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☆ What Does a Lonely Brain Look Like?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Everyone feels lonely from time to time — after, say, a move to a new school or city, when a child leaves for college, or following the loss of a spouse. It becomes “a personality trait, something that’s pretty sticky,” said Dr. Ellen Lee, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. Here’s what experts know about how chronic loneliness affects the brain, and some strategies to address it. How does loneliness change the brain? Experts think loneliness may have emerged as a unique type of stress signal to prompt us to seek companionship.

Persons: ”, Ellen Lee Organizations: University of California Locations: San Diego

☆ But How Does the Worm Get in Your Brain?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Dana G. Smith | Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s disclosure that a doctor apparently found a dead worm in his brain has sparked questions about what brain parasites are, the damage they can cause and how, exactly, they get there. Brain parasites encompass far more than worms. There are “legions” of organisms that can affect the brain, said Scott Gardner, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who specializes in parasites. In addition to worms, common brain parasites include single-celled organisms such as Toxoplasma gondii and some amoeba. The damage varies depending on the type of parasite and where it ends up in the brain.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Scott Gardner, ”, Daniel Pastula Organizations: University of Nebraska, Lincoln, University of Colorado Medicine

☆ A Peek Inside the Brains of ‘Super-Agers’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When it comes to aging, we tend to assume that cognition gets worse as we get older. For a little over a decade, scientists have been studying a subset of people they call “super-agers.” These individuals are age 80 and up, but they have the memory ability of a person 20 to 30 years younger. Most research on aging and memory focuses on the other side of the equation — people who develop dementia in their later years. A paper published Monday in the Journal of Neuroscience helps shed light on what’s so special about the brains of super-agers. The biggest takeaway, in combination with a companion study that came out last year on the same group of individuals, is that their brains have less atrophy than their peers’ do.

Persons: that’s, we’re, ”, Emily Rogalski Organizations: University of Chicago, Neuroscience

☆ The Top Cause of Alcohol-Related Deaths Can Go Undetected for Years
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Alcohol-related liver disease is the leading cause of death from excessive drinking — and while it’s curable in the earliest stages, many people don’t realize they have it until it’s too late to reverse. Death rates are highest in men and adults aged 50 to 64, though they are increasing more quickly among women and younger adults. And, she added, “we’re seeing that for the first time in this country, women are drinking as much as men.”What is alcohol-related liver disease? The first stage of the illness is fatty liver disease, or steatosis. In the second stage, excessive alcohol consumption activates the body’s immune system, causing inflammation in the liver.

Persons: it’s, ”, Jessica Mellinger Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, “, gastroenterology, hepatology, University of Michigan Medical Locations: United States

☆ What New Love Does to Your Brain
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

New love can consume our thoughts, supercharge our emotions and, on occasion, cause us to act out of character. “People pine for love, they live for love, they kill for love and they die for love,” said Helen Fisher, a senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. Their findings suggest that song lyrics and dramatic plotlines don’t overstate it: New love can mess with our heads. Experts define “romantic love” as a connection deeper than lust, but distinct from the attachment associated with a long-term partnership. These regions are also activated by drugs like cocaine, leading some experts to liken love to a sort of “natural addiction.”

Persons: ”, Helen Fisher, “ Organizations: Kinsey Institute, Indiana University Locations: M.R.I

☆ Mental Illness, Especially Later in Life, Can Increase the Risk of Dementia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2021, Sharon Niederhaus, then 77, lost her husband of more than 50 years. “We feel like we lost both our parents at the same time,” Ms. Henry said, referring to her and her brother. Ms. Niederhaus drank heavily in the wake of her husband’s death. Ms. Henry and her brother tried everything to help their mother: They staged an intervention, confiscated her phone, took on power of attorney and sent her to rehab. It wasn’t until she was referred to a neuropsychologist in early 2023 that things became clear: In addition to having alcohol addiction, Ms. Niederhaus also has dementia.

