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The common hair-loss drug in Propecia and Proscar might lower men’s risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels, a new study suggests. Finasteride is used to treat male pattern baldness, and it’s also been shown effective in treating an enlarged prostate, researchers said in background notes. But men who use finasteride also have substantially lower cholesterol levels, according to data gathered by a federal health survey between 2009 and 2016. “When we looked at the men taking finasteride in the survey, their cholesterol levels averaged 30 points lower than men not taking the drug,” said lead researcher Jaume Amengual, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “I thought we’d see the opposite pattern, so it was very interesting,” Amengual added in a university news release. Researchers then replicated this finding in lab mice. Mice getting high doses of finasteride had lower cholesterol, less hardening of the arteries, reduced liver inflammation and other related health benefits. Finasteride works by blocking a protein found in hair follicles and the prostate gland that activates testosterone, researchers said in background notes. Because heart disease is far more common in men than women, scientists have long suspected that testosterone plays an important role in clogged arteries, researchers said. “It was just my own curiosity, based on the fact that hormone levels are known to have an effect… read on > read on >

Infection with the COVID-19 virus triggers the production of an immune system protein that’s long been associated with fatigue, muscle ache and depression. Trouble is, for folks suffering from Long COVID this protein overproduction does not stop, researchers at the University of Cambridge report. “We have found a potential mechanism underlying Long COVID which could represent a biomarker — that is, a tell-tale signature of the condition. We hope that this could help to pave the way to develop therapies and give some patients a firm diagnosis,” said study co-author Dr. Benjamin Krishna. There was another silver lining from the research: Vaccination against SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, appears to lower production of the culprit protein, called interferon gamma (IFN-γ). “If SARS-CoV-2 continues to persist in people with Long COVID, triggering an IFN-γ response, then vaccination may be helping to clear this,” said Krishna, who works at the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease. According to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 7% of Americans say they have experienced Long COVID. Most cite persistent fatigue as the major symptom, but Long COVID can also bring brain fog, chronic cough and other issues. The exact causes of the illness have remained unclear. In the latest study, Krishna’s team tracked outcomes for 111 COVID patients admitted to… read on > read on >

Burnout: It’s a common enough concept, but how do you know if you’re experiencing it at work and at home? According to experts at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, a myriad of daily pressures placed on individuals can culminate in burnout. “Burnout is not a result of one singular thing,” explained Dr. Eric Storch, vice chair of psychology at Baylor. “Work, familial responsibilities and everyday stressors can all contribute to a sense of depleting motivation.” Storch lists the common signs of burnout: a persistent sense of being mentally overwhelmed and stressed each day little sense of satisfaction at work or in the home, even during moments of success physical tension and difficulties relaxing chronic sleep issues fatigue that doesn’t ease There are ways to help prevent or ease burnout. Having honest conversations about issues is crucial, Storch said. “If you find that you are beginning to show signs of becoming burned out at work, speak with a trusted colleague for their advice or talk to a supervisor about what you both can do to change your work environment into one that allows for a healthier balance between personal and professional responsibilities,” he advised in a Baylor news release. If you believe that someone else is suffering from burnout, reaching out to them in the correct way is key. First off, be clear that… read on > read on >

If all cars and trucks sold in America were “zero emission” by 2040 and the country’s electric grid was also powered by clean energy, nearly 2.8 million child asthma attacks would be prevented annually, a new report finds. The American Lung Association (ALA) report also estimates that with cleaner air, 508 infant lives would also be saved each year. A nationwide shift to clean energy would also result in: almost 2.7 million fewer cases of upper respiratory illnesses in kids annually Almost 1.9 million fewer cases of lower respiratory pediatric illnesses 147,000 fewer cases of bronchitis in kids “Air pollution harms children’s health and well-being today, and the transportation sector is a leading source of air pollution,” said ALA president Harold Wimmer. “Vehicle emissions are also nation’s biggest source of carbon pollution that drives climate change and associated public health harms.” It’s not just about the direct effect of auto exhaust on young lungs, Wimmer stressed. Fossil fuels are also a key driver of climate change, which is having its own effects on child health, he explained. “As families across the country have experienced in recent months, climate change increases air pollution, extreme weather, flooding events, allergens, as well as heat and drought, leading to greater risk of wildfires,” Wimmer said in an ALA news release. “Kids are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate… read on > read on >

Unexpected medical bills and high health care costs are dominating an election where kitchen table economic problems weigh heavily on voter’s minds, a new KFF poll has found. Voters struggling to pay their monthly bills are most eager to hear presidential candidates talk about economic and health care issues, according to the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll. Nearly three in four adults are worried about being able to afford unexpected medical bills (74%) and the cost of health care services (73%), the poll found. More than half also said the same about paying for prescription drugs (55%), as well as other everyday expenses like gas, utilities, food and housing. About half of voters (48%) said health care costs are a major reason for their negative views of the economy, and heath care worries top the list, regardless of partisanship. Overall, two-thirds of voters (67%) view the economy negatively, but Republican voters are more than twice as likely as Democratic voters to hold such negative views, the poll found. The poll also found that one in five adults (19%) have trouble affording their monthly bills, and another four in 10 (37%) can just afford their monthly bills. Those groups had very different views than those who said they can pay their bills with money left over. They are more likely to view the national economy negatively,… read on > read on >

Mercury levels in tuna haven’t changed since 1971, despite efforts to reduce emissions of the toxic metal into the environment, researchers report. Their analysis of nearly 3,000 tuna samples caught in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans between 1971 and 2022 revealed stable mercury concentrations in tuna during those five decades. The research team specifically looked at the tropical tuna species of skipjack, bigeye and yellowfin, which account for 94% of global tuna catches. Environmental policies have helped reduce mercury pollution from human activities like burning coal and mining, researchers said. Over the same five-decade period, airborne mercury pollution decreased globally, researchers noted. The unchanging mercury levels in tuna might be caused by “legacy” mercury rising up from deeper regions of ocean water, mixing in with the shallower depths where tropical tuna swim and feed. This legacy mercury could have been emitted years or even decades earlier, so it wouldn’t reflect efforts to clear airborne mercury emissions, speculated the research team led by marine ecologist Anne Lorrain, director of research at IRD Quest in France. Methylmercury is a particularly toxic chemical that affects the nervous system, and is the primary form of mercury in tuna contamination, researchers said. Unborn babies and young children are at highest risk of harm from exposure. The mathematical models used by the researchers tested three progressively more restrictive environmental policies… read on > read on >

A ban on menthol cigarettes would likely lead to a meaningful reduction in smoking rates, a new review argues. Almost a quarter of menthol smokers quit smoking altogether after menthol cigarettes were banned in their country or community, researchers report Feb. 21 in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research. “This review provides compelling evidence for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes,” said lead researcher Sarah Mills, an assistant professor of health behavior at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. In December, the White House in December announced that it would postpone until March a ban on menthol cigarettes that has been in the works for years. “Our review of the evidence suggests this delay is causing harm to the health of the public, especially among Black communities,” Mills said in a journal news release. Menthol cigarettes have been targeted by public health officials because studies show the cooling effects of menthol masks the harshness of tobacco, making it easier for young people to start smoking. For this study, researchers conducted an evidence review, pooling data from studies that have examined the effects of menthol cigarette bans. More than 170 U.S. cities, two U.S. states, the European Union and several other countries have already banned the sale of menthol cigarettes, researchers said. About 50% of menthol smokers switched to non-menthol cigarettes… read on > read on >

