Scary Charts – 08.13.23 (and yet another Dark Side of Tik Tok)

APC indicates annual percentage change. This study of alcohol-related mortality in the US suggests there has been a significantly higher rate of increase in deaths among female individuals in recent years.

Trends in Alcohol-Related Deaths by Sex in the US, 1999-2020 — http://10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.26346

In March 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an unprecedented spike in stimulant prescriptions between 2020 and 2021. Perhaps most surprising was that the demographic showing the greatest increases in stimulant use – an increase of almost 20% in one year – were in women in their 20s and 30s…

But while the internet exploded with ADHD content, researchers in Canada began sorting #ADHD TikTok videos into categories based on their accuracy and helpfulness. They reported something important: A majority of #ADHD content was misleading. Only 21% of the posts provided useful and accurate information.

More adults than ever have been seeking ADHD medications – an ADHD expert explains what could be driving the trendhttps://theconversation.com/more-adults-than-ever-have-been-seeking-adhd-medications-an-adhd-expert-explains-what-could-be-driving-the-trend-206052

Alcohol AND amphetamines. Self-diagnosed ADHD. SMH.

The Dark Side of Tik Tok – Soak Your Eyeballs in Castor Oil

Some people on TikTok have been telling you to rub castor oil around and potentially into your eyes, even though it’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a laxative and not as an eye remedy. TikTokers have been claiming that castor oil can help treat all sorts of eye problems ranging from eye dryness to floaters to cataracts to poor vision to glaucoma.

TikTokers Push Castor Oil As An Eye Remedy, Here Are The Problems — https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2023/08/12/tiktokers-push-castor-oil-as-an-eye-remedy-here-are-the-problems/?sh=1111bfa485ce

https://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/view/ophthalmologists-castor-oil-shouldn-t-be-rubbed-in-the-eyes-no-matter-what-they-do-on-tiktok

Natural selection at its finest. And we thought drinking detergent was bad. The Dark Side of Tik Tok – Updated

Alpha-gal Syndrome (scary maps)

If one of these tiny creatures bites you…

Congrats on fully committing to be vegan.

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an emerging, tick bite–associated allergic condition characterized by a potentially life-threatening immunoglobulin E (IgE)–mediated hypersensitivity to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), an oligosaccharide found in most nonprimate mammalian meat and products derived from these mammals. Specific symptoms and severity of AGS vary among persons, and no treatment or cure is currently available. During 2010–2018, more than 34,000 suspected cases of AGS were identified in the United States, but current knowledge of where cases occur is limited.

Citation: Thompson JM, Carpenter A, Kersh GJ, Wachs T, Commins SP, Salzer JS. Geographic Distribution of Suspected Alpha-gal Syndrome Cases — United States, January 2017–December 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:815–820. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7230a2.

At least these things are mostly in the eastern portion of Oklahoma.

Fact sheet – https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/alpha-gal/resources/alpha-gal-syndrome-factsheet.html

To support those affected by Alpha-gal I intend to publish more vegan recipes on my other blog https://garyskitchen.net

The Dark Side of Tik Tok – Updated

In the latest health fad to alarm and exasperate medical experts, people on TikTok have cheerily “hopped on the borax train” and are drinking and soaking in the toxic cleaning product based on false claims that it can reduce inflammation, treat arthritis, and “detoxify” the body.

Borax is the new Tide Pods, and poison control experts are facepalming — https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/07/borax-is-the-new-tide-pods-and-poison-control-experts-are-facepalming/?comments=1&comments-page=1

Natural selection at its finest.

Good article on Vox. Why TikTokers are drinking laundry detergent https://www.vox.com/technology/2023/7/29/23811639/tiktok-borax-challenge-dangerous-laundry-detergent

The Dark Side of Pickleball

It’s a new national obsession, the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. And by the end of 2023, it’s expected to yield roughly 67,000 emergency department visits, 366,000 outpatient visits, 8,800 outpatient surgeries, 4,700 hospitalizations, and 20,000 post-acute injury episodes. All told, UBS Group AG financial analysts have forecast that the direct medical costs of pickleball will top $377 million this year alone, mostly due to wrist, lower leg, head, or lower trunk injuries…

Felice de Jong, PhD, a 67-year-old scientist who lives in Nellysford, VA, explained that when she first heard the name “pickleball,” she thought it would be a “piece of cake, like playing tiddlywinks.” Because she had spent a lifetime being active, she dove right in after only a few lessons, badly twisted her ankle, developed tennis elbow, and was forced to lay off the paddle for a few weeks before returning to the court. 

As Injuries from Pickleball Surge, Here’s How to Play Safely — https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20230724/heres-how-to-play-pickleball-safely?src=RSS_PUBLIC

I have a 12 court facility located at the public golf course 2 miles from the house.

I’m tempted. Just need to make sure my health insurance premiums are paid and up to date.

Scary Charts – 07.16.23

Note the Pandemic Bump. Overall trend lines for both CA and USA still heading north.

CA only. USA death rates probably show a similar pattern.

CA statistics. NOTE the ASIAN RATE.

Excessive drinking during the covid-19 pandemic increased alcoholic liver disease deaths so much that the condition killed more Californians than car accidents or breast cancer, a KFF Health News analysis has found. Lockdowns made people feel isolated, depressed, and anxious, leading some to increase their alcohol intake. Alcohol sales rose during the pandemic, with especially large jumps in the consumption of spirits.

Excessive Drinking During the Pandemic Increased Alcoholic Liver Disease Death Rates — https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/excessive-drinking-during-the-pandemic-increased-alcoholic-liver-disease-death-rates/

Yes it’s Sunday morning and I’m thinking about single malt Scotch because I ran out.

Take Home Lesson for UW Professionals

The highest mortality rates were Gen X and Boomers.

Memo to Self

Think before you drink.