20Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Loneliness and Unhappiness May Age You More Than Smoking

Loneliness and Unhappiness May Age You More Than Smoking

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Surrounding yourself with people who help you feel good about your life may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about ways to lengthen your lifespan. But a new study suggests focusing on happiness and social connections may be one great way to boost longevity.For the study, researchers examined data on almost 12,000 adults 45 and older who participated in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. All of the participants provided blood samples, detailed medical histories, and information on their social circumstances and mental health. Scientists then used all of this data to predict which factors might make the biggest difference on longevity using a so-called “aging clock,” a statistical model for assessing biological rather than chronological age.Psychological factors such as being lonely or…
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20Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
FDA Approves Sotyktu (Deucravacitinib) for Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis

FDA Approves Sotyktu (Deucravacitinib) for Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis

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On September 9, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, according to a release from Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), manufacturer of the drug.The once-a-day pill is a systemic treatment for psoriasis, meaning that unlike topical treatments applied directly to skin, the drug minimizes inflammation throughout the body. It works differently than existing systemic medications, including other oral therapies and biologics, which require injections.Jessica L. Garelik, DO, assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Health in New York City, who was not involved in the drug development, calls the approval good news. “There remains a need for effective, safe treatments, particularly oral medications, for people with psoriasis who require systemic therapy,” she says. Source link
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20Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
CDC Warns of Increased Respiratory Virus Among Children That Can Cause Polio-Like Paralysis

CDC Warns of Increased Respiratory Virus Among Children That Can Cause Polio-Like Paralysis

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an official advisory warning of a recent rise in the number of children hospitalized with a respiratory illness that can cause a serious neurologic condition that weakens muscles and reflexes.According to reports to the CDC in August from healthcare providers and hospitals from around the United States, these pediatric patients tested positive for rhinovirus or enterovirus, including enterovirus D68 (EV-D68). Pediatric acute respiratory illness sentinel surveillance sites have also reported a higher proportion of children with EV-D68 positivity compared with previous years.Data analysis from NBC News found that there were 84 EV-D68 cases from March through August 4. By comparison, the CDC identified six such cases in 2019, 30 in 2020, and 16 in 2021. EV-D68 has been reported in 40 states…
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20Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Ultra-Processed Foods and Drinks Linked to Colorectal Cancer and Early Death

Ultra-Processed Foods and Drinks Linked to Colorectal Cancer and Early Death

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Two large studies that followed participants for decades have provided further evidence that the foods we eat — and don’t eat — can have significant health consequences. The research, published August 31 in the BMJ, found that people who consumed higher amounts of “ultra-processed” foods were at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, bowel (colorectal) cancer, and early death.What are ultra-processed foods? They include items like hot dogs, lunch meat, baked goods, salty snacks like chips, and sugary drinks, along with prepackaged ready-to-eat or microwave meals, which can contain more unhealthy fats and lots of sodium.According to researchers, these findings add further support for policies that limit ultra-processed foods and promote unprocessed or minimally processed foods to improve public health worldwide.Researchers Followed Participants for Over 2 Decades to Assess Cancer RiskIn…
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20Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Taking a Daily Multivitamin May Help Prevent Dementia

Taking a Daily Multivitamin May Help Prevent Dementia

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Are there benefits to taking a multivitamin? Although the over-the-counter daily supplements are considered safe, many health institutions and experts consider them unnecessary unless a person has been diagnosed with a vitamin deficiency.In spite of that, vitamins are quite popular — it’s estimated that about 1 in 3 Americans take supplements, and the classic once-a-day multivitamin accounts for about 40 percent of all vitamin sales, according to Penn Medicine.For those devoted to their daily vitamins, good news: Taking a multivitamin was associated with maintaining cognitive health in older adults, according to findings published on September 14 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. The Number of People With Dementia Is Expected to Double by 2050Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning, which includes things like the ability…
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19Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Implanting a Patient’s Own Reprogrammed Stem Cells Shows Early Positive Results for Treating Dry AMD

Implanting a Patient’s Own Reprogrammed Stem Cells Shows Early Positive Results for Treating Dry AMD

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Specially treated stem cells derived from a single individual have been successfully implanted into that same individual’s eyes in a first-of-its-kind clinical trial testing ways to treat advanced “dry” age-related macular degeneration (AMD).The therapy, currently in its first phase of testing to ensure that it’s safe for humans, involves harvesting and processing a person’s blood cells and using them to replace the person’s retinal cells that had succumbed to AMD, a leading cause of vision loss globally.The procedure was performed by researchers from the National Eye Institute (NEI), a branch of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and from the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. The NIH researchers have been working on the new treatment for a decade.The scientists, who previously demonstrated…
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19Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
A History of Stressors and Childhood Trauma May Predict Worse Menopausal Symptoms and Well-Being

A History of Stressors and Childhood Trauma May Predict Worse Menopausal Symptoms and Well-Being

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Past studies have shown that women who have experienced trauma (physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, financial instability) are more likely to have worse menopausal symptoms than women who haven’t. But previous studies had small numbers of participants, focused on current stressors only, or on childhood stressors only. Research published September 13, 2022, in Menopause analyzed data from a longitudinal study of women and children to examine the long-term effects of abuse on menopause symptoms. Researchers were able to look at history of trauma and abuse during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Source link
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19Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Painless, Bloodless Tattoos Possible With New Microneedle Technique

Painless, Bloodless Tattoos Possible With New Microneedle Technique

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Tattoos may seem like they’re everywhere, and no longer taboo. But widespread medical use of tattoos has been limited because of the need for repeated needle injections that can be painful and carry risks of bleeding and infection.Now scientists have developed a way to avoid these deterrents: a tattoo patch containing microscopic needles that can quickly color skin without causing pain or drawing blood. These single-use microneedle tattoo patches work for both color images and for markings visible only with ultraviolet illumination, according to a study published September 14 in iScience.“We've miniaturized the needle so that it's painless but still effectively deposits tattoo ink in the skin,” said the senior study author, Mark Prausnitz, PhD, of the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, in…
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