Persons: Sharon Niederhaus, Kristin Henry, ” Ms, Henry, Ms, Niederhaus

☆ What to Know About the 4 Food Additives Banned by California
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

California has banned four common food additives — Red Dye No. 3, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil and propylparaben — through the California Food Safety Act. After that, any person or entity that manufactures, sells or distributes food products in California that contain the additives can be fined up to $5,000 for a first violation and up to $10,000 for each additional violation. Here’s what to know about the ingredients, why they were banned and what it means for you, whether you live in California or elsewhere. What are the additives, and what food products are they in?

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Dye Organizations: California Food, ”, California State Locations: California

☆ Am I Still Contagious?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ How Covid Affects the Heart
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Others may develop because Covid is also associated with the onset of risk factors for heart disease, most notably hypertension. How vaccines reduce the riskResearch has shown that people who are vaccinated are roughly 40 to 60 percent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke following a Covid infection than those who are unvaccinated. This may be because vaccinated people are less likely to develop severe Covid, which in turn lowers the risk of many of these heart-related issues. There is a small risk of developing myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) in the weeks after getting an mRNA Covid vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. For males 30 and older, the risk of myocarditis was 28 times higher from Covid than from the vaccine.

Persons: ”, Helene Glassberg, who’ve, Laffin, myocarditis Organizations: University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Pfizer, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention

☆ Some Older Adults Are Being Charged Over $300 for the New R.S.V. Vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Amanda Jaffe, 69, went to her local pharmacy at the Safeway in Helena, Mont., to get the R.S.V. Upon hearing the price (over $300), Ms. Jaffe thought “that’s ridiculous” and left without getting it. Several common vaccines, including those for the flu and Covid-19, are included under Medicare Part B, which provides medical coverage. vaccines, as well as a few others, including the vaccine for shingles, are covered under Medicare Part D, which pays for prescription drugs. As a result, Medicare enrollees without a Part D plan — roughly 16 million people — may have to pay for the R.S.V.

Persons: Amanda Jaffe, “, ” Ms, Jaffe, ”, Richard Hughes IV, Epstein Becker Green Organizations: Safeway, Medicare, Moderna, Centers, Medicaid Services, New York Times Locations: Helena, Mont

☆ What to Know About the New Dominant Covid Variant
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The variant was identified in China in February 2023 and was first detected in the United States in April. It is a descendant of the Omicron variant XBB.1.9.2 and has one notable mutation that helps it to evade antibodies developed by the immune system in response to earlier variants and vaccines. That advantage may be why EG.5 has become the dominant strain worldwide, and it could be one reason Covid cases have started to rise again. Diagnostic tests and treatments such as Paxlovid continue to be effective against it, Dr. Pekosz said. “My main concern is for the people at high risk,” Dr. Topol said.

Persons: Pekosz, Eric Topol, Topol, ” Organizations: EG, Scripps Research Locations: China, United States, La Jolla, Calif

☆ What Extreme Heat Does to Your Body
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

What Extreme Heat Does to Your BodyHeat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. While the human body is able to withstand high temperatures, unprecedented extreme heat driven by climate change is challenging our ability to adapt. (A fever can also cause body temperatures this high, especially in children, but it won’t lead to the same cascade of problems.) Heat stroke occurs when the body reaches an internal temperature of 104 degrees and above. The defining characteristic of heat stroke is confusion and delirium as the brain becomes overheated and starved of oxygen.

Locations: United States

☆ What It’s Like to Live With a Tick-Borne Disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This includes not only Lyme, but other tick-borne infections that used to be rare, like babesiosis. “We basically have tick-borne diseases almost everywhere,” in the United States, Dr. Pritt said. Lynley Smith, 43, knew about the heightened risk of Lyme disease in Maine when she vacationed with her family there last summer. Over the next few days, Ms. Smith felt progressively worse. On the seventh day of her symptoms, Ms. Smith noticed a large, round rash on the right side of her torso.

