Research shows a plant-based diet can help reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 and mortality

 As the Omicron variant continues to cause a record number of infections, a new commentary in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition is calling for people to adopt a plant-based diet, which research shows can help reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 and mortality.

“It represents the most cost-effective approach and should be largely promoted and incorporated in everyday practice,” write Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee, and Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee, about a plant-based diet in the commentary. “This is a booster that is needed at this unprecedented time and that may actually work to mitigate COVID-19.”

The doctors cite several studies showing the benefits of a plant-based diet for COVID-19. One study showed that a healthy plant-based diet was associated with a 9% lower risk of COVID-19 infection and a 41% lower risk of severe COVID-19. Another study found that health care workers following a plant-based diet who had substantial exposure to COVID-19 patients had a 73% lower risk of moderate-to-severe COVID-19.

Okinawa, Japan, one of the “Blue Zones” where people live long and healthy lives, is another real-world example the authors provide to show the benefits of a plant-based diet for COVID-19. Okinawa, where the diet is predominantly plant-based and rich in sweet potatoes, green leafy vegetables, and soy products, has a much lower COVID-19 mortality rate than Tokyo, which is similar in size but has a lower population density.

Drs. Kahleova and Barnard also recently published the results of a clinical research study conducted by the Physicians Committee that found a plant-based diet helped hospital workers in Washington, D.C., improve their health and quality of life during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a commentary published in the American Journal of Medicine, Dr. Barnard wrote that vaccines should be paired with plant-based diets to fight COVID-19.

Open-label placebo offers new treatment for disorders of gut-brain interaction in children

Pain-predominant disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs) in children — such as functional abdominal pain (FAP) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)— can lead to disabling symptoms, poor quality of life and high use of health care resources. Studies suggest that an open-label placebo (OLP) approach — in which patients are aware that they are receiving a placebo — can benefit adults, but little is known about this in children. A group of investigators led by Boston Children’s Samuel Nurko, MD, MPH conducted the first OLP study in pediatrics in a multicenter randomized crossover trial published today in JAMA Pediatrics.

The study looked at 30 children between the ages of 8 and 18 who were diagnosed with IBS or FAP. The patients tracked their pain for seven days leading up to the study. They were then randomized to either a control or OLP group, with a crossover after three weeks.

Researchers explained the basic concept of a placebo and that they have been beneficial in some previous studies. Patients took 1.5 ml of an inert liquid placebo twice a day; this syrup mimicked the appearance of other medications used in pediatric care. All of the patients were given access to hyoscyamine for use as a rescue medication and kept symptom diaries throughout the study.

Nurko and his colleagues found that patients’ mean pain scores were significantly lower during the OLP treatment than during the control period; they also took nearly twice as many tablets of hyoscyamine during the control period than during the OLP period, and there were no side effects.

“A significant placebo effect has been observed in double-blind clinical studies in children with DGBIs. It’s widely believed that concealment or deception is required to elicit a placebo response, but our study shows that the open administration of a placebo treatment — i.e. non-concealed and without deception — is effective,” said Nurko. “The exact nature of the response is still not known, but my hope is to be able to understand the process so we’ll be able to harness it and use in routine clinical care.”

The results of this first-of-its-kind study in pediatric patients with DGBIs show promise as a future non-pharmacologic therapy of these difficult-to-treat conditions.

Research reveals cardiovascular risk of consuming small quantities of alcohol

Drinking less than the UK’s recommended limit of 14 units of alcohol per week still increases the risk of cardiovascular issues such as heart and cerebrovascular disease, according to new research published in the journal Clinical Nutrition. 

Academics from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) examined hospitalisations related to cardiovascular events among more than 350,000 UK residents aged between 40 and 69 from data obtained from the UK Biobank study.

The sample included 333,259 people who drank alcohol. Participants had been asked about their overall weekly alcohol intake and their intake of specific types of alcohol including beer, wine and spirits. Those participants were followed up for a median of approximately seven years, capturing all incidences where patients had been hospitalised through cardiovascular events. 

Anyone who had suffered a previous cardiovascular event was excluded from the analysis, as were former drinkers or those who had not completed information on alcohol intake.

The analysis found that, for those participants that drank less than 14 units of alcohol per week – the limit recommended by the UK’s Chief Medical Officers – each additional 1.5 pints of beer at 4% strength (alcohol by volume) is associated with a 23% increased risk of suffering a cardiovascular event.

The authors argue that biases in existing epidemiological evidence have resulted in the widespread acceptance of the “J-shaped curve” that wrongly suggests low to moderate alcohol consumption can be beneficial to cardiovascular health.

