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☆ Study links accelerated aging to cancer risk in younger adults
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Researchers looking for clues about why some types of cancer are on the rise in younger adults say they’ve found an interesting lead: a connection to accelerated biological aging. What faster aging could tell us about cancer riskAfter adjusting the data for factors they thought might bias their results, the researchers found that accelerated aging was associated with increased risk for cancer. “There are medications that also look like they can slow down accelerated aging,” said Blaes, who is testing two of them in cancer survivors. Cancer survivors often show greater biological aging, perhaps because of the after effects of therapies like chemotherapy and radiation. It’s not quite prime time, where we would go out and prescribe those medications for people, but this is really, really important work,” Blaes said.

Persons: they’ve, It’s, ”, Yin Cao, Louis, Cao, Tian, ” Cao, Anne Blaes, “, Blaes, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Blaes Organizations: CNN, Washington University School of Medicine, American Association of Cancer, University of Minnesota, Hematology, Oncology, UM, CNN Health, Cancer Locations: St, San Diego

☆ CPAP replacement works well for the overweight, not obese, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —An implant for obstructive sleep apnea — a serious sleep malady in which breathing stops for 10 seconds to two minutes many times an hour each night — works best in people who are overweight but not severely obese, a new study found. “There’s a huge unmet need of patients that are suffering with obstructive sleep apnea and not able to tolerate CPAP,” Landsness said. nicolesy/iStockphoto/Getty ImagesAbout a third of patients have difficulty using a CPAP and may ultimately abandon the device, Landsness said. Obstructive sleep apnea is also connected to type 2 diabetes, asthma, obesity, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, thyroid disease and mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. “As an alternative treatment for sleep apnea, this hypoglossal nerve stimulation surgery could revolutionize some people’s lives,” he said.

Persons: Eric Landsness, St . Louis, ” Landsness, ”, Kristen Knutson, “, Landsness, CPAP, Brandon Peters, Mathews, ” Peters, Raj Dasgupta, Dasgupta, “ I’ve Organizations: CNN, Washington University School of Medicine, Medicare, BMI, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Food and Drug Administration, Huntington Health, Mayo Clinic, telltale Locations: St ., Chicago, Seattle, Pasadena , California

☆ Innovative Cancer Treatment May Sometimes Cause Cancer, F.D.A. Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Gina Kolata | More About Gina Kolata | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Cancer specialists said the treatments have saved the lives of thousands of patients with blood cancers. And, he said, “I haven’t seen a single one” develop a new T cell cancer. When patients’ T cells are engineered to make proteins that attack cancer cells, a virus helps slip new genes into T cell DNA. Even without chemotherapy or radiation, Dr. Maus added, patients with blood cell cancers are especially susceptible to developing other blood cell cancers. But Dr. DiPersio said, “it is more of a smoking gun.”The F.D.A.

Persons: Marcela V, Maus, John DiPersio, Louis, “, ”, DiPersio, —, . Maus Organizations: Massachusetts General Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine Locations: Massachusetts, St

☆ Bigger belly in 40s and 50s linked to early signs of Alzheimer’s disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Inflammation from belly fat may be linked to the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease decades before symptoms begin, new research has found. “That’s important because brain atrophy is another biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease,” Raji said. “These are people who, if they do develop Alzheimer’s disease, it won’t happen for another 20 or 25 more years. “Regardless of weight, people should find out if they have hidden visceral fat,” Raji said. Visceral fat ‘easier to lose’There’s good news: Visceral fat responds well to diet and exercise, Raji said.

Persons: “, ”, Richard Isaacson, Isaacson, Cyrus Raji, St . Louis, ” Raji, Dr, Mahsa, Raji, ” Isaacson, It’s Organizations: CNN, Washington University School of Medicine, Radiology Society, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic Locations: Florida, St .

☆ Doubts abound about a new Alzheimer’s blood test
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Judith Graham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The Quest Diagnostics blood test, AD-Detect, measures elevated levels of amyloid-beta proteins, a signature characteristic of Alzheimer’s. But Alzheimer’s researchers and clinicians aren’t convinced the Quest test is backed by sound scientific research. Though blood tests for Alzheimer’s are likely to become common in the years ahead, the Alzheimer’s Association said it’s premature to offer a test of this kind directly to consumers. Because the science behind blood tests for Alzheimer’s is still developing and because “patients may not really understand the uncertainty of test results,” Edelmayer said, the Alzheimer’s Association “does not endorse the use of the AD-Detect test by consumers.”Quest’s blood test is one of several developments altering the landscape of Alzheimer’s care in the United States. The bottom line: Before taking a test, “older adults need to ask themselves, ‘Why do I want to know this?

