COVID-19
Medical Masks, N95s May Offer Similar Prevention vs COVID: Regular medical masks might provide protection similar to that of N95 respirators in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers, according to the first randomized trial that tested the two types of masks head to head in the COVID-19 era. Owing to limitations in the study, however, the authors were only formally able to conclude that healthcare workers who wore medical masks while treating COVID-19 patients were not twice as likely to contract the virus as workers wearing N95 respirators. In the study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, the authors evaluated 1009 healthcare workers in Canada, Israel, Pakistan, and Egypt who had not been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 and had not previously been infected by the virus. Participants were randomly assigned to wear either a medical mask or an N95 respirator for 10 consecutive weeks. The study period was from May 2020 to March 2022.
Updated COVID Boosters Offer Better Protection Than Original: US Study: Updated COVID-19 boosters offer increased protection against new coronavirus subvariants in people who have previously received up to four doses of the older vaccine, based on data from the first study to assess how the retooled shots are faring in the real world. The findings support results from company studies showing that their updated shots produced higher antibody responses against the BA.4/B.5 subvariants than their original shots after one month. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
COVID-19 Affects Brain 6 Months After Symptoms, Research Finds: Scientists have found that COVID-19 causes brain "abnormalities" even six months after symptoms are gone, according to an upcoming report to the Radiological Society of North America. They found changes to the brain stem and front lobe in areas of the brain associated with fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression headaches, and cognitive issues. About 20% of adults will have long-term effects from COVID-19, according to the CDC. Neurological symptoms associated with long COVID include poor concentration, headaches, and sleep problems. Long COVID can also cause changes to the heart, lungs, and other organs, the RSNA says.
COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatments No Longer Effective: The number of medications available to treat COVID-19 continues to get smaller as the coronavirus changes to outsmart treatments. The FDA said that bebtelovimab, a monoclonal antibody drug given through a vein, is no longer authorized because it is not effective against the leading strains of COVID-19.
Are certain patient characteristics linked with long-term health effects of COVID-19?: A recent analysis in the Journal of Internal Medicine has identified several characteristics associated with a higher likelihood of receiving a post COVID-19 condition diagnosis. In the study of 204,805 individuals who tested positive for Sars-CoV-2 in Stockholm, Sweden from March 2020 through July 2021, the proportion receiving a post COVID-19 condition diagnosis was 1% among individuals not hospitalized for their COVID-19 infection, 6% among hospitalized, and 32% among individuals treated in intensive care units (ICUs). The most common new-onset symptoms among individuals with a post COVID-19 condition diagnosis were fatigue (29%) among non-hospitalized individuals, and breathing difficulties among both hospitalized (25%) and ICU-treated patients (41%). Female sex, previous mental health disorders, and asthma were associated with post COVID-19 condition among non-hospitalized and hospitalized individuals. Among individuals with post COVID-19 condition, use of outpatient care was substantially elevated up to one year after the acute infection.
Shift workers have a higher risk of severe COVID-19: Compared to daytime workers, shift workers did not have a higher risk of getting infected. Bjorvatn explains this by the fact that the virus is very contagious, and that the infection rate in the general society is high. “Shift workers are not likely to be exposed to more virus than day workers. Once infected, however, shift workers had an almost six-folded higher risk of being hospitalized due to COVID-19, compared to daytime workers. This supports the hypothesis that sleep deprivation affects the immune system in a negative way.
Study finds surprising risks for COVID-19 infection: A new paper in Biology Methods & Protocols, investigates risk factors and protections against contracting COVID-19, and also for suffering from severe COVID. Researchers identified several characteristics – including male sex, lower age, blood group B, and larger household size – that increased the risk of infection and many other characteristics – including mask-wearing and using vitamin D – that decreased it. They also identified the things that increased or decreased the risk of a severe course of COVID-19. Some of these findings are unexpected.
PAIN
Pain Relievers Such as Ibuprofen May Worsen Arthritis Inflammation: Researchers say pain relievers such as ibuprofen may not provide long-term benefits for arthritis inflammation . That’s according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Steroid Injections May Worsen Knee Osteoarthritis, Hyaluronic Acid May Help: , two new studies comparing injections commonly used to relieve the pain of knee osteoarthritis report that corticosteroid injections may actually worsen knee arthritis. The results of both studies were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Can Saline Injections Help Ease Pain? According to a new study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America hydrodissection injections may help relieve pain caused by carpal tunnel syndrome.