These biases include using non-drinkers as a reference group when many do not drink for reasons of existing poor health, pooling of all drink types when determining the alcohol intake of a study population, and embedding the lower risk observed of coronary artery disease among wine drinkers, potentially distorting the overall cardiovascular risk from the drink.

Lead author Dr Rudolph Schutte, course leader for the BSc Hons Medical Science programme and Associate Professor at ARU, said:

“The so-called J-shaped curve of the cardiovascular disease-alcohol consumption relationship suggesting health benefit from low to moderate alcohol consumption is the biggest myth since we were told smoking was good for us.

“Among drinkers of beer, cider and spirits in particular, even those consuming under 14 units a week had an increased risk of ending up in hospital through a cardiovascular event involving the heart or the blood vessels. While we hear much about wine drinkers having lower risk of coronary artery disease, our data shows their risk of other cardiovascular events is not reduced.

“Biases embedded in epidemiological evidence mask or underestimate the hazards associated with alcohol consumption. When these biases are accounted for, the adverse effects of even low-level alcohol consumption are revealed.

“Avoiding these biases in future research would mitigate current confusion and hopefully lead to a strengthening of the guidelines, seeing the current alcohol guidance reduced.”

Physical activity protects against type 2 diabetes by modifying metabolism

 Regular physical activity significantly changes the body's metabolite profile, and many of these changes are associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. The study population included more than 7,000 men who were followed up for eight years. Men in the highest physical activity category had a 39% lower risk of type 2 diabetes than men who were physically inactive. Physical activity was associated with the levels of a total of 198 metabolites, i.e., compounds formed as a result of the body's metabolism, and increased physical activity had an impact on some of the same metabolites that have previously been associated with a health-promoting diet. In addition, the study showed that increased physical activity improves insulin secretion.

A total of 1,260 metabolites were analysed from the study participants' fasting glucose samples. The association of physical activity with the metabolite profile hasn't been studied this comprehensively nor in such an extensive cohort before. Indeed, published in Metabolites, this study is the first to establish an association between many metabolites and physical activity.

The researchers investigated the association of physical activity with metabolite profile, insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion and risk of type 2 diabetes in men participating in the METabolic Syndrome In Men (METSIM) study. None of the participants had diabetes at the onset of the study. A physical activity questionnaire was conducted among the participants at the onset of the study and again eight years later, and they also underwent an oral glucose tolerance test and had their metabolites analysed from a fasting glucose sample.

Men were classified into four categories based on their physical activity: those who were physically inactive, those who were physically active only occasionally, those who were physically active regularly but no more than twice a week, and those who were physically active regularly at least three times a week. The duration of a single session of physical activity was defined as at least 30 minutes.

Physical activity was associated with the levels of a total of 198 metabolites. Among other things, physical activity changed the levels of several lipids in a manner that in previous studies has been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. In previous studies, a health-promoting diet has also been observed to have some similar associations with unsaturated fatty acid levels, for example. As completely new metabolic biomarkers associated with physical activity, the researchers identified in particular steroids, amino acids, imidazoles, carboxylic acids, and hydroxy acids.

During the follow-up, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was 39% lower for men who were physically the most active, and 30% lower even for men who were physically active no more than twice a week, when compared to men who were physically inactive. Lower fasting glucose and insulin levels, and better insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion, were observed in men who increased their physical activity during the follow-up.

The association of physical activity with insulin secretion has remained unclear, despite several studies on the matter. The study published now confirms that increased physical activity improves insulin secretion.

Farther or faster? Both improve distance running performance

 A study performed at the University of Jyväskylä compared two-week blocks of low-intensity training and high-intensity interval training in terms of performance and recovery. Both methods can improve endurance performance in recreational athletes after already two weeks when the training load is increased significantly from what the individual is accustomed to.

The weekly routine of distance runners typically consists of a permanent mix of low-intensity training and moderate- to high-intensity training. As an alternative, it has been suggested that block periodization with a more focused training target within a single period may have its advantages.

In a recent study, block periodization was examined with a setting where participants either added the volume of low-intensity training by 70% or performed 10 sessions of 6 x 3-min intervals (5 times/week) during the two-week block. A short block of low- or high-intensity interval training seemed to be an effective method for recreational athletes.

"Both groups improved their 3000 m running performance immediately after the block," explains doctoral researcher Olli-Pekka Nuuttila from the University of Jyväskylä. "The Interval group improved on average 13 seconds and the low-intensity group 11 seconds. The same trend was observed after the recovery week: the Interval group's time was on average 19 seconds faster compared to baseline and in the low-intensity group difference was 17 seconds. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups."

