23Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
2 Human Cases of West Nile Virus Detected In New York City

2 Human Cases of West Nile Virus Detected In New York City

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Two New York City residents have been infected with the West Nile virus (WNV) and a record number of WNV-infected mosquitoes have been detected, according to the New York City Health Department in a statement released on August 16.Mosquito and WNV activity in the city are rising this summer; a total of 1,068 WNV-positive mosquito pools have been located throughout the city, compared with 779 positive pools detected at this time last year, according to city health officials.This year, an average of 77 mosquitoes were caught in each trap per day, compared with 75 mosquitos per trap per day for the same period in 2021. Once trapped, a large number of mosquitoes are then tested in a single pooled sample or “pool.” If one or more of the tested mosquitos from…
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23Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Cancer Cases Rising ‘Dramatically’ in Adults Under 50

Cancer Cases Rising ‘Dramatically’ in Adults Under 50

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Globally, the number of cancer cases diagnosed in adults under 50 has surged in recent decades, and a new study suggests that diagnosis rates are climbing too much to be entirely explained by better screening or earlier detection.The incidence of several early-onset cancers, including tumors of the breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, liver, and pancreas, has dramatically increased around the world since 1990, researchers report in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology.“From our data, we observed something called the birth cohort effect. This effect shows that each successive group of people born at a later time — for example, a decade-later — have a higher risk of developing cancer later in life, likely due to risk factors they were exposed to at a young age,” senior study author Shuji Ogino, MD, PhD, a…
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23Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
FDA Proposes Changes to Which Foods Are Labeled ‘Healthy’

FDA Proposes Changes to Which Foods Are Labeled ‘Healthy’

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On September 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed an updated definition for the term "healthy" when it's used on food labels, to be more consistent with the latest nutrition science and the current dietary guidelines for Americans, according to a news release.The change to the requirements for a “healthy” label is part of a larger national strategy on hunger, nutrition, and health that aims to reduce some of the chronic diseases that are caused by eating habits and to advance health equity.“Nutrition is key to improving our nation’s health,” said Xavier Becerra, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in the press release. “Healthy food can lower our risk for chronic disease. But too many people may not know what constitutes healthy food.…
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23Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug Slows Cognitive Decline in Large Study

Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug Slows Cognitive Decline in Large Study

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The experimental Alzheimer’s disease drug lecanemab slowed the progression of cognitive decline by 27 percent in a large, late-stage clinical trial, the drugmakers Biogen and Eisai said.Lecanemab is in a family of medicines designed to clear the brain of plaques formed by the buildup of a protein known as beta-amyloid, which is thought to play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In clinical trial results released by Biogen and Eisai on September 27, lecanemab also reduced amyloid levels in the brain and appeared to improve participants’ cognition and ability to perform daily tasks.“Today’s announcement gives patients and their families hope that lecanemab, if approved, can potentially slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and provide a clinically meaningful impact on cognition and function,” said Michel Vounatsos, the chief executive…
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23Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
FDA Approves New Treatment Relyvrio for People With ALS

FDA Approves New Treatment Relyvrio for People With ALS

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On September 29, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved AMX0035 (Relyvrio) for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The drug was developed by Amylyx Pharmaceuticals.ALS is the most common neurodegenerative disorder of midlife; more than 120,000 people worldwide have ALS, including approximately 29,000 adults in the United States. When a person has ALS, the neurons in the brain and spinal cord degenerate and can no longer communicate with the muscles.ALS is in the same family of diseases as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease, explains Jim Caress, MD, a neurologist and researcher at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Dr. Caress was one of several researchers involved in the phase 2 trial of the drug. “With Alzheimer’s disease,…
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22Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
COVID-19: Does the Virus or Vaccine Mess With the Menstrual Cycle?

COVID-19: Does the Virus or Vaccine Mess With the Menstrual Cycle?

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It’s completely normal for menstrual cycles to vary slightly from month to month, but if you’ve noticed unusual changes right around the time you had COVID-19 or the vaccination or booster shots that help prevent it, it’s not all in your head. You’re part of a scientifically recognized crowd.On September 27, 2022, a large study published in BMJ Medicine confirmed the findings of previous research that linked COVID-19 vaccination with a temporary average increase in menstrual cycle length of less than one day. For study participants who received only one vaccine dose per cycle, the number of days in a cycle had returned to pre-vax lengths in the cycle after vaccination.There was a larger increase in cycle length, almost four days, for individuals who happened to receive two doses of a…
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22Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Old Europe Cheese Recalls Brie and Camembert Cheese Due to Potential Listeria Risk

Old Europe Cheese Recalls Brie and Camembert Cheese Due to Potential Listeria Risk

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On September 30, 2020, Old Europe Cheese of Benton Harbor, Michigan, issued a voluntary recall of its Brie and Camembert cheeses because of potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause listeriosis, a serious and sometimes fatal infection in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently investigating an outbreak of listeria that has hospitalized five people so far; those sickened were in California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, and Texas. Laboratory data and interviews (four people reported eating Brie or Camembert cheese) indicate the cheeses may be the source of the outbreak, according to the FDA statement.During an inspection of the company's Michigan facility, health officials tested 120 samples, both of the products and the company’s…
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22Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Immunotherapy Given Before Target Therapy Improves Advanced Melanoma Survival Rates

Immunotherapy Given Before Target Therapy Improves Advanced Melanoma Survival Rates

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A new clinical trial has found that the order in which cancer treatments are administered can be the difference between life and death in people with advanced melanoma. The study, published September 27 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found a clear benefit for those who received immunotherapy before targeted therapy to treat their skin cancer — so much so that the trial was stopped early.Investigators found that for patients with melanoma who have a mutation in the BRAF gene, specifically a BRAF V600 mutation, immunotherapy is the better initial approach than drugs that specifically target this mutated pathway.Advances in Treating Metastatic Melanoma Have Been ‘Nothing Short of Remarkable’Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the United States, and it develops in about 1 in 38 white people, 1…
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22Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Lifting Weights Linked With Living Longer

Lifting Weights Linked With Living Longer

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Can building our muscles help us live longer? According to new research, the answer is yes. Investigators found that regularly lifting weights was linked to a lower risk of death from any cause, with the exception of cancer. Their findings were published online on September 27 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.“Older adults who participated in weight lifting exercise had significantly lower mortality before and after factoring in aerobic exercise participation, and importantly, those who did both types of exercise had the lowest risk,” says lead author Jessica Gorzelitz, PhD, researcher in the division of cancer epidemiology and genetics at the National Cancer Institute, and assistant professor of health promotion at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. These findings provide strong support for the current Physical Activity Guidelines…
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