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How Canadians’ lifestyle behaviours changed during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Newswise — Approximately 60% of around 1,600 Canadians involved in a fresh study by McGill University reported that their lifestyle habits either remained unchanged or improved amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, 40% of participants revealed adopting unhealthier lifestyle habits, such as deteriorated eating patterns, reduced sleep quality, decreased physical activity, and weight gain. The research is derived from the Canadian COVIDiet study, encompassing individuals aged 18 to 89 years. Researchers from McGill’s School of Human Nutrition collected nationwide data during the initial wave of infections. Employing latent class analysis, a statistical technique that enables the grouping of individuals with similar characteristics or behaviors, two distinct patterns of lifestyle alterations emerged: healthy and unhealthy habits.

“The positive aspect is that the majority of participants upheld or even enhanced their lifestyle habits,” remarked Stéphanie Chevalier, the leading researcher and Associate Professor of the School of Human Nutrition.

“Curiously, individuals who expressed discontent with their body image, encountered depression or stress, or identified as a gender minority exhibited a higher propensity for adopting less healthy habits,” noted Anne-Julie Tessier, the lead author of the study and a research fellow at Harvard University. “Our investigation can aid in the identification of individuals at heightened health risks during a crisis like a pandemic, and in formulating strategies to assist individuals confronting mental health challenges, thus averting potential health deterioration in the future.”

 Lifestyle Behavior Changes and Associated Risk Factors During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from the Canadian COVIDiet Online Cohort Study by Anne-Julie Tessier, Stéphanie Chevalier et al., was published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. 

Source: McGill University

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American Diabetes Month: We Fight for You

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American Diabetes Month

ARLINGTON, Va. /PRNewswire/ — November is American Diabetes Month®, a time for the American Diabetes Association® (ADA) and the world to rally behind the fight to end diabetes. Nationwide, over 38 million people have diabetes and nearly 98 million have prediabetes. In the last 20 years, the number of Americans with diagnosed diabetes has more than doubled.

American Diabetes Month

For many, a diagnosis of diabetes brings shock and worry about costs, care and how life will change. The ADA is here with resources to meet people where they are, offering nutrition and diabetes education, mental health encouragement, and evidence-based recommendations for diabetes treatments and technologies.

“While the statistics are stark, this American Diabetes Month we’re reminded that behind every number is a person, likely someone you know or love, with their own story. It’s a friend struggling to afford insulin, a child placing an insulin pump for the first time, or a neighbor who just learned that diabetes is causing their blurred vision. At the American Diabetes Association, we’re fighting for a cure for all of them,” said Charles “Chuck” Henderson, the ADA’s chief executive officer.

The ADA’s vision, life free of diabetes and all its burdens, is more critical than ever before. Through advocacy and education, we’re fighting to improve the quality of life for everyone affected by diabetes. We’re driving discovery and research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes while working relentlessly for a cure.

This American Diabetes Month, join us in raising awareness about diabetes and the lives it touches. Learn your risk of developing diabetes and encourage friends and family to do the same. Talk to your health care provider. Stay informed. Share your story. And join the fight at diabetes.org/WeFight.

American Diabetes Month is supported by National Sponsor Parodontax.

About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization fighting to end diabetes and helping people thrive. For 84 years, the ADA has driven discovery and research to prevent, manage, treat, and ultimately cure diabetes. There are 136 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Through advocacy, program development, and education, we’re fighting for them all. To learn more, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American Diabetes Association), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

Contact: press@diabetes.org

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SOURCE American Diabetes Association

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.


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Scientists uncover how fermented-food bacteria can guard against depression, anxiety

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Newswise — University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have discovered how Lactobacillus, a bacterium found in fermented foods and yogurt, helps the body manage stress and may help prevent depression and anxiety. The findings open the door to new therapies to treat anxiety, depression and other mental-health conditions.

The new research from UVA’s Alban Gaultier, Ph.D., and collaborators is notable because it pinpoints the role of Lactobacillus, separating it out from all the other microorganisms that naturally live in and on our bodies. These organisms are collectively known as the microbiota, and scientists have increasingly sought to target them to battle disease and improve our health. UVA’s new research represents a major step forward in that effort, providing scientists an innovative new approach to understand the role of individual microbes that could facilitate the development of new treatments and cures for a wide variety of diseases, both mental and physical.

“Our discovery illuminates how gut-resident Lactobacillus influences mood disorders, by tuning the immune system,” said Gaultier, of UVA’s Department of Neuroscience, the Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG Center) and the TransUniversity Microbiome Initiative. “Our research could pave the way towards discovering much-needed therapeutics for anxiety and depression.”

The Microbiota and Depression

Our guts are naturally home to countless bacteria, fungi, and viruses. There are more microorganisms living in and on us than there are cells in our bodies. That may sound disgusting, even alarming, but scientists have increasingly realized that these tiny organisms and their endless interactions are critical to our immune systems’ health, our mental health, and many other facets of our well-being. Disruptions of the microbiota, whether from illness, poor diet, or other causes, are known to contribute to many diseases and even help cancer spread. So, researchers have been hugely excited in recent years about the potential to battle diseases by targeting the microbiota.

Early attempts to manipulate the gut flora with beneficial bacteria, called probiotics, have produced mixed results. A big part of the problem has been the sheer complexity of the microbiome. It’s estimated that there are 39 trillion microorganisms inside each of us, so trying to understand what specific bacteria or fungi do – much less how they interact with all the other microorganisms and their host – can be like trying to count grains of sand on the beach.

