Health Risks and Benefits of Everyday Products

While many consumers opt for plant-based foods for a healthier choice, a new study is sounding alarm bells when it comes to some of these options. 

A new study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe found that ultra-processed, plant-based foods could increase consumers’ risk of heart disease and early death. 

“Previous studies have found a beneficial effect in adopting a healthful plant-sourced diet and reduced cardiovascular disease risk,” the researchers wrote. “However, none of these studies have clearly assessed whether the degree of industrial food processing affects this association. This is particularly important when considering a possible rising trend in new plant-sourced ultra-processed products.”  

The study

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the U.K. Biobank. This included data on over 500,000 participants aged 40-69 when the study began in 2007. 

Participants completed a questionnaire at the start of the study that included information on their medical history, their current baseline health, their diets, and more. Over the course of the multi-year study, participants completed these questionnaires several times. 

The researchers then compared the health outcomes of the participants, breaking them into different groups depending on their diets. 

What are the health risks? 

Ultimately, the researchers identified a clear distinction: ultra-processed plant-based foods were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death, whereas plant-based foods that weren’t processed had health benefits. 

The study showed that participants who ate 10% more non-processed plant-based foods had a 7% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and an 8% lower risk of coronary heart disease.

Similarly, eating 10% more non-processed plant-based foods was associated with a 13% lower risk of cardiovascular-related mortality and a 20% lower risk of coronary heart disease-related death. 

However, the opposite was found when participants ate ultra-processed plant-based foods. There was an increased risk of developing both cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease, as well as an increased mortality risk from both conditions. 

“Despite being plant-sourced, ultra-processed-rich diets may still pose health risks due to negative effects caused by their composition and processing methods,” the researchers wrote. “High content of unhealthy fats, sodium, and added sugars contribute to dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), atherosclerosis, hypertension, insulin resistance, obesity, and metabolic disorders, all cardiovascular disease risk factors. 

The researchers also found that certain food additives in ultra-processed foods, such as monosodium glutamate and artificial sweeteners, as well as contaminants formed during industrial processing, such as acrolein, have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly through oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, metabolic dysregulation, insulin resistance, and alterations in gut microbiota composition. 

Many consumers struggle with maintaining good gut health, dealing with some kind of digestive issue on a daily basis. 

With countless sources sharing the latest and greatest thing to cure your gut health woes, it can be difficult to know what sources are trustworthy, what options will work, and where to even start the search. 

ConsumerAffairs sat down with Julie Ann Davey, a nurse practitioner who specializes in functional medicine and gut health, to share the ins and outs of improving your gut health. 

Beyond the gut

Maintaining optimal gut health is important because it goes beyond your stomach. Davey explained that our gut health can affect just about every other bodily system – our immune systems, hormone levels, nervous systems, etc. 

“A healthy gut means that the balance of bacteria is good, the gut lining is strong, the immune system is strong, and digestion of food and nutrients are optimal,” Davey said. “A healthy gut also communicates with the brain through nerves and hormones, which helps maintain general health and well-being. 

“There is no disease or condition that does not originate in the gut at a core and foundational level. We cannot achieve our highest state of wellness without a good, strong gut.” 

Gut health concerns

Because our gut health is interconnected with the rest of our bodies, there are several risks to keep in mind when you find yourself with any kind of gut issues. Davey broke down these concerns into several different categories: 

• Digestive disorders: irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease 

• Microbiome imbalance: 

  • Dysbiosis: An imbalance in the gut microbiota

  • SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth): An abnormal increase in the overall bacterial population in the small intestine.

• Food sensitivities: lactose intolerance, gluten sensitivity, celiac disease 

• Leaky gut: A condition where the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged, causing undigested food particles, toxins, and bacteria to leak into the bloodstream

All of these issues can lead to further issues that may not seem gut-related, including: skin conditions like acne and rosacea, chronic fatigue, mental health issues, nutrient malabsorption, and more. 

Do’s and Don’ts for better gut health 

Davey has compiled lists of things to avoid and things to do to improve gut health for consumers who may be struggling. 

Avoid: 

• Highly processed foods

• Excessive sugars and sweeteners 

• Artificial additives

• Low-fiber diets

• Excessive alcohol consumption

• Antibiotics (when possible) 

• Stress

• Smoking

• Lack of sleep 

• Excessive caffeine

• Dehydration 

To improve gut health: 

• Deep breathing: This activates the parasympathetic nervous system which helps digest your food. 

• Eat in a relaxing environment: When we are in a relaxed state, it allows the production of adequate digestive enzymes and activates our parasympathetic nervous system.

• Chew properly: You should chew each bite 30-40 times. Make it a habit to put your fork down between each bite so that you are forced to slow down and chew each bite thoroughly.

• Avoid drinking water with meals: This can dilute stomach acid and digestive enzymes, making it more difficult for your body to digest food.

• Avoid chewing gum: When you chew gum, you end up swallowing more air, which can cause bloating. Also, sugar-free chewing gum contains sweeteners such as xylitol and sorbitol, which can ferment in the gut, causing the release of gas and potential bloating.

• Take a walk: This stimulates digestion. 

• Apple cider vinegar, lemon water, peppermint tea, ginger, and arugula are all foods and drinks that stimulate digestion. 

“Be a student of your body. Pay attention,” Davey said. “Signs and symptoms are our body's way of crying out for help. 

“Don’t normalize the abnormal. Most people don’t know just how great they could feel. Partner with a provider that you feel comfortable with and confident in that will walk you through the process and be there to answer questions.” 

Has Ozempic and its glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) next of kin found their place alongside Swiss army knives and jacks of all trades? A new report published by the Journal of American Medical Association brings to light that very possibility.

Luba Yammine, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UTHealth Houston, discovered that when she prescribed GLP-1 to treat patients with type 2 diabetes, a certain number of her patients quit smoking.

“That sort of prompted my dive into the literature [studies of those medications],” Yammine said.

And what did she find? Not only could these medications be a game-changer for smokers trying to quit, but once someone does kick their nicotine habit, they could also prevent the inevitable weight gain that often comes with ditching cigarettes.

Kick more habits, too

On top of the promise that those drugs hold for Type 2 diabetes, smoking cessation, and weight loss, they also might have positive effects on protecting against cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, alcoholism, and cocaine abuse.

Let’s take those last two – alcohol and cocaine abuse. The findings on whether these drugs help with alcohol use disorder are a bit mixed so far, but researchers continue to look into the situation.

In one of the related studies, researchers in Denmark found that another class of drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes – dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (gliptins) – reduced the number of alcohol-related events for the people in their study.

Those “events” included being treated for alcoholism, buying medications to treat alcohol withdrawal syndrome, alcohol dependence, or visiting a hospital with an alcohol use disorder.

“It is likely that people will have to stay on these treatments for a while if they prove effective,” Christian Hendershot, who is leading a separate study on substance use disorders, said.

But there might be a downside

But he then threw this wrench into the works: “We do have some reason to believe that stopping GLP-1s could lead to a rebound effect in terms of drinking.”

Hendershot suggested that anyone who reads this and thinks they can Ozempic to suppress their alcohol intake might not find their physician ready to go along with the notion, because most healthcare professionals don’t have the proper training for addictions. 

But he thinks all that will change as GLP-1 medications continue to grow in acceptance.

“These medications are becoming increasingly normalized, and very quickly. We know that many physicians will be comfortable prescribing them,” he said.

And cocaine?

Last summer, Yammine co-authored a small study regarding using exenatide – another diabetes drug – to roll down cocaine appetites. For six weeks, three people with the condition attended a weekly clinic visit and received exenatide injections and individual drug counseling.

“This is a very difficult population to keep engaged,” she noted. Out of her test group, two participants carried on with their use of cocaine through the study, but the third stopped by the second half. Yammine said the satisfaction scores were positive for the most part, and because of that, she wants to do a further, more involved study.

Your kidneys? Your brain?

Evidently, there’s not a body part that Ozemic, et al, can’t have some positive effect on. One thing we can keep our fingers crossed for is that it looks like these meds might protect the kidneys of people with diabetes and potentially slow down kidney disease. 

Dr. Lance Alan Sloan, medical director of the Texas Institute for Kidney and Endocrine Disorders in Lufkin, recently wrote an article about the potential uses of GLP-1 receptor agonists. In it, he asserted that the next new FDA-approved indication of Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs will be to safeguard against making matters worse for people with Type 2 diabetes who also experience chronic kidney disease.

In fact, Novo Nordisk – the company behind Ozempic – seems to be working in that direction already. In a press release in March, the company announced the results of an international trial that found patients receiving semaglutide were 24% less likely to experience progression of their kidney disease or kidney or cardiovascular death.

“Approximately 40% of people with type 2 diabetes have chronic kidney disease, so the positive results from [the study] demonstrate the potential for semaglutide to become the first GLP-1 treatment option for people living with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease,” the company said.

Brain food?

The last body part that might be able to benefit from GLP-1 drugs? Our brains. Other trials have concluded that these drugs could reduce cognitive impairment and our risk of dementia. 

Alireza Atri, an Alzheimer's disease clinician and researcher and director of the Banner Sun Health Research Institute in Arizona, told JAMA’s Rita Rubin that people who took GLP-1 were less likely to report cognitive impairment or dementia.

And, when researchers searched insurance databases to find a similar correlation, voila! Every single database showed a lower risk for cognitive impairment or dementia among people whose type 2 diabetes was treated with a GLP-1 receptor agonist, Atri said.

And, guess what, it’s another use of Ozempic not lost on Novo Nordisk either, so get ready. The company is conducting phase 3 trials using oral semaglutide to see if it can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease in patients with brain amyloid deposits. Those results are expected in 2025.

Is there more? It's still early days for a lot of this research, but the results are definitely exciting. Who knew a diabetes medication could have this much potential?

Just how healthy are school lunches? An independent lab report says they would be a lot healthier if certain items – such as pre-packaged Lunchables – were removed from the menu.

Lunchables, produced by Kraft Heinz, contains crackers, cheese and meat slices. The lab also found lead that it said exceeded federal limits in food.

"The Lunchables and similar lunch kits we tested contain concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals that can lead to serious health problems over time," said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, which conducted the study. "The USDA should remove Lunchables from the National School Lunch Program and ensure that kids in schools have healthier options."

Kraft Heinz took issue with the report, saying it stands behind its product. In a statement, a spokesperson for the company said all of its products meet strict safety standards. The spokesperson also said that lead and cadmium occur naturally in the environment and should not be of concern because they appear at low levels.

"We are proud of Lunchables and stand by the quality and integrity that goes into making them," the company said.

A nutritionist weighs in

Sarah Herrington, a nutritionist at Brio-Medical, an alternative cancer treatment center, says many food options offered at schools skirt nutrition recommendations.

“Lunchables for schools are allowed because technically they meet guidelines by providing the ‘equivalent’ of whole grains and a meat / meat alternative,” Herrington told ConsumerAffairs. “But these are still highly processed food items that we are giving to our children.”

Herrington says processed grains and meat alternatives are linked to poor health outcomes later in life, such as cancer and diabetes, and that doesn’t begin to address the potential severe health complications associated with heavy metal toxicities such as lead. 

“These health outcomes are even becoming more and more prevalent in younger individuals, largely due to diet and lifestyle,” she said. “Excess sodium, or salt, also increases the palatability of food items, so children may learn to prefer those items over whole, natural foods.”

If you live in a rural area of America, your healthcare options are shrinking.

A new report from Chartis, a healthcare advisory firm, shows that 50% of the nation’s rural hospitals are operating at a loss and 418 are vulnerable to closure.

“America’s rural hospitals have been battling against drivers of instability for more than a decade, but this newest research suggests this crisis has accelerated quickly to previously unseen levels,” said Michael Topchik, national leader of the Chartis Center for Rural Health. “To learn the percentage of rural hospitals in the red has shifted 7% and now includes half of all rural hospitals is startling and should serve as an urgent call to action for everyone invested in rural healthcare.”

It costs a lot to operate a hospital and successful facilities require scale, meaning they need to serve a lot of patients. In rural areas, there often are not enough people to cover operating costs. But Val Mignogna, senior vice president of Clinical Operations at Gloria Gates CARE, sees other issues.

“Failure of reimbursement levels to keep up with the increase in costs, particularly labor and specifically nurses which are the key to the operation of all hospitals,” Mignogna told us.

Hiring is a problem

He also says rural hospitals face challenges in recruiting and retaining physicians. Dr. Bradley Serwer, an Interventional cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution a company that offers cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals nationwide, sees four reasons rural hospitals are closing their doors.

“A large percentage of rural community hospitals are losing money on an annual basis,” Serwer told ConsumerAffairs. “Reimbursement for inpatient hospitalization is not sufficient to cover expenses. Hospitals are monetarily penalized for readmitting patients within 30 days of their initial discharge. Many times, these readmissions occur due to a lack of sufficient resources to care for patients in their homes.”

He says other issues include difficulty in recruiting healthcare professionals, declining quality of care and a lack of community support. 

Is there an answer?

Sean Marchese, a registered nurse at The Mesothelioma Center, says rural hospitals have to find a way to overcome these issues. Part of the answer, he says, may lie in specialization.

“In the short term, rural hospitals can develop specialized programs for rare diseases and cancers that incentivize patients to travel for unique treatments and care,” Marchese said. “These services would also benefit local rural populations by providing sources of income that hospitals can funnel back into primary care services or local support programs."

Serwer says rural hospitals need creative staffing models that promote work-life balance, incentivize high-quality health care delivery, and reward those willing to help build and grow programs. 

Time is of the essence. The Chartis report found a record 28 rural communities lost access to inpatient care last year as a result of rural hospital closures or conversion to a model excluding inpatient care.

The report also found that 267 rural hospitals—nearly 25% of America’s rural obstetrics (OB) units—dropped OB services between 2011 and 2021.

What have Americans resolved to do better in 2024? Take care of themselves.

According to a new Statista study, eating healthier, exercising more, losing weight, drinking less, quitting smoking, and becoming a vegetarian/vegan represent nearly half of the goals that we have for the year. One of those, however, stands out like a sore thumb when it comes to getting scammed: losing weight.

Scammers are so resolved to help consumers lose money instead of weight that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says scammers are showing up everywhere. Not just in online pitches for things like weight loss pills, patches, creams, or “fake” Ozempic, but now they’re tying in subscriptions and endorsements to help convince someone to help them shed a few pounds. 

Shark Tank…

A case-in-point of that deception is products claiming to have been endorsed by celebrities or on popular TV shows like Shark Tank. The Shark Tank angle is particularly concerning, given the show’s massive viewership and the fact that its experts invest millions of dollars into product development which, when leveraged in an ad can look impressive to a consumer.

ConsumerAffairs research uncovered everything from Facebook pages for “Purefit KETO” and “One Shot Keto diet pills” that swear their product is either a “Shark Tank Official Product” or that “Every Judge On Shark Tank Backed This Product!" 

One supplement company that is investing all it takes to be the first result when you search for “Keto diet Shark Tank” is the company experthealthreview.com with a paid-for placement that says, "Official Shark Tank diet drink Reviews - #1 Weight Loss Gummies In 2023. Our Health Experts Tested 100s Of The Best Rated Shark Tank Diet Drink On The Market Today."

However, there’s nothing on ExpertHealthReview.com that mentions “Shark Tank” and the company did not respond to ConsumerAffairs' request for clarification and confirmation of Shark Tank’s endorsement. 

But, Shark Tank’s Lori Greiner isn’t too happy about it, that we know. Greiner pulled no punches on her website about how little consumers should trust anything they see related to Keto or diet aid productswith her name attached to it.

“I DO NOT sell or endorse any “Keto”, “Weight Loss” or “Diet Aid” Products and I’m NOT affiliated in any way with these ads,” Greiner says. “These are Fake Ads and Scam Ads. They photoshop their keto product into my hands.”

… or shark bite?

“Scammers will say just about anything to get you to buy their weight loss or fitness products,” Ari Lazarus, an FTC consumer education specialist, says. Lazarus says some of the just-about-anything weight loss promises will look like this:

• If someone says you don’t have to watch what you eat to lose weight? That's a scam.

• If someone says using their product helps you lose weight permanently? Scam.

• If someone tells you that, to lose weight, all you have to do is take their pill? Scam.

• If someone says thatDr. Oz, Dolly Parton, or Kelly Clarkson endorse their product? Very likely a scam.

• If someone promises that you can lose 30 pounds in 30 days? Royal scam.

• If a company says its weight loss product is “approved” by the FDA? Scam, scam, scam. Unlike prescription meds, dietary supplements aren't evaluated or reviewed by the FDA for effectiveness.

• If it’s a “review” site – like the one promoting Shark Tank’s love of a Keto product – or TikTok videos, be doubly careful. It’s best to stick to consumer product review sites that allow both goodandbad reviews of weight loss plans and products. 

For example, ConsumerAffairs has ranked the best weight loss programs based on thousands of verified consumer reviews.

If someone says you need to sign up for a subscription

If you find a weight loss company that offers you a “free trial” or says you need to sign up for a “subscription” or “plan” to make their weight loss system work, you should also proceed with caution. 

There are some unscrupulous companies that go hard and heavy with their come-ons, yet make it hard to cancel or get a refund. 

Free trial offers should always be viewed with skepticism, regardless of who is offering them. Before committing to any program or product, make sure you understand the terms and conditions. Reading the fine print is a hassle for sure, but it’s five minutes that could save you $500.

Another trick scammers and fraudsters use when making consumers sign up for subscription or membership programs is to have pre-checked boxes designed to trick you into signing up for more than you want without your consent.

Educate yourself about weight loss

Weight loss doesn't have a universal fix, but it certainly is well-studied. Over the years, ConsumerAffairs has produced many articles on the subject. It might be of help to read several of these just so you have a better idea of what's what.

• Probiotics contribute to weight loss, researchers say

• Low carb diets found to burn more calories and help maintain weight loss

• Weight loss is more successful when doctors offer specific tips

• Maintaining weight loss is possible with the right strategies, experts say

• Consumers struggling with poor fitness could have difficulties with weight loss programs

• FDA approves new prescription weight loss drug

• Eating most of your calories early in the day doesn't impact weight loss, study finds

• Mild weight loss could cut the risk of diabetes in half, study finds

• Study shows how consumers with obesity can maintain healthy weight loss

• Prioritizing fitness over weight loss is best for obesity-related health conditions, researchers say

• Rye products trump wheat in terms of weight loss, study finds

• Mayo Clinic launches new diet program focused on weight loss

• Weight loss from bariatric surgery may lower consumers' risk of cancer, study finds

• Non-sugar sweeteners shouldn't be used for weight loss, WHO says

• How does coffee affect weight loss? A new study finds out.

• Weight loss drugs may come with serious digestive risks

For years, many of us have been living by the long-held belief that our daily step count should reach or exceed 10,000. However, researchers from the European Society of Cardiology have found this may not be necessary to reap health benefits. 

According to their findings, walking and staying active is crucial to living longer and lowering the risk of death, but keeping your daily step count to around 4,000 per day can yield those benefits.

While exceeding that number is associated with greater health outcomes, the study showed that staying around 4,000 steps per day was linked with a lower risk of death from any cause. 

“Our study confirms that the more you walk, the better,” said lead researcher Maciej Banach. “We found that this applied to both men and women, irrespective of age, and irrespective of whether you live in a temperate, subtropical, or subpolar region of the world, or a region with a mixture of climates. 

“In addition, our analysis indicates that as little as 4,000 steps a day are needed to significantly reduce deaths from any cause, and even fewer to reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease.” 

Walking for longer life 

For the study, the researchers analyzed 17 earlier studies that included data on roughly 227,000 people. The team was most curious to understand how daily step count affected the participants’ risk of death from any cause, as well as the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. 

Their work revealed that walking is beneficial to consumers’ health and wellness, but the number of steps to take daily to retain the most health benefits may not need to be as high as many have believed. 

The study found that taking at least 2,337 steps per day reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, while taking at least 3,867 steps per day reduced the risk of death from any cause. 

However, the more steps taken above those figures, the better the health outcomes. Taking 1,000 more steps than those recommended numbers was linked with a 15% lower risk of dying from any cause while taking an additional 500 steps daily lowered the risk of cardiovascular-related death by 7%.

These benefits continued to increase the more that the participants walked – even with as many as 20,000 steps a day. 

Younger adults have a slight advantage

The average age of the participants in the study was 64, and the researchers found that age might play a role when it comes to walking and health outcomes. 

Adults under the age of 60 had a nearly 50% lower risk of death when they took between 7,000 and 13,000 steps daily. Comparatively, adults over the age of 60 had a 42% lower risk of death when they took between 6,000 and 10,000 steps daily. 

Overall, the researchers hope that both consumers and medical professionals look to the benefits of daily exercise when thinking about improving health outcomes. 

“In a world where we have more advanced drugs to target specific conditions such as cardiovascular disease, I believe we should always emphasize that lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, which was a main hero of our analysis, might be at least as, or even more effective in reducing cardiovascular risk and prolonging lives,” Banach said. 

If you have eye drops in your medicine chest, look closely at the brand before you use them. Eye drops sold under the brand names EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Eye Ointment may be contaminated and have been linked to serious injury and at least one death.

More than a month ago the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory about infections linked to the products. Health officials warned the bacteria causing the infection is highly resistant to drugs.

“Most patients reported using artificial tears,” the CDC warned. “Patients reported more than 10 different brands of artificial tears, and some patients used multiple brands. The majority of patients who used artificial tears reported using EzriCare Artificial Tears, a preservative-free, over-the-counter product packaged in multidose bottles.”

CDC laboratory testing identified the presence of the outbreak strain in opened EzriCare bottles with different lot numbers collected from two states. The agency urged patients and healthcare providers to immediately discontinue using EzriCare artificial tears. Unfortunately, the message didn’t reach everyone.

Eight patients lost their vision

In an update last week, the CDC identified 68 patients in 16 states who had been injured by the infections, including four people who underwent surgery to remove an eyeball. One person died from the infection and eight others lost their vision. Thirty-seven patients were linked to four healthcare facility clusters. 

The drops, which were sold nationwide via Amazon, Walmart, and other retailers, have all been recalled but health officials are worried many of the contaminated products are still in the possession of consumers.

According to the CDC, patients should stop using EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears pending additional information and guidance from CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If patients were advised to use EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears by their healthcare provider, they should follow up with their healthcare provider for recommendations about alternative treatment options.

What to do

Patients who have used EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s artificial tears and who have signs or symptoms of an eye infection should seek medical care immediately. At this time, there is no recommendation for testing of patients who have used this product and who are not experiencing any signs or symptoms of infection.

Eye infection symptoms may include:

• Yellow, green, or clear discharge from the eye

• Eye pain or discomfort

• Redness of the eye or eyelid

• Feeling of something in your eye (foreign body sensation)

• Increased sensitivity to light

• Blurry vision

If you’re over 50 and struggling to maintain a healthy weight, a new study suggests an unhealthy relationship with certain food could be a contributing factor.

Researchers at the University of Michigan (UM) found that 13% of people aged 50 to 80 showed signs of addiction to high-calorie foods and beverages in the last 12 months. The data were gathered by the National Poll on Healthy Aging. 

The researchers found that women struggle with food addiction more than men. The percentage was highest among women in their 50s and early 60s. It was also higher in older adults who say they are overweight, lonely, or in fair or poor physical or mental health.

The pollsters, supported by UM Medicine and AARP, asked 13 questions to measure whether, and how often older adults experienced the signs of addiction. In terms of food, the questions asked about the consumption of highly processed foods such as sweets, salty snacks, sugary drinks, and fast food. 

But is it really an addiction?

Is “addiction” too strong of a word? The researchers set some pretty high parameters. They focused on subjects’ intense cravings, an inability to cut down on intake, and signs of withdrawal.

“The word addiction may seem strong when it comes to food, but research has shown that our brains respond as strongly to highly processed foods, especially those highest in sugar, simple starches, and fat, as they do to tobacco, alcohol and other addictive substances,” said U-M psychologist Dr. Ashley Gearhardt. “Just as with smoking or drinking, we need to identify and reach out to those who have entered unhealthy patterns of use and support them in developing a healthier relationship with food.”

In order to be classified as addicted to highly processed food, subjects had to report experiencing at least two of 11 symptoms of addiction when it comes to processed food. By these criteria, addiction to highly processed foods was seen in:

The results

• 17% of adults aged 50 to 64, and 8% of adults aged 65-80

• 22% of women aged 50 to 64 and 18% of women aged 50 to 80

• 32% of women who say their physical health is fair or poor, and 14% of men who say the same – more than twice as high as the percentages among those who say their physical health is excellent, very good or good

• 45% of women who say their mental health is fair or poor, and 23% of men who say the same – three times as high as the percentages among those who say their mental health is excellent, very good or good

• 17% of men who self-report they are overweight, compared with 1% of men who indicate they’re around the right weight

• 34% of women who self-report they are overweight, compared with 4% who indicate they’re around the right weight

• 51% of women who say they often feel isolated from others, and 26% of men who say the same – compared with 8% of women

The most commonly reported symptom of addiction to highly processed foods was intense cravings, on the magnitude of smokers and those addicted to alcohol. Gephardt says questions about food cravings should become part of regular health screening at doctors’ offices.

Photo (c) Andrei Stanescu - Getty Images

Amazon’s latest push into the healthcare market has taken another turn. Six years after beginning its quest, the company announced that RxPass – a Prime membership benefit that offers consumers affordable, generic medications that treat more than 80 common health conditions – is now available in most U.S. states.

It’s not free, but it does meet the definition of affordable. With RxPass, Prime members can receive all of their eligible medications for a flat $5 monthly fee, plus have those prescriptions delivered free of charge. The company promised that there are no hidden fees and no markups to the $5 per month subscription. 

Who this will benefit

The company said that Prime members who pay more than $10 a month for their eligible medications will see their prescription costs drop by 50% or more by signing up for RxPass.

“Plus they save time by skipping a trip to the pharmacy,” said John Love, vice president of Amazon Pharmacy. “We are excited to offer our customers surprisingly simple, low pricing on the eligible medications they need each month.”

Enrolling in RxPass is pretty simple for existing Prime members. To sign up, members can go to the RxPass website.

From there, it’s a pretty easy sign-up process that verifies a person’s eligibility and prescription information. The company said that if customers have questions during the enrollment process or even after a prescription arrives, Amazon pharmacists are on hand 24/7 to help – be it coordinating with a customer’s doctor or helping with refills.

Will other retailers follow suit?

Don’t expect others to sit idly by while Amazon grabs up consumers trying to save money on prescriptions. In 2021, Walmart added prescription discounts to its Walmart+ membership program and invested considerable time in 2022 beefing up the number of Walmart Health locations. 

As PYMNTS noted earlier a couple of weeks ago, CVS is apparently planning to expand its healthcare offering, too, by acquiring Oak Street Health, a company centered on helping older adults stay healthy.

And to make sure rural America is taken care of, Dollar General is also seeing what it can do to bring affordable healthcare to consumers living outside larger cities. Taking a cue from the old mobile library van model, it’s partnering with DocGo to set up mobile clinics in Dollar General's parking lots where people can get preventative care services like vaccinations and immunizations and more immediate care services that address situations like the flu and COVID-19 or caring for a wound.

Many people in their 20s find they can eat and drink just about anything and not gain much weight. But when you hit 40, that changes quickly.

In fact, aging tends to slow down metabolism and the older you get, the harder it is to shed pounds. So, if you’ve resolved to lose weight in 2023, will speeding up your metabolism help? The jury is still out on that one.

Health experts at the Mayo Clinic say the best way to lose weight is to increase activity and reduce calories. But since metabolism is the process your body uses to convert food into energy, speeding up that process can’t hurt. 

“Supplements claiming to boost your metabolism may have little or no benefit and may contain substances that have serious side effects,” the clinic’s experts wrote. “How much you weigh largely depends on the choices you make about food and how much physical activity you get.”

Is there a way to safely speed up your metabolism? The ConsumerAffairs research team looked into it and found several natural ways to do it. And what we found may seem counter-intuitive: To speed up your metabolism you need to eat.

What to eat

The experts we consulted suggest eating breakfast and eating throughout the day. And you must eat the right kind of food.

They say you should start by eating more whole foods, which they describe as a simple way to improve your overall health and speed up your metabolism. That means cutting back on convenience foods.

Have a home-cooked meal with real ingredients once or twice a week. Add a couple of servings of whole fruits and vegetables to your daily diet and drink lots of water.

While altering your diet, get plenty of exercise to convert that food into energy. A combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training steps up fat burning and leads to an increase in metabolism.

Finally, cut back on caffeine and alcohol. According to the experts we consulted, both influence insulin output, glucose metabolism, and liver function and can slow metabolism.

Shoot for ‘normal’

If you’re in your 50s or 60s, you may find that even with these steps your metabolism isn’t going to return to the rapid rate of your 20s. Instead, it may return the rate to what is normal for your age.

If you're concerned about your weight or you think your metabolism is too slow, Dr. Donald Hensrud of the Mayo Clinic says you should discuss it with your doctor. 

“Your doctor can check for medical causes and help you adopt healthy lifestyle changes to aid your weight loss,” he said.

When January rolls around and the calendar flips to a new year, parking lots at fitness centers tend to suddenly be very crowded. There are a lot of New Year’s resolutions for improving health and fitness.

There are also plenty of gyms and fitness centers that can help with that, but which ones are the best? We checked ConsumerAffairs reviews to see how they rate on a 5-star scale and here are our top five. We included only national chains and companies with more than 100 reviews.

• Anytime Fitness 3.8 stars

• Planet Fitness 3.7 stars

• Curves 3.0 stars

• Gold’s Gym 2.9 stars

• 24-Hour Fitness 2.8 stars

Anytime Fitness

Anytime Fitness leads the pack. But like all health clubs, it has its share of detractors. Recent 1-star reviews seem to deal with club policies and complaints about local staff. Favorable reviews praise cleanliness, and on many occasions, local staff members.

The majority of negative reviews have to do with cancelation policies, which seem to be restrictive industry-wide. 

Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness is close behind in second place, and a couple of things stand out in customer reviews. At different locations across the country reviewers comment on maintenance and customer support.

“I just wanted to let someone know that the staff at PF Fredericksburg Costner Corner are amazing,” Angel, of Stafford, Va., wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “They always have smiles and are cleaning some type of equipment. It is refreshing to know that the staff truly cares about fitness and customer service.”

Curves International

Curves International is a women-only club – one of the largest fitness franchise chains for women, with over 1,000 locations in the U.S. and internationally. It offers group fitness classes, weight loss support and personal coaching.

“Very good customer service, clean place, great machines,” Blanca, of Reseda, Calif., told us during the early days of the pandemic. “Not so crowded, respectful crew.”

Gold’s Gym

Gold’s Gym, with a 2.9-star rating, is in fourth place. It has its share of gripes about membership and billing policies but gets a thumbs up from some customers for the quality and condition of equipment and the efficiency of the staff.

24 Hour Fitness

24 Hour Fitness, has a 2.8-star rating, dragged down in part by membership and cancelation policies. But even when things go wrong, at least one customer said the company made it right.

“I have had some issue with the billing statement, so I sent an email to 24H (and) within an hour, the location general manager called back and left a void message, explaining the issue and how to fix it. After that, I've received confirmation email that the issue has been resolved,” Don, of Allen, Texas, told us. Impressive!

According to our research, most gym memberships are paid in monthly dues which can range from around $10 to several hundred dollars a month, depending on the gym’s features and its location. 

Consumers considering a gym membership should get all the details in writing in an official contract. If it is difficult to cancel, know that going in.

Gym membership contracts and pricing schedules vary from company to company. Be sure to read the entire contract and ask questions before signing if you’re not sure what something means.

Memo to Santa – if you plan to stuff stockings with dark chocolate this year you might be advised to choose another candy. Despite previous studies, dark chocolate might not be so healthy.

Researchers at Consumer Reports (CR) report finding cadmium and lead, two heavy metals, in the dark chocolate bars they tested. Consuming just small amounts of those metals on a regular basis could lead to health problems in both children and adults.

So how much cadmium and lead are we talking about? The researchers conclude that eating just an ounce of dark chocolate daily would put an adult over the healthy limit.

The researchers also say that if you eat dark chocolate, the heavy metals are almost impossible to avoid. The research team tested 28 brands of dark chocolate bars. They found cadmium and lead in all 28.

Tunde Akinleye, the CR food safety researcher who led the project, says over-exposure to heavy metals can have negative health effects for people of all ages. He says it can lead to high blood pressure, immune system suppression and kidney damage, as well as other health conditions.

But who eats dark chocolate every day? You might be surprised. Consumer Reports cites data from Mintel suggesting that 15% of people who snack on dark chocolate do it every day.

Five brands with the least amount

But not to be a complete holiday buzzkill, the CR researchers did find five brands of dark chocolate with low levels of the metals. They are:

• Mast Organic Dark Chocolate

• Taza Organic Dark Chocolate

• Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate

• Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate Twilight Delight

• Valrhona Abinao Dark Chocolate

For years studies have heralded the positive health effects of dark chocolate. The candy is rich in antioxidants and has less sugar than other candies. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Duke-NUS explored the health benefits of B vitamins. According to their findings, vitamin B12 and folic acid may be used in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and slow the progression of the disease.

The researchers explained that the treatment may help prevent non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a severe form of liver disease where scar tissue and inflammation occur. 

“Our findings are both exciting and important because they suggest that a relatively inexpensive therapy, vitamin B12 and folic acid, could be used to prevent and/or delay the progression of NASH,” said researcher Dr. Brijesh Singh. “Additionally, serum and hepatic homocysteine levels could serve as biomarkers for NASH severity.” 

Improving liver health

The researchers started their work by examining the role that homocysteine, an amino acid, plays in liver disease. Earlier studies have linked higher levels of it to the development of NASH. This study assessed the interaction between homocysteine and liver function in preclinical trials. 

While the team was able to confirm that elevated homocysteine levels can impede consumers’ liver function, they also found that increasing consumers' intake of both vitamin B and folic acid promoted better liver health. 

The researchers found that taking supplements for both vitamins restored key liver functions. Not only did it slow the progression of liver disease and the development of NASH, but it also increased levels of syntaxin 17, which is an important protein in the liver. With higher syntaxin 17 levels, the liver was able to remove toxins and produce healthier cells. High levels of each vitamin were also linked with a lower risk of fibrosis and liver inflammation. 

“While fat deposition in the liver is reversible in its early stages, its progression to NASH causes liver dysfunction, cirrhosis, and increases the risk for liver cancer,” Dr. Madhulika Tripathi. 

While there are currently no treatments available for patients with NASH, the researchers hope their findings highlight the benefits of increasing vitamin B and folic acid levels. 

“Currently, the only treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease is to receive a transplant,” said researcher Patrick Casey. “The findings by Dr. Tripathi and her colleagues demonstrate that a simple, affordable, and accessible intervention could potentially half or reverse the damage to the liver, bringing new hope to those suffering from fatty liver diseases. The team’s findings underscore the value of basic scientific research, through which the scientific community continues to have a major positive impact on the lives of patients.” 

