Phone-Delivered Mindfulness Training for Patients With Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Phone-Delivered Mindfulness Training for Patients with Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Ann Behav Med. 2013 Apr 20;
Salmoirago-Blotcher E, Crawford SL, Carmody J, Rosenthal L, Yeh G, Stanley M, Rose K, Browning C, Ockene IS

BACKGROUND: The reduction in adrenergic activity and anxiety associated with meditation may be beneficial for patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators. PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the feasibility of a phone-delivered mindfulness intervention in patients with defibrillators and to obtain preliminary indications of efficacy on mindfulness and anxiety. METHODS: Clinically stable outpatients were randomized to a mindfulness intervention (eight weekly individual phone sessions) or to a scripted follow-up phone call. We used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Five Facets of Mindfulness to measure anxiety and mindfulness, and multivariate linear regression to estimate the intervention effect on pre-post-intervention changes in these variables. RESULTS: We enrolled 45 patients (23 mindfulness and 22 control; age, 43-83; 30 % women). Retention was 93 %; attendance was 94 %. Mindfulness (beta?=?3.31; p?=?0.04) and anxiety (beta?=?-1.15; p?=?0.059) improved in the mindfulness group. CONCLUSIONS: Mindfulness training can be effectively phone-delivered and may improve mindfulness and anxiety in cardiac defibrillator outpatients. HubMed – depression

Moderate Levels of Depression Predict Sexual Transmission Risk in HIV-Infected MSM: A Longitudinal Analysis of Data From Six Sites Involved in a “Prevention for Positives” Study.

AIDS Behav. 2013 Apr 19;
O’Cleirigh C, Newcomb ME, Mayer KH, Skeer M, Traeger L, Safren SA

Depression is highly comorbid with HIV and may contribute to increased sexual transmission risk behavior (TRB) amongst HIV-infected MSM, the largest risk group for HIV in the U.S. However, examinations of this effect are inconsistent. The present longitudinal analyses of 746 HIV-infected MSM is from a multi-site “prevention for positives” study. A non-linear association between depression and TRB emerged. Moderate levels of depression (compared to either low or high levels) were associated with a more modest decline in the odds of sexual risk behavior over 12-month follow-up. Assessing depression in HIV primary care settings may help to identify those at risk and integrating the treatment of depression into secondary prevention and treatment initiatives may decrease the likelihood of sexual risk and help to contain the epidemic among MSM. HubMed – depression

Potential gonadotoxicity of treatment in relation to quality of life and mental well-being of male survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

J Cancer Surviv. 2013 Apr 19;
Gunn ME, Lähteenmäki PM, Puukko-Viertomies LR, Henriksson M, Heikkinen R, Jahnukainen K

PURPOSE: Results of earlier studies concerning quality of life (QOL) and psychosocial coping of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors have been inconsistent. Some treatments for ALL affect testicular function and we hypothesized that this may influence the QOL and psychosocial coping of male survivors. Our aims were to assess the QOL and psychosocial coping of male long-term ALL survivors and to evaluate the effect of both testosterone level and the potential gonadotoxicity of various treatment modalities on them. METHODS: Fifty-two male long-term survivors treated for childhood ALL at Helsinki University Hospital between 1970 and 1995, and 56 age- and gender-matched controls were studied. The participants completed a self-report questionnaire including questions on sociodemographics, RAND-36 to assess QOL, General Health Questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory to assess mental well-being, and CAGE to assess alcohol abuse/dependence. Testosterone levels were measured, and treatment details were reviewed. RESULTS: ALL survivors in general had QOL close to that of controls or population norms. Decreased QOL was seen in physical health-related subscales, and vitality and emotional well-being were lowered in survivors with more gonadotoxic treatment modalities. No single independent factor in the treatment or the level of testosterone could, however, be found to clearly explain the variation in QOL scores of the survivors. Mental well-being of most of the survivors was good, but a subgroup with previous cyclophosphamide treatment or testicular irradiation showed increased risk of psychiatric morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: The male ALL survivors generally cope well, but increased focus on specific risk groups seems to be necessary. Further studies using patient interviews would probably point out issues concerning the QOL and psychosocial coping of ALL survivors, which may not emerge in these screening studies. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: In general, more attention should be paid for physical functioning of childhood ALL survivors. Increased focus should also be on QOL and mental well-being of survivors with more gonadotoxic treatment modalities and those whose diagnosis was made in their adolescence. HubMed – depression

Obestatin is associated to muscle strength, functional capacity and cognitive status in old women.

Age (Dordr). 2013 Apr 23;
Mora M, Granada ML, Palomera E, Serra-Prat M, Puig-Domingo M,

Obestatin has been proposed to have anorexigenic and anti-ghrelin actions. The objective was to study obestatin concentrations in relation to handgrip strength, functional capacity and cognitive state in old women. The prospective study included 110 women (age, 76.93?±?6.32) from the Mataró Ageing Study. Individuals were characterized by anthropometric variables, grip strength, Barthel and assessment of cognitive impairment [Mini Cognoscitive Examination (MCE) Spanish version], depressive status by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and frailty by the Fried criteria. Obestatin was measured by IRMA. Obestatin showed negative correlation to handgrip at basal time point (r?=?-0.220, p?=?0.023) and at 2-year follow-up (r?=?-0.344, p?=?0.002). Obestatin, divided into quartiles, showed a negative lineal association with handgrip: 11.03?±?4.88 kg in first, 8.75?±?4.08 kg in second, 8.11?±?3.66 kg in third and 7.61?±?4.08 kg in fourth quartile (p?=?0.018). Higher obestatin levels were associated to increased weakness (categorized by handgrip of frailty criteria): 2.24?±?0.42 ng/ml in weak vs. 1.87?±?0.57 ng/ml in non-weak (p?=?0.01). The decrease of either MCE or Barthel scores at 2-year follow-up was significantly higher in individuals in the fourth quartile of obestatin in comparison with individuals in the first quartile (p?=?0.046 and p?=?0.019, respectively). No association was found between obestatin and GDS score and neither with frailty as a condition. Obestatin is associated to low muscle strength, and impaired functional and cognitive capacity in old women participating in the Mataró Ageing Study. HubMed – depression