Why immunotherapy is emerging as the ‘fourth pillar’ of cancer treatments, experts say

For decades, the go-to treatments for cancer have been chemotherapy, radiation and surgery — but a fourth option is showing promising results.

Immunotherapy — which some experts are calling the "fourth pillar" of cancer treatments — is a relatively new approach that taps into the power of the patient’s immune system to fight the disease.

"If we look historically at how we treated cancer, primarily for most of the 20th century and the early part of the 21st century, cancer care was either surgery to cut it out, radiation to burn it or chemotherapy to poison it," Dr. Michael Zinner, CEO and executive medical director at Miami Cancer Institute, which is part of Baptist Health South Florida, told Fox News Digital via email.

NEW LUNG CANCER SCREENING GUIDELINES INCREASE ELIGIBILITY FOR HIGH-RISK PATIENTS: SHOULD YOU BE SCREENED?

"And then, around 20 to 25 years ago, we began to have targeted therapies," Zinner said. 

"We figured out that certain cancers have certain mechanisms that we can target with a specific drug, having zero side effects."

That targeted therapy eventually led to personalized cancer care, he said, and then to the "next great development."

Immunotherapy had been in development for 40 to 50 years, Zinner said — "and finally it has now blossomed."

"We’ve gone from surgery, to radiation, to chemotherapy, to targeted therapy, and now immunotherapy to use the body's own cells and immune system to turn on the cancer, which is a foreign substance."

In cancer patients, the immune system is generally dormant, explained Julian Adams, PhD, chief science officer of Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) in Boston, Massachusetts.

"Immunotherapy awakens the body’s immune system, which then targets cancer," he told Fox News Digital in an email.

LUNG CANCER: TYPES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, said the idea is that cancer "makes itself invisible to the immune system, which is looking for foreign invaders to eliminate."

Immunotherapy then "lights up" the cancer up to be identified by the immune system for destruction, he said.

There are two main ways that immunotherapy accomplishes this, Siegel said.

The first is through the use of "checkpoint inhibitors," which are targeted treatments that block the proteins that keep the immune system from fighting cancer cells.

"Checkpoint inhibitors stop the cancer from doing its disappearing act," Siegel noted.

The second type of immunotherapy targets mutated or abnormal proteins on the surface of the tumor, which are often involved in its growth, the doctor said.

This includes CAR-T cell therapy, which involves removing immune cells called T cells from the patient’s body, altering them in a lab to make them fight cancer more effectively — and then putting the cells back into the patient’s body.

Beyond treatment, immunotherapy is also used in the application of cancer vaccines, Adams noted, which are emerging as a way to treat patients in remission or post-surgery to keep the cancer from coming back.

Stand Up to Cancer has supported research into both types of immunotherapy, Adams said.

In one clinical trial, rectal cancer patients who recently received a promising immunotherapy drug had a 100% response rate. 

NOVEL CANCER TREATMENT OFFERS NEW HOPE WHEN CHEMO AND RADIATION FAIL: ‘BIG CHANGE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES'

"All 18 patients in the trial had their cancer disappear, without the need for the standard treatments of radiation, surgery or chemotherapy," he told Fox News Digital. 

"The cancer has not returned in any of the patients, some of whom have been cancer-free for up to two years."

In another trial supported by SU2C, pediatric cancer researchers developed a CAR T-cell therapy to treat B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which is a blood and bone marrow cancer, in children and young adults. 

Outside of trials, an increasing number of patients are receiving immunotherapy in place of or in combination with chemotherapy and radiation.

Anthony Hall, 71, was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in 2022, as his daughter, Erin LeMaster, told Fox News Digital.

The Ohio father and grandfather started chemotherapy and radiation in September 2022 for an eight-week period, receiving a total of 12 treatments.

CERVICAL CANCER DRUG RAISES SURVIVAL RATE BY 30% COMPARED TO CHEMOTHERAPY: 'GAME-CHANGER'

"He had responded well to the chemo and radiation with very minimal side effects," LeMaster said.