Does persistent pain impact older adults’ physical function, cognition, and well-being?: In a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society of 5,589 US adults aged 65 years and older, persistent pain was common and was linked to meaningful declines in physical function and well-being over 7 years. Investigators found that 38.7% of participants reported persistent pain, and 27.8% reported intermittent pain. More than one-third of participants described pain in five or more sites. Over the subsequent 7 years, participants with persistent pain were more likely to experience declines in physical function (64% persistent pain, 59% intermittent pain, 57% no bothersome pain) and well-being (48% persistent pain, 45% intermittent pain, 44% no bothersome pain), but were not more likely to experience cognitive decline (25% persistent pain, 24% intermittent pain, 23% no bothersome pain).
Are people with cluster headaches more likely to have other illnesses?: People with cluster headaches may be more than three times more likely to have other medical conditions such as heart disease, mental disorders and other neurologic diseases, according to a study published in the December 14, 2022, online issue of Neurology®
Rheumatoid arthritis drugs lower risk of heart disease, study shows: People with rheumatoid arthritis have a greater than average risk of cardiovascular disease, but a new study suggests that drugs commonly used to reduce joint inflammation in patients also reduce that risk. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
Acupuncture During Pregnancy May Help Relieve Low Back and Pelvic Pain: A new meta-analysis published in BMJ Open examined the impact of acupuncture on pain, functional status, and quality of life for pregnant people with lower back and pelvic discomfort. Findings showed that acupuncture can improve pain, functional status, and quality of life for pregnant people experiencing lower back and pelvic issues.
MLB Endorsing CBD Products to Ease Anxiety, Promote Sleep and Recovery: You may have seen CBD products on the shelves at your local pharmacy. Now, these hemp-based products have been endorsed by Major League Baseball. The organization recently announced that it has formed a multi-year partnership with market-leading CBD brand Charlotte’s Web.
Heart Health: How Yoga Combined with Regular Exercise Can Benefit You: When added to an exercise regimen, yoga is more effective than stretching at supporting cardiovascular health and well-being, according to a study published today in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology. Yoga can boost immunity, increase flexibility, and reduce anxiety, among other benefits.
Some benefits, potential risks with alternative medicines for heart failure: There are some benefits and potentially serious risks when people with heart failure use complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), to manage symptoms, so involving the health care team is important for safety, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in Circulation. Practices such as yoga and tai-chi are helpful for people with heart failure, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may have benefits for some. However, there are safety concerns with other commonly used over-the-counter remedies or supplements, like vitamin D, blue cohosh and lily of the valley.
FDA ACTION
• Considering a new policy requiring health providers to warn patients about the potential side effects of getting LASIK. These warnings would include information on the risks of double vision, dry eyes, ongoing pain, and other issues from the surgery.
• Approved the targeted imaging agent Cytalux (pafolacianine) for use in lung cancer surgery
• Approved Adstiladrin (nadofaragene firadenovec-vncg), a non-replicating (cannot multiply in human cells) adenoviral vector based gene therapy indicated for the treatment of adult patients with high-risk Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without papillary tumors.
• Approved Rebyota, the first fecal microbiota product for the prevention of recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in individuals 18 years of age and older
• Approved Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec), an adeno-associated virus vector-based gene therapy for the treatment of adults with Hemophilia B (congenital Factor IX deficiency) who currently use Factor IX prophylaxis therapy, or have current or historical life-threatening hemorrhage, or have repeated, serious spontaneous bleeding episodes.
• Approved Tzield (teplizumab-mzwv) injection to delay the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes in adults and pediatric patients 8 years and older who currently have stage 2 type 1 diabetes.
PREVENTION
Exercise
Aerobic Exercise, Especially Running, May Reduce Cancer Risk by 72%: A new study published in the journal Cancer Research suggests aerobic exercise could help reduce the risks of certain cancers from developing or recurring. Looking at health data from 2,734 people over a 20-year period, the researchers determined that those who engaged in regular high-intensity aerobic workouts like running had 72% fewer metastatic cancers than those who were sedentary.