Persons: “, ”, Bobbi Pritt, Pritt, Lynley Smith, Smith, Smith hadn’t Organizations: Mayo Clinic, Lyme Locations: Lyme, United States, Maine, Baltimore

☆ Heat Affects Older People More. Here’s How to Stay Safe.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

How heat affects an aging bodyThe human body has two main mechanisms to cool itself: sweating and increasing blood flow to the skin. In older adults, those processes are compromised — they sweat less and they have poor circulation compared with younger adults. A diseased heart isn’t able to pump as much blood, further reducing blood flow to the skin. And if the nerves become affected in people with severe diabetes, the body might not receive the message that it needs to start sweating. In hot conditions, that can cause them to become dehydrated faster, which is “hugely detrimental for temperature control,” Dr. Crandall said.

Persons: ”, Craig Crandall, Glen Kenny, “, Dr, Crandall Organizations: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, University of Ottawa

☆ Why Sunscreen Is the Only Anti-Aging Product You Need
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Von Schuckmann said the jury is still out: “We certainly have studies to show that sunscreen used on a daily basis reduces skin aging. There are two types of sunscreen ingredients: mineral and chemical. In general, sunscreens are more effective at stopping the shorter UVB rays than the longer UVA rays. Sun protection factor, or SPF, only refers to how well the sunscreen prevents a sunburn, meaning how well it blocks UVB. When it comes to choosing the best sunscreen to prevent signs of aging, Dr.

Persons: Henry Lim, Von Schuckmann, Frey, “, ” Organizations: Henry Ford Health, American Academy of Dermatology, UVA, Food and Drug Administration Locations: United States, Europe

☆ Who Should Be Tracking Their Glucose?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But in recent years, glucose has become one of the trendiest biometrics to track for people striving to optimize their health. That’s in large part because of the increasing accessibility of a tool called a continuous glucose monitor, or C.G.M. C.G.M.s monitor levels of glucose — the body’s main source of energy — in real time. A tiny needle-like sensor sticks into the skin and reads glucose levels in the fluid between cells. Now, there are at least five companies that market and sell apps and C.G.M.s to people without diabetes, claiming that knowing your glucose levels can help you lose weight and improve your health.

Persons: Abbott, Dexcom

☆ We Have a Dopamine Problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The neurotransmitter dopamine is eliciting a lot of panic these days. According to books, articles and social media posts, our urge for a quick dopamine hit is why we crave cookies and spend too much time on Instagram. If we keep giving in to these desires, the rationale goes, we’ll never be able to stop ourselves. Videos tagged #dopamine, many claiming to teach viewers how to manipulate the brain chemical, have more than 700 million views on TikTok. One influencer offers a “free list of things that numb dopamine” so that you can “reclaim control over your life!”

Persons: we’ll, We’ve, Dr, Anna Lembke Locations: Stanford, TikTok

☆ How to Soothe a Bad Sunburn
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It’s the first day of your beach vacation and you stayed out in the sun a little (or a lot) too long. A sunburn is your skin cells’ reaction to damage from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. In a first-degree sunburn, the top layer of skin, called the epidermis, is injured, resulting in redness, pain and swelling. Second-degree sunburns are more severe because the next layer of skin, called the dermis, is also harmed. On darker skin, sunburns are harder to notice at first because redness is less apparent.

Persons: ”, Adewole Adamson Organizations: University of Texas, Austin Dell Medical School

☆ What Does Good Psychedelic Therapy Look Like?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Psychedelic therapy is on its way to becoming a mainstream medical treatment for mental health. While there is mounting evidence that psychedelics could offer much-needed new treatments for intractable mental illness, stories of abuse or trauma have also emerged — which have more to do with the therapists than the drugs. With others, the therapist may have had good intentions but still caused more harm than healing. In one recent clinical trial, which found that psilocybin could offer relief for treatment-resistant depression, three participants reported having suicidal thoughts and harming themselves in the weeks following the therapy. Twenty years of research has standardized the dosage of the drugs used in clinical trials, but the therapy part has not received similar scrutiny.

