Prenatal exposure to paracetamol associated with ADHD and autism symptoms in childhood

ISGlobal study of more than 70,000 European children bolsters the findings of previous research

BARCELONA INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL HEALTH (ISGLOBAL)

Research News

    SHARE

 PRINT  E-MAIL

An epidemiological study of more than 70,000 children in six European cohorts has linked symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum conditions (ASC) to the mothers' use of paracetamol (acetaminophen) during pregnancy. The study, published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, was led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation.

In total, the researchers analysed 73,881 children for whom data were available on prenatal or postnatal exposure to paracetamol, at least one symptom of ASC or ADHD, and main covariates. Depending on the cohort, 14% to 56% of the mothers reported taking paracetamol while pregnant.

The study found that children exposed to paracetamol before birth were 19% more likely to develop ASC symptoms and 21% more likely to develop ADHD symptoms than children who were not exposed.

"Our findings are consistent with previous research," explained ISGlobal researcher Sílvia Alemany, lead author of the study. "We also found that prenatal exposure to paracetamol affects boys and girls in a similar way, as we observed practically no differences."

"Our results address some of the weaknesses of previous meta-analyses," commented Jordi Sunyer, researcher at ISGlobal and last author of the study. "Considering all the evidence on the use of paracetamol and neurological development, we agree with previous recommendations indicating that while paracetamol should not be suppressed in pregnant women or children, it should be used only when necessary."

At some point during pregnancy, an estimated 46%-56% of pregnant women in developed countries use paracetamol, which is considered the safest analgesic/antipyretic for pregnant women and children. However, mounting evidence has linked prenatal paracetamol exposure to poorer cognitive performance, more behavioural problems, and ASC and ADHD symptoms.

Those previous studies have been criticised for their heterogeneity. In the new study, therefore, "an effort was made to harmonise the assessment of ADHD and ASC symptoms and the definition of paracetamol exposure," explained Alemany. "The sample is large," she added, "and it includes cohorts from multiple European countries: the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece and Spain. We also used the same criteria for all of the cohorts, thereby reducing the heterogeneity of criteria that has hampered previous studies."

The study also analysed postnatal exposure to paracetamol and found no association between paracetamol use during childhood and ASC symptoms. Nevertheless, the research team concluded that further studies are needed, given the heterogeneity of postnatal paracetamol exposure among the various cohorts, which ranged from 6% to 92.8%.

The six cohorts included the study were as follows:

1. Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

2. Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC)

3. Gene and Environment: Prospective Study on Infancy in Italy (GASPII)

4. Generation R Study

5. INMA (including four subcohorts)

6. Mother-Child Cohort in Crete (RHEA)

Sleep warning for older men - Disruption or change can mean cognitive decline

 

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

Research News

Men aged 65 and over should monitor their sleep patterns and seek medical advice after a warning from Flinders University experts that disrupted slumber can be linked to cognitive dysfunction.

In a new article published in the Journal of Sleep Research, the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health research group studied a group of 477 middle-aged and older men's attention and processing speed in relation to their sleep.

The participants from the Florey Adelaide Male Ageing Study undertook cognitive testing and a successful sleep study.

"Less deep sleep and more light sleep is related to slower responses on cognitive function tests," says lead author Jesse Parker.

"While obstructive sleep apnoea itself is not directly related to cognitive function in all men studied, we did note that in men aged 65 and older, more light sleep was related to worse attention and processing speed."

Senior author of the study, Flinders Associate Professor Andrew Vakulin, says the results suggest that day-to-day activities that rely on optimal attention and cognitive speed such as driving, physical activities and walking might be affected by the encroachment of poor sleep.

Medical Director of the research group, Professor Robert Adams, says decreasing deep sleep as people age is associated with cognition. This emphasises the importance of ongoing research looking at ways to stimulate deep sleep as a means of slowing cognitive decline with age.

Further longitudinal investigation is needed to connect poor sleep and sleep apnoea with future changes in sleep patterns and cognitive decline as well as general microarchitectural changes in older people's sleep patterns.

Potential reversal of epigenetic age using a diet and lifestyle

 

IMAGE: INTERVENTION GROUP AGE CHANGE. PARTICIPANTS SCORED AN AVERAGE OF 1.96 YEARS YOUNGER THAN BASELINE (P=0.066). OF 18 PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, 8 SCORED AGE REDUCTION, 9 WERE UNCHANGED,... view more 

CREDIT: CORRESPONDENCE TO: KARA N. FITZGERALD EMAIL: KF@DRKARAFITZGERALD.COM

A groundbreaking clinical trial shows we can reduce biological age (as measured by the Horvath 2013 DNAmAge clock) by more than three years in only eight weeks with diet and lifestyle through balancing DNA methylation.

A first-of-its-kind, peer-reviewed study provides scientific evidence that lifestyle and diet changes can deliver immediate and rapid reduction of our biological age. Since aging is the primary driver of chronic disease, this reduction has the power to help us live better, longer.

The study, released on April 12, utilized a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted among 43 healthy adult males between the ages of 50-72. The 8-week treatment program included diet, sleep, exercise and relaxation guidance, and supplemental probiotics and phytonutrients, resulting in a statistically significant reduction of biological age--over three years younger, compared to controls.