CVS, which added the word “Health” to its corporate name a few years ago, has announced plans to move even more deeply into the health care field.

Company CEO Karen Lynch, addressing reporters and analysts on the company’s second-quarter earnings call, said CVS Health plans to provide primary health care services by merging with or acquiring a provider. With that move, the company has telegraphed its intentions to compete with Amazon and Walgreens – two companies that are already moving in that direction. 

In addition to its retail drug stores throughout the U.S., CVS Health operates MiniuteClinics inside some of its stores, where customers can get a vaccination or urgent care. The company also owns Aetna, a major health insurance provider.

The addition of primary care services would greatly expand the company’s health care footprint. It would offer doctor offices that could provide annual checkups, as well as treat acute symptoms or injuries. 

Making health services more accessible

Company executives have said such an expansion would bring health care services to many people who have no doctor or who are underserved. It would also provide services during off hours and weekends when private practice doctor offices are closed.

Rather than build from scratch, company officials have said the best strategy would be to acquire an entity that is already providing those services. 

Walgreens and Amazon have already moved into the primary care space, with the former opening hundreds of primary care offices in partnership with VillageMD. Amazon announced in July that it is buying One Medical, a chain of primary health care offices, for nearly $4 billion. One Medical has 188 locations in 25 markets.

Aetna expands offerings in California

Meanwhile, CVS Health has announced that Aetna is entering the individual insurance exchange marketplace in California with its Aetna CVS Health co-branded insurance product. The company says those plans will provide affordable access to health care for more Californians.

"With millions of Americans being uninsured or underinsured, our plans provide quality care, at an affordable price and the ability to conveniently access this care using virtual technology and in-person care in their communities," said Dr. Kyu Rhee, chief medical officer at Aetna. "By bridging the gap between people and the support and services they need, we can offer a human-centered approach where, when, and how they need us."

As these plans roll out, CVS Health says policyholders will have access to Aetna's expansive network of primary care doctors, mental health providers, specialists, and hospitals.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia explored how a preexisting digestive issue may affect pregnant women and their babies. According to their findings, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may increase the risk of complications and health risks for pregnant women and their newborns. 

“IBD is an incurable disease, and its relapsing and remitting nature is stressful for the estimated 3 million U.S. men and women diagnosed,” said researcher Dr. Yezaz Ghouri. “

Because this disease tends to affect women during their peak fertility period, we wanted to know the impact of IBD on maternal and fetal outcomes. To our knowledge, this study is the most comprehensive of its kind, using data from multiple institutions in 48 states.” 

Pregnancy risks

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 8 million pregnancies between 2016 and 2018. They looked closely at those who had received IBD diagnoses and their pregnancy and delivery outcomes. The researchers also accounted for several health and lifestyle factors, such as high blood pressure, smoking, malnutrition, age, race, and obesity, among several others. 

The study showed that there were several health risks present among pregnant women with IBD. Compared to women without the digestive condition, pregnant women with IBD were more likely to spend extra time in the hospital after they gave birth, which also led to larger medical bills. The researchers found that women with IBD were likely to spend nearly $3,000 more on hospital bills than women who didn’t have IBD. 

From a health standpoint, IBD posed a risk to both women and their babies. Women with the condition were more likely to have a stillbirth, deliver early, and give birth to babies with low birth weight. Additionally, they had a higher risk of high blood pressure problems, gestational diabetes, and postpartum hemorrhage. 

The researchers hope these findings highlight the benefits of women working with their doctors to get a handle on IBD before getting pregnant, as it is likely to lead to better pregnancy outcomes for both them and their babies. 

“Based on our findings, we suggest that women who have moderate to severe IBD should get pre-conceptional counseling and be treated aggressively to achieve remission prior to getting pregnant,” Dr. Ghouri said. “Our study results illustrate the importance that IBD be optimally controlled prior to conception.” 

A new study conducted by the Mayo Clinic explored the way that consumers’ diet choices can affect their kidney health. According to their findings, incorporating more foods that are high in potassium and calcium are likely to lower the risk of recurring kidney stones. 

“These dietary findings may have particular importance because recommendations for preventing kidney stones have been based primarily on dietary factors associated with first-time rather than recurrent stone formation,” said researcher Dr. Andrew Rule. “Patients may not be likely to adjust their diet to prevent an incidence of kidney stones, but they are more likely to do so if it can help prevent recurrence.” 

Improving long-term kidney health

The researchers had over 400 participants who recently had their first kidney stones and over 380 people who hadn’t had a kidney stone involved in the study. All of the participants visited the Mayo Clinic in either Florida or Rochester between 2009 and 2018, and they answered in-depth questionnaires that assessed their diets. 

Ultimately, there were several links between diet and kidney health. Lower levels of calcium and potassium were two of the leading risk factors associated with getting the first kidney stone. After following up with the participants for more than four years, the researchers learned that increasing calcium and potassium intake was beneficial in preventing future kidney stones. 

The team recommends that consumers incorporate more foods that are high in both nutrients. This can include fruits and vegetables like apricots, bananas, peas, oranges, potatoes, cantaloupe, and zucchini, among several others. The researchers say aiming for 1,200 mg of calcium per day should be consumers’ goal, but there is no set figure for potassium intake. 

“Changing your diet to prevent kidney stones can be very difficult,” Dr. Rule said. “Thus, knowing the dietary factors that are most important for preventing kidney stone recurrence can help patients and providers know what to prioritize.” 

For more than 20 years, LASIK eye surgery has been a big business. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants consumers to know more about the risks and benefits before they undergo the operation.

The FDA has issued draft guidance to help improve the flow of information to both patients and health care professionals so that everyone knows what to expect with a successful procedure and what could go wrong.  

"It is important to provide patients with comprehensive labeling that clearly describes the risks involved with LASIK surgery, including potential adverse effects such as dry eye, pain and discomfort, and visual symptoms," said Dr. Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "These proposed labeling recommendations, based on extensive consultation with stakeholders and patients, are intended to present information about LASIK in language that is easy to read and understand."

Shuren said the draft guidance is designed to support discussions that patients should have with their eye care providers to help them make an informed decision before proceeding with the surgery. 

LASIK is performed using lasers on an outpatient basis. It’s a procedure that permanently reshapes the cornea to change the way the eye focuses light rays onto the retina at the back of the eye. 

Corrects common vision problems

Doctors who perform LASIK surgery use it to correct common vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It can also reduce a patient’s need to wear glasses and contact lenses.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there can be complications that result in a loss of vision, but they are very rare. Clinic doctors say other side effects of LASIK eye surgery -- particularly, dry eyes and temporary visual problems such as glare -- are fairly common.

A prominent Russian eye surgeon, Dr. Svyatoslav Fydorov, discovered the LASIK procedure in 1974 by accident when he was treating a young boy’s eye injury. The FDA approved the procedure in 1999. Since then, an estimated 10 million Americans have had the operation.

New FDA guidance

The FDA’s draft guidance includes the agency’s recommendations for both the content and format of patient labeling for LASIK devices. It includes:

• General information about the surgical procedure

• Indications for use, benefits, procedure alternatives, contraindications, warnings, and precautions

• Risks

• What to expect before, during, and after surgery

• Clinical study information

• Manufacturer contact information

The draft guidance also proposes the inclusion of a decision checklist as part of the labeling information that physicians provide to their patients prior to the procedure. 

To help patients fully understand the decision checklist, the FDA said it will provide information about who is a good candidate for LASIK and a summary of the long-term risks. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the European Society of Cardiology explored how women’s diets may affect their heart health. Their findings showed that eating more foods that are high in potassium may improve women’s long-term heart health and neutralize the effects of salty foods. 

“It is well known that high salt consumption is associated with elevated blood pressure and a raised risk of heart attacks and strokes,” said researcher Liffert Vogt. “Health advice has focused on limiting salt intake but this is difficult to achieve when our diets include processed foods. Potassium helps the body excrete more sodium in the urine. In our study, dietary potassium was linked with the greatest health gains in women.” 

Potassium can improve heart health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 25,000 people between the ages of 40 and 79 who were enrolled in the EPIC-Norfolk study. Participants provided a urine sample, answered questions about their lifestyles, and also had their blood pressure measured. 

The researchers identified a link between women’s potassium intake, salt intake, and blood pressure. Independent of salt intake, higher potassium consumption was linked with lower blood pressure in women. However, the study also found that women with high sodium levels were able to improve their blood pressure when they increased their potassium intake. Each one-gram increase in potassium was linked with a 2.4 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure reading. 

“The results suggest that potassium helps preserve heart health, but that women benefit more than men,” Vogt said. “The relationship between potassium and cardiovascular events was the same regardless of salt intake, suggesting that potassium has other ways of protecting the heart on top of increasing sodium excretion.” 

For consumers looking to incorporate more potassium into their diets, the researchers recommend eating more beans, bananas, fish, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and nuts. The team says more women should also consider adding salmon or avocados into their diets to improve their long-term heart health. 

“Our findings indicate that a heart-healthy diet goes beyond limiting salt to boosting potassium content,” said Vogt. “Food companies can help by swapping standard sodium-based salt for a potassium salt alternative in processed foods. On top of that, we should all prioritize fresh, unprocessed foods since they are both rich in potassium and low in salt.” 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared monkeypox to be a global health emergency.

After the outbreak grew from 3,040 cases in 47 countries to 16,000 cases in 75 countries, and five deaths occurred in a month's time, the organization’s Emergency Committee decided that the virus represented a public health emergency that affects every corner of the world.

WHO officials say the risk of monkeypox is "moderate" on a global scale, but they note that the risk is high in the European region. While there is a risk of the virus spreading further internationally, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there is currently a low risk of the virus interfering with international traffic.

Not necessarily related to monkeys

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the monkeypox virus has been around since 1958. It is part of the same family of viruses as the variola virus, which is connected to smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to the symptoms of smallpox, but they tend to be milder and are rarely fatal.

The CDC notes that the source of monkeypox is unknown. It is not related to chickenpox or – despite its name – specifically related to monkeys. While non-human primates such as monkeys can harbor the virus and infect people, so can African rodents like striped mice and tree squirrels.

Although he is declaring a public health emergency of international concern, Ghebreyesus said the outbreak is currently concentrated among sexually active gay men, especially those who have multiple sexual partners.

“That means that this is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups,” he said. “It’s therefore essential that all countries work closely with communities of men who have sex with men, to design and deliver effective information and services, and to adopt measures that protect the health, human rights, and dignity of affected communities.

“In addition to our recommendations to countries, I am also calling on civil society organizations, including those with experience in working with people living with HIV, to work with us on fighting stigma and discrimination,” Ghebreyesus said.

Addressing the outbreak

Not unlike the coronavirus, Ghebreyus said consumers may want to reconsider having gatherings while the current outbreak is a threat. However, he noted that it isn't mandatory to cancel these gatherings as a "default measure."

The WHO is taking the outbreak seriously and has laid out a plan to curb the spread of monkeypox as quickly and effectively as possible. The organization hopes to mitigate any further outbreaks by implementing a coordinated response to stop transmission of the virus. It is also seeking to protect vulnerable groups and strengthen clinical management and infection prevention and control in hospitals and clinics.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center explored how consumers’ lifestyles can affect their risk of stroke. According to their findings, adopting heart-healthy habits may help lower the genetic risk of having a stroke. 

“Our study confirmed that modifying lifestyle risk factors, such as controlling blood pressure, can offset a genetic risk of stroke,” said researcher Myriam Fornage, Ph.D. 

Promoting long-term heart health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 11,500 adults between the ages of 45 and 64. The team followed the group for nearly 30 years and tracked their cardiovascular health in seven key areas – smoking, diet, exercise, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. 

While having a genetic predisposition to stroke certainly elevated the participants’ risk of having one, the study also showed that taking steps to live a healthy life can lower that risk. The researchers learned that stopping smoking, eating better, getting activity, losing weight, managing blood pressure, controlling cholesterol, and reducing blood sugar lowered the risk of stroke by as much as 45%; this was true regardless of how high participants' genetic risk for stroke was.

However, the opposite was also found to be true. Participants with the poorest heart health increased their risk of stroke – especially when they had a genetically higher risk for the condition. Following the most healthy habits was linked with just over a 6% risk of stroke, whereas following the fewest healthy habits made strokes nearly 57% more likely. 

Moving forward, the team hopes these findings can be helpful in identifying those who may have the highest risk of experiencing a stroke because of both genetic and cardiovascular factors. Making these lifestyle adjustments can help promote long-term heart health. 

“We can use genetic information to determine who is at higher risk and encourage them to adopt a healthy cardiovascular lifestyle, such as following the AHA’s Life’s Simple 7, to lower that risk and live a longer, healthier life,” said Dr. Fornage. 

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opted not to impose a total ban on phthalates in consumer products. However, findings from a recent study suggest that pregnant women could be endangered by that decision.

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that pregnant women who are exposed to these chemicals have a higher chance of experiencing a preterm birth.

"Having a preterm birth can be dangerous for both baby and mom, so it is important to identify risk factors that could prevent it," said Dr. Kelly Ferguson, an epidemiologist and the study's senior author.

Preterm births spiked when phthalates were present

The research team analyzed data from over 6,000 pregnant women in the U.S. and found that those who had higher levels of phthalate metabolites in their urine were more likely to experience a preterm birth. Preterm births were defined as a delivery that occurred three or more weeks before the expected due date.

The researchers stated that the most consistent levels of phthalate metabolites came from personal care products like nail polish and cosmetics. Using statistical models, they predicted that lowering phthalate metabolite levels by 50% could prevent 12% more preterm births, on average. 

"It is difficult for people to completely eliminate exposure to these chemicals in everyday life, but our results show that even small reductions within a large population could have positive impacts on both mothers and their children," said first study author Dr. Barrett Welch.

The researchers recommend that consumers reduce their phthalate exposure by eating more fresh, home-cooked foods and avoiding processed foods that come in plastic containers and wrappings. They also say pregnant women can opt for fragrance-free or "phthalate-free" products to help lower their exposure.

The full study has been published in JAMA Pediatrics.

A new study conducted by researchers from the American College of Cardiology explored how dealing with the loss of a family member may affect consumers’ heart health. Their findings showed that heart failure (HF) patients who experience the death of a loved one may have a higher risk of dying themselves. 

“The association between bereavement and mortality was not only observed in cases of loss due to cardiovascular disease and other natural causes, but also in cases of unnatural deaths,” said researcher Hua Chen.

“Our finding that bereavement was associated with mortality in HF patients contributes to and extends the existing literature regarding role of stress in prognosis of HF and is consistent with studies reporting associations between bereavement and increased risk of incident cardiovascular conditions.”  

Grief and heart health concerns

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 500,000 heart failure patients who were either enrolled in the Swedish Heart Failure Registry from 2000-2018 or who had received a heart failure diagnosis between 1987 and 2018. The team followed up with the participants over the course of several years and looked at the Cause of Death Register to determine the link between grief and heart health. 

The team ultimately identified a link between grieving and heart failure. The greatest risk came after losing a spouse, as the study participants had a 20% higher risk of death. Losing a sibling, child, or grandchild yielded similar risks for those struggling with both heart failure and grief. 

The researchers also identified other risk factors that could impact how heart failure patients deal with loss. The study showed that losing multiple family members increased the risk of heart failure patients’ death by 35%. 

The team found that the risk of death was highest within the first week of losing a loved one. In that first week, the risk of death after losing a spouse shot up to 113%, while the risk of death after losing a child went from 10% to 31% in that time. In general, heart failure patients had a nearly 80% higher risk of death within the first week after experiencing a loss. 

The researchers explained that heightened stress during the grieving process may be responsible for the increased risk of death. They hope these findings inspire greater support and mental health resources for heart failure patients after losing a family member. 

“The findings of the study may call for increased attention from family members, friends, and involved professionals for bereaved heart failure patients, particularly in the period shortly after a loss,” said researcher Krisztina László.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Melbourne explored how childhood health outcomes may linger into adulthood. According to their findings, contracting bronchitis before the age of seven may increase the risk of lung disease and respiratory concerns in middle age. 

“This is the first very long-term prospective study that has examined the relationship between childhood bronchitis severity with adult lung health outcomes,” said researcher Dr. Jennifer Perret.

“We have seen already that children with protracted bacterial bronchitis are at an increased risk of serious chronic infective lung disease after two to five years, so studies like ours are documenting the potential for symptomatic children to develop lung conditions, such as asthma and lung function changes, up to mid-adult life.” 

Long-term respiratory health risks

The researchers analyzed data from over 8,500 people enrolled in the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study. They tracked the participants' health outcomes for more than four decades and asked participants about their health histories and current health status. 

The study showed that nearly 48% of the participants had been diagnosed with bronchitis during childhood. The more severe the case of bronchitis was during childhood, the more likely the participants were to be diagnosed with asthma or pneumonia in middle age. 

“Compared with the majority who never had bronchitis, there was an incremental increase in risk for later asthma and pneumonia, which strengthened the more often a person has suffered from bronchitis as a child, and especially if they had recurrent episodes which were prolonged for at least one month in duration,” Dr. Perret said. 

“It is notable that the link with later adult active asthma was seen for participants who did not have co-existent asthma or wheezing in childhood, and a similar finding has been recently seen in a very large meta-analysis of school-aged children who had had a lower respiratory tract infection during early childhood.” 

Knowing that respiratory health during childhood can have lasting effects into adulthood, the researchers hope more medical professionals pay close attention to their young patients who struggle with lung health. 

“Collectively, these findings provide novel insights into the potential natural history of severe bronchitis in children,” the researchers wrote. “Importantly, they support initiatives to enhance awareness among primary care physicians to promote the timely diagnosis and management of protracted episodes of cough in children with close monitoring for subsequent development of asthma and other complications such as bronchiectasis.” 

While recent studies have found how consumers’ food choices can help them live longer, a new study conducted by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health explored how certain personality traits may affect our lifespans.

According to their findings, women with high levels of optimism may be more likely to live longer – sometimes past 90 years old. 

“Although optimism itself may be affected by social structural factors, such as race and ethnicity, our research suggests that the benefits of optimism may hold across diverse groups,” said researcher Hayami Koga.

“A lot of previous work has focused on deficits or risk factors that increase the risk for disease and premature death. Our findings suggest that there’s value to focusing on positive psychological factors, like optimism, as possible new ways of promoting longevity and healthy aging across diverse groups.” 

Improving lifespan

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 160,000 women who were enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative study. The women were between the ages of 50 and 79 when the study began, and they regularly completed surveys about their life experiences. The researchers followed up with them for nearly three decades. 

There was a clear link between optimism and longevity. The researchers found that participants with the highest levels of optimism were 10% more likely to live beyond 90 years old and increase their lifespan by nearly 5.5%. The team said these findings held up regardless of several important factors like healthy eating and exercise, chronic health conditions, mental health, and demographic factors.

Moving forward, the researchers hope these findings inspire women to think differently about their health and wellness. 

“We tend to focus on the negative risk factors that affect our health,” said Koga. “It is also important to think about the positive resources such as optimism that may be beneficial to our health, especially if we see that these benefits are seen across racial and ethnic groups.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Warwick explored some of the risks related to dementia. Their findings showed that experiencing social isolation may increase consumers’ risk of dementia. 

“There is a difference between social isolation, which is an objective state of low social connections, and loneliness, which is subjectively perceived social isolation,” said researcher Edmund Rolls.

“Both have risks to health, but using the extensive multi-modal dataset from the U.K. Biobank, and working in a multidisciplinary way linking computational sciences and neuroscience, we have been able to show that it is social isolation, rather than the feeling of loneliness, which is an independent risk factor for later dementia.” 

Long-term dementia risks

The researchers analyzed data from over 462,000 participants with an average age of 57 who were enrolled in the U.K. Biobank dataset. The team analyzed the participants’ brain scans and accounted for socioeconomic, demographic, health, and behavioral factors, such as alcohol intake, smoking status, and physical activity. They followed up with the group for more than a decade to understand the link between social isolation and dementia. 

The researchers learned that social isolation played a major role in the participants’ long-term cognitive health. Those who experienced social isolation were 26% more likely to develop dementia. 

The team also looked at what role loneliness played in cognitive health. The findings showed that loneliness did increase the risk of dementia; however, for participants also struggling with depression, the link between social isolation and dementia wasn’t as strong. 

The researchers explained that social isolation affected the participants’ brains. This group had lower levels of gray matter in the frontal and temporal regions of the brain, which can affect memory and overall cognitive health. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected consumers’ social habits and made isolation more common, so the researchers hope more work is done to improve communication and interactions. 

“With the growing prevalence of social isolation and loneliness over the past decades, this has been a serious yet underappreciated public health problem,” said Rolls. “Now, in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are implications for social relationship interventions and care – particularly in the older population.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the American Heart Association explored the effect that omega-3 fatty acids may have on blood pressure. According to their findings, consuming around three grams of either docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EHA) per day can lead to better health outcomes.

“According to our research, the average adult may have modest blood pressure reduction from consuming about three grams of a day of these fatty acids,” said researcher Dr. Xinzhi Li. 

Improving blood pressure

The researchers analyzed data from over 70 clinical trials from 1987 through 2020 that explored the link between omega-3s and blood pressure. This included information on more than 5,000 study participants between the ages of 22 and 86; some of them had high blood pressure and others didn’t. 

The study showed that sticking to two to three grams per day of either DHAs or EHAs was linked with better blood pressure outcomes. Those with healthy blood pressure levels who incorporated this amount on a daily basis were likely to see a small drop in both diastolic and systolic blood pressure readings. 

However, for those already struggling with high blood pressure, the benefits were even greater. After eating three grams of omega-3s, the high blood pressure group experienced a greater dip in systolic blood pressure. On the other hand, those without hypertension noted a much smaller drop in blood pressure when increasing their DHA or EPA intake. 

The researchers explained that they want to do more work in this area, as there was no way to distinguish which participants were using omega-3 supplements and which chose to change their diets to incorporate more omega-3s. Regardless, these findings do point to the benefits of the fatty acid. 

“Our study supports the FDA guidance that EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by lowering high blood pressure, especially among people already diagnosed with hypertension,” Dr. Li said. “However, while our study may add a layer of credible evidence, it does not meet the threshold to make an authorized health claim for omega-3 fatty acids in compliance with FDA regulations.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Cambridge explored how consumers’ TV-watching habits may affect their long-term heart health. They learned that cutting back TV time to less than one hour per day may prevent more than 15% of coronary heart disease cases. 

“Our study provides unique insights into the potential role that limiting TV viewing might have in preventing coronary heart disease,” said researcher Dr. Youngwon Kim. “Individuals who watch TV for less than one hour a day were less likely to develop the condition, independent of their genetic risk. 

“Limiting the amount of time sat watching TV could be a useful, and relatively light touch, lifestyle change that could help individuals with a high genetic predisposition to coronary heart disease in particular to manage their risk.” 

Preventing poor heart health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 500,000 adults enrolled in the U.K. Biobank. The participants answered questions about how often they watched TV and how much time they spent on computers. The researchers then created heart disease risk scores for the participants based on genetic risk factors of the condition. 

The team identified a link between time spent watching TV and long-term heart health. Ultimately, those who watched the most TV also had the highest risk of developing coronary heart disease; however, time spent on computers didn’t affect disease risk. 

Regardless of genetic risks, four hours or more of watching TV each day was associated with the highest risk of heart disease. However, cutting back on TV watching helped participants prevent their risk of coronary heart disease. Those who watched two to three hours of TV each day were 6% less likely to develop heart disease than those who watched four hours or more. That percentage was even higher for those who watched less than an hour of TV each day, at 16%. 

The researchers explained that there could be several reasons why this link between TV watching and heart disease exists. They said consumers tend to snack more when they watch TV for longer periods of time. Another factor is that most consumers watch the bulk of their TV after eating dinner, which is likely to increase cholesterol and blood sugar levels. 

“Coronary heart disease is one of the most prominent causes of premature death, so finding ways to help people manage their risk through lifestyle modification is important,” said researcher Dr. Katrien Wijndaele. “The World Health Organization recommends reducing the amount of sedentary behavior and replacing it with physical activity of any intensity as a way of keeping healthier. 

“While it isn’t possible to say for certain that sitting watching TV increases your risk of coronary heart disease, because of various potential confounding factors and measurement error, our work supports the WHO’s guidelines. It suggests a straightforward, measurable way of achieving this goal for the general population as well as individuals at high genetic risk of coronary heart disease.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Yale University explored some of the health risks associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). While these painkillers have anti-inflammatory properties, some of them may also make health concerns like cancer or heart disease more common. 

This study showed that a specific group of NSAIDs activate a protein – nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) – that works to reduce inflammation. While the team can’t say with certainty that NRF2 is the link behind these drugs and adverse health outcomes, the findings from this study indicate that this might be the case. 

“It’s interesting and exciting that NSAIDs have a different mode of action than what was previously known,” said researcher Anna Eisenstein. “And because people use NSAIDs so frequently, it’s important we know what they’re doing in the body.” 

Understanding the health risks associated with NSAIDs

The researchers conducted their study on mice to better understand how NSAIDs work in the body and can cause long-term health risks. Previous studies have shown that these drugs work by hindering the production of certain enzymes; however, this process doesn’t explain some of the health risks associated with these drugs, including a higher risk of heart disease. 

The team learned that certain types of NSAIDs like ibuprofen and indomethacin activate the NRF2 protein and produce anti-inflammatory properties throughout the body. The NRF2 protein is incredibly powerful and can affect several different bodily processes, such as aging, immune response, longevity, and metabolism. 

“That NRF2 does so much suggests that NSAIDs might have other effects, whether beneficial or adverse, that we haven’t yet looked for,” Eisenstein said. 

As more studies examine how these painkillers can be used to treat inflammatory conditions like asthma or Alzheimer’s disease, doctors may give their patients guidance on which NSAIDs to take for different ailments. 

Previous research has already shown that children who suffer from insomnia have a higher risk of developing anxiety and other mental health problems. But a new study from the University of Helsinki suggests that the condition can be devastating to older consumers too. 

Researchers found that consumers who developed insomnia in midlife experienced problems with their memory, concentration, and ability to learn. These problems persisted well into later life, affecting participants even after they had retired. 

"The findings indicate that severe insomnia symptoms were associated with worse cognitive function among those who were on statutory pension," said researcher Antti Etholén.

Symptoms worsen with prolonged insomnia

The researchers found that study participants who experienced insomnia symptoms over longer periods of time had the worst cognitive outcomes. However, the team noted that mental function improved by retirement age if symptoms eased over the years. 

The team stated that there are several ways for consumers to improve their chances of getting a good night's sleep, including adjusting the temperature and brightness of the sleeping area. Adjusting factors like coffee consumption, diet, and exercise can also help.

"Based on our findings, early intervention tackling insomnia symptoms, or measures aimed at improving the quality of sleep would be justified," said researcher and professor Tea Lallukka.

The researchers hope to continue researching this subject by investigating whether the treatment of insomnia could help slow down the development of memory disorders. The full study has been published in the Journal of Aging and Health.

A new study conducted by researchers from the American Heart Association explored the health risks associated with prediabetes. According to the findings, high sugar levels may increase young people's risk of being hospitalized due to a heart attack.

“Prediabetes, if left untreated, can significantly impact health and progress to type 2 diabetes, which is known to increase a person’s risk for cardiovascular disease,” said researcher Dr. Akhil Jain.

“With heart attacks happening increasingly in young adults, our study was focused on defining the risk factors pertinent to this young population, so that future scientific guidelines and health policies may be better able to address cardiovascular disease risks in relation to prediabetes.” 

Long-term heart health risks

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from consumers between the ages of 18 and 44 who were enrolled in the National Inpatient Sample in 2018. They looked specifically at hospitalization records for young adults who had heart attacks. 

The team was able to identify a link between prediabetes and heart attack risk. The incidence of heart attack was over 2.1% for participants with prediabetes. That paled in comparison to the only 0.3% of people who had healthy blood sugar levels.

“After taking into account various influencing and modifying factors, we found that young adults with prediabetes had 1.7 times higher chances of being hospitalized for a heart attack compared to their peers without prediabetes,” said Dr. Jain. “Despite having higher chances of having a heart attack, the young adults with prediabetes did not have higher incidences of other major adverse cardiovascular events, such as cardiac arrest or stroke.” 

The team identified other health and demographic factors that impacted the participants’ heart health. Prediabetes was linked with higher risks of both obesity and high cholesterol, both of which can impact heart health. The researchers also learned that consumers with prediabetes who had higher incomes and those who were Black, Hispanic, or Asian/Pacific Islander were all more likely to be hospitalized with a heart attack. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope these findings encourage more consumers to take control of their health before prediabetes escalates. 

“When blood sugar levels meet the criteria for prediabetes, this is a wake-up call to take action,” said researcher Dr. Eduardo Sanchez. “It’s important for people with prediabetes to know lifestyle changes are key to improving their glucose levels and overall health, and possibly reversing prediabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes. 

“Eating a healthy diet, being physically active, and losing weight, if needed, are all meaningful ways to reverse a prediabetes diagnosis. For smokers, participation in a program to stop smoking is also extremely important. Other lifestyle and behavior changes, like reducing stress, may seem small, yet they can have a large impact on many different areas of life and can make a difference as well.”

Drug overdoses cost the lives of more than 100,000 Americans in 2021, up 15% from 2020 and more than any other year, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics.

The report claims that more than 80,000 people died using opioids (including prescription pain pills and fentanyl). Since the year 2000, prescription pain pills, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine have killed more than a million people across the U.S.

“2022 will probably be as horrible as 2021 was, quite possibly worse,” Keith Humphreys, an addiction and drug policy researcher at Stanford University, told the Washington Post.

The Post reported that overdose deaths skyrocketed by 30% during the first half of the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2020. The publication cited strained finances, mental health issues, and the housing crisis as reasons for the spike.

Young and rural consumers affected most

Most of the people affected by the drug outbreak are younger Americans and those living in rural areas. A recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that young Americans lost an estimated 1.2 million years of life from drug overdoses between 2015 and 2019.

“Adult decedents have been the focus of most overdose mortality reports, despite the fact that adolescents (aged 10-19 years) and young people (aged 10-24 years) are increasingly dying of unintentional drug overdose,” the study authors reported.

“This troubling trend requires further study, given that adolescents and young people are deprived of many more years of work, community life, and family life than are older individuals dying of unintentional drug overdose.” 

Humphreys notes that fentanyl has significantly impacted the number of opioid overdoses. He says the drug, which is increasingly laced in counterfeit pills bought online and made in labs, is easier to produce than plant-based drugs. It’s also sometimes mixed with heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamines, which makes it an even greater concern. 

“There may not be much heroin around in 10 years because everything is fentanyl,” Humphreys said. “What do you do in a world where no one needs a farm anymore to make drugs?”

A new study conducted by researchers from Washington State University explored the long-term health risks associated with food insecurity. According to their findings, young adults who struggled to get enough food were more likely to develop diabetes and obesity within 10 years than those without food security issues. 

“When we look at the data 10 years later, we do see this separation in prevalence of diabetes: those that experienced risk of food insecurity at young adulthood are more likely to have diabetes in middle adulthood,” said researcher Cassandra Nguyen. 

Long-term health risks

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 4,000 people enrolled in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Participants received medical exams at the start of the study to get a baseline assessment of body mass index scores and their risk for diabetes. They also reported on other important factors, such as the risk of food insecurity, social demographics, and overall health and wellness. 

The researchers ultimately identified a link between food insecurity and long-term health risks. Participants between the ages of 24 and 32 who were worried about having enough food at any point within the last year were more likely to develop obesity and diabetes by middle adulthood.

The team didn’t notice any higher or lower risk of disease among different racial or ethnic groups. However, they explained that food insecurity may make consumers more likely to follow unhealthier diets, which increases the risk for higher BMIs and diabetes. 

“Eating according to the dietary guidelines tends to cost more money, and it may cost more time,” Nguyen said. “It’s not always accessible to households that have limitations such as transportation to sources of lower cost, nutritionally dense food.” 

Moving forward, the researchers say consumers need to be educated about the resources available to those struggling with food security, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

“It’s really important to ensure that individuals who are experiencing food insecurity are able to be identified and that they have resources made available to them to be able to break the cycle,” Nguyen said. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the American Academy of Neurology explored how antioxidants can affect cognitive health. According to their findings, consumers with higher levels of antioxidants may be less likely to develop dementia. 

“Extending people’s cognitive functioning is an important public health challenge,” said researcher May A. Beydoun, Ph.D. “Antioxidants may help protect the brain from oxidative stress, which can cause cell damage. Further studies are needed to test whether adding these antioxidants can help protect the brain from dementia.” 

How antioxidants affect brain health

The researchers had over 7,200 people who were at least 45 years old involved in the study. The team took baseline vitals -- including a blood test, a physical exam, and a cognitive assessment -- at the start of the study. The researchers then tracked the participants' health outcomes over the course of 16 years. 

The study showed that participants who had the highest levels of three antioxidants – lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin – had a lower risk of developing dementia. Each 15.4 micromoles/liter increase of lutein and zeaxanthin was linked with a 7% lower risk of dementia. Similarly, each 8.6 micromoles/liter increase of beta-cryptoxanthin was linked with a 14% lower risk of dementia. 

The researchers explained that lutein and zeaxanthin can be found in broccoli, kale, spinach, and other leafy, green vegetables. On the other hand, beta-cryptoxanthin can be found in fruits, like persimmons, oranges, tangerines, and papayas. 

While the researchers hope to do more work in this area to better understand why this link between antioxidants and dementia risk exists, these findings highlight the cognitive benefits of having higher antioxidant levels. 

“It’s important to note that the effect of these antioxidants on the risk of dementia was reduced somewhat when we took into account other factors such as education, income, and physical activity, so it’s possible that those factors may help explain the relationship between antioxidant levels and dementia,” Dr. Beydoun said. 

Recent studies have discovered how consumers’ health during childhood can impact them into adulthood. Now, researchers from the American Heart Association have explored how experiences during childhood can affect long-term heart health. 

According to their findings, experiencing abuse during childhood may increase the risk of having high cholesterol as an adult. 

“Our findings demonstrate how the negative and positive experiences we have in childhood can have long-term cardiovascular consequences in adulthood and define key heart disease risk disparities by race and sex,” said researcher Liliana Aguayo, Ph.D. 

How childhood experiences affect heart health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 5,100 adults enrolled in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study from 1985 to 1986 and 2015 to 2016. Participants were around 25 years old when the study began, and they received clinical exams at the start of the study and then every few years for nearly 30 years. The participants also completed questionnaires about their childhoods that focused on abuse, nurturing, and household organization. 

The researchers learned that participants who experienced abuse when they were kids had a higher risk for serious long-term health conditions, including high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. However, the study also showed that certain demographic factors can impact consumers’ long-term heart health. 