Persons: Charles Raison Organizations: Food and Drug Administration, Usona Institute, University of Wisconsin Locations: Oregon, Colorado, Wisconsin

☆ How Much Can a Water Filter Do?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act, though, other water-monitoring issues have arisen. He gave the example of nitrate, an agricultural pollutant that’s present in the water supply in Des Moines. While the local water treatment plant takes steps to remove the contaminant, there are questions about whether the allowable levels could still cause health harms. In several of the recent crises, contamination occurred when lead leached into the water as it traveled through the distribution pipes. National regulations about the amount of lead permitted in pipes have been strengthened over the years, but many old water distribution systems have not been updated and contain unsafe levels.

☆ How to Get Treatment for Postpartum Depression
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is estimated that one in eight new moms experience postpartum depression, and some research has suggested that the prevalence climbed to as high as one in three during the early days of the pandemic. Yet roughly half of the women who are struggling with their mental health after pregnancy don’t receive treatment. Postpartum depression has historically been underdiagnosed and under-researched, but recognition of the condition is finally growing. Diagnosing postpartum depressionMany women experience mood swings in the days and weeks following birth because of the dramatic hormonal shifts that occur. Sometimes called the “baby blues,” symptoms include feelings of sadness, anxiety, tearfulness or overwhelm; they typically subside within a week or two.

Locations: United States

☆ How to Respond to a Stranger in Mental Distress
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Dani Blum | Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

If you are concerned for your safety, the best course of action is usually to leave the situation as soon as possible, said Schroeder Stribling, the president and chief executive of Mental Health America, a nonprofit group focused on advancing mental health. If you’re on the subway, for example, change cars, or get off and wait for the next train. Many cities have help lines and mobile crisis response teams that serve as an interface between the police and mental health providers and are trained to help people in acute distress. In New York City, for example, you can call 888-NYC-WELL to connect with mental health professionals. If you call 911, specify that you are calling about a mental health emergency and request a crisis intervention team if one is available, said Megan Rochford, the director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine Operations.

☆ Common Consumer Products Contain Multiple Toxic Chemicals, New Study Shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More than 100 types of common consumer products contain at least one, and often multiple, chemicals linked to cancer or reproductive and developmental problems, according to research published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Many of the chemicals were found in personal care products, including nail polish, shampoo, lotion and soap. Cleaning products, particularly all-purpose cleaners, laundry detergent and dish soap, also contained numerous chemicals. To compile the list of potentially hazardous products, researchers from the Silent Spring Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, cross-referenced two databases maintained by the state of California. The second was a list of chemicals flagged as being carcinogens or reproductive and developmental toxicants by Proposition 65, California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act.

Organizations: Science, Technology, Silent Spring Institute, University of California, California Air Resources Locations: Berkeley, California

☆ What’s Going On With Covid Right Now?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Deaths from Covid-19 in the United States are the lowest they’ve been since March 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data tracker. On May 5, the World Health Organization announced that the Covid-19 global health emergency was over. The coronavirus public health emergency in the United States will expire on May 11. Is this finally the beginning of the end of the pandemic, or just another spring ebb before a new variant initiates a summer wave? Spring reprieveExperts agree that the risk from Covid-19 right now is low, and spring 2023 feels different from previous years.

☆ How Does Hospice Care Work?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, have both transitioned into hospice care at home. The Carter Center announced that Mrs. Carter, 96, who has dementia, entered hospice in November, and that “she and President Carter are spending time with each other and their family.”Hospice provides end-of-life palliative care with a focus on the patient’s comfort and dignity. Hospice agencies offer access to physicians, nurses, health aides, social workers and chaplains who assist patients and their families with everything from symptom management to funeral arrangements. The care is typically provided where the patient lives, whether that’s at a private home or in an assisted living facility. Hospice “is really focused on caring for people — and their caregivers or loved ones — to help them have the best quality of life possible for the time that they have left.”Here’s what hospice care entails and how to decide if and when it’s right for you or your loved one.

Persons: Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, Carter, there’s, ”, Carly Zapata Organizations: Carter Center, University of California Locations: ”, San Francisco

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