Then in November 2022, Hall started immunotherapy — with a drug called Imfinzi, a prescription medicine used to treat lung cancer.

"He had a very positive experience with the immunotherapy," LeMaster told Fox News Digital. "He had no side effects at all, besides fatigue at times after treatment."

"It caused no hair loss, no food aversion and no sensitivity to skin like the chemotherapy caused," she added. "It was much easier on his body."

The doctor told Hall’s family that side effects for chemo and immunotherapy are typically mild in older men. 

Hall received CT scans every three months, which showed that his cancer was responding to the treatment.

His last CT scan in October, however, revealed some growth of his original mass.

"So, per his oncologist, he will not receive this type of immunotherapy in the future," LeMaster said.

Hall is currently waiting for biopsy results to come up with a plan for further treatment, and he will likely need another round of chemotherapy and radiation.

"He may need surgery to remove the mass depending on biopsy results," LeMaster said.

With chemotherapy, Adams said, the treatment can initially eliminate cancer cells, but resistance can eventually develop. 

"In certain cancers, immunotherapy can provide long-term, durable remissions," he said.

Some cancers — such as melanoma, lung and bladder — are "very responsive" to immunotherapy, according to Adams.

"Others, such as pancreatic and colon, remain ‘cold’ and poorly responsive," he said.

For certain tumors, including kidney and melanoma, immunotherapy has replaced chemo, Adams noted. 

"However, in other tumors, such as with lung cancer, a combination of chemo and immunotherapy can be used effectively."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

In terms of side effects, chemo generally causes gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and diarrhea, Adams noted. 

Immunotherapy, on the other hand, can lead to certain autoimmune side effects. 

"Generally, both modalities can be managed with supportive care," he said.

In the cancer care landscape, immunotherapy is still fairly young — only about 15 years old, Adams pointed out. 

"We should expect even better and more advances in this field to treat cancers," said Adams.

Siegel pointed out that new immunotherapies are evolving and developing all the time, adding that artificial intelligence will likely play a role in its development.

"Right now, cellular therapy is pretty much only designed for liquid tumors – blood cancers like multiple myeloma, lymphoma and leukemia," Zinner said. 

"We’re moving into immunotherapy and cellular therapy for solid tumors like breast cancer, pancreas cancer and colon cancer."

"We’re not quite there yet, but we’re moving in that direction."

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

from Health News Today on Fox News https://ift.tt/ps6KLh1

Read More

New lung cancer screening guidelines increase eligibility for high-risk patients: Should you be screened?

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has announced new guidelines for lung cancer screenings.

Published in the ACS journal "CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians" on Wednesday, the advisory reconsiders those who are at high risk for developing lung cancer and which individuals should be screened each year.

The ACS now recommends annual low-dose CT scans for people aged 50 to 80 who have a 20+ pack-year history of smoking, which was previously set at 30.

CANCER SCREENINGS: HERE ARE 5 TYPES AND CRITICAL INFORMATION TO KNOW ABOUT EACH

A pack year is equivalent to smoking one pack, or about 20 cigarettes, per day for one year, according to ACS.

This correlates to a person smoking one pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years.

The number of years since quitting smoking is no longer a qualifier for beginning or discontinuing annual screenings.

This means people who have reached 15 years of being smoke-free will not lose their screening eligibility, as lung cancer risk will still rise with increasing age, the ACS emphasized.

LUNG CANCER: TYPES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS

"That means a person who used to smoke with at least a 20 pack-year history, whether they quit yesterday or 20 years ago, is considered to have a high risk for developing lung cancer and should be recommended for a yearly LDCT scan if they don't have a serious health problem that will likely limit how long they will live, or if they won’t be able to or won’t want to get treatment if lung cancer is found," the ACS wrote on its website.

The screening age widened from the previous 55-to-74-year range — broadening eligibility to about five million more people.

The ACS advised those considering screening to practice shared decision-making with a health care professional and to discuss the purpose and function of screenings.

CERVICAL CANCER DRUG RAISES SURVIVAL RATE BY 30% COMPARED TO CHEMOTHERAPY

Providers and patients should also discuss the benefits, limitations and harms of LDCT screenings.