The study found that high cholesterol was 3.5 times more common in white women and Black men who experienced frequent abuse as children. On the other hand, high cholesterol was nearly 35% less likely among those with no history of abuse or household dysfunction. 

White men who reported mild abuse during childhood were 35% more likely to have high cholesterol as adults when compared to white men with no such childhood history; similarly, white women who had experienced low levels of abuse during childhood were 26% more likely to have high cholesterol as adults. 

White men who experienced frequent abuse during childhood were also more than 80% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes during adulthood. 

While the researchers believe more work needs to be done in this area to better understand the link between childhood experiences and adult health outcomes, these findings highlight how the two can be connected. 

“Further research is needed to better understand the potential mechanisms linking childhood abuse and family environment to higher heart disease risk factors, as well as the impact of structural racism and social determinants of health, which likely influenced the differences we found by race and sex,” said Dr. Aguayo. “This information is critical to strengthening cardiovascular disease prevention interventions and policies, particularly those that focus on people who experienced abuse or other trauma during childhood.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Turku explored how consumers can work to lower their risk of serious health conditions. According to their findings, replacing at least one hour per day of sitting with physical activity can help lower the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. 

“It’s an encouraging thought that health benefits can be achieved by reducing the time spent sitting and increasing the amount of even light-intensity physical activity,” said researcher Taru Garthwaite. “For many, this may be an easier starting point than increasing actual exercise.” 

Benefits of staying active

The researchers had 64 middle-aged adults who were mostly sedentary and had metabolic syndrome participate in the study. While one group carried on with their usual routines, the other group was instructed to swap one sedentary hour of their days with more standing and light-intensity physical activity. The participants kept this up for three months and wore accelerometers to accurately measure their sedentary time, standing time, and active time. They also gave blood samples at the start and end of the study. 

“What makes our research design unique is that sedentary time and physical activity of both groups were measured with accelerometers throughout the entire three-month period, whereas in earlier studies activity has typically been measured only for a few days at the beginning and end of the study period,” Garthwaite said. “This makes it possible to receive more information on the actual behavior changes over a longer time period.” 

The researchers learned that swapping sedentary time for standing or active time was beneficial for the participants’ long-term health. The study showed that the participants in the activity group had lowered their total sitting time by about 50 minutes each day, and they were successful at being more active. 

This, in turn, improved their health in several key areas. The team reported improvements in insulin sensitivity, blood sugar regulation, and overall liver health. Because these participants had metabolic syndrome, they already had a higher risk for several health conditions, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Based on these findings, being more active and sitting less during the day can be effective at improving consumers’ health. 

While these findings are an important step in the right direction, the researchers hope consumers know that living a healthy lifestyle is key to improving long-term health outcomes. 

“Reducing the time spent sitting might still slow down the development of these diseases, but greater benefits can of course be gained by increasing the amount or intensity of physical activity in addition to sitting less,” Garthwaite said. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Arizona State University identified a risk factor linked to a serious disease common among infants – necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). 

Their work found that preterm infants who experience changes to the viruses in their gut – known as the gut virome – may be more susceptible to developing NEC. The disease can be deadly for infants, and it can also increase the risk for lifelong health concerns. 

“For many years now, there’s been some inkling that the microbiome is implicated in this rapidly developing disease,” said researcher Efrem Lim. “Studies have shown that changes in the microbiome of the gut in these preterm infants seem to predict the progression to NEC disease.”  

Changes to viral make-up indicate disease risk

To better understand how the gut virome can impact infants’ long-term health, the researchers analyzed nearly 140 stool samples from 23 preterm infants through their first 11 weeks of life. The team used a sequencing method that allowed them to test the bacterial diversity in the infants’ stool samples to see what role different viruses and bacteria play in the development of NEC. 

Ultimately, nine of the infants involved in the study developed NEC. The researchers observed notable differences in the bacterial and viral make-up of the infants diagnosed with the condition. While no single bacteria or virus has been identified as the cause of NEC, this study showed that specific bacterial-viral interactions occurred in all of the infants diagnosed with the disease. 

The study also showed that infants presented with lower diversity in viral composition in their guts within 10 days of their NEC diagnosis. This change in viral composition proved to be the biggest clue to the researchers that the infants had a higher risk of NEC. 

NEC poses a risk to infants

The researchers explained that NEC is most common in infants between two and six weeks old, and it can become life-threatening within a matter of hours. The disease attacks healthy intestinal tissue, and its precise cause remains unknown. 

With these new findings, the researchers hope more infants who have a high risk of developing NEC are identified in the earliest stages. They say their goal is to help develop better treatments for infants struggling with the condition. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the Veterans Affairs Research Communications explored the financial impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The team explained that PTSD creates over $230 billion annually in health care costs, which surpasses the cost of care for any other mental health condition. 

“The $232 billion annual economic burden of PTSD in the U.S. demonstrated in this study is staggering and fuels the urgency for public and private stakeholders to work together to discover new and better treatments, reduce stigma, improve access to existing treatments, and expand evidence-based recovery and rehabilitation programs,” the researchers wrote. 

The economic burden of PTSD

For the study, the researchers analyzed government publications, insurance claim data, and academic literature to understand the costs related to PTSD. This included information on both civilian and U.S. military populations. 

The researchers explained that 2018 was the latest year for which PTSD-related cost data was recorded. That year, the group estimates that total health care costs for PTSD exceeded $232 billion. 

The study showed that civilian costs for PTSD totaled nearly $19,000 per person each year. That figure was nearly $26,000 for military personnel. The researchers explained that the burden among civilians comes from unemployment and general health care costs, whereas the use of disability programs is higher among military members. 

Not just a military problem

The study showed that all consumers are struggling with PTSD – not just veterans. Civilians account for more than 80% of total PTSD costs, while veterans and active military personnel make up less than 20%. 

“Much of the research and legislative response on PTSD has focused on combat-exposed populations due to the high prevalence of the condition among the military population,” the researchers wrote. “However, the military population composed a small proportion of the overall U.S. population with PTSD. 

“With the increasing occurrence of national and societal traumatic events around the world, including COVID-19, civil unrest, and climate change, there is mounting concern of an increase in PTSD and burden in the civilian population. As such, the current cost estimate is likely an underestimation given these recent global traumas, the effects of which would not have been captured and are likely to result in increasing negative repercussions.” 

Improving PTSD treatment

The goal moving forward is to improve treatment and rehabilitation programs for consumers struggling with PTSD. As these efforts get stronger, the researchers say the economic burden that is linked to the condition will likely decrease. 

“Experts agree that there is a long-standing crisis in pharmacologic drug development for the treatment of PTSD, as no medication has been FDA-approved for PTSD since the only two marketed agents were approved 20 years ago,” the researchers explained.

“A burden that is often ignored in economic calculations is the cost for psychotherapy not covered under health plans, which represents a significant out-of-pocket [expense] for someone with PTSD, as demonstrated in the current study.” 

A new study has explored the link between mental and physical health struggles. The findings showed that those who struggle with a mental illness may have a higher risk of cardiovascular-related death. 

“Our systematic and meta-analysis of over 100 studies has confirmed a strong association between severe mental illness and cardiovascular disease, which became stronger in the 1990s and 2000s,” said researcher Amanda Lambert. 

Mental health affects heart health

For the study, the researchers analyzed over 100 earlier studies that included data on more than 30 million participants. The studies assessed individuals who were diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder between the ages of 16 and 65. The team looked at the relationship between mental health struggles and physical health risks. 

The biggest takeaway from the study was that cardiovascular-related deaths were twice as high among those who had a mental illness. This was true regardless of the participants’ mental health diagnosis; however, those with schizophrenia had the highest risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. 

The researchers also learned that the link between heart disease and mental illness has grown stronger in recent years. While the data in the study spanned several decades, the risk of cardiovascular disease-related deaths for those with a mental illness has become more pronounced since the 1990s. 

Though it’s unclear why this trend has emerged and gotten stronger in recent years, the researchers speculate that a few factors may come into play. 

“The increased relative risk of CVD diagnosis in more recent decades may be a result of disparity in smoking prevalence between people with [severe mental illness] and the general population or increased use of psychotics,” the researchers wrote. “The changes since the 1990s approximately coincide with the release of newer, second-generation antipsychotics which are known to have worse metabolic effects.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the National Center for Atmospheric Research explored how wildfires in the Pacific Northwest can have wide-reaching consequences. 

According to their findings, these wildfires are likely to cause surges in pollution levels across all of North America. As a result, this can increase the risk for several pollution-related health complications. 

“Wildfire emissions have increased so substantially that they’re changing the annual pattern of air quality across North America,” said researcher Rebecca Buchholz. “It’s quite clear that there is a new peak of air pollution in August that didn’t used to exist.” 

Pollution’s impact on health

For the study, the researchers tracked wildfire emissions over the past 20 years and used a computer model to understand their impact. The data focused on three areas – the Northeast, the Pacific Northwest, and the central U.S. 

The study showed that wildfire emissions greatly impacted pollution levels across the United States. The team observed that carbon monoxide spiked, especially in the late summer months, across all of North America following peak wildfire seasons in the Pacific Northwest. 

Based on wildfire and pollution data from across the U.S. and parts of Asia, the researchers were able to narrow down their results to determine that the spikes in pollution were directly related to the wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. 

“Multiple lines of evidence point to the worsening wildfires in the Pacific Northwest as the cause of degraded air quality,” Buchholz said. “It’s particularly unfortunate that these fires are undermining the gains that society has made in reducing pollution overall.” 

The fear now is that this spike in air pollution will negatively affect consumers’ health – especially since the source of the pollution comes from wildfire emissions. These types of pollutants have a history of impacting respiratory health, cardiovascular symptoms, and pregnancy outcomes. 

“It’s clear that more research is needed into the health implications of all this smoke,” Buchholz said. “We may already be seeing consequences of these fires on the health of residents who live hundreds or even thousands of miles downwind.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the American Heart Association explored some of the health risks that stroke survivors often face.

According to their findings, experiencing heart-related complications within one month of having a stroke may put patients at a higher risk for future heart attack, another stroke, or death. 

“We know heart disease and stroke share similar risk factors, and there’s a two-way relationship between the risk of stroke and heart disease,” said researcher Benjamin J.R. Buckley, Ph.D. “For example, heart conditions and stroke also increase the risk of heart conditions. We wanted to know how common newly diagnosed heart complications after a stroke and, importantly, whether stroke-heart syndrome is associated with increased risk of long-term major adverse events.” 

Long-term heart health risks

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 365,000 treated for strokes between 2002 and 2021. The team analyzed the long-term heart health outcomes of people who developed stroke-heart syndrome, which is a condition defined by heart-related complications after having a stroke.

The researchers learned that heart complications following a stroke were fairly common among the participants. Over 11% developed acute coronary syndrome, nearly 9% developed atrial fibrillation, and over 6% developed heart failure following a stroke.

Ultimately, these heart troubles were linked with long-term health concerns. Those with atrial fibrillation following a stroke were 10% as likely to have another stroke within five years, while those who developed any kind of cardiovascular issues after a stroke were 50% more likely to have another stroke. 

“I was particularly surprised by how common stroke-heart syndrome was and the high rate of recurrent strokes in all subgroups of adults with stroke-heart syndrome,” Dr. Buckley said. “This means that this is a high-risk population where we should focus more secondary prevention efforts.” 

Higher risk of death

The risk of death among these stroke-heart syndrome patients was also higher. The study showed that developing heart failure post-stroke raised the risk of death within five years by nearly 85%. Similarly, those with acute coronary syndrome were 49% more likely to die within five years, while those with atrial fibrillation were 45% more likely to die within that time frame. 

The researchers hope to do more work to better understand which patients have the highest risk of developing stroke-heart syndrome and what health care professionals can do to best care for them.

“We are working on additional research to determine how stroke-heart syndrome may be better predicted,” Dr. Buckley said. “We also need to develop and implement treatments to improve outcomes for people with stroke-heart syndrome. For example, comprehensive exercise-based rehabilitation may be helpful after a stroke, so for people with stroke and newly developed heart complications, it should also be beneficial, maybe even more so.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute explored how consumers’ hydration may impact their long-term heart health. According to their findings, staying well hydrated may lower the risk of heart failure. 

“Similar to reducing salt intake, drinking enough water and staying hydrated are ways to support our hearts and may help reduce long-term risks for heart disease,” said researcher Natalia Dmitrieva, Ph.D. 

Hydration levels affect heart health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 15,000 people between the ages of 45 and 66 who were enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. The team tracked the participants’ overall health, including hydration levels and heart health, and followed them over the course of 25 years. 

The researchers measured the participants' serum sodium levels, which measures how much sodium is in the blood and is an indicator of dehydration. They learned that this had a direct impact on heart health outcomes. 

Healthy serum sodium levels fall between 135 and 146 mEq/L. Participants who started at 143 mEq/L were nearly 40% more likely to develop heart failure. With each increase of 1 mEq/L, the risk of heart failure went up by 5%. 

These findings were confirmed when the researchers analyzed another set of data that looked at 5,000 people between the ages of 70 and 90. The researchers found that middle-age is important in terms of hydration and heart health; when the participants’ serum sodium levels exceeded 142.5-143 mEq/L, they were 54% more likely to develop heart failure and 62% more likely to develop ventricular hypertrophy. 

While the researchers hope to do more work in this area moving forward, they hope these findings highlight the importance of consumers staying hydrated. 

“Serum sodium and fluid intake can easily be assessed in clinical exams and help doctors identify patients who may benefit from learning about ways to stay hydrated,” said researcher Dr. Manfred Boehm. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the American Heart Association explored some of the health risks firefighters face on the job. Their work showed that the more fires that firefighters are exposed to, the higher the likelihood that they’ll struggle with atrial fibrillation (AFib). 

“A few years ago, I treated a local firefighter for atrial fibrillation, and he felt dramatically better with the treatment, so he referred other firefighters to me for care, all with AFib,” said researcher Dr. Paari Dominic. “I decided to methodically examine AFib in the firefighter population, as it may shed light into the cause of atrial fibrillation in non-firefighters as well.” 

Heart health risks on the job

For the study, the researchers surveyed nearly 11,000 firefighters from across the country. They answered questions about their medical histories, specifically regarding their heart health, and the number of fires they typically fight in a year. 

The researchers found that firefighters had a higher risk than the general population for developing AFib. The risk among male firefighters was just under 3%, while the risk among female firefighters was just under 1%. 

“Among adults in the general population younger than age 60, there is a 0.1-1.0% prevalence of having AFib,” Dominic said. “However, among our study population, 2.5% of firefighters ages 60 or younger had AFib. Of the few respondents who were 61 or older, 8.2% reported a diagnosis of AFib.” 

The team believes there is a combination of several factors that contribute to these heart health risks: exposure to harmful chemicals and pollutants, psychological stress, and exposure to high temperatures. 

“First, and foremost, are the inhalation and absorption through the skin of harmful compounds and substances produced by the combustion of materials during a fire, including particulate matter, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and benzene,” Dominic said. “Exposure to these substances, especially particulate matter in air pollution, even for a short time has been previously linked to an increased risk of AFib. 

“In addition, firefighters are exposed to high physical and psychological stress together with long work hours, all of which can increase their adrenaline levels and cause an imbalance in the mechanisms that maintain heart rate. Finally, heat stress (exposure to high temperatures) can cause an increase in core body temperature and severe hydration, both of which increase the demand for a higher heart rate, and may subsequently trigger AFib.” 

The study showed that the risk of developing AFib was 2% for firefighters who fought up to five fires per year. However, when that number increased to 31 or more fires per year, the risk of AFib was 4.5%. 

“Clinicians who care for firefighters need to be aware of the increased cardiovascular risk, especially the increased risk of AFib, among the unique group of individuals,” Dominic said. “The conditions that elevate their risk further, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, lung disease, and sleep apnea should be treated aggressively. In addition, any symptoms of AFib, such as palpitations, trouble breathing, dizziness, and fatigue should be investigated promptly.” 

Researchers have previously identified a link between mental health and physical health outcomes, and now a new study conducted by researchers from the American Heart Association is further proving that connection. 

According to the findings, consumers who struggle with a serious mental illness may have a higher risk of developing heart disease – even from an earlier age. 

“Even at younger ages, people with serious mental illness had a higher risk of heart disease than their peers, which highlights the importance of addressing cardiovascular risk factors for these individuals as early as possible,” said researcher Dr. Rebecca C. Rossom. “Interventions to address heart disease risk for these individuals are maximally beneficial when initiated at younger ages.”  

The link between mental health and heart health

The researchers analyzed data from 600,000 people between the ages of 18 and 75 who had received health care at a primary care clinic in Minnesota and Wisconsin between 2016 and 2018. The team used different risk analysis measures to determine how mental health impacted the participants' heart health outcomes. 

Ultimately, 11,000 participants were diagnosed with severe mental illness, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder. The researchers learned that participants in this group were nearly 10% more likely to develop heart disease within 10 years; comparatively, those who didn't have a serious mental illness had an 8% higher risk of heart disease within a decade. 

The risk shot up even higher when looking at the 30-year projections. Participants with mental illness were 25% more likely to develop heart disease, whereas those without mental health concerns were 11% as likely to develop heart disease long-term. 

The study showed several risk factors that may increase the risk of heart disease for those struggling with a serious mental illness. For starters, smoking was common among 36% of participants with mental health concerns, and obesity was common in half of this group. The team found that these participants were more likely to have high blood pressure and diabetes, both of which can increase the risk of heart disease. 

The researchers say these findings held up for the youngest participants in the trial – those between the ages of 18 and 34. With a better understanding of these physical and mental health risks, the team hopes health care professionals use this new information to help their patients.

“We encourage health care systems and clinicians to use the 30-year cardiovascular risk estimates for young adults with serious mental illness, as these may be used starting at age 18,” Dr. Rossom said. “Right now, estimates of 10-year heart disease risk are used most frequently, and they cannot be applied until people are at least 40 years old, which is too late to start addressing heart disease risk in people with serious mental illness.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania has explored how consumers’ alcohol intake may affect their brain health.

According to the findings, alcohol may have a negative impact on consumers’ brain size; the more alcohol that is consumed, the more brain volume consumers are likely to lose. The researchers say this finding also holds up for moderate drinkers. 

“These findings contrast with scientific and governmental guidelines on safe drinking limits,” said researcher Henry Kranzler. “For example, although the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends that women consume an average of no more than one drink per day, recommended limits for men are twice that, an amount that exceeds the consumption level associated in the study with decreased brain volume.” 

One drink may have an effect on brain health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 36,000 participants enrolled in the U.K. Biobank. Participants answered questions about their alcohol consumption and underwent brain scans to better understand the link between drinking and brain health. 

The researchers learned that alcohol doesn’t have a positive effect on the brain, with brain health becoming worse for participants who drank more. However, drinking heavily wasn't necessary for participants to experience brain changes.

The study found that having as few as two drinks per day instead of one can age the brain up to two years. Similarly, going from two drinks to three drinks each day aged the brain more than three years. The researchers found that those who had as many as four drinks per day added a decade onto their brain’s health.  

“The fact that we have such a large sample size allows us to find subtle patterns, even between drinking the equivalent of half a beer and one beer a day,” said researcher Gideon Nave. 

“There is some evidence that the effect of drinking on the brain is exponential,” added study author Remi Daviet. “So, one additional drink in a day could have more of an impact than any of the previous drinks that day. That means that cutting back on that final drink of the night might have a big effect in terms of brain aging.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Georgia explored the cost of fungal infections across the United States. Their findings showed that health care costs reached nearly $7 billion in 2018, with hospital stays for these infections surpassing $37 billion. 

“Fungal infections are much more than a yeast infection or athlete’s foot,” said researcher Emily Rayens. “These infections can have a very big impact on people’s lives and have a very high mortality rate.” 

Rising health care costs

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the National Inpatient Sample, which tracks hospitalizations and in-patient care in the U.S. This allowed them to evaluate the number of infections, the associated costs, and the health risks associated with fungal infections. 

Ultimately, there were over 666,000 recorded cases of fungal infections, with some of the most common types affecting the respiratory system and the bloodstream. The study also showed that consumers with immune system disorders may have a higher risk of contracting a fungal infection. 

Overall, the researchers learned that fungal infections accounted for 1.1% of all health care expenses in the U.S. in 2018. Hospital stays accounted for more than $37 billion in health care costs. 

Antibiotic resistance poses a threat

The researchers explained that the biggest concern with treating fungal infections is antibiotic resistance. There are currently only three types of drugs used to eradicate these kinds of infections, and they’re becoming less successful over time. 

“Our data show that the number of fungal infections and the costs of treating those infections are going up,” said Rayens. “The currently available antifungal drugs are not doing a good enough job to reduce mortality due to fungal infections.

"To address this growing clinical problem, our laboratory is focused on developing a preventive antifungal vaccine that would target multiple fungal infections. We believe a vaccine-based preventive strategy for vulnerable patients would be of great benefit in terms of reducing disease burden, mortality, and health care costs.”

Consumers have been up in arms over problems they’ve had with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for years, but companies like Cigna’s ExpressScripts, CVS Caremark, and UnitedHealth’s OptumRx have continued to grow by leaps and bounds. However, aid for consumers may soon be on the way.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it will attempt to block UnitedHealth Group’s acquisition of Change Healthcare, a company that provides payment and revenue cycle management to connect payers, providers, and patients in the health care ecosystem.

Consumers have the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), in part, to thank for that effort by the DOJ. Last September, the organization publicly called for DOJ officials to block the merger, saying it would produce an unfair competitive advantage for a company that is already one of the kings of the PBM hill.

NCPA kept the heat on regulators, repeatedly raising concerns with the DOJ and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about the proposed acquisition and the broader vertical consolidation that is happening in the industry. The group alleged that UnitedHealth Group’s access to Change Healthcare's eRx system would be devastating to patients and independent pharmacies.

In arguing its case, the NCPA had plenty of ammunition that consumers aren’t happy with the current PBM-driven prescription world. Survey respondents spoke loudly about their dissatisfaction with health insurance plans and their PBMs. Namely, the participants took umbrage with how PBMs and insurance companies get to decide which pharmacies patients must use and whether they must use more expensive medicines when there is a less expensive alternative available. 

Getting more regulators on board

Getting the DOJ to add some muscle to its efforts is a major plus for the NCPA, but “there is far more for agencies like the DOJ and FTC, Congress, and state policymakers to act on in order to rein in PBMs and create a fairer, more competitive health care marketplace for consumers,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey.

Before the DOJ announced its intent to block the UnitedHealth/Change Healthcare deal, the FTC had actually voted against fielding a study of PBMs and their business practices. But the agency apparently had a change of heart and has now decided that it might be a wise move to ask the public how it feels about the impact of PBMs after all. 

Requests for Information like the one the FTC has launched regarding PBMs can make a huge impact, and the agency is asking patients, employers, pharmacies, and any other entity that deals with prescriptions to comment on any issues or concerns they believe are relevant to the PBM situation. Interested parties have until April 25, 2022, to submit their comments on the FTC's website. 

Michigan further regulates PBMs

While things are brewing in D.C., Michigan regulators have decided they're going to do something about PBMs too. On Wednesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bipartisan bills designed to lower prescription drug costs by regulating PBMs that oversee coverage for employers, insurers, and others. Part of the laws took effect immediately, and the rest will go into effect beginning in 2024.   

“Without question, Michigan's new PBM bill is one of the most significant wins for consumers in years because it deals directly with several ‘back end’ practices that are known to generate billions in revenue for insurers but do nothing to lower costs for patients and plan payers,” Monique M. Whitney, executive director of Pharmacists United for Truth and Transparency, told ConsumerAffairs. 

Whitney says she hopes that Witmer’s support will help the pro-consumer movement pick up steam across the rest of the U.S.

“Besides important transparency requirements in the PBM licensing and regulation, Michigan patients will have protections generally not found elsewhere in the U.S., including the right to fair and impartial information about drug pricing and coverage (and access to lower cost alternative drugs) and exclusive authority over their own prescription transfers," she said.

Michigan might not be alone for long. Community pharmacists in Kentucky are leaning hard on its legislators to pass a bill designed to “prohibit insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and other administrators of pharmacy benefits from imposing certain requirements on health plan insureds.”

“[This bill] would address the mail order mandates and ensure Kentuckians have safe, reliable access to the brick-and-mortar community pharmacy they choose,” wrote Cathy Hanna, president of the Kentucky Pharmacists Association. “This protects a critical link in Kentucky’s healthcare chain, particularly in rural communities where pharmacists are often the most direct and trusted provider contact for many individuals and families.”

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Waterloo explored how new technology may improve how older consumers take their prescriptions. 

They explained that prescription bottles equipped with smart packaging can help track when consumers take their pills and ensure that they don't forget to take their medication. The team argues that this would lead to better health outcomes. 

“Many of these products are advertised as user-friendly and efficient, but not all are tested with seniors in mind,” said researcher Sadaf Faisal. “So how would we know if older adults are able to use them for their day-to-day medication intake and are there any factors that can impact in-home utilization?” 

Benefits of new technology

The researchers had 10 participants with an average age of 76 years old involved in the study. The group was given smart packaging for their medications, and the team interviewed them on how well they were able to use it and what they thought of the technology. The participants took about 11 medications each day for several different chronic conditions. 

Many of the participants reported being comfortable with the smart packaging; those who were the most familiar with technology reported the greatest outcomes with the device. Because the packaging tracked their habits, they were less likely to miss their medication. 

“Across participants, we found fairly consistent pros and cons to the technology,” said researcher Tejal Patel. “The ability to learn the product easily was important for the participants to use it consistently. Feedback from their social circle – such as supportive children, partners, or health-care providers – also helped reinforce using the technology.” 

While there were benefits to this smart packaging, the participants also had some hesitations. For starters, the price of these devices was considered to be too high without any assistance from a health insurance plan. The participants also expressed frustration when the device glitched or didn’t perform as designed. 

The researchers believe these devices can ultimately be effective for older consumers. Moving forward, they hope health care professionals work with their older patients to ensure the best health outcomes. 

“For technology to be effective, it has to be accepted by the end-users,” Faisal said. “Smart, technology-based adherence products have the potential to support patients, but health care providers should assess older adults’ medication intake behaviors and barriers and facilitators to using a product before recommending them.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at San Diego explored how older women’s habits around the house may affect their heart health. 

According to their findings, keeping up with daily household activities, like washing dishes, cooking, or even taking a shower, may lower the risk of heart disease in older women. 

“The study demonstrates that all movement counts towards disease prevention,” said researcher Steve Nguyen, Ph.D. “Spending more time in daily life movement, which includes a wide range of activities we all do while on our feet and out of our chairs, resulted in a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.” 

All movement helps disease risk

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 5,400 women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health study. For one week, the women wore accelerometers to measure the frequency and intensity of their daily movement. The team was primarily interested in analyzing movement that wouldn’t be considered traditional exercise, such as movement related to daily chores or activities. 

The study showed that activity that the team defined as “daily life movement” is an integral part of heart health. They classified daily life movement as any activity that occurs while standing or walking indoors, such as cooking, gardening, changing clothes, taking a shower, or doing dishes. 

The researchers learned that women who logged at least four hours per day of daily life movement had stronger heart health than those who did less than two hours of these activities. Women in the former group were 43% less likely to develop heart disease and more than 60% less likely to experience a heart disease-related death. They were also 43% less likely to develop coronary heart disease and 30% less likely to have a stroke. 

With many older women struggling with heart health, the researchers hope these findings bring some positive news. While traditional exercise is important for heart health, this study shows that staying active in the home throughout the day can also significantly benefit older women’s hearts. 

“Much of the movement engaged in by older adults is associated with daily life tasks, but it may not be considered physical activity,” said researcher Andrea LaCroix, Ph.D. “Understanding the benefits of daily life movement and adding this to physical activity guidelines may encourage more movement.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute explored how initiatives in schools may help boost kids’ mental health. Their work showed that extracurricular activities and resilience training may help improve kids’ mental health and prevent future mental health concerns. 

“With about 50 percent of mental health disorders beginning before the age of 14 years, prevention and early intervention are paramount if we want to reduce the lifetime prevalence of mental health disorders and allow children to live their best possible lives,” said researcher Harriet Hiscock. 

Prioritizing kids’ mental health

The researchers interviewed over 140 clinicians to better understand how schools can be doing more to support kids’ well-being and mental health. They answered questions on their experience working with kids through mental health struggles and what role schools can play in supporting children’s mental health. 

The clinicians believe schools have a powerful platform for helping prevent long-term mental health disorders for kids. They say administrators should either train school personnel to provide mental health support or integrate more mental health professionals into school buildings.

“Schools as buildings act as a trusted physical space where mental health clinicians could offer services that are otherwise challenging to access,” said researcher Kate Paton. “Clinicians believed teachers can offer prevention by supporting children through school-wide psycho-education, sport and social skill, and coping programs.” 

The researchers found that focusing on extracurricular activities and sessions that focused on developing strong coping skills geared toward resilience were the best options for children’s mental health at school. By offering these programs, the clinicians believe teachers will be able to identify children who have a higher risk for mental health concerns while providing them with the right tools and resources to promote well-being. 

“Whilst educators have identified many challenges to providing this support, including perceived stigma, lack of resources, and an overcrowded curriculum, understanding clinicians’ views on the roles of educators and schools and how they could work together to achieve good mental outcomes are important questions,” Paton said. 

“It’s important to understand whether different perspectives may exist between educators and mental health clinicians which need to bridged if these professionals are to work successfully together to achieve both good education and mental health outcomes.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Washington State University explored a new way for older consumers to cut back on their salt intake.

According to their findings, cooking with more spice is one way to help reduce how much salt is added to food; over time, this pattern can have significant heart health benefits for older consumers. 

“We were working specifically with a population of older adults to see if we could reduce the amount of salt in a product and then tailor it to their tastes,” said researcher Carolyn Ross. “This is important because the ability to taste and smell is known to weaken with age, and weaker perception of salty flavors may induce people to season their food with excessive salt, which may increase their risk of cardiovascular disease.” 

Adding spice benefits consumers’ health

The researchers had 39 participants over the age of 60 involved in a taste-test trial over the course of several days. The participants tasted three different variations of a pasta sauce: one had no added seasonings, one was seasoned with herbs, and the third had a combination of chipotle seasoning and herbs. The group then answered questions about their overall health and the medications they were taking to better understand what factors may impact their sense of taste. 

The researchers learned that the combination of herbs and chipotle seasoning was the most effective at limiting the participants’ salt intake. When trying this combination of spices, the participants were unable to tell how much salt was used, and they were less likely to add more salt. However, the sauce that contained just the herbs wasn’t as effective in this way. 

The study also found that taking several different medications and having poor oral health may affect consumers’ sense of taste. These factors can affect saliva production, making it harder to distinguish between different flavors. The researchers say older consumers could be adding more salt to their meals because their ability to taste has diminished as they’ve aged. 

Ultimately, these findings were helpful in identifying tangible ways for older consumers to limit their salt intake. Now, the team plans to do more work to better understand what happens to consumers’ tastes throughout the aging process. 

“To date, a clear relationship between taste loss, and thus higher taste thresholds, and eating behavior remains to be established,” said Ross. “So, we are investigating a bunch of different possible factors.” 

While several studies have explored how social media use can impact consumers’ mental health, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Buffalo explored the physical health toll associated with screen time. 

According to their findings, frequent social media use may increase consumers’ risk for a number of physical health concerns, including inflammation, a higher risk of disease, and a greater likelihood of doctors’ visits. 

“Social media use has become an integral part of many young adults’ daily lives,” said researcher Dr. David Lee. “It’s critical that we understand how engagement across these platforms contributes to physical health.” 

Social media poses a health risk

The researchers had over 250 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 participate in the study. They answered questions about their social media use and physical health and also provided blood samples. 

Using that information, the researchers identified a link between social media use and physical symptoms. The participants’ blood samples showed that more time on social media was associated with higher levels of the C-reactive protein (CRP), which is a biomarker closely associated with inflammation throughout the body. Over time, CRP can increase the risk for disease, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. 

“By looking at a biological marker in the blood, we were able to find a relatively more objective association between social media usage and physical health, but this correlational finding can’t rule out the possibility that poor health impacts social media usage,” Dr. Lee said. 

Participants who spent the most time on social media also more frequently reported experiencing headaches and back pains. These participants also visited their doctors with more regularity than participants who spent less time on social media. 

As the researchers hope that more work is done in this area, the team wonders if healthy consumers are less likely to spend lots of time on social media, whereas those with health issues are more frequent social media users. 

“There’s still work to be done,” Dr. Lee said. “But right now, I wanted to get the word out there that social media use may have a link to important physical health outcomes.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Virginia Health System explored how taking blood pressure medication may cause health problems. According to their findings, some of these medications can cause kidney damage to consumers if they are taken long-term.

“Our studies show that renin-producing cells are responsible for the damage,” said researcher Dr. Maria Luisa Sequeira Lopez. “We are now focusing on understanding how these cells, which are so important to defend us from drops in blood pressure and maintain our well-being, undergo such transformation and induce kidney damage. What is needed is to identify what substances these cells make that lead to uncontrolled vessel growth.” 

Understanding the risks of high blood pressure

To better understand why blood pressure medication has a negative effect on kidney function, the researchers conducted a study on both mice and humans that explored the ways these drugs affected artery and blood vessel health in the kidneys. 

The team identified renin cells as the major culprit behind many of the kidney health risks. When the body is functioning properly, these cells create a hormone that regulates blood pressure levels. However, when consumers are taking medication to regulate their blood pressure, it creates a buildup of these cells that can prevent healthy blood flow to the kidneys. 

The researchers explained that these findings may sound the alarm bells for many consumers. However, the team urges consumers who are taking blood pressure medications to continue doing so because they are an important way for those with hypertension to maintain their heart health. The team hopes more work continues to be done to understand why these medications interact so poorly with the kidneys. 

“It would be important to conduct prospective, randomized controlled studies to determine the extent of functional and tissue damage in patients taking medications for blood pressure control,” said researcher Dr. Ariel Gomez. “It is imperative to find out what molecules these cells make so that we can counteract them to prevent the damage while the hypertension is treated with the current drugs available today.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Exeter explored how older consumers may protect their cognitive function long-term. According to their findings, reducing frailty in older consumers and promoting a healthier lifestyle may reduce the risk of dementia. 

“We’re seeing increasing evidence that taking meaningful action during life can significantly reduce dementia risk,” said researcher Dr. David Ward. “Our research is a major step forward in understanding how reducing frailty could help to dramatically improve a person’s chances of avoiding dementia, regardless of their genetic predisposition to the condition. This is exciting because we believe that some of the underlying causes of frailty are in themselves preventable. In our study, this looked to be possible partly through engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors.” 