Recommending Exercise for Migraine: Just Do It: Strength training is the most effective form of exercise for reducing, migraine with high-intensity aerobics coming in second, and both beating top-line migraine medications topiramate and amitriptyline, new research suggests. The findings were published online October 13 in The Journal of Headache and Pain.
Just 8 Minutes of Exercise a Day Is All You Need: You can get all the exercise you need in just 8 minutes a day if you work out a bit harder, according to a new study in the European Heart Journal. Just 54 minutes of vigorous exercise per week provides the most bang for your buck, researchers found, lowering the risk of early death from any cause by 36%, and your chances of getting heart disease by 35%. Scientists examined data from fitness trackers worn by more than 71,000 people studied in the United Kingdom, then analyzed their health over the next several years. While more time spent exercising unsurprisingly led to better health, the protective effects of exercise start to plateau after a certain point, according to the study.
Twin study links exercise to beneficial epigenetic changes: Consistent exercise can change not just waistlines but the very molecules in the human body that influence how genes behave, a new study of twins indicates. The Washington State University study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, found that the more physically active siblings in identical twin pairs had lower signs of metabolic disease, measured by waist size and body mass index. This also correlated with differences in their epigenomes, the molecular processes that are around DNA and independent of DNA sequence, but influence gene expression. The more active twins had epigenetic marks linked to lowered metabolic syndrome, a condition that can lead to heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
Exercise is medicine for cancer and every dose counts - even in late stages in the disease: It is well-known exercise has many benefits, but new Edith Cowan University (ECU) research has revealed just how critically important it can be – even for people with advanced cancer. A single bout of exercise has been shown to elevate anti-cancer proteins called myokines in people with advanced prostate cancer, to levels which can significantly suppress tumour growth.
Diet/Nutrition
More Evidence Flavanols in Tea, Fruit, and Veg Preserve Memory, Cognition: Consumption of flavonols may preserve memory and cognition over time, new research suggests. Three specific components of flavonols in particular — kaempferol, myricetin, and quercetin — were associated with slower global cognitive decline. "This work adds to the ever-growing body of evidence that what we eat matters. A diet diverse in fruits and vegetables is critical for both cognitive and physical functioning. A robust lifestyle is necessary for one's continued health and overall well-being, especially their brain health.” After adjusting for factors that could affect the rate of memory decline, such as age, sex, and smoking, researchers found that the cognitive score of those who had the highest intake of flavonols — equivalent to one serving of leafy greens per day — vs the lowest, had a 32% decrease in their rate of cognitive decline. The study was published online November 22 Neurology.
How Black Tea, Apples, and Cruciferous Veggies Benefit Heart Health Later In Life: A new study shows that a diet high in flavonoid foods like black tea, apples, and cruciferous vegetables may prevent Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) and protect heart health, particularly among women. The findings indicate that older women who consumed more flavonoid foods were 36% less likely to have AAC compared to those who consumed fewer flavonoids. More research is needed to determine whether flavonoid-rich foods could prevent calcification in other arteries. The ECU study was recently published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular BiologyTrusted Source,
Alcohol and Cancer Risk: Most Americans Aren't Aware of the Link: Alcohol can raise your risk of cancer. But most Americans still don’t know it. Despite new research that shows that all alcoholic beverages, including beer and wine, increase the risk of multiple types of cancer, people in the United States have a low awareness of this risk. The new study, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, notes that there are seven cancer types that have been linked to alcohol consumption. These include cancers of the breast, mouth, and colon.
Raw Honey: Study Finds This Sweetener May Help Lower Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Levels: Nutrition Reviewsrecently published a systematic review and meta-analysis that evaluated the effects of honey, especially raw and clover honey, on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The authors found that honey consumption was linked to lower fasting blood sugar levels, as well as lower levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides. This may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
'Green' Mediterranean Diet Reduces Twice As Much Fat As Mediterranean Diet: A recent study showed the “green” Mediterranean diet reduced visceral fat by 14%, twice as much as the classic Mediterranean diet (MED), which reduced visceral fat by 7%. The green MED diet includes more plant-based foods and less meat intake than the traditional MED diet. The green version completely eliminates red and processed meats, whereas the classic version permits these foods on occasion. The benefits of the green MED diet include a reduced risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, and cognitive decline. It’s also shown to lower cholesterol and blood pressure and may be more protective against age-related brain atrophy than the traditional MED diet. BMC MedicineTrusted Source
Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet May Help People With Type 2 Diabetes: People with type 2 diabetes can lose more weight if they eat a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. That’s the conclusion of a new study published today in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. However, they noted the participants had difficulty maintaining this dietary plan at a 3-month follow-up.