Manipulations to slow biological aging and extend healthspan are of interest given the societal and healthcare costs of our aging population. Herein we report on a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted among 43 healthy adult males between the ages of 50-72. The 8-week treatment program included diet, sleep, exercise and relaxation guidance, and supplemental probiotics and phytonutrients. The control group received no intervention. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was conducted on saliva samples using the Illumina Methylation Epic Array and DNAmAge was calculated using the online Horvath DNAmAge clock (2013). The diet and lifestyle treatment was associated with a 3.23 years decrease in DNAmAge compared with controls (p=0.018). DNAmAge of those in the treatment group decreased by an average 1.96 years by the end of the program compared to the same individuals at the beginning with a strong trend towards significance (p=0.066). Changes in blood biomarkers were significant for mean serum 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (+15%, p=0.004) and mean triglycerides (-25%, p=0.009). To our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled study to suggest that specific diet and lifestyle interventions may reverse Horvath DNAmAge (2013) epigenetic aging in healthy adult males. Larger-scale and longer duration clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings, as well as investigation in other human populations.

The dietary recommendations employed as part of the treatment protocol for this study were based largely on biochemistry and generalized measures of health, because few dietary associations with the DNAmAge clock have yet been established. A modest, but significant, reduction in DNAmAge in individuals consuming a non-specific lean meat, fish and plant-based diet (as measured by blood carotenoids) has been observed [12]. It is possible that changes of a greater magnitude require a more targeted approach. The dietary intervention used here was also plant-centered, but including a high intake of nutrients that are substrates or cofactors in methylation biosynthetic pathways (e.g. containing folate, betaine), ten-eleven translocation (TET) demethylase cofactors and modulators (e.g. alpha ketoglutarate, vitamin C and vitamin A) [13] and polyphenolic modulators of DNA methyl transferases (DNMT) (e.g. curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), rosmarinic acid, quercetin, luteolin) [14]. It also included limited nutrient-dense animal proteins (e.g. liver, egg). The diet restricted carbohydrates and included mild intermittent fasting, both designed to lower glycemic cycling. The diet was supplemented daily with a fruit and vegetable powder, also rich in polyphenolic modulators of DNMT activity, and a probiotic providing 40 million CFU of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v. L. plantarum has been shown to be a folate producer in the presence of para aminobenzoic acid (PABA) [15]; it also has been demonstrated to alter gene expression [16].

Lifestyle guidance in this study included a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day, at least 5 days per week at an intensity of 60-80 percent of maximum perceived exertion. Exercise is well-known to be broadly beneficial for almost every aspect of health and has been shown to extend mean lifespan in animal models. Exploration of the effect of exercise on the methylome has recently begun. For example, regular tai chi practice was associated with slowing of age-related DNA methylation losses in 500 women [17]. In another study of 647 women, a lifelong history of exercise was associated with a similar endpoint [18]. These results were not reported in terms of the Horvath clock, because it had not yet been developed. One systematic review of human studies found that regular, daily physical activity was associated with lower blood levels of homocysteine, which when elevated, suggests an insufficiency of methylation capacity [19]. Excessive exercise may accelerate methylation aging, but this danger has only been observed in elite, competitive athletes [20].

Twice-daily breathing exercises that elicit the Relaxation Response were prescribed for stress reduction. It was recently demonstrated that 60 days of relaxation practice designed to elicit the Relaxation Response, 20 minutes twice per day, could significantly reduce DNAmAge as measured by the Zbieć-Piekarska clock in their group of healthy participants (though not in their ‘patient’ group) [21]. Almost a quarter of the DNAmAge CpG sites (85/353) are located in glucocorticoid response elements, pointing to a likely relationship between stress and accelerated aging. Cumulative lifetime stress has been shown to be associated with accelerated aging of the methylome [22]. Zannas et al. also reported that dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid agonist, can advance the DNAmAge clock and induce associated transcriptional changes. Dexamethasone-regulated genes showed enriched association of aging-related diseases, including coronary artery disease, arteriosclerosis and leukemias. Other findings include that PTSD contributes to accelerated methylation age [23]; and that greater infant distress (lack of caregiver contact) is associated with an underdeveloped, younger epigenetic age [24].

This study aimed to optimize sleep, with a recommendation for at least seven hours nightly. Seven hours is generally considered to be healthy [25], but the limited data on accelerated aging only relates to extremes of sleep deprivation. A (presumably transient) effect of sleep deprivation on genome-wide methylation patterns in blood has been demonstrated [26]. Acceleration of the DNAmAge clock has been associated with insomnia in a sample of 2078 women [27]. Carskadon et al [28] found an association between poor quality / fewer hours of sleep with age acceleration in a small sample of 12 female college students.

Waking just one hour earlier cuts depression risk by double digits

 

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER

Research News

Waking up just one hour earlier could reduce a person's risk of major depression by 23%, suggests a sweeping new genetic study published May 26 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

The study of 840,000 people, by researchers at University of Colorado Boulder and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, represents some of the strongest evidence yet that chronotype--a person's propensity to sleep at a certain time --influences depression risk.

It's also among the first studies to quantify just how much, or little, change is required to influence mental health.

As people emerge, post-pandemic, from working and attending school remotely-- a trend that has led many to shift to a later sleep schedule--the findings could have important implications.

"We have known for some time that there is a relationship between sleep timing and mood, but a question we often hear from clinicians is: How much earlier do we need to shift people to see a benefit?" said senior author Celine Vetter, assistant professor of integrative physiology at CU Boulder. "We found that even one-hour earlier sleep timing is associated with significantly lower risk of depression."

Previous observational studies have shown that night owls are as much as twice as likely to suffer from depression as early risers, regardless of how long they sleep. But because mood disorders themselves can disrupt sleep patterns, researchers have had a hard time deciphering what causes what.

Other studies have had small sample sizes, relied on questionnaires from a single time point, or didn't account for environmental factors which can influence both sleep timing and mood, potentially confounding results.

In 2018, Vetter published a large, long term study of 32,000 nurses showing that "early risers" were up to 27% less likely to develop depression over the course of four years, but that begged the question: What does it mean to be an early riser?