Staying active benefits older consumers’ cognitive function

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 196,000 adults over the age of 60 enrolled in the U.K. Biobank. They evaluated the participants’ lifestyle habits and medical records and assessed their genetic risk factors for dementia and frailty. The team followed the participants over the course of a decade to determine their long-term health outcomes. 

The researchers learned that frailty and dementia were closely linked; the higher the participants scored on the frailty risk scale, the more likely they were to also develop dementia. Participants with the highest degrees of frailty were found to be nearly three times as likely to develop dementia than those with the lowest frailty scores. 

The study also showed that being frail increased dementia risks even more than genetics, as participants who were genetically predisposed to dementia but were physically strong and fit were less likely to develop cognitive difficulties. Those with high frailty scores and strong genetic risks were the most likely to be diagnosed with dementia. 

“These findings have extremely positive implications, showing it’s not the case that dementia is inevitable, even if you’re at a high genetic risk,” said researcher Dr. Janice Ranson. “We can take meaningful action to reduce our risk; tackling frailty could be an effective strategy to maintaining brain health, as well as helping people stay mobile and independent for longer in later life.” 

Moving forward, the researchers hope these findings are used to help promote more active, healthy lifestyles among older consumers – especially those who may have a higher genetic risk of developing dementia. 

“The risk of dementia reflects genetic, neuropathological, lifestyle, and general health factors that in turn give rise to a range of abnormalities in the brain,” said researcher Dr. Kenneth Rockwood. “Our study is an important step forward on the role of frailty, which appears to have a unique and potentially modifiable pathway in influencing dementia risk. That’s an incredibly exciting prospect that we must urgently explore to potentially benefit the growing number of people worldwide affected by dementia.” 

While many consumers have started using cannabis to support their physical and mental health, a new study conducted by researchers from Penn State explored some of the risks associated with the substance. 

According to their findings, cannabis absorbs many toxic heavy metals. When ingested, these metals may pose a risk to consumers’ long-term health. 

“Heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium, are known to be carcinogenic,” said researcher Louis Bengyella. “The heavy-metal content of cannabis is not regulated; therefore, consumers could unknowingly be exposed to these toxic metals. This is bad news for anyone who uses cannabis but is particularly problematic for cancer patients who use medical marijuana to treat the nausea and pain associated with their treatments.” 

Dangers of ingesting heavy metals

For the study, the researchers analyzed earlier studies that evaluated how cannabis is impacted by heavy metals. This included how heavy metals can impact consumers’ health, how agricultural trends can impact how much metal the cannabis plant absorbs, and the ways that cannabis is used in phytoremediation (the use of plants to remove pollutants from the air or soil). 

From a consumer health standpoint, the researchers learned that heavy metals can damage important compounds in the body when they are ingested, including proteins, lipids, and enzymes. The team says this ultimately increases the chances of developing serious long-term diseases like cancer. 

“Cannabis consumed in combustive form represents the greatest danger to human health, as analysis of heavy metals in the smoke of cannabis revealed the presence of selenium, mercury, cadmium, lead, chromium, nickel, and arsenic,” said Bengyella. “It is disturbing to realize that the cannabis products being used by consumers, especially cancer patients, may be causing unnecessary harm to their bodies.” 

Changing the growing processes

To ensure that consumers are only reaping the benefits of using cannabis and avoiding potential health risks, the researchers explained that growers can make healthier and more sustainable choices. 

In addition to choosing land areas that haven’t been exposed to these dangerous metals, the team also recommends choosing different types of cannabis plants that aren’t as likely to absorb harmful chemicals. 

“The problem is at the level of the consumer who uses cannabis products, but the solution must come at the agricultural level,” said Bengyella. “We believe that is where we should hammer hard and solve the problem.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Barcelona explored how experiences during childhood may impact adolescents’ mental health. According to their findings, children have a higher risk of committing suicide by the time they reach adolescence when they experience mistreatment or abuse.

“Adolescence is a period of high emotional vulnerability and 70% mental disorders are estimated to come up during this time,” said researcher Lourdes Fañanás. “The brain of an adolescent undergoes a process of maturation and this process might involve difficulties in self-control and a higher impulsivity and emotional instability, which are decisive elements for developing some risky behaviors. 

“It’s also a period full of changes (family dynamics, new groups with classmates, new challenges and activities, etc.) that can involve an increase of stressful situations for young people.”  

Childhood can have a lasting impact on mental health

The researchers analyzed personality traits, life stressors, experiences with child abuse, and suicidal behaviors in nearly 200 kids between the ages of seven and 17 who took part in the study.

Ultimately, the team identified a link between childhood experiences and long-term mental health. Children who were mistreated from a young age were at a higher risk of developing suicidal behaviors during their teenage years. The team believes this relationship may exist as a result of a lack of emotional regulation.

“When there is a relational trauma during childhood – for instance, psychological, physical or sexual abuse, or negligence – three primary developmental capacities can be altered: emotional regulation, identity, and interpersonal relatedness,” explained researcher Laia Marques-Feixa. “If one reaches adolescence without having consolidated good bases in these skills, this person can have more difficulties due to the lack of solid psychological resources to deal with challenges, conflicts, and daily difficulties that come up over the course of our life.” 

Addressing emotions and suicide prevention

The researchers hope these findings emphasize the importance of suicide prevention resources and how focusing on addressing emotional regulation can be beneficial for children and teens in abusive, stressful homes. While strategies are required to ensure that children grow up in safe homes, it’s also important to support children as they grow and evolve during these difficult times. 

“Our research shows that, in order to reduce suicidal behaviors in adolescents, we need to work on the regulation strategies of emotions, as well as to reduce the potential exposure to new stressful events (changing homes, fights, suspension from school, etc.), especially regarding those people with records of child abuse,” Laia Marques-Feixa said. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Sydney explored the health benefits associated with delaying the clamping of the umbilical cord for premature infants. According to the researchers, waiting just one minute to clamp the umbilical cord may reduce the risk of developing a disability or dying. 

“Ten years ago, umbilical cords were routinely clamped quickly after a very preterm birth and the baby was passed to a pediatrician in case the child needed urgent help with breathing,” said researcher William Tarnow-Mordi. “But we now know that almost all very preterm babies will start breathing by themselves in the first minute, if they are given that time. 

“We think that, after delaying cord clamping, babies get extra red and white blood cells and stem cells from the placenta, helping to achieve healthy oxygen levels, control infection, and repair injured tissue.” 

Prioritizing infants’ health and safety

This study follows up on the 2017 Australian Placental Transfusion Study, which included data from more than 3,000 newborns from seven countries. 

Infants born at 30 weeks were randomly assigned to one of two groups based on umbilical cord clamping: one in which physicians waited at least one minute after birth to clamp the umbilical cord and one in which physicians clamped the umbilical cord after 10 seconds. The researchers followed up with the infants when they turned two years old to evaluate their health outcomes. 

The study showed that waiting just one minute to clamp the umbilical cord was better for preterm infants long-term; the overall risk of mortality or disability was nearly 20% lower among infants in this group. The risk of disability was 26% among the immediate clamping group, compared with a 23% risk for the delayed clamping group. Similarly, the mortality risk in the immediate clamping group was 11%, compared with 8% in the delayed clamping group. 

“Applied consistently worldwide, aiming to wait a minute before cord clamping in very preterm babies who do not require immediate resuscitation could ensure that an extra 50,000 survive without major disability in the next decade,” said researcher Dr. Kristy Robledo. “In other words, for every 20 very preterm babies who get delayed instead of immediate clamping, one more will survive without major disability.” 

Making this process the norm moving forward

The researchers hope these findings inspire health care professionals in labor and delivery to delay clamping the umbilical cord in premature infants.

“Midwives welcome this research – delaying cord clamping ensures that the physiological changes happening at the time of birth can happen and there are clearly very good outcomes especially for premature babies,” said researcher Caroline Homer. “We can all do this and now we know we should.” 

A new study explored how extreme heat may have a significant impact on consumers’ heart health. Experts explained that heatwaves, especially as they occur more often due to global warming, are likely to increase the risk for cardiovascular concerns. 

“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently reported that global temperatures are rising at a greater rate than previously projected, and that the number of extreme heat days will significantly increase across most land regions,” said researcher Daniel Gagnon, Ph.D. “Although we don’t yet fully understand the reasons, people with cardiovascular disease are at greater risk of hospitalizations and death during extreme heat events.” 

Rising temperatures affect heart health

To better understand how extreme temperatures can impact consumers’ long-term heart health,  the researchers analyzed several earlier studies that evaluated the same topic.

Ultimately, the researchers learned that persistent exposure to high temperatures puts additional stress on consumers’ cardiovascular systems. The study showed that there was a higher mortality risk due to heart failure, heart disease, stroke, and blood clots. Those health concerns were even greater for those with existing heart conditions.

To help lower the risk of long-term health concerns, the researchers encourage consumers to focus on staying properly hydrated and keeping cool when the weather gets warm. While not all consumers have access to air conditioning at home, some ways to stay cool include soaking feet in cool water, getting an electric fan, and wetting the skin with cold compresses. 

“Cardiovascular health professionals need to be aware of the negative consequences of extreme heat on cardiovascular health,” said Dr. Gagnon. “A better awareness and understanding of the cardiovascular consequences of extreme heat, and of the measures to take to prevent and mitigate adverse events, will help us all assess the risk and optimize the care of patients exposed to an increasingly warm climate.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from University College London explored how childhood cancer may affect consumers’ health into adulthood. According to their findings, cancer survivors have a higher risk of developing serious health concerns later in life, including cardiovascular conditions, immune system disorders, and other types of cancer. 

“Our study is the first to fully map out how surviving cancer early in life affects our health as we grow older,” said researcher Dr. Alvina Lai. “We believe it’s important for these long-term effects to be considered early on by families and their health care teams, so the benefits of a therapy can be weighed against any long-term risk. Awareness of these long-term issues is also important for survivors, who are better able to spot symptoms early.” 

Understanding the long-term health risks

For the study, the researchers analyzed the health records of over 3,400 people who had been diagnosed with cancer in England before the age of 25 and had survived at least five years post-diagnosis. They compared those results with over 13,000 people who had no history of the illness while paying close attention to the number of doctors’ visits and common medical conditions. 

The study showed that participants who had survived childhood cancer had overall poorer health outcomes than those who hadn’t been diagnosed with the disease. Cancer survivors were more likely to spend time in the hospital and have more visits with their general practitioners than non-cancer survivors. 

Additionally, when cancer survivors developed serious medical conditions later in life, it significantly affected their mortality. For example, immune system disorders or infections were associated with losing nearly seven more years of life among survivors when compared to those with no history of cancer. Similarly, developing heart disease or other cancers was linked with losing more than a decade of life. 

Different cancer treatments play a role in health outcomes

The researchers also learned that different types of cancer treatments affected the body differently down the road. Patients who received radiation and chemotherapy had more health risks, including a higher risk of developing cancer again, than those who had surgery. 

This also translated to more doctor and hospital visits. The study found that participants who received chemotherapy and radiation to treat their cancer had up to seven times more general practitioner visits related to heart diseases and twice as many hospitalizations for the same condition. 

“Combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy is effective at saving lives but is associated with a lower quality of life in the long term,” said researcher Wai Hoong. “Our study suggests using lower doses could reduce these long-term effects.” 

Moving forward, the researchers hope these findings spur future research projects that take into account the long-term health effects of cancer treatments. 

“Over 80% of children and young people diagnosed with cancer survive, but they face unique health care needs because of late effects brought on by cancer or its treatment,” said Dr. Lai. “We hope that further research can investigate how to minimize the long-term effects of cancer therapies.” 

Johnson & Johnson as we know it is no more. On Friday, the company announced that it intends to split off its consumer health business into a new publicly-traded company. In the company’s eyes, the separation would allow one entity to focus on consumer products and the other to hone in on business strategies in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors.

The company feels good about its chances. In announcing the split, it said the “new” Johnson & Johnson would remain the world’s largest and most diverse health care company.

“Throughout our storied history, Johnson & Johnson has demonstrated that we can deliver results that benefit all our stakeholders, and we must continually be evolving our business to provide value today, tomorrow and in the decades ahead,” Alex Gorsky, Executive Chairman of Johnson & Johnson, said. 

“Following a comprehensive review, the Board and management team believe that the planned separation of the Consumer Health business is the best way to accelerate our efforts to serve patients, consumers, and healthcare professionals, create opportunities for our talented global team, drive profitable growth, and – most importantly – improve healthcare outcomes for people around the world.”

Breaking down the split

The company hasn’t decided on a name for the consumer-focused operation yet, but shoppers don’t need to fret about their favorite brands changing names. Neutrogena, AVEENO, Tylenol, Listerine, Clean & Clear facial wash, Acuvue contact lenses, and BAND-AID will still be around and using the monikers they’re known by.

In confirming that those brands will stay put, Gorsky said having all of its consumer eggs in one basket will provide the company with the agility and flexibility to grow its iconic portfolio of brands and innovate new products. It doesn’t appear like there will be any cost-cutting job elimination either. 

“We are committed to the success of each organization, as well as our company’s more than 136,000 employees around the globe, who will remain the backbone of these businesses,” he said.

The new consumer company is expected to complete its separation in 18 to 24 months.

Health company focused on saving lives

On the other side of the Johnson & Johnson split, the company will play to its strength in pharmaceutical and medical needs, much like it did with its COVID-19 vaccine. The company said that side of the new Johnson & Johnson would continue to build on its offering of “life-saving treatments.”

“The new Johnson & Johnson would continue to play a leading role in advancing the industry forward by creating novel solutions, bringing together treatments spanning therapeutics, robotics, artificial intelligence and more, to change the way diseases are prevented, intercepted and eventually cured,” the company said.

The planned organizational design for the new health-focused company is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

While several studies have highlighted the health risks associated with alcohol consumption, a new study conducted by researchers from Monash University found that there may be some benefits. According to their findings, moderate drinking may come with some protective health benefits for older consumers. 

“Excess alcohol consumption is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease and a major risk factor for mortality. Yet, prior studies suggested that moderate alcohol consumption may be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events,” the researchers explained.

“However, this evidence is based on data from younger individuals, and confirmation in older adults is lacking. Thus, we sought to investigate the risk of CVD events and all-cause mortality associated with alcohol consumption in initially healthy, older individuals.” 

How alcohol impacts health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 18,000 older adults enrolled in the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) study. Participants reported on their daily alcohol consumption, and the researchers followed up with medical exams to determine the long-term health outcomes. 

The researchers divided the participants into five groups depending on how much they drank per week: zero drinks per week, 0-3.5 drinks per week, 3.5-7 drinks per week, 7-10 drinks per week, and more than 10 drinks per week. Most of the participants consumed between 3.5 and seven drinks per week; however, more than 18% drank no alcohol at all. 

In terms of health outcomes, drinking was linked with some protective benefits. Participants who consumed at least 3.5 drinks per week were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than participants who didn’t drink at all. The study also showed that moderate drinkers -- those who had between 3.5 and seven drinks per week -- had a lower overall mortality risk than non-drinkers. 

While these findings point to the protective health benefits linked with moderate drinking, the researchers also noted that none of the participants had any significant health risks, including any history of cardiovascular disease. However, moving forward, they hope to do more work in this area to better understand how alcohol impacts consumers’ health long-term. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Houston Methodist Hospital explored the health risks associated with cardiovascular disease and the flu. 

According to their findings, consumers who have heart disease also have a higher risk of developing complications related to the flu if they become infected. To help prevent severe health outcomes, the team recommends that consumers with cardiovascular disease (CVD) get the flu shot. 

“It seems that younger Americans with high-risk conditions have not gotten the same memo that their older counterparts have received about the importance of getting the influenza vaccine,” said researcher Dr. Priyanka Bhugra. “That’s dangerous, considering people with heart conditions are particularly vulnerable to influenza-related heart complications, whether they’ve reached retirement age or not.” 

Health risks for cardiovascular disease patients

The researchers analyzed recent studies that explored the link between heart disease and the flu. They also looked into current rates of vaccination among cardiovascular disease patients of all ages. Ultimately, they found that heart disease is associated with an increased risk of health complications related to the flu. 

The data showed that the influenza virus was associated with a nearly 12% risk of a cardiovascular event, including a heart attack or stroke. This was true in two of the studies, which included information on more than 430,000 patients. 

The risk of a heart attack was even higher for CVD patients when they were admitted into the hospital with the flu, as was the risk of needing intensive care treatment. 

The flu shot can help

Because of the serious risks associated with CVD patients being infected with the flu, the researchers encourage these consumers to stay up-to-date on their yearly flu shots. 

While the flu shot benefits all consumers, the researchers say it is associated with significantly better health outcomes for consumers with CVD. There was a 37% lower risk of hospitalization, a more than 80% lower risk of being admitted into the ICU, and a less than 3% risk of a cardiovascular event. When patients were hospitalized, having the flu shot protected against serious health risks. 

Moving forward, the team hopes that CVD patients consult with their doctors about the best ways to stay healthy and protected against the influenza virus. While the flu shot plays an important role in that, following a healthy diet, taking the proper medication, and maintaining an exercise routine can also be important for long-term health. 

A new study conducted by The Endocrine Society explored one of the benefits linked with practicing intermittent fasting. 

According to their report, eating all food and snacks within an eight- to 10-hour window can help reduce the risk of metabolic disease, including diabetes and heart disease. 

“People who are trying to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle should pay more attention to when they eat as well as what they eat,” said researcher Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D. “Time-restricted eating is an easy-to-follow and effective dietary strategy that requires less mental math than counting calories. Intermittent fasting can improve sleep and a person’s quality of life as well as reduce the risk of obesity.” 

Health benefits of intermittent fasting

The researchers analyzed prior studies, clinical data, and the science behind intermittent fasting to better understand the health benefits of time-restricted eating. 

Ultimately, they learned that sticking to an eight- to 10-hour window of eating all meals and snacks can be beneficial to a person's long-term metabolic health. They explained that eating in this way helps regulate hormone levels and gets the body’s internal clock back on track. 

In doing this, people are likely to reap the countless health benefits associated with intermittent fasting. The study showed that regularly following this method of eating can help to reduce the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and liver disease. 

While it may not be an easy transition for consumers, the researchers explained that there are no dietary restrictions, and it can be a good way to be healthier long-term. 

“Eating at random times breaks the synchrony of our internal program and makes us prone to diseases,” said Dr. Panda. “Intermittent fasting is a lifestyle that anyone can adopt. It can help eliminate health disparities and lets everyone live a healthy and fulfilling life.” 

While recent studies have found that following healthy habits can benefit older consumers’ cognitive function, a new study conducted by researchers from Penn State explored another way to boost cognition. 

According to their findings, consistently engaging in social interactions with close friends or family members can lead to better cognitive function in older adults. They found that the cognitive boost lasted for up to two days after the social event. 

“Our study is one of the first to show that whether you have social interactions on one day can immediately affect your cognitive performance that same day and also on the following days,” said researcher Ruixue Zhaoyang. “The fact that we found that the cognitive benefits of having pleasant social interactions could manifest over such a short time period was a happy surprise and could be a promising area for future intervention studies.” 

Staying socially engaged

The researchers had over 300 older adults participate in the study. Over the course of 16 days, participants received notifications on their smartphones several times throughout the day that asked them questions about their social interactions: how they felt about each interaction, how many social interactions they had, and who they interacted with. Each prompt was followed up by cognitive assessments that measured skills like memory and processing speed. 

Overall, socializing had a positive effect on the participants’ cognitive function. The researchers learned that when participants interacted with their close friends or family members, they scored better on the cognitive assessments. Additionally, these benefits were seen for up to two days after the initial interaction. 

On the other hand, participants who had fewer social interactions didn’t perform as well on the cognitive tests. 

The biggest takeaway was that the more often the participants were socializing, the better they were performing cognitively. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that these findings are used to help older consumers sharpen their cognitive skills. 

“Our findings suggest that the lack of positive social interactions in daily life could be a critical risk factor for declining cognitive function later in life,” said Zhaoyang. “Older adults who are relatively more deprived in certain social interaction experiences could potentially benefit the most from interventions that help to ‘boost’ their usual levels of social interactions in daily life.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Central Florida suggests that providing a more structured schedule for kids can help improve their health. 

The team looked specifically at behaviors that lead to obesity, including lots of screen time and little physical activity. They learned that kids tend to be more active and spend less time in front of screens on school days; however, the opposite was true on non-school days. 

Based on these findings, the researchers believe parents can do more to help foster good health in their children by adopting a more structured schedule all year round.

Sticking to a schedule

For the study, the researchers tracked the schedules of 50 children for two weeks. The children wore accelerometers to measure their physical activity and sleep, and parents kept records of their screen time, diets, and activities. 

Overall, the study showed that kids were more active and spent less time in front of screens on school days versus non-school days. During the week, screen time was down by nearly half an hour, activity was up by about 20 minutes, and sedentary time was reduced by an hour. 

The researchers explained that spending too much time in front of screens, sitting down for long stretches of time, and not getting enough exercise can all negatively impact kids’ health. This is why the team encourages parents to develop a similar routine on weekends, vacations from school, or potential school closures due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

“This means maybe having a very loose schedule that has time for children’s snack, free play time, maybe some indoor exercises that don’t require a lot of space such as aerobics, dancing to music, or even yoga. I also encourage rule-setting around screen and media time, especially in the evening as bedtime approaches, as this can be beneficial for the child,” said researcher Keith Brazendale.

“It’s not necessarily the program itself that always provides the direct benefit, but the presence of ‘attending something’ seems to shape behaviors outside of the program’s operating hours and almost sets a default schedule for the day for the child, like when they wake up or go to bed, or when they eat.” 

Though the kids’ diets didn’t have much of an impact on their behaviors, the researchers hope these findings highlight the ways that parents can keep their kids active and healthy any day of the year. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) explored how women’s health during pregnancy can impact their experiences during childbirth. 

Their findings showed that childbirth complications are more likely to occur when women contract severe infections during pregnancy. They explained that when infections develop into sepsis and women need to be admitted to the hospital, there is a greater likelihood of childbirth risks. 

“All the prior studies only looked at sepsis and delivery during the same admission, so delivery right after sepsis,” said researcher Dr. Stephanie Gaw. “But with the majority of sepsis cases that happen during pregnancy, the moms are treated with antibiotics or other medications and they get better. Nobody had looked at what happens to moms that are really sick at some point during their pregnancy, recover from that acute episode, and go home. Do they go on to have normal pregnancies? Do the babies do okay?” 

Identifying health risks

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 15,000 women who delivered at UCSF over a six-year period; nearly 60 women were admitted into the hospital with a septic infection over the course of their pregnancies. The team followed the women’s health outcomes from their pregnancies through delivery. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that women who had experienced severe infections during pregnancy were two times as likely to also experience complications during childbirth. Women that contracted septic infections during pregnancy tended to have higher BMIs, were younger, and were more likely to also have pregestational diabetes. The study showed that urinary tract infections were the most common type of infection among the women who were hospitalized. 

“If pregnant women were admitted for severe infection, even after they’re discharged and they recover from that infection, there was an increased risk of complications related to pregnancy that are associated with core placental dysfunction,” said Dr. Gaw. 

The three biggest risks during childbirth following a septic infection during pregnancy were placenta dysfunction, hypertensive disease of pregnancy, and small birth weight. However, there was also a higher risk of stillbirth and C-section deliveries. 

“Having a baby that was small for gestational age was more common if you had sepsis during pregnancy than if you didn’t, even after controlling for other risk factors,” Dr. Gaw said. “One thing that could be changed in current prenatal care practice would be to add another ultrasound to monitor the baby’s growth. In the third trimester, that was not routinely done for all of these patients and isn’t routinely done in clinical practice right now.” 

Moving forward, the researchers hope the medical community continues to work toward improvements in this area so that pregnant women can deliver their children safely and without complications. 

“We need more data to identify potential interventions -- whether a woman gets malaria, COVID, or any other type of infection -- to slow the inflammatory process, so that these long-term, permanent changes to the placenta don’t happen,” Dr. Gaw said. 

When children experience food insecurity, it can affect everything from their performance in school to their development and health outcomes. Now, researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health found that experiencing food insecurity as a college student can have similarly detrimental outcomes.

According to their findings, students who experience food insecurity during their college years may have a harder time graduating or pursuing advanced degrees.

How food-related stress impacts school

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 1,500 college students enrolled in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. The participants were in college in the early 2000s, and they kept up with study questionnaires until 2017. Both in college and post-college, the participants answered questions about their lives at home and their experiences with food insecurity. 

It became clear to the researchers that there was a link between college graduation rates and food insecurity. The study showed that food insecurity made the students 43% less likely to achieve an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree. It also lowered the likelihood of earning an advanced degree by more than 60%.

This relationship was even more pronounced for participants who were the first in their families to go to college. Forty-seven percent of first-generation college students who struggled with food insecurity graduated from college, compared to 59% of first-generation, food-secure college students. 

“These results suggest that we really need robust policies to address food insecurity among college students, especially now with the higher food insecurity levels observed during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said researcher Julia Wolfson, Ph.D. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at San Francisco explored the heart health risks associated with alcohol consumption. 

Their findings showed that having just one drink can immediately increase the risk of atrial fibrillation. 

“Common to contrary belief that atrial fibrillation is associated with heavy alcohol consumption, it appears that even one alcohol drink may be enough to increase the risk,” said researcher Dr. Gregory Marcus. “Our results show that the occurrence of atrial fibrillation might be neither random nor unpredictable. Instead, there may be identifiable and modifiable ways of preventing an acute heart arrhythmia episode.” 

Alcohol can affect heart rate

For the study, the researchers had 100 atrial fibrillation patients wear an electrocardiogram (ECG) for four weeks. All of the participants reported having at least one alcoholic drink per month before the study started. Over the course of the study, they recorded every time they drank alcohol by pressing a button on the ECG device. 

The study showed that alcohol increased the risk of an atrial fibrillation episode, and the more the participants drank, the higher the risk of atrial fibrillation. 

Having two or more drinks within four hours made atrial fibrillation three times more likely. Having just one drink made the condition twice as likely. 

While it’s unclear how consumers without a history of atrial fibrillation would respond to alcohol, the findings highlight the risks that alcohol poses to those with preexisting heart conditions or concerns.

“The effects seem to be fairly linear: the more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk of an acute AF event,” said Dr. Marcus. “These observations mirror what has been reported by patients for decades, but this is the first objective, measurable evidence that a modifiable exposure may acutely influence the chance that an AF episode will occur.” 

Several studies have pointed to the health risks that are likely to arise when young athletes experience multiple head injuries. Now, researchers from the American Academy of Neurology are exploring the risks associated with suffering recurring head trauma. 

According to their findings, multiple concussions during a young athletic career may increase the likelihood of more severe injuries with later concussions. The study also showed that changes to brain function, including blood flow to the brain and microstructure, are more common among frequently injured young athletes. 

“We know conclusions may have long-term effects on the brain that last beyond getting a doctor’s clearance to return to play,” said researcher Tom A. Schweizer, Ph.D. “It is unclear, however, to what extent the effects of repeated concussion can be detected among young, otherwise healthy adults. We found even though there is no difference in symptoms or the amount of recovery time, athletes with a history of concussion showed subtle and chronic changes in their brains.” 

The long-term effect of brain trauma

For the study, the researchers evaluated the brain function of nearly 230 young athletes. Some of the group had recently experienced a concussion, and nearly half of them had a history of concussions. The team analyzed brain scans of those who had recently been injured for up to a year after they had been cleared to resume play to understand what impacts the injury had on their overall brain function. 

The researchers learned that consistent head injuries can have long-term impacts. The study showed that no history of concussion was associated with a cerebral blood flow of 53 mL per minute, per 100g of brain tissue. Those numbers decreased to 40 mL per minute, per 100g of brain tissue for those with persistent head injuries. 

The brain scans also showed subtle changes to the microstructure of the splenium, which plays a role in sending sensory information from one hemisphere of the brain to another. The researchers say it is frequently affected when concussions occur.

Considering these scans were taken a year after the athletes had been cleared to resume activity, these findings highlight the long-term risks associated with experiencing consistent concussions. 

“Our findings suggest that an athlete with a history of concussion should be watched closely, as these subtle brain changes may be worsened by repeated injury,” Dr. Schweizer said. “Additionally, our results should raise concern about the cumulative effects of repeated head injuries later in life.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the European Society of Cardiology explored the heart health benefits associated with staying properly hydrated. According to their findings, drinking the right amount of water can help protect consumers against heart failure. 

“Our study suggests that maintaining good hydration can prevent or at least slow down the changes within the heart that lead to heart failure,” said researcher Dr. Natalia Dmitrieva. “The findings indicate that we need to pay attention to the amount of fluid we consume every day and take action if we find that we drink too little.” 

Hydration is key

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 16,000 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. The team compared the participants’ hydration levels with two primary heart health outcomes: heart failure and ventricular hypertrophy, which is the thickening of the left ventricle and an early sign of heart failure. 

To track the participants’ hydration habits over the course of nearly 30 years, the researchers regularly measured their serum sodium concentration. Levels of salt in the body are lower when people are more hydrated. 

“It is natural to think that hydration and serum sodium should change day to day depending on how much we drink each day,” Dr. Dmitrieva said. “However, serum sodium concentration remains within a narrow range over long periods, which is likely related to habitual fluid consumption.”

Ultimately, the team found that there was a clear relationship between the participants’ hydration habits and their heart health. Participants with the highest serum sodium levels were the most likely to develop both ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure by the end of the study. Increases in serum sodium levels were also associated with higher risks of both heart conditions. 

Protecting heart health

Moving forward, the researchers hope these findings highlight the importance of staying hydrated. Hydration habits can affect consumers’ heart health over long periods of time, and drinking more water can help promote better health outcomes into older age. 

“The results suggest that good hydration throughout life may decrease the risk of developing left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure,” Dr. Dmitrieva said. 

“In addition, our finding that serum sodium exceeding 142 mmol/l increases the risk of adverse effects in the heart may help to identify people who could benefit from an evaluation of their hydration level. This sodium level is within the normal range and would not be labeled as abnormal in lab tests but could be used by physicians during regular exams to identify people whose usual fluid intake should be assessed.” 

Fitness trackers and other types of wearable technology have gained a foothold with consumers in recent years. Whether it’s a Fitbit, an Apple Watch, or some other device, people tend to like being able to track their daily activity. But researchers say devices like these can also help patients with serious health conditions. 

Researchers from UBC Okanagan recently conducted a study to test whether wearable devices could help doctors deliver better care to patients with Parkinson’s disease. They found that these devices’ tracking capabilities helped deliver more timely and accurate information that could be used to tailor health care, even from a distance.

“Even prior to the pandemic, telehealth helped deliver specialized care to patients living in remote and rural settings,” said Dr. Daryl Wile. “But with the complex nature of Parkinson’s, we wanted to enhance these appointments to better understand how movements vary throughout a patient’s entire day."

Using devices to tailor care

The researchers came to their conclusions after working with Parkinson’s patients who developed tremors or other involuntary movements. The participants were divided into two groups -- one that wore wearable devices and one that relied only on traditional face-to-face appointments.

The group of participants who wore the devices had their movements tracked throughout the study, and the information was sent throughout the day to their health care providers. That data was then analyzed and reviewed during telehealth appointments so that experts could identify the peak times that patients experienced Parkinson’s symptoms.

“With the integration of accurate and reliable data from wearable devices, we were able to tailor a patient’s medication to better manage their symptoms throughout the day,” said Wile.

Wearing the devices also wasn’t seen as a burden by the patients. They mostly reported positive experiences by being able to use them in conjunction with their telehealth appointments. The researchers say the results could help inform future health care options.

“There’s definitely a strong case to leverage multiple technologies to improve a patient’s quality of life and limit the added stress and cost associated with travel,” said study co-author Joshua Yoneda.

Plenty of previous research suggests that working the night shift can be harmful to consumers’ long-term health. Now, another recent study shows that it may cause potentially serious heart conditions.

Two researchers from the U.S. and China say they found evidence that consumers who work the night shift have a higher risk for atrial fibrillation -- a condition characterized by an irregular and often rapid heart rate that leads to poor blood flow. They say this is true for workers who currently follow this kind of schedule and those who previously worked it for a longer period of time.

"Our findings have public health implications for preventing atrial fibrillation. They suggest that reducing both the frequency and the duration of night shift work may be beneficial for the health of the heart and blood vessels,” said researcher Yingli Lu.

Women and physically inactive are most at risk

The researchers came to their conclusions after analyzing over 286,000 health records from the UK Biobank. They found that people who currently work night shifts on a usual or permanent basis have a 12% higher risk of atrial fibrillation than consumers who work during the day. However, they found that this risk rose to as high as 22% if consumers worked the night shift for 3 to 8 days per month over 10 years or more.

On top of the increased risk of atrial fibrillation, the researchers found that working the night shift under those same conditions drastically increased the risk of other heart conditions. For example, the increased risk of coronary heart disease was 35% higher for night shift workers.

The researchers found that women and those who are not very physically active had the greatest risk of atrial fibrillation when they worked the night shift for longer periods of time. However, the findings were more positive for those who were able to find time to be physically active.

“People reporting an ideal amount of physical activity of 150 minutes a week or more of moderate intensity, 75 minutes a week or more of vigorous intensity, or an equivalent combination, had a lower risk of atrial fibrillation than those with non-ideal physical activity when exposed to a lifetime of night shift work,” said researcher Lu Qi. 

The full study has been published in the European Heart Journal.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at Davis explored the effects associated with health care professionals reducing opioid prescriptions for pain patients. 

Their findings suggest that while many practitioners want to lower the dosage of opioids that patients are using for pain management, doing so could lead to an increase in overdoses and mental health concerns. 

“Prescribers are in a really difficult position,” said researcher Alicia Agnoli. “There are conflicting desires of ameliorating pain among patients while reducing the risk of adverse outcomes related to prescriptions. Our study showed an increased risk of overdose and mental health crisis following dose reduction. It suggests that patients undergoing tapering need significant support to safely reduce or discontinue their opioids.” 

Monitoring patients on opioids

The researchers analyzed data from more than 113,000 patients who were prescribed opioids for pain management. They compared hospital records of patients that had their prescriptions tapered over the course of a year with those that had no changes to their prescription or health records before prescriptions were altered. 

Ultimately, the researchers found that reducing opioid prescriptions increased the risk of a mental health emergency or an opioid overdose by nearly 70%. Participants who experienced these changes to their prescriptions struggled with suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression, and others experienced drug withdrawal. 

The researchers identified two factors that contributed to a heightened risk of overdose or mental health struggles: having a higher dosage at the onset of the study or experiencing a significant reduction to a prescription in a short amount of time. The team explained that federal regulations have guided clinicians to taper opioid prescriptions in an effort to get a better handle on opioid therapies; however, doing so does come with risks, and it’s important that health care providers give their patients the proper support if they choose to reduce an opioid prescription. 

“Our study results support the recent federal guidelines for clinicians considering opioid dose reduction for patients,” said researcher Joshua Fenton. “But I fear that most tapering patients aren’t receiving close follow-up and monitoring to make sure they’re coping well on lower doses.” 

