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Laughter May Prevent Heart Disease, Depression Increases Risk in Patients
Laughter increases a person’s blood flow much in the same way as exercise does, which
may reduce the likelihood of developing heart disease, indicates a new study presented at
the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting in February. In another study
presented at the conference, Duke University researchers found a strong link between
mild depression and a higher risk of death among heart failure patients.
Psychological Problems Affect Many Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan
More than one in four veterans of active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan who have sought
medical treatment in Veteran’s Affairs hospitals between Oct. 2003 and Feb. 2005 have
symptoms of psychological problems, indicates a study released last week in the New
England Journal of Medicine. PTSD was the most common single diagnosis among these
veterans (10 percent), followed by substance abuse (9 percent), depression (7 percent),
and anxiety disorders (6 percent). Most veterans had multiple diagnoses.
Care Management Methods Can Help Improve Older Adults’ Overall Care
Using a collaborative care management approach in treating depression in older adults can
significantly improve their physical functions, a study in the Journal of the American
Geriatric Society indicates. Through such management offered in the study, older adults had
access to depression specialists who helped coordinate care with the patients’ primary
care physicians.
Rural Residents More Likely to Commit Suicide Than Urban Counterparts
People who live in rural counties are just as likely to die by gunshot as people who live in
more urban areas but are twice as likely as their urban counterparts to have been the
person pulling the trigger, a recent study in the American Journal of Public Health shows.
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