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☆ Treating Alzheimer’s Very Early Offers Better Hope of Slowing Decline, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Pam Belluck | More About Pam Belluck | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Treating Alzheimer’s patients as early as possible — when symptoms and brain pathology are mildest — provides a better chance of slowing cognitive decline, a large study of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug presented Monday suggests. The study of 1,736 patients reported that the drug, donanemab, made by Eli Lilly, can modestly slow the progression of memory and thinking problems in early stages of Alzheimer’s, and that the slowing was greatest for early-stage patients when they had less of a protein that creates tangles in the brain. For people at that earlier stage, donanemab appeared to slow decline in memory and thinking by about four and a half to seven and a half months over an 18-month period compared with those taking a placebo, according to the study, published in the journal JAMA. Among people with less of the protein, called tau, slowing was most pronounced in those younger than 75 and those who did not yet have Alzheimer’s but had a pre-Alzheimer’s condition called mild cognitive impairment, according to data presented Monday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam. “The earlier you can get in there, the more you can impact it before they’ve already declined and they’re on this fast slope,” Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, Eli Lilly’s chief medical and scientific officer, said in an interview.

Persons: Eli Lilly, donanemab, “, they’ve, Dr, Daniel Skovronsky, Eli Lilly’s Organizations: Alzheimer’s Association International Locations: Amsterdam

☆ Get your eyes checked to keep your brain healthy, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The participants, who were all older than 71, were then screened for dementia using the Dementia Screening Interview, the study said. In people with distance visual impartment, that jumped to 19.5%; 21.5% for near visual impairment; and 32.9% for people who had moderate to severe visual impairment or were blind, according to the study. Another factor that might lead to the correlation is a possible decrease in opportunities and community participation that could come with vision loss, Silverman said. “When it comes to vision impairment and blindness, an estimated 80 plus percent is either preventable or even reversible,” he added. “If you notice that you have vision that is starting to be impaired, get it checked out.”But not every case of vision loss is treatable.

Persons: Joshua Ehrlich, Ehrlich, “, ”, Arielle Silverman, Silverman, Thomas Holland, Chicago . Holland, Holland, ” Holland, ” Silverman Organizations: CNN, Ophthalmology, University of Michigan, American Foundation for, Rush Institute, Healthy Aging, Rush Medical College Locations: United States, Ann Arbor, Chicago ., Holland

☆ Teenage Girls Were Behind a Surge in Mental Health Hospitalizations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Ellen Barry | More About Ellen Barry | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

As the coronavirus pandemic dragged through its second year, an increasing number of American families were so desperate to get help for depressed or suicidal children that they brought them to emergency rooms. A large-scale analysis of private insurance claims shows that this surge in acute mental health crises was driven largely by a single group — girls aged 13 to 17. During the second year of the pandemic, there was a 22 percent increase in teenage girls who visited emergency rooms with a mental health emergency compared with a prepandemic baseline, with rises in patients with suicidal behavior and eating disorders, according to the study of 4.1 million patients published on Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry. During the same period, March 2021 to March 2022, the records showed a 9 percent drop in teenage boys who made emergency room visits for mental health problems.

Organizations: Psychiatry

☆ Lead from abandoned phone cables are polluting dozens of neighborhoods, investigation finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

As old cables degrade, lead can leach into the soil at high levels, the report found. A 2021 pediatric study found that half the kids in the US have high levels of lead in their blood. According to the EPA, the safety standard for lead levels in the soil where children play is 400 parts per million. The Journal's investigation found that more than 100 schools have lead cables running overhead, and more than 1,000 schools and childcare centers are within half a mile of underwater lead cables. "We have not seen, nor have regulators identified, evidence that legacy lead-sheathed telecom cables are a leading cause of lead exposure or the cause of a public health issue."

Persons: Linda Birnbaum, USTelecom Organizations: Service, Street Journal, Verizon, EPA, JAMA Pediatrics, American Medical Association, Centers for Disease Control, Wall Locations: Wall, Silicon, Passaic, New Jersey, Detroit, Michigan, Willamette, Oregon, Mississippi, Louisiana

☆ FDA approves Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, paving way for broader Medicare coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Leqembi is the first Alzheimer's antibody treatment to receive full FDA approval. The antibody, administered twice monthly through intravenous infusion, targets a protein called amyloid that is associated with Alzheimer's disease. Medicare coverage is a crucial step to help older Americans with early Alzheimer's disease pay for the treatment. Costs may vary depending on whether the patient has supplemental Medicare coverage or other secondary insurance, according to the agency. Philipson and his colleagues at the University of Chicago estimated that delaying Medicare coverage of Alzheimer's antibody treatments by one year would result in $6.8 billion in increased spending.

Persons: Joanna Pike, Leqembi, Pike, David Knopman, Knopman, Anna Eshoo of, Nanette Barragan, There's, Tomas Philipson, Bush, Philipson, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Xavier Becerra, Sanders, Eisai Organizations: Drug Administration, Medicare, FDA, Alzheimer's Association, Mayo Clinic, Services, Health, University of Chicago, Senate Health, Human Services, Clinical Locations: U.S, Minnesota, Anna Eshoo of California

☆ Overuse of marijuana linked to surgery complications and death, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Clinical overuse of marijuana is linked to a variety of complications after major elective surgery, including blood clots, stroke, breathing difficulties, kidney issues and even death, a new study found. Compared with people who were not overly dependent or addicted to marijuana, those with cannabis use disorder were more likely to suffer complications from those surgeries. The most significant associations were for blockages of coronary arteries, stroke, injury to the kidneys, blood clots, breathing complications, infection and in-hospital death, the study found. People with cannabis use disorder also stayed in the hospital longer and had higher hospital bills than people without the disorder. “In the context of increasing cannabis use rates, our findings support preoperative screening for cannabis use disorder,” the authors wrote.

Persons: Hannes P, Albert Organizations: CNN, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, National Institute on Drug Abuse Locations: Houston

☆ U.S. maternal mortality more than doubled since 1999, most deaths among Black women - study
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Nancy Lapid | Thomson Reuters | Nancy Has Been A Health News Editor At Reuters For More Than A Decade. Previously She Was A Writer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 3 (Reuters) - The number of U.S. women who died within a year after pregnancy more than doubled between 1999 and 2019, with the highest deaths among Black women, researchers said on Monday. There were an estimated 1,210 maternal deaths in 2019, compared with 505 in 1999, according to a study published in the medical journal JAMA. Unlike previous U.S. studies of maternal mortality, which focused on national trends, the current study analyzed data state-by-state. To the researchers' surprise, Black women had the highest maternal mortality rates in some Northeast states. "Our findings provide important insights on maternal mortality rates leading up to the pandemic, and it's likely that we'll see a continued increase in the risk of maternal mortality across all populations if we analyze data from subsequent years," Bryant said.

Persons: Dr, Allison Bryant, Brigham, Bryant, Nancy Lapid, Michael Erman Organizations: American Indians, Alaska Natives, Blacks, Pacific Islanders, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Thomson Locations: Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Boston, Midwest, Great

☆ Opinion: You might want to rethink taking melatonin as a sleep aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Opinion Jennifer Martin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —You may know someone who has taken melatonin to help them sleep. Sometimes, they mention a friend who recommended a specific brand that’s supposed to be “really strong.” Then I ask them if taking melatonin has worked for them. Finally, people can become psychologically dependent on taking the supplement and become afraid of what will happen to their sleep if they stop taking melatonin. To understand how melatonin supplements work (and why they often don’t), it’s important to look at how the hormone naturally functions in the human body. This makes consulting a sleep specialist before taking melatonin all the more important.

Persons: Jennifer Martin, Australia — Organizations: David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, American Academy of Sleep, CNN, JAMA, European Union, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Los Angeles, cannabidiol, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia

☆ This fitness company wants to pay you $10,000 to walk 10,000 steps in a single day—here's how it works
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

For the new company's first hire, GymBird is choosing one lucky person to walk 10,000 steps in one day for $10,000, according to its site. Accepting the offer requires the CSO to train for a month until they feel comfortable walking 10,000 steps in a single day. "By the last day of the month, they must walk the full 10,000 steps within a 24-hour period," GymBird wrote in its job offering. Just under 10,000 steps each day (9,800) can lower risk of dementia by 50%, according to two studies published in JAMA Neurology and JAMA Internal Medicine last year. For every 2,000 steps you walk daily, you can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease and premature death by 10%, peaking at 10,000 steps, the research shows.

Persons: GymBird, they're, Warren Buffett Organizations: CSO, Nutrition Solutions, Newsweek, CNBC Locations: U.S

☆ India's growth is set to power ahead. Analyst names sectors with the 'best value'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Birds flying over the corridor of the Jama Masjid at sunrise in New Delhi on October 27, 2016. India's growth is looking like a "bright spot" as the country's outsourcing sector remains robust on top of an increasing trend of tech companies moving their manufacturing lines to the country, according to the CEO of Destination Wealth Management. The International Monetary Fund recently released its forecast for India's economy to expand by 5.9% in 2023. A large part of this is driven by India's outsourcing sector being on pace to keep its momentum, said the CEO. Many companies are opting to outsource software development projects to India for quality at reasonable costs, according to Krina Mehta, a co-founder of U.S.-based offshore software development company Fortune Infosys.

Persons: Michael Yoshikami, he's, Krina Mehta, Yoshikami Organizations: Destination Wealth Management, Monetary Fund, U.S, Fortune Infosys Locations: Jama, New Delhi, India

☆ ChatGPT’s responses to suicide, addiction, sexual assault crises raise questions in new study
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And regulators could help monitor that such responses offer accurate and reliable information and resources. They’re underutilized already,” said John Ayers, an author of the study and a behavioral scientist at the University of California, San Diego. He said that now, while ChatGPT is still in development, is the time for public health experts and regulators to join forces with the chatbot’s developers to help curate responses to medical questions. The chatbot provided resources in two responses to a question about addiction, two responses for questions related to interpersonal violence and one response to a mental health-related question. “ChatGPT consistently provided evidence-based answers to public health questions, although it primarily offered advice rather than referrals,” the researchers wrote in their study.

Persons: They’re underutilized, ”, John Ayers, ChatGPT, “, –, ” Ayers, ” ChatGPT, “ ChatGPT, Ayers, Dr, Mike Hogarth, Sanjay Gupta, David Asch, Asch, ” Asch, he’d, Deidre McPhillips Organizations: CNN, JAMA, University of California, UC San Diego, Anonymous, Mental Health Services Administration National, Prevention, UC San Diego School of Medicine, Eating Disorders Association, CNN Health, University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine Center, Health Care Innovation Locations: San Diego, United States

☆ Cognitive decline accelerates after heart attack, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

However, age-related cognitive decline is quite different from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and should not be confused with those, experts say. During the course of the research, however, over 1,000 of the participants had an acute myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Past studies found linkThis isn’t the first study to find a connection between accelerated cognitive decline and heart attacks, Smith and Silbert noted. As in the new study, people with heart attacks or angina (chest pain) had annual rates of cognitive decline before the attack similar to those of people who never had a heart attack, but then experienced accelerated cognitive decline, they added. Possible explanations may include depression after having a heart attack, which has been linked to dementia, they said.

Persons: What’s, Eric Smith, Lisa Silbert, Smith, ” Smith, Silbert, ” Organizations: CNN, Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, Aging Locations: United States, Alberta, Portland, White

☆ A New Genetic Test Takes Aim at Young Hearts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Gina Kolata | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Despite the high hopes for the new tests, there are many questions. It can be difficult for young people to focus on possible threats to their health decades in the future, and some of Dr. Rader’s patients have put off even getting polygenic risk tests after he recommends them. “Now, whenever they experience the common aches, pains and twinges of life, they wonder if it is because they have this ‘disease,’” Dr. Redberg said. “And they may then go to the doctor or even emergency room for things they would not have previously. Dr. Iftikhar Kullo of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., asked, “Do you actually improve long-term outcomes” by using the tests and acting on them?

☆ Weight-loss surgery is becoming more common among children and teens, new research shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Millions of children and teens live with obesity in the United States, and weight-loss surgery is becoming a more common way to treat it, new research shows. The trend held strong in the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, even as the number of weight-loss surgeries among adults dipped. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of weight-loss surgeries among youth jumped 19%. Childhood obesity is more prevalent among certain populations, including Black and Hispanic youth, according to the CDC. The new data shows that weight-loss surgery increased more than twice as much as average among these populations, up 42% among Back youth and 53% among Hispanic youth between 2020 and 2021.

☆ Pfizer oral weight loss drug may be as effective as, quicker than Ozempic injection by Novo Nordisk, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An oral drug made by Pfizer causes a similar amount of weight loss as, and works quicker than, rival Novo Nordisk 's blockbuster injection Ozempic, according to results from a phase two clinical trial released Monday. The results suggest danuglipron may be as effective for weight as Ozempic over a shorter period of time. New York-based Pfizer is the latest pharmaceutical company to dip into the blockbuster weight loss drug market. Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy catapulted to the national spotlight in recent years for being weight loss "miracles." But experts say the medicines may further perpetuate a dangerous diet culture that idealizes weight loss and thinness.

We are selling 50 shares of Eli Lilly (LLY) at roughly $442 each. Following Monday's trade, Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust will own 150 shares of LLY, decreasing its weighting in the portfolio to about 2.5% from 3.33%. We're taking some Eli Lilly off the table Monday afternoon on the stock's breakout to another new all-time high. The FDA in early January granted accelerated approval to a drug similar to donanemab, which was developed by Japanese pharmaceutical firm Eisai and U.S.-based partner Biogen (BIIB). Like Pfizer's drug, Lilly is working on an oral type-2 diabetes and chronic weight management drug called orforglipron, which could be similar to the Mounjaro injectable.

☆ Oppenheimer says investors are missing opportunities in three biotech areas and the related stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

As biopharma investors follow the latest buzz around advancements in clinical research, they may be under-appreciating opportunities in neurology, psychiatry and genetic medicine, according to a report from Oppenheimer. "Valuation multiples across disease areas show CNS [ or central nervous system] and Genetic Medicine at relative low points." In July, the Food and Drug Administration could grant full approval to Leqembi , its Alzheimer's Disease treatment. As a very new area of medicine, gene therapy has greatest potential to accelerate sales growth as treatments come to market. He described immunology multiples as "generally stable" and genetic medicine multiples as highly volatile.

☆ Contaminated water in North Carolina has been linked to a higher risk of Parkinson's in a new study of over 300,000 veterans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new study found a connection between contaminated water at a military base and Parkinson's disease. The risk of Parkinson's was 70% higher for over 300,000 veterans from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Those stationed at Camp Lejeune were there for at least three months between 1975 and 1985. Even veterans who were not diagnosed with Parkinson's disease still had "significantly higher" risk for early signs and symptoms of the illness, the researchers reported in the study. Both Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense have previously acknowledged the exposure of trichloroethylene at Camp Lejeune.

☆ Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi could cost Medicare up to $5 billion per year, study estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Alzheimer's drug Leqembi is seen in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on Jan. 20, 2023. The new Alzheimer's antibody treatment Leqembi could cost Medicare up to $5 billion per year, according to research published in a leading medical journal this week. Medicare would spend about $2 billion per year if around 85,700 patients test positive for the disease and are treated with the Eisai and Biogen product Leqembi, according to the research published Thursday in JAMA Internal Medicine. The program for seniors would spend $5 billion if around 216,500 patients become eligible for the breakthrough treatment, according to the study. The authors said the estimated costs to Medicare are conservative and that spending on Leqembi might increase more than anticipated depending on demand and other factors.

☆ Is your job ruining your sleep? If so, this may be why
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Experiencing negative changes in workplace leadership and fairness was associated with the strongest long-term impact on a worker's sleep. LumiNola/E+/Getty ImagesSleep problems included initiating or maintaining sleep, poor-quality sleep and daytime tiredness two to four times a week that lasted one month to three months. Within a two-year period of time, over half of the participants (53%) reported changes in their workplace environment. However, if the changes at work were negative, sleep issues increased — in fact 1 in 4 people in the study with a worse job environment developed problems getting enough rest. Having negative changes in the leadership and fairness sector was associated with the greatest long-term impact on sleep, more than negative changes in coworker relationships or collaboration, the study found.

☆ How promising are new drugs to treat obesity?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced last week that a medication developed to treat diabetes, tirzepatide, also had a substantial effect on reducing weight. Another pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk, manufactures the medication semaglutide, which the FDA has already approved to treat diabetes under the brand name Ozempic and to treat obesity under the brand name Wegovy. How promising are they to treat obesity? CNN: How promising are these drugs to treat obesity? It is really important to treat obesity as the disease that it is — and having effective medications to do so is crucial.

☆ See the pitch deck these 2 best friends made on Canva to raise $675,000 for their tequila brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Lauren Crosmedlicott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

They registered their tequila brand, Pimantae, while working full-time jobs in 2021. They decided to pursue angel investors and used a pitch deck they made on Canva. They considered crowdfunding and venture capital as financing options, but settled on approaching angel investors. With their first investor locked in, other investors started expressing interest. They closed their pre-seed round in September 2022 having raised £545,000, or around $675,000, between 13 angel investors and Distill Ventures — far exceeding their original £250,000 goal.

Vaping involves heating a liquid that contains nicotine in an e-cigarette which is vaporized and inhaled by the user. “Vaping was sold to governments and communities around the world as a therapeutic product to help long-term smokers quit,” Butler said. “It was not sold as a recreational product – in particular not one for our kids. Vaping concerns across the worldResearchers have found links between nicotine addiction among adolescents and children as a result of increased vaping habits. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is also tackling high-levels of youth vaping but is pushing it as an alternative to help long-term smokers quit.

☆ ChatGPT is more empathetic than real doctors, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Aaron Mok | Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Experts found the chatbot's responses to patient questions were higher quality and more empathetic. ChatGPT can still make grave medical errors, but this study suggests AI may improve upon a doctor's bedside manner. ChatGPT may be just as good as doctors — if not better — at responding to patients' medical questions, according to a new study. The chatbot's responses were rated 3.6-times higher in quality and 9.8-times higher in empathy than those of the physicians. But ChatGPT can still make mistakes and misdiagnose, which is why doctors are cautious about letting it loose to patients at home.

☆ The Weekend-Only Exercise Plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Danielle Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Conventional wisdom says that you need at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week to stay healthy. But studies over the past few years suggest that working out just on the weekend can offer comparable health benefits, if you block off enough time and the exercise is intense enough. “Activity is activity, no matter what the calendar says,” said Dr. Carrie Pagliano, a physical therapist based in Arlington, Va., and a spokeswoman for the American Physical Therapy Association. One large study published last year in the medical journal JAMA found that people who met recommended weekly levels of physical activity, including weekend warriors, experienced lower rates of disease and mortality than those who were inactive. But before you hit the ground running (or biking or roller-skating) this Saturday, here are five tips from exercise scientists for embarking on a weekend-exclusive exercise routine as safely and smartly as possible.

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