Harvard Health Content API

Many Americans are sleep-deprived, and those with lower incomes are losing the most sleep. That’s the main message of a brief report issued April 2 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report was based on a national health survey from 2013. People were asked how many hours of sleep they get per night, on average. Lower-income people were more likely to report being sleep deprived. This was defined as less than 6 hours of sleep a night. About 35% of those with family incomes below poverty level were sleep deprived, compared with 28% of those with incomes at least 4 times the poverty level. All of these numbers are higher than some earlier surveys show. A study published in the journal Sleep in 2010 looked at past surveys that asked Americans about sleep habits. It found that about 7.6% of U.S.

Pharmacists may have a role to play in helping people on blood thinners take their pills on schedule, a new study finds. The study used information on outpatients in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system. The 5,400 people in the study group got prescriptions for the drug dabigatran (Pradaxa). This blood thinner is prescribed for many people with an abnormal heart beat called atrial fibrillation. It helps to prevent clots that can cause strokes. Researchers interviewed pharmacists at 41 VA centers. They asked the pharmacists about how the VA center educated people about the drug and kept track of them. Practices varied. About 28% of those in the study did not take the medicine as directed. Patients were more likely to take their medicines correctly if pharmacists, rather than doctors’ offices, did the follow-up. They also were less likely to miss doses.

The number of newborns getting treated for narcotic withdrawal has sharply increased in the last decade, a new study suggests. The study looked at neonatal abstinence syndrome. This is a group of symptoms that affect newborns who were exposed to narcotics in the womb. These can be illegal drugs such as heroin. They also can be prescription opioid drugs such as oxycodone. In 2004, 7 of every 1,000 newborns were treated in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) for this condition. By 2013, that had risen to 27 of every 1,000. These newborns also stayed longer in the hospital. They accounted for 7 times as many NICU days in 2013 as in 2004. The average hospital stay rose from 13 to 19 days. The study was based on information from 299 NICU units in the United States. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study online April 26.

Breast milk bought online may contain some cow’s milk, a new study finds. In the study, about 10% contained cow’s milk. Researchers bought 102 samples of human milk advertised online. They tested the DNA in each sample. DNA in 10 samples showed that they contained at least 10% cow’s milk. The authors said sellers could have added the cow’s milk to stretch out the amount of breast milk they could sell. A prior study by the same researchers found that milk bought from online sites also may contain germs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not recommend buying milk online. It has not banned the practice, however. Milk banks are another way to obtain breast milk. They test and pasteurize the milk. But they can’t supply everyone. They usually are restricted to babies with medical issues. The journal Pediatrics published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it April 6.

Working up more of a sweat when you exercise may help you live longer, two new studies find. And for most people more vigorous exercise appears to be safe, a third study suggests. All of the studies focused on middle-aged or older adults. One included more than 204,000 people. Researchers kept track of them for more than 6 years. They were divided into groups based on how much of their exercise was vigorous, such as running, compared with moderate activity, such as brisk walking. Those who said up to 30% of their exercise was vigorous were 9% less likely to die during the study than those who did no vigorous activity. The death rate was 13% lower for those who did more than 30% vigorous exercise. A second study had similar results. The journal JAMA Internal Medicine published both of them. The journal Circulation published the third study, which looked at cardiac arrest risk.

People who engage in arts and crafts, use computers or have an active social life may stay mentally sharp longer as older adults, a new study suggests. The study included 256 adults, ages 85 or older. They had normal brain function when the study began. Researchers asked them about their activities, both current and earlier, during middle age. During the next 4 years, nearly half developed mild cognitive impairment. This is a problem with memory or thinking that can lead to dementia. Researchers adjusted their numbers to account for differences in sex and education. They found that people who were involved in artistic pursuits during midlife and later life were 73% less likely to develop brain problems than others. Those who did crafts, used computers or had an active social life had half the risk of brain problems of those who did not do these things.

People with an abnormal heart rhythm may have a higher risk of stroke if they also have certain changes in part of the heart, a new study suggests. The study looked at 169 people with atrial fibrillation. This condition causes part of the heart to quiver rather than beat normally. People in the study received a type of MRI before having a procedure to treat the abnormal rhythm. This type of MRI shows heart muscle movement, among other things. Researchers looked at the MRI results. They compared people who did or did not have a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). They saw differences in the heart between these two groups. The function of the upper left chamber (atrium) was different in those who had a history of stroke or TIA. Researchers said that seeing these features on an MRI may show a higher risk of stroke.