To get a clearer sense of whether shifting sleep time earlier is truly protective, and how much shift is required, lead author Iyas Daghlas, M.D., turned to data from the DNA testing company 23 and Me and the biomedical database UK Biobank. Daghlas then used a method called "Mendelian randomization" that leverages genetic associations to help decipher cause and effect.

"Our genetics are set at birth so some of the biases that affect other kinds of epidemiological research tend not to affect genetic studies," said Daghlas, who graduated in May from Harvard Medical School.

More than 340 common genetic variants, including variants in the so-called "clock gene" PER2, are known to influence a person's chronotype, and genetics collectively explains 12-42% of our sleep timing preference.

The researchers assessed deidentified genetic data on these variants from up to 850,000 individuals, including data from 85,000 who had worn wearable sleep trackers for 7 days and 250,000 who had filled out sleep-preference questionnaires. This gave them a more granular picture, down to the hour, of how variants in genes influence when we sleep and wake up.

In the largest of these samples, about a third of surveyed subjects self-identified as morning larks, 9% were night owls and the rest were in the middle. Overall, the average sleep mid-point was 3 a.m., meaning they went to bed at 11 p.m. and got up at 6 a.m.

With this information in hand, the researchers turned to a different sample which included genetic information along with anonymized medical and prescription records and surveys about diagnoses of major depressive disorder.

Using novel statistical techniques, they asked: Do those with genetic variants which predispose them to be early risers also have lower risk of depression?

The answer is a firm yes.

Each one-hour earlier sleep midpoint (halfway between bedtime and wake time) corresponded with a 23% lower risk of major depressive disorder.

This suggests that if someone who normally goes to bed at 1 a.m. goes to bed at midnight instead and sleeps the same duration, they could cut their risk by 23%; if they go to bed at 11 p.m., they could cut it by about 40%.

It's unclear from the study whether those who are already early risers could benefit from getting up even earlier. But for those in the intermediate range or evening range, shifting to an earlier bedtime would likely be helpful.

What could explain this effect?

Some research suggests that getting greater light exposure during the day, which early-risers tend to get, results in a cascade of hormonal impacts that can influence mood.

Others note that having a biological clock, or circadian rhythm, that trends differently than most peoples' can in itself be depressing.

"We live in a society that is designed for morning people, and evening people often feel as if they are in a constant state of misalignment with that societal clock," said Daghlas.

He stresses that a large randomized clinical trial is necessary to determine definitively whether going to bed early can reduce depression. "But this study definitely shifts the weight of evidence toward supporting a causal effect of sleep timing on depression."

For those wanting to shift themselves to an earlier sleep schedule, Vetter offers this advice:

"Keep your days bright and your nights dark," she says. "Have your morning coffee on the porch. Walk or ride your bike to work if you can, and dim those electronics in the evening."

Numerous Health Benefits Found in Summer-Favorite Watermelon

No summer barbecue is complete without fresh watermelon. As the nation moves towards the summer grilling season, you may want to consider how watermelon's fruit chemistry can affect your overall health. Researchers in the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) recently identified over 1,500 small molecules of diverse chemical characters in the fruit, known as phytochemicals. They concluded that eating watermelon is an excellent way to increase your intake of antioxidants, non-protein amino acids and lycopene. This means that every time you eat watermelon, you’ll be improving the health of your cells, organs and nervous system.

The research specifically finds that the antioxidants in watermelon can help your body fight free radicals and slow down cell damage. The fruit's non-protein amino acids will also help to repair your body tissue, break down food from other meals, and even regulate your blood pressure.

"Watermelon could be part of the refreshing and healthy fruit options on your summer picnic table," said USDA-ARS scientist Larry Parnell. "The fruit has gone through many years of evolution, domestication, and selection for desirable qualities—mainly those associated with flesh color, texture and nutrient and sugar content. But our research continues to find that the fruit contains a wide range of nutrients that improve your overall health."

Most Americans purchase the sweet dessert watermelon species, Citrullus lanatus, at their local grocery store or farmer's market.  This species is among the most important vegetable crops grown and consumed throughout the world, with over 100 million tons in annual global production.  The fruit also has more lycopene than a raw tomato, which is linked to healthy eyes, overall heart health and protection against certain cancers. Other nutrients, like carotenoids, flavonoids, carbohydrates and alkaloids, are also found in the flesh, seed, and rind.

"I worked with Dr. Parnell and the team to develop a pioneering concept of using big data and computational biology to identify and catalog all of the phytochemicals that exist in edible fruit," said ARS researcher Amnon Levi. "The research to identify the metabolic pathways and genome sequence of genes involved in the production of beneficial phytochemicals could be highly useful for plant scientists and breeders aiming to improve nutrient content in fruits and vegetables."

The watermelon's phytochemicals are human-cell-protecting compounds found in fruit, vegetables, grains and beans. All of these nutrients can contribute to your overall health in numerous ways.

Watermelon was introduced to Europe via Moorish Spain in the 10th century. Since then, watermelon has been cultivated successfully in warmer Mediterranean regions before being brought to the Americas by European colonists during the 16th century. Today, watermelon is grown in 44 U.S. states, while major production is centered in California, Florida, Georgia and Texas.

Fruits and vegetables are a part of a healthy, balanced diet, with the recommendation being 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day.

Wearable devices show that physical activity may lower atrial fibrillation and stroke risk

The use of accelerometers enables researchers to provide the most objective evidence to date of the link between physical activity and atrial fibrillation.

