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Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Parkinson's disease four times more likely among people with autism, study suggests
New Delhi: People with autism could be four times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease later in life, according to a study among Swedish population. Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder affecting thought processes and social behaviour. It is diagnosed in early childhood, while Parkinson's disease is ageing-related neuro-degeneration, in which one experiences tremors in limbs and affected movement. "This indicates that there can be shared biological drivers behind ASD ( autism spectrum disorder ) and Parkinson's disease," first author Weiyao Yin, a researcher at the department of medical epidemiology and biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, said. The study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Neurology, analysed data from more than 22 lakh people born in the country between 1974 and 1999, who were followed from the age of 20 up to the end of 2022. Findings "suggest a potential shared etiology between neuro-developmental disorders and PD (Parkinson's disease), warranting increased awareness of long-term neurological conditions in individuals with ASD," the authors wrote. Yin said, "One hypothesis is that the brain's dopamine system is affected in both cases, since the neurotransmitter (brain chemical) dopamine plays an important part in social behaviour and motion control." While there is considerable evidence that dopamine production is affected in Parkinson's disease, the role of dopamine in autism is not yet clear, even though studies have shown that the brain chemical is involved, the researchers said. The researchers also took into account the fact that people diagnosed with autism are commonly prescribed anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs, which can cause Parkinson's-like symptoms. The link between autism and Parkinson's disease became less pronounced, "but the risk was still double", the researchers said. "The healthcare services need to keep people with ASD -- a vulnerable group with high co-morbidity and a high use of psychotropics -- under long-term observation," last author Sven Sandin, a statistician and epidemiologist at the department of medical epidemiology and biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, said. "At the same time, it's important to remember that a Parkinson's diagnosis before the age of 50 is very rare, including for people with autism," Sandin said. The researchers pointed out that they only analysed early-onset Parkinson's disease before the age of 50 and that the average age of participants by the end of the study was 34. The incidence of Parkinson's disease was therefore very low -- 24 cases among 51,954 people with autism (0.05 per cent), and 438 among 22,26,611 people without autism (0.02 per cent). Future studies will need to examine if the elevated risk persists into older age, the team said. Global estimate of autism prevalence is one per cent, while in India, the estimate is 1.5 per cent, according to a 2023 study published in the Indian Journal of Pediatrics.
The Market Online
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Market Online
Trump revives effort to lower drug costs with new Executive Order
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will sign an executive order aimed at reducing the costs of certain medications The proposal targets specific drugs covered by Medicare and administered in medical offices, such as cancer treatments and other injectables Trump wants to cut U.S. drug prices, so they match those abroad, accusing Europe of practices that force up prices Canada produces an estimated US$3 billion in pharmaceuticals for the American market annually U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will sign an executive order aimed at reducing the costs of certain medications, reviving a failed initiative from his first term. The order directs the Department of Health and Human Services to tie Medicare payments for medications administered in a doctor's office to the lowest prices paid by other countries. The proposal targets specific drugs covered by Medicare and administered in medical offices, such as cancer treatments and other injectables. Medicare, which provides health insurance for roughly 70 million older Americans, has long faced criticism for high drug prices compared to other wealthy nations. Trump's 'most favoured nation' approach aims to align U.S. drug prices with those of economically advanced countries. This policy could impact drugs like bupropion, ibalizumab, and sotalol, which are primarily manufactured in Canada and exported to the U.S. A research letter published in The Journal of the American Medical Association highlighted the potential impact of tariffs on Canadian pharmaceuticals. The letter identified hundreds of drugs made in Canada for the U.S. market, with dozens being predominantly manufactured in Canada. Canada produces an estimated US$3 billion in pharmaceuticals for the American market annually. A proposed 25 per cent tariff on these drugs could add US$750 million in costs for buyers, potentially affecting pharmacies and consumers. Trump's executive order represents a significant step in addressing the long-standing issue of high drug prices in the U.S., but its success will depend on the cooperation of pharmaceutical companies and the implementation of the 'most favored nation' pricing model Join the discussion: Find out what everybody's saying about health care stocks on the health care Bullboards, and check out the rest of Stockhouse's stock forums and message boards. The material provided in this article is for information only and should not be treated as investment advice. For full disclaimer information, please click here.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Chronic Pain Management: Study finds improving patient's ability to manage emotions could lower chronic pain, ET HealthWorld