The organization also encouraged people who still smoke to seek smoking cessation counseling and consult available resources.

The new guidelines aim to reduce lung cancer deaths in the U.S., where more people die from the disease than from colon, breast and prostate cancers combined.

Lung cancer can be treated successfully if it’s detected at an early stage when the cancer is still small and hasn’t spread, according to the ACS.

Mark Dylewski, M.D., chief of thoracic surgery at Miami Cancer Institute, suggested that these guidelines will "probably be flexible over time" as cancer epidemiology is further reviewed, he shared with Fox News Digital in an email.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

"The U.S. Preventative Services Taskforce is following the epidemiology of lung cancer in the United States and is motivated to identify the highest risk factors in the largest patient population, so they can influence or guide the patients in making the decision to obtain a screening study," he said. 

Dylewsi assumed the changes were likely spurred by recognizing a larger population of early lung cancer cases in younger patients.

This could also be the reason for the reduction of a 30 pack-year to 20, due to a "significant increased risk in that population," he added.

"The whole objective with studies like this is to capture as many high-risk patients in that population as possible to have an impact," he said.

"Overall, across the United States, we are seeing a reduction in the incidence of lung cancer due to many reasons, including patients smoking less frequently and increased community awareness and education."

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

from Health News Today on Fox News https://ift.tt/0GtEK52

Read More

Cervical cancer drug raises survival rate by 30% compared to chemotherapy: ‘Game-changer’

Better care for cancer patients may be on the horizon.

A new prescription medicine for treating cervical cancer has been showing positive results in clinical trials.

In phase 3 global trials, TIVDAK (tisotumab vedotin) was linked to a 30% overall reduction in the risk of death compared to chemotherapy.

BREAST CANCER BREAKTHROUGH: AI PREDICTS A THIRD OF CASES PRIOR TO DIAGNOSIS IN MAMMOGRAPHY STUDY

TIVDAK also demonstrated a 33% decrease in the risk of worsening disease or death.

In addition, the intravenous drug showed an improved objective response rate of 17.8% compared to chemotherapy at 5.2%.

The trial also measured the disease control rate, which is the percentage of patients who experience complete response, partial response or stable disease.

TIVDAK displayed a 75.9% disease control rate — while chemo showed a 58.2% rate.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Brian Slomovitz, director of gynecologic oncology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida, emphasized the importance of these findings.

ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION LINKED TO HIGHER RISK OF DEATH FROM OVARIAN, BREAST CANCERS: NEW STUDY

"To have an overall survival advantage in this disease is extremely, extremely rare," he said.

"It changes the second-line standard of care for this disease. Now, all patients who recur after first-line therapy should be considered for this therapy," he added. "So it's a game-changer."

Slomovitz, who has been directly involved in the trials, explained that the new class of drugs attacks a certain protein on the cell, which allows chemotherapy to be delivered to the cell "in a precise fashion."

He said, "So, it doesn't give a lot of the peripheral side effects that we see with traditional chemotherapy."

TIVDAK has shown ocular side effects such as conjunctivitis (pink eye), peripheral neuropathy (weakness, numbness, and pain from nerve damage) and some bleeding — but Dr. Kathleen Moore, associate director of clinical research at Stephenson Cancer Center in Oklahoma City, said she felt that is manageable.

BREAST CANCER DRUG COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SIDE EFFECT, NEW RESEARCH REVEALS

Moore has been administering TIVDAK to her patients since the FDA’s accelerated approval in 2021. 

She reported that they haven’t had a difficult time managing and offsetting side effects. Patients usually find relief by using prescription eye drops prior to beginning treatment and cold compresses to mitigate potential toxicity, she said.

"There's not been a single issue with a patient not being able to use the eyedrops and be compliant with all the mitigation strategies in order to obtain the benefit from this medication," she said.

Only 5% of patients have had to discontinue treatment due to side effects, Slomovitz reported.

