Can weekly prednisone treat obesity? Obese mice gain muscle mass and lose fat with once weekly prednisone
Obese mice that were fed a high-fat diet and that received prednisone one time per week had improved exercise endurance, got stronger, increased their lean body mass and lost weight, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. The mice also had increased muscle metabolism. The once-weekly prednisone promoted nutrient uptake into the muscles. Investigators also found […]
Prenatal Disinfectant Exposure Linked to Asthma Risk in Kids
Mothers who were exposed to disinfectants on the job were more likely to have children with asthma, an analysis of a large birth cohort from Japan suggested. After adjusting for many factors including maternal return to work 1 year after giving birth, mothers who used disinfectants every day in the prenatal period were more likely […]
GI Infections Dipped Sharply During Pandemic Restrictions
Reported gastrointestinal (GI) outbreaks in England were halved during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with a similar period over the 5 years’ prior, a retrospective ecological study found. From February to July 2020, there was a 52% decrease in GI outbreaks — including reports of food poisoning, hemolytic uremic syndrome, infectious […]
No Underlying Conditions in 63% of Young Kids Hospitalized During Omicron
During the peak of the Omicron wave, weekly hospitalizations for infants and toddlers due to COVID-19 were approximately five times what they were during the peak of the Delta variant, new research from the CDC showed. In the first week of January, COVID-associated hospitalizations in children ages 0-4 years reached 14.5 per 100,000 children, reported […]
Peripheral Nerve Problems Tied to Later Dementia
Peripheral nerve impairments in older adults were tied to a higher risk of subsequent dementia, a study of longitudinal data showed. Combined sensory and motor impairments in the lower leg doubled the risk of subsequent dementia (HR 1.92, 95% CI 1.29-2.88) compared with people who had no leg impairments, reported Willa Brenowitz, PhD, MPH, of […]
Pregnancy Delivers ‘Catastrophic’ Health Costs for Many New Parents
High out-of-pocket health expenses were more likely in the year of delivery for pregnant people than expected in the general population, a retrospective study found. Excluding money spent on insurance premiums, 9.2% of birth parents incurred catastrophic health expenditures — costs totaling more than 10% of household income — during the year they delivered, compared […]
9/11 Responders More Likely to Carry Genetic Mutations Tied to Cancer
Firefighters and emergency medical personnel who were among the first to respond to the World Trade Center (WTC) attack on Sept. 11, 2001 harbor significantly higher rates of genetic mutations associated with blood cancers and other inflammatory diseases, researchers have found. A full 10% of WTC responders exposed to particulate matter from the burning twin […]
Food for thought: A high-fiber diet may reduce risk of dementia
We’re always hearing that we should eat more fiber. It’s known to be vitally important for a healthy digestive system and also has cardiovascular benefits like reduced cholesterol. Now, evidence is emerging that fiber is also important for a healthy brain. In a new study published this month in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience, researchers in […]
Ablating High-Grade Anal Lesions Thwarts Progression to Cancer
A protocol in which high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) of the anal canal were immediately treated was more effective for preventing incidence of anal cancer in people with HIV, a randomized trial found. In the study involving nearly 4,500 individuals with anal HSIL detected by screening, nine of those assigned to aggressive therapy — mostly […]
T-cell responses may help predict protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in individuals with and without cancer: Results may inform future COVID-19 vaccine development
T-cell responses directed against the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were associated with protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection in vaccinated individuals with or without cancer, with lower T-cell responses observed in patients with blood cancers, according to results from a study published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. […]