Finding a better approach

Prescribing opioids and monitoring the patients taking them can be a tricky process for health care providers, but the researchers hope these findings can be valuable when thinking about the best ways to handle patients’ prescriptions. 

“We hope that work will inform a more cautious and compassionate approach to decisions around opioid dose tapering,” said Agnoli. “Our study may help shape clinical guidelines on patient selection for tapering, optimal rates of dose reduction, and how best to monitor and support patients during periods of dose transition.” 

A new study conducted by the Alzheimer’s Association explored how air quality may have an effect on consumers’ long-term cognitive function.

According to their findings, improving air quality may reduce the risk of developing dementia. However, poorer air quality may have the opposite effect on cognitive function. 

“We’ve known for some time that air pollution is bad for our brains and overall health, including a connection to amyloid build-up in the brain,” said researcher Claire Sexton, D.Phil. “But what’s exciting is we’re now seeing data showing that improving air quality may actually reduce the risk of dementia. These data demonstrate the importance of policies and action by federal and local governments, and businesses, that address reducing air pollutants.” 

Cognitive benefits of better air quality

The researchers analyzed data from three different studies, all of which explored the relationship between air quality and cognitive function. Collectively, the studies examined large groups of consumers from both overseas and in the U.S., and they observed how air pollution levels over large spans of time impacted the participants’ long-term cognitive health outcomes. 

Across the board, the results were consistent: better air quality was associated with better cognitive function. The opposite was also true -- poorer air quality was linked with poorer cognitive function. Though higher levels of air pollution are likely to have a greater burden on consumers’ risk of dementia, these findings are important because they showed that this association isn’t fixed; when air quality improves, the risk of dementia and decreased cognitive function also improves. 

One study conducted in France showed that the risk of Alzheimer’s decreased by 17% and the risk of dementia decreased by 15% with each single unit decrease of air pollution. Another study involving older women looked at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recommendations for reducing fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). They found that when areas were able to reduce these pollutant levels by more than 10%, the risk of women developing dementia was lower -- 14% lower for PM2.5 levels and 26% lower for NO2 levels. 

“These data, for the first time, highlight the beneficial effects of reduced air pollution on the incidence of dementia in older adults,” said researcher Noemie Letellier, Ph.D. “The findings have important implications to reinforce air quality standards to promote healthy aging. In the context of climate change, massive urbanization and worldwide population aging, it is crucial to accurately evaluate the influence of air pollution change on incident dementia to identify and recommend effective prevention strategies.”

The researchers hope these findings lead policymakers to focus on improving air quality so that consumers can experience better health and wellness. 

“Our findings suggest that air pollution may be an important factor in the development of dementia,” said researcher Christina Park. “Many other factors that impact dementia are not changeable, but reductions in exposure to air pollution may be associated with a lower risk of dementia.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research explored how cognitive decline may impact consumers’ bone health as they enter into older age. 

According to the researchers, the link between cognitive decline and poorer bone health is stronger in women than in men. They explained that older women who have cognitive issues are more likely to experience bone fractures over time. 

“Bone loss and cognitive decline are major public health issues, but both are ‘silent diseases’ that can go undetected and untreated for long periods, often until the conditions are severely progressed,” said researcher Jacqueline Center. “Our study has revealed a link between the two in women, which suggests that cognition should be monitored together with bone health, as a decline in one could mean a decline in the other.” 

Identifying women at risk

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 2,000 men and women enrolled in the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos). All of the participants were aged 65 or older, and the researchers tracked their health records from 1997 through 2013. 

Ultimately, the researchers identified a clear link between cognitive decline in women and subsequent bone fractures; this association was not as strong for the men involved in the study. They explained that regardless of bone health, cognitive decline over the course of five years nearly doubled the risk of bone fractures over the next decade. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope these findings highlight the need for older women to consistently be monitored for both cognitive decline and bone health so they can enjoy the highest quality of life. 

“What our study highlights is that cognitive health is potentially an important factor for providing more information to individuals and their health professionals on fracture risk, and ultimately improve health outcomes for our older population,” Center said. 

A new study conducted by researchers from New York University explored how consumers’ oral hygiene can impact their long-term cognitive health. According to the team, poor dental health can increase the chances of consumers losing their teeth; the more teeth lost, the more likely consumers are to struggle with their cognitive function. 

“Given the staggering number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia each year, and the opportunity to improve oral health across the lifespan, it’s important to gain a deeper understanding of the connection between poor oral health and cognitive decline,” said researcher Bei Wu, Ph.D. 

Maintaining good oral health

The researchers analyzed more than a dozen earlier studies that included data on more than 34,000 adults, nearly 5,000 of whom were struggling with their cognitive function. The team compared the participants’ oral health with their overall cognitive health to determine how the two were linked. 

Ultimately, the researchers identified a clear link between dental health and cognitive function. As participants lost teeth due to poor oral hygiene, they increased their risk of both developing dementia and struggling with cognitive performance; this association was even stronger when participants lost teeth and didn’t have dentures. 

It’s also important to note that the more teeth the participants lost, the higher their risk was for cognitive impairments. Each missing tooth increased the risk of dementia by more than 1% and the risk of diminished cognitive function by nearly 1.5%. 

“This ‘dose-response’ relationship between the number of missing teeth and risk of diminished cognitive function substantially strengthens the evidence linking tooth loss to cognitive impairment, and provides some evidence that tooth loss may predict cognitive decline,” said researcher Xiang Qi. 

A new study conducted by researchers from University College London explored how consumers’ hygiene habits impact kids’ immune systems. 

Though many people believe that being too clean can do a disservice to kids’ immune systems because it doesn’t expose them to enough bacteria, the researchers explained that this isn’t the case. They say it’s important for consumers to maintain good hygiene in their homes, and it doesn’t come at the expense of children’s health. 

“Exposure to microorganisms in early life is essential for the ‘education’ of the immune and metabolic systems,” said researcher Graham Rook. “In this paper, we set out to reconcile the apparent need for cleaning and hygiene to keep us free of pathogens, and the need for microbial inputs to populate our guts and set up our immune and metabolic systems.” 

Maintaining good hygiene

The researchers evaluated several recent papers that explored how cleaning and hygiene affected kids’ immune systems. They ultimately determined that cleaning products and maintaining hygiene weren’t a detriment to kids’ health, and they identified a few reasons why. 

They explained that the widespread distribution of vaccines helps to boost the immune system regardless of what microorganisms consumers are exposed to. They also noted that cleaning products may impact consumers’ health, but it isn’t necessarily because bacteria are removed from the home. Instead, the chemicals in the cleaning products themselves can be detrimental to allergies and respiratory health. 

Ultimately, the researchers say maintaining proper hygiene around the home is important for immune system function, and consumers shouldn’t change up their cleaning routines due to worry or fear. 

“Exposure to our mothers, family members, the natural environment, and vaccines can provide all the microbial inputs that we need,” said Rook. “These exposures are not in conflict with intelligently targeted hygiene or cleaning.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Buffalo explored how kids’ personalities can affect their eating habits. 

The researchers learned that children who are more impulsive and extroverted are also more likely to be faster eaters. These findings are important because eating faster may increase the likelihood of obesity and other health concerns. 

“Temperament is linked to many child developmental and behavioral outcomes, yet despite emerging evidence, few studies have examined its relationship with pediatric obesity,” said researcher Robert Berkowitz. 

Monitoring children’s eating speed

For the study, the researchers surveyed nearly 30 families involved in a program geared toward helping kids maintain healthy eating habits. All of the children were between the ages of four and eight, and their parents answered questions about their eating habits and their personalities. 

The team learned that introverted and cautious children were more likely to eat slower, while the opposite was also true -- extroverted and impulsive children were more likely to eat faster. Because the children involved in the study were already at an increased risk of obesity, these findings are important when thinking about how eating speed can further increase the risk of childhood obesity and other health concerns. 

The researchers also found that being able to tell when you’re full can impact eating speed. Kids are more likely to have self-control and stop eating when they have a better sense of knowing when they’re full. This is also important because it can help enforce healthy eating habits and promote better overall health outcomes. 

“Parents may use food to soothe temperamental children and ease negative emotions,” said researcher Alyssa Button. “Future research should examine the different ways parents feed their children in response to their temperament, as well as explore whether the relationship between temperament and eating behaviors is a two-way street. Could the habit of eating slower, over time, lead to lower impulsiveness?” 

Moving forward, the researchers hope to do more work in this area, as knowing more about how personalities can impact kids’ relationships with food can help promote better health outcomes. 

“This study established relationships between temperament and eating patterns in children; however, there is still the question of chicken-and-egg and which comes first?” said researcher Myles Faith, Ph.D. “Research that follows families over time is needed to untangle these developmental pathways.”

Staying physically active is an important component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. That advice is being showcased in a recent round of recommendations by the American Heart Association (AHA).

The group says more movement and less sedentary time should be a primary focus for those struggling with mildly high cholesterol or blood pressure. The organization released a statement that encourages health care providers to “prescribe” physical activity as a means of improving critical health markers. 

“The current American Heart Association guidelines for diagnosing high blood pressure and cholesterol recognize that otherwise healthy individuals with mildly or moderately elevated levels of these cardiovascular risk factors should actively attempt to reduce these risks,” said researcher Bethany Barone Gibbs, Ph.D. “The first treatment strategy for many of these patients should be healthy lifestyle changes beginning with increasing physical activity.”  

Health benefits of more movement

The experts released their guidance based on the number of consumers who struggle with moderately high cholesterol and blood pressure. They explained that nearly 30% of consumers nationwide struggle with cholesterol, while more than 21% have mildly high blood pressure readings. 

Conversely, consumers who spend more time being physically active and less time sitting are likely to have better health outcomes. Consistent exercise is linked with a 36% lower risk of cardiovascular-related death and a 21% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease. 

“Increasing physical activity can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, along with many other health benefits,” said Dr. Gibbs. 

Exercising more often is associated with tangible results in lowering both cholesterol and blood pressure; cholesterol can be reduced by as much as 6 mg/dL and blood pressure can fall by as much as 4 mm Hg if a person takes part in more regular physical activity. For those that fall in the mildly or moderately high category of either of these measures, that kind of reduction can make significant differences in terms of long-term heart health. 

Using health care providers as a resource

While the AHA recommends that consumers focus on physical activity, it’s important that they also receive resources and support from their health care providers. Changing activity habits can be difficult, so it’s important for doctors to help their patients find activities that are best suited to their needs and interests. They can also be sources of support and encouragement throughout the process. 

Though the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults engage in either 75 minutes of vigorous exercise or 150 minutes of intense exercise each week, increasing physical activity in any way is beneficial to consumers’ heart health. 

“In our world where physical activity is increasingly engineered out of our lives and the overwhelming default is to sit -- and even more so now as the nation and the world is practicing quarantine and isolation to reduce the spread of coronavirus -- the message that we must be relentless in our pursuit to ‘sit less and move more’ throughout the day is more important than ever,” Dr. Gibbs said. 

Some supplements on the market falsely claim to help cure infertility and other reproductive health issues, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Tuesday. 

In a news release, the FDA said most of the drugs in question are unapproved and sold online. Many are falsely labeled as “dietary supplements.” Officials say the claims presented on the supplements could prevent consumers from seeking out treatments that are actually effective.

"It is important to know that these products are not based on proven scientific information, and they have not been reviewed for safety and efficacy," the agency said.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it joined the FDA in sending warning letters to five companies for illegally selling dietary supplements that claim to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent infertility and other reproductive health disorders. The warning letters were sent to: LeRoche Benicoeur/ConceiveEasy; EU Natural Inc.; Fertility Nutraceuticals LLC; SAL NATURE LLC/FertilHerb; and NS Products, Inc.

"These purported fertility aids seek to profit off of the vulnerability and frustration many may feel as they face difficulties in getting pregnant," the FDA said. "Relying on ineffective, unproven products can be a waste of time and money, and can possibly result in illness or serious injury."

Fake consumer testimonials

The FDA said claims that sound too good to be true probably are. False claims on some of the products include: "One product does it all" or "Miracle cure" or "scientific breakthrough" or "cure all." Some sellers even include fake consumer testimonials. Here are a few examples: 

• "You will get pregnant very fast and give birth to healthy children regardless of … how severe or chronic your infertility disorder."

• " … a perfect natural alternative to infertility drugs or invasive treatments."

• "best fertility supplements to boost your chance of pregnancy or improve your IVF success rate."

• "… treat infertility… effectiveness in preventing recurrent miscarriages during early stage pregnancy."

The FDA advises consumers to talk to their doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider before deciding to purchase or use any dietary supplement or drug. Effective, science-based infertility treatments -- such as FDA-approved drugs or assisted reproductive technology -- are available to those struggling to get or stay pregnant.

"Women and families who face fertility issues deserve the best that science has to offer,” said Daniel Kaufman, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC is proud to work with the FDA to ensure that when companies make claims about fertility treatments and cures, those claims are backed by solid scientific evidence.”

A new study conducted by researchers from the National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes explored a new genetic form of ALS that’s specific to children. 

According to their findings, children experienced muscle-related symptoms around the age of four, while the majority of ALS patients are diagnosed in their 50s or 60s. The condition was linked to mutations in the SPTLC1 gene, which the researchers explained is related to the body’s fat production. 

“ALS is a paralyzing and often fatal disease that usually affects middle aged people,” said Dr. Carsten Bönnemann. “We found that a genetic form of the disease can also threaten children. Our results show for the first time that ALS can be caused by changes in the way the body metabolizes lipids.

“We hope these results will help doctors recognize this new form of ALS and lead to the development of treatments that will improve the lives of these children and young adults. We also hope that our results may provide new clues to understanding and treating other forms of the disease.” 

Understanding a new form of ALS

For the study, Dr. Bönnemann and his group analyzed medical records for 11 patients who showed signs of ALS from as young as four years old. However, unlike adults with ALS, the children’s symptoms were more severe for longer periods of time. 

“These young patients had many of the upper and lower motor neuron problems that are indicative of ALS,” said researcher Dr. Payam Mohassel. “What made these cases unique was the early age of onset and the slower progression of symptoms. This made us wonder what was underlying this distinct form of ALS.” 

After analyzing the DNA make-up of each of the patients, the researchers identified a key difference in the children with ALS -- changes to the SPTLC1 protein. While some of the children were born with a genetic mutation that created this change, others had it passed down from their families. 

With more blood tests, the researchers learned that the SPTLC1 protein was responsible for the overproduction of sphingolipids, which is a fatty acid found in brain tissue. They explained that the SPTLC1 protein is related to an enzyme known as SPT; in the ALS patients, there was no regulation of the SPT enzyme, which is what led to an abundance of sphingolipids in the body. 

“Our results suggest that these ALS patients are essentially living without a brake on SPT activity,” said Dr. Dunn. “SPT is controlled by a feedback loop. When sphingolipids are high then ORMDL proteins bind to and slow down SPT. The mutations these patients carry essentially short circuit this feedback loop. We thought that restoring this brake may be a good strategy for treating this type of ALS.” 

Moving forward, the team hopes to create treatment options for children struggling with ALS. By silencing the SPT enzyme, the researchers hope that they can better regulate the level of sphingolipids to help keep symptoms at bay. 

Google has teamed up with hospital chain HCA Healthcare to develop health care algorithms using patients’ medical records. 

In a press release, HCA said the goal of its multi-year partnership with Google is to “develop a "secure and dynamic data analytics platform" that it will use to advance operational models that will result in "actionable insights and improved workflows.” 

“Next-generation care demands data science-informed decision support so we can more sharply focus on safe, efficient and effective patient care,” said Sam Hazen, chief executive officer of HCA Healthcare. 

Improving operating efficiency  

The deal will give Google permission to extract certain patient data when needed, but the tech giant will also be able to develop analytical tools without patient records, the Wall Street Journal reported. HCA will be able to test the models independently. 

The hospital chain, which operates across about 2,000 locations in 21 states, said the data will help it see where improvement in clinical care is needed. 

“Data are spun off of every patient in real time,” noted Dr. Jonathan Perlin, HCA’s chief medical officer. “Part of what we’re building is a central nervous system to help interpret the various signals.” 

Sam Hazen, CEO of HCA Healthcare, added that the partnership will bolster the health system's efforts to improve and modernize several facets related to patient data.

"Next-generation care demands data science-informed decision support so we can more sharply focus on safe, efficient and effective patient care,” Hazen said. “We view partnerships with leading organizations, like Google Cloud, that share our passion for innovation and continual improvement as foundational to our efforts." 

Focusing on privacy

In announcing their collaboration, HCA and Google stressed that data privacy and security will be prioritized. Access and use of patient data will be addressed through Google Cloud’s infrastructure and HCA’s security controls and processes. 

Identifying information would be culled from HCA patient records prior to being shared with Google’s data scientists, and the health system will have control of access to the data, the Journal reported. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Michigan Medicine evaluated global health care trends related to diabetes. Based on results from more than 50 surveys that included responses from over 680,000 people around the world, the researchers learned that many diabetics aren’t receiving the care they need -- especially those from low- and middle-income countries. 

The team found that many consumers struggling with diabetes aren’t even aware that they have the disease. 

“Diabetes continues to explode everywhere, in every country, and 80% of people with it live in these low- and middle-income countries,” said researcher Dr. David Flood. “It confers a high risk of complications such as heart attacks, blindness, and strokes. We can prevent these complications with comprehensive diabetes treatment, and we need to make sure people around the world can access treatment.” 

Diabetes care is inconsistent around the world

The researchers had more than 680,000 participants between the ages of 25 and 64 involved in the study; they evaluated medical tests, exams, and responses to surveys about health care to determine how diabetes care differs around the world. More than 50% of the participants in the study had high blood sugar but hadn’t yet been formally diagnosed with diabetes at the start of the study; another 37,000 participants were diabetic when the study began. 

The team explained that there are six primary components to effectively treating diabetes: a combination of counseling efforts for diet, weight, and exercise and medications that work to lower cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Less than 20% of the participants with diabetes were receiving treatment in all six areas, and more than 90% weren’t receiving the full spectrum of blood pressure treatments. 

The study showed that regional and economic impacts play a role in the available treatments for diabetic consumers around the world. Low- and middle-income countries and regions struggled the most to provide adequate diabetes treatments and had the fewest resources available to detect the condition. 

The biggest deficits in treatment, both for those with and without diabetes diagnoses, were for blood pressure and cholesterol treatments. Maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels is important for all consumers, but it remains a crucial part of diabetes care. 

The researchers hope their findings highlight the disparities in diabetes care around the world. They explained that many of the medications necessary to manage blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol can be administered inexpensively, which would benefit those in low- and middle-income areas. 

Finding ways to improve diabetes testing can also work to identify those who may not be aware that they have the disease and ensure that more consumers are receiving treatment. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine explored the health risks for kids when their mothers are exposed to air pollution during pregnancy. They found that in utero exposure to ultra-fine pollutants can increase the likelihood of children developing asthma by the time they’re in preschool. 

For the study, the researchers analyzed air pollution levels and health records for nearly 370 women and their children in the Boston metropolitan area. Using the women’s addresses, the team monitored the levels of ultra-fine pollutants that they were exposed to during pregnancy. They then followed up to see how the pollution impacted their children’s health. 

The study revealed that nearly 20% of the children developed asthma by the time they were in preschool, and girls were more likely to have respiratory issues during childhood than boys. The researchers explained that the majority of the women involved in the study lived near busy roadways and in high-traffic areas, both of which can contribute to children’s health risks. 

Ultra-fine particles are more likely than other types of pollutants to settle in the lungs and negatively impact consumers’ health. While efforts have been made to monitor and regulate air pollution, experts have previously struggled to get precise readings of ultra-fine particles, including how they impact children in utero. 

“One reason ultra-fine particulates are not routinely monitored is that there have been a number of unique challenges to measuring them accurately,” said researcher Dr. Rosalind Wright. “Fortunately, recent methods have been developed to provide such exposure data which allowed us to conduct this study.” 

Improving respiratory health

The team hopes that these findings highlight another way that air pollution can impact kids’ health long term. They also explained the importance of continuing to monitor ultra-fine particles, and how doing so can improve children’s respiratory health. 

“This research is an important early step in building the evidence base that can lead to better monitoring of exposure to ultra-fine particles in the United States and ultimately to regulation,” said Dr. Wright. “As we advance methods for measuring these tiny particles, we hope for replication of these findings, both within different geographic areas across the United States as well as globally. 

“Childhood asthma remains a global epidemic that is likely to grow with the anticipated rise in particulate air pollution exposures due to the effects of climate change,” she said. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the American College of Cardiology explored the heart health risks associated with drinking alcohol. According to their findings, alcohol can almost immediately impact heart rhythm, which can also increase the risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib). 

“Alcohol is the most commonly used drug in the world, and there is still a lot we don’t understand about what it does to our bodies, and in particular, our hearts,” said researcher Dr. Gregory M. Marcus. 

“Based on our data, we found that alcohol can actually influence the likelihood that an episode of AFib will occur within a few hours, and the more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk of having an event.” 

Alcohol’s impact on heart rhythm

The researchers had 100 participants with intermittent AFib involved in the study. Over the course of four weeks, the group wore monitors on their ankles and hearts that measured both alcohol consumption and heart rate. The participants self-reported on the heart monitors any time they surpassed three alcoholic beverages, and the researchers conducted interviews with the group to determine their typical lifestyle habits and medical histories. 

Over the course of the study, more than half of the participants experienced an AFib episode within hours of drinking alcohol, and the more they drank, the higher the likelihood of an AFib episode; however, even having just one drink led to complications with heart rhythm. 

“There is conventional wisdom that alcohol is ‘good’ or ‘healthy’ for the heart, based on observational studies, but that relates to coronary heart disease and heart attack,” Dr. Marcus said. “These new data present an interesting conundrum regarding the overall risks versus benefits of alcohol in moderation. But the data is very clear that more is not better when it comes to alcohol; those who drink more have a higher risk of heart attack and death.” 

Based on the blood alcohol reading from the ankle monitors, the researchers learned that each 0.1% increase in blood alcohol concentration increased the risk of an AFib episode by 40%. Surpassing two drinks in one sitting made AFib incidents three times more likely to occur for the participants. 

“When patients ask me what they can do to avoid an AFib episode, I tell them the evidence suggests that they should minimize, if not completely eliminate, alcohol,” Dr. Marcus said. “But we have to consider quality of life as well, which is both relevant to arrhythmia symptoms and the opportunity to enjoy a glass of wine once in a while for some. So, it’s not as simple as instructing everyone to avoid alcohol.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles Health Sciences explored the bone health risks common among postmenopausal women who experience an injury. According to their findings, one bone fracture anywhere in the body can increase the risk of future fractures.

“Current clinical guidelines have only been emphasizing hip and spine fractures, but our findings challenge that viewpoint,” said researcher Dr. Carolyn Crandall. “By not paying attention to which types of fractures increase the risk of future fractures, we are missing the opportunity to identify people at an increased risk of future fracture and counsel them regarding risk reduction.”  

Protecting bone health

The researchers came to their conclusions after analyzing health records for over 157,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative study. They learned that postmenopausal women who experience one fracture are three to six times as likely to experience a subsequent fracture. 

This was true regardless of where in the body the first fracture occurred; this study analyzed bone breaks in the hip/pelvis, upper and lower wrist, lower leg and upper leg, shoulder, knee, and ankle. 

“Postmenopausal women and their physicians may not have been aware that even a knee fracture, for example, is associated with an increased risk of future fractures at other locations of the body,” Dr. Crandall said. 

The researchers found that ethnicity played a role in subsequent bone fracture risk. Women of Hispanic, Black, and Asian Pacific Island descent had a higher risk for multiple bone fractures in later life than white women. The team hopes these results lead to future changes regarding health care policies and protocols for postmenopausal women’s bone health. 

“Aggressive follow-up of postmenopausal women who experience initial fracture is indicated,” the researchers wrote. “Our results will inform counseling, future guidelines, and the design of intervention trials regarding the selection of appropriate candidates for pharmacotherapy.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Georgia State University has explored the link between processed foods and long-term health risks. Their work showed that consumers who eat large quantities of processed foods may be at an increased risk of developing chronic infections, such as diabetes. 

“We observed that feeding mice a Western-style diet, rather than standard rodent grain-based chow, altered the dynamics of the Citrobacter infection, reducing initial colonization and inflammation, which was surprising,” said researcher Dr. Andrew Gerwitz. “However, mice consuming the Western-style diet frequently developed persistent infection that was associated with low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance.”

Processed foods can compromise health

The researchers conducted their study on mice and fed them two different types of diets to determine how food choice can impact health outcomes. The Western-style diet was primarily highly-processed foods that contained high traces of sugars and fats and lacked fiber. By contrast, the traditional diets of mice are grain-based and nutrient dense. 

The team analyzed how the diets impacted the Citrobacter infection, which is associated with E.coli. They also looked at the mice’s gut microbiota to determine how that was impacted by diet and how the risk of infection played into all of these factors. 

The researchers learned that eating highly-processed foods greatly impacted the mice’s gut microbiota. Switching the mice to a highly-processed diet led to less diverse gut microbiota, which ultimately made them more susceptible to health risks.

The team explained that having a variety of bacteria in the gut and intestines can benefit the body in several ways, including better digestion and immune system health. Without the nutrients necessary to diversify gut bacteria, health complications were more common. 

They also found that the mice fed the Western diet were more likely to get sick when repeatedly introduced to the Citrobacter infection. Because of the relationship between processed foods and gut microbiota, the mice’s immune systems were already compromised and their intestines weren’t able to properly break down the pathogen. This lack of nutrients made them more prone to chronic infections and conditions like diabetes. 

“These studies demonstrate potential of altering gut microbiota and their metabolites by diet to impact the course and consequence of infection following exposure to a gut pathogen,” Dr. Gerwitz said. 

Moving forward, the team recommends that consumers prioritize following healthy diets to ensure optimal gut health. This can improve immune system function, intestinal health, and overall wellness. 

“We speculate that reshaping gut microbiota by nutrients that promote beneficial bacteria that out-compete pathogens may be a means of broadly promoting health,” said researcher Dr. Jun Zou. 

A new statement released by researchers from the American Heart Association explored the health risks associated with consumers carrying excess belly fat. 

According to their report, body mass index (BMI) scores may not always be an indicator of an increased risk of heart disease. Instead, they say excess belly fat could be a better marker of heart disease risk; this means that those with a healthy BMI but a higher level of belly fat could be more susceptible to cardiovascular disease. 

“This scientific statement provides the most recent research and information on the relationship between obesity and obesity treatment in coronary heart disease, heart failure, and arrhythmias,” said researcher Dr. Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley. “The timing of this information is important because the obesity epidemic contributes significantly to the global burden of cardiovascular disease and numerous chronic health conditions that also impact heart disease.” 

Weight plays and heart disease risk

To better understand how weight and BMI can impact heart disease risk, the researchers analyzed earlier studies that have looked at all of these factors. They then identified what posed the biggest threat to consumers’ health, what lifestyle changes are possible to reduce the risk of heart disease, and the preventative measures health care providers should take to ensure that all consumers are given the highest level of care. 

Ultimately, excess belly weight was linked with a higher risk of heart disease, regardless of BMI; findings showed that consumers with a healthy BMI but excess belly fat could be at an increased risk of developing heart disease. The team recommends adopting healthy habits like following a healthy diet and engaging in regular aerobic exercise to improve blood pressure and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, they found that the best health outcomes occurred for consumers who received weight loss surgery. 

“Additional work is needed to identify effective interventions for patients with obesity that improve cardiovascular disease outcomes and reduce cardiovascular disease mortality, as is seen with bariatric surgery,” Dr. Powell-Wiley said. 

Weight problems become more common

The researchers say the best way to identify those at the highest risk of heart disease is to continue monitoring BMI scores while also measuring consumers’ waist circumference to check for excess belly fat.

“As overweight and obesity prevalence increases among adolescents worldwide, it is critical to address how best to develop upstream primary prevention interventions and better treatment strategies, particularly for young patients with severe obesity,” Dr. Powell-Wiley said. 

Wildfire smoke has been linked with a variety of health risks, and now a new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at San Francisco has found yet another way that consumers’ health can be compromised by these dangerous disasters. 

According to their findings, consumers exposed to wildfire smoke may be at an increased risk of developing skin disease. Their work showed that atopic dermatitis, or eczema, was more prevalent following California’s wildfires than in previous years. 

“Existing research on air pollution and health outcomes has focused primarily on cardiac and respiratory health outcomes, and understandably so,” said researcher Raj Fadadu. “But there is a gap in the research connecting air pollution and skin health. Skin is the largest organ of the human body, and it’s in constant interaction with the external environment. So, it makes sense that changes in the external environment, such as increases or decreases in air pollution, could affect our skin health.” 

Pollution’s impact on skin health

The researchers compared patient data at a dermatology clinic from October through February of 2015, 2016, and 2018. This dataset is unique because the 2018 information came during the San Francisco Camp Fire wildfires. 

While nearly 8,000 patients received health services at this clinic across the three years, the researchers found that general itchiness and eczema surged during the wildfires compared to the other two years. These findings are important for several reasons, not least of which is that the overwhelming majority of these patients had no history of eczema or other skin issues prior to their clinic visits. 

“Fully 89% of the patients that had itch during the time of Camp Fire did not have a known diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, suggesting that folks with normal skin also experienced irritation and/or absorption of toxins within a very short period of time,” said researcher Dr. Maria Wei. 

Prior to these findings, experts had identified a link between higher levels of air pollution and an increase in eczema and other skin irritations. With this new information, experts can show that the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that was present in the air following the wildfires had a significant impact on consumers’ skin health. It’s also important to note that this skin response occurred quickly after exposure to smoke and air pollution. 

While there are serious health risks to consider when thinking about the implications of wildfires, the researchers hope these findings highlight how skin health should also be taken into consideration following a natural disaster. 

“A lot of the conversations about the health implications of climate change and air pollution don’t focus on skin health, but it’s important to recognize that skin conditions do affect people’s quality of life, their social interactions, and how they feel psychologically,” Fadadu said. “I hope that these health impacts can be more integrated into policies and discussions about the wide-ranging health effects of climate change and air pollution.” 

Several studies have highlighted the differences that men and women experience when seeking health care for the same ailment. Recently, researchers from the University of Miami looked specifically at how pain is analyzed and treated between the genders. 

According to their findings, bystanders were more likely to believe that men needed serious medical treatment when men and women described the same level of pain intensity. The researchers also found that women were often dismissed and were recommended to receive mental health treatments. 

“If the stereotype is to think women are more expressive than men, perhaps ‘overly’ expressive, then the tendency will be to discount women’s pain behaviors,” said researcher Elizabeth Losin. “The flip side of this stereotype is that men are perceived to be stoic, so when a man makes an intense pain facial expression, you think, “Oh my, he must be dying!’ The result of this gender stereotype about pain expression is that each unit of increased pain expression from a man is thought to represent a higher increase in his pain experience than that same increase in pain expression by a woman.” 

Highlighting the gender disparities in pain expression

The researchers conducted two studies to analyze how consumers perceive men’s and women’s expressions of pain. Both studies were based on videos taken of men and women doing strength exercises after shoulder surgery. The patients in the videos ranked their own pain, and the researchers utilized the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) to record objective pain scores based on the patients’ facial expressions. 

At the end of both experiments, the participants determined how much physical pain they believed the patients to be in. The second study had participants dive even deeper and report on what kind of mental health services and medications they’d recommend for the patients. 

In both experiments, participants were more likely to believe that male participants’ pain was more severe than female participants’ pain, despite identical expressions of pain intensity. The researchers believe gender stereotypes played into these findings a great deal. Interestingly, the gender of the participants making the judgment call on the patients in pain didn’t yield different results; both male and female participants took men’s pain reports more seriously than women’s. 

“There’s a pretty wide literature showing demographic differences in pain report, the prevalence of critical pain conditions, and then also a demographic difference in pain treatments,” Losin said. “These differences manifest as disparities because it seems that some people are getting undertreated for their pain based on their demographics.

“I think one critical piece of information that could be conveyed in medical curricula is that people, even those with medical training in other studies, have been found to have consistent demographic biases in how they assess the pain of male and female patients and that these biases impact treatment decisions. Critically, our results demonstrate that these gender biases are not necessarily accurate. Women are not necessarily more expressive than men, and thus their pain expression should not be discounted.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at Davis Health found that children with Down syndrome may be at an increased risk of developing leukemia. These findings are important because children with Down syndrome are likely to be at a higher risk of several other serious health conditions. 

“One main strength of this study is its large cohort with more leukemia cases in children with Down syndrome than most previous studies,” said researcher Emily Marlow. “This allowed more precise risk estimation, especially for leukemia types such as AML-7, previously estimated from small case reports.” 

Understanding the health risks

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly four million children who were born between 1996 and 2016. The team tracked their health outcomes and looked at what role Down syndrome played in both cancer diagnosis and their treatment success. 

Over the course of the study, nearly three percent of children with Down syndrome were diagnosed with leukemia; comparatively, those without Down syndrome had just a 0.05 percent chance of developing leukemia. The study also found that ethnicity and gender can play a role, as both leukemia and Down syndrome were more likely to develop in Hispanic children and male children. 

It’s also important to note that this association between leukemia and Down syndrome was consistent among different strains of the condition, including both acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL). 

Knowing the signs

The researchers’ biggest advice is for parents and caregivers to be aware of the signs associated with leukemia. Knowing the symptoms, including shortness of breath and extreme fatigue, and starting treatment as early as possible are likely to lead to the best health outcomes. 

“The good news is that childhood leukemia can be very treatable if caught early,” said researcher Diana L. Miglioretti. 

Gen Xers and millennials are in worse physical and mental health than prior generations at the same age, according to a new study from Ohio State University. Researchers say these consumers are facing higher risks for disease and death than their parents and grandparents because of unhealthy behaviors and several other potential root causes. 

The study authors found that younger generations -- in this study, those born between 1981 and 1999 -- have higher rates of alcohol use, smoking, obesity, depression, and anxiety. 

Markers of "physiological dysregulation” -- including problems like elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, excess belly fat, and substances in the blood -- were also prevalent among younger generations. The researchers said this suggests that there is a higher rate of chronic inflammation, which is a risk factor for earlier death. 

‘Societal problem’ 

For the study, lead author and OSU professor of sociology Hui Zheng and his colleagues examined health data pertaining to nearly 700,000 people. The data came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1988-2016 and the National Health Interview Survey 1997-2018, both conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.

The research team believes that the declining physical and mental health of younger generations is a complex issue with more than one root. Zheng said the issue of worsening health profiles found in Gen X and Gen Y is “not just an individual problem, but more a societal problem.” 

"Society needs to change the [obesity-promoting] environment, reduce inequality and enhance job security for younger generations,” he stated, adding that researchers may not even be seeing the full impact of this “alarming” trend. 

“People in Gen X and Gen Y are still relatively young, so we may be underestimating their health problems,” Zheng said. “When they get older and chronic diseases become more prevalent, we’ll have a better view of their health status.”

The study has been published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Staying physically active is an important part of all consumers’ routines, but findings from a recent study suggest that it may be even more important for kids.

Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä have found that kids who participate in regular physical activity can experience several health benefits, including reducing low-grade inflammation throughout their bodies. 

“Our study showed that children who were physically more active and less sedentary had a healthier inflammatory profile than children who were physically less active,” said researcher Dr. Eero Haapala. “However, our results suggest that the positive effects of high levels of vigorous physical activity and low levels of sedentary time on low-grade inflammation are partly explained by their positive effects on body composition.” 

Benefits of staying active

The researchers analyzed data from nearly 400 children between the ages of six and eight who were enrolled in the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study. The team looked at several different health measures -- including diet quality, physical activity, and low-grade inflammation -- and assessed both blood samples and activity monitor data. 

Participants with the lowest physical activity levels were at an increased risk of several health conditions. In contrast, kids who regularly engaged in physical activity were able to enjoy several health benefits. The researchers found that inflammation levels were highest in kids who were less physically active. Participants who struggled to be physically active also tended to eat more unhealthy foods and had higher body mass indices (BMIs). 

The findings are concerning because these risk factors put kids at an increased risk for developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes later in life. Because there is such a strong connection between lifestyle choices and disease risk, it’s important to know that being more active can help to reduce these risks. 

“The key message from our results is that increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary time are key in preventing low-grade inflammation since childhood,” Dr. Happala said. “They would be particularly important for overweight children.” 

Researchers continue to discover how detrimental exposure to air pollution is for consumers’ heart and lung health. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at San Diego has explored the risks associated with exposure to pollutants emitted from wildfires. 

According to their findings, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emitted following a wildfire is more harmful to consumers’ respiratory health than exposure to PM2.5 emitted from other pollution sources. Wildfires have been plaguing California for years, and as climate change intensifies and these events become more common, it’s important for consumers to understand the health risks. 

“As conditions in Southern California become hotter and drier, we expect to see increased wildfire activity,” said researcher Tom Corringham. “This study demonstrates that the harm due to wildfire smoke may be greater than previously thought, bolstering the argument for early wildfire detection systems and efforts to mitigate climate change.” 

The role wildfires play in respiratory health issues

To understand how pollution specifically derived from wildfires can impact consumers’ respiratory health, the researchers focused their analysis on PM2.5 levels in Southern California. They utilized the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Hazard Mapping System, which highlights smoke exposure and compares that with levels of PM2.5 during seasons without wildfires. The team then compared those figures with hospital admissions data. 

The researchers found that a relationship emerged between PM2.5 levels and respiratory-related hospital admissions -- as pollution levels increased, hospital admissions also increased. However, exposure to wildfire smoke caused hospital admissions to rise even higher. 

“There is a daily threshold for the amount of PM2.5 in the air that is considered acceptable by the country and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” said researcher Rosana Aguilera. “The problem with this standard is that it doesn’t account for different sources of emission of PM2.5.” 

The study showed that hospital admissions jumped from one percent when emissions levels increased independent of wildfires to as high as 10 percent when emissions levels increased due to wildfires. Though the effect of wildfire emissions on consumers’ health seems clear, the researchers are still unsure why these differences in hospitalizations exist. 

The researchers anticipate that climate change will lead to even more wildfires -- especially in the Southern California region. They hope that these findings highlight the health risks linked with these environmental events. 

Air pollution continues to pose a serious threat to consumers’ health -- especially heart and lung health. As these concerns continue to mount nationwide, researchers from the American Heart Association are looking at the long-term health risks associated with air pollution exposure. 

According to the researchers, consumers are more likely to develop heart and lung issues when they are exposed to air pollution for extended periods of time -- even when pollutants are at low levels. 

“When we restricted our analysis to individuals who were only exposed to lower concentrations of air pollution, we still found increased risk of hospital admissions with all of the studied outcomes, even at concentration levels below current national standards,” said researcher Mahdieh Danesh Yadzi, PhD. 

“More than half of the study population is exposed to low levels of these pollutants, according to U.S. benchmarks, therefore, the long-term health impact of these pollutants should be a serious concern for all, including policymakers, clinicians, and patients.”  

Harmful health risks from long-term exposure

The researchers utilized two primary sources for the study: hospitalization records for consumers enrolled in Medicare between 2002 and 2016 and levels of three main pollutants -- fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) — across the country. The team paid particular attention to conditions like strokes, pneumonia, atrial fibrillation, and heart attacks, among several others. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that exposure to all three pollutants was associated with an increased risk of heart and lung disease, and each pollutant was linked with different health risks. Of all the conditions, participants were vulnerable to strokes based on exposure to two pollutants -- NO2 and PM2.5. Long-term exposure to ozone led to a greater risk of pneumonia, while exposure to NO2 was linked to a greater risk of stroke and atrial fibrillation. 

However, PM2.5 had the biggest effect on consumers’ health. The researchers found a direct correlation between PM2.5 levels and hospitalizations; each additional unit of the pollutant emitted into the air led to a significant increase in related hospitalizations. It was also linked with the greatest number of health concerns: heart palpitations, pneumonia, heart attack, atrial fibrillation, and strokes. 

These findings are particularly important because participants’ health risks persisted despite the fact that levels of air pollution remained much lower than national standards. Moving forward, the researchers hope that these results change the conversation around air pollution regulations. 

“People should be conscious of the air quality in the region where they live to avoid harmful exposure over long periods of time, if possible,” said Dr. Danesh Yazi. “Since our study found harmful effects at levels below current U.S. standards, air pollution should be considered as a risk factor for cardiovascular and respiratory disease by clinicians, and policymakers should reconsider current standards for air pollutants.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found that the range for healthy blood pressure is different for men and women. The team learned that women have a smaller range for what’s considered normal blood pressure than men, and elevated blood pressure is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. 

These findings come on the heels of other recent studies that have highlighted the differences in how men’s and women’s bodies function. Findings suggest that women are often misdiagnosed or mistreated for common but serious health concerns. 

“Our latest findings suggest that this one-size-fits-all approach to considering blood pressure may be detrimental to a woman’s health,” said researcher Dr. Susan Cheng. “Based on our research results, we recommend that the medical community reassess blood pressure guidelines that do not account for sex differences.” 

Recognizing differences in blood pressure

For the study, the researchers evaluated blood pressure readings from more than 27,000 participants that were involved in earlier studies. The main goal was to see how blood pressure readings impacted the participants’ risk for cardiovascular disease. 

Ultimately, the researchers observed some key differences between men’s and women’s blood pressure readings and later health risks. The biggest disparity came from the top number of the blood pressure -- the systolic reading. Though most health care professionals recommend that the systolic reading stays below 120 mmHg, the researchers found that the healthy range was lower than that for women.

For the men involved in the study, 120 mmHg proved to be an effective benchmark for later heart disease risks. However, when women’s systolic blood pressure exceeded 110 mmHg, they were at an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart disease. 

“We are now pushed to rethink what we thought was a normal blood pressure that might keep a woman or man safe from developing heart disease or stroke,” said Dr. Cheng. 

The researchers hope that these findings change the way that medical professionals look at their patients’ vitals. The differences in men’s and women’s experiences are clear, and it’s important to take them into consideration when implementing treatment protocols. 

“If the ideal physiologic range of blood pressure truly is lower for females than males, current approaches to using sex-agnostic targets for lowering elevated blood pressure need to be reassessed,” said researcher Dr. Christine Albert. “This important work is far-reaching and has numerous clinical implications.” 

Parents serve as role models when it comes to getting their kids to eat more fruits and vegetables; however, a new study is showing why getting kids involved in the food preparation process can also be beneficial to their healthy habits.

According to researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, school gardens can serve as a great opportunity to educate kids about the process of how fruits and vegetables are grown and maintained while also giving them more information about the benefits of eating more healthy foods. The study showed that programs like this in schools can be instrumental in changing kids’ eating habits. 

“A lot of the families in these schools live with food insecurity,” said researcher Jaimie Davis. “They live in food deserts and face a higher risk of childhood obesity and related health issues. Teaching kids where their food comes from, how to grow it, how to prepare it -- that’s key to changing eating behaviors over the long term.” 

Creating lasting healthy habits

The researchers partnered with more than a dozen elementary schools in Texas to see how school gardens can change kids’ eating habits. All of the schools received fruit and vegetable gardens, and classes were held for both students and their parents to teach them about how to care for the garden and how valuable fruits and vegetables are to their daily diets. Over the course of the school year, the kids reported on what they ate and had their blood pressure, weight, and body mass indices (BMIs) recorded at the start and conclusion of the study. 

The gardens were successful in changing kids’ eating habits and making them healthier overall. The program allowed kids to be introduced to new foods, and they also learned how to prepare healthy options at home. 

Perhaps most importantly, the students who participated in the garden program were eating half a serving more of vegetables each day than they were at the start of the study. While this may not seem like a huge change, the researchers say this is a step in the right direction that can set kids up for a lifetime of healthier eating. 

“We have been able to introduce children to a wide variety of vegetables that they’ve never had access to,” said Davis. “Parents I talk with ask, ‘How did you get my kid to eat kale?’ But when they grow the kale from seed and learn how to prepare it in olive oil and bake it into kale chips, they love it.” 

Changing behaviors for better health

The researchers didn’t notice any significant changes to the kids’ weight, blood pressure, or BMIs, but they’re confident that with long-term healthy eating efforts, those positive changes will come. 

“Behavior changes can be difficult to achieve, especially long term,” Davis said. “Changes to health parameters like blood pressure may take longer to manifest. Getting children to eat more vegetables can potentially set them up for long-term success.” 

For families living in food deserts and with food insecurity, which the majority of the participants involved in this study were, the consequences can be felt both mentally and physically. Moving forward, the researchers hope that more work like these school-supported vegetable gardens can be implemented so that more young people can enjoy similar benefits.

Diet has been closely linked with heart disease risk, and many recent studies have touted the benefits of consumers opting for more plant-based options as a means of improving their heart health. 

Now, a new study is focusing on how consumers’ fried food intake can negatively affect their health. Experts have found that the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke is linked to fried food consumption; the more fast food consumers eat, the greater the risk of heart disease or stroke. 

“Our meta-analysis indicates that fried-food consumption is associated with increased risk of CVD,” the researchers wrote. “The findings may support public health recommendations to control fried-food intake for preventing CVD.” 

Fried foods compromise health

The researchers analyzed data from nearly 20 previous studies to determine how fried food can impact consumers’ risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In analyzing data from over 754,000 study participants, the researchers were able to compare diet choices with health outcomes. 

They learned that participants who ate the highest quantities of fried foods were at the greatest risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke. Heart failure was the most common risk linked to fried food consumption; those who ate the most fried food were nearly 40 percent more likely to experience heart failure. That risk increased by 12 percent with each additional 114 grams of fried food consumed each week. 

Generally, fast food consumption was linked with poor health outcomes. The study showed that frequent fast food eaters were nearly 30 percent more likely to experience a serious cardiovascular event and more than 20 percent likely to develop heart disease. 

The researchers attribute the high fat content and inflammatory properties in fried food to be the reason behind the cardiovascular disease risk. While they plan to do more studies to better understand how fried food can impact consumers’ health, they hope that these findings can serve as a guide to establish stricter dietary recommendations for consumers. 

“Our study provided evidence for the adverse effects of consuming fried food on CVD and can be useful for dietary guidelines,” the researchers wrote. “[World Health Organization] suggested limiting fried-food consumption to reduce the amount of total fat intake and industrially produced trans-fatty acid intake for a healthy diet. However, no dietary guideline is approved for the specific effect of fried-food consumption on CVD.” 

Self-control is a big part of adulthood. Now, researchers from Duke University are exploring how developing a strong sense of self-control throughout childhood can have long-lasting benefits. 

According to findings from a new study, kids with greater self-control are likely to become middle-aged adults with healthier bodies and minds. 

“Our population is growing older, and living longer with age-related diseases,” said researcher Leah Richmond-Rakerd. “It’s important to identify ways to help individuals prepare successfully for later-life challenges, and live more years free of disability. We found that self-control in early life may help set people up for healthy aging.” 

Promoting better well-being in middle age

To see how childhood self-control affected outcomes in middle age, the researchers had over 1,000 participants involved in the study from the time they were born through their mid-40s. Starting at age three, the participants were interviewed and underwent medical exams every few years until they reached their mid-40s. During childhood, parents and teachers also reported on the participants’ behaviors, including impulse control, inattention, aggression, and perseverance, among several others. 

The researchers learned that the participants with the highest self-control during childhood were healthier both biologically and physically than those with lower self-control. This positive trait was linked with better brain function and an overall slower aging process, and the researchers found that children with self-control were more likely to be optimistic about the future as adults and have greater life satisfaction during middle age.

“Everyone fears an old age that’s sickly, poor, and lonely, so aging well requires us to get prepared, physically, financially, and socially,” said researcher Terrie Moffitt. “We found people who have used self-control since childhood are far more prepared for aging than their same-age peers.” 

While these findings point towards benefits related to greater self-control during childhood, the researchers hope that these findings serve as inspiration for consumers of all ages to adopt better habits for both physical health and emotional well-being -- no matter how old they are. 

“...If you aren’t prepared for aging yet, your 50s is not too late to get ready,” said Moffitt. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Exeter has found that consumers could be at a greater risk of early death if their arms yield different blood pressure readings. 

Other recent studies have found that blood pressure readings can vary greatly depending on where on the body the reading is taken, but now experts are saying major differences between arms can pose a serious risk to consumers’ heart health and life expectancy. 

“Checking one arm then the other with a routinely used blood pressure monitor is cheap and can be carried out in any health care setting, without the need for additional or expensive equipment,” said researcher Dr. Chris Clark. “Whilst international guidelines currently recommend that this is done, it only happens around half of the time at best, usually due to time constraints. Our research shows that the little extra time it takes to measure both arms could ultimately save lives.” 

Identifying patients at risk

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 54,000 people who participated in two dozen global studies as part of the INTERPRESS-IPD Collaboration. Participants came from all over the world, and the researchers evaluated their blood pressure data and medical records to better understand how differences in blood pressure readings between arms can affect health long-term. 

Current guidelines in the U.K. and Europe state that a difference of 15 mmHg between arms on a patient could be an early warning sign of heart-related issues. However, based on the researchers’ findings in this study, if the reading is off by 10 mmHg or more between the two arms, consumers could be at an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, or premature death. 

While these differences may not seem like a cause for concern for patients, the researchers explained that significantly different readings between the two arms could be a sign of arteries tightening, which can ultimately affect blood flow and increase the likelihood of several other cardiovascular issues. 

“We believe that a 10 mmHg difference can now reasonably be regarded as an upper limit of normal for systolic inter-arm blood pressure, when both arms are measured in sequence during routine clinical appointments,” said researcher Victor Aboyans. “This information should be incorporated into future guidelines and clinical practice in assessing cardiovascular risk. It would mean more people were considered for treatment that could reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.” 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that these findings highlight how important it is for health care providers to take the extra time to check patients’ blood pressure in both arms. Though it may take a couple extra minutes, it could help identify those at the highest risk for several major health concerns. 

“We’ve long known a difference in blood pressure between the two arms is linked to poorer health outcomes,” said Dr. Clark. “The large numbers involved in the INTERPRESS-IPD study helps us to understand this in more detail. It tells us that the higher the difference in blood pressure between arms, the greater the cardiovascular risk, so it really is critical to measure both arms to establish which patients may be at significantly increased risk. Patients who require a blood pressure check should now expect that it’s checked in both arms, at least once.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing has explored how health outcomes are affected when hospital units are overcommitting their nurses to too many patients. 

According to their findings, improving staffing in hospitals so that nurses can give their full attention to fewer patients can ultimately lead to fewer sepsis-related deaths. 

“This independent scientific study shows that improvement of hospital nurse staffing holds the best promise for significantly reducing deaths from sepsis which often strikes when it is least expected,” said researcher Linda H. Aiken, PhD. “Moreover, improving nurse staffing results in cost savings in sepsis care due to shorter hospital stays that can be reinvested in improved nurse staffing.” 

Patients and nurses benefit from improvements

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 116 hospitals across New York State, which included information on more than 52,000 patients who experienced sepsis. 

The biggest takeaway from their work is that nurses across New York State are seeing a wide variety of patients during any given shift. On average, nurses were assigned to roughly six patients per shift; however, in hospitals with severe staffing issues, nurses could be responsible for nearly 11 patients per shift. While there is legislation in the works to better address these discrepancies, there is currently no legal limit to how many patients one nurse can treat, which is where many of these issues arise. 

In an effort to better care for patients with sepsis, states across the nation have implemented what are known as sepsis care bundles. These guidelines were designed for nurses to use to treat patients diagnosed with sepsis and have been an effective method of reducing sepsis-related deaths. In New York specifically, the state has adopted Rory’s Regulations, which is a statewide regulation created for early detection and treatment recommendations for septic patients. 

In this study, the researchers found that sepsis care bundles have helped in reducing sepsis-related deaths by five percent. However, their work also revealed that following these guidelines, in addition to improving the glaring staffing issues that affect nurses across the country, would be the best defense against sepsis-related deaths. The study found that each additional patient added to a nurse’s rotation can increase the risk of a sepsis-related death by 12 percent. 

“Results show that improving nurse staffing in New York hospitals could substantially reduce deaths from sepsis over and above the benefits of mandated care bundles,” said researcher Karen Lasater, PhD. 

While filling nursing positions continues to be a struggle nationwide, the researchers hope that better staffing initiatives can be implemented in hospitals across the country. In doing so, nurses would be able to perform to the best of their abilities, and patients would be getting the care and attention they need. 

Obesity has been linked with an increased risk of disease for consumers of all ages, and now experts have identified another factor that could negatively affect health outcomes. 

According to researchers from a new study, consumers are more susceptible to cardiometabolic disease when they struggle with obesity for longer periods of time.

“Ever being obese between 10 and 40 years of age, compared with never being obese, was associated with less favourable levels of all cardiometabolic disease risk factors,” the researchers wrote. “More time spent obese was associated with worse profiles for all cardiometabolic disease risk factors.” 

Understanding risk factors

To better understand how obesity can affect consumers’ risk of cardiometabolic disease, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 21,000 participants that were part of three birth cohort studies in the U.K. The researchers analyzed factors that could contribute to cardiometabolic disease -- like cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure -- and they also tracked the participants’ body mass indices (BMIs) between the ages of 10 and 40.

The researchers learned that the duration of obesity greatly affected the participants’ disease risk. Participants who were obese for longer periods of time had higher risks for cardiometabolic disease. These outcomes were worse depending on the severity of participants’ obesity. Severe obesity is classified as a BMI of 40 or higher.

The study revealed that all three markers of cardiometabolic disease were negatively impacted by longer periods of obesity. However, the researchers learned that blood sugar was the most problematic risk factor for future disease. For those dealing with obesity for more than two decades, blood sugar was 20 percent higher than those who had never been obese; comparatively, blood sugar was just five percent higher for those with under five years of obesity. 

Moving forward, the researchers recommend that obesity prevention strategies should be targeted towards consumers in the earliest stages because early interventions have the greatest likelihood of reducing serious health risks. 

“Our findings suggest that healthy policy recommendations aimed at preventing early obesity onset, and therefore reducing lifetime exposure, may help reduce the risk of diabetes, independently of obesity severity,” the researchers wrote.

Amid recent surges in consumers’ alcohol consumption, experts continue to highlight the risks associated with drinking -- even moderately. In a new study, researchers explored the effects that alcohol can have on brain health. 

According to their findings, drinking alcohol can have negative effects on consumers’ brain health throughout their entire lives. However, the study revealed that brain health is most vulnerable to alcohol-related damage at three critical junctures: from conception to birth, the later teenage years, and older adulthood. 

“From fetal development to later life, the human brain goes through several periods of dynamic change,” the researchers wrote. “Each of these changes in neurocircuitry could increase sensitivity to the effects of environmental exposures such as alcohol.”

How alcohol affects brain health

The researchers looked at previous research to first identify these three major points in life when alcohol is most dangerous to brain development and health. They then determined where the greatest risk lies and how consumers’ drinking habits can have long-term effects. 

The biggest concern at any age is a loss of brain volume. The researchers found that infants, teens, and older adults were all likely to lose brain volume as a result of heavy alcohol consumption. This can ultimately cause brain atrophy, which affects the number of healthy cells in the brain. In some cases, this can increase the risk for diseases like Alzheimer’s. 

The researchers explained that fetal alcohol syndrome is the primary risk during the earliest juncture. Not only does drinking during pregnancy increase the risk of birth defects for newborns, but the researchers found that any alcohol consumption during pregnancy can affect babies’ brains. Cognitive impairments are more likely when the brain is exposed to alcohol at this developmental stage, and infants could struggle with processing delays or behavioral issues into childhood. 

Moving into the teenage years, binge drinking becomes a serious risk. The researchers found that drinking heavily on a regular basis can hinder teens’ overall brain and cognitive functioning, which can have lasting repercussions. 

Older adults were found to be less likely to struggle with over-drinking, but the researchers did learn that those who consume larger quantities of alcohol are at a greater risk of developing dementia. The researchers also explained that the effects of heavy drinking in middle age can be felt in later life. 

Implementing prevention strategies

This study makes it clear that alcohol can have profound effects on consumers’ brain health over the course of their entire lives. The researchers hope that their findings can inspire more comprehensive prevention strategies that are geared towards consumers of all ages.

“Population-based interventions such as guidelines on low-risk drinking, alcohol pricing policies, and lower drink driving limits need to be accompanied by the development of training and care pathways that consider the human brain at risk throughout life,” the researchers wrote. 

Research continues to highlight how red meat negatively affects consumers’ heart health, and now a new study is exploring how consumers can make healthier diet choices. 

According to researchers, avoiding red meat -- especially processed meats -- and opting for plant-based proteins and whole grains as an alternative can reduce consumers’ risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). 

“We found that greater intakes of total, unprocessed, and processed red meat were each associated with a higher risk of CHD,” the researchers wrote. “Compared with total, unprocessed, or processed red meat, other dietary components such as soy, nuts, and legumes were associated with a lower risk of CHD. We also found that substituting whole grains or dairy products for total red meat and substituting eggs for processed meat were also associated with a lower CHD risk.”  

Making healthier choices

To better understand how food choices affect heart disease risk, the researchers analyzed data from over 43,000 men involved in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The participants completed diet questionnaires every four years for 30 years, and the researchers assessed their medical records. 

The team learned that as little as one serving of red meat per day was associated with an increased risk of heart disease, whereas plant protein options were associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. While processed red meat increased the participants’ risk of CHD by 15 percent, those who opted for plant protein -- like legumes, beans, or lentils -- reduced their risk of CHD by 14 percent -- a 29 percent swing.

Making healthier choices was beneficial for both older and younger men in the study. The researchers learned that younger men who swapped red meat for eggs were 20 percent less likely to experience heart disease, and older men who swapped red meat for any kind of plant protein were 18 percent less likely to develop heart disease. 

Reducing heart disease risks

While replacing red meat with plant protein is perhaps the biggest takeaway from this study, the researchers also learned that other healthy options were linked with a lower risk of heart disease. Participants who kept their red meat consumption low and prioritized whole grains and dairy products were also at a reduced risk of CHD. 

There seems to be no shortage of health risks associated with red meat consumption, and these findings highlight the benefits of opting for healthier foods. 

“These findings are consistent with the effects of these foods on low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and support a health benefit of limiting red meat consumption and replacement with plant protein sources,” the researchers wrote.

Many consumers struggle to stay physically active and instead lean towards a more sedentary lifestyle. While recent studies have highlighted the health risks associated with extended periods of sitting down, a new study has explored how much physical activity is necessary to cancel out the risks associated with being sedentary. 

According to new guidelines released by the World Health Organization (WHO), consumers who spend a great deal of time sitting should strive to exceed weekly global physical activity recommendations as a means of both eliminating health risks of a sedentary lifestyle and reaping the benefits of exercise. 

“These guidelines are very timely, given that we are in the middle of a global pandemic, which has confined people indoors for long periods and encouraged an increase in sedentary behavior,” said researcher Emmanuel Stamatakis. “But people can still protect their health and offset the harmful effects of physical inactivity. As these guidelines emphasize, all physical activity counts and any amount is better than none.” 

The importance of staying active

For the study, the researchers had 44,000 people from four different countries wear activity trackers. They analyzed their time spent sitting versus their time spent engaging in physical activity and evaluated their overall health outcomes. 

Ultimately, sitting for 10 or more hours each day was associated with increased health risks and premature death. However, in order to offset those risks, the researchers encourage consumers to surpass weekly exercise recommendations. 

The World Health Organization typically recommends that adults engage in 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity each week. While this may seem like a daunting task -- especially for those who physically struggle to complete exercise -- the researchers encourage consumers to start wherever they are. 

The researchers hope that the biggest takeaway from this study is that consumers start swapping time spent sitting down with time spent being active in whatever way is right for them. Doing things around the house, like climbing stairs or cleaning, can be a great starting point. As consumers build endurance and greater physical capacity, they can incorporate more intense activities into their routines. 

As consumers of all ages fail to meet weekly exercise recommendations, the researchers hope that these findings show just how important it is both for consumers and government officials to prioritize healthy habits. 

“The most recent global estimates show that one in four (27.5 percent) adults and more than three quarters (81 percent) of teenagers don’t meet the recommendations for aerobic exercise, as outlined in the 2010 Global Recommendations,” said researcher Fiona Bull. “So there’s an urgent need for governments to prioritize and invest in national initiatives and health and community services that promote physical activity.” 

While recent studies have highlighted the health and weight loss benefits associated with intermittent fasting, a new study conducted by researchers from the American Heart Association explored weight loss outcomes based on different restricted eating schedules. 

According to their findings, consuming the majority of calories in the early part of the day isn’t linked with greater weight loss. 

“We have wondered for a long time if when one eats during the day affects the way the body uses and stores energy,” said researcher Dr. Nisa M. Maruthur. “Most prior studies have not controlled the number of calories, so it wasn’t clear if people who ate earlier just ate fewer calories. In this study, the only thing we changed was the time of day eating.” 

Timing isn’t so important

To see how time-restricted eating in the early part of the day affected weight loss outcomes, the researchers had 41 overweight and diabetic participants follow the same healthy diet for 12 weeks, with the only difference being when they ate meals. 

One group was instructed to eat 80 percent of their daily calories before 1pm while the other half was free to eat as they normally would, though half of their daily calories were consumed after 5pm. 

Every four weeks, the researchers evaluated the participants' blood pressure and weight to see how the timing of these diets affected their health outcomes. 

They learned that neither blood pressure nor weight loss were affected by the timing of the participants’ meals. Both measures had improved over the course of the study, but neither group outperformed the other based on when they ate during the day, which came as a surprise to the researchers. 

“We thought that the time-restricted eating group would lose more weight,” Dr. Maruthur said. “Yet that didn’t happen. We did not see any difference in weight loss for those who ate most of their calories earlier versus later in the day. We did not see any effects on blood pressure either.” 

Because both weight and blood pressure play such large roles for those with diabetes, the researchers want to conduct future studies to see how different eating schedules could have an effect on blood sugar and insulin. 

“Together, these findings will help us to more fully understand the effects of time-restricted eating on cardiometabolic health,” said Dr. Maruthur. 

The Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for heat treated, not fully cooked, not shelf stable, spaghetti and meatballs in marinara sauce.

The product may be contaminated with extraneous material -- specifically metal.

A recall was not requested because it's believed that the products are no longer available for consumers to purchase.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions.

The 15.5-oz. plastic containers of “TAKE HOME MEALS SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE” packaged from October 17, 2020, to November 1, 2020, have expiration dates of October 25 – November 9, 2020, on the label.

The recalled product, bearing establishment number “EST. 20852” inside the USDA mark of inspection, was shipped to retail locations in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consume it, but discard or return it to the place of purchase.

Though it can be difficult to always look on the bright side, experts continue to find ways that being more optimistic and positive can benefit consumers’ physical and mental health. Recent studies have highlighted the ways that positive thinking can benefit consumers’ lifespans, sleeping schedules, and disease risk. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the Association for Psychological Science has found that having a positive outlook can also reduce the likelihood of memory decline in older age. 

While memory tends to decline with age, researchers found that having a positive outlook can reduce the severity of memory decline over time.

“Individuals with higher levels of positive affect had a less steep memory decline over the course of a decade,” said researcher Emily Hittner, PhD. 

Long-term benefits of optimism

To better understand how a positive attitude can benefit consumers’ cognitive function into older age, the researchers enlisted the participation of nearly 1,000 middle-aged and older-aged adults.

At the first session, participants reported on any positive feelings they had experienced in the last month, while two follow-up sessions -- which took place over the course of a decade -- required the participants to complete memory assessments. This process allowed the researchers to determine what role positivity played in long-term memory function.  

After accounting for several factors that could affect memory decline, including depression, education, and age, among several others, the researchers determined that positivity was linked with better memory outcomes over the long-term. The participants that were the most cheerful at the start of the study maintained the best memory function by the end of the study. 

While the researchers plan to do more work in this area to better understand how a positive disposition can affect memory in older consumers, these findings provide a solid foundation for establishing the link between positivity and memory ability. 

Keeping memory sharp

As Hause mentioned, memory decline is common and expected in older age. However, several recent studies have discovered things that could worsen memory, as well as things that could boost memory skills for older consumers. 

Experts have found that poor sleeping habits and popular prescription drugs could lead to memory troubles for older consumers, whereas exercise and diet can work to consumers’ advantage and help to sharpen memory into older age.   

A new study conducted by researchers from ETH Zurich found that poisonings from paracetamol, better known as acetaminophen, are on the rise. Despite its popularity as a pain relief treatment, recent studies have highlighted the health risks associated with it -- particularly for pregnant women. 

Now, experts have found that since consumers in Switzerland have been able to get acetaminophen in higher doses, related poisonings have been steadily increasing. 

“It is a very safe drug, but only for short-term pain relief and as long as the daily dosage does not go above the recommended range,” said researcher Andrea Burden. 

“One problem with paracetamol is that it is not effective for all patients or against all forms of pain,” she continued. “If the drug doesn’t help to ease someone’s symptoms, they may be tempted to increase the dosage without consulting a medical professional. That’s the real problem.” 

Dosage is important

For the study, the researchers analyzed sales of acetaminophen and compared that with drug-related poisonings. They explained that prior to 2003, consumers could only purchase 500 milligram acetaminophen. However, after that point, 1,000 milligram acetaminophen became available. It took only two years for the higher dosage to outsell the lower dosage, and this trend has remained over the course of nearly two decades. 

In looking at acetaminophen poisonings over the same time period, the researchers noted a similar increase. Within five years of the higher dosage pills becoming available to consumers, acetaminophen poisonings increased by 40 percent and have only continued to increase every year since. 

“On that basis, we can conclude that the increased number of poisoning cases is associated with the availability of the 1,000 milligram tablets,” said researcher Stefan Weiler. 

The researchers explained that the recommended dosage of acetaminophen is 4,000 milligrams per day. However, as this study has made clear, the higher dosage pills have made it easier than ever for consumers to increase their dosage. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that consumers take these findings seriously, as acetaminophen poisoning can have many serious side effects, including liver failure. Additionally, because these tablets are available over-the-counter and by prescription, the researchers hope that medical professionals do their part to monitor their patients’ acetaminophen intake. 

“We recognize that pain management is challenging, and other medications may have severe adverse effects,” Burden said. “But, if paracetamol doesn’t have the desired effect, it’s important to not simply take more tablets. Instead, people should seek professional medical advice in order to find the best therapeutic option.” 

As researchers continue to discover how climate change can affect everything from consumers’ health to the financial markets, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara is exploring a new way to combat the climate crisis. 

According to their findings, giving consumers access to affordable health care could be beneficial in improving climate change. The researchers analyzed a rural population in Indonesia where a health clinic was opened, and medical services were discounted in exchange for a promise to reduce illegal logging. 

In doing so, deforestation improved by 70 percent in 10 years, making these findings important in terms of both access to health care and climate change. 

“This innovative model has clear global health implications,” said researcher Michele Barry. “Health and climate can and should be addressed in unison, and done in coordination with and respect for local communities.” 

Solving two problems simultaneously

In 2007, two nonprofit organizations worked to create a health care clinic in Indonesia that was located near Gunung Palung National Park. The goal of the clinic was to serve the local community’s health care needs, while also giving consumers an incentive to preserve the natural landscape around them. Clinic patients were given a discount on medical services if they promised not to participate in illegal logging in the nearby national park. 

Prior to the clinic’s opening, the forest had been rapidly diminishing due to deforestation and illegal logging. However, the researchers analyzed data on both the patient’s health outcomes and the state of the forests, and they learned that the clinic was effective in treating both issues. 

Within 10 years, they observed that logging had reduced by 70 percent, while common health concerns in the area -- like diabetes and malaria -- were also on the decline. Additionally, those who most frequently utilized the clinic’s services were also responsible for the biggest drop-offs in logging. 

“We didn’t know what to expect when we started evaluating the program’s health and conservation impacts, but we were continually amazed that the data suggested such a strong link between improvements in health care access and tropical forest conservation,” said researcher Isabel Jones. “

As similar clinics are set to be established in Madagascar and Brazil, the researchers hope that lawmakers understand just how powerful these findings are, as there are opportunities to benefit both consumers’ health and the environment. 

“The data support two important conclusions: human health is integral to the conservation of nature and vice versa, and we need to listen to the guidance of rainforest communities who know best how to live in balance with their forests,” said researcher Monica Nirmala.

While most efforts to reduce sugary drink consumption have been aimed at the youngest population, recent studies have identified the heart health risks associated with a high intake of sugar-filled beverages. 

Though many consumers have made the switch to artificially-sweetened drinks as they were believed to be a healthier alternative, a new study conducted by researchers from the American College of Cardiology has found that neither sugar-sweetened drinks nor artificially-sweetened drinks lead to good heart health. Their work revealed that both types of drinks can increase consumers’ risk of developing heart disease. 

“Our study suggests artificially sweetened beverages may not be a healthy substitute for sugar drinks, and these data provide additional arguments to fuel the current debate on taxes, labeling, and regulation of sugary drinks and artificially sweetened beverages,” said researcher Eloi Chazelas.  

Avoiding sweetened drinks

To see the effect that sweetened drinks can have on heart disease risk, the researchers analyzed medical records of over 104,000 participants in the French NutriNet-Santé study. Every six months, the participants logged everything they ate and drank over three different 24-hour periods. Based on their consumption of artificially-sweetened and sugar-sweetened drinks, participants were divided into three groups, and the researchers then followed up with them over the course of a 10-year period. 