OVARIAN CANCER COULD BE DETECTED EARLY WITH A NEW BLOOD TEST, STUDY FINDS

Chemotherapy, comparatively, shows a "much higher risk" of side effects, including anemia, nausea, hair loss and neutropenia, according to Slomovitz.

"We’re hoping that a treatment like [TIVDAK] is something that the patients prefer as opposed to the chemotherapy option," he said.

"As clinicians, we feel that the side effects are very manageable — and given the overall increase in efficacy, it's something that our patients are willing to have."

Moore mentioned that Oklahoma has "quite a bit of experience" with TIVDAK, since there is a large population of cervical cancer patients who present with "very advanced disease or metastatic disease at diagnosis" and require the treatment, she said.

The doctor, who is also a drug developer, said her patients have done "very well" with the drug and appreciate its effectiveness and accessibility through insurance.

CERVICAL CANCER: WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS?

"That's unheard of," she said. "In the past, we just did not have active medications and our patients really were left with ineffective therapies, and they just died."

Patients are recognizing that TIVDAK has worked to shrink their tumors, Moore said, which then leads to less pain and reduced dosage of medication.

"They’re feeling better because their disease is shrinking," she said.

TIVDAK has been used in practice since phase 2 trials led to accelerated approval by the FDA in the U.S.

The drug, however, could not earn full FDA approval until phase 3 was complete, Slomovitz noted.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

"We're hoping that the FDA approves this for a confirmatory trial in the setting, which would obviously have a great impact on the care of our patients," he said.

Slomovitz said he’s optimistic the FDA will give full approval for the drug in the "near future."

Both doctors shared their hopes for FDA drug clearance globally.

"We're starting to see, finally, improvements in therapies for patients who have advanced metastatic cervical cancer, all improving overall survival," Moore said. "So it is looking brighter."

Cervical cancer is the fourth most deadly cancer in female patients, according to Slomovitz.

Moore pointed out that the best way to avoid cervical cancer is to prevent it through annual screenings and vaccinations.

"This is an entirely preventable disease," she said. 

"The correct way to cure is to prevent, so that’s what we should be doing, too."

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

from Health News Today on Fox News https://ift.tt/0limo31

Read More

New Jersey dentists team up to give first responder a brand-new smile: ‘I feel more confident’

Two New Jersey dentists and other oral care professionals have teamed up to give a first responder the gift of a gorgeous new smile.

Dr. Jason Auerbach, CEO and founder of Riverside Oral Surgery practices, joined forces with Dr. Dayna Cassandra of DC Cosmetic Dentistry to form the Riverside Oral Surgery First Responders Initiative, which aims to "donate" restorative and cosmetic dental services to first responders.

Johnnie Ramos, a detective with the Passaic County Sheriff's office in New Jersey, was the first recipient chosen to receive a new smile.

MAINE DENTAL PROFESSIONAL STARTS NONPROFIT, DRIVES MOBILE CARE TRUCK STATEWIDE TO SERVE THOSE IN NEED

"We’re very fortunate to be in a position to help people," Auerbach told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview. "And it made sense that if we were going to do something like this, that we would do it for people who put themselves in harm's way to be there for others."

He added, "Those are the people who deserve it the most, in my opinion."

Auerbach and Cassandra, who have been practicing in the same neighborhood for 20 years, set out to organize a team of people who had complementary skill sets and a desire to help others. 

Those included Dr. Jonathan Mendia, an anesthesiologist, and donation partners Straumann and Kuwata Pan Dent Laboratory, which manufacture dental implants.

When it came time to choose the first recipient for the initiative, Auerbach posted announcements on his Instagram accounts, @bloodytoothguy and @riversideoralsurgery.

"We basically set out to seek interest and we found a lot of deserving people," said Auerbach, who is also CEO and founder of MAX SSM, an innovative platform for oral and maxillofacial (jaw and facial) surgery.

BE WELL: STOP GRINDING YOUR TEETH FOR BETTER DENTAL HEALTH

"The unfortunate reality is that we can't help everybody. So we kind of looked at the big picture and understood what was important about Johnny's case, both the dental needs and who he is as a human being, and he was the one we selected."

