Newsletter Vol 1. No 7

Drug Overdose Deaths Decline

The decline in U.S. drug overdose deaths appears to have continued this year. There were about 97,000 overdose deaths in the 12-month period that ended June 30, according to provisional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Wednesday. That is down 14% from the estimated 113,000 for the previous 12-month period. Durg overdoses are down in 45 states. (WSJ, 11/13/2024)

As the Pandemic Deepened, Americans Kept Drinking More

Excessive drinking persisted in the years after COVID arrived according to new data. The number of Americans who consumed alcohol, which had already risen between 2018 and 2020, inched up further in 2022, and more people reported heavy and binge drinking, according to a new study. (Heavy drinking for men is consuming at least five drinks in a day or at least fifteen drinks per week, and for women at least four drinks per day and at least eight per week. Binge drinking is defined as having four to five drinks in a roughly two-hour period.) Americans started drinking more as the Covid-19 pandemic got underway. They were stressed, isolated, uncertain – the world as they had known it had changed overnight. Researchers reported that two years into the disaster, the trend had not abated. It was thought that drinking was caused by acute stress, like what was seen with 9/11 and Katrina, and would return back to normal after the stressful events pass, but that is not happening this time. Alcohol can be addictive and addiction does not go away even if the initial trigger that started it has gone away. Rates of heavy drinking and of alcohol-related liver disease had been rising steadily for decades before the pandemic struck, but alcohol-related deaths surged in 2020, with one study reporting a 25 percent increase in one year along with a rise in overdose deaths and a surge in mental health problems, especially among young people. The surge was seen in adults of all ages and in both genders, but was highest among Americans ages 40-49, and followed by adults, ages 50-64. Women self-reported more drinking than men initially, but both genders reported an increase in drinking two years after the pandemic began. It seemed like what happened during the pandemic was that there were a large number of people who were already in a high-risk zone, and the pandemic pushed them over the brink into illness and death. The uptick of alcohol consumption was one of several lingering legacies of the pandemic along with school absenteeism, lags in educational attainment and an increase in mental health problems.

At Long Last, the Surge in S.T.I.s May Be Leveling Off

After decades of unrelenting increases, rates of sexually transmitted infections in the United States are showing hints of a downturn. Diagnoses of gonorrhea dipped in nearly all age groups last year, compared with 2022, and new cases of syphilis and chlamydia remained about the same, according to data released on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The results are not yet cause for celebration.

Overall, more than 2.4 million new S.T.I.s were diagnosed last year, about a million more than the figure 20 years ago. Nearly 4,000 babies were diagnosed with congenital syphilis last year, and 279 of them were stillborn or died soon after. Still, experts said they were cautiously optimistic that a resurgent tide of infections was beginning to turn. The trends in 2023 were much less dire. Cases of syphilis overall increased by just 1 percent. Congenital syphilis rose by 3 percent, a much smaller bump compared with the 32 percent increase between 2020 and 2021. Did you know that sexual acting-out and sex addiction are real and often a feature of an underlying mental health issue? If this affects you, please call to speak to one of our providers.

Nearly Three Quarters of Americans Are Overweight or Obese

Nearly three quarters of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to a sweeping new study. The findings have wide-reaching implications for the nation’s health and medical costs as it faces a growing burden of weight-related diseases.

The study, published this week in The Lancet, reveals the striking rise of obesity rates nationwide since 1990 — when just over half of adults were overweight or obese — and shows how more people are becoming overweight or obese at younger ages than in the past. Both conditions can raise the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, and shorten life expectancy.

Also, it is estimated that 260 million Americans will be overweight or obese by 2050 according to a related new study. This forecast would mean an enormous number of people in our country could be facing health complications associated with a high body mass index, or BMI, including diabetes, cancer, heart problems, breathing issues and mental health challenges.

Did you know that Dr. Shaveta Goyal provides primary care and weight management services at Inspire Behavioral Health? Dr. Goyal works in tandem with our other behavioral health providers to ensure patients receive a more holistic approach to their overall health. Very often being overweight or obese is a feature of an underlying psychological or emotional issue. If this issue affects you, please call Inspire to schedule an appointment to talk with Dr. Goyal. We offer the help you may need.