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL

Research News

    SHARE

 PRINT  E-MAIL

BOSTON - Physical activity that conforms to medical and health association guidelines is associated with a lower risk of atrial fibrillation (Afib) and stroke, according to a study by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), who analyzed nearly 100,000 individuals equipped with wrist-worn accelerometers to measure their movement. The researchers' findings suggest that data from wearables, including a new generation of devices with sensors that allow for Afib detection, could provide an opportunity for the public health community to promote moderate physical activity as an effective way to improve health outcomes. The study was published in the European Heart Journal. [1]

"Although some population-based studies have observed a lower risk of atrial fibrillation with exercise, the link has remained inconclusive in part because those studies relied on self-reporting by participants, a less than exact science," says senior author Steven Lubitz, MD, MPH, an investigator in the Division of Cardiology at MGH. "Wearable accelerometers, on the other hand, provide an objective and reproducible measure of physical activity. What we found was that activity in accordance with guideline recommendations is indeed associated with substantially lower risks of both atrial fibrillation and stroke."

Nearly 100,000 members of the UK Biobank agreed to wear accelerometers - electromagnetic devices that measure body movement and orientation to infer certain activities - for seven days. MGH researchers then compared that data with later diagnoses of atrial fibrillation and stroke among participants, most between 55 and 70 years of age, reported to the Biobank from 2013 to 2020.

"Our findings supported recommendations from the European Society of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the World Health Organization for 150 minutes or greater of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week," notes lead author Shaan Khurshid, MD, an investigator in the Division of Cardiology at MGH.

Given the explosive growth of "smart" devices with increasingly sophisticated detection capabilities, the study stressed the exciting opportunities that now exist to link disease prevention programs to atrial fibrillation diagnostics. Those devices include wearables and smartphones able to measure heart rate and thus detect possible arrhythmias and other irregularities through their photoplethysmography (a technique that detects changes in blood flow through sensors on the skin) and electrocardiographic (ECG) capabilities.

"It's not hard to imagine how these devices could be used by physicians and patients to achieve a level of physical activity which we know to be associated with a reduced risk of atrial fibrillation," explains Lubitz. "And by potentially identifying Afib through photoplethysmography and electrocardiography, users could be alerted to seek professional care before a stroke develops."

Lubitz is hopeful that these emerging technologies could be applied to not just Afib and stroke but also to other forms of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, and to metabolic diseases like diabetes, which might be affected by guideline-adherent physical activity. "Wearable devices capable of objective activity monitoring, motivational messaging, and disease detection could be low-cost, highly effective interventions to improve health outcomes for countless numbers of people."

Eating a plant-based dinner could reduce risk of heart disease by ten percent

 

THE ENDOCRINE SOCIETY

Research News

People who eat too many refined carbs and fatty meats for dinner have a higher risk of heart disease than those who eat a similar diet for breakfast, according to a nationwide study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Cardiovascular diseases like congestive heart failure, heart attack and stroke are the number one cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. Eating lots of saturated fat, processed meats and added sugars can raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. Eating a heart-healthy diet with more whole carbohydrates like vegetables and grains and less meat can significantly offset the risk of cardiovascular disease.

"Meal timing along with food quality are important factors to consider when looking for ways to lower your risk of heart disease. Our study found people who eat a plant-based dinner with more whole carbs and unsaturated fats reduced their risk of heart disease by ten percent," said study author Ying Li of the Harbin Medical University in Harbin, China. "It's always recommended to eat a healthy diet, especially for those at high risk for heart disease, but we found that eating meat and refined carbs for breakfast instead of dinner was associated with a lower risk."

The researchers studied 27,911 U.S. adults' data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and analyzed dietary information collected during interviews with the participants over two non-consecutive days. They examined the association between eating different fats, carbohydrates and proteins at breakfast or dinner with participants' rates of heart disease. The analysis found eating a plant-based dinner reduced heart disease risk by ten percent.

Amazon indigenous group's lifestyle may hold a key to slowing down aging

Tsimane people are unique for their healthy brains that age more slowly

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Research News

    SHARE

 PRINT  E-MAIL

IMAGE: A TSIMANE CHILD IN A CANOE view more 

CREDIT: CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

A team of international researchers has found that the Tsimane indigenous people of the Bolivian Amazon experience less brain atrophy than their American and European peers. The decrease in their brain volumes with age is 70% slower than in Western populations. Accelerated brain volume loss can be a sign of dementia.

The study was published May 26, 2021 in the Journal of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.

Although people in industrialized nations have access to modern medical care, they are more sedentary and eat a diet high in saturated fats. In contrast, the Tsimane have little or no access to health care but are extremely physically active and consume a high-fiber diet that includes vegetables, fish and lean meat.

"The Tsimane have provided us with an amazing natural experiment on the potentially detrimental effects of modern lifestyles on our health," said study author Andrei Irimia, an assistant professor of gerontology, neuroscience and biomedical engineering at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. "These findings suggest that brain atrophy may be slowed substantially by the same lifestyle factors associated with very low risk of heart disease."

The researchers enrolled 746 Tsimane adults, ages 40 to 94, in their study. To acquire brain scans, they provided transportation for the participants from their remote villages to Trinidad, Bolivia, the closest town with CT scanning equipment. That journey could last as long as two full days with travel by river and road.

The team used the scans to calculate brain volumes and then examined their association with age for Tsimane. Next, they compared these results to those in three industrialized populations in the U.S. and Europe.

The scientists found that the difference in brain volumes between middle age and old age is 70% smaller in Tsimane than in Western populations. This suggests that the Tsimane's brains likely experience far less brain atrophy than Westerners as they age; atrophy is correlated with risk of cognitive impairment, functional decline and dementia.

The researchers note that the Tsimane have high levels of inflammation, which is typically associated with brain atrophy in Westerners. But their study suggests that high inflammation does not have a pronounced effect upon Tsimane brains.

According to the study authors, the Tsimane's low cardiovascular risks may outweigh their infection-driven inflammatory risk, raising new questions about the causes of dementia. One possible reason is that, in Westerners, inflammation is associated with obesity and metabolic causes whereas, in the Tsimane, it is driven by respiratory, gastrointestinal, and parasitic infections. Infectious diseases are the most prominent cause of death among the Tsimane.