Getting Too Much Salt, Not Enough Potassium May Increase Your Risk of Cognitive Decline: In this study, published in the journal Global Transitions, researchers found higher dietary sodium was linked to a higher risk of memory deterioration and higher potassium intake was linked to higher cognitive function.
Drinking coffee regularly after pregnancy may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes for women who had diabetes during pregnancy: Drinking coffee regularly may keep type 2 diabetes away from women who had diabetes during pregnancy. Replacing artificially sweetened and sugar-sweetened beverages with caffeinated coffee also reduces the risk, by 10% for a cup of artificially sweetened beverage, and 17% for a cup of sugar-sweetened one. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Type 2 Diabetes: Intermittent Fasting May Help Reverse Condition: Intermittent fasting may put patients into remission for type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Still, experts say that the small sample size used for the research raises the need for caution.
New study suggests walnuts may fend off stress-related negative impacts in university students: A novel study published in Nutrients from researchers at the University of South Australia found that eating two ounces of walnuts a day for 16 weeks in undergraduate university students improved self-reported mental health indictors, had a protective effect against some of the negative impacts of academic stress, and aided self-reported sleep quality in the longer term.
Sleep
Insomnia: Cardiovascular Exercise May Reduce the Need for Sleeping Pills: Research, recently published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, shows that people who maintain good cardiorespiratory fitness through regular bouts of moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise -75 minutes per week-are less likely to take prescription sleep aids.
Exposure to Natural Light During the Day May Help You Sleep Better: Research recently published in the Journal of Pineal ResearchTrusted Source, show that not getting enough natural light during the day causes problems when it comes to getting quality sleep at night. findings indicate that exposure to natural light during the day — particularly morning and midday — could improve sleep, even on cloudy winter days.
Vitamins/Supplements
Vitamin D Fails to Stave Off Statin-Related Muscle Symptoms: Vitamin D supplements do not prevent muscle symptoms in new statin users or affect the likelihood of discontinuing a statin due to muscle pain and discomfort, a sub study of the VITAL trial indicates. As previously reported, the double-blind VITAL trial showed no difference in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer at 5 years among 25,871 middle-aged adults randomized to vitamin D3 at 2000 IU/d or placebo, regardless of their baseline vitamin D level. Unlike previous studies showing a benefit with vitamin D on SAMS, importantly, VITAL participants were unaware of whether they were taking vitamin D or placebo and were not expecting any help with their muscle symptoms
Researchers find that brains with more vitamin D function better: Researchers at Tufts University have completed the first study examining levels of vitamin D in brain tissue, specifically in adults who suffered from varying rates of cognitive decline. They found that members of this group with higher levels of vitamin D in their brains had better cognitive function. The study was published December 7 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Hair Loss: Supplements May be an Effective Treatment, Study Suggests: The systematic reviewTrusted Source, published online in JAMA Dermatology on November 30, is based on 30 studies and indicates that nutritional supplements may be effective in helping some patients with hair loss. Nevertheless, experts are skeptical about the research and supplements in general. Theevaluation indicated that the highest-quality evidence for supplements for hair loss came from several supplements, including capsaicin, omegas 3 and 6 with antioxidants, zinc, and pumpkin seed oil. Vitamin D and kimchi were among the supplements with lower-quality evidence for hair loss improvement.
