Roundup: Lack of Sleep’s Effect on Emotional Functioning; Misuse of Weight-Loss Drugs Surging; and More News

Sleep Deprivation, Interruption Linked to Poor Emotional Functioning in Landmark Review of Studies

Poor sleep health – or getting less than the recommended seven hours or more of quality sleep every night – is now linked to mental health issues, particularly increased risks of anxiety disorders and a reduction in positive moods, according to the largest study conducted on the association between poor sleep and “human emotional functioning.”

In the study published in the American Psychological Association’s journal Psychological Bulletin, the researchers analyzed data from 154 studies on more than 5,000 people across five decades.

Most of the studies used experimental reductions of sleep via total sleep deprivation, partial sleep restriction, or sleep fragmentation (being awakened periodically) in healthy populations to examine effects on general mood disturbances, emotional reactivity, anxiety symptoms, and/or depressive symptoms.

All types of sleep reductions were found to reduce positive emotions and increase anxiety symptoms.

States the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding sleep health: “If not getting enough sleep is a regular part of your routine, you may be at an increased risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, poor mental health, and even early death.”

“This study represents the largest, most comprehensive meta-analysis to date quantifying the impact of sleep loss on domains of human emotional functioning,” state the study’s authors in their conclusion. “In light of the proportion of individuals around the world who routinely obtain inadequate sleep, findings have direct relevance for science, practice, and policy by highlighting the destabilizing effects of sleep loss on our daily emotional experiences.

“These findings should inform regulations and policies that directly impact sleep–wake patterns including maximum work periods and schedules (e.g., for surgeons, truck drivers), school start times, military/combat operations, daylight savings time, and investment in education and healthcare that prioritizes sleep.”

Misuse of Weight-Loss Drugs Spurs Sharp Increase in Cases Reported to Poison Control Centers Nationwide

Poison control centers across the U.S. are reporting sharp increases in overdose or misuse cases involving semaglutide, an injected medication that is primarily meant for blood sugar control and to help diabetics lose weight. According to CNN and other media reports, the poison control centers are seeing a 1,500 percent increase in such calls since 2019. Semaglutide is sold as Wegovy and Ozempic, among other brands.

The cases relate to symptoms of accidental overdose, requiring some to be hospitalized. They usually recover after receiving fluids and other meds. Demand is still surging for these medications, known medically as GLP-1 agonists, that are primarily meant for blood sugar control and to help diabetics lose weight. After celebrities started praising the drug’s weight-loss effectiveness on social media last year, the demand for semaglutide has caused a shortage nationwide.

Anyone considering using these drugs for weight loss should consult with their doctor. New research has found that GLP-1 agonists have been associated with a 9-times higher risk of pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, which can cause severe abdominal distress.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are currently three FDA-approved semaglutide products:

Ozempic injection and Rybelsus tablets are approved to lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, in addition to diet and exercise. Ozempic is also approved to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and known heart disease.

Wegovy injection is approved to help adults and children aged 12 years and older with obesity, or some adults with excess weight (overweight) who also have weight-related medical problems, to lose weight and keep the weight off, in addition to diet and exercise.

NIH Study: Antibody Treatment Reduces Allergic Reactions to Multiple Foods

A monoclonal antibody treatment significantly increased the amounts of common foods that food-allergic children and adolescents could consume without an allergic reaction, states the National Institutes of Health, as part of an interim analysis of an advanced clinical trial.

The trial, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH, used the laboratory-made antibody, omalizumab, which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – but not for treating food allergies. FDA is reviewing omalizumab for food allergies based on this interim analysis of the trial.

For the study, researchers enrolled children and adolescents ages 1 to 17 years, and three adults ages 18 to 55 years, all with allergies to peanuts and at least two other common foods.

In the interim analysis, the study’s oversight team examined data on the first 165 children and adolescents who participated in the first stage of the trial. Using strict criteria, the team found that study participants who received omalizumab injections could consume higher doses of peanut, egg, milk and cashew without allergic reactions than participants who received placebo injections.

In addition to NIH funding, the trial has support from Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, the NIH states. The two companies collaborate to develop and promote omalizumab and are supplying it for the trial, the NIH said. Monoclonal antibodies are used to treat many diseases, including some types of cancer. To make a monoclonal antibody, researchers first have to identify the right antigen to attack.

The multi-stage trial is called Omalizumab as Monotherapy and as Adjunct Therapy to Multi-Allergen OIT in Food Allergic Children and Adults, or OUtMATCH. The NIAID-funded Consortium for Food Allergy Research (CoFAR) is conducting OUtMATCH at 10 locations across the U.S.

More detailed information about the findings will become available when they are published in a peer-reviewed journal, the NIH said.