"Our sedentary lifestyle and diet rich in sugars and fats may be accelerating the loss of brain tissue with age and making us more vulnerable to diseases such as Alzheimer's," said study author Hillard Kaplan, a professor of health economics and anthropology at Chapman University who has studied the Tsimane for nearly two decades. "The Tsimane can serve as a baseline for healthy brain aging."

Healthier hearts and -- new research shows -- healthier brains

The indigenous Tsimane people captured scientists' -- and the world's -- attention when an earlier study found them to have extraordinarily healthy hearts in older age. That prior study, published by the Lancet in 2017, showed that Tsimane have the lowest prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis of any population known to science and that they have few cardiovascular disease risk factors. The very low rate of heart disease among the roughly 16,000 Tsimane is very likely related to their pre-industrial subsistence lifestyle of hunting, gathering, fishing, and farming.

"This study demonstrates that the Tsimane stand out not only in terms of heart health, but brain health as well," Kaplan said. "The findings suggest ample opportunities for interventions to improve brain health, even in populations with high levels of inflammation."

Study: Don't count on caffeine to fight sleep deprivation

Rough night of sleep? Relying on caffeine to get you through the day isn't always the answer, says a new study from Michigan State University.

Researchers from MSU's Sleep and Learning Lab, led by psychology associate professor Kimberly Fenn, assessed how effective caffeine was in counteracting the negative effects of sleep deprivation on cognition. As it turns out, caffeine can only get you so far.

The study -- published in the most recent edition of Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition -- assessed the impact of caffeine after a night of sleep deprivation. More than 275 participants were asked to complete a simple attention task as well as a more challenging "placekeeping" task that required completion of tasks in a specific order without skipping or repeating steps.

Fenn's study is the first to investigate the effect of caffeine on placekeeping after a period of sleep deprivation.

"We found that sleep deprivation impaired performance on both types of tasks and that having caffeine helped people successfully achieve the easier task. However, it had little effect on performance on the placekeeping task for most participants," Fenn said.

She added: "Caffeine may improve the ability to stay awake and attend to a task, but it doesn't do much to prevent the sort of procedural errors that can cause things like medical mistakes and car accidents."

Insufficient sleep is pervasive in the United States, a problem that has intensified during the pandemic, Fenn said. Consistently lacking adequate sleep not only affects cognition and alters mood, but can eventually take a toll on immunity.

"Caffeine increases energy, reduces sleepiness and can even improve mood, but it absolutely does not replace a full night of sleep, Fenn said. "Although people may feel as if they can combat sleep deprivation with caffeine, their performance on higher-level tasks will likely still be impaired. This is one of the reasons why sleep deprivation can be so dangerous."

Fenn said that the study has the potential to inform both theory and practice.

"If we had found that caffeine significantly reduced procedural errors under conditions of sleep deprivation, this would have broad implications for individuals who must perform high stakes procedures with insufficient sleep, like surgeons, pilots and police officers," Fenn said. "Instead, our findings underscore the importance of prioritizing sleep."

Slow walkers four times more likely to die from COVID-19

 Slow walkers are almost four times more likely to die from COVID-19, and have over twice the risk of contracting a severe version of the virus, according to a team of researchers from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre led by Professor Tom Yates at the University of Leicester.

The study of 412,596 middle-aged UK Biobank participants examined the relative association of body mass index (BMI) and self-reported walking pace with the risk of contracting severe COVID-19 and COVID-19 mortality.

The analysis found slow walkers of a normal weight to be almost 2.5 times more likely to develop severe COVID-19 and 3.75 times more likely to die from the virus than normal weight fast walkers.

Professor Yates, Lead Researcher for the study and a Professor of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Health at the University of Leicester said:

"We know already that obesity and frailty are key risk factors for COVID-19 outcomes. This is the first study to show that slow walkers have a much higher risk of contracting severe COVID-19 outcomes, irrespective of their weight.

"With the pandemic continuing to put unprecedented strain on health care services and communities, identifying individuals at greatest risk and taking preventative measures to protect them is crucial."

A further key finding from this research was that normal weight slow walkers are more at risk for both severe COVID-19 and COVID-19 mortality than fast walkers with obesity. Furthermore, risk was uniformly high in normal weight slow walkers and slow walkers with obesity.

Professor Yates continued:

"Fast walkers have been shown to generally have good cardiovascular and heart health, making them more resilient to external stressors, including viral infection but this hypothesis has not yet been established for infectious disease.

"Whilst large routine database studies have reported the association of obesity and fragility with COVID-19 outcomes, routine clinical databases do not currently have data on measures of physical function or fitness.

"It is my view that ongoing public health and research surveillance studies should consider incorporating simple measures of physical fitness such as self-reported walking pace in addition to BMI, as potential risk predictors of COVID-19 outcomes that could ultimately enable better prevention methods that save lives."

The study 'Obesity, walking pace and risk of severe COVID-19 and mortality: analysis of UK Biobank' was published on 26 February 2021 in the International Journal of Obesity. The analysis was restricted to England and outcomes were assessed during the first wave of the pandemic.

Taking more steps daily may lead to a longer life

 Taking more steps per day, either all at once or in shorter spurts, may help you live longer, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference 2021. The meeting is virtual, May 20-21, and offers the latest science on population-based health and wellness and implications for lifestyle.

Walking is one of the safest and easiest ways to improve fitness and health including heart health. The American Heart Association's fitness guidelines for adults recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or a combination of both. Popular fitness apps and step counters make it easy to count steps, so researchers used a wearable step counting device to compare the effects of uninterrupted bouts of steps (10 minutes or longer) to occasional short spurts, such as climbing the stairs and general daily activities throughout the day.

