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In one of the largest population studies on pain to date, researchers with the National Institutes of Health estimate that nearly 40 million Americans experience severe pain and more than 25 million have pain every day. Those with severe pain were more likely to have worse health status, use more health care and suffer from more disability than those with less severe pain. (Gotbaum, 8/24)

About 80 people, clustered around tables, bent their heads and waited for the voices to start. “Don’t answer,” a woman’s voice warned as a phone rang. “They’ll know who you are.” The crowd was listening to a soundscape, a six minute audio compilation called “Mindstorm,” created by a pharmaceutical company as a way to replicate the auditory hallucinations sometimes experienced by people with schizophrenia. The company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, manufactures medication for the illness. (Bouscaren, 8/23)

Mental health problems like anxiety and depression may partly explain why people with rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study. Researchers linked anger, anxiety, depressive symptoms, job stress and low social support to increasing risk of hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). (Doyle, 8/21)

[Kate] Moser did not have a glowing pregnancy. After two wrenching miscarriages, the Chicago teacher felt fraught with anxiety and fear she tried to suppress. Strangers commenting on her growing belly left her wilted or incensed. Driving to a doctor’s appointment seemed impossible. ... Moser is one of many women who suffer depression and anxiety while pregnant. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates 1 in 7 women experience depression during pregnancy or within 12 months of delivery. ... But despite growing awareness of postpartum depression or “the baby blues,” anxiety and depression during pregnancy remain underreported, with no standard screening procedures in place, experts say. (Bowen, 8/24)

After decades of unregulated existence in all 50 states, the booming field of personal trainers is braced for a wave of scrutiny that is expected to transform the industry and could make or break some of the biggest fitness companies in the country. The new regulations, being written by and for the nation’s capital city, will create a registry of all personal trainers in the District only. But they are expected to become a model that winners and losers in the fight believe will be replicated elsewhere. (Davis, 8/23)

It's time for consumers to wake up to the risks of sleep disorders, scientists say. More than 50 million adults in the U.S. have a disorder such as insomnia, restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea, according to an Institute of Medicine report. (Hamilton, 8/24)