Interval period more demanding -- monitoring the recovery state is beneficial

When recovery was considered, differences were found in the muscle soreness of lower extremities, which increased at a group level only in the interval group. The change differed from the low-intensity group across the training and recovery weeks. Increased muscle soreness at the end of the block was also associated with smaller improvement in the running test. Resting levels of stress hormone norepinephrine concentrations increased after the block in the interval group and remained elevated after the recovery week. The same trend was observed in the nocturnal heart rate variability, which decreased compared to the low-intensity group during the first week of the block.

"Based on the recovery markers we measured, the interval block seemed more demanding compared to the low-intensity block," Nuuttila summarizes. "Therefore, ensuring sufficient recovery especially after such a period would be important. It is also recommendable to monitor recovery at least via subjective markers during these types of blocks to avoid excessive impairment in the recovery state."

The effectiveness of block periodization protocols has not been examined in detail in recreational athletes. Previous studies have not investigated, in particular, both recovery from different perspectives and changes in performance during a block of varying training targets.

Changes in endurance performance were analyzed by a 3000 m running test, and recovery state was monitored with nocturnal heart rate recordings and perceived recovery scales. In addition, resting hormone concentrations were analyzed from urine and blood samples.

Participants were 20- to 45-year-old males and females (15 per group) who trained recreationally. The study was financially supported by the Foundation of Sports Institute and the Finnish Sports Research Foundation. The study was also supported by Firstbeat Analytics Oy, whose heart rate monitors were used in the data collection.

Starting physical activity three days post-concussion is safe, has better outcomes

Resuming non-contact physical activity 72 hours after a concussion is safe, and may also reduce symptoms and the risk of delayed recovery, suggests the first and largest real-world, randomized clinical trial on the topic to be conducted with children and youth aged 10 to 18.

Led by researchers at the CHEO Research Institute, the multi-site study was published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the world’s leading journal in the field. Previous randomized clinical trials have been smaller in nature, conducted in the lab or only used a sport-related population.

“The findings of this study should give every health-care professional who manages kids with concussions the confidence to prescribe early and controlled return to physical activity, even if they have symptoms,” said Andrée-Anne Ledoux, the study’s corresponding author and a scientist at the CHEO Research Institute, a pediatric health-care and research centre in Ottawa, Canada.

“The study confirms that early return to physical activity is safe, can reduce concussion symptoms and reduces the rate of delayed recovery,” added Ledoux, who is also an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa. “Gone are the days of resting in a dark room.”

Called PedCARE, the clinical trial divided 456 participants into two groups. One group rested until symptom resolution after their concussion and the second group started to re-introduce physical activity 72 hours after the concussion, according to a set protocol. They regularly answered a standard survey about their symptoms and their activity levels were recorded using an accelerometer.

At two weeks, symptoms were comparable between both groups, which means that early physical activity was not harmful. When examining results of everyone who stayed within the prescribed level of activity, those who re-introduced physical activity early showed improved symptoms and a reduced rate of delayed recovery, when compared to those who rested until they were symptom free.

The study sets out guidelines for gradually introducing physical activity back into the daily routine of a child or youth. For example, at 72 hours after the injury, the youth should start walking for 15 minutes at a moderate level. If symptoms are tolerable the youth should increase their physical activity intensity the next day, for example, light jogging. If symptoms are not tolerable while doing physical activity or after physical activity, the next day the child or youth should return to the last well-tolerated physical activity intensity and re-attempt progression after 24 hours. They must be cleared by their primary care provider before returning to contact sports.

 

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JOURNAL

British Journal of Sports Medicine

DOI

10.1136/bjsports-2021-105030 

Taking daily vitamin D supplements - or a combination of vitamin D and omega-3 fish oil = reduced risk of autoimmune disease,

 

Taking daily vitamin D supplements - or a combination of vitamin D and omega-3 fish oil - appears to carry a lower risk of developing autoimmune disease, with a more pronounced effect after two years, finds a trial of older US adults published by The BMJ today.

The researchers say the clinical importance of these findings is high, “given that these are well-tolerated, non-toxic supplements, and that there are no other known effective therapies to reduce rates of autoimmune diseases.”

Autoimmune disease happens when the body’s natural defence system mistakenly attacks normal cells. Common conditions include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and thyroid diseases, which increase with age, particularly among women.

Both vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids derived from seafood are known to have a beneficial effect on inflammation and immunity, but no large randomised trials have tested whether these supplements can lower the risk of autoimmune disease.

So researchers set out to test the effects of vitamin D and omega-3 fish oil supplements on rates of autoimmune diseases in 25,871 US adults (average age 67; 51% women; 71% non-Hispanic white).

When they joined the trial, participants provided information on their age, ethnicity, region of residence, income, education, lifestyle, weight, medical history, diet and supplement use. Blood levels of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids were also measured.

Participants were then randomly allocated to receive vitamin D (2,000 IU/day) or matched placebo, and omega-3 fatty acids (1,000mg/day) or matched placebo, and were asked to report any diagnosed autoimmune disease over an average 5.3 year period. 

These included rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica (pain and stiffness in the muscles around the shoulders, neck and hips), thyroid disease, and psoriasis, among others. 

Reported cases were confirmed using medical records. Those with insufficient documentation for certainty were classed as “probable” cases.

Over the full duration of the trial, a confirmed autoimmune disease was diagnosed in 123 participants in the vitamin D group compared with 155 in the placebo group - a 22% lower relative rate.

In the omega-3 fatty acid group, 130 confirmed cases were diagnosed compared with 148 in the placebo group (a 15% reduction), but this was not a statistically significant result.

However, when probable cases were included, omega-3 fatty acid supplements did significantly reduce the rate by 18% compared with placebo and there was a significant interaction with time, indicating a stronger effect the longer supplements were taken.

Similar results were found when only the last three years of the trial were considered. The vitamin D group had 39% fewer confirmed cases than placebo, while the omega-3 fatty acid group had 10% fewer confirmed cases than placebo. Both vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid supplements decreased autoimmune disease by about 30% versus placebo alone. 

This was a large trial involving a diverse general population with high rates of follow-up and adherence to treatment. However, the researchers acknowledge that they tested only one dose and formulation of each supplement, and say the results may not apply to younger individuals.

Nevertheless, they say this is the first direct evidence that daily supplementation with either agent - or a combination of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids - for five years among older US adults reduces autoimmune disease incidence, with more pronounced effect after two years of supplementation.

“We are continuing to follow participants for two years in an extension study to test the time course of this autoimmune disease reduction effect,” they write. “Further trials could test these interventions in younger populations, and those with high autoimmune disease risk.”

Active ingredient in cannabis protects aging brain cells

 Decades of research on medical cannabis has focused on the compounds THC and CBD in clinical applications. But less is known about the therapeutic properties of cannabinol (CBN). Now, a new study by Salk scientists shows how CBN can protect nerve cells from oxidative damage, a major pathway to cell death. The findings, published online January 6, 2022, in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, suggest CBN has the potential for treating age-related neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s.

 

“We’ve found that cannabinol protects neurons from oxidative stress and cell death, two of the major contributors to Alzheimer’s,” says senior author Pamela Maher, a research professor and head of Salk’s Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory. “This discovery could one day lead to the development of new therapeutics for treating this disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, like Parkinson’s disease.”

 

Derived from the cannabis plant, CBN is molecularly similar to THC, but is not psychoactive. It’s also less heavily regulated by the FDA. Previous research by Maher’s lab found that CBN had neuroprotective properties, but it wasn’t clear how it worked. Now, this new study explains the mechanism through which CBN protects brain cells from damage and death.

 

Maher’s team looked at the process of oxytosis, also called ferroptosis, which is thought to occur in the aging brain. Growing evidence suggests that oxytosis may be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Oxytosis can be triggered by the gradual loss of an antioxidant called glutathione, causing neural cell damage and death via lipid oxidation. In the study, the scientists treated nerve cells with CBN, and then introduced an agent to stimulate oxidative damage.

 

They further found that the CBN worked by protecting mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouses, within the neurons. In damaged cells, oxidation caused the mitochondria to curl up like donuts—a change that’s also been seen in aging cells taken from the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Treating cells with CBN prevented the mitochondria from curling up and kept them functioning well.  

 

To confirm the interaction between CBN and mitochondria, researchers then replicated the experiment in nerve cells that had the mitochondria removed. In these cells, CBN no longer demonstrated its protective effect.

 

“We were able to directly show that maintenance of mitochondrial function was specifically required for the protective effects of the compound,” Maher said.

 

In another key finding, researchers showed that CBN did not activate cannabinoid receptors, which are required for cannabinoids to produce a psychoactive response. Thus, CBN therapeutics would work without causing the individual to become “high.”