"Technological advances made in recent decades have allowed researchers to measure short spurts of activity. Whereas, in the past we were limited to only measuring activities people could recall on a questionnaire," said lead study author Christopher C. Moore, M.S., a Ph.D. student in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "With the help of wearable devices, more research is indicating that any type of movement is better than remaining sedentary."

From 2011-2015, 16,732 women wore a waist step counter that measured their daily steps and walking patterns for four to seven days. The women were all over age 60 (average age of 72; mostly non-Hispanic white women) and were participants in the Women's Health Study, a large, national study of heart disease, cancer and other long-term disease prevention.

The researchers divided the total number of steps for each study participant into two groups: 1) 10 minutes or longer bouts of walking with few interruptions; and 2) short spurts of walking during regular daily activities such as housework, taking the stairs, or walking to or from a car. In follow-up, they tracked deaths from any cause for an average of six years, through December 31, 2019.

Researchers found:

• Overall, 804 deaths occurred during the entire study period of 2011-2019.
• Study participants who took more steps in short spurts lived longer, regardless of how many steps they had in longer, uninterrupted bouts. The benefits leveled off at about 4,500 steps per day in short spurts.
• Compared to no daily steps, each initial increase of 1,000 steps per day was associated with a 28% decrease in death during the follow-up period.
• A 32% decrease in death was noted in participants who took more than 2,000 steps daily in uninterrupted bouts.

A prior analysis of the same women reported that those who took 4,500 steps per day had a significantly lower risk of death compared to the least active women. "Our current results indicate that this finding holds even for women who did not engage in any uninterrupted bouts of walking. Taking 2,000 or more additional steps during bouts was associated with further benefits for longevity," Moore said.

"Older adults face many barriers to participating in structured exercise programs, so some may find it more convenient and enjoyable to increase everyday walking behaviors, like parking slightly further from their destination or doing some extra housework or yardwork," Moore said.

Since all study participants were older and mostly non-Hispanic white women, more research is needed to determine if the results apply to men, younger women and people from diverse racial and ethnic groups.

Watch Out for False Promises on Some Dietary Supplements

 You may know someone who has been unable to get pregnant due to infertility issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 12 percent of women aged 15 to 44 in the United States have difficulty becoming pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term.

"Fertility” Products Prey on Vulnerability

Marketers are targeting this population by pitching dietary supplements that make unproven claims to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent infertility and other reproductive health conditions. Some women may have had difficulties conceiving or have underlying health conditions that put them at risk of infertility.  

Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, claims to prevent, treat, or cure such conditions establish that a product is a new drug and must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before it can be safely marketed. In fact, dietary supplements making claims about infertility are not FDA approved and could deter patients from seeking effective, FDA-approved drug products.

These purported fertility aids seek to profit off of the vulnerability and frustration many may feel as they face difficulties in getting pregnant. Relying on ineffective, unproven products can be a waste of time and money and can possibly result in illness or serious injury. 

Most of these unapproved drugs are sold online and many are falsely labeled as dietary supplements. It is important to know that these products are not based on proven scientific information, and they have not been reviewed for safety and efficacy.

Be Wary of Unproven Claims Regarding Infertility

Your first course of action is always to talk to your health care provider before buying or using any over-the-counter product, including those labeled as dietary supplements. 

One of the best ways to protect yourself from fake treatments is to ask whether a claim sounds too good to be true or if it contradicts what you’ve heard from reputable sources about treating infertility. Companies selling unproven infertility or pregnancy-related therapies often include a range of unsupported and expansive claims about the supposed effectiveness of their products. Some of these claims may be framed as consumer testimonials. These include statements such as:

• “You will get pregnant very fast and give birth to healthy children regardless of … how severe or chronic your infertility disorder.”
• " … a perfect natural alternative to infertility drugs or invasive treatments.”
• “best fertility supplements to boost your chance of pregnancy or improve your IVF success rate.”
• “… treat infertility… effectiveness in preventing recurrent miscarriages during early stage pregnancy."

Also be wary of statements containing language such as the following:

• “One product does it all.” 
• “Miracle cure” or “scientific breakthrough.”
• Products claiming to be a “cure all.”

FDA Protects Consumers from Companies Selling Unapproved New Drugs

The FDA takes action against companies marketing unapproved new drugs that claim to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent infertility and other reproductive health conditions. The agency issues warning letters to advise companies to change or remove claims that misbrand products and result in their being unapproved new drugs. If the companies refuse to comply with FDA regulations, the agency may take further legal action to remove the products from the market.

You Can Help 

If you know of a product being sold as a therapy for infertility or other reproductive health conditions and diseases, you can notify the FDA by going to our Reporting Unlawful Sales of Medical Products on the Internet page. If you think that a product might have caused a reaction or an illness, the FDA encourages consumers and health care professionals to report the adverse reaction to the agency through the Safety Reporting Portal.

Latest Health Research

Diet

​​​​​​​No link between milk and increased cholesterol according to new study of 2 million people

Regular consumption of milk is not associated with increased levels of cholesterol, according to new research. A study published in the *International Journal of Obesity* looked at three large population studies and found that people who regularly drank high amounts of milk had lower levels of both good and bad cholesterol, although their BMI levels were higher than non-milk drinkers. Further analysis of other large studies also suggests that those who regularly consumed milk had a 14% lower risk of coronary heart disea...

A low-calorie ketogenic diet can help testosterone levels in overweight men

New research reveals that a low-calorie ketogenic diet can help testosterone levels in overweight men, reducing overall levels of obesity A very low-calorie ketogenic diet can help testosterone and sex hormone (SHBG) levels in overweight men, according to a study being presented at the 23rd?European Congress of Endocrinology (e-ECE 2021), on Monday 24 May 2021 at 14:06 CET (http://www.ece2021.org). The study found that after following a recommended low-calorie ketogenic diet for four weeks, body weight, fat mass and body mass index (BMI) significantly decreased and a substantial ...

