Research Snapshot

Genes Related to Schizophrenia Identified: In two studies published in the journal Nature, researchers report that they’ve identified three gene mutations that may provide the strongest genetic links yet found to schizophrenia. The mutations, which are fairly uncommon in the general population, can increase the risk of developing the disorder by up to 15 times, the researchers said. Researchers say that their next steps are to see if there are “environmental factors that affect the rate these variations come into the population” and to determine how these mutations affect brain function.

Depression, Strokes Linked Among Older Adults: Researchers report in the journal Stroke that having depression appears to place older adults at a nearly three-fold increased risk for having a first stroke. “The findings from this study may have clinical implications because depression and stroke are common in the elderly,” the researchers wrote. “The possible risk reduction of stroke is thus one more reason why individuals with depression should be diagnosed and adequately treated.”

PTSD Can Lead to Heart Disease: People who have PTSD are about twice as likely to die prematurely from heart disease as are people who don’t have PTSD, a study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine indicates. The link between PTSD and heart-related death appears to be stress hormones, which are released into the body as a result of PTSD and can cause inflammation and damage to the cardiovascular system. These hormones also reduce the amount of another hormone, cortisol, which helps fight inflammation.

U.S. Leads the World in Cocaine, Marijuana Use: Although the United States has some of the strictest drug laws in the world, the country also has the highest rates of marijuana and cocaine use, the World Health Organization announced last week in the Public Library of Science journal, PLoS Medicine. Sixteen percent of Americans report having used cocaine at some point in their lives, compared with the next highest percentage, which is 4.3 percent of New Zealand citizens. About 42 percent of Americans say that they’ve used marijuana at some point followed closely by 41 percent in New Zealand. Americans were also more likely to report having smoked tobacco at some point.

Minimum Drinking Age Appears to Save Lives: State laws spurred by federal action and enacted in the 1980s that increased the minimum drinking age to 21 are responsible for an 11 percent decline in the number of teen fatalities related to drunk driving between then and now, a study in the journal Accidents Analysis and Prevention indicates. This is the first study that proves that the laws were responsible for the decline and not other factors, such as better-built cars, the researchers said. The study’s results were released at a time when some states are considering lowering the minimum age. “Based not only on this research, but on past research as well…I don’t think” lowering the age limit is a good idea, said Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation researcher James C. Fell.

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