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A bunch of healthy fruits and vegetables could be just what the doctor ordered. Nonprofit groups and public health agencies have experimented with the idea of a produce prescription over the years. Now, a new study simulates what would happen if patients with diabetes and diet-related conditions were given free or discounted produce and nutrition education nationwide. The researchers, from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston, report it could have significant health benefits and save billions of dollars in health care costs. “Of the strategies that can improve American’s nutrition and diet-related health outcomes, evidence continues to build that produce prescriptions are a terrific option,” said senior author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of nutrition, who is also launching an initiative dubbed Food is Medicine. “These innovative treatments are exciting because they can not only improve health and reduce health care spending, but also reduce disparities by reaching those patients who are most in need,” he said in a university news release. The simulation predicted both clinical and financial benefits from making fruits and vegetables more accessible to food-insecure diabetic patients, including a savings of at least $40 billion in medical bills because of nationwide reductions in heart disease. Typically, produce prescription programs allow a patient with a diet-related health condition to get vouchers or electronic… read on > read on >

The cleanup of industrial chemicals following a freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, early this year released high levels of some dangerous gases, including acrolein, investigators say. The Norfolk Southern freight train was carrying numerