Health News and Notes

Study: “Tranquil” virtual reality experience lowers stress in frontline healthcare workers

Researchers found that brief sessions of virtual reality stimulation helped frontline healthcare workers reduce stress in the short term. According to the journal PLOS ONE, researchers from Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, OhioHealth Healthcare Organization and Ohio University piloted a three-minute Tranquil Cinematic-VR simulation of a nature scene to lower subjective stress among frontline healthcare workers in COVID-19 treatment units. They chose to film a nature scene “because of the extensive empirical literature documenting the benefits of nature exposure and health,” according to the research article, and 102 individuals participated in the study.

Among the study participants, 82.4% participants provided direct patient care. Post-simulation, researchers observed a significant reduction in subjective stress scores from pre- to post-simulation, and only four participants met the cutoff for high stress after the simulation. Post-simulations scores did not differ by provider type, age range, gender, or prior experience with virtual reality.

Music is good for the heart

As part of a collaboration with music streaming service Pandora, the American Heart Association had a station takeover of Pandora’s Dance Cardio Radio during February in recognition of American Heart Month. Three Modes featuring specially curated tracks by Pandora were available for the month of February: Reclaim Your Heart: Surviving and Thriving, featuring the anthems of the 2022 Go Red for Women Real Women Class, national volunteers for the American Heart Association, each with a unique heart or brain health journey; Reclaim Your Day, featuring celebrated Black artists in recognition of Black History Month; Reclaim Your Beat, featuring music you can dance to, groove to, and keep the beat, 100 to 120 bpm, for Hands-Only CPR.

“Curating a personal playlist can help reclaim rhythm, whether it’s cardio, meditative, or a soundtrack for resting,” the AHS said in a release.

Additionally, the AHS recommended five other ways to create heart healthy habits:

ʯ Mellow out and reduce

stress: “Stress can lead to depression or anxiety, as well as unhealthy habits like overeating, physical inactivity, smoking and risk factors for heart disease and stroke like high blood pressure.”

ʯ Move to the music: “Create a playlist that will get listeners moving and grooving. Staying active is one of the best ways to keep body and mind healthy. Not only can it help everyone feel, think, sleep and live better, it also improves overall quality of life. Physical activity is linked to lower risk of diseases, stronger bones and muscles, improved mental health and cognitive function and lower risk of depression.”

ʯ Feed your soul, rock your recipes: “The meaning of

“family” may have changed, but family meals still make an impact. Regular meals at home with family can help reduce stress, boost selfesteem and make the whole family feel connected.”

ʯ Stay on beat with your blood pressure: “High blood pressure is a leading cause and controllable risk factor for heart disease and stroke and can contribute to worse outcomes for people who contract COVID-19.

Close to half of American adults have high blood pressure. Of those, about 75% don’t have it controlled and many don’t even know they have it. The best way to know your blood pressure numbers is to have it measured at least once per year by a health care professional. If your blood pressure is normal and you are at least 20 years of age, regularly monitor it at home with a validated monitor and discuss the numbers with a doctor. “

ʯ Keep the Beat! Learn

Hands-Only CPR: “Each year, more than 350,000

EMS-assessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the

United States and about 70% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes.

When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival. Help your community reclaim their rhythm by learning the two simple steps of Hands-Only CPR:

Call 911, then press hard and fast in the center of the chest.

Visit heart.org/handsonlycpr to watch the Hands-Only

CPR instructional video and share it with the important people in your life.”

FDA cleared first smartphone app that delivers extra doses of insulin

The FDA has approved the first application for iPhone and Android devices that is capable of providing insulin doses to patients with diabetes. Tandem Diabetes Care, an insulin delivery and diabetes technology company, said in a media release that its app will allow diabetic users to administer a dose of insulin through their smartphone. The app connects to Tandem’s t:slim X2 insulin pump, and is used for bolus insulin dosing, preventing glucose spikes after meals. “This FDA clearance further validates our commitment to innovation and the diabetes community by providing one of the most requested feature enhancements,” John Sheridan, president and CEO of Tandem Diabetes Care said. “With the improvements in diabetes management provided by Tandem’s Control-IQ technology, giving a meal bolus is now the most common reason a person interacts with their pump, and the ability to do so using a smartphone app offers a convenient and discrete solution.

The FDA-cleared feature will be available to U.S. t:slim X2 insulin pump customers for free through a software update. Tandem plans to roll out the feature throughout the spring in a series of limited launch groups and through an expanded launch during the summer.

Doctors: Pandemic delayed screenings leading to advanced colorectal cancer cases

The Orlando Sentinel recently interviewed doctors who say there is evidence of an increase in colorectal cancer after pandemic delayed screenings. Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle estimate as of April 2021 there was a 50% decrease in colonoscopies, and that number was as high as 90% earlier in the pandemic.

Likely as a result of delayed diagnoses over the last two years, Orlando Health and AdventHealth doctors say they see more patients showing up with advanced colorectal cancer that is harder to treat, and they worry that missed screenings will increase cancer deaths for years to come, the Sentinel reported.

“Cancer is often curable if it’s caught at an early stage,” said Orlando Health Cancer Institute medical oncologist Dr. Sreeram Maddipatla. “I think this is going to have a domino effect for the next few years because we missed out on this crucial two-year period where we would have diagnosed more cancers.”