Advt Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals Subscribe to our newsletter to get latest insights & analysis. Download ETHealthworld App Get Realtime updates Save your favourite articles Scan to download App New Delhi: Improving one's ability to manage emotions has shown to be effective in dealing with chronic pain, according to a new pain, or the persistence of pain beyond the healing period of three months following physical injury, is estimated to affect about a third of the world's led by those from the University of New South Wales and Neuroscience Research Australia , trialled a behaviour therapy. It aimed at improving participants' ability to process emotions by de-escalating negative ones and enhancing positive the trial, eight online sessions of group therapy were conducted among 90 people experiencing chronic pain conditions, including lower back pain and fibromyalgia. The participants also used an app and handbook for of the trial, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, show that over a period of six months, those receiving the behaviour therapy reported a better emotion regulation and reduced authors also found a "sustained improvement in depression symptoms and a clinically significant reduction in pain intensity"."By changing how we manage emotions, it is possible to change the experience of pain itself. This is not just a temporary relief but a potential long-term improvement in quality of life for those affected by chronic pain," author Sylvia Gustin, a psychologist and director of the NeuroRecovery Research Hub at the University of New South Wales, results could lead to new ways of treating chronic pain, emphasising the profound impact of emotional health on physical wellbeing, the authors said.A higher level of negative emotions, such as anger or worry, along with a lower capacity to manage them, have been shown to contribute towards the development of chronic pain.A study published in March in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open found that about 40 per cent of adults with chronic pain could be suffering from anxiety or depression."A key factor in disease progression is the inability to regulate negative emotions. This is disrupted by the impact of persistent pain on the brain's emotional circuitry. The resulting emotion dysregulation is an ill-understood and undertreated aspect of chronic pain, which we addressed in this trial," Gustin of low back pain -- a common chronic condition -- are projected at 843 million in 2050. It was estimated to affect 619 million in 2020, according to a study published in The Lancet Rheumatology journal in 2023.
Scotsman
01-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
How a small drop in vaccinations could see measles becoming endemic again
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known, and it is far from harmless, hospitalising one in five infected children and killing up to three in every 1,000 children who catch it Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It takes just a spark to start a wildfire, and when it comes to measles, the embers are already glowing. A new modelling study published in Jama (The Journal of the American Medical Association) sounded the alarm: recent drops in childhood vaccination rates could reignite diseases that were nearly extinguished. The researchers used a simulation to predict the effect of falling vaccination coverage for measles, rubella, polio and diphtheria. Even at current coverage, measles alone could soon infect more than 850,000 people in the US every year, leading to over 2,500 deaths annually. The study also warned how quickly the situation could get worse. A further 10 per cent drop in vaccination rates could lead to more than 11 million cases annually. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Measles is particularly concerning because of how easily it spreads. It is one of the most contagious diseases known – a single person with measles can infect between 12 and 18 others, each of whom can infect 12 to 18 more, and so on. This is much higher than for diseases such as influenza and Covid, where one person, on average, infects one to four others. Getting a measles vaccine could save your life and also the life of a young baby and others who are unable to have it, through herd immunity (Picture: Picture by: Owen Humphreys) | PA Diphtheria kills up to 30% of unvaccinated children To stop measles from spreading from person to person, at least 95 per cent of the population needs to be vaccinated. But coverage is falling short – not just in the US, but worldwide. In 2024, less than 84 per cent of five-year-olds in England had received both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. In Scotland, 89.2 per cent of children aged five have had two MMR doses. This matters because measles is far from harmless. About one in five children with measles need hospital care, one in 20 develop pneumonia and one in 1,000 suffer encephalitis (a brain infection that can cause seizures and deafness). Up to three in every 1,000 children who catch measles will die. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Although measles poses the greatest immediate threat because of how contagious it is, further drops in vaccination rates could see other serious infections return. Rubella can cause devastating birth defects, polio can lead to permanent paralysis, and diphtheria is fatal in up to 30 per cent of unvaccinated children. Before vaccines, these diseases were endemic around the world – circulating constantly, not just in outbreaks. In regions where vaccine coverage has never reached the 95 per cent target, including parts of Africa and south Asia, they remain endemic. But in countries where vaccines had all but eliminated them, falling coverage risks undoing decades of progress. And this isn't just hypothetical – already this year, the US has reported nearly 900 measles cases, including three deaths. Why herd immunity is important The MMR vaccine is extremely effective, protecting more than 97 per cent of those who receive both doses. However, some people can't have the vaccine, including pregnant women, babies and those with a weakened immune system or serious allergy to the vaccine ingredients. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This is why herd immunity is so important: when over 95 per cent of people in a community are vaccinated, the virus can't circulate freely, so everyone is protected – including the most vulnerable. There are many reasons vaccination rates have fallen. Covid caused the biggest drop in global vaccination in 30 years, and many countries are still catching up. Conflict and natural disasters also contribute, with Yemen reporting over 10,000 measles cases in the past six months. Some people choose not to vaccinate their children or themselves. This may be due to vaccine fatigue, concerns about side-effects or underestimating the risks of infection. In this respect, vaccines are victims of their own success – it can be hard to imagine the consequences of infections that have largely disappeared thanks to vaccines. As with all medical treatments, vaccines have side-effects, but most are mild and resolve quickly, such as fever, rash and swollen glands. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Persistent misinformation A major contributor to vaccine hesitancy is misinformation, particularly through social media. One of the most persistent myths is that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism – a claim based on falsified data in a discredited and retracted study from 1998. Since then, multiple studies have disproved this, including a meta-analysis (a study that combines data from several studies) of over 1.25 million children that found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Despite clear scientific evidence, these false claims linger, fanning the flames of doubt with real-world consequences. Indeed, the World Health Organization has listed vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten threats to global health. No parent takes decisions about their child's health lightly. It's natural to want to weigh the risks and benefits. But when vaccination rates drop, it doesn't just put unvaccinated children at risk. It threatens those who cannot be vaccinated – including all infants under a year old, who are too young for the MMR vaccine. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Vaccination remains one of the most powerful tools we have to protect the health of all children. Diseases like measles don't wait for conflicts to end or for trust to rebuild – they simply spread wherever they can. We came close to extinguishing measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, but any drop in vaccine coverage is a match to kindling. As this new research shows, it doesn't take much for the embers to flare into a wildfire beyond our control. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence.
Vox
26-02-2025
- Health
- Vox
You need to start taking airborne fungal outbreaks seriously
As our planet gets increasingly warmer, we're seeing in real-time the myriad of ways our climate is changing: unbearably hot summers, extreme cold snaps, and more dangerous natural disasters. And when our environment changes, so do we — especially in regards to our health. Valley fever, a fungal disease that invades our lungs, is one of these not-so-obvious public health concerns. The fungus, which is typically present in the Western United States, is projected to spread to new frontiers across the country, my former colleague Keren Landman reported back in 2023. We knew then that climate change had played some kind of role. Now, more evidence is coming in about this looming public health threat. Last week, The Journal of the American Medical Association ( JAMA ) published a brief aimed at practicing doctors that drove home just how neglected Valley fever — and by proxy, other diseases like it — can be. According to the brief, California's Department of Public Health recorded over 9,000 cases of Valley fever in 2023, the highest number of recorded cases on record. That same year, California had multiple storms that drenched the state over the course of a few weeks, after a long period of drought starting in 2020. These conditions — long spells of extremely dry weather followed by intense rain — are just right for Valley fever growth and in turn, infections. The earliest recorded case of Valley fever dates back to the 1890s. For some people, it's totally asymptomatic. But for others, Valley fever can cause symptoms for weeks or months. And then there's the unlucky few whose infection travels outside of the lungs and into the skin, bones, or brain. Severe cases can be life-changing and even fatal. According to the brief, Valley fever is pretty significantly underdiagnosed — cases may be up to 10 to 18 times higher than the 10,000 to 20,000 cases reported to the CDC annually. Doctors can miss the signs because the symptoms are similar to other respiratory infections: a cough, fever, feeling tired. That ends up delaying treatment for people who end up really needing it. 'There's some people who get really debilitating forms of this disease, where they are on lifelong treatment. They're in and out of the hospital,' said Pamela Lee, an infectious disease physician at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and one of the authors of the Valley fever brief. 'And one of the things that I worry about is that sometimes people can almost dismiss this disease.' Climate change is doing more than just making the days hotter or the weather more extreme. It's shifting how preexisting diseases grow and spread — and increasing the burden on often underprepared communities and health institutions. In addition to Valley fever, we're seeing the exacerbation of harmful algal blooms in places like Florida, the spread of malaria- and dengue-carrying mosquitos in non-endemic areas, and hot days exacerbating already prevalent air pollution inequities in Eastern North Carolina. Despite how increasingly important this intersection between climate change, disease, and health is becoming, there still are challenges — from the scientific to the political — in doing research that unravels these connections. It's not enough for these new risks to be observed. Quantifying the health impacts of neglected diseases and public health outbreaks that are attributable to climate change is critical to understanding how we adapt, and the scale of the imminent risks that lie ahead. 