 

“CBN is not a controlled substance like THC, the psychotropic compound in cannabis, and evidence has shown that CBN is safe in animals and humans. And because CBN works independently of cannabinoid receptors, CBN could also work in a wide variety of cells with ample therapeutic potential,” says first author Zhibin Liang, a postdoctoral fellow in the Maher lab.  

 

In addition to Alzheimer’s, the findings have implications for other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s, which is also linked to glutathione loss. “Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in changes in various tissues, not just in the brain and aging, so the fact that this compound is able to maintain mitochondrial function suggests it could have more benefits beyond the context of Alzheimer’s disease,” Maher said.

 

Maher adds that the study shows the need for further research into CBN and other lesser-studied cannabinoids. As a next step, Maher’s team is working to see if they can reproduce their results in a preclinical mouse model.

 

Supplements may promote healthy aging

 Emerging research indicates that nutritional components that target specific mechanisms associated with age-associated cellular decline (AACD) hold promise for improving the health and well-being of adults.

“Cellular Nutrition and Its Influence on Age-Associated Cellular Decline,” the latest issue of The Gerontological Society of America’s What’s Hot newsletter with accompanying infographic, provides an overview of current research regarding evidence regarding the influence of nutritional components on health and aging.

“Declining mitochondrial health is increasingly being recognized as a common mediator of declining function and development of chronic diseases associated with aging,” noted Nathan K. LeBrasseur, PT, PhD, FGSA, a member of the newsletter’s content development faculty who is professor and co-chair of research at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at the Mayo Clinic. “This report describes contributions of mitochondria to cellular functions and homeostasis and reviews emerging evidence regarding how nutritional components can influence these functions.”

Mitochondria are commonly known as the powerhouses of cells and are responsible for the production of cellular energy. They also regulate cellular metabolism, apoptosis (programmed cell death), signaling by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are highly reactive molecules derived from oxygen that are key to many biochemical reactions; however, when present in excess, they can result in molecular damage. Mitochondria also have their own DNA (mtDNA) that encode for 13 proteins that are components of the respiratory chain and can develop mutations as a result of oxidative stress.

Declines in mitochondrial function and metabolism are among the key components of AACD. Evidence suggests that changes associated with AACD act as triggers for age-associated diseases and conditions.

“Because abnormalities in the function of mitochondria are associated with many diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, drivers of mitochondrial dysfunction are promising targets for addressing multiple age-related conditions,” said Roger A. Fielding, PhD, FGSA, a member of the newsletter’s content development faculty who is associate director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging and professor of medicine at the Tufts University School of Medicine.

Adoption of healthful eating patterns and exercise has been shown to improve markers of age-associated diseases and attenuate biological aging.

“Calorie restriction appears to improve markers of disease risk in humans, but its acceptability and feasibility particularly over the long term remains a challenge,” said LeBrasseur. “Dietary supplementation with nutritional components that target specific mechanisms associated with AACD may be an alternative or complementary approach to lifestyle interventions targeting AACD.”

Further, identifying AACD risk factors and intervening with cellular nutrients earlier in the aging process, before major mobility disabilities and disease-driven limitations emerge, could help improve overall healthy aging.

Emerging research indicates that some nutritional compounds can support healthy aging by influencing mitochondrial repair and preservation, quality control, and signaling. Examples of emerging compounds that have been shown to address mitochondrial damage and clinical disease states include SS peptides, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), MitoQ, and glycine and N-acetylcysteine (GlyNAC). Compounds that may address mitochondrial quality control include sirtuins, mitochondrial division inhibitor (mdivi), urolithin A, and epicatechin. Finally, nutritional compounds that have been shown to address mitochondrial signaling include nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide. Dietary supplementation with these components may be an alternative approach to lifestyle interventions targeting AACD, although more research is needed before making definitive recommendations.

Fat injections could treat common cause of foot pain

 A novel technique that transplants a patient’s own fat into the sole of their foot could offer relief to those suffering from a common and painful condition called plantar fasciitis, according to University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers. 

In a pilot study, published today in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and led by a wife-and-husband team, the fat injection procedure improved symptoms of plantar fasciitis in patients, laying the groundwork for a larger clinical trial.  

“We developed this procedure to harness the regenerative properties of fat,” said Jeffrey Gusenoff, M.D., professor of plastic surgery at Pitt. “In this proof-of-concept study, we showed that fat injections into the foot reduced heel pain, helped patients get back to doing sports and activities and boosted quality of life.” 

Plantar fasciitis, or PF, is one of the most common causes of heel pain, affecting about 2 million people in the United States. It’s caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, connective tissue that runs from the heel to the toes and supports the foot arch. 

"Plantar fasciitis is exceptionally painful,” said Beth Gusenoff, D.P.M., clinical assistant professor of plastic surgery at Pitt. “When you get up from a sitting position or from sleeping, it’s a sharp, searing pain that some people describe as being like a nail going right through their heel.” 

The acute form of PF can be treated with stretching, shoe orthotics or cortisone injections. But about 10% of patients progress to the chronic form in which the foot’s collagen degenerates and the plantar fascia thickens. For these patients, surgical release of the plantar fascia with a small cut can help, but this surgery comes with risks, according to Beth Gusenoff.  

“Recently, there has been a plea among podiatrists to stop cutting the plantar fascia because some people get a lot of scar tissue, which causes pain,” she explained. “And if too much is cut, the foot can become destabilized, so people end up with almost like a floppy foot.” 

Inspired by the regenerative properties of fat stem cells, the Gusenoffs developed a technique that uses fat harvested from a patient’s belly or other body area. 

“In fat, there are stem cells and growth factors that help bring in fresh blood supply, which drives a mode of wound healing with reduced scarring,” explained Jeffrey Gusenoff. “We use a blunt needle to perforate the plantar fascia, which makes a small injury to stimulate the healing process. Then, when we pull the needle back, we inject a little bit of the patient’s fat.” 

To test this method, the team recruited 14 patients with chronic PF and split them into two groups. Group 1 participants received the procedure at the beginning of the study and were followed for 12 months, and their Group 2 counterparts received the procedure after a six-month observation period and were followed for an additional six months. 

“We found that Group 1 had improvements in quality of life and sports activity, decreased plantar fascia thickness and reduced pain levels,” said Jeffrey Gusenoff. “And a lot of the measures that were improving six months after the procedure got even better by 12 months.” 

Similarly, Group 2 showed decreased plantar fascia thickness and increased sports activity six months after the procedure, and there was a slight, but not statistically significant, improvement in pain levels. With a larger sample size and a longer follow-up time, the researchers said it’s likely they would have seen stronger improvements in this group. 

According to the Gusenoffs, this study provides proof-of-concept that fat injections can treat PF, and they now are planning a larger clinical trial to validate these findings. With enough evidence, they hope that the procedure will be deemed a medical necessity so that it can be covered by insurance and become more widely available in the future.  

In previous work, the Gusenoffs showed that fat injections can help solve another type of foot pain caused by loss of the fat pads that cushion the ball of the foot and heel.  

Eating watermelon regularly may help promote health

 Watermelon is a unique fruit with compounds that may have health effects throughout the body, supporting normal cardiovascular and metabolic health. According to a new comprehensive review of the scientific literature on watermelon, eating watermelon regularly may help promote health. This research paper, authored by Britt Burton-Freeman, Ph.D., and colleagues from Illinois Institute of Technology was recently published in the journal Current Atherosclerosis Reports.

“Research is unveiling the health-promoting potential of watermelon. The current literature review provides evidence that watermelon intake and citrulline supplementation lower blood pressure in human trials. Although more research is needed, favorable effects on lipids/lipoprotein metabolism are emerging based on the data we reviewed and reported in preclinical models,” said lead author Burton-Freeman. 

According to the research, watermelon contains essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids. It also contains the amino acids citrulline and arginine, which both act as a precursor to nitric oxide, a molecule that plays a role in blood pressure regulation, lipid reduction and glucose control. Polyphenols and carotenoids, particularly lycopene, are also abundant in watermelon. The nitric oxide benefits of citrulline and arginine coupled with the bioactivity of polyphenols and carotenoids found in watermelon suggests that this fruit may support normal cardio-metabolic health. 

Burton-Freeman and colleagues reviewed the preclinical and clinical trial evidence published from 2000 to 2020 to assess watermelon intake and citrulline (a signature compound found in watermelon) on cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes, and to identify future directions important for establishing dietary guidance and recommendations. They explored studies related to the whole fruit as well as citrulline supplementation, focusing on key cardio-metabolic risk factors. More research is needed to confirm findings of the studies identified in this literature review.

The investigators concluded that watermelon provides a combination of nutrients and phytochemicals working across multiple mechanisms to induce biological effects. Citrulline and arginine are central to these cardio-metabolic effects, and polyphenols, lycopene, potassium and magnesium contribute as well.  

Continued research is needed to determine the level of sufficient intake for clinical outcomes and will also need to be studied in a variety of populations. Research on the whole fruit and its products (i.e., juice) is also needed to help determine the level of sufficient intake. The research identified additional potential benefits from watermelon consumption that warrant further research, such as body weight control (possibly through satiety mechanisms), glucose control, and brain and gut health. 