Ramos has been a detective with Passaic County for nearly 31 years. He had a long history of poor dental health, which stemmed from not taking care of his teeth as a child.

"Since I was a little kid, I would eat a lot of junk food and not brush my teeth after every meal the way I should have," he told Fox News Digital in an email. "I was also a smoker, which I now know was another problem."

After having a bad experience early on, Ramos had a longtime fear of going to the dentist — so he admittedly "never went back."

AI HELPS DENTISTS CATCH MORE CAVITIES AND GUM DISEASE: IT'S 'UNBIASED' AND GIVES 'MORE ACCURATE' DIAGNOSES

When he heard about Auerbach’s initiative to offer restorative dental work for members of law enforcement, he entered and was nominated for the SMILE program.

Through MAX SSM, Ramos received a full mouth reconstruction using several tooth implants. 

The dentists started by performing a full analysis and 3D dental imaging of Ramos’ mouth and facial structures. 

"The cosmetic aspect is dependent on the foundation," Auerbach said. "The foundation needs to be strong in order to get to a point where the esthetics and function are good."

Cassandra said she also likes to use regular photography and "old-school" techniques to complement the new digital technologies. 

"It’s a combination of old and new," she told Fox News Digital in the interview. "We marry those two things together in the laboratory and then deliver the treatment."

"It’s really an art and a science," Auerbach said.

Regardless of the cutting-edge technologies that are used, Auerbach pointed out that patients are still human beings — and that these procedures require a precise skill set and significant attention to detail.

After Ramos’ implants were placed, he received temporary teeth that are made of plastic and supported by tiny metal cylinders, Cassandra said. 

Once the implants are fully integrated and stable, the final restoration will be a milled piece of metal or titanium that's made in Switzerland by the manufacturers of the implant. 

"The precise fit of the teeth to the implants is what determines how successful they will be over the long term," Cassandra said.

SURPRISING BRAIN BOOST: BRUSHING YOUR TEETH MAY REDUCE THE RISK OF DEMENTIA, NEW STUDY SUGGESTS

The quality of the implant is also important, the dentists noted.

Straumann, the Swiss dental company that donated the implants for Ramos, exercises "incredible attention to detail and precise connection, which is paramount to everything," Auerbach said. 

"It's not really just implants — it's the type of implant and the person placing the implant."

Ramos is thrilled with the results so far, he told Fox News Digital.

"The process has been long yet comforting, and the doctors and staff made it very easy and smooth for me," he said. 

"Everyone was professional and did a great job in making me feel comfortable."

To prevent tooth loss, decay and other major dental issues, Auerbach stressed the need to go back to the basics — following proper brushing and flossing protocol at home and regularly visiting a dental professional so that any issues can be caught and treated when they're small.

"Little things don't really cost that much if they’re caught and treated early," he said.

If a cavity is left untreated, for example, it could eventually lead to a root canal or a crown — and if a tooth becomes infected, it may need to be extracted, which could then require a bone graft, implant and crown.

THESE ARE THE WORST DENTAL MISTAKES YOU CAN MAKE FOR YOUR TEETH

"The longer you wait to treat any problem, the more expensive and more burdensome it becomes," Auerbach said. 

It’s also important to choose the right provider, the experts agreed.

"The right dentist will be compassionate, skilled and knowledgeable," he said. 

One of the main reasons that teeth break down, said Cassandra, is that people tend to breathe through their mouth — especially when they’re asleep.

Open-mouth breathing can dry out the gums and mouth tissue, which can increase the risk of gum disease and tooth decay, experts say.

"Mouth breathers often have periodontal disease and lots of decay," she said. 

'DENTIST'S DREAM' OF REGROWING TEETH ADVANCES TO CLINICAL TRIALS IN JAPAN, SAYS REPORT

"And once somebody has pain from gum disease or broken teeth, and then they have a bad experience, they don't want to go to the dentist," she said. 

"They don't even want to brush their teeth because it hurts. So it's like a snowball effect. And I think that's where it started with Johnnie."

