Houseknecht Laboratory - Mood, Metabolism & Medicine

04/04/2022

Diabetes is a key contributor to COVID-19 mortality, and patients with COVID-19 are 40% more likely to develop diabetes

After older people and nursing home residents, no group perhaps has been harder hit by the pandemic than people with diabetes. Experts hope policymakers will take notice, and finally get serious about tackling the nation’s diabetes crisis.

11/22/2021

There are multiple factors that increase risk in this patient population. For some patients, antipsychotic medications likely play a role

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/11/22/1057258797/why-people-with-mental-illness-are-at-higher-risk-of-covid?utm_term=nprnews&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_source=facebook.com&fbclid=IwAR3G-TqQXhbbVLad5GlDklAfJyR5Pqt84WTtLf1qoQ4qu4xF7A45sdBoagQ

Federal health officials have been urging adults with psychiatric conditions to get a booster shot to increase their COVID protection. It turns out being mentally ill puts you at higher risk.

09/20/2021

Emerging new evidence supports the idea that the regulation of mood, metabolism and cognition are interrelated as evidenced by the increase in rates of dementia among patients with severe mental illness. Antipsychotic medications appear to play a central role, having both direct and indirect effects on regulatory signaling pathways.

This Viewpoint discusses 2 testable hypotheses for prevention of dementia and premature mortality after cognitive decline.

09/13/2021

New data from over 33000 patients reveals increased risk for adverse cardiac events in young adults (ages 45 and younger) who consume cannabis

Around 1.3% of adults under age 45 who used cannabis within a 30-day period later had a heart attack while only 0.8% of non-cannabis consumers suffered the same fate.

07/25/2021

This is a tragic public health and mental health crisis

Addressing the impact of caregiver deaths critical for pediatric mental health, authors note

06/13/2021

These new data sheds new light on the regulation, and possible dysregulation, of "fear centers" in the brain--which could be important for better understanding PTSD an anxiety.

“This finding now raises interesting questions about whether dysfunction of this brain system could contribute to the marked individual differences in risk for trauma-related psychiatric disorders,”

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/study-reveals-brain-cells-sustain-or-suppress-fearful-memories?fbclid=IwAR0Q0nRNe0OvCer6guESs6br6mHVhJvNCraLQ0npQNOqpOnbcYwNuWxLOxI

Researchers identified clusters of brain cells that compete to promote either the persistence or disappearance of fearful memories.

06/08/2021

This is exciting news for patients with metabolic syndrome and obesity.

In company-funded studies, participants taking the Novo Nordisk drug Wegovy had average weight loss of about 34 pounds. In a comparison group getting dummy shots, the average loss was under 6 pounds.

05/06/2021

04/23/2021

Link between mood and metabolism in those suffering from grief

" psychological assessments on 99 bereaved people about three months after the deaths of their spouses, and then took blood samples. Those who experienced higher levels of grief and depression also had higher levels of the immune system’s markers for inflammation."

Scientists know that the intense stress of grieving can affect the body in various ways, but much remains a mystery.

04/21/2021

Check out the latest edition of the UNE Office of Research newsletter!

Looking for UNE ORS Newsletter? Just check all 1 flip PDFs from the author Zeynep Arslan. Like UNE ORS Newsletter? Share and download UNE ORS Newsletter for free. Upload your PDF on PubHTML5 and create a flip PDF like UNE ORS Newsletter.