Low fruit intake is one of three dietary factors associated with death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM), as are high salt intake and low whole-grain intake. These dietary factors affect people regardless of age, sex and other socio-demographic variables.1 Recent research also shows that eating a variety of fruit helps reduce the risk of T2DM2, while the amount of fruit and the type of fruit selected provide cardiovascular benefits3. 

Low body weight = higher mortality risk for excessive drinkers

While research has long shown a higher risk of death linked to alcoholism for people with overweight, a new study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence has found that people with underweight who drink excessively may be at an even higher risk of dying from heart disease, cancer and other causes.

The study was based on data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which has a nationally representative sample of more than 200,000 U.S. adults aged 35-85, interviewed between Jan. 1, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2011. The researchers analyzed data on mortality risk among drinkers and non-drinkers using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) categories to define "underweight," "normal weight," "overweight" and "obesity."

"The NHIS is like a 'selfie' for the U.S. because it is a snapshot of health behaviors of people from every type of background," said Muntasir Masum, postdoctoral scholar at the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State. "We expected to see a link between obesity and mortality related to alcoholism, and we were surprised to see that the link was especially pronounced for people with underweight who drink excessively."

The CDC defines underweight as having a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 using the calculation of person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. According to the CDC, BMI is a screening tool, but it does not diagnose "body fatness or the health of an individual."

Further research is needed into how having underweight could contribute to mortality in people who drink excessively. Masum suggested that multiple factors could be at play, such as how people handle stress and whether they have co-occurring health issues or nutritional deficiencies.

"I hope these findings encourage people to eliminate risks that may lead to a life-or-death situation,” said Masum.

Excessive alcohol use is the third most common cause of preventable death in the U.S. and is estimated to cause 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults in the U.S., according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Fewer breakthrough COVID-19 infections, lower risk of hospitalization in those who received Moderna vaccine

 NEWS RELEASE 20-JAN-2022

 compared to Pfizer–BioNTech

A new study by researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine finds those who received the Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccine are less likely to experience “breakthrough” COVID-19 cases, compared to recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine.

A vaccine breakthrough infection occurs when a person becomes infected after being fully vaccinated (receiving two doses of the mRNA vaccine), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The research—which also found those who received the Moderna vaccine were less likely to be hospitalized, compared to recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine—was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study examines breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections, hospitalizations and death rates when the Delta variant was predominant.

Rong Xu, professor of bioinfomatics and director of the Center for AI in Drug Discovery at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and study author, said the study analyzed electronic health records of more than 637,000 fully vaccinated patients from 63 healthcare organizations across the United States, covering diverse geographic, age, races and ethnicities, income levels and insurance groups.

“Breakthrough COVID infections, hospitalization and mortality associated with the Delta variant were compared between recipients of Moderna mRNA vaccine and recipient of Pfizer mRNA vaccine while considering patient characteristics and the varying time since vaccination,” Xu said.

Data included COVID-19 breakthrough infections that occurred between July and November 2021, when Delta accounted for almost all cases. Incidents of breakthrough infections were included if the person had not been previously infected with COVID-19 or had received a booster vaccination. The team considered demographics, social determinants of health, transplants and comorbidities. Hospitalization rates of patients within 60 days after COVID-19 infection were also compared.

The findings show that the monthly incidence rate of breakthrough cases was higher in those who received the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine, compared to the Moderna vaccine. For example, the data showed 2.8 breakthrough cases in those vaccinated with Pfizer–BioNTech, compared to 1.6 cases per 1,000 people in November 2021. The 60-day hospitalization rate was 12.7% for Moderna recipients and 13.3% for Pfizer–BioNTech recipients.

No significant difference was observed in mortality rates between those who received the Moderna vaccine and Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine.

“Although there is a difference in breakthrough infections, both vaccines are highly protective against SARS-COV2 infection and especially against the most severe consequences of infection,” said Pamela B. Davis, the Arline and Curtis Garvin Research Professor in the Center for Community Health Integration and a coauthor of the study.  “Further studies are required to assess the results of booster doses and also the protection afforded especially vulnerable populations by vaccines.”

Three doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are very effective

 in protecting against emergency department visits and hospitalizations associated with Omicron and Delta variations of the virus

 A nationwide study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that mRNA booster shots (either Pfizer or Moderna) are 82 percent effective in protecting against COVID-19 Omicron variant-associated emergency department (ED) visits and 90 percent effective in protecting against COVID-19 Omicron variant-related hospitalizations.