Much of dental health has to do with awareness, Auerbach said.

"A lot of that comes from socioeconomic issues — patients who don't have the best access to good health care or dental care when they're younger tend to have less than optimal experiences," he went on.

In hindsight, Ramos agrees that prevention is key.

"You should brush your teeth after every meal, and floss, and see your dentist as often as possible," he recommended. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

"I wish I had taken better care of my dental health when I was younger and that I had regularly seen the dentist."

Ramos said that his new teeth give him a "younger look, which gives me an actual reason to smile."

He told Fox News Digital, "The benefits have been amazing throughout my daily life — I’m able to smile more and feel more confident about myself."

In terms of how humans relate to one another, said Auerbach, "the smile is really everything."

"When you meet somebody, you look either in their eyes or at their smile, or a combination of both," he said.

"The smile is a universal language," Cassandra added.

"Restorative dental work contributes to the physical health and well-being of patients — everything from eating and sleeping properly to reducing headaches and neck pain to helping with good posture and balance," she said.

These types of procedures can provide a big mental health boost as well, she said, helping people live happier, more confident lives.

Looking ahead, Auerbach and Cassandra plan to perform one transformation each year through the SMILE initiative.

"We take it seriously," Cassandra said. "It’s a privilege to be able to make a difference in people's lives."

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health. 

from Health News Today on Fox News https://ift.tt/zMxeZAL

Read More

Dog saves teen's life, parents worry about tech addiction, and student fights cancer

KEEPING GUARD – A border collie alerted a family and saved a Texas teenager from a life-threatening stroke. Get the whole story. Continue reading…

STAYING FIT WITH THE FLU – Here's how to tell if you can exercise when you're sick. Continue reading…

TECH TROUBLES – Parents of teens are more concerned about internet addiction than drug use, a new study finds. Continue reading…

‘LAST WISH’ – A man who died six weeks after receiving a pig heart transplant said he regarded the experimental surgery as "his last chance to do for others." Continue reading…

‘SHARPENED FOCUS’ – Tapping into your anger could help you accomplish more, experts say. Continue reading…

SLEEP STRUGGLES – A new study reveals the reasons people aren't getting the sleep they need. Continue reading…

BAD MEDICINE – Online pharmacies are increasing the risk of people buying fake pills. Experts offer tips to reduce the risk. Continue reading…

VACCINE SHORTAGE – Here's what parents need to know to keep babies safe while the RSV vaccine is in short supply. Continue reading…

YOUNG INNOVATOR – A Virginia high school freshman was looking for a fun science experiment — and ended up making a soap with the aim of treating skin cancer. Continue reading…

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Twitter

LinkedIn

Fox News First

Fox News Opinion

Fox News Lifestyle

Fox News Health

Fox News Autos

Fox News Entertainment (FOX411)

Fox Business

Fox Weather

Fox Sports

Tubi

Fox News Go

Fox Nation

from Health News Today on Fox News https://ift.tt/S3O2Yf0

Read More

Lack of sleep is compromising the mental health of 78% of adults, survey finds

In 2023, the phrase "I’m tired" reached its highest frequency in Google searches — suggesting that people are battling fatigue more than ever before.

Daylight Saving Time, which ends next week, could create even more sleep struggles. (Clocks are set back one hour on Nov. 5.)

A new report from Calm, maker of the sleep and meditation app, reveals some of the reasons people don’t get the optimal quantity or quality of rest.

SLEEP EASY: 6 WAYS TO ADJUST YOUR BEDROOM SO YOU GET A GOOD NIGHT'S REST

"We timed the launch of Calm’s first-ever Snooze Report to the Daylight Saving transition, as we know it’s an adjustment that consistently impacts people’s sleep schedules," said Dr. Chris Mosunic, Calm’s chief clinical officer and clinical psychologist in San Francisco. 

Researchers surveyed 9,500 residents from 10 U.S. cities and 10 U.K. cities between the ages of 18 and 65 about their sleep habits and challenges. 

Topics included relationships, generational differences and significant stressors.

