Health Highlights: Sept. 15, 2008
Sept. 16 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Job Uncertainty Linked to Poor Mental Health
There's a link between job uncertainty and poor mental health, says a World Health Organization report.
Compared to people with full-time jobs that include benefits, those with precarious job situations -- like temporary contracts or part-time work with low wages and no benefits -- suffer significant adverse physical and mental health effects, United Press International reported.
For example, work-related stress is associated with a 50 percent increased risk of coronary heart disease, said Dr. Carles Muntaner, of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada, who conducted research for the WHO report.
Muntaner and colleagues also found consistent evidence that jobs with high demands, low control and effort-reward imbalance increase the risk of such mental health problems as major depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse, UPI reported.
The WHO report was presented at the Fifth World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and the Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders, being held in Melbourne, Australia.
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Campaign Pushes Blood Clot Awareness
Both consumers and doctors need to improve their awareness of dangerous blood clots, which affect between 350,000 and 600,000 Americans a year and result in at least 100,000 deaths, says acting U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Steven Galson.
On Monday, he announced a new education program to increase recognition and treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), the Associated Press reported. A DVT forms in large veins, usually in the leg or groin, and can be fatal if it moves into the lungs, where it's called a PE.
"It's a silent killer. It's hard to diagnose. I don't think most people understand that this is a serious medical problem or what can be done to prevent it," Galson said.
Risk factors include: recent surgery or a broken bone; being immobile for long periods; a fall or a car crash; pregnancy or taking birth control pills or menopause hormones. The risk increases with age and is higher among people who are obese or smoke, the AP reported.