The value of the third dose of an mRNA vaccine is significant as two doses were only 38 percent effective in protecting against Omicron-related ED visits and only 57 percent effective in protecting against COVID-19 Omicron variant-related hospitalizations.

Boosters were even more effective against the Delta variant of COVID-19, protecting against 94 percent of both COVID-19 Delta variant associated ED visits and hospitalizations.

“Our findings provide important evidence that  booster shots are highly effective  and those who are unvaccinated are at significantly greater risk of experiencing more severe COVID-19 outcomes and should get vaccinated and boostered as soon as possible” said study co-author Shaun Grannis, M.D., M.S., vice president for data and analytics at Regenstrief Institute and professor of family medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. “As we look at the high positivity rates across the nation, there is a silver lining. We have yet more evidence that vaccines and boosters offer protection against severe disease, including Omicron-related illness.”

“Effectiveness of a Third Dose of mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19–Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults During Periods of Delta and Omicron Variant Predominance — VISION Network, 10 States, August 2021–January 2022” is published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collaborated with six U.S. healthcare systems plus the Regenstrief Institute, to create the VISION network to assess COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness.  In addition to Regenstrief Institute, other members are Columbia University Irving Medical Center, HealthPartners, Intermountain Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Kaiser Permanente Northwest and University of Colorado. Regenstrief contributes data and expertise to the VISION Network.

Latest Health Research

Diet

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Mediterranean diet associated with a lower risk of mortality in older adults

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Coffee consumption can stimulate digestion

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Chewing to stay slim: How to savor your food better and dodge weight gain

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Green tea, walnuts and less red and processed meat consumption = less brain atrophy

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Higher olive oil intake associated with lower risk of CVD mortality

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Sustainable diet leads to fewer blood clots in the brain

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Benefits and risks of coffee consumption

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How omega-3 fatty acids can reduce atherosclerosis

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Good and bad foods for memory - not new research but well worth a read

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Aging

Walking may reduce Type 2 Diabetes risk for adults 65 and older

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Dementia: how to prevent cognitive decline

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Cognitive decline not always a sign of Alzheimer’s disease

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Keeping active through varied activities can reduce risk of developing dementia

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COVID 

Placebo effect accounts for more than two-thirds of COVID-19 vaccine adverse events

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COVID-19 vaccines offer lasting protection

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Flu shots, measles vaccines could also help "flatten the curve" for COVID-19

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COVID-19 Cases And Deaths by Vaccination Status

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FDA Authorizes First Oral Antiviral for Treatment of COVID-19

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Exercise

Can individuals’ walking pace impact their heart failure risk?

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Walking may reduce Type 2 Diabetes risk for adults 65 and older

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The different effects of morning and evening exercise

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Exercise alters brain chemistry to protect aging synapses

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Supplements

Taking high-dose vitamin D supplements for five years did not affect the incidence of cardiovascular disease or cancer

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General Health

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Breastfeeding reduces mothers’ cardiovascular disease risk

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Factors at midlife associated with decline in women’s health years later

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Cardiovascular risks may be worse for thinking, memory skills in middle-aged womeb

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Intense meditation brings robust immune system activation

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Lower risk of breast cancer with more sun exposure

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No convincing scientific evidence that hangover cures work,

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New Study: Medicinal Cannabis Oil Found Effective for Treating Autism

Researchers at Tel Aviv University, led by Ph.D. student Shani Poleg and Prof. Daniel Offen of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Felsenstein Medical Research Center and Sagol School of Neuroscience, have successfully treated autism in animal models with medical cannabis oil. The researchers found that this treatment improves both behavioral and biochemical parameters of autism. The results of the surprising study were published in *Translational Psychology *published by Nature. “The usual process for testing new medications involves research in petri dishes, followed by animal m... read more

Cannabis may contain heavy metals and affect consumer health

Cannabis plants -- which are used to produce industrial hemp, medical marijuana and cannabidiol (CBD) oil, among other products -- have an inherent ability to absorb heavy metals from the soil, making them useful for remediating contaminated sites. But this ability to soak up toxic metals may also make cannabis dangerous for consumers who ingest it. A new meta-analysis, led by researchers at Penn State, examines the ability of cannabis plants to absorb heavy metals and discusses the resulting health impacts on consumers. The team proposes a blueprint of strategies for growers to ... read more

High blood pressure treatment in pregnancy is safe, prevents maternal heart risks

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Common sleep disorder combo could be deadly

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Chemicals from hair and beauty products impact hormones, especially during pregnancy

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Latest Health Research