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Another experimental drug meant to slow the damage of Alzheimer’s appears poised to join a growing arsenal of new treatments for this memory-robbing disease. In research published online Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association and presented simultaneously at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam, the drug donanemab slowed memory and thinking declines in early symptomatic Alzheimer’s patients by more than one-third. About 47% of those taking the medication had no decline on a key measure of thinking over a year, compared to 29% of patients on a placebo. “If approved, we believe donanemab can provide clinically meaningful benefits for people with this disease and the possibility of completing their course of treatment as early as 6 months once their amyloid plaque is cleared,” Anne White, executive vice president of Eli Lilly and president of Lilly Neuroscience, said in a company news release. “We must continue to remove any barriers in access to amyloid-targeting therapies and diagnostics in an already complex healthcare ecosystem for Alzheimer’s disease.” The company added that it has already completed an application for traditional approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “People living with early, symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease are still working, enjoying trips, sharing quality time with family — they want to feel like themselves, for longer,” Dr. Mark Mintun, group vice president of neuroscience research &… read on > read on >

The national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has hit its one-year anniversary, and it appears that the public is increasingly turning to the number in times of darkness. The most recent statistics show a substantial increase in call volume, with nearly 160,000 more crisis calls, chats and texts in May 2023 compared to May 2022 — two months before 988’s activation on July 16. Compared to a year before, calls answered in May increased by 45%; chats answered increased by 52%; and texts answered increased by 938%, according to 988 performance stats monitored by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Overall, 988 operators have answered more than 2.3 million calls and nearly 600,000 texts in the past year, Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, said in a council news release. “It was a great idea to begin with and has delivered a lot of its promise already,” said Dr. Petros Levounis, president of the American Psychiatric Association. “More and more people know about 988, and what’s truly great about it is when you call 988, you get a human being to talk with you, not a robot but a trained person who knows how to deal with crisis.” But experts say more progress needs to be made for 988 to reach its full potential. Most Americans… read on > read on >

If your child has ever taken a knock to the head on the playing field, a new study has some reassuring news: There’s no evidence that a concussion shaves points from a kid’s IQ. Researchers found that compared with children and teens who’d suffered broken bones or sprained ankles, those with a recent concussion did just as well on IQ tests up to three months after the head injury. The study — published July 17 in Pediatrics — should ease the worries of many parents, as well as young people who’ve taken a knock to the head in sports, play or accidents. They often ask whether the injury will dull their mental sharpness, noted lead researcher Ashley Ware, an assistant professor of psychology at Georgia State University. “This study is good news,” she said. Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury, occurring when the brain gets jostled around in the skull. That can cause various immediate symptoms, such as headache, confusion, dizziness and a general sense of feeling unwell. It’s well known that more severe brain trauma can harm kids’ long-term intellectual functioning, but studies have come to mixed conclusions when it comes to concussions. Those studies, however, have been hampered by various shortcomings, Ware said. Many have been small, or compared concussed kids with peers who were perfectly healthy. That’s an issue because… read on > read on >

A new study from Australia tied some dangerous and unsettling issues to sleep disorders in young people. The research found links to daytime drowsiness, mental health issues and motor vehicle accidents and noted that as many as 20% of younger people are affected by sleep disorders. Workplace productivity losses were up to 40% greater among 22-year-olds with clinical sleep disorders compared to their peers with no sleep disorders. “This is equivalent to total workplace productivity loss [followed up on multiple occasions across 12 months] of about four weeks for young people with clinically significant sleep disorders, compared with less than one week for those without,” said study leader Amy Reynolds, an associate professor in clinical sleep health at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. The study drew on 554 22-year-old workers who were part of the multigenerational Raine Study, examining lifelong health and quality of life in Western Australia. “The Raine study previously showed that about 20% of the young adults surveyed had a common clinical sleep disorder. … We wanted to know how much of an impact these disorders have on workers in their workplaces,” Reynolds said in a university news release. “The take-home message is just how prevalent sleep disorders are in young adults, and that these disorders are having an impact on our young adults and their workplaces,” she said. That changes across… read on > read on >

Using skin lightening products can be dangerous without a doctor’s supervision because they may contain harmful ingredients. Still, nearly a quarter of people in a recent survey said they used the products not for a medical issue, but for overall skin lightening. It’s an issue that relates back to colorism, the system of inequality that considers lighter skin more beautiful, researchers say. “The most surprising finding was the lack of awareness of ingredients in products being purchased over the counter and their potential detrimental effects,” said lead investigator Dr. Roopal Kundu, a professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “These products are bought from chain grocery stores, community-based stores or even online and do not undergo the same type of regulation as large-chain store or prescription products,” she said in a university news release. While doctors prescribe lighteners for some skin conditions, including melasma, many people who use these products do not consult a medical provider before use, said Kundu, who is also founder and director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Ethnic Skin and Hair in Chicago. Research has shown these products are often contaminated with other things such as steroids and mercury that could be toxic to the skin. To study what was happening with skin lighteners, researchers sent an anonymous 19-question survey to individuals of color in the United… read on > read on >

