Trends In Alcohol-Induced Deaths In The United States, 2000-2016
According to a paper appearing on February 21, 2020 in JAMA Network Open, a total of 425,045 alcohol-induced deaths were identified from 2000 to 2016. The rate of such deaths increased substantially among men and women and accelerated recently. The largest increases by race/ethnicity were observed among American Indian and Alaska Native men, American Indian and Alaska Native women, and white women. Despite initial declines among black women, black men, and Latino men, increases occurred later in the study period. Among American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, increases throughout the age range were observed, with the largest absolute increase occurring for ages 45 to 49 years among men and for ages 50 to 54 among women. This study found large increases in alcohol-induced death rates across age and racial/ethnic subgroups of the US population, which have accelerated over recent years. Large increases in these deaths among younger age groups may be associated with future increases in alcohol-related disease.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Learning Disabilities Among U.S. Children Aged 3–17 Years
According to data released in March 2020 from the National Health Interview Survey, in 2016–2018, nearly 14% of children aged 3–17 years were reported as ever having been diagnosed with either attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a learning disability. Non-Hispanic black children were the most likely to be diagnosed (16.9%). Among children aged 3–10 years, non-Hispanic black children were more likely to have ever been diagnosed with ADHD or a learning disability compared with non-Hispanic white or Hispanic children. Diagnosis of ADHD or a learning disability differed by federal poverty level for children in all racial and ethnic groups. Diagnosis of ADHD or a learning disability differed by parental education among non-Hispanic white children only. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities are the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders in children and often coexist.
HEALTH TECHNOLOGY CORNER
Lab-On-Chip Ultrasonic Platform For Real-Time And Nondestructive Assessment Of Extracellular Matrix Stiffness
According to an article published in Issue 4, 2020 of the journal Lab on a Chip, similarly to how a picked lock gives away that someone has broken into a building, the stiffening of a structure surrounding cells in the human body can indicate that cancer is invading other tissue. Monitoring changes to this structure, called the extracellular matrix, would give researchers another way to study the progression of disease. Detecting changes to the extracellular matrix is hard to do, however, without damaging it. Purdue University engineers have built a device that would allow disease specialists to load an extracellular matrix sample onto a platform and detect its stiffness through sound waves. Researchers first demonstrated the device as a proof-of-concept with cancer cells contained in hydrogel, which is a material with a consistency similar to an extracellular matrix. The team now is studying the device's effectiveness on collagen extracellular matrices.
Brain Reading Technology And Development Of Brainwave-Controlled Devices
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, Stanford University, and University College London have developed a new method to record brain activity at scale accurately. A manuscript appearing on March 20, 2020 in the journal Science Advances indicates that the technique could lead to new medical devices to help amputees, patients with paralysis, or individuals with neurological conditions, such as motor neurone disease. The system consists of a bundle of microwires mated to large-scale microelectrode arrays, such as camera chips. This system has excellent recording performance, demonstrated via single unit and local-field potential recordings in isolated retina and in the motor cortex or striatum of awake moving mice. The modular design enables a variety of microwire types and sizes to be integrated with different types of pixel arrays, connecting the rapid progress of commercial multiplexing, digitization, and data acquisition hardware together with a three-dimensional neural interface.
More Articles from March 2020 TRENDS
SOME REFLECTIONS ON A PANDEMIC
Indicates improvements that have been made in health care services in the four centuries that have elapsed since Italy had to deal with an outbreak of plague. Read More
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
ASAHP President Phyllis King discusses the Higher Logic platform established by ASAHP as a benefit where its members can share online questions, concerns, announcements, best practices, and many other items. Read More
RISING TO THE OCCASION
Depicts coordinated actions by various levels of government to cope with the health and economic challenges posed by the appearance of COVID-19 in the U.S. Read More
HEALTH REFORM DEVELOPMENTS
Points out some challenges in resolving essential uncertain infectious disease issues, provision of care for military veterans, and unintended negative consequences of beneficial actions implemented. Read More
DEVELOPMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Describes governmental assistance for the education sphere in response to the spread of coronavirus and higher education accreditation in the context of this disease. Read More
QUICK STAT (SHORT, TIMELY, AND TOPICAL)
Trends In Alcohol-Induced Deaths In The United States, 2000-2016
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Learning Disabilities Among U.S.
Children Aged 3–17 Years
Lab-On-Chip Ultrasonic Platform For Real-Time And Nondestructive Assessment Of Extracellular
Matrix Stiffness
Brain Reading Technology And Development Of Brainwave-Controlled Devices Read More
AVAILABLE RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONICALLY
Characteristics And Health Status Of Informal Unpaid Caregivers: 2015-2017
2020 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts And Figures
Critical Analysis Of Existing And Emerging Patient Safety Practices Read More
TEETH, EARLY-LIFE ADVERSITY, AND MENTAL HEALTH RISK
Mentions how dentistry, anthropology, and archaeology on human tooth development potentially could be instrumental in producing an actionable new tool capable of achieving key primary prevention goals to offset physical and mental risks associated with early-life adversity. Read More
REPORTING OF RACE AND ETHNICITY IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE
Refers to the extreme variability of reports on race and ethnicity in professional literature and the desirability of improving the collection, reporting, and publishing of such data. Read More