Not all micronutrients created equal: Study identifies some supplements that benefit cardiovascular health: Researchers systematically reviewed a total of 884 studies available to date on micronutrients taken as dietary supplements and analyzed their data. They identified several micronutrients that do reduce cardiovascular risk -- as well as others that offer no benefit or even have a negative effect. More than 883,000 patients were involved in the combined studies. Those offering cardiovascular benefit included omega-3 fatty acid, which decreased mortality from cardiovascular disease; folic acid, which lowered stroke risk; and coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant sometimes marketed as CoQ10, which decreased all-cause mortality. Omega-6 fatty acid, L-arginine, L-citrulline, Vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, alpha-lipoic acid, melatonin, catechin, curcumin, flavanol, genistein and quercetin also showed evidence of reducing cardiovascular risk. Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and selenium showed no effect on long-term cardiovascular disease outcomes or type-2 diabetes risk. And beta carotene supplements increased all-cause mortality. ournal of the American College of Cardiology
Green tea extract may harm liver in people with certain genetic variations: Long-term use of high-dose green tea extract may provide some protection against cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes, but it also may create liver damage in a small minority of the population. Journal of Dietary Supplements
Higher vitamin K intake linked to lower bone fracture risk late in life: research from Edith Cowan University’s Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute has revealed there may be something you can do to help reduce your risk of fractures later in life. It found women who ate more than 100 micrograms of vitamin K1 consumption — equivalent to about 125g of dark leafy vegetables, or one-to-two serves of vegetables — were 31 per cent less likely to have any fracture compared to participants who consumed less than 60 micrograms per day, which is the current vitamin K adequate intake guideline in Australia for women. There were even more positive results regarding hip fractures, with those who ate the most vitamin K1 cutting their risk of hospitalisation almost in half (49 per cent).
Other
Lung Cancer Screening Dramatically Increases Long-Term Survival Rate: Diagnosing early-stage lung cancer with low-dose CT screening significantly improves the long-term survival rate, according to a 20-year international study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual screenings with LDCT for people between 50 and 80 years old who have a history of heavy smoking, smoke now, or have quit within the past 15 years.
Hearing aids may help prevent cognitive decline, study says: The. Research has shown that hearing loss is an important risk factor for dementia. However, what hasn’t been clear is whether treating hearing loss would help prevent the progression of cognitive decline. The new study suggests that may indeed be the case. JAMA Neurology
This Year's Flu Shot 'Good Match' For Current Strains, CDC Says: Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the formulations of the flu shot this year are a good match for the current viral strains circulating in the country. Dr. Rochelle WalenskyTrusted Source, CDC Director, stated in a briefingTrusted Source: “We look in real-time as to how well we think the influenza match is to what’s circulating. And, right now, the good news is that it looks like it is a very good match.” According to CDC data most flu viruses being seen in tests are genetically similar to those included in this year’s vaccine.
TREATMENT
Alzheimer’s Disease: Swelling May Be Root Cause, New Drug May Slow Progression: Clinical trial results published in the New England Journal of Medicine show that the experimental drug lecanemab appears to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. But this phase 3 trial also raised safety concerns about the drug, with researchers calling for additional long-term studies on the drug’s safety and efficacy.
Viagra, Cialis, and Alzheimer's Risk: Drugs commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) are not associated with a decreased risk of Alzhemier’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD), new research show. The findings contradict findings from a previous study that suggested that individuals who take sildenafil (Viagra) were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's. Medscape https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/983094
New Diabetes Guidelines: New Focus on Weight Loss, Sleep, and Continuous Glucose Monitors: The American Diabetes Association (ADA) released guidance this week outlining new standards for diabetes care. This year’s guidance includes stricter recommendations related to medications, new technologies, weight control, and modifiable lifestyle factors like sleep and exercise.
OTHER
Heart Disease: 'Good' HDL Cholesterol May Not Protect Everyone from a Heart Attack: New research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says high-density lipoprotein (HDL) – frequently called “good” cholesterol – may not be as good at predicting cardiovascular disease among adults of different ethnicities as once thought. Levels. HDL can help predict heart disease risk in white adults. However, HDL levels are not necessarily an accurate indicator of heart disease risk in Black adults. The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
New Risk Score Predicts Dementia Probability: Researchers have developed a point-based score that can help clinicians predict an individual's risk of developing dementia over 13 years, allowing for early action to delay or prevent cognitive problems. However, some experts are skeptical. Not surprisingly, increasing age was strongly associated with higher dementia risk. Other dementia risk factors included socioeconomic adversity, sleep disorders, and several comorbidities including respiratory disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. The study was published online November 17 in JAMA Network Open.
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