WHAT’S NEW IN HEALTH: 2022

IN THE NEWS What’s New in Health 2022

BY JESSICA ZIMMER

REGULAR LIGHT-TO-MODERATE DRINKING CAN HARM THE BRAIN. A study of over 36,000 adults found a significant link between drinking and reduced brain volume. The damage started when an individual consumed about half a beer per day and rose with additional drinking. Upping the intake from one to two drinks a day caused the brain to suffer an equivalent of aging two years. Heavier drinking took a more serious toll.

POTTED PLANTS MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN INDOOR AIR QUALITY. Indoor plants help homes and offices reduce air pollution by removing nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a common pollutant, from the air. NO2 removal is not dependent on daylight and soil water content. In contrast, plants’ carbon dioxide (CO2) intake is highly dependent on these factors.

PATIENTS MAY GIVE MORE HONEST ANSWERS ON SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES THAN TO NURSING STAFF. Answering questions on a tablet computer instead of providing verbal responses may result in more accurate diagnoses. A tablet screening found twice as many patients with depression, fall risk, or intimate partner violence when compared with an in-person screening.

COMMUNITIES WITH MORE RACIAL PREJUDICE HAVE WORSE HEALTH OUTCOMES. Combating racist behaviors on a community-wide level could lead to better health outcomes. These include less heart disease, fewer mental health problems, and lower overall mortality rates.

ORGANS CAN HAVE DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL AGES, DEPENDING ON THEIR INTERACTIONS. Healthy weight and high physical fitness help all organs stay healthy. Certain phenomena indicate differences between the organs. For example, having a more diverse gut microbiota indicated the gut was young but the kidneys were older. This may be because multiple species of bacteria require the kidneys to do more work.

INTERVENTIONS CAN KEEP YOUNG ATHLETES SAFER POST-CONCUSSION. Teams should work with an athletic trainer on neuromuscular training interventions that involve guided strength exercises and a focus on posture and landing stability. The effort can reduce the risk of new injuries.

INFANTS BENEFIT WHEN EXPECTING MOTHERS COMPLETE MINDFULNESS PROGRAMS. An 8-week prenatal social program for mothers-to-be promoted healthier responses to stress in six-month-old infants. The ability to “bounce back” from stress is linked to better health outcomes later in life.