Frontline: Depression, Anxiety Risk After Heart Attack; Testosterone Therapy; Blood Glucose Screening Guidelines
Women at higher risk of anxiety, depression following a heart attack
Women who have experienced a heart attack are more likely to have anxiety and/or depression than men who have had a heart attack, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Acute Cardiovascular Care Association in October 2014. Researchers who obtained information from male and female patients about one month after they had heart attacks found that, on average, women scored one to two points high than men on tests that measured symptoms of depression and anxiety. In addition, analysis revealed that patients who were depressed post-heart attack were almost six times as likely to die in the six-month period following their heart attack than patients who weren’t depressed. If, following a heart attack, you develop symptoms of depression, such as sadness, low energy, and/or loss of interest in formerly pleasurable activities, inform your doctor so that you may be tested and, if necessary, treated for depression.
Testosterone therapy is of no benefit to most women
According to new guidelines issued by the Endocrine Society, there is no evidence to support the use of testosterone or dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA, a precursor of testosterone) by most women, even if they have low levels of these hormones. The guidelines, which were published in the October 2014 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, recommend against using testosterone to treat infertility, to promote bone health or general well-being, or to treat cardiovascular, cognitive, or metabolic dys-function. The guidelines indicate that postmenopausal women who have been diagnosed with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (little or no interest in sex that is distressing to the woman) may benefit from a trial dose of testosterone taken for three to six months. Studies that have examined the effects of giving testosterone to women with low testosterone levels but no problematic symptoms have not shown any evidence of benefits, and there are concerns about possible increased risks of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.
New screening guidelines for blood glucose levels
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued draft guidelines calling for all adults age 45 and older to be screened for abnormal blood glucose levels and type 2 diabetes. The new recommendations focus on identifying people who have impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), abnormalities revealed by a high level of glucose in the bloodstream. According to the USPSTF, approximately 86 million Americans have IFG or IGT, and an estimated 8 million have diabetes that has not been diagnosed. The guidelines also recommend testing for younger adults with risk factors, which include be-ing overweight or obese, having a first-degree relative with diabetes, a history of gestational diabetes or poly-cystic ovary syndrome in women, and being of a member of certain ethnic/racial minority groups, including Af-rican Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos.
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