This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Newest research in adolescent medicine for the internist
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Healio.com/Internal Medicine presents the latest research in the field of adolescent medicine, including investigations into bullying, chronic pain, cholesterol and substance abuse.
Bullying exposure in childhood linked to severe psychiatric outcomes in adulthood
Exposure to bullying in childhood, even without childhood psychiatric symptoms, was associated with severe psychiatric outcomes in adulthood that required treatment, according to recent findings. Read more.
Mental disorders may be early risk factor for chronic pain in adolescents
Adolescents with affective, anxiety or behavior disorders are at increased risk for chronic pain, according to recently published data.
“Our results corroborate and extend knowledge about the link between chronic pain and mental disorders in adults, which suggests that this relationship forms as early as during childhood through adolescence, with an increasing level of comorbidity in adulthood,” the researchers wrote. Read more.
CDC: Abnormal cholesterol levels found among 1 in 5 US children, teens
More than 20% of children and adolescents in the United States had at least one abnormal cholesterol level between 2011 and 2014, according to a report from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. Read more.
Vital signs should include menstrual cycle in adolescent girls
The menstrual cycle should be used as a vital sign among girls to help identify potential health concerns in adulthood, according to an updated committee recommendation from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
“By including an evaluation of the menstrual cycle as an additional vital sign, clinicians reinforce its importance in assessing overall health status for patients and caretakers. Just as abnormal blood pressure, heart rate or respiratory rate may be key to diagnosing potentially serious health conditions, identification of abnormal menstrual patterns in adolescence may improve early identification of potential health concerns for adulthood,” the committee wrote. Read more.
Rates of DUI significantly decrease among teens, young adults
Between 2002 and 2014, fewer adolescents and young adults drove under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or both, according to recently published data from the CDC.
A 59% decrease in driving under the influence of alcohol was seen in individuals aged 16 to 20 years, and a 38% decreased was seen in those aged 21 to 25 years between 2002 and 2014. Read more.
Risky sexual behaviors more likely in teens using prescription medications
High school students who used prescription medications for nonmedical purposes were more likely to engage in sexual behaviors that put them at increased risk for STIs, according to recently published data in Pediatrics. Read more.