Overall, 91% of adults said they are "not rested" or that they "feel tired" at least some of the time.

WWII-ERA MILITARY SLEEP METHOD COULD HELP INSOMNIACS NOD OFF QUICKLY, SOME CLAIM: 'PEACE AND CALM'

"The Snooze Report helped us to uncover some of the top trends that define our relationship with sleep, including the profound connection between sleep and mental health," said Mosunic.

Below are the five biggest trends uncovered in the report.

Most survey respondents (78%) said a lack of sleep is negatively affecting their mental health.

More than two in three adults cited seven hours as the required amount of sleep for better mental health — but only one in three get that amount.

Nearly 75% of them are open to trying new strategies to get better sleep.

Almost half the respondents (42%) said they can’t sleep without some type of aid, including medication, marijuana/cannabis or alcohol.

Dr. Raj Dasgupta, chief medical adviser at Sleep Advisor in California, who was not involved in the study, agreed that sleep and mental health are closely connected.

"Sleep deprivation affects your psychological state and mental health," he told Fox News Digital. "And those with mental health problems are more likely to have insomnia or other sleep disorders."

People under age 40 have sleep-related struggles for various reasons, the report noted.

Among millennials, one in four cite caffeine intake as a sleep disruptor.

Gen Z respondents were 25% more likely to lack a "good morning routine" to help them start the day when they've had trouble sleeping.

Thirty-eight percent of Gen Z said that current events keep them up at night, compared to 29% of millennials.

ASK A DOC: 'CAN WARMING MY FEET REALLY HELP ME SLEEP BETTER?'

Technology keeps Gen Z from sleeping 26% more than millennials, the survey also found.

"A survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that 93% of Gen Z have lost sleep because they stayed up ‘past their bedtime’ to view or participate in social media," noted Dasgupta.

While 46% of Gen Z have trouble falling asleep in the first place, 25% of millennials have the same complaint.

But both groups have the same amount of trouble staying asleep through the night, said the report.

"It was eye-opening to see the differences between Gen Z and millennials, two groups who are close in age and are often lumped together, but have different relationships with falling asleep," said Mosunic.

Once they’re asleep, the survey respondents said they tend to dream about their daily activities. 

More than 30% of the adults said they dream about people and places familiar to them, as well as "romantic or intimate experiences."

HEALTH TIPS FOR 2023: SLEEP ESSENTIAL FOR RESTORING YOUR BODY AND MIND

Seventy-four percent of respondents know the people in their nightmares, they stated.

About 10% dream about dying, the survey found.

Compared to millennials, those in Gen Z are more likely to dream about dying (57% higher), being part of a video game (76% higher) and interacting on social media (30% higher).

Money-related stress is the most common reason that people have sleep trouble in both the U.S. and the U.K., the survey found. 

Financial worries cause three times the sleep problems as worries about children or the state of the world — and double that of worries about relationships, Calm’s report states.

The sharing of beds by people and animals can cause sleep difficulties, respondents reported.

Thirty-nine percent of adults say they sleep better alone than with a partner.

More than half of them (56%) have made changes to their sleep routines to accommodate their partners.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Snoring, fighting and having "disruptive sleep habits" are the biggest reasons for partners sleeping in separate rooms, with 46% of adults saying they have difficulty sleeping when not in their own bed.

Pets cause problems, too, with one in three adults blaming animals for disrupting their sleep.

Calm recently launched a new sleep hotline at 1-844-4-CALM-SLEEP.

"The hotline was created to offer support and provide individuals with effective tools, such as our Sleep Stories and tranquil soundscapes, proven to aid in achieving restful sleep," said Mosunic.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

from Health News Today on Fox News https://ift.tt/psJ3nlZ

Read More

Parents of teens more concerned about internet addiction than drug use, study finds: 'Problematic patterns'

More parents are concerned about internet addiction by their adolescent children than substance addiction, according to the results of a survey published in JAMA Network Open on Oct. 26.

Parents of children aged 9 to 15 years see internet use as a double-edged sword. While it fosters a sense of family connectedness, it is also a concern due to the potential for negative consequences, such as cyberbullying and addiction, the study found.

