A weekly round-up of news affecting your health.
MUMS 35 AND OVER MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER CHILDBIRTH COMPLICATIONS
Research shows the risk of serious, potentially life-threatening complications during childbirth increases when a woman turns 35.
Analysis of more than 800,000 births in the US found that compared to mothers in their late 20s, older mothers were more likely to have renal failure, obstetric shock and amniotic fluid embolism.
The authors of the study, led by Dr Sarka Lisonkova from the University of British Columbia and Children's and Women's Health Centre of British Columbia, say the findings offer new insight into the severe health issues faced by older mothers.
"These results should improve counselling to women who contemplate delaying childbirth until their forties and provide useful information to their health care providers. As maternal age continues to increase, the rate of severe maternal morbidity is likely to increase in the future," they said.
Although the authors say more research is needed, these results could help advise women who are considering delaying pregnancy.
The study is published in journal PLOS Medicine.
NIGHT TIME PHONE USE A MENTAL HEALTH RISK
Heavy night-time mobile phone use among Australian teens has been linked to overall poor wellbeing and mental health.
A longitudinal study of more than 1000 high school students found late night phone use contributed to poor sleep habits, and over time led to declines in their health.
The research was part of the Youth Activity Participation Study, funded by the Australian Research Council.
"We have demonstrated how poor sleep is the key link connecting an increase in night-time mobile use with subsequent increases in psychosocial issues," said lead researcher Dr Lynette Vernon.
Students in Year 8 were asked what time of the night they received or sent text messages and phone calls, and their perceptions of their sleep quality.
The researchers also investigated adolescents' symptoms of depressed mood, involvement in delinquency or aggression, and their coping and self-esteem over time.
Results showed that in Year 8, more than 85 per cent of students owned a mobile phone and about one-third of these students reported they never texted or received phone calls after lights out.
But three years later 93 per cent of the students owned mobiles and only 22 per cent of these Year 11 students reported no late night mobile use.
Study co-author Dr Kathryn Modecki from the Griffith Menzies Health Institute says relatively healthy teens "tended to show steeper escalations in their late-night mobile as they got older.
"This means that even when teens appear to have their technology and sleep under control early-on, they still require monitoring and education as they mature."
While the researchers recognise the possible social benefits mobile phones can provide, they say it's important parents enforce electronic curfews.
QUITTING CAN REVERSE DRUG-RELATED HEART DAMAGE
Methamphetamine use can cause significant damage to the heart but this is reversed once an addict kicks the habit, say German researchers.
A study of 30 methamphetamine abusers, published in journal JACC: Heart Failure, showed cardiac function improved significantly in patients who stopped using the illicit drug and received appropriate medical treatment.
Patients who discontinued the drugs also had a lower incidence of non-fatal stroke and re-hospitalisation for heart failure versus those who continued to abuse methamphetamines while on medical therapy.
"Methamphetamine associated cardiac myopathy will become a growing cause of heart failure in young adults," said Norman Mangner, senior author on the study and a physician at the Heart Center Leipzig in Leipzig, Germany.
"Due to the chance to recover cardiac function and symptoms at an early stage of the disease, early detection of heart problems in patients with methamphetamine abuse could prevent further deterioration of the cardiomyopathy."
Professor of Medicine James Januzzi from Harvard Medical School says these results show that helping an addict to quit should be the focus of heart failure treatment rather than simply placing patients on a "cocktail" of medicines.
