Blood cancers, the link between sport and mental health, silent hypoxemia and more: MediCLE

Cleveland, Ohio – This week in Cleveland Medical News… Gretchen examines the role of childhood sports participation on adult mental health, Cincinnati tackles blood cancer research and treatment, and Case Western Reserve researchers investigate “silent hypoxia,” while Ohio State researchers find that nutrition programs like WIC make a real difference in healthy babies.

To play or not to play

Ahhh, youth sports. Were you the last kid picked for the team? Did you sit on the bench all season? Were you ever humiliated by a coach after a bad play? Or did the lessons of hard work, dedication and sportsmanship pay off later in life, giving you fitness, teamwork and a drive to succeed?

According to a new study from Ohio State University, your relationship with sports as a child can predict your mental health as an adult. And as Gretchen reports, it all depends on whether you quit or stick with it. “Unfortunately, it’s not just a question of whether sports are good for kids,” said one of the study’s researchers. “The question becomes more complicated depending on how persistent kids are in sports and why they choose to do or stop.”

The study found that depression and anxiety were higher among people who played sports before quitting, followed by those who never played sports. And those who played sports continuously until age 18 — probably because it was a positive experience for them — had the best mental health of all.

Blood Cancer Center

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center has opened what is being described as the first state-of-the-art blood cancer treatment center in the United States. The 218,000-square-foot facility will house a treatment center dedicated specifically to blood cancers. Additional wings, which include research labs and a wellness area, are expected to open throughout 2024 and into 2025.

The idea is to allow patients to search for different forms of treatment, care and research in one place.

The university says that once completed, the facility is expected to have more than 200 full-time employees, including clinical and support staff to provide access to new and cutting-edge medical therapies, including cellular and stem cell therapies, group wellness spaces and an extended care area that will provide 24-hour outpatient symptom support for all cancer patients.

CWRU research decodes ‘silent hypoxemia’

A strange phenomenon observed during the COVID-19 pandemic is something called “silent hypoxemia.” In this case, COVID-19 patients have dangerously low oxygen levels, but do not experience the usual symptoms of oxygen deprivation.

An interdisciplinary team of scientists, including researchers from Case Western Reserve University, used a set of mathematical models of breathing to study this effect. They found that the body was able to compensate for low oxygen levels by increasing the concentration of hemoglobin in the bloodstream after COVID-19 infection.

Their findings, recently published in the journal Biological Cybernetics, suggest a potential link between high levels of hemoglobin in the bloodstream and the body’s response to COVID-19 infection.

WIC enrollment reduces adverse pregnancy outcomes

When pregnant women can’t afford healthy foods, it can have negative consequences for their infants. That’s why the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, commonly known as WIC, aims to reduce food insecurity among eligible pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women and their children.

Researchers at Ohio State University, concerned about declining enrollment in WIC, analyzed data to determine whether the program was beneficial. They found evidence that the food assistance program is indeed beneficial for mothers and babies.

The study, published recently in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, suggests that pregnant women enrolled in WIC are less likely to have gestational diabetes, preterm delivery and need blood transfusions.

Additionally, mothers and babies are less likely to need intensive care, the study found.

“Food insecurity is a major problem in the United States, with rising food prices and concern over some congressional bills that would cut funding for the WIC program for the first time,” said Dr. Kartik Venkatesh, the study’s principal investigator and an OSU maternal-fetal medicine physician. “At a time when WIC enrollment has declined, our study data provide evidence of the relationship between WIC and improved health during pregnancy.”

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