Mediterranean Diet Setback; Medicines And Depression; When To Skip An ECG

Help Wanted: Kids Apply

How To Raise A Human  This week’s stories from our special series on parenting covers some tough topics: picky eaters, anxiety and chores.   Want your kids to eat more than just chicken nuggets, pizza and french fries? There is a way! Part of a parent’s job is to help kids do their best. But pushing too hard can backfire and lead to anxiety, depression and substance use. How to dial back stress for high-achieving kids. These parents in Mexico and Guatemala have figured out how to get their children to help out around the house — something that many parents dream of. What's their secret?   Westend61/Getty Images   Errors Trigger Retraction Of Study On Mediterranean Diet's Heart Benefits If you’re trying to eat better, one popular option is the Mediterranean diet.   The menu includes lots of fruits and vegetables, olive oil, nuts and fish.   Quite a bit of research has suggested people who eat this way tend to be healthier, but it's been harder to prove whether that's because of the diet or something else.   The strongest study to support the cardiovascular benefits of the diet was published by the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in 2013.   But the journal retracted the study Wednesday, after a British doctor flagged it for potential methodological problems, as Alison McCook, editor of the website Retraction Watch, explains on Shots.   It turns out that many people in the study weren’t randomly assigned to competing diets, a flaw that compromised the strength of the conclusion favoring the Mediterranean approach.   Glasshouse Images/Getty Images   1 In 3 Adults In The U.S. Takes Medications Linked To Depression If you take Prilosec or Zantac for heartburn, a beta blocker for high blood pressure, or Xanax for anxiety, you may be increasing your risk of depression. More than 200 common medications sold in the U.S. include depression as a potential side effect. Sometimes, the risk stems from taking several drugs at the same time. Now, a study finds people who take these medicines are, in fact, more likely to be depressed. The results of the study don't prove that the medications caused the depression people experienced. "We're just showing that if you're already taking them, you are more likely to be depressed," says study author Mark Olfson, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University. Another doctor tells NPR’s Allison Aubrey that people should always be ready to ask what the risks and benefits of a medicine are for them. "People who don't have a history of depression and then, suddenly, start to have symptoms of depression should be concerned that it's potentially due to a side effect, or potentially, an interaction," says Don Mordecai, a psychiatrist with Kaiser Permanente in San Jose, Calif.    Bruno Boissonnet/Science Source   Note To Doctors: Don’t Order ECGs For Low-Risk Patients If you’re in good health and at low risk for heart disease, you probably don’t need an electrocardiogram, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The influential group puts out guidelines for care, and its latest bit of advice to doctors is to forgo routine ECGs to check heart rhythms in low-risk people. "There is no evidence of benefits of doing ECG screening that would outweigh the possible harms," says Dr. Seth Landefeld, chairman of the department of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "And, in fact, the harms may well outweigh the benefits."   Here's to keeping your risks low and your health high! Your Shots editor, Scott Hensley   You received this message because you're subscribed to our Health emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002