DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Healthy diets with only 10% ultraprocessed foods may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

All three diets are plant-based, focused on consuming more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds while limiting sugar, red meat and ultraprocessed foods. Eating more ultraprocessed foods such as hot dogs is linked to a higher risk of stroke and cognitive decline, according to a new study. What is it about ultraprocessed foods that may allow them to sabotage efforts to follow a healthy diet? Growing dangers of ultraprocessed foodsStudies on the dangers of eating ultraprocessed foods are piling up. That 10% increase was considered “baseline,” and adding even more ultraprocessed foods might increase the risk, experts say.

Persons: ”, Andrew Freeman, ’ ”, Dr, W, Taylor Kimberly, Kimberly, Peipei Gao, Zhendong Mei, Mei, Gao, Harvard T.H, ’ ” Freeman Organizations: CNN, Jewish Health, Whites, Blacks, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham, Women’s Hospital, Harvard, of Public Health Locations: Denver, Massachusetts, Boston, Chan

☆ Fish oil supplements may cause harm, study finds. ‘Is it time to dump them?’ expert asks
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

However, a new study finds regular use of fish oil supplements may increase, not reduce, the risk of first-time stroke and atrial fibrillation among people in good cardiovascular health. Nearly one-third of those people, who were followed for an average of 12 years, said they regularly used fish oil supplements. Over-the-counter fish oil suffers from a lack of purity and consistency, as well as the potential contaminants and heavy metals such as mercury that come with fish, Freeman said. “In addition, studies over the last 10 years have not been very positive for over-the-counter fish oil,” he added. “Fish oil was either having no benefit or in some cases it may harm, such as with stroke and AFib.

Persons: ’ ”, Andrew Freeman, “, ”, Freeman, that’s, ” Freeman, sasirin, Richard Isaacson, Isaacson, Chia, ” Isaacson Organizations: CNN, Jewish Health, Costco, Food and Drug Administration, US, NSF International Locations: United States, Denver, United Kingdom, Boca Raton , Florida, Lake

☆ Tiny plastic shards found in human testicles, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Human testicles contain microplastics and nanoplastics at levels three times higher than animal testes and human placentas, a new small study found. “They look like little shards, tiny broken bits from very, very old plastics,” said Campen, a regents’ professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Researchers expected to find more plastic shards in the testicles of older men in the study, but that wasn’t the case, Campen said. “In testes, the levels of plastic was three times as much as we saw in placentas,” Campen said. In studies of pregnant mice, researchers have found plastic chemicals in the brain, heart, liver, kidney and lungs of the developing fetus 24 hours after the pregnant mother ingested or breathed in plastic particles.

Persons: ”, Matthew Campen, Campen, ” Campen, “ We’re, Adrienne Bresnahan, Kimberly Wise White, Leonardo Trasande, don’t, Trasande Organizations: CNN, micron, Sciences, University of New, Endocrine Society, Getty, American Chemistry Council, placentas, American Academy of Pediatrics, NYU Langone Health, Natural Resources Defense Council, Invest Locations: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, United States, placentas, Beijing

☆ Horrible nightmares and ‘daymares’ linked to autoimmune disease
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Vivid, disturbing nightmares may be a sign of a newly developing autoimmune disorder or an upcoming flare of existing disease, experts say. Researchers found 3 in 5 lupus patients, and 1 in 3 patients with other rheumatology-related diseases, had increasingly vivid and distressing nightmares just before their hallucinations. Systemic autoimmune diseases often have a range of symptoms, called prodromes, that appear as signs of a sudden and possibly dangerous worsening of the condition. Connect the dots to autoimmune diseaseOn first glance, it would make sense that such neurological manifestations as nightmares would occur if the autoimmune disease impacts the brain, which lupus often does, Sloan said. “In some cases, reporting these symptoms earlier, even if they seem strange and unconnected, may lead to the doctor being able to ‘join the dot’s’ to diagnose an autoimmune disease.”

Persons: “, “ He’s, I’m, ”, Melanie Sloan, ” Sloan, Lupus, ” Jennifer Mundt, ” Mundt, “ I’m, Sloan, David D’Cruz, rheumatologist, that’s, Carlos Schenck, ” Schenck, shouldn’t Organizations: CNN, University of Cambridge, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Guy’s Hospital, Kings College London, Hennepin County Medical, University of Minnesota Locations: Canadian, United Kingdom, Chicago, Hennepin, Minneapolis

☆ Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months. “I don’t use the term ‘reverse.’ I don’t know what reverse means when it comes to the field of Alzheimer’s,” Isaacson said. ‘It was time to turn to my brain’Slowly, Nicholls’ heart condition began to improve, but the bad news didn’t end there. A brain scan found telltale signs of vascular damage in Nicholls’ brain, which occurs when the tiniest blood vessels are starved of oxygen. Not only was Nicholls blood negative for amyloid and tau, the test suggested that his brain amyloid might be normal, with no distinguishable signs of the disease.

Persons: Sanjay Gupta, Anderson Cooper ”, Richard Isaacson, Simon Nicholls, “, ”, Isaacson, “ Simon, ” Isaacson, Nicholls, ” Nicholls, Anderson Cooper, It’s, APOE4, Simon, ” Simon Nicholls, Sylver, Lewy, Richard Isaacson ‘, APOE ε4, “ I’ve, Isaacson doesn’t, “ I’m, Shocked, Dr, we’d, “ It’s, Salvadore, Richard Isaacson “, ‘ It’s, I’m Organizations: CNN, telltale, ” CNN, Boca Raton Locations: Boca Raton , Florida, New York City, Florida, Nature, Miami, Isaacson’s Florida, tirzepatide

☆ These diets may reduce cancer, heart disease and early death, according to a 20-year review
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Eating a vegan, vegetarian or lacto-ovo vegetarian diet significantly reduces the overall risk of developing cancer, heart disease and dying early from cardiovascular disease, according to a new “umbrella” analysis of more than 20 years of research. “Plants have more fiber (animal foods have zero), less saturated fat and zero cholesterol (all animal foods have cholesterol),” Gardner said in an email. However, vegetarian diets limiting but not completely excluding certain types of meat and fish, such as pesco- or pollo-vegetarian diets, were excluded, he said. “Strictly vegan diets can be deficient in vitamin B12,” Gardner said. “Iron is another nutrient that is harder to get from a fully vegan diet,” Gardner added.

Persons: ”, Dr, Angelo Capodici, Federica, Guaraldi, David Katz, ” Katz, Christopher Gardner, Gardner, ” Gardner, “, Davide Gori, ” Gori, It’s, Wesley Soares Ferracini Organizations: CNN, Scuola Superiore, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences, True Health Initiative, Stanford Prevention Research Center, University of Bologna, Mayo Clinic, B12 Locations: Pisa, Italy, Bologna, Palo Alto , California

☆ Healthy alternatives to replace ultraprocessed foods in your diet
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Many people love their ultraprocessed foods. More than 70% of the US food supply is made of ultraprocessed food. But a diet heavy in ultraprocessed food isn’t good for us, science has shown. Eating ultraprocessed foods raises the risk of developing or dying from dozens of health conditions, according to a February review covering nearly 10 million people. The no-fly list of ultraprocessed food is loaded with store-bought chips, sugar-packed yogurts and candy-filled trail mix.

Persons: Skip, Al Bochi, Casey Barber’s, Suzy, Karadsheh, Bochi’s, Parfaits, CNN’s Sandee LaMotte, Madeline Holcombe Organizations: CNN, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, Olive, Olive Tree Nutrition Locations: Olive Tree

☆ How to survive sleeping with a sleep talker
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“There are some things you, the bed partner, can do to save your sleep,” Schenck said. Medications to treat depression, and other mental health disorders, high blood pressure, seizures, asthma and, oddly, other sleep disorders can also cause sleep talking, according to the Cleveland Clinic. “Cut out alcohol so you can share your consideration for the bed partner who is disturbed by your sleep talking.”What causes sleep talking? Sleep talking is a parasomnia, in the same category as sleep terrors, sleep eating, sleep paralysis and sleep sex. Some people who have sleep talking or walking as children do return to the behavior as adults, but many others do not,” he said.

Persons: Carlos Schenck, ” Schenck, “, GERD, Schenck, Jennifer Mundt, ”, Earplugs, Mundt, ” Mundt, Parasomnias Organizations: CNN, American Academy of Sleep, Hennepin County Medical, University of Minnesota, Cleveland Clinic, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine Locations: Hennepin, Chicago

☆ 2024’s safest sunscreens for summer and year-round
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The annual report provides a database of products by brand and type, while also breaking them down into the top recreational sunscreens, the best daily SPF (sun protection factor) and the safest sunscreens for babies and children. Many of the safest choices will be mineral-based instead of chemical-based sunscreens, said Emily Spilman, EWG’s healthy living science program manager. Mineral sunscreens work by physically deflecting and blocking the sun’s rays, as opposed to sunscreens with chemicals that absorb UV rays and release heat as they break down. In 2019, oxybenzone was an ingredient in 60% of all sunscreen products tested by EWG, dropping to 30% in 2022. By 2023 and again in 2024, the chemical was used in only 6% of tested products, which included sunscreens and daily moisturizers and lip balms with sunscreen protection.

Persons: Brianna Starr, Alicia, ” Brianna, we’d, “, ”, Brianna, Rajesh Nair, ” Nair, Emily Spilman, ” Spilman, It’s, “ It’s, Bill Clinton, padimate, Homer Swei, EWG’s, ” Swei, oxybenzone, Len Lichtenfeld, Lichtenfeld, ” Lichtenfeld Organizations: CNN, Orlando Health Cancer, Orlando Health Cancer Institute, Twitter, FDA, US Food and Drug Administration, Care Products Council, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, oxybenzone, American Cancer Society Locations: Kansas, TikTok, Orlando , Florida, Japan, Europe, U.S, Australia

☆ Meet the little people whose bodies may hold a key to longevity
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Sandra TorresTorres has a rare disorder called Laron syndrome that is caused by a genetic mutation. “This is how powerful this mutation seems to be.”What is Laron syndrome? Laron syndrome is a recessive gene, so only those who receive a copy from each parent will be affected. The condition leads to extreme obesity, a trigger for diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other diseases. While technically overweight at 100 pounds (45.4 kilograms), she was in good health, with no signs of diabetes or heart disease.

Persons: Paola Castro Torres, ” Torres, Torres, “, ” Nathaly Paola Castro Torres, Sandra Torres Torres, ”, Valter Longo, Longo, Laron, Jaime Guevara, Aguirre, Guevara, ” Longo, ” Guevara, Andrew Freeman, Freeman, ” Hope, it’s Organizations: CNN, gerontology, University of Southern, of Endocrinology, Laron, Jewish Health Locations: Los Angeles, Quito, Ecuador, University of Southern California, Israel, Yemen, East, United States, Croatia, Ireland, Denver

☆ Sexsomnia: An embarrassing sleep disorder no one wants to talk about
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

These are all clinically documented cases of sleep sex, or sexsomnia, part of a family of sleep disorders called parasomnias that include sleepwalking, sleep talking, sleep eating and sleep terrors. “There certainly can be legal consequences from the sexual behaviors, particularly with minors, and also with aggressive behaviors during sleep,” Schenck said. Also called OSA, obstructive sleep apnea is a serious sleep malady in which breathing stops for 10 seconds to two minutes many times per hour each night. “It’s the breath holding or apnea from the obstructive sleep apnea that triggers the arousal, typically in men, which then triggers the sexual behaviors in sleep,” Schenck said. “It’s so interesting, because a lot of people with stress become hyposexual, not interested in sex,” Schenck said.

Persons: rouses, Carlos Schenck, ”, Schenck, ” Schenck, Jennifer Mundt, moan, “ You’re, ‘, Yuliya Kirayonak, “, Northwestern’s Mundt, it’s, Mundt, ” Mundt, you’re Organizations: CNN, Hennepin County Medical, University of Minnesota, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, sexsomnia, “, US Centers for Disease Control Locations: Hennepin, Norway, Chicago

☆ Parents are feeling lonely. Here’s why it matters
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Despite working a full-time job in human relations and caring for her 6-year-old son Chase and 3-year-old daughter Millie, Anne Helmes often feels isolated and lonely. In fact, 66% of 1,005 surveyed parents felt the demands of parenthood sometimes or frequently left them feeling isolated and lonely, while nearly 40% felt as if they have no one to support them in their parenting role. “When parents are feeling lonely and isolated, that tells me their adult needs aren’t being met because they’re pouring what they can into their child. By definition, burnout is an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion, Gawlik said. “Burnout is not new for parents, but I think the pandemic took it to a totally different level,” she added.

Persons: Chase, Millie, Anne Helmes, Lindsay Hutchinson “, ’ ”, “, ”, Kate Gawlik, Kacey Cardwell, aren’t, Cardwell, Gawlik, ” Helmes, Justin Paget, Helmes, didn’t Organizations: CNN, Ohio State University Wexner Medical, Ohio State University College of Nursing, American Association for, Digital, Social Locations: Powell , Ohio, Columbus, Atlanta

☆ Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Breaded shrimp contained the most tiny plastics by far, at well over an average of 300 microplastic pieces per serving. Plastics are everywhereThere are a staggering number of plastics in the world, today, according to a recent analysis — 16,000 plastic chemicals, with at least 4,200 of those considered to be “highly hazardous” to human health and the environment. (The authors declined to mention which brands of bottled water they studied.) Prior research using older technology had identified only about 300 nanoplastics in bottled water, along with bigger microplastics. · If you can, eat as much fresh food as possible, and limit purchase of processed and ultraprocessed foods wrapped in plastic.

Persons: CNN —, can’t, Rice, Let’s, it’s, ” Sherri “ Sam ” Mason, ” Mason, ”, pollock, Mason, don’t, “ Organizations: CNN, McGill University in, University of Queensland, Penn State, International, Water Association, Environmental Research, Environmental Locations: McGill University in Quebec, Canada, Erie , Pennsylvania, United States

☆ Here’s what marijuana researchers have to say about 420 or ‘weed day’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —It’s 420 or “weed day,” and people around the world will be paying homage to their favorite guilty pleasure: marijuana. “I worry when people are in an enclosed space because new data is beginning to show that secondhand marijuana smoke may be just as dangerous as the primary smoke,” Page said. “Approximately 3 in 10 people who use marijuana have marijuana use disorder,” according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, some parents told doctors they believed vaping marijuana was safer than tobacco, Boyd told CNN earlier via email. A cloud of marijuana smoke rises as a clock hits 4:20 p.m. during the Mile High 420 Festival in Denver on "weed day" in 2022.

Persons: CNN —, Dr, Beth Cohen, Cohen, “, ”, Robert Page II, ” Page, Weed, It’s, ’ ” Carol Boyd, Ann Arbor, Peter Grinspoon, ” Young, Sam Wang, Boyd, Grinspoon, Patrick T, Fallon, Nixon, ” Boyd, ” Grinspoon, ’ ”, Page Organizations: CNN, District of Columbia, University of California, University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center, Drugs, University of Michigan, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Massachusetts General Hospital, Marijuana, Children’s Hospital, Yale Medicine, Drug, University of Colorado’s, Getty, University of Mississippi, US Drug, Administration Locations: United States, San Francisco, Colorado, Aurora, Ann, Boston, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver, AFP

☆ Stayed up all night? Here’s how to feel better
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —It was a dream come true for millions of Taylor Swift fans, after the superstar released her latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” at midnight on Friday. “The strongest reset for the circadian system is bright light,” said Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “Research shows that movement can boost circulation and increase alertness, helping you shake off that sleepiness faster,” Daddy Dasgupta said. “It could limit your ability to sleep well that night,” said sleep specialist Kristen Knutson, an associate professor of neurology and preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. And of course, listening to Taylor Swift counts as long as you turn it off before bed!”CNN’s Madeline Holcombe, Kristen Rogers and Ashley Strickland contributed Taylor Swift lyrics to this article.

Persons: Taylor Swift, ”, Phyllis Zee, “, Mina Dasgupta, Raj Dasgupta, Daddy Dasgupta, Taylor, ” Mina, ” Dasgupta, Cynthia Ackrill, Swift, it’s, Kristen Knutson, Dasgupta, Knutson, Madeline Holcombe, Kristen Rogers, Ashley Strickland Organizations: CNN, Poets Department, ”, Maserati, Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, “ Research, American Institute of, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine Locations: Chicago, Huntington Heath, Pasadena , California

☆ Routine jobs raise the risk of cognitive decline by 66% and dementia by 37%, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Having a routine job with little mental stimulation during your 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s was linked to a 66% higher risk of mild cognitive impairment and a 37% greater risk of dementia after the age of 70, according to the study, when compared with having a job with high cognitive and interpersonal demands. Attending college, for example, reduced the impact of a repetitive job by about 60% but didn’t fully negate the risk. Routine jobs that were not classified as “cognitively protective” often involved repetitive manual and mental tasks, such as is typical of factory work and bookkeeping. “Most people in routine jobs in our sample included housekeepers, custodians, construction workers and mail carriers,” Edwin said. More cognitively demanding jobs were not based on routine tasks, even though repetition was required at times.

Persons: ”, Dr, Trine Edwin, Edwin said, Richard Isaacson, Isaacson, ” Edwin, Edwin, It’s, ” Isaacson Organizations: CNN, Oslo University Hospital, American Academy of Neurology, “ Locations: Norway, Florida

☆ Melatonin industry asked to voluntarily tighten standards after dramatic rise in childhood ER visits
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

As a dietary supplement, melatonin is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for safety, effectiveness or labeling before it is sold to the public. The council’s action follows recent reports of a massive rise in accidental ingestions of melatonin by children and an April 2023 study that found 25 products labeled as melatonin gummies contained dangerous levels of the hormone. Melatonin gummies were involved in nearly 5,000 of those cases. While the vast majority of unsupervised melatonin ingestions did not result in hospitalization, the number of accidental ingestions by children 5 and under may be underestimated, the report said. New and improved labelsThe council guidelines call for new labels that warn consumers about the danger of drowsiness after taking a melatonin supplement.

Persons: —, ”, Pieter Cohen, ” Cohen, it’s “, Cohen, Catherine McQueen, ” Dr, Cora Collette Breuner, “ It’s, Breuner, Amanda Musa Organizations: CNN, Council for Responsible Nutrition, US Food and Drug Administration, Cambridge Health Alliance, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Food and Drug Administration, Getty, Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington Locations: Somerville , Massachusetts, Seattle

☆ How to limit PFAS in your drinking water and food, according to experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“It would be about 25 years before all the PFAS leave your body.”Testing your waterWhat can consumers do right now to limit the levels of PFAS in their drinking water? Filtering your waterIf PFAS levels are concerning, consumers can purchase an under-the-counter water filter for their tap. “The water filters that are most effective for PFAS are reverse osmosis filters, which are more expensive, about in the $200 range,” Andrews said. Reverse osmosis filters can remove a wide range of contaminants, including dissolved solids, by forcing water through various filters. PFAS in food and your homeDrinking water is not the only way PFAS enters the bloodstream.

Persons: Melanie Benesh, “, ” Jane Hoppin, ”, Andrews, PFAS, ” Andrews Organizations: CNN, Environmental Protection Agency, Geological Survey, Environmental, ”, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Center for Human Health, Environment, North Carolina State University, NSF, National Sanitation Foundation, EWG, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Research, Education, Community Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Locations: United States, polluters, Raleigh, Texas

But a new report from Consumer Reports said it recently compared the nutritional profiles of two Lunchables kits served in schools and found they have even higher levels of sodium than the Lunchables kits consumers can buy in stores. The non-profit consumer group said it has petitioned the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the federally assisted school meal program, to remove Lunchables food kits from school cafeterias, as a result. The introduction of Lunchables in schools came amid proposed changes to school food guidelines by the USDA, which oversees the federally assisted school meal program. The proposed changes aimed to reduce added sugars and sodium levels in school-provided lunches. Food additives are considered “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration, but not everyone agrees.

Persons: Lunchables, Armour LunchMakers, Oscar Mayer, can’t, “, Brian Ronholm, Kraft Heinz, ” Kraft Heinz, Carlos Monteiro, Monteiro, ” Monteiro, Heinz “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Consumer, Natural Meat, World Health Organization, US Centers for Disease Control, US Department of Agriculture, CNN, USDA, University of Sao, NOVA, US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Science, Environmental, Kraft Locations: New York, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

☆ Toxic ‘forever’ chemicals found in excessive levels in global groundwater, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are found in surface and groundwaters around the world at levels much higher than many international regulators allow, a new study found. Groundwater can be contaminated by PFAS from food and consumer products added to landfills as well as from manufacturing facilities. Public concern led to a commitment by manufacturers in 2008 to phase out use of PFOA and PFOS, two of the most widely used chemicals. Generally PFAS concentrations are higher in urban areas or areas that used PFAS products extensively, O’Connell said, but it is also leached into the environment in ways that may not be obvious. “Another example is that PFAS used to be used in ski wax, so pristine environments, where people ski, have PFAS in their waters and soils,” he said.

Persons: Mario Tama, ”, David Andrews, Andrews, ” Andrews, “, Denis O’Connell, O’Connell, ” O’Connell Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada, EPA, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine . Studies, Environmental, Agency, Toxic Substances, Disease, Nature, University of New, Geological Survey, NSF, National Sanitation Foundation Locations: Mount Everest, Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney

☆ First-degree relatives are 9 times more likely to develop a serious form of depression, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Close relatives of people with treatment-resistant depression are nine times more likely to develop depression that also does not respond to traditional treatment, a new study found. For people with treatment-resistant depression, also known as TRD, standard treatments such as psychiatric therapy and antidepressants may not work well, if at all. Being aware that treatment-resistant depression runs in families can help with early treatment options, experts say. First-degree relatives of people with TRD, which include parents, siblings and children, were nine times as likely to develop treatment-resistant depression and were at high risk of all-cause death and death by suicide compared with relatives of people without TRD, the study found. “So, this is a very welcome study indeed and goes someway to addressing the massive underrepresentation of Asian people in studies.”

Persons: CNN —, ., Ta Li, Yang Ming, ”, Andrew McIntosh, McIntosh, Justin Paget, ” Li, Li, “, ” McIntosh Organizations: Lifeline, CNN, Tung University, Centre, Clinical, Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Digital Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Scotland, Europe, North America

☆ 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

☆ Common flame retardants linked to deaths from cancer in people, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Flame retardants added for decades to thousands of consumer products in the United States may raise the risk of dying from cancer, according to new research. “The new study links PBDEs to deaths from cancer, building a case for the association between flame retardants and cancer mortality being real,” said Trasande, who researches the impact of plastics, flame retardants and other chemicals on children. Flame retardant chemicals also can pass to developing fetuses via the placenta and to newborns through breast milk, past research has found. In some cases, the industry has replaced these chemicals with newer phosphorus-based flame retardants, Trasande said, adding that researchers are now concerned these chemicals may be linked to cancer as well. When reupholstering older couches or chairs, be sure to replace the old foam with flame retardant-free foam.

Persons: Leonardo Trasande, ”, Trasande, ” Trasande, Tasha Stoiber, EWG Organizations: CNN, National Health, JAMA, NYU Langone Health, US Centers for Disease Control, Manufacturers, US Environmental Protection Agency, CDC, Environmental Locations: United States, PBDEs, New York City

☆ Two brains: One visualizes too much, the other not at all
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“I understand concepts, I comprehend things, I have memories, but they aren’t supported by any images,” Wathen said. Paul BokslagDutch-born artist Geraldine van Heemstra is at the opposite end of this unique way of processing. In reaction to cruel teasing from her brothers and school friends, van Heemstra learned to hide her sensory abilities as a child. “It was quite tricky at school as well, such as with math, where I would see the numbers in color,” van Heemstra said. “It was so frustrating at school because I would explain something, and then I would be laughed at,” van Heemstra said.

Persons: Mary Wathen, ” Wathen, “, Wathen, ”, “ I’ve, ‘ You’ve, Geraldine van Heemstra, Paul Bokslag Dutch, van, ” van Heemstra, “ It’s, van Heemstra, van Heemstra can’t, aphantasia, Adam Zeman, Zeman, ” Zeman, aphantasia don’t, ” That’s, I’m, they’ve, that’s, what’s, Van Heemstra, ” Van Heemstra, you’re Organizations: CNN, University of Exeter, University of Edinburgh, Cognitive Sciences, “ Locations: Newent, England, Scottish, London, Edinburgh, Scotland, Miami

☆ Feeling older than you are? It could be how you sleep
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Not getting enough sleep may cause you to feel five to 10 years older than you really are, according to two new studies. A lack of energy and motivation can certainly contribute to feeling older while limiting a person’s ability to remain physically and socially active, both of which contribute to feeling young, Balter said. For every night of poor sleep during that time, people reported feeling about a quarter of a year older than their chronological age. “These findings support that sleep, a vital biological phenomenon, might hold the key to feeling young,” Balter and her colleagues wrote in the study. “If you suspect that your sleep deprivation is due to a sleep disorder such as insomnia or sleep apnea, it’s crucial to seek evaluation and treatment from a healthcare professional,” he said.

Persons: CNN —, “, ” Leonie Balter, Balter, ”, Chang, Ho Yun, ” Yun, It’s, ” Balter, Sleepiness, chronotype, Yun Organizations: CNN, Stockholm University, Royal Society, Seoul National University, Getty Locations: Sweden, Seongnam, South Korea

Search resuls for: "Sandee"

25 mentions found