News Briefs: October 2021
Walking through Pain to Relieve PAD Symptoms
About 8.5 million people in the United States have lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). People with PAD have blockages in the arteries of their legs, resulting in reduced or stopped blood flow (called ischemia). As a result, they have discomfort and difficulty walking; sometimes even very short distances are painful. Few therapies exist to treat PAD. Walking, however, is recommended, as it may improve blood supply to the legs. According to a study from Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, the walking has to be at a high-intensity to gain benefits. In a study, 305 people with PAD were randomized to high-intensity exercise, low-intensity exercise, or a control group (no exercise). Those in the exercise groups were asked to walk up to 50 minutes per session, five days a week. The high-intensity group was asked to walk at a pace that was fast enough to elicit ischemic leg symptoms (pain/numbness) during the exercise. Those randomized to low-intensity were asked to walk at a comfortable pace that did not induce ischemic leg symptoms. The six-minute walk test, treadmill testing, and patient-reported outcomes were measured at baseline and at 12-month follow-up. High-intensity walkers significantly improved the distance they could walk in six minutes, compared to either the low-intensity group or the control group. The high-intensity exercise group also significantly improved the length of time they could walk on the treadmill. The researchers’ next step is a study to discern the biological explanation as to why people with PAD need to experience ischemia to gain benefit from walking. The study was published April 6, 2021, in JAMA.
The Dangers of Rising THC in Cannabis
Research published in the journal Addiction shows that over the past 50 years street cannabis worldwide has become substantially stronger, carrying an increased risk of harm. A UK-based research team synthesized data from over 80,000 cannabis samples collected in the UK, US, Netherlands, France, Denmark, Italy, and New Zealand and found that concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the intoxicating component of cannabis) increased by 14% from 1970 to 2017. The team has previously found consistent evidence that frequent use of cannabis with higher levels of THC carries an increased risk of problems, such as addiction and psychotic disorders. They also looked at concentrations of cannabidiol or CBD, which is not intoxicating but may have potential medical uses, such as for anxiety and inflammation. They found no evidence for changes in CBD levels. According to the researchers, as the strength of cannabis has risen, consumers are faced with limited information to help them monitor their intake and guide decisions about relative benefits and risks. Given the trend toward legalization, they recommend that authorities implement strategies for harm reduction similar to those used for alcohol, such as standard units and public guidelines on safer consumption limits.
One in 10 Older Adults Adopted a Pandemic Pet
A lot of the attention around “pandemic pets” has focused on families with children getting a cat, dog, or other pet in 2020, during a time when many people were learning or working from home. A new poll shows that older adults also got in on the trend. According to the National Poll on Healthy Aging, directed by the University of Michigan and AARP, 10% of all people between the ages of 50 and 80 got a new pet between March 2020 and January 2021. Pet ownership was higher among those ages 50 to 64, women, white respondents, and those who live in single-family detached homes or are employed. Twelve percent of older adults who are employed said they got a pet since March 2020. According to the report, older adults say having a pet helps them enjoy life, reduces stress, provides a sense of purpose, helps them stick to a routine, and improves their social life. Dog owners, in particular, said they were more physically active. Among those older adults who lived alone or were in fair or poor health, nearly three-quarters said the pet helped them cope with physical or emotional symptoms. Poll director Preeti Malani, MD, says, “It’s well documented that pets can help lower blood pressure, ease anxiety, and improve symptoms of depression. And of particular interest during the isolating pandemic, companion animals certainly helped stave off the silent killer: loneliness.”
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