Persons: aren’t, Alzheimer’s, Michael Racke, ”, there’s, Suzanne Schindler, St . Louis, That’s, ” Schindler, Racke, Meera Sheffrin, —, Rebecca Edelmayer, ” Edelmayer, Eric Widera, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Emily Largent, ’ ”, Munro Cullum Organizations: Health, Diagnostics, Alzheimer’s Association, Quest, University of Michigan, International Conference, Washington University School of Medicine, Senior, Stanford Healthcare, The University of Michigan, FDA, National Institute, Aging, University of California, Get CNN, CNN Health, University, Pennsylvania’s Perelman, of Medicine, HIPAA, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Kaiser Health, KFF Locations: U.S, San Diego, St ., United States, San Francisco

☆ Your Fitbit and Apple Watch may wind up hurting you
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Kelli María Korducki | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen numbers take overThe 10,000-step benchmark has generally been the baseline goal for smartphone apps and fitness trackers. When the Fitbit tracker launched in 2009, 45 years after Yamasa's gadget cemented the 10,000-steps ideal in the public consciousness, it kick-started a boom in fitness wearables and spawned a frenzy for health data. This flood of easily accessible health data has certainly had some positive effects. Many fitness-tracking products also incorporate social-sharing features, which can give us a better perspective on how our exercise habits stack up against our friends', providing a little healthy competition as motivation. Many health- and fitness-tracking apps and wearables issue notifications throughout the day to urge their users toward their movement goals.

Persons: I've, Amanda Paluch, —, Paluch, John Toner, Toner, Cathleen Kronemer, Louis, she's, Kronemer, there's, I'm, Kelli María Korducki Organizations: Apple, US Department of Health, Human Services, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Hull, Health, Washington University School of Medicine, — Locations: East Asia, St, New York City

☆ It may be time to break out the masks against Covid, some experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“And since the masks that are most effective are N95 that are now readily available, that’s the kind of mask you should wear,” he added. But the agency doesn’t make a broad recommendation for everyone to adopt masks. Morris Brown College in Atlanta announced a return to mandated physical distancing and masks just one week after classes started in August. And pediatricians are poised for the typical return-to-school surge in all kinds of respiratory illness, whether colds, flu or Covid. “The virus is always lurking, waiting for openings, so I think Covid is just going to be a bit of a roller coaster, probably forever,” Wachter said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jonathan Reiner, “, ” Reiner, Biden, ”, Reiner, Eric Topol, ” Topol, ” What’s, Robert Wachter, ” Wachter, haven’t, Peter Chin, Topol, Dr, Sara Bode, Bode, It’s, ‘, ” Chin, Hong, You’ve, you’ve, Amanda Musa, Brenda Goodman, Deidre McPhillips, Meg Tirrell Organizations: CNN, George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Scripps, Research, Covid, Department of Medicine, University of California San, University of California, Morris Brown College, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, American Academy of Pediatrics ’, School Health, Internal Locations: Covid, Florida, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, Atlanta, Columbus , Ohio, Washington

☆ Bed rotting: TikTok’s latest trend reveals the toxic side of self-care
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Megan Marples | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

As Gen Z would say, she was bed rotting. Lounging in bed for more than a day or two is concerning and could point to different mental health issues, Gold said. This sort of behavior has been linked to symptoms of depression and anxiety, among other mental health illnesses, Gold added. Activities beyond bed rottingBed rotting can allow you to isolate yourself, ignore your feelings, and possibly prevent you from participating in self-care activities that can help you, Gold said. Therapy can help you learn new coping skills, get to the root cause of your bed rotting and determine if there is some mental health issue going on, Gold said.

Persons: Jessica Gold, Gen, St . Louis, “, ”, ” Gold, Simon A . Rego, Rego, Gold, Kelly Glazer Baron, Baron, ” Rego, don’t Organizations: CNN, Washington University School of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical, Montefiore, University of Utah Locations: St ., New York City, Salt Lake City

☆ Face masks are still a good idea at the doctor’s office, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But they remain in many medical offices, and a study published Monday says they might still be a good idea. The study, published in the journal the Annals of Internal Medicine, also found that there wasn’t a significant difference in protection between surgical masks and N95 respirators in a health care setting. Because gold standard evidence about their protectiveness is not available, they say, masks for patients and health care personnel should be considered a good safety measure. Lab studies show that surgical masks and respirators are good at limiting the spread of aerosols and droplets from people who are sick with the flu, coronaviruses and other respiratory viruses. “We all realize the importance and utility of a mask,” Madad said.