Overall, those who drank the highest amounts of both sugary drinks and artificially-sweetened drinks were at the highest risk of developing cardiovascular disease. 

For this study, cardiovascular disease was indicated by one of five primary markers: angioplasty, transient ischemic attack, acute coronary syndrome, stroke, and myocardial infarction. Even after accounting for other factors that could contribute to heart disease, the association between sweetened drinks and heart disease remained. 

Risks of artificial sweeteners

While a lot of work has been done to reduce consumers’ intake of sugary drinks, artificially sweetened drinks have been seen as a healthier alternative. However, in addition to cardiovascular disease, several recent studies have pointed to the health risks associated with drinking artificially-sweetened beverages, as they can greatly upset the digestive system, and increase the risk of stroke and MS symptoms. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that legislators do their part to better regulate these types of drinks, as doing so could greatly benefit consumers’ health in several ways. 

Recent studies have highlighted how living in rural towns could come at the expense of consumers’ health. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Syracuse University has confirmed this, finding that mortality rates were higher in more rural areas across the country. 

The researchers explained that there is no singular cause for these higher mortality rates, and women tend to be at a greater risk of death than men. 

Identifying the geographic trends

To understand how geographic location can affect mortality rates, the researchers analyzed roughly three decades worth of data from the National Center of Health Statistics and focused primarily on cause of death, age, gender, and location. The study overwhelmingly revealed that rural regions have higher mortality rates than more urban areas. The findings suggest that there isn’t one specific cause of death that’s disproportionately affecting these populations; in fact, the researchers say there are several risk factors that are affecting rural consumers. 

“Smaller nonmetro declines in cancers and ischemic/circulatory system diseases and larger increases in suicide, alcohol-induced cause, mental/behavioral disorders, cardiometabolic diseases, infectious diseases, and respiratory diseases are major culprits,” said researcher Shannon Monnat. “Mortality rate trends have been particularly problematic for females.” 

Because these issues are so wide-reaching, the researchers believe the biggest concern is structural. Moving forward, they think that it’s important for policymakers to rethink how they approach health care decisions in these areas so they can work to make changes that best suit consumers’ needs. 

“Far too often, the public health approach has been to apply health care and behavioral intervention to places with the worst health profiles,” said Monnat. “This approach has been costly and ineffective because it treats problems after they arise rather than preventing their onset. “Instead, the more cost-effective and humane approach would be to apply upstream interventions that target the structural (economic, social, environmental), corporate, and policy determinants of health to prevent future generations from exacerbating these already problematic mortality trends.” 

Progress in some areas

The study showed that not every rural area across the U.S. is experiencing severe increases to mortality rates, and some areas are actually seeing progress. However, the overall trends are concerning and worth exploring in greater depth.

“While there is much to be concerned about in Appalachia, the South, and increasingly New England, some groups have seen improvement in the Mid-Atlantic, East North Central, and Mountain divisions,” said Monnat. “My analysis of specific causes of death begins to offer insight into what’s driving these disparities, but research is needed that identifies the specific upstream causal explanations for these trends, particularly those that are amenable to policy change.” 

Disrupting the inner circadian clock can have wide-reaching effects on the body, and now a new study conducted by researchers from Virginia Tech has explored how frequently experiencing jet lag can negatively affect consumers’ health. In a study conducted on mice, they found that chronic jet lag makes tumor growth more likely, and can also have a negative effect on the body’s overall immune response. 

“We combined two different approaches of chronobiology research to study the effects of circadian desynchronization on both tumor growth and immune rhythms, and we found a link,” said researcher Diego Golombek. 

“You need optimal rhythms in immune cells and immune humoral factors to quell rapid tumor growth. When circadian rhythms are chronically disrupted, these rhythms are impaired, inverted, or disappear entirely, which could help explain why the tumors were significantly larger in the desynchronized group.” 

The power of the body’s inner clock

The researchers injected mice with melanoma cells and then divided them into groups: one group experienced 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness while the other group’s daylight and nighttime hours shifted drastically every two days of the study. This mimicked the effects of consistent jet lag and allowed the researchers to assess how manipulating the body’s internal clock affected health outcomes. 

Ultimately, the team found that not giving the body the chance to adjust to a new time zone can lead to serious health complications. In just one month, the researchers learned that the body’s overall immune response was compromised, and even immune cells in organs that weren’t associated with the tumor weren’t operating as they normally would. 

This change to the mice’s immune systems also affected the way the tumor progressed, as tumors grew three times faster for the group that experienced chronic jet lag. The immune cells surrounding the tumor were also altered in the jet lag group; the researchers said the inconsistent internal clock created a better environment for the tumor to grow. 

While the researchers plan to do more work on the connection between circadian rhythms and cancer progression, they hope that these findings highlight how detrimental chronic jet lag can be to overall health. 

“A key takeaway from this study is that if someone has a proliferative disorder, in this case melanoma, doing shift work or regularly changing time zones could exacerbate the problem by dampening immune system response to tumor growth,” said researcher Carla Finkelstein. “This research also helps explain why some tumors win the race when a person is exposed to the chronically stressful conditions that occur when the environment and the body’s clocks are misaligned.” 

Because of the health complications associated with drinking alcohol, many recent studies have focused on how college-aged consumers are affected by their drinking habits. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan has found that alcohol use among this age group is much lower than it was roughly 20 years ago. However, they also learned that more young people have started using marijuana in recent years, and it’s also become more common to combine multiple substances. 

“We’re encouraged by the significant decreases in alcohol use disorder -- for both college and non-college students,” said researcher Sean Esteban McCabe. “The prevalence of alcohol use disorder in both groups in 2018 was roughly half of it was in 2002. We are excited to learn about these drops in disordered drinking, as alcohol-related consequences are one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity for young adults.” 

Assessing behaviors of college-aged consumers

The researchers were most interested in understanding how substance use among college-aged consumers, regardless of whether or not they were in school, has changed since the early 2000s. They surveyed over 182,000 people between the ages of 18 and 22 to see their relationships with alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs. 

The most positive takeaway from the survey revealed that fewer college-aged consumers are drinking alcohol in excess. Compared to 20 percent of college students who abstained from alcohol in 2002, nearly 30 percent of college students reported abstaining from alcohol in 2018. 

The researchers say more differences arose when they looked at the rate of co-using substances, like mixing alcohol and marijuana or prescription drugs. A higher number of participants reported using multiple substances, which also increased the likelihood of misusing one or more substances. 

“For example, from 2015 to 2018, only 2.5 percent of young adults who abstained from both alcohol and marijuana reported misusing prescription drugs, while 25.1 percent of co-users misused prescription drugs,” said researcher Ty Schepis. “That is a tenfold difference with potentially dangerous consequences.” 

The importance of support and resources 

The researchers expressed concerns about young people using multiple substances, and they hope that support services and other resources become more available to combat this problem. 

“The finding that abstinence is increasing among college students and young adults not in college is very important for U.S. colleges and universities to take into account moving forward,” said McCabe. 

“These findings reinforce the importance of the need to support those young adults in recovery and abstinence for other reasons. There are over 1 million U.S. young adults in recovery and a wide variety of resources are needed to support these individuals.” 

There are many types of health risks associated with pregnancy complications, but a new study is exploring how such complications can negatively affect women’s health over longer periods of time as they age. 

According to researchers, women who experience pregnancy complications -- like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or preterm birth, among several others -- are at an increased risk of developing heart disease later in life. The team says that other factors related to reproductive hormone levels, such as early menopause or starting periods early, could also increase the risk of heart disease. 

Identifying the health risks

To understand how pregnancy complications and other hormone-related health conditions could affect the likelihood of women developing heart disease, the researchers analyzed over 30 previous studies that tracked women’s health over long periods of time. In evaluating a number of risk factors, they learned that several health conditions could put women at an increased risk of heart disease in later life. 

Their work revealed that preeclampsia -- or high blood pressure during pregnancy -- gives women the highest likelihood of developing heart disease later in life, as women with this condition were four times as likely to be diagnosed with heart disease. For women with gestational diabetes or those who had preterm births, the risk of heart disease was twice as likely later in life. 

Several other reproductive health factors were also associated with an increased risk of heart disease, including miscarriage, low birth weight, early periods, stillbirth, and early menopause. 

The researchers explained that lifestyle and genetic factors could affect women’s risk of heart disease. However, because of the clear link between female reproductive health and long-term heart health concerns, the researchers hope that these findings inspire women to be screened for any potential disease risk.

“Identifying reproductive risk factors at an early stage in the life of women might facilitate the initiation of strategies to modify potential risks,” the researchers wrote. “Policymakers should consider incorporating reproductive risk factors as part of the assessment of cardiovascular risk in clinical guidelines.” 

Recent studies have highlighted the health benefits associated with blueberries, which include boosting heart health and improving blood pressure. Now, experts from the Tokyo University of Science are exploring yet another way that these berries can promote better health. 

According to a new study, a compound found in blueberries -- pterostilbene (PSB) -- can be an effective source of treatment for chronic inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). 

“For disease prevention, it is important to identify the beneficial components in foods and to understand the underlying mechanisms by which immune responses and homeostasis are modulated in the body,” said researcher Dr. Takuya Yashiro. “Our findings showed that PSB possesses a strong immunosuppressive property, paving the way for a new, natural treatment for IBD.” 

A natural treatment approach

The first part of the study involved the researchers searching for a compound that would target two types of cells that are crucial to IBD-related symptoms: dendritic cells and T cells. In patients with IBD, both cells control the body’s immune response and subsequent inflammation. 

PSB became the strongest contender among all of the compounds that were tested. In looking at how it affected both dendritic cells and T cells, the researchers learned that PSB was effective at reducing the body’s strong immune and inflammatory response. The compound worked to produce more cells that stop inflammation and also prevented T cells from multiplying and creating a stronger immune response. 

The second part of the study tested the compound on mice with IBD. The researchers administered PSB orally and then monitored the mice’s health outcomes. They observed that the mice’s IBD symptoms weren’t as severe once they started taking the PSB; overall, the researchers say inflammation was lower after the compound was introduced.

For consumers with IBD, finding an effective treatment can be difficult because most interventions are designed to reduce the body’s immune response, which will ultimately reduce symptoms. That makes these findings all the more positive since PSB was effective in doing just that. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning parents, caregivers, and health care professionals to be aware of risks posed by the “Benadryl Challenge,” which some TikTok users are participating in. 

The challenge, which dares kids to take excessive amounts of the allergy medication Benadryl to achieve a hallucinatory state, could lead to serious health consequences or even death, the agency warned Thursday. 

The FDA has issued the warning in response to reports of children ending up in the emergency room or even dying after taking potentially lethal amounts of Benadryl while participating in the social media challenge.

There are “serious problems with high doses” of the over-the-counter drug, the FDA said. Taking too much of the antihistamine can cause heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death. At least one teen has already died after participating in the challenge. Others have ended up in the hospital. 

"We are aware of news reports of teenagers ending up in emergency rooms or dying after participating in the 'Benadryl Challenge' encouraged in videos posted on the social media application TikTok," the agency said. 

Parents urged to lock up Benadryl 

Benadryl’s website states that children between the ages of 6 and 12 should take one tablet of the medication every four to six hours. Kids older than 12 can take up to two tablets over that period of time, but no one of any age should take more than six doses in a single day. 

However, some children who ended up in the emergency room reported being encouraged to take up to 12 tablets at once. 

"We are investigating these reports and conducting a review to determine if additional cases have been reported," the FDA said in a news release, adding that it’s "contacted TikTok and strongly urged them to remove the videos from their platform."

"Health care professionals should be aware that the 'Benadryl Challenge' is occurring among teens and alert their caregivers about it," the agency said.

Parents can keep kids safe by storing Benadryl and other OTC medications in a place that children and teens can’t access in order to prevent misuse or overdoses.

"Consumers, parents, and caregivers should store diphenhydramine and all other OTC and prescription medicines up and away and out of children's reach and sight," the FDA said in a statement. That's especially true nowadays, the agency added, because kids are home more often due to the COVID-19 pandemic and may be more likely to experiment."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) threw up the caution flag for people with silver dental fillings -- referred to as “dental amalgam.” The agency warned that those particular fillings have been shown to cause health problems for some high-risk groups such as pregnant women and those with hypersensitivity to mercury.

When the FDA uses the term amalgam, it’s referring to fillings that are a mixture of copper, mercury, silver, and tin. The inclusion of mercury has been a sore point for years for some dental professionals, but both the FDA and the American Dental Association (ADA) were on record as saying the amalgam was safe.

It’s taken almost 10 years for the FDA to raise its hand about the adverse effects of mercury in dental fillings. Finally, in December 2019, its immunology advisory committee revisited the situation and new guidance was created.

What concerns dental patients should know about

The FDA says the “general population” has nothing to worry about when it comes to exposure to mercury. The agency isn’t proposing a ban on the amalgam, either. It also plays it safe by saying that “little to no information is known about the effect this exposure may have on members of the specific groups...who may be at greater risk to potential negative health effects of mercury exposure," but it still wants dental patients to know that there are possible issues.

Vulnerable groups include:

• Pregnant women and their developing fetuses; 

• Women who plan to become pregnant; 

• Women who are nursing; 

• Children, especially those that are under the age of six; 

• People with kidney problems; and 

• People with pre-existing neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or Alzheimer's.

Replace fillings only if necessary

The FDA says that if anyone has an existing amalgam filling and it’s in good condition, they should sit tight -- unless it is considered medically necessary by a health care professional (for example, a documented hypersensitivity to the amalgam material). 

“Removing intact amalgam fillings may result in a temporary increase in exposure of mercury vapor released during the removal process in addition to the potential loss of healthy tooth structure,” the agency cautioned.

If a filling needs to be replaced, the FDA strongly suggests that non-mercury fillings such as composite resins and glass ionomer cements be used.

High levels of stress among college students has prompted experts to explore ways to combat anxiety, and recent studies have suggested that breathing techniques and petting dogs can be helpful. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Binghamton University looked at how college students can shift their perspectives about stress. According to their findings, taking a health education class could help students who are prone to nervousness change their attitudes about stress. 

“This is important for several reasons,” said researcher Jennifer Wegmann. “First, helping students develop a more positive or enhancing stress mindset has been associated with improved mental health, increased performance and productivity. Second, general health education courses are available to large numbers of students. There typically are few, if any, stress-specific courses offered on college campuses, and if they are offered, many are limited in student capacity.” 

Personality affects perception

The researchers were interested in understanding two primary concepts: how health education courses can help students’ perceptions about stress and how personality type is connected to that change in perception. They conducted a survey of over 420 college students enrolled in a health education course that asked questions about their personalities and how they thought about and experienced stress. When it came to analyzing personality, the researchers focused on five main traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. 

Ultimately, the study revealed that personality type plays a big role in the likelihood that students change their ideas about stress. The researchers learned that those who were more likely to be nervous in general were the ones who experienced the biggest shift in perception. Learning about health and wellness allowed them to approach things from a different perspective and caused them to focus less on stress. 

“It appears that engaging in health education is beneficial in changing perceptions of stress for some students but not all -- based on personality,” said Wegmann. “For example, significant changes were elicited in students who scored higher on the neuroticism scale, but no significance was shown for students on the extraversion scale. The findings of this research show how focusing on their health, in general, can change these typically high-stressed students’ beliefs about the stress they experience.” 

Finding more wide-reaching solutions

While these findings were positive for students prone to anxiety and neuroticism, the researchers hope that more work can be done to find more comprehensive solutions to help all college students reduce stress -- regardless of their personality types. 

“According to our research, this approach was not helpful for everyone,” Wegmann said. “While these findings are providing novel and interesting information, as a stress researcher who works to help students become more productive and healthy, I want to know what other avenues will reach our students.” 

As more and more children continue to struggle with their mental health, recent studies have pointed to risk factors associated with such symptoms and suggested steps that parents can take to potentially improve mental health. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Princeton University is exploring what treatment options look like for kids nationwide. 

According to their findings, mental health treatments are widely inconsistent for young people, regardless of where they live in the U.S. They found that children within the same local area could be receiving wildly different treatments for the same diagnoses. 

“If children are receiving substandard care, a shortage of doctors in that area is often to blame,” said researcher Janet M. Currie. “However, we find a lot of differences in the way children are treated after a first episode of mental illness regardless of ZIP code. What this says is that some individual doctors could be making questionable treatment decisions, and this should be a red flag to those in the medical community.” 

Disparities in treatment

The researchers analyzed data from over 202,000 children who were part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Alliance for Health Research dataset. The researchers focused on the treatment plan in the three months following the children’s first mental health episode and compared doctors’ choices to what is commonly recommended for kids in these instances. 

Ultimately, the researchers found that there were large disparities in treatments for the children involved in the study, with many of the prescribed courses of treatment going against commonly recommended guidelines. The researchers identified two primary areas with the biggest inconsistencies: medication prescriptions and follow-up treatment. 

The study revealed that anywhere from 17 to 62 percent of kids were sent home with medication and no other mental health support. Not only is this range staggering, but this is in opposition to what is traditionally recommended for kids -- especially so early in the treatment process. Experts recommend that medication be used either as a supplement to talk therapy or that mental health professionals hold off on medication until more conclusive assessments are made in therapy. 

“Of course, as researchers, we can’t say that any given child should not have received a particular drug,” said Currie. “Yet, we find all of this disturbing, especially the variation within and across areas.” 

The findings were similar when looking at the percentage of kids who received follow-up treatments. Despite recommendations that all kids receive immediate follow-up services, the results revealed that anywhere from 50 to 90 percent of kids received this standard of care. 

These findings are concerning for the researchers, as getting kids the appropriate help they need is crucial to their overall health and well-being. They hope that this sparks more research and further analysis of mental health professionals’ treatment plans and that greater consistencies can be followed when treating younger people. 

“Good mental health is tremendously important for children’s future,” the researchers wrote. “We hope that by highlighting these patterns, we can help to start a dialogue that leads to better mental health care for children.” 

While many kids take steroids to manage conditions like asthma or autoimmune conditions, a new study conducted by researchers from Rutgers University is exploring the effect that they can have on kids’ long-term health. 

According to their work, these types of drugs can increase the likelihood of several future health risks for children, including blood clots, diabetes, and high blood pressure. 

“The rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and blood clots from oral steroids have been studied in large populations of adults,” said researcher Daniel Horton. “However, there are reasons to think these findings might be different in children, who not only tend to take steroids differently than adults, but also have much lower baseline risks of developing these same cardiovascular and metabolic conditions. This study allowed us to put numbers on the association between oral steroids and rare, but potentially serious, complications in children.” 

Identifying those at the highest risk

The researchers analyzed medical records from over 933,000 kids between the ages of one and 18 who had been given steroids to treat a number of different conditions. While the majority of the participants were taking steroids to manage asthma symptoms, participants were also given the drugs to control several types of autoimmune conditions, like psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease. 

The study did reveal a link between steroid prescriptions and an increased risk of high blood pressure, blood clots, and diabetes. However, the researchers found that some kids could be more vulnerable to these risks than others. They explained that for asthma sufferers, these complications aren’t as likely -- but for those with autoimmune deficiencies, these health risks exist both with and without steroids. 

It’s also important for consumers to know that these risks were the most common when children were taking high doses of steroids for long periods of time. This could also be why these complications aren’t as likely for kids with asthma, because they’re typically given steroids for short periods of time. 

Though the researchers don’t want to alarm consumers with these findings, they do hope that they’re useful for parents and caregivers of kids who are frequently prescribed steroids, as they could be helpful in monitoring kids’ health over the long-term. 

“While children receiving high-dose steroids were at substantially higher risk for developing diabetes, high blood pressure, or blood clots relative to children not taking these medicines, the absolute risk for these complications were still small,” said Horton. “The vast majority of children taking brief courses of steroids for conditions such as asthma, for instance, will not experience these complications.” 

While recent studies have found the ways that sleeping patterns and diet choices can increase consumers’ risk of developing cardiovascular disease, a new study is exploring how spouses can also play a role in each other’s health outcomes. 

According to researchers from the University of Tsukuba, married couples are likely to struggle with many of the same health concerns, including cardiovascular disease. Their work found that when husbands are undergoing treatment for risk factors related to cardiovascular disease, wives are likely to require treatment for those same conditions. 

“Married couples share food preferences and meal patterns, lifestyle with regard to levels of activity, attitudes to physical exercise, and usage of cigarettes and alcohol,” said researcher Takehiro Sugiyama. “Concordant disease patterns within couples may refer to risks of chronic diseases that could be reduced by changing daily habits, rather than unmodifiable genetic risks.” 

Sharing risk factors

To better understand the shared risks married couples can face when it comes to cardiovascular disease, the researchers analyzed over 86,000 couples’ responses to the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions. All of the couples were over the age of 40, and they reported on several factors, including their health status, long-term health care, and overall family structure. 

The researchers were primarily concerned with three health measures related to cardiovascular disease: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. They accounted for several outside factors -- such as age, access to health care, and alcohol and smoking habits, among several others -- in order to get the clearest possible picture of how spouses can affect each other’s health. 

The study revealed that when husbands were receiving treatment for any of the above conditions, their wives were equally as likely to be receiving treatment for the same condition. Because these health conditions are often linked with day-to-day lifestyle choices, it’s clear that spouses can have a direct impact on one another’s long-term health. 

Factoring in spouses to health care decisions

The researchers hope that these findings prompt more in-depth conversations between consumers and their health care providers since knowing the details about a patient’s spouse can give key insights into potential risk factors. 

“Our findings stress that healthcare professionals should target not only patients’ blood-relatives, but also their spouses,” said researcher Nanako Tamiya. “Medical information should include the partner’s data. In addition to optimizing individual therapy, family-based interventions are needed. Couples too need to appreciate their influence on each other’s health patterns.” 

Recent studies have found ways that napping can be beneficial to consumers’ health, including maintaining healthy blood pressure and improving decision-making. 

However, a new study conducted by researchers from the European Society of Cardiology highlighted the risks associated with napping for too long. The study found that shorter naps can be beneficial to consumers’ health, but sleeping for more than an hour during the day can increase the risk for several health concerns. 

“Daytime napping is common all over the world and is generally considered a healthy habit,” said researcher Dr. Zhe Pan. “A common view is that napping improves performance and counteracts the negative consequences of ‘sleep debt.’ Our study challenges these widely held opinions.” 

Finding the right nap balance

The researchers looked at 20 earlier studies that tracked the risks and benefits associated with daytime napping. They learned that naps of any length could increase consumers’ risk of death by nearly 20 percent; however, longer naps increased the risk of health complications even further. 

The study revealed that the risk of cardiovascular disease was nearly 35 percent higher when consumers napped for at least one hour, while the risk of premature death was 30 percent higher following longer daytime rests. While the researchers also identified health risks with shorter naps, they recommend that consumers keep their daytime sleeping to shorter time slots. 

“The results suggest that shorter naps (especially those less than 30 to 45 minutes) might improve heart health in people who sleep insufficiently at night,” said Dr. Pan. 

The researchers learned that certain groups, such as older people and women, were more susceptible to adverse effects following a nap of any length. It still remains unclear to the researchers why this association exists, but the results clearly indicate that daytime sleeping can be a health risk to many consumers. 

To ensure optimal health, the researchers encourage consumers to avoid napping if it’s not something they already do regularly. 

“If you want to take a siesta, our study indicates it’s safest to keep it under an hour,” said Dr. Pan. “For those of us not in the habit of a daytime slumber, there is no convincing evidence to start.” 

Recent studies have highlighted the countless health benefits associated with yoga, as the practice has been found to help everything from migraines to brain health. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the European Society of Cardiology has found that following a yoga practice can also be beneficial for those struggling with atrial fibrillation -- a common heart condition that affects consumers’ heart rate. 

“The symptoms of atrial fibrillation can be distressing,” said researcher Dr. Naresh Sen. “They come and go, causing many patients to feel anxious and limiting their ability to live a normal life.” 

Reducing symptoms

To understand the effect that yoga can have on consumers’ heart health, the researchers tracked 540 participants over a seven-month period. During the first three months, the group lived normally with no interventions but were asked to record any symptoms of atrial fibrillation that they experienced. For the final four months, the researchers asked them to continue recording symptoms while taking yoga classes several times per week and practicing poses and breathing exercises at home. 

The researchers found that the four months of yoga was beneficial to the participants in several ways. Not only were atrial fibrillation symptoms roughly half as likely after introducing yoga to the participants, but they reported overall better physical and mental health outcomes due to the practice. 

Consistent with findings from another recent study, the researchers also learned that four months of yoga was effective at lowering participants’ blood pressure. Moving forward, the researchers hope that these findings can be beneficial to those struggling with atrial fibrillation, as there are several ways that a yoga practice can help ease symptoms. 

“Our study suggests that yoga has wide-ranging physical and mental health benefits for patients with atrial fibrillation and could be added on top of usual therapies,” said Dr. Sen. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the European Society of Cardiology explored the risks and benefits associated with commonly used CPR techniques. 

According to their findings, the best way to protect brain function and health while a patient is in cardiac arrest is to perform deep chest compressions. They explained that this method can oftentimes cause interim injuries for patients; however, over the long-term, there are far more benefits when thinking about patients’ health and well-being. 

“Survival and neurological outcome improved significantly during the 14-year study,” said researcher Dr. Irene Marco Clement. “Members of the public increasingly came to the rescue with CPR and there was greater use of [automated external defibrillators]. Injuries from CPR rose, but these patients were less likely to have brain damage.” 

Protecting brain function

To understand the protective benefits of chest compressions, the researchers analyzed data from over 500 cardiac arrest patients who had been hospitalized between 2006 and 2020. The researchers explained that general CPR recommendations are revised every few years, so they grouped the participants by year to determine which guidelines corresponded to the best outcomes. 

The researchers noted that CPR-related injuries increased by 20 percent over the course of the study. However, they also found that overall brain function also improved for patients towards the latest years of the study. More than 65 percent of patients had improved brain health following CPR-related injuries compared with under 45 percent of patients with no such injuries. 

“Deep chest compressions improve blood flow to the brain, improving survival and brain function,” explained researcher Dr. Marco Clement. 

Staying healthy while performing CPR

In thinking about the current COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers explained that chest compressions are the best way to prevent any potential spread of germs or infection. Performing CPR is a critical component of survival for patients in need of resuscitation, and consumers shouldn’t fear for their own health by relying on compressions. 

“Personal safety always comes first, and resuscitators should only do what they feel comfortable with,” said Dr. Marco Clement. “If you are concerned about possible contagion, you should omit mouth-to-mouth breaths: chest compressions alone may be as effective as conventional CPR.” 

Bagged peaches sold at ALDI stores are being investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for possible salmonella contamination. 

Health officials said Thursday that the peaches are the likely source of 68 salmonella infections reported across 9 states. The peaches were sold under the Wawona brand name in clear plastic bags at ALDI stores in 16 states. 

The FDA is advising consumers, restaurants, and retailers not to eat, sell, or serve Wawona-brand bagged peaches from ALDI stores.

“Consumers who purchased Wawona-brand bagged peaches from ALDI stores from June 1, 2020 to present and may still have them in their house should not eat the peaches and should throw them away,” the FDA said in a release. 

The agency added that consumers who froze the peaches in question should also throw them away. 

Illnesses reported

The FDA said salmonella infections were reported in Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

"FDA's traceback investigation is ongoing to determine the full scope of product distribution and source of contamination," the agency said.

In light of the health risk, ALDI has recalled all Wawona-brand bagged peaches shipped to Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.

In addition to throwing away the peaches, the FDA recommends cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces that the peaches came into contact with to prevent cross-contamination. This includes cutting boards, knives, storage bins, countertops, and refrigerators.

Symptoms of salmonella include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, chills, and headaches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These symptoms can last between four and seven days. Consumers who have experienced any of these symptoms should call their health care provider right away.

Air pollution continues to be a global health risk for consumers, contributing to tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. in recent years. Though air pollution comes from several different sources, researchers have recently found that roadways with heavy traffic emit high levels of emissions that can be harmful to consumers’ health. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Surrey suggests that there’s another way driving can contribute to health problems. Their work revealed that driving with the windows down increases the risk of air pollution exposure by 80 percent. 

“The study has drawn important conclusions that can help commuters make decisions in their day-to-day lives to protect their health,” said researcher Abdus Salam. “Simple choices, like traveling during off-peak hours, can go a long way in reducing their exposure to air pollution.” 

Risks of having the windows down

To understand the effects car ventilation can have on air pollution exposure, the researchers analyzed data from 10 cities around the globe. They were primarily concerned with how different types of car ventilation affected air pollution exposure, as well as how traffic at different times of the day could affect emissions levels. 

They measured pollution levels in each of the cities at various times during the day and then assessed how ventilation and traffic patterns affected drivers’ exposure. The biggest takeaway was that driving with the windows down exposes consumers to 80 percent more air pollution than other forms of ventilation. 

The researchers learned that rush hour driving was worse than quieter times on the road, though the risk for increased air pollution exposure was still present during any time the windows were down. Morning rush hour exposure yielded the worst results, as driving at this time with the windows down exposed drivers to over 90 percent more air pollution than having the windows down at off-peak times. 

“To be blunt, we need as many cars as possible off the road, or more green vehicles to reduce air pollution exposure,” said researcher Prashant Kumar. “This is a distant dream in many [official development assistance] countries. Air-conditioned cars are unattainable for many poor and vulnerable commuters across the world, but our data is clear and coherent for all 10 participating cities.” 

Use air conditioning if possible

Air conditioned vehicles are the best option for consumers to limit as much air pollution exposure as possible -- especially during times of high volume on the roads. However, as Kumar explained, this option isn’t a reality for many consumers around the globe. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that more work can be done in this area to better protect consumers from the risks associated with exposure to air pollution. 

“We must now work with our global partners to make sure they have the information needed to put in place programmes, policies, and strategies to protect the most vulnerable in our communities and find realistic solutions to these serious problems,” Kumar said. 

While many consumers simply think that meditation is an anxiety-coping skill, which it certainly is, it has also been found to improve focus and memory. Now, researchers have also found that the mindfulness practice has been associated with improving consumers’ physical health. 

According to a new study, practicing meditation can reduce consumers’ risk of cardiovascular disease by improving cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and promoting healthy habits overall. 

“I believe in meditation, as it can give us a sense of calm, peace, and stress reduction, leading to improvement of our emotional well-being,” said researcher Dr. Chayakrit Krittanawong. 

Improving physical and mental health

The researchers analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which included responses from over 61,000 participants. They were most interested in learning how many participants actively meditated, as well as their physical health status. 

Roughly 10 percent of the participants reported following a meditation practice, and these participants also had better physical health outcomes than those who didn’t meditate. 

When evaluating several health markers, the researchers learned that meditation lowered the risk for several factors that are closely linked with cardiovascular disease. Participants reported lower blood pressure levels, lower cholesterol readings, and were less likely to develop diabetes, coronary artery disease, or have a stroke. 

Though the researchers explained that this study can’t establish a direct cause and effect between meditation and heart disease, the findings do show a close correlation between the two.

An easy activity to incorporate

Meditating is an easy, cost-effective way for consumers to slow down and work to reduce stress levels -- especially while at home during the pandemic. 

The researchers recommend that consumers adopt a meditation practice, as doing so can be good for both their bodies and minds. 

While previous studies have found that consumers’ unhealthy diets can have a negative impact on longevity, a new study conducted by researchers from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging found that following a healthy diet isn’t always a guarantee for longer life.  

The researchers learned that everyone’s body responds differently to diet interventions, and consumers shouldn’t bank on the fact that a healthy diet will add years to their lives. While a healthy diet is an important component of an overall healthy life, the researchers emphasize that individual genes are also important to consider when thinking about longevity. 

“Dietary restriction works, but may not be the panacea for those wanting to extend healthspan, delay age-related disease, and extend lifespan,” said researcher Pankaj Kapahi, PhD. 

“Our study is surprising and gives a glimpse into what’s likely going to happen in humans, because we’re all different and will likely respond differently to the effects of dietary restriction. Furthermore, our results question the idea that lifespan extension will always be accompanied by improvement of healthspan.” 

Healthy living should be the goal

The researchers conducted their experiment on fruit flies, as they share many molecular similarities with humans. Nearly 200 different kinds of fruit flies were analyzed for the study, and the researchers were interested in learning if healthier diets improved both lifespan and healthspan. 

“It’s hard to ask and get relevant results in individuals,” said researcher Kenneth Wilson, PhD. “With this method, we can ask questions in a much more robust manner and get answers at the population level.” 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that the varying genetic make-up of the fruit flies yielded different results. Overall, just half of the fruit flies experienced improvements to their lifespans and healthspans following diet interventions. 

Over 30 percent of the flies remained neutral after improving their diets, showing no improvements to their health or lifespan, but also not worsening over time. Five percent of the flies lived longer following the change in diet, but were in poorer health because of other age-related conditions. 

“The majority of people are much more interested in being healthy for as long as possible,” said Dr. Kapahi. “I think most people, if given the choice, would choose an intervention that would give them extra years of good health over extra years of disability.” 

Genetics play a role

The researchers hope that consumers’ biggest takeaway is that interventions to improve health and lifespan are different for everyone, as genetics do play a large role in both factors. 

“Lifespan-extending discoveries tend to get a lot of hype in the media as a way to cure all age-related maladies,” said Dr. Kapah. “People need to be aware that their genetic background will likely have a major impact on how they will respond to an intervention. There is a need to develop markers in the field so we can predict how an individual will react to any particular intervention in terms of improving health and lifespan.”  

Inflammation throughout the body can increase the risk for any number of health conditions, and now experts are exploring how a simple dietary adjustment can reduce that risk. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Penn State found that spicing up food could be a great way for consumers to reduce inflammation. Their work revealed that balancing out meals that are high in fats or carbs with a blend of different spices can work to lower inflammation. 

“Ultimately the gold standard would be to get people eating more healthfully and to lose weight and exercise, but those behavioral changes are difficult and take time,” said researcher Connie Rogers. “So in the interim, we wanted to explore whether a combination of spices that people are already familiar with and could fit in a single meal could have a positive effect.” 

Adding spice

The researchers had a dozen men participate in the study, all of whom were overweight and between the ages of 40 and 65. 

Over the course of three days, the researchers gave the participants three variations of the same meal with different variations of spices; all of the meals were high in carbs and fats. The first meal had no added spices and the second had just two grams of spices; the final meal had six grams of spices. 

For the blend of seasonings, the researchers combined ginger, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, black pepper, oregano, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, red pepper, cumin, rosemary, and basil. 

The study revealed that the combination of spices was effective in reducing the participants’ inflammation following the heavy meals, and the dish with the most spices correlated with the lowest inflammatory response. 

While the researchers couldn’t pinpoint which of the spices contributed the most to these results, the combination of them was successful. The researchers recommend that consumers still do their best to follow healthy diets and engage in physical activity, but these findings can help consumers prepare when they know they’ll be eating heavier meals. 

