pinto-Garcia, so it’s “tricky” to compare the current levels against older cycles.
“It’s possible that what we are seeing is still some post-pandemic rebound, but it’s unlikely that this year’s pattern is fully explained by just this factor,” she added.
Transmission and risk
Dr. Zachary Hoy, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Pediatrix Medical Group based in Nashville, Tennessee, often sees young patients with rotavirus.
“Rotavirus is spread via the fecal-oral route, meaning that a person comes into contact with virus droplets from contact with other children or adults, or from contact with objects such as toys that have been contaminated with the virus from someone who is sick,” he told Fox News Digital. “This can lead to outbreaks, especially at schools where many young children share the same toys.”
“It’s possible that what we are seeing is still some post-pandemic rebound, but it’s unlikely that this year’s pattern is fully explained by just this factor.”
Rotavirus is associated with many dehydration cases in the hospital due to the degree of diarrhea, according to Hoy.
In some severe cases, the virus can lead to seizures due to electrolyte imbalances from dehydration and loss of electrolytes in the stool.
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“Younger children do not have the reserves that older children and adults have, so they can become more dehydrated quicker and develop more severe electrolyte imbalances, leading to more severe infections,” Hoy said.
“Patients with problems with their immune systems or on medications that can decrease their immune systems can have more severe and prolonged infections, too.”
Treatment and care
Because rotavirus is a viral infection, antibiotics are not effective against it. There is no specific antiviral treatment for the condition, with doctors typically recommending supportive care.
“The mainstay of treatment is hospitalization for rehydration via intravenous (IV) fluids,” Hoy told Fox News Digital. “Sometimes it can take up to two to three days of IV fluids to help get patients rehydrated.”
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Blood draws are often necessary to evaluate patients’ electrolyte levels, such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, according to the doctor.
“If these electrolyte levels are significantly low, sometimes patients need special IV solutions or individual electrolyte medications,” he added.
“The mainstay of treatment is hospitalization for rehydration via intravenous (IV) fluids,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Dr. Daniel Park, medical director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at UNC Health in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, noted that most children recover with supportive care, but parents should seek medical attention if a child shows signs of dehydration. Those include decreased urination, lethargy or inability to keep fluids down.
“While rare, rotavirus can be life-threatening in vulnerable populations, especially very young infants or children with underlying medical conditions,” Park told Fox News Digital.
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Prevention strategies
Given the lack of antiviral medications for rotavirus, doctors emphasize the importance of prevention, primarily the vaccine.
There are two rotavirus vaccines – Rotateq (a three-dose series) and Rotarix (a two-dose series). They are given starting at age 2 months as oral drops, not injections, according to Hoy.
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“It’s important to get the rotavirus vaccines on schedule, because these younger infants are at greatest risk if they get rotavirus,” he advised.
Other recommended prevention methods include handwashing with soap and water.
Every day we’re faced with a zillion small choices: Go to sleep early, or watch one more episode of that Netflix drama. Call an old friend to catch up, or cruise social media. Of course, no single action will guarantee a long, healthy life or doom you to an early grave. But those little daily decisions do add up, and over the long term they can make a difference when it comes to both your longevity and your health span, the amount of life spent in relatively good health.
Scroll through this theoretical “day in the life” and select the option that best fits your typical day. Not every situation will apply perfectly, but think about which choice you’d be most likely to make. This isn’t a formal scientific assessment. The goal here isn’t to assign you a “good” or “bad” score, but to help you understand the central factors that shape the way we age and how long we live.
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A study from Harvard Medical School indicates natural selection has favored the red hair gene, resulting in a potential increase in the number of redheaded people as humanity continues to evolve.
By analyzing nearly 16,000 ancient genomes spanning 10,000 years, researchers identified a list of traits that nature is actively pushing forward. Among the most prominent were the genetic variants for red hair.
“Perhaps having red hair was beneficial 4,000 years ago, or perhaps it came along for the ride with a more important trait,” the authors noted.
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The study, published in the journal Nature, relied on a large database of ancient DNA from West Eurasia. Using new computing methods, the team was able to filter out random fluctuations in DNA to identify what it called “directional selection.”
Directional selection happens when a particular version of a gene gives an organism a strong survival or reproductive advantage, causing it to become more common in a population faster than it would by chance, according to experts.
Directional selection is when a specific gene provides such significant benefits that it rises in frequency across a population much faster than random chance. (iStock)
Prior to this study, scientists only knew of about 21 such instances in human history, one of which was lactose tolerance. This new research uncovered hundreds more.
“With these new techniques and a large amount of ancient genomic data, we can now watch how selection shaped biology in real time,” Ali Akbari, first author of the study and senior staff scientist in the lab of Harvard geneticist David Reich, said in a press release.
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The data showed that genetic markers for red hair are among 479 gene variants that have been strongly favored over the past 10,000 years. One likely explanation, the researchers said, is a major shift in human history: the transition to farming.
Scientists have long pointed to vitamin D synthesis as a likely driver for the rise of traits like fair skin and light hair. (iStock)
As humans moved away from hunting and gathering and settled into agricultural societies, their environment and behavior changed radically, triggering an evolutionary “acceleration.”
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While the Harvard study provides the first definitive statistical proof that red hair was actively selected during the rise of farming, the researchers noted that the exact prehistoric benefit still requires more study.
However, scientists have long pointed to vitamin D synthesis as a likely driver for the rise of these light-pigmented traits in northern climates.
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While redheads remain a minority of the global population today, the Harvard study’s analysis suggests that they may not be an evolutionary accident.
While redheads remain a minority of the global population today, the Harvard study’s analysis suggests they may not be an evolutionary accident. (iStock)
Instead, the red hair trait was “boosted” by natural selection as humans adapted to the challenges of a modern world, according to the researchers.
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The researchers urged caution in how these findings are interpreted.
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“What a variant is associated with now is not necessarily why an allele propagated,” the authors noted.
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