It’s commonly thought that having a companion animal — be it a dog, cat or bird — is good for the owner’s mental health. A new study suggests that’s not so, at least for people with severe mental illness and for pets that aren’t trained therapy animals. Pets may, however, be an important part of the social network for folks with severe mental illness. Having pets was not significantly associated with the well-being, depression, anxiety or loneliness scores for owners with a range of severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and psychosis, according to the study published July 14 in the journal Human-Animal Interactions. This research followed up on a 2021 survey, in which researchers found a self-reported decline in mental health with animal ownership. This may have been due to pandemic restrictions and the challenges of looking after the animal in lockdown. “In the absence of COVID-19 restrictions, a possible explanation for our current findings could be that the added responsibility of animal ownership may still exacerbate other potential stressors experienced by people living with severe mental illness. This includes the cost of food, veterinary bills and uncertainty over housing,” lead author Dr. Emily Shoesmith, a research fellow at the University of York in the United Kingdom, said in a journal news release. “Our findings may also imply that animal ownership and the… read on > read on >

The color of the oceans has changed over the past two decades, which has scientists concerned about the impact of climate change. “I’ve been running simulations that have been telling me for years that these changes in ocean color are going to happen,” said study co-author Stephanie Dutkiewicz, senior research scientist in Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. “To actually see it happening for real is not surprising, but frightening. And these changes are consistent with man-induced changes to our climate,” Dutkiewicz added in a school news release. Though subtle to the human eye, these color changes have happened over 56% of the world’s oceans — an expanse that is larger than the total land area on Earth, the researchers said. Tropical ocean regions near the equator have become steadily greener over time. This suggests that ecosystems within the surface ocean must also be changing, the authors said. “This gives additional evidence of how human activities are affecting life on Earth over a huge spatial extent,” said study lead author B.B. Cael of the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, England. While deep blue water reflects very little life, greener waters indicate ecosystems, including plant-like microbes known as phytoplankton that contain the green pigment chlorophyll. The pigment helps plankton harvest sunlight, which they use to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.… read on > read on >

Dermatologist Dr. Caroline Opene is often asked if certain types of sun blocks are better for people with darker skin. Not necessarily, says the director of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Health Skin of Color clinic. “In general, the best sunscreen is the one you put on consistently,” Opene said in a UCLA Health news release. “While I recommend a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher for everyone, there are options: mineral sunscreens made with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide may be better for those with sensitive skin, and young children. Zinc oxide also provides good UVA protection, so I tend to recommend it to those prone to hyperpigmentation,” she added. But these mineral sunscreens can sometimes leave an undesirable white cast on people with darker skin tones, Opene noted. “While chemical sunscreens usually don’t leave a cast, they can be irritating to those with sensitive skin or allergies. So for my patients with darker skin tones, I frequently recommend hybrid sunscreens, with both chemical and mineral filters for protection and improved blendability,” Opene said. Melanin, the dark pigment in skin, provides some protection against the sun’s harmful rays, but not as much as people tend to think, Opene said. “Those with medium to darker skin tones usually develop fewer pre-cancerous growths and have later onset of wrinkles that are due to… read on > read on >

That backyard cookout can be loaded with fat and sugar, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s possible to make some simple swaps and have a meal that’s healthy and delicious, a nutrition expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas says. “If you’re not ready to replace your entire plate with healthy alternatives, you can still cut down on added sugar and fats by blending your favorites with some healthier options,” Lona Sandon, an associate professor in the clinical nutrition department, said in a school news release. Sandon’s suggestions include build-your-own taco salad bowls with plenty of mixed greens, baby spinach and arugula. Offer a mix of toppings, including drained and rinsed canned black beans, diced avocado, black olives, fresh pico de gallo and reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Use corn tortillas instead of a fried shell, Sandon said. For the grill, choose low-fat lean ground beef (90% or higher) and chicken breasts. Offer lettuce leaves, dill pickles, sliced onion, tomato and avocado as toppings. Fill half of your plate with vegetables or fruit, such as mixed berries or fresh-cut watermelon, a treat on a hot day. Sandon offers some other tips for making your favorites a little healthier: Wings: Take the skin off chicken wings, and bake or grill them instead of deep-frying. Consider grilling chicken pieces instead of traditional wings. Use low-fat… read on > read on >

In findings that are likely to fuel the debate over the safety of aspartame, one World Health Organization (WHO) agency announced Thursday that the artificial sweetener is a possible carcinogen while another stood firm in saying that aspartame is safe in recommended doses. “Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. Every year, 1 in 6 people die from cancer. Science is continuously expanding to assess the possible initiating or facilitating factors of cancer, in the hope of reducing these numbers and the human toll,” Dr. Francesco Branca, director of the WHO’s department of nutrition and food safety, said in an agency news release. “The assessments of aspartame have indicated that, while safety is not a major concern at the doses which are commonly used, potential effects have been described that need to be investigated by more and better studies,” Branca added. How much aspartame is unsafe? “The average 150 lb. person would need to consume about 14 12-oz cans of diet beverages or about 74 packets of aspartame-containing tabletop sweetener every day over the course of their life to raise any safety concern,” Calorie Control Council (CCC) president Robert Rankin said in a CCC statement. “Obviously, that level of consumption is not realistic, recommended, nor is it ‎aligned with the intended use of these ingredients.” Several other industry groups issued statements challenging… read on > read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug Slows Thinking Declines in Late-Stage Trial

How Much of a Difference Is 988 Making a Year After Its Launch?

Concussions Won’t Lower Your Kid’s IQ: Study

For Young Workers, Insomnia Cuts Productivity

Skin Lightening Products Carry Dangers, But Many Users Are Unaware of Risks: Study

Pets Don’t Help Those With Severe Mental Illness Fare Better

Ocean Color Is Changing, and Climate Change is Likely Behind It

Summer Skin Care Tips for Those With Darker Skin

Summer Backyard Feasts Don’t Have to be Unhealthy

WHO Agency Declares Aspartame a Possible Carcinogen