19Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
FDA Approves Camzyos for the Treatment of Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

FDA Approves Camzyos for the Treatment of Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

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On April 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mavacampten (Camzyos), available in 2.5 milligram (mg), 5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg capsules, for the treatment of adults with symptomatic New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 2-3 obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM) to improve functional capacity and symptoms.“We’re very excited for our patients about this addition to the toolbox for management of obstructive HCM. It won’t be for everyone — nothing ever is — but it is a very welcome tool,” says Sara Saberi, MD, a cardiologist and assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Health Frankel Cardiovascular Center in Ann Arbor.Dr. Saberi was a coauthor on the EXPLORER-HCM study published in The Lancet, which was used as the basis for the drug’s approval. Manufactured…
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19Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Lili Reinhart Called Out Other Celebs for ‘Starving’ Themselves — Why Body Image Experts Are Applauding Her

Lili Reinhart Called Out Other Celebs for ‘Starving’ Themselves — Why Body Image Experts Are Applauding Her

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Lili Reinhart, an actor known for her role as Betty Cooper on TV's Riverdale, took to her Instagram stories on May 3 to call out celebrities for behavior that sends a toxic message about how bodies should look."To walk on a red carpet and do an interview where you say how starving you are … because you haven't eaten carbs in the last month … all to fit in a f***ing dress?" Reinhart wrote in an Instagram Story, People reported earlier this week. (The original Instagram Story with Reinhart’s post was live for only 24 hours.) "So wrong. So f***ed on 100s of levels," Reinhart wrote.She didn’t mention Kim Kardashian by name, but there’s strong speculation that Reinhart’s comments were in response to Kardashian’s Met Gala appearance. Kardashian donned the same…
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18Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Guns Leading Cause of Death For Children and Teens

Guns Leading Cause of Death For Children and Teens

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In 2020, guns caused more deaths than car accidents among U.S. children and teens for the first time in the last 40 years, according to a paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine.Researchers used data recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to quantify the leading causes of death nationwide for individuals ages 1 to 19 and found that firearm-related deaths among children and adolescents increased by 29 percent from 2019 to 2020.Although firearm deaths in people of all ages in the United States is on the rise, the rate among children and adolescents was more than twice as high as the relative increase in the general population, according to the authors."The increasing rates of firearm mortality are a longer-term trend and demonstrate that…
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18Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Living in a ‘Greener’ Neighborhood Could Boost Cognitive Function

Living in a ‘Greener’ Neighborhood Could Boost Cognitive Function

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Could living in a neighborhood with lots of trees and shrubs increase your brain power? A new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open found that increasing green space in residential areas could help improve cognition function in middle-aged women, and that the link might be explained by a reduction in depression, which is also a risk factor for dementia.Researchers hypothesize that exposure to green space can help the brain by improving recovery from stress and mental fatigue, reducing exposure to air pollution, and increasing opportunities for physical activity and social connection, says lead author Marcia Pescador Jimenez, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health in Massachusetts. “This study is among the few to provide evidence that green space may benefit cognitive function in…
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18Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Probiotics Aren’t Recommended for Most Digestive Conditions, Guidelines Say

Probiotics Aren’t Recommended for Most Digestive Conditions, Guidelines Say

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If you think a probiotic will relieve symptoms of ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), think again. Studies haven’t proved that probiotics can help people with these conditions or a variety of other digestive disorders, according to clinical guidelines from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA).“Patients taking probiotics for Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, or IBS should consider stopping,” says Grace Su, MD, a professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and the chair of the panel that drafted the guidelines. “The supplements can be costly, and there isn’t enough evidence to prove a benefit or confirm lack of harm.”Probiotics are microscopic organisms — including certain bacteria and yeast — that live in the digestive tract and are also found in a variety of foods and dietary supplements.…
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18Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
FDA Warns Against Risky New Avocado Trend

FDA Warns Against Risky New Avocado Trend

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Everyone loves a good kitchen hack. But avocados that stay fresh for a month? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.The FDA is speaking out against a viral TikTok and Facebook trend that shows users storing whole or cut avocados in water to keep them fresh for longer.In one video, the TikTok user @sidneyraz stored half an avocado in a container of water overnight, taking it out the next day to find it was still ripe and green. Another user, @shamamamahealing, stored an uncut avocado in a jar of water in the fridge, revealing perfectly smooth, green fruit on the inside after a two-week soak. Her video quickly went viral, amassing more than six million views before she took it down, Newsweek reported.On the surface, the science…
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18Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Research: Color-Blind Attitudes and Behaviors Perpetuate Structural Racism

Research: Color-Blind Attitudes and Behaviors Perpetuate Structural Racism

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Psychologists say an important step in rooting out systemic racism is to first acknowledge it, rather than deny or minimize its existence.In a review article published online May 23 in the Journal of Counseling Psychology, researchers looked at 83 previous studies in which specific types of color-blind ideology were found to increase anti-Black perspectives and give a pass to racist behaviors and attitudes. More specifically, power evasion (the denial of racism) led to these negative outcomes, and color evasion (ignoring race) did not necessarily do so.The researchers noted in the paper that by helping people better understand the individual-level behaviors and ideologies that contribute to anti-Black sentiment, counseling psychologists can help dismantle the systemic racism those behaviors and attitudes lead to.These findings can inform best practices for mental health professionals…
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17Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Weight Loss Surgery Is Tied to a Lower Risk of Obesity-Related Cancers

Weight Loss Surgery Is Tied to a Lower Risk of Obesity-Related Cancers

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Adults with obesity who undergo bariatric surgery to lose weight may roughly halve their risk of dying of cancer, a new study suggests.For the study, researchers compared the risk of cancer diagnosis and death for more than 30,000 people with obesity, including more than 5,000 individuals who had bariatric surgery. Surgery was associated with a 32 percent lower risk of cancer and a 48 percent decreased chance of cancer-related death.“Patients can lose 20 to 40 percent of their body weight after surgery, and weight loss can be sustained over decades,” said the lead study author, Ali Aminian, MD, the director of the Bariatric & Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, in a statement.“The striking findings of this study indicate that the greater the weight loss, the lower the risk…
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