19Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Scientists Find 7 Hours’ Sleep Is Best for Middle-Aged Brains

Scientists Find 7 Hours’ Sleep Is Best for Middle-Aged Brains

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Whether our minds stay sharp as we age may depend on how much rest we get, a new study suggests.For the study, published April 28 in Nature Aging, scientists examined data on almost 500,000 adults ranging in age from 38 to 73 who were part of the UK Biobank, an ongoing government-funded research project. All the participants were asked about their sleep habits and mental health and well-being, and they also completed a series of cognitive tests to assess brain function. A subset of about 40,000 people also had brain scans and lab tests to collect genetic information.People who got about seven hours of sleep each night had better cognitive outcomes than other participants, the analysis found. Longer or shorter periods of sleep each night were associated with a reduced…
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19Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Cannabis for Arthritis: Why Don’t We Know More by Now?

Cannabis for Arthritis: Why Don’t We Know More by Now?

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It’s currently legal in 37 states and the District of Columbia. People are increasingly knowledgeable about its options, such as edibles and indica versus sativa (two of its strains). And those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other rheumatic diseases are eager to try it.Yet what is scientifically known about the medical use of cannabis products for rheumatic conditions can fit on a pinhead.That’s the essential conclusion of a review article on the state of cannabis research for rheumatic diseases. The article was published online April 29, 2022, in Current Rheumatology Reports.It’s Not Shocking That There Isn’t More Known About Cannabis “I was disappointed but not surprised” by the low level of research, says W. Benjamin Nowell, PhD, the director of patient-centered research at the online arthritis community CreakyJoints and a lead author…
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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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