“If spices are palatable to you, they might be a way to make a high-fat or high-carb meal more healthful,” said Rogers. “We can’t say from this study if it was one spice in particular, but this specific blend seemed to be beneficial.”

Recent studies have touted yoga for its mental and physical health benefits, and now researchers from the American Academy of Neurology have explored how the practice can benefit migraine sufferers. 

According to a new study, incorporating yoga into an existing migraine treatment could help reduce the severity and duration of symptoms. The researchers learned that practicing yoga can be beneficial for long-term migraine care, as headaches can be less painful and not occur as frequently. 

“Migraine is one of the most common headache disorders, but only about half the people taking medication for it get real relief,” said researcher Dr. Rohit Bhatia. “The good news is that practicing something as simple and accessible as yoga may help much more than medications alone. And all you need is a mat.” 

Tackling migraines

To understand the effect that yoga can have on migraines, the researchers had over 100 migraine sufferers involved in the study. 

The participants were divided into two groups: one group strictly took medication to treat their headaches while the other group was aided by a combination of yoga and medication. Over the duration of the study, all participants tracked their migraines in detail, including how frequently they occurred, how long they lasted, and how intense the pain was. 

While both groups saw improvements in their migraines, those who added yoga to their treatment plan had much better results than those who just stuck to the medication. Those who started practicing yoga took less migraine medication over time and saw the frequency of their headaches drop by nearly 50 percent. Comparatively, those who strictly took medication saw their headaches drop by just 12 percent. 

While the researchers want to do more long-term work on the effects of yoga on migraine care, they encourage those struggling with headaches to consider incorporating yoga into their routines. 

“Our results show that yoga can reduce not just the pain, but also the treatment cost of migraines,” said Dr. Bhatia. “That can be a real game changer, especially for people who struggle to afford their medication. Medications are usually prescribed first, and can be expensive.” 

More than a dozen children have been admitted to New York City hospitals with symptoms of a rare inflammatory condition that some health experts believe may be linked to the coronavirus virus, USA Today reports.

NYC’s health department said the pediatric patients (who ranged in age between 2 and 15) had symptoms normally seen in Kawasaki disease or toxic shock syndrome, including a persistent fever. More than half of patients had a rash, abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea. 

Four of the cases tested positive for COVID-19, while 11 tested negative. Some of the patients required blood pressure support and ventilation, but no deaths have been reported. 

Experts are split on whether or not Kawasaki disease and COVID-19 are linked. 

“Kawasaki disease is one of the great mysteries in pediatrics,” said Dr. Frank Esper, a physician at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Pediatric Infectious Diseases. “It’s something we’ve been dealing with for decades.”

Esper said that the illness tends to infect mostly children during "mini-epidemics.” 

Cause of Kawasaki unknown 

Medical professionals still aren’t sure what causes Kawasaki disease. Some reports have hypothesized that the disease is caused by viruses while others have asserted that people may be genetically predisposed, Esper said. 

“Kawasaki disease is the boogeyman to pediatricians,” he told USA Today. “It’s extremely difficult to diagnose. Even with the most astute clinicians, we have a hard time figuring out who has it and who doesn’t.”

In late April, Britain’s Paediatric Intensive Care Society issued an alert saying there had been a spike in the number of children with “a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care” across the country. The revelation elicited concern among the group that either a COVID-19-related illness was surfacing in children or that a different, as of yet unidentified disease might be causing the illnesses. 

"I will caution that there are many things that look similar to Kawasaki disease," Esper said. "It could be that what they’re calling Kawasaki is not Kawasaki but an inflammatory disease caused by the coronavirus." 

What to watch for 

Physicians say parents should bring their children to the hospital if they develop a fever along with a combination of any of the following symptoms: severe abdominal pain, confusion, diarrhea, red eyes, rash, swollen hands and feet, difficulty breathing, and passing out. 

Dr. Sunil Sood, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Northwell Health's Southside Hospital and Cohen Children's Medical Center, said he doesn't believe the condition causing these symptoms is Kawasaki. However, he says parents should be aware of it nonetheless. 

"Initially, I thought it was Kawasaki ... but it's going beyond those symptoms," Sood said. "Pediatricians and parents should be aware that there’s an outbreak of this right now."

While researchers have found how consumers’ diets or sleeping habits can increase their risk for heart disease, a new study conducted by researchers from Northwestern University explored what effect childhood circumstances can have on health as an adult. 

According to the researchers, experiencing traumatic events during childhood can increase consumers’ risk of heart disease as an adult. They explained that children who were vulnerable to abuse, neglect, or general dysfunction tend to make unhealthier choices, which can ultimately lead to heart problems. 

“This population of adults is much more likely to partake in risky behaviors -- for example, using food as a coping mechanism, which can lead to problems with weight and obesity,” said researcher Jacob Pierce. “They also have higher rates of smoking, which has a direct link to cardiovascular disease.” 

Increased risk for heart disease

To better understand the correlation between childhood trauma and adulthood heart disease, the researchers analyzed results from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) survey. 

Participants completed surveys that helped the researchers gauge what their daily lives were like during childhood. The questions were aimed at parent/child interactions, including the kind of language parents used towards their kids, if there was violence in the home, and how supported and loved children felt at home. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that children who experienced the highest levels of trauma, abuse, and neglect were over 50 percent more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. 

Pierce explained that children in these tumultuous environments were more likely to take up smoking, which has been known to increase the risk for heart disease. They were also more likely to have unhealthy diets and lead sedentary lives. Together, these risk factors can pose a threat to consumers’ heart health. 

Childhood experiences matter

The researchers hope that better resources can be implemented for young children in these difficult environments to give them both physical and mental health support that can be carried into adulthood. 

“Early childhood experiences have a lasting effect on adult mental and physical well-being, and a large number of American kids continue to suffer abuse and dysfunction that will leave a toll of health and social functioning issues throughout their lives,” said researcher Joseph Feinglass. 

“Social and economic support for young children in the United States, which is low by the standards of other developed countries, has the biggest ‘bang for the buck’ of any social program.” 

With many consumers struggling with high blood pressure, a new study conducted by researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center explored how medical professionals could have a hard time getting an accurate blood pressure reading. 

The study revealed that taking patients’ blood pressure at different parts of the body can create different readings. This is problematic for health care professionals, as the reading can determine the course of treatment for patients. 

“For our patients in the [neuroscience intensive care unit, NSICU], blood pressure often needs to be maintained in a very narrow range,” said researcher Kathrina B. Siaron, RN. “Moving it one way or another could potentially harm the patient.” 

Understanding different blood pressure readings

The researchers, all of whom were nurses, evaluated 80 patients admitted into the NSICU between three months last year. 

Participants had their blood pressure taken in both arms, their wrists, and (for a small portion of patients) directly from their arteries. When taking the pressure in the arms or wrists, the researchers set up different machines on either arm or wrist and activated the machines at the same time. 

The researchers learned that blood pressure readings varied greatly between the different testing sites of the patients. Though the readings were taken at the same time, they came up quite differently. 

On average, systolic blood pressure changed by a value of 13 between the arm reading and the wrist reading, while the diastolic reading changed by a value of five between those spots. Similarly, the systolic reading had a difference of eight between the two arms, and the diastolic reading was different by as much as six points. 

The researchers are unsure as to why these changes are so drastic on the same patient, so they plan to continue their work in this area to better understand this trend. Because a blood pressure reading can determine what kind of treatment a doctor chooses for a patient, these variations in the readings can make a huge difference when it comes to health outcomes. 

“If we take pressure in one arm, a patient seems fine, but in the other arm, they’re in crisis,” said researcher DaiWai M. Olson, PhD. “The values we collected were really all over the place. There was no consistency between the same arm or wrist between different patients.” 

Recent studies have highlighted how wildfires have led to increased damages to nearby homes, and now researchers are exploring how such events can affect consumers’ health. 

According to researchers from the American Heart Association (AHA), consumers who are exposed to high levels of wildfire smoke could be at an increased risk of cardiac arrest. 

“In recent decades, we experienced a significant increase in large-scale wildfires, therefore, more people are being exposed to wildfire smoke,” said researcher Ana G. Rappold. “In order to respond properly, it is important for us to understand the health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure.” 

Staying heart healthy

To better understand how wildfires can affect consumers’ heart health, the researchers analyzed data from both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES). The dataset included individuals in over a dozen counties in California that had been affected by wildfires between 2015 and 2017. They then compared that information with levels of smoke exposure across the state. 

The researchers learned that consumers were at the highest risk of cardiac arrest on days when the smoke from wildfires was at its strongest. 

“Particulate matter from smoke that is inhaled can penetrate deeply into the lungs, and very small particles may cross into the bloodstream,” said Dr. Rappold. “These particles can create an inflammatory reaction in the lungs and throughout the body. The body’s defense system may react to activate the fight-or-flight system, increasing heart rate, constricting blood vessels, and increasing blood pressure. These changes can lead to disturbances in the heart’s normal rhythm, blockages in the blood vessels, and other effects creating conditions that could lead to cardiac arrest.” 

The study also revealed that consumers living in lower-income communities, smokers, and senior citizens were all at an increased risk of cardiac arrest. However, the researchers also explained that all consumers can take preventative measures to help stay safe following a wildfire. 

They recommend running the air conditioner in the home, as this can filter clean air inside while keeping the toxins out. Moreover, it’s important to stay indoors as often as possible to avoid smoke exposure when a wildfire is occurring. 

Recent studies have highlighted the health benefits associated with walking more, especially when it comes to heart health. 

Now, researchers from the American College of Cardiology found that taking more steps throughout the day can help consumers lower their blood pressure. The team says that tracking steps can ensure that consumers are staying on top of their physical activity. 

“This study solidifies our understanding of the relationship between physical activity and blood pressure and raises the possibility that obesity or body mass index accounts for a lot of that relationship,” said researcher Dr. Mayank Sardana. 

Boosting heart health

The researchers had over 630 participants involved in the study. Each person wore an Apple Watch and checked their blood pressure every week. The watches tracked all of the participants’ daily physical activity, including how many steps they took each day. 

The researchers learned that those who were taking more steps throughout the day had lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure than those who weren’t walking as much. They found that consumers could actually lower their blood pressure enough to no longer be considered at risk by taking 10,000 steps each day. The findings also suggest that consumers can lower their systolic blood pressure as much as 0.45 points for every 1,000 steps they take throughout the day. 

Though this was an observational study, other recent studies have also found that exercise can be a great way to keep blood pressure at healthy levels. The researchers say that tracking physical activity can be a great way for consumers to set fitness goals and boost their overall health.

“Going forward, it would be useful to look at how smart devices might be leveraged to promote physical activity, reduce the burden of obesity, and potentially reduce blood pressure,” said Dr. Sardana. 

Intermittent fasting has recently gained traction for its ability to help consumers lose weight and achieve a healthier lifestyle, but a new study shows that it can also promote good liver health. 

Australian researchers at the University of Sydney say that the diet can positively impact fat metabolism in the liver, which can help prevent various liver diseases and conditions. Specifically, they found that a certain protein called HNF4-(alpha) was suppressed when an intermittent fasting plan was followed.

"For the first time we showed that HNF4-(alpha) is inhibited during intermittent fasting. This has downstream consequences, such as lowering the abundance of blood proteins in inflammation or affecting bile synthesis. This helps explain some of the previously known facts about intermittent fasting," said researcher Dr. Mark Larance.

Changing liver proteins

The researchers came to their conclusions after analyzing how the HNF4-(alpha) protein was affected by intermittent fasting in mice. The protein is generally responsible for regulating a wide array of liver genes.

The team found that both intermittent fasting and every-other-day-fasting (in which consumers only consume food on an alternating daily schedule) changed how HNF4-(alpha) interacted with the metabolism of fatty acids in the liver. The observations of this interaction and others could allow for medical professionals to develop approaches that could help manage glucose and regulate diseases like diabetes.

"We know that fasting can be an effective intervention to treat disease and improve liver health. But we haven't known how fasting reprograms liver proteins, which perform a diverse array of essential metabolic functions," explained Larance. "By studying the impact on proteins in the livers of mice...we now have a much better understanding of how this happens."

The full study has been published in the journal Cell Reports.

It’s no secret that air pollution can greatly affect consumers’ health, but researchers from the European Society of Cardiology are declaring that the issue has reached pandemic levels. 

According to their work, air pollution takes more lives worldwide than smoking, violence, or insect-borne diseases. 

“Since the impact of air pollution on public health overall is much larger than expected, and is a worldwide phenomenon, we believe our results show there is an ‘air pollution pandemic,’” said researcher Thomas Münzel. “Policymakers and the medical community should be paying much more attention to this. Both air pollution and smoking are preventable, but over the past decades much less attention has been paid to air pollution than to smoking, especially among cardiologists.” 

Global risks

Using data from the Global Burden of Disease project and a new model that can track air pollution and its effects, the researchers were able to see how air pollution-related deaths compared to deaths from other causes. 

The researchers compared air pollution to both deaths and shortened life expectancy related to HIV/AIDS, all forms of violence, smoking, and insect-borne or parasitic diseases. They learned that air pollution not only claims the most lives globally, but it also shortens life expectancy the most dramatically. While smoking was found to cut just over two years from consumers’ lives, air pollution was found to shorten life expectancy by three full years. 

“It is remarkable that both the number of deaths and the loss in life expectancy from air pollution rival the effect of tobacco smoking and are much higher than other causes of death,” said researcher Jos Lelieveld. “Air pollution exceeds malaria as a global cause of premature death by a factor of 19; it exceeds violence by a factor of 16, HIV/AIDS by a factor of 9, alcohol by a factor of 45, and drug abuse by a factor of 60.” 

Making changes

While the risk of air pollution-related deaths differed in different parts of the world, the researchers found that eliminating fossil fuels and working to eliminate man-made emissions would tremendously benefit consumers. 

The study found that taking these steps would increase life expectancy around the world and reduce the risk of air pollution-related illnesses. 

“In this paper we distinguished between avoidable, human-made air pollution and pollution from natural sources such as desert dust and wildfire emissions, which cannot be avoided,” said Münzel. “We show that about two-thirds of premature deaths are attributable to human-made air pollution, mostly from fossil fuel use; this goes up to 80 percent in high-income countries. Five and a half million deaths worldwide a year are potentially avoidable.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Nottingham suggests that consumers are more likely to drop foods high in sugar when making healthy changes to their diet. 

In using the traffic light labeling system (TLL) to assess consumers’ healthy decision-making skills, the researchers learned that sugar, more so than fat or salt, represents a big red light and stops consumers in their tracks. The participants were more likely to avoid foods high in sugar, as opposed to foods with higher concentrations of fat or salt. 

“When using the TLL, consumers often have to make tradeoffs between undesirable attributes and decide which to use to guide them in making a choice,” said researcher Ola Anabtawi. “We wanted to find out whether it was fat, saturated fat, sugar, or salt they most wanted to avoid and see whether the traffic light labeling was influencing this decision.”  

The push away from sugar

To assess consumers’ attitudes about nutritional recommendations, the researchers had nearly 900 participants involved in the study. The participants were shown three food items -- cereal, a breakfast biscuit, and a pre-packed sandwich. Each item had three different combinations of the traffic light labeling system. 

The goal of the study was for the participants to identify which product they believed was the healthiest based on the TLL. The researchers learned that sugar was the most off-putting ingredient for the participants. Any label that warned against high levels of sugar was the most likely to be selected as the least healthy. 

The researchers explained that TLL is used to help consumers make healthy choices. The packaging of a product shows various nutritional facts in either red, amber, or green, and the more green there is on the package, the better the product is nutritionally. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that consumers consider all nutritional information equally, as moderation and balance are key for any diet.

“The dominance of sugar in decision-making shows the labelling system is having an impact in the current public health climate,” said Anabtawi. “However, it is important to consider the effect of disregarding other nutrients (i.e. fat and salt) for people with different nutritional needs. We suggest raising awareness of all nutrients to help the public achieve a well-balanced diet.” 

Health experts have recommended the Mediterranean diet for its favorable effects on heart health, but researchers from the University of Minnesota say that one of its main staples could be even more beneficial than previously thought.

In a recent study, the researchers found that consuming more olive oil was linked to lower risk of developing certain age-related diseases and conditions. Study leader Dr. Dough Mashek says that the finding could allow medical professionals to change how they treat patients in old age by giving them a narrower target.

"We want to understand the biology, and then translate it to humans, hopefully changing the paradigm of healthcare from someone going to eight different doctors to treat his or her eight different disorders," he said. "These are all aging-related diseases, so let's treat aging."

From red wine to olive oil

Oddly enough, the inspiration for these findings don’t start with olive oil -- they start with another Mediterranean diet staple: red wine. In previous studies, researchers had noticed that consuming red wine was able to activate certain cell pathways that have been linked to longer lifespans and less disease incidence. 

However, Mashek and his team found that the fat present in olive oil was the main culprit responsible for activating this cell pathway. The researchers say that combining olive oil consumption with other healthy habits like a proper diet and exercise can unlock the true potential behind the Mediterranean diet. 

"We found that the way this fat works is it first has to get stored in microscopic things called lipid droplets, which is how our cells store fat. And then, when the fat is broken down during exercising or fasting, for example, is when the signaling and beneficial effects are realized," Mashek explained.

The full study has been published in the journal Molecular Cell.

Recent studies have explored how using certain cleaning products can create higher levels of air pollutants, and others have delved into how this indoor air pollution can lead to several health risks. 

Now, researchers from Simon Fraser University have found that infants who are frequently exposed to chemicals from cleaning products during the first three months of their lives could be at an increased risk of developing asthma. 

“The big takeaway from the study is that the first few months of life are critical for the development of a baby’s immune and respiratory systems,” said researcher Jaclyn Parks. “By identifying hazardous exposures during infancy, preventive measures can be taken to potentially reduce childhood asthma and subsequent allergy risk.”  

More cleaning products, worsening asthma symptoms

The researchers had over 2,000 children involved in the study to determine how exposure to cleaning products as a newborn can affect the likelihood of developing asthma. 

When the study began, the infants were between three and four months old. Parents answered questionnaires on how often their babies were exposed to 26 different cleaning products, including everything from laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid to air fresheners and disinfectants. 

The researchers followed up with the children when they reached three years old and determined that greater exposure to cleaning products not only increased the likelihood of the children developing asthma, but it also yielded more severe asthma symptoms. 

Overall, asthma was prevalent in eight percent of children from high-exposure homes, whereas less than five percent of children from low-exposure homes were diagnosed. Eleven percent of children with a high exposure to cleaners developed a recurrent wheeze, which is one of the most common asthma symptoms, while under eight percent of children with low exposure were affected in this way. 

The researchers also found that girls fared worse than boys when it came to respiratory health, though more work is required to understand what role gender plays in this area. 

What products to avoid

Parents can help protect their newborns from struggling with asthma throughout childhood. The researchers identified several different products that were found to be harmful to developing lungs, and many of them had one common denominator: scents. 

According to researcher Jaclyn Parks, “liquid or solid air fresheners, plug-in deodorizers, dusting sprays, antimicrobial hand sanitizers, and oven cleaners” were all items associated with more severe asthma symptoms. 

“It may be important for people to consider removing scented spray cleaning products from their cleaning routine,” Parks said. “We believe that the smell of a healthy home is no smell at all.” 

Although a classroom may not be a student’s favorite place to spend their time, a new study conducted by researchers from UCLA has identified yet another variable that could affect students’ health: sitting. 

The study revealed that sitting for extended periods of time, as most college students are used to doing during class, can increase the risk of disease. The researchers say it’s important that universities make a concerted effort to create opportunities for students to stand up, walk around, and stretch throughout class. 

“A cultural change has to take place -- that it’s OK to take a stretch break, to stand up during a lecture, to fidget when needed -- it’s ‘good’ for health’s sake,” said Angelia Leung, a professor in the World Arts & Cultures/Dance Department. “My students have an excuse because dance classes naturally involve movement, but we can extend these benefits to any class on campus with something as simple as short stretching breaks -- no dancing required.” 

Misconceptions about moving

The researchers were most interested in learning what students and faculty already knew about sitting still for too long and how they felt about incorporating more movement into class times. They conducted focus groups with undergraduate and graduate students, as well as with several faculty members, to gauge their understanding of the risks associated with being sedentary for long periods of time. 

None of the students were concerned about the health risks associated with sitting throughout longer class times, though they did mention feeling self-conscious about getting up or walking around in the middle of class -- even in classes with fewer students. Professors were similarly unaware of how being still for too long can be bad for students’ health. 

A number of the participants also thought that being active later in the day would be able to reverse the effects of sitting for long periods of time, which researcher Burt Cowgill explained is false. 

“Many people thought they would be fine if they also squeezed in a 30-minute jog, and that’s just not what research shows us,” Cowgill said. 

Health risks

The researchers cited previous studies which have linked prolonged sitting with increased risks for diseases and conditions ranging from obesity and heart disease to cancer and diabetes. 

While both students and professors expressed interest and acceptance in having time during class to move around, the researchers explained that the push needs to come from professors. If instructors take the time to normalize these breaks and encourage their students to walk around and stretch for a few minutes, students wouldn’t feel that they’re breaking an unspoken social norm. 

“We need to change the way we teach so that we can offer more standing breaks, create opportunities for in-class movement, and even change the built environment so that there’s more room for moving around,” said Cowgill.  

Recent studies have explored the difference in quality in men’s and women’s heart health-related treatments, with many women often receiving the wrong treatment for such issues. 

Now, researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found that this could boil down to a distinct difference in physiology between the genders: women’s blood vessels age at a faster rate than men’s. 

“Many of us in medicine have long believed that women simply ‘catch up’ to men in terms of their cardiovascular risk,” said Dr. Susan Cheng. “Our research not only confirms that women have different biology and physiology than their male counterparts, but also illustrates why it is that women may be more susceptible to developing certain types of cardiovascular disease and at different points in life.” 

Effects on the body

The researchers started by examining study participants’ blood pressure readings, which is oftentimes one of the first signs of cardiovascular concerns. Over 32,000 participants were involved in the study, ranging in age from young children to seniors; each person’s blood pressure was checked regularly over the course of a 43-year span. 

The researchers kept the women’s and men’s readings separate, as they were trying to determine popular risk factors that emerged among the female participants and how they were different or similar to those of the male participants. 

They learned that high blood pressure, though a good benchmark for later heart concerns, is different for men and women. Not only did women present with high blood pressure symptoms earlier in life than their male counterparts, but their heart health progressed at a much more rapid pace over time. 

“This means that if we define the hypertension threshold the exact same way, a 30-year old woman with high blood pressure is probably at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease than a man with high blood pressure at the same age,” said Dr. Cheng. 

Better care in the future 

Armed with this information, the researchers hope that clinicians take these findings into account when treating their patients for heart-related conditions, especially high blood pressure. 

It’s crucial that doctors are taking the difference in their male and female patients into account when determining treatment plans because of how quickly high blood pressure can evolve into something more serious. 

“This study is yet another reminder to physicians that many aspects of our cardiovascular evaluation and therapy need to be tailored specifically for women,” said researcher Dr. Christine Albert. “Results from studies performed in men may not be directly extrapolated to women.” 

With the new year quickly approaching, many consumers are starting to make health and fitness goals. With that in mind, findings from a new study show how intermittent fasting can help improve overall health and contribute to longer life. 

According to researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine, intermittent fasting is based in science and produces real results. They say consumers should feel confident about following the diet plan since it’s effective at helping shed pounds and boosting health more broadly. 

“Intermittent fasting could be part of a healthy lifestyle,” said researcher Mark Mattson, PhD. 

Benefits of intermittent fasting

Mattson analyzed several studies dealing with intermittent fasting while also drawing on his own decades worth of experience utilizing the eating program. His findings pointed to the ways that following a fasting plan can help consumers be healthier and live longer. 

His research included studies that tested the effects of intermittent fasting on both humans and animals, and he found that limiting eating in this way can reduce the risk of diabetes or obesity while also promoting improvements in blood pressure, heart health, and brain health. 

“We are at a transition point where we could soon consider adding information about intermittent fasting to medical school curricula alongside standard advice about healthy diets and exercise,” said Mattson. 

Committing to fasting

While the benefits of intermittent fasting could be enticing for consumers looking to lose weight and improve virtually every aspect of their health, Mattson explained that committing to this new way of eating isn’t always as easy as it seems. 

For starters, there are two options when it comes to fasting: fasters can opt to either choose two days of the week to consume no more than 600 calories, or they can limit all eating to a six to eight hour window, using the remaining time in the day to fast. A recent study explored the latter option and found that expanding to even a 10-hour eating window improved consumers’ health. 

However, it’s important for consumers to know that the transition can be more complicated than just switching up mealtimes. Physicians can be a valuable resource in guiding their patients through any potential negative side effects, which are to be expected, according to Mattson. 

“Patients should be advised that feeling hungry and irritable is common initially and usually passes after two weeks to a month as the body and brain become accustomed to the new habit,” Mattson said. 

While many consumers are quick to reach for prescription drugs when they suffer from chronic pain, a new study could have many rethinking their pain relief remedies. 

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs found that choosing alternative treatments over prescription drugs for chronic pain yielded better health outcomes in the long-term. 

“Chronic pain is associated with adverse outcomes, such as substance abuse and suicidal thoughts and behavior,” said researcher Dr. Esther Meerwijk. “If non-drug treatments make chronic pain more bearable, people may be more likely to have positive experiences in life. That makes them less likely to have thoughts of suicide or turn to drugs.” 

Steering clear of drugs

The researchers observed over 142,000 veterans, all of whom had served more or less than one year in Iraq or Afghanistan. 

When suffering from chronic pain, many patients are quick to receive a prescription for an opioid painkiller. Because experts are worried about the potential outcomes associated with such drugs, the researchers set out to discover how non-drug treatment options compared to prescriptions when it came to effectiveness. 

The researchers compared vets who received drugs for chronic pain with those who received alternative treatment plans. They found that those who didn’t receive drugs were not only feeling less pain, but they also had better mental health outcomes than their counterparts. 

Targeting the pain without drugs helped the vets fight off a number of side effects that are common when patients take prescription painkillers for extended periods of time. The researchers saw better results from the vets when it came to alcohol and drug abuse, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm. 

“It made sense that if non-drug treatments are good at managing pain, their effect would go beyond pain relief,” said Dr. Meerwijk. “However, I was surprised that the results of our analyses held, despite our attempts to prove them wrong.” 

Alternative treatment options

While the researchers explained that the observational nature of the study makes it hard to create a clear cause and effect chain, these results were encouraging. The team hopes that medical professionals will consider alternative courses of treatment when patients present with chronic pain. Some of the remedies used in this study to treat the pain included: 

• Electrical nerve stimulation

• Acupuncture

• Osteopathic spinal manipulation

• Superficial heat treatment

• Biofeedback

• Ultrasonography 

• Traction 

• Chiropractic care

• Dry needling

• Exercise therapy 

• Massage

• Lumbar supports

Health officials say the 2019-20 flu season is off to an unusually early start. For three consecutive weeks, flu-like illnesses have accounted for a significant percentage of doctor visits, signaling the official start of flu season. 

CDC officials said Friday that there have already been 1.7 million flu illnesses, 16,000 hospitalizations, and 900 flu-related deaths across the U.S. The highest levels of flu activity have been reported in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, and Texas.

Experts say the early start to the winter flu season means it will likely hit its peak earlier than it has during previous seasons. However, it’s hard to make predictions about flu seasons. The flu virus currently dominating in the south is the Flu B strain, which isn’t usually active until March or April. 

Health officials urge consumers to vaccinate

The CDC recommends getting a flu vaccine as soon as possible in order to allow the body one to two weeks to build up full protection to the illness. This year’s vaccine has been reformulated to better protect against the B-strain of the flu. 

While there’s still a risk of getting the flu even if you get a flu shot, health officials say getting a flu shot can reduce the risk of complications from the flu, like pneumonia or hospitalization. 

Cannabidiol, or CBD -- a component of cannabis that does not contain intoxicating properties -- has the potential to harm users, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned Monday in an updated consumer advisory. 

CBD was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill, and its use has skyrocketed in recent years. The compound is believed to have some health benefits, including the ability to treat pain, inflammation, and anxiety. 

However, the FDA now says it doesn’t have enough scientific evidence to conclude that CBD is “generally recognized as safe among qualified experts for use in human and animal food.” The agency said the compound can potentially: 

• Cause liver injury;

• Affect the metabolism of other drugs, causing serious side effects; and/or

• Increase the risk of sedation and drowsiness when used with alcohol or other Central Nervous System depressants. 

Possible health risks

In its advisory, the FDA said consumers may not be aware of certain side effects they may experience as a result of CBD use. The compound may cause changes in alertness, drowsiness, gastrointestinal distress, or changes in mood, the agency said.

“The FDA is concerned that people may mistakenly believe that trying CBD ‘can’t hurt,’” the FDA said, adding that it “wants to be clear that we have seen only limited data about CBD’s safety and these data point to real risks that need to be considered.” 

The agency noted that it’s still looking into the long-term effects of CBD use, trying to figure out what effect it has on a developing fetus or breastfed newborn, and looking into how it interacts with herbs and botanicals, among other things. 

Companies warned against illegal sales

In a separate advisory published the same day, the FDA disclosed that it recently contacted 15 companies that were selling products containing CBD in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. 

“Aside from one prescription drug approved to treat two pediatric epilepsy disorders, these products have not been approved by the FDA and we want to be clear that a number of questions remain regarding CBD’s safety – including reports of products containing contaminants, such as pesticides and heavy metals – and there are real risks that need to be considered,” the FDA said. 

The agency has said it’s aware of growing public interest in the compound. As part of its effort to ensure that it is safe for consumer use, the FDA is working with those in the industry to “fill in the knowledge gaps about the science, safety and quality of many of these products.”

Concussions can be long, serious injuries for young athletes, and now a new study has found another risk factor associated with these all-too-common head injuries. 

Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston found that student athletes who sustain concussions could be at an increased risk of suicide. 

“It’s important to remember that when it comes to concussions, there’s no visual test to confirm them,” said researcher Dale Mantey. “Unfortunately, you can’t take your child to a lab test done to diagnose one.” 

Being cautious with head injuries

To assess how concussions can affect young athletes’ mental health, the researchers surveyed over 13,000 high school students who self-reported on their experience playing sports and their history with concussions. 

These head injuries affected 15 percent of the students involved in the study, and the researchers found that participants were more likely to report feelings consistent with those who have attempted or completed suicide. 

As more and more young people are professionally treated for mental health concerns, it’s important for parents, medical professionals, and other teens to understand the risk factors at play. 

Although female athletes suffer from concussions more frequently than their male counterparts, the researchers found that all student athletes with a concussion history were more likely to report suicidal thoughts, feelings, or attempts than students with no previous concussions. Male students were three times as likely and female students were twice as likely to report seeking out treatment following a suicide attempt compared to non-athletes. 

While previous studies have linked increased teen suicide attempts to states with higher gun ownership and experiences with bullying, sports-related concussions are common, and these findings shed light on an important issue that could affect countless teens across the country. 

“Everyone needs to be aware of the warning signs and the risks that come with concussions -- parents, teachers, coaches, but also the students themselves,” said Mantey. “If there is any concern that a child may have suffered a concussion, it is critical to seek medical attention. If a child is diagnosed with a concussion, everyone in their support network should look for changes in mood or behavior that may be warning signs of reduced mental well-being.” 

While diet and food choices are important aspects of consumers’ heart health, a new study conducted by researchers from the American Heart Association (AHA) discovered the negative impact that ultra-processed foods can have on consumers’ cardiovascular health. 

The researchers found that consumers have a higher chance of developing cardiovascular disease when they eat more ultra-processed foods on a daily basis.

“Healthy diets play an important role in maintaining a healthy diet and blood vessels,” said researcher Dr. Zefeng Zhang. “Eating ultra-processed foods often displaces healthier foods that are rich in nutrients, like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, which are strongly linked to good heart health. In addition, ultra-processed foods are often high in salt, added sugars, saturated fat, and other substances associated with increasing the risk of heart disease.” 

Maintaining good heart health

To understand the effect that ultra-processed foods -- like French fries, chicken nuggets, and soda -- can have on heart health, the researchers evaluated responses to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).The team analyzed over 13,000 responses to the NHANES over a five-year period, the first part of which required participants to report on their typical daily eating habits. 

The researchers also utilized the AHA’s Life’s Simple 7, which accounts for health factors like blood pressure and cholesterol levels, the researchers were also able to gauge the survey respondents’ heart health. Using these two measures, the researchers learned that the more ultra-processed foods the participants consumed, the higher the risk that they’d later develop cardiovascular disease. 

While ultra-processed foods make up 50 percent of the average consumer’s daily caloric intake, the researchers discovered that 40 percent was the threshold for concern. Once consumers surpassed that benchmark, their risk for heart disease increased. The researchers encourage consumers to look over Life’s Simple 7, as it serves as a great resource for preventing disease. 

These findings also serve as a great reminder for consumers who are trying to  incorporate healthier foods into their diets. The risks of ultra-processed foods are not to be taken lightly, as they have been linked to an increased risk of disease and overeating and weight gain. 

“This study underscores the importance of building a healthier diet by eliminating foods such as sugar-sweetened beverages, cookies, cakes, and other processed foods,” said researcher Donna Arnett, PhD. “There are things you can do every day to improve your health just a little bit. For example, instead of grabbing that loaf of white bread, grab a loaf of bread that’s whole grain or wheat bread. Try replacing a hamburger with fish once or twice a week. Making small changes can add up to better heart health.” 

Experts say it’s still too soon to predict whether this year’s flu season will be as long or severe as it has been in recent years, but flu activity has already begun increasing. For this reason, health officials are urging everyone over the age of 6 months to get vaccinated as soon as possible. 

While the fact that Australia was hit early and hard by the flu this year suggests a possibly severe flu season in the U.S., Dr. Michael Ben-Aderet, associate director of Hospital Epidemiology at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai hospital, says that flu season is “never totally predictable.” 

However, he says getting a flu shot in early fall — before flu viruses begin spreading in your community — can help minimize the risk of getting sick. 

“People can protect themselves by getting vaccinated,” Ben-Aderet said told CNBC. “Getting vaccinated is important not only for ourselves, but for the people around us.”

Flu shot recommended

Flu season typically peaks between December and February, and it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to build full immunity to the illness. Health authorities recommend getting vaccinated around the end of October or the beginning of November.

The 2017-18 flu season was declared as one of the most severe on record, ultimately resulting in more than 80,000 deaths and a record-breaking 900,000 hospitalizations for flu-related illnesses like pneumonia. Last year, the flu sickened more than 6 million Americans. 

Health officials say this year’s flu vaccine has been updated based off the Southern Hemisphere’s flu season and other elevated flu activity.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months get vaccinated each year. Children need two doses of the vaccine to be protected, so they should start the process sooner than adults since those doses must be administered at least four weeks apart.