Take the anxiety out of treating anxiety

Tennis great Naomi Osaka and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps have spoken openly about their battles with anxiety. But they’re not alone — around 40 million American adults contend with the chronic feelings of dread, irritability, upset stomach, racing heartbeat, shortness of breath and insomnia that are associated with anxiety disorders.

Whether you are dealing with general anxiety disorder (a persistent and exaggerated worrying), social anxiety disorder (intense fear of social interaction), panic disorder (panic attacks and feelings of terror), or phobias, anxiety can be life-altering. Untreated, only about 37 percent to 58 percent of patients report recovery 12 years out from their initial attack, according to Dr. Naomi M. Simon of NYU’S Grossman School of Medicine.

The good news is that these disorders are treatable, and a new review by Dr. Simon in JAMA Network reveals which approaches

DR. ROIZEN

work best.

Cognitive behavioral therapy — often coupled with exposure-based interventions — offers substantial benefits for anyone contending with GAD and can help ease social anxiety and panic disorders.

In addition, all disorders may be helped a bit by medication. SSRIS, such as sertraline, and SNRIS, such as venlafaxine extended release, are associated with small to medium benefits.

Early detection key

Researchers acknowledge that while many cancers don’t have screenings available, many folks don’t take advantage of what is. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 69 percent of Americans age 50 to 79 are up to date on colon cancer screenings. Similarly, only 69 percent of women 40-plus have had a mammogram in the past two years. All told, only one in seven cancers is caught through screening.

One potential solution: a blood test that identifies multiple cancers. In 2021, researchers found that a multi-cancer early detection blood test called Galleri can spot more than 50 types.

For the 12 cancers that cause around two-thirds of all U.S. cancers deaths, “Galleri finds about 40 percent of stage I cancers, 67 percent of stage II cancers, 80 percent of stage III cancers and 95 percent of stage IV cancers,” says the Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Eric Klein. Although it needs to be shown that this test saves lives and it isn’t yet Food and Drug Administration approved, stay tuned to your favorite screen for breaking news.