☆ Study Shows the Staggering Cost of Menopause for Women in the Work Force
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Several other studies have arrived at conclusions similar to those of the Mayo Clinic study. A smaller survey by the corporate health benefits provider Carrot Fertility found that roughly 20 percent of women took time off from work because of menopause. (Dr. Williams was not involved with the research.) Women see in their day-to-day lives that their productivity is impacted.”But most Americans don’t have the ability to choose to cut back on work the way some women in the study did, Dr. Williams said. “Many women don’t have the privilege of saying I’m just not going to teach this course — because maybe if you don’t show up, you will not have a job, and that has economic and personal financial impact too.”

☆ Scientists identify mind-body nexus in human brain
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The researchers called this system the somato-cognitive action network, or SCAN, and documented its connections to brain regions known to help set goals and plan actions. "Basically, we now have shown that the human motor system is not unitary. A second system, the SCAN, is more important for integrated, whole body movements, and is more connected to high-level planning regions of your brain," Gordon said. I'm not a philosopher, but one succinct statement I like is saying, 'The mind is what the brain does.' "Some neuroscientists think of the brain as an organ intended primarily to perceive and interpret the world around us.

☆ Is your house making you sick? 3 things you might not realize are affecting your health at home—and how to fix them
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

With so many things to worry about, it can be easy to overlook the small things, but even those small things can have an effect on your body. "Homesick" could take on a new meaning for you once you realize that some ordinary things around your house may be affecting your health. An uncleaned air filter can trigger allergies and offer less ventilation in your house, reducing your protection from respiratory viruses, he adds. Soft surfaces with mold on them, including dry wall and insulation, should be tossed, Bidwell adds. "It's a good thing to just walk around and check these things sometimes," says Bidwell.

Fungal infections are more widespread than doctors or patients realize, research suggests. People generally get fungal infections after breathing in spores. Thompson’s paper came just weeks after another study revealed high rates of fungal disease diagnoses far outside their traditionally understood geographies. A World Health Organization report in October also found that severe fungal infections became more prevalent among people with pre-existing health issues during the Covid pandemic. In some cases, fungal infections can take months of treatment to clear and may become chronic.

☆ Repeat COVID is riskier than first infection, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Reinfection with COVID-19 increases the risk of both acute outcomes and long COVID," said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Even if one had prior infection and was vaccinated - meaning they had double immunity from prior infection plus vaccines - they are still susceptible to adverse outcomes upon reinfection," Al-Aly, the study leader, said. The higher risks were most pronounced in the first month after reinfection but were still evident six months later. The cumulative risks and burdens of repeat infection increased with the number of infections, even after accounting for differences in COVID-19 variants such as Delta, Omicron and BA.5, the researchers said. "We had started seeing a lot of patients coming to the clinic with an air of invincibility," Al-Aly told Reuters.

☆ Lower prostate cancer screening rates linked with more advanced cancers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe benefits of screening for prostate cancer have been controversial. At individual facilities, higher rates of screening were linked with lower rates of subsequent diagnoses of advanced cancers. But for every 10% decrease in screening, there was a corresponding 10% increase in metastatic prostate cancer incidence five years later, the researchers said. Rose noted that while the USPSTF advice to limit prostate cancer screening has resulted in lower rates of prostate cancer diagnoses, rates of metastatic prostate cancer have increased "more dramatically." A spokesperson for the USPSTF said an update to its prostate cancer screening recommendation is not currently underway.

☆ COVID raises risk of long-term brain injury, large U.S. study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The year-long study, published in Nature Medicine, assessed brain health across 44 different disorders using medical records without patient identifiers from millions of U.S. veterans. Brain and other neurological disorders occurred in 7% more of those who had been infected with COVID compared with a similar group of veterans who had never been infected. That translates into roughly 6.6 million Americans who had brain impairments linked with their COVID infections, the team said. Compared with the control groups, people infected with COVID had a 77% higher risk of developing memory problems. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Julie Steenhuysen Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biogen says ALS drug shows clinical benefit in new data analysis
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Mrinalika Roy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Biogen drug, tofersen, is currently under priority review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with an approval decision expected by Jan. 25. Biogen last October had said the drug missed the main goal of the late-stage study, failing to show statistically significant improvement in the functional status of patients with fast-progressing ALS at six months. Biogen is seeking approval of tofersen for ALS patients with mutations in a specific gene that leads to accumulation of toxic levels of a protein called SOD1. Most side effects in both the late-stage study and the follow-on portion were mild to moderate, including headache and back pain, the company said. Nearly 7% of patients who received tofersen experienced serious neurological events, including spinal cord inflammation and swelling of the optic nerve.

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