In the News
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January 5, 2023
A protein believed to be an indicator of cardiovascular disease may actually be what causes the ailment that results in one death every 34 seconds in the U.S, according to research by Salim Hayek, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine, and Daniel Tyrrell, research fellow in cardiology. “People are looking at targeting the immune system as the next frontier for treatment of heart disease, but it’s one of those areas people don’t know where to start,” Hayek said. “This paper really encompasses all the evidence that this is a very promising target.”
MLive -
January 5, 2023
Reduced levels of teen cannabis use and nicotine vaping seen during the pandemic in 2021 continued into 2022, while alcohol use increased to pre-pandemic levels, says Richard Miech, research professor at the Institute for Social Research. “We were curious to see whether the significant decreases in substance use we observed (in 2021) would continue into the future, and we now see that there may indeed be a longer lasting impact for some substances.”
HealthDay -
January 5, 2023
“All-or-nothing thinking” often gets in the way of achieving exercise goals, said Michelle Segar, associate research scientist at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender. “Someone might say, gosh, I just cannot go to the gym, but I can walk around the block. The formula for helping more people sustain a physically active life is giving them permission to be flexible with what they do, and to choose to have a menu of different activities that they can order from.”
The Washington Post -
January 4, 2023
Low-income residents in Michigan pay, on average, 10% of their monthly household income for water services, says Jennifer Read, director of the U-M Water Center: “Widespread water affordability issues in cities like Highland Park, Pontiac and Benton Harbor have brought much attention to the issue. … More recently, the efforts of Detroit and Flint groups have expanded across the state, demonstrating that these concerns occur at the household level throughout Michigan.”
The Detroit News -
January 4, 2023
Paxlovid and similar antiviral drugs have been free under an emergency use authorization to help contain COVID-19, but that is soon coming to an end. “It’s pretty amazing that I believe over 8 million Americans have received Paxlovid at no cost. … This drug has led to decreased hospitalizations and decreased deaths,” said Mark Fendrick, director of the Center for Value-Based Insurance.
WXYZ/Detroit -
January 4, 2023
“When you see a fast food sign or a vending machine, that has such power and drive for us that even if you’re not hungry, or even if your doctor just told you have diabetes, you might want to have these processed foods you know aren’t good for you,” said Ashley Gearhardt, associate professor of psychology. “Don’t hate yourself for not being able to avoid addictive foods because it isn’t easy. It’s using our biology against us.”
National Geographic -
December 19, 2022
Nearly one-quarter of all American adults who care for an elderly parent also care for a child at the same time and are much more likely to struggle with money problems, emotional trouble and exhaustion, according to research led by Lianlian Lei, research fellow in psychiatry.
U.S. News & World Report -
December 19, 2022
New Zealand, which has adopted a steadily rising tobacco-purchase age and mandated the near-elimination of nicotine from all cigarettes sold in the country, is “engaged in an extraordinarily important natural experiment to see if these significant policy approaches … succeed in driving down cigarette smoking, as many experts think they’re likely to do,” said Clifford Douglas, director of the U-M Tobacco Research Network.
The Wall Street Journal -
December 19, 2022
Baking shows can soothe us after a day of being constantly stimulated and stressed by our surroundings, says Kristen Harrison, professor of communication and media: “Our built-in environment is getting more and more dysregulating, so when we come home from being out there … we want to put on our leggings and our soft clothes and cuddle up in a comfortable space and put on some kind of content that’s just going to be like a warm bath for our entire nervous system.”
USA Today -
December 16, 2022
Americans who have yet to get a flu shot — only about a quarter of adults have — should seek one soon, says Preeti Malani, professor of internal medicine and infectious diseases: “The sense is that this year’s vaccine is actually a pretty good match to the strain circulating. And much like COVID vaccines, flu shots don’t prevent all infections, but they can help prevent hospitalizations, deaths, as well as transmission.”
National Public Radio