Study: Diet to lower blood pressure also improved other factors in cardiac health

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Public health advocates frequently site Americans' high-sodium diet as one factor in the nation's cardiac health. While sodium has been definitively linked to high-blood pressure -- a key risk factor for CVD -- few rigorously controlled studies make the direct causal link between high sodium intake and cardiovascular damage, heart attack, or s...

No safe level of alcohol consumption for brain health

No safe dose of alcohol for the brain was found. Moderate consumption is associated with more widespread adverse effects on the brain than previously recognised. Individuals who binge drink or with high blood pressure and BMI may be more susceptible. Detrimental effects of drinking appear to be greater than other modifiable factors. Current ‘low risk’ drinking guidelines should be revisited to take account of brain effects.

Vegan and omnivorous diets promote equivalent muscle mass gain


 Protein intake is more important than protein source if the goal is to gain muscle strength and mass. This is the key finding of a study that compared the effects of strength training in volunteers with a vegan or omnivorous diet, both with protein content considered adequate. In the study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of ...

Eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is associated with less stress,

Research News Eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is associated with less stress, according to new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU). The study examined the link between fruit and vegetable intake and stress levels of more than 8,600 Australians aged between 25 and 91 participating in the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) Study from Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. The findings revealed people who ate at least 470 grams of fruit and vegetables daily had 10 per cent lower stress levels than those who consumed less than 230 grams. The World Hea.

Sugar-sweetened drinks linked to increased risk of colorectal cancer in women under 50

Colorectal cancer diagnoses have increased among people under age 50 in recent years and researchers are seeking reasons why. A new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found a link between drinking sugar-sweetened beverages and an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer in women under age 50. The findings suggest that heavy consumption of sugary drinks during adolescence (ages 13 to 18) and adulthood can increase the disease risk. The study, published online May 6 in the journal *Gut*, provides more suppor...

Pink drinks can help you run faster and further

A new study led by the Centre for Nutraceuticals in the University of Westminster shows that pink drinks can help to make you run faster and further compared to clear drinks. The researchers found that a pink drink can increase exercise performance by 4.4 per cent and can also increase a 'feel good' effect which can make exercise seem easier. The study, published in the journal *Frontiers in Nutrition*, is the first investigation to assess the effect of drink colour on exercise performance and provides the potential to open a new avenue of future research in the field of sports d...

Alcohol in moderation may help the heart by calming stress signals in the brain

Findings should spur the search for new therapies that help lower stress and impact the heart without the drawbacks of alcohol AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY Research News Moderate alcohol intake--defined as no more than one alcoholic drink for women and two for men per day--has been associated with a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease when compared with individuals who abstain from drinking or partake in excessive drinking, according to a new study being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session. It's also the first study t...

Organic meat less likely to be contaminated with multidrug-resistant bacteria

 Meat that is certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is less likely to be contaminated with bacteria that can sicken people, including dangerous, multidrug-resistant organisms, compared to conventionally produced meat, according to a study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Heal...

Kefir packs less of a probiotic punch than labels claim

Gut health is having a moment, with sales of fermented foods such as kefir, kombucha, and kimchi steadily on the rise. The benefits of "good bacteria" in fermented foods and supplements go well beyond the gut, moderating immune responses, heart health, weight, and even mood. But do products hold up to the claims on their labels? A new study from the University of Illinois and The Ohio State University examined bacterial content of five brands of kefir, a fermented dairy beverage often likened to drinkable yogurt. The research showed the majority of products overstated bacterial d...

Vegetarians have healthier levels of disease markers than meat-eaters

Vegetarians appear to have a healthier biomarker profile than meat-eaters, and this applies to adults of any age and weight, and is also unaffected by smoking and alcohol consumption, according to a new study in over 166,000 UK adults, being presented at this week's European Congress on Obesity (ECO), held online this year. Biomarkers can have bad and good health effects, promoting or preventing cancer, cardiovascular and age-related diseases, and other chronic conditions, and have been widely u...

General Health

Controlled blood pressure important in preventing heart disease and stroke

Follow-up data from the landmark SPRINT study of the effect of high blood pressure on cardiovascular disease have confirmed that aggressive blood pressure management -- lowering systolic blood pressure to less than 120 mm Hg -- dramatically reduces the risk of heart disease, str...

Study finds women with osteoporosis and low bone density are at increased risk of hearing loss

Bisphosphonates, commonly prescribed to reduce bone fracture risks, were not shown to alter likelihood of hearing loss BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL Research News - Hearing loss is the third most common chronic health condition in the United States. Previous studies of people with hearing loss have uncovered higher prevalence of osteoporosis -- a disease in which the bones become weak and brittle -- and low bone density (LBD). But research on whether these conditions may influence risk of hearing loss over time is scarce. It is also unknown whether hearing loss can be avoided by ...

USPSTF lowers recommended ages for colorectal cancer screening

Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that adults ages 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer, lowering the age for screening that was previously 50 to 75. The USPSTF also recommends that clinicians selectively offer screening to adults 76 to 85 years of age. Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States. In 2016, 26% of eligible adults had never been screened and nearly one-third were not up to date with screening in 2018. The USPSTF routinely makes reco...

Middle-aged women urged to check their blood pressure to avoid heart attacks

Women with mildly elevated blood pressure in their early 40s have a two-fold risk of acute coronary syndromes in their 50s compared to their counterparts with normal blood pressure. That's the finding of a study published on World Hypertension Day in the *European Journal of Preventive Cardiology*, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 "Even if they feel healthy, women should have their blood pressure measured by their primary care physician and repeated at regu...