"Our results remind us that no conversation about the impact of internet technologies on our youth is complete without consideration of both the positive and negative impacts, and acknowledgment of how experiences may differ among families," study author Michael Milham, M.D., PhD, vice president and director of research at the Child Mind Institute in New York City, told Fox News Digital.

EXCESSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA USE HAS MANY OF THE SAME EFFECTS AS SUBSTANCE ABUSE, SAYS EXPERT

"From a public health perspective, they underscore the need for greater education and support for parents, as many have concerns and are unsure how to promote or restore healthy internet use in their young adolescents."

The researchers conducted an online survey of 1,000 parents of U.S. youth between the ages of 9 and 15 to understand their perceptions and concerns about their kids’ internet use.

Participants completed the survey between June 17 and July 5, 2022.

SPIKE IN TEEN DEPRESSION ALIGNS WITH RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, NEW POLL SUGGESTS: ‘IT’S NOT GOING ANYWHERE’

The survey assessed the parents’ perceptions of the risks and benefits of internet use in four main areas: their children’s physical and cognitive development, their children’s safety, the potential for addiction, and family connectedness.

Concerns about technology’s impact on children’s and teens’ mental health aren’t new.

As online activities increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, so did the potential for negative consequences of internet use among youth, according to the JAMA paper.

Excessive internet use has been associated with mental health problems that include higher rates of alcohol dependence, depression, anxiety and insomnia.

Too much time on the internet has also been linked to difficulty socializing with peers, having healthy conversations, being comfortable in social settings and showing empathy, as previous studies have shown.

SURGEON GENERAL’S ADVISORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH COMES AMID 'REAL-TIME EXPERIMENT'

Some critics point out these outcomes cannot be generalized, however, because past research studies were based on small sample sizes with the potential for selection bias. 

About one-third of the parents who participated in the study reported concerns about addiction to both the internet and to substances.

Equivalent shares of parents expressed concerns about one of these types of addiction in their kids — while another third did not have worries about addiction at all.

Overall, internet addiction concerns outweighed those of substance problems.

Dr. Zachary Ginder, a psychological consultant and doctor of clinical psychology at Pine Siskin Consulting, LLC, in Riverside, California, was not involved in the study but commented on the findings.

"The finding that parents expressed greater concern about internet addiction compared to substance addiction highlights growing apprehension about problematic internet use among youth," he told Fox News Digital. 

"This awareness is likely a good thing, but more research is needed before concluding that these concerns are definitively warranted or that certain online risks outweigh others."

In particular, the potential for addiction was most evident for social media use and video gaming. 

The survey highlighted the growing influence of internet use in kids' lives and the importance of monitoring for potential harmful use. 

"The study also reminded us that problematic internet usage patterns are correlated with both negative parenting (e.g., inconsistent discipline or poor supervision) and the presence of problematic internet usage in parents — these can be initial targets for early intervention efforts," Milham of the Child Mind Institute said in an email to Fox News Digital. 

The biggest limitation, according to Milham, is that the study only included the parents’ perspectives — not the children’s viewpoints. 

More can be learned by speaking directly to adolescents on the issue, the researcher said.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

"I think concerns regarding online bullying, exposure to inappropriate content and addiction cannot be overlooked, as the majority of parents had at least one of each of these concerns, if not more," Milham added.

Although parents expressed both benefits and concerns about their adolescents' internet use, "the findings suggest that parental concern may be out of proportion to the actual rate of youth internet dependency," Ginder noted.

"It is clear that we need to make a greater investment into generating the scientific knowledge, safeguards and clinical resources needed to support parents in promoting and maintaining healthy use of internet technologies by their young adolescents."

The study highlighted the need for further collaboration between families, communities and the tech industry, Ginder added.

"The good news is that parents have an incredible influence and can be in the driver’s seat when it comes to setting guidelines and educating their children on healthy internet use."

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health. 

from Health News Today on Fox News https://ift.tt/YqBQtnP

Read More