MDNN: Postnatal Depression Effects, Migraine-CVD Links, Women's Heart Disease, and Pediatric Asthma Decline

Hi, I’m Jenna Payesko, and I’m Matt Hoffman, and this is MD Magazine News Network - it’s clinical news for connected physicians.

A recent study has shown that persistent postnatal depression lasting longer than 6 months in mothers can have a severe impact on their child’s development. Researchers from Oxford University found that children of mothers who suffer from both severe and persistent depression following birth are at an increase for behavioral issues by their fourth birthday. Most of these children are prone to depression during adolescence and difficulties in the classroom, while the mothers who suffer from persistent postnatal depression could experience significant depression for up to 11 years after giving birth.

The threat of heart disease can be a real headache — and apparently, vice versa. Researchers from a Danish university hospital report that patients are at a greater risk for multiple cardiovascular conditions if they have been previously diagnosed with migraines. The population-based study of more than 500,000 people found that patients with have a significantly greater incidence of myocardial infarctions, stroke, venous thromboembolism, and atrial events than the general population. The results should be a concern for the US population, of which 13% suffer from migraines.

Let’s stay on heart disease for just another beat here. The Yale School of Public Health reported this week that women aged 55 years or younger are significantly less likely to be treated for heart disease when showing heart attack-related symptoms than their male counterparts. An analysis of patients hospitalized for self-reported symptoms of acute myocardial infarction found that younger women were also more likely to report at least 3 symptoms associated with heart attacks than men, and were also more likely to have previously sought medical attention for these symptoms. Currently, 8,000 women in the US die annually from heart disease, and women who suffer from heart attacks are 50% more likely than men to die from the event.

Don’t worry, we do good news here too. Asthma attack rates in US children is on the decline, according to new data from the CDC. A 15-year comparative look at the chronic lung disease found that 53.7% of children with asthma suffered at least one attack in 2016 — a notable drop from the 61.7% rate reported in 2001. More than 6 million children under 18 years old suffer from asthma in the US, which accounts for 8.4% of the pediatric population. CDC acting director Anne Schuchat said healthcare is making progress on combating the rate of attacks, but matching efforts need to be made by providers, parents, caregivers and schools. See? We had some good news to end on.

For these stories and more, visit us at mdmag.com. I’m Jenna Payesko, and I’m Matt Hoffman. Thank for you watching MDNN.