'I think this is another one of those kinds of things that we need to be thinking about as a prevalent and chronic threat that's going to be riskier for some people more than others — but that no one is totally free from risk,' said Daniel Swain, co-author of the brief and Future Perfect 50 honoree. Coccidioides, the fungus that causes Valley fever, lives in the soil of arid states. Once the fungal spores in the ground are dispersed into the air, often by the wind or human activities like construction projects and farming, it takes inhaling just a few spores to be infected. But what's driving the growth in Coccidioides is an era of weather whiplash: rapid swing from one weather extreme to another. In the case of the fungal spores that cause Valley fever, shifts from extremely dry to extremely wet weather are the perfect conditions for Coccidioides to thrive. 'It's actually not just enough for it to be dry all the time, or the fungus would never actually grow. It's also not enough for it to be wet all the time, or it would never aerosolize,' says Swain. 'It actually does require that there be these transitions between wet and dry states in some form.' Sign up here to explore the big, complicated problems the world faces and the most efficient ways to solve them. Sent twice a week. People with jobs that disrupt soil in Valley fever hot spots can have a higher risk of getting infected, such as construction workers and agricultural workers. These workers also tend to have challenges in accessing healthcare, leaving them susceptible to forgoing a diagnosis and, if necessary, treatment. 'These are the types of patients that I see all the time where just going to the doctor takes away an entire day of income for them, and they can't afford that,' Lee told Vox. But as our climate changes, researchers expect to see more than just a rise in the number of cases — they predict that infections will jump beyond its current geographical borders, too. Valley fever will likely spread to Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, and the Dakotas in the next 75 years. It's a public health issue that's crossing borders where it hasn't before. 'This is an example of something that we were 100 percent sure has been around for a long time, but has a much greater public health burden that it used to and is probably expanding to new regions,' Swain said. The spread of Valley fever imposes a financial cost, too. One study found that the economic burden associated with Valley fever in response to climate change could be $18.5 billion a year by 2090, from direct costs like hospitalization to indirect costs like loss of income. Yes, tens of billions of dollars a year from one disease alone. Valley fever is just one, singular disease. Now, imagine the total human and economic toll of a heating planet that exacerbates the spread of other illnesses and public health crises. It's clearly a massive crisis — but one that researchers are still trying to quantify. It's clear that our changing climate is having some sort of impact on human health. But exactly how climate change is playing a role, and to what extent it's driving infections and deaths, is still being figured out by researchers. Colin Carlson, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Yale University School of Public Health, says there are diseases that researchers know are climate-sensitive, but are still missing observational epidemiological studies to show more concretely how climate change is attributable to the burden of these diseases. 'There is a huge amount of literature about climate and health,' Carlson told Vox. 'There's not as much literature about climate change and health.' Carlson maintains a database of studies that compiles this specific literature called the Health Attribution Library. The papers in this database quantify the human health impacts (like deaths, injuries, or infections) of human-caused climate change. Dengue, malaria, heat deaths, and fire-related deaths from air pollution have attribution studies, while other diseases like cholera, yellow fever, and West Nile virus haven't. Beyond infectious diseases, public health concerns like spikes in depression and anxiety may also be attributable to climate change. 'We know that there is a huge, strong relationship between temperature and suicides, but we don't have a global estimate of how many temperature-attributable suicides there are, or how many are attributable to climate change,' says Carlson. Part of the issue of doing health impact attributional studies is that, ultimately, it's difficult to do. One big challenge that researchers run into is lacking long-term, large-scale data. Carlson added that his lab did an attribution study on malaria because there was data to work with. Of course, there are challenges beyond the scientific. The Trump administration's latest policies and actions don't bode well for the next four years of progress in climate and public health, domestically and abroad. 'I think the intersection of climate change and public health is particularly concerning because both seem to be partisan, ideological targets right now, specifically, individually,' says Swain. 'Together, they pose a huge threat to the health well-being and the economy of the US.' Though many uncertainties lie ahead in the future of climate and public health research, and in turn, the future of human health, Carlson adds that attributional studies can be a point of progress for the people whose lives will be harmed by climate change. 'These attribution studies are incredibly useful in legal settings, because they can demonstrate that plaintiffs have a basis for their damages,' he said. 'When climate litigation has been successful, it has often been on the back of health.'