Dental procedures during pandemic are no riskier than a drink of water

Research News A new study's findings dispel the misconception that patients and providers are at high risk of catching COVID-19 at the dentist's office. SARS-CoV-2 spreads mainly through respiratory droplets, and dental procedures are known to produce an abundance of aerosols - leading to fears that flying saliva during a cleaning or a restorative procedure could make the dentist's chair a high-transmission location. Ohio State University researchers set out to determine whether saliva is the main source of the spray, collecting samples from personnel, equipment and other surfac...

Obesity increases the risk of developing 10 of the most common cancers, regardless of how it is 

Obesity increases the risk of developing 10 of the most common cancers, regardless of how it is measured , according to a study of more than 400,000 adults in the UK, being presented at The European Congress on Obesity (ECO) held online this year, with central fatness (larger waist and hips) and general obesity (body mass index [BMI] and body fat percentage) associated with similar estimates of cancer risk. The results suggest that BMI is an adequate measure of cancer risk from excess weight, and there is no advantage in using more complicated or expensive measures such as waist c...

Exercise

Regular physical activity linked to better organized preteen brains

Data from ~6,000 9- and 10-year-old show positive effects on the developing 'connectome' Regular physical activity has positive effects on children's developing brain circuits, finds a Boston Children's Hospital ...

Different physical activity 'cocktails' have similar health benefits

Research News A new study from Columbia University and an international team of researchers identifies multiple ways to achieve the same health benefits from exercise--as long as the exercise "cocktail" includes plenty of light physical activity. "For decades, we've been telling people that the way to stay healthy is to get at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week," says Keith Diaz, PhD, assistant professor of behavioral medicine and director of the exercise testing laboratory at the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Vagelos College of Phy...

Physical inactivity linked to more severe COVID-19 infection and death

Physical inactivity is linked to more severe COVID-19 infection and a heightened risk of dying from the disease, finds a large US study published online in the *British Journal of Sports Medicine.* Patients with COVID-19 who were consistently inactive during the 2 years preceding the pandemic were more likely to be admitted to hospital, to require intensive care, and to die than were patients who had consistently met physical activity guidelines, the findings show. As a risk factor for severe disease, physical inactivity was surpassed only by advanced age and a history of organ t...

Supplements

Higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids from prescription fish oil showed no effect on CV events

Research News Patients at high risk for cardiovascular events who had the highest levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in their blood one year after taking daily omega-3 carboxylic acid, a prescription-grade fish oil, had similar rates of major cardiovascular events as people taking a corn oil placebo, according to a secondary analysis of the STRENGTH trial presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session. Researchers also found no increase in cardiovascular events among patients with the highest levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) compared to p...

New study finds combination of Omega-3s in popular supplements may blunt heart benefits

Doctors often recommend Omega-3s to help patients lower their cholesterol and improve heart health. Those Omega-3s can come from fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, or supplements that often contain a combination of the acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Now, new research from the Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute in Salt Lake City finds that higher EPA blood levels alone lowered the risk of major cardiac events and death in patients, while DHA blunted the cardiovascular benefits of EPA. Higher DHA levels at any level of EPA, worsened health ...

'Insufficient evidence' to support herbal and dietary supplements for weight loss

The first global review of complementary medicines (herbal and dietary supplements) for weight loss in 16 years--combining 121 randomised placebo-controlled trials including nearly 10,000 adults--suggests that their use cannot be justified based on the current evidence. The findings of two studies, being presented at The European Congress on Obesity (ECO) held online this year, suggest that although some herbal and dietary supplements show statistically greater weight loss than placebo, it is not enough to benefit health, and the authors call for more research into their long-te...

Aging

Music may benefit older adults with cognitive impairment

Research News Active music-making can provide cognitive benefits to older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia, according to an analysis of all relevant studies. The analysis, which is published in the *Journal of the American Geriatrics Society*, also found that music may help improve their quality of life and mood. The analysis included nine studies with a total of 495 participants. The authors noted that music-based interventions could potentially provide millions of older adults with critical support for their cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. "We a...

A complex link between body mass index and Alzheimer's

Study finds combined genetic risk, lower BMI predict disease progression. Though obesity in midlife is linked to an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests that a high body mass index later in life doesn't necessarily translate to greater chances of developing the brain disease. In the study, researchers compared data from two groups of people who had been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment - half whose disease progressed to Alzheimer's in 24 months and half whose condition d...

Meditative practice and spiritual wellbeing may preserve cognitive function in aging


In the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease investigators review research that shows spiritual fitness and meditation mitigate the negative effects of stress and reduce the risk of memory loss, cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease I It is projected that up to 152 million people worldwide will be living with Alzheimer's disease (AD) b...

Medicine

Cholesterol-lowering statins prescribed less later in day

Research News Furthering efforts to understand why potentially life-saving statins are so under-prescribed among American patients with heart disease, a new study shows that clinicians are more likely to sign a script for them earlier in the day. The new study by researchers in Penn Medicine's Nudge Unit found that patients with the very first appointments of the day were most likely to have statins prescribed, and the odds progressively fell through the morning and remained low throughout the afternoon. The study was published today in *JAMA Network Open*. In recent years, res...

Antibiotics: Patient Expectations and Doctors' Prescribing Habits May Contribute to Antimicrobial Resistance

Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory tract infections contributes to antibiotic resistance, making some bacterial infections difficult to treat. This often leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality. Still, many physicians report prescribing antibiotics at their patients' request. To address patients' expectations for antibiotic prescribing for URTIs, researchers conducted an experiment in which study participants were assigned brief educational videos to watch on a tablet immediately prior to their appointment. The autho...

Last Summary

Latest Health Research