People who post on social media are more irritable; the hidden cost of AI in health care; men are 3x more likely to die from brain injuries – Morning Medical Update

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U.S. adults who post on social media are more irritable, study says

A study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open found an association between high levels of social media use, particularly posting on social media sites, and irritability among U.S. adults. A survey of 42,597 U.S. adults found that the level of irritability experienced by frequent social media users was above and beyond that explained by depression or anxiety. Researchers expressed interest in further studies, considering known associations with depression and suicidality.

The hidden cost behind AI in health care

Hospitals increasingly rely on artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance patient care but maintaining these AI tools pose significant challenges. A University of Pennsylvania study revealed an AI algorithm designed to predict patient death faltered during the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing its accuracy and missing opportunities for crucial end-of-life discussions. Experts warn such tools need constant oversight to avoid failures, yet most health systems lack resources required to evaluate, monitor and sustain AI models. Although AI promises efficiency and innovation in health care, the cost of ensuring reliability and fairness raises questions about its practicality, especially as errors, data shifts and unpredictability complicate its implementation into health systems. KFF Health News has the full story.

Men are more than three times as likely as women to die from traumatic brain injuries

A new study, published in Brain Injury, highlights the disproportionate toll of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) on older adults, men and certain racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. In 2021, there were 69,473 TBI-related deaths in the U.S., with suicides and unintentional falls being leading causes. Men were over three times more likely than women to die from a TBI (30.5 versus 9.4). Also of note is the interaction of sex and age, with TBI outcomes in men worsening with age, while postmenopausal women fared better than men of similar age.

“While anyone is at risk for getting a TBI, some groups have a higher chance than others of dying from one. We identified specific populations who are most affected. In addition to men, older adults are especially at risk, with unintentional falls being a major cause of TBI-related death. American Indian or Alaska Native people also have higher rates of these fatal injuries,” said Alexis Peterson, PhD, of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and lead author of the study.