A person’s diet can influence their risk of obstructive sleep apnea, a new study says. Those who eat a healthy plant-based diet rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains and nuts are less likely to suffer sleep apnea, according to findings published Feb. 20 in the journal ERJ Open Research. On the other hand, people who eat more meat or indulge in unhealthy vegetarian diets high in sugar, carbs and salt are more at risk for sleep apnea. “These results highlight the importance of the quality of our diet in managing the risk of OSA [obstructive sleep apnea],” said lead researcher Yohannes Melaku, from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. People with sleep apnea often snore loudly and their breathing starts and stops during the night, causing regular brief wakefulness, researchers explained in background notes. Sleep apnea can increase a person’s risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, researchers said. For this study, the team analyzed responses from more than 14,000 participants in a regular U.S. survey on health and nutrition. This is the first large-scale analysis investigating the link between diet and sleep apnea, Melaku said. “There’s a gap in our knowledge of how overall dietary patterns affect OSA risk,” Melaku said in a journal news release. “With this study, we wanted to address that gap and explore the association between… read on > read on >

A popular asthma inhaler was discontinued on Jan. 1, and the business move has left families scrambling to find a replacement for their kids. Flovent was one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for childhood asthma, but maker GSK took it off shelves to replace it with a generic version, fluticasone. The problem is that many insurance companies haven’t added fluticasone to their list of covered medications, CNN reported. Parents and doctors are now being required to fill out paperwork to get fluticasone, even though it’s the same drug kids have been using for years. In some cases, insurers are requiring patients to show they’ve tried other asthma drugs already on their approved list — and that those drugs haven’t worked — before approving fluticasone, CNN reported. “The discontinuation of Flovent has been an unmitigated disaster,” Dr. Christopher Oermann, a pediatric pulmonologist and director of the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Pulmonary at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, told CNN. Flovent contains a corticosteroid that reduces airway inflammation. Patients use the inhaler twice a day. The family of Bryce Cohen, a 4-year-old asthma patient in New York City, relied on Flovent to keep him out of the hospital during asthma flares. But his family hasn’t been able to get fluticasone over the past month. “This is a really big issue, and it’s scary to think that… read on > read on >

Postmenopausal or peri-menopausal women are often hampered by vaginal dryness, which can put the brakes on a healthy sex life. It doesn’t have to stay that way, experts advised. Numerous products are available to help maintain vaginal lubrication. “After and around the time of menopause, your body makes less estrogen,” Dr. Cynthia Abraham explained in a column from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “Estrogen is a hormone that helps maintain the vagina’s lubrication, elasticity and thickness,” said Abraham, an ob/gyn at Mount Sinai in New York City. “Low levels of estrogen can cause thinning, drying and inflammation of vaginal walls. This is called vaginal atrophy.” Dryness can also affect the external tissues of the vulva, Abraham noted. “Women with vulvar dryness often notice irritation when they’re putting on their underwear,” she said. According to Abraham, it’s also common for women to develop the condition in the years that precede menopause. “Often, my patients notice symptoms when they haven’t been sexually active for a long time,” Abraham said. “Then they are intimate with a partner and find that sex is painful.” What to do Luckily, there are numerous products to choose from to help lubricate the vagina. According to Abraham and the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Shannon Laughlin-Tommaso, these include: Vaginal mosturizers. These include (among others) brands such as K-Y Liquibeads and Replens, Laughlin-Tommaso said… read on > read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Could Hair Loss Drug Finasteride Help Men’s Hearts?

Scientists May Have Spotted a Key to Long COVID

Recognize the Signs of Burnout in Yourself and Others

Move to Electric Vehicles Could Prevent Millions of Child Asthma Attacks Each Year

This Election Year, Health Care Costs Top Voter Concerns: Poll

Mercury Levels in Tuna Haven’t Budged Since 1971

Menthols Ban Would Slash U.S. Smoking Rates: Study

Cutting Out Meat Might Help Prevent Snoring: Study

Parents Scrambling After Asthma Inhaler Flovent Removed From Market

Treating Vaginal Dryness Around and After Menopause