Gaultier and his team took an innovative approach to hone in on Lactobacilli in specific. Prior research from Gaultier’s lab suggested that the bacteria could reverse depression in lab mice – a hugely promising finding. But the researchers needed to understand how.

“We were aware from our prior research that Lactobacillus was beneficial in improving mood disorders and was lost following psychological stress, but the underlying reasons remained unclear, primarily due to the technical challenges associated with studying the microbiome.”

Gaultier and his team decided to continue their depression research using a collection of bacteria, known as Altered Schaedler Flora, which includes two strains of Lactobacillus and six other bacterial strains. With this rarely used bacterial community, the team was able to create mice both with and without Lactobacillus,circumventing the need for antibiotics.  

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Sure enough, the Altered Schaedler Flora produced exciting results. Gaultier and his colleagues were able to explain exactly how Lactobacilli influence behavior, and how a lack of the bacteria can worsen depression and anxiety. Lactobacilli in the family Lactobaccillacea, they found, maintain the levels of an immune mediator called interferon gamma that regulates the body’s response to stress and helps stave off depression.  

Armed with this information, researchers are poised to develop new ways to prevent and treat depression and other mental-health conditions in which Lactobacillus plays an important role. For example, patients struggling with (or at risk for) depression might one day take specially formulated probiotic supplements that will optimize their levels of helpful Lactobacillus.

“With these results in hand, we have new tools to optimize the development of probiotics, which should speed up discoveries for novel therapies,” said researcher Andrea R. Merchak, Ph.D. “Most importantly, we can now explore how maintaining a healthy level of Lactobacillus and/or interferon gamma could be investigated to prevent and treat anxiety and depression.” 

Findings Published

The UVA scientists have published their findings in the journal Brain Behavior and Immunity. The research team consisted of Merchak, Samuel Wachamo, Lucille C. Brown, Alisha Thakur, Brett Moreau, Ryan M. Brown, Courtney Rivet-Noor, Tula Raghavan and Gaultier. The researchers have no financial interest in the work.

The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, grants T32 NS115657, T32 GM008136, F31 AI174782, T32 GM007267 and T32 GM148379; the Owens Family Foundation; the Miller Family; the UVA TransUniversity Microbiome Initiative; and the UVA Presidential Fellowship in Neuroscience.

UVA’s TransUniversity Microbiome Initiative, or TUMI, serves as the central hub for the University’s cutting-edge microbiome research. The initiative aims to expand our understanding of the microbiome to better treat and prevent disease.

To keep up with the latest medical research news from UVA, subscribe to the Making of Medicine blog at http://makingofmedicine.virginia.edu.

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Source: University of Virginia Health System 

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.


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Stay Safe and Healthy During and After Emergencies

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4 tips to prepare for natural disasters that can negatively impact physical and mental health

(Family Features) As you’re making your emergency preparedness checklist, it’s also important to protect your heart and overall health in the wake of a hurricane, tornado or other natural disaster.

The experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predict an above-average Atlantic Ocean hurricane season for the seventh year in a row. Research shows it’s not only physical devastation that impacts the health and safety of people in the path of a natural disaster.

In fact, in a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health 2021 Scientific Sessions, researchers found there were higher rates of high blood pressure, obesity and pre-diabetes among survivors of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017, as well as increased incidences of heart disease and stroke two years after the storm compared to two years prior to the hurricane.

It’s not only hurricanes that can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health. A study published in the journal “Hypertension found a significant increase in blood pressure levels and the incidence of high blood pressure among people who were forced to evacuate following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2012.

Gustavo E. Flores, M.D., a member of the American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care committee, said there are several factors that may lead to increased cardiovascular disease and risk after a natural disaster.

“During and after a storm, many people experience extreme stress and trauma, which research shows can lead to an increase in cardiovascular disease risk,” he said. “The impact can be more intense for heart disease and stroke patients. Additionally, in the aftermath of a significant natural disaster, property destruction and evacuations affect many basic support resources. This can make it challenging to see a health care professional for routine check-ups or refill or adjust medications, especially for more vulnerable populations.”

Flores, chairman and chief instructor for Emergency & Critical Care Trainings, LLC, said it’s important for people to be prepared and plan ahead. Consider these quick tips from Flores and the American Heart Association, which is celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all:

  • Take time to write down any medical conditions, allergies and medications, including doses and the time you take medications, along with your pharmacy name, address and phone number. Keep the information with any other “go-kit” items you have handy for quick evacuation.
  • If you need to evacuate, even temporarily, bring your medications and health information with you in a resealable plastic bag to help keep it dry.
  • If your medication is lost, damaged by water or was left behind when you evacuated, research open pharmacies and seek a refill as quickly as possible. Some states allow pharmacists to make medically necessary exceptions on certain types of prescription refills during an emergency.
  • Use the Patient Preparedness Plan if you have diabetes and use insulin. There you’ll find a checklist of supplies and guidelines to prepare for an emergency.

Another way to prepare for a possible medical emergency is to learn how to perform hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an automated external defibrillator until help arrives. If performed correctly, CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

Visit Heart.org for the latest on heart health and the Disaster Resources page for a wide range of helpful information.

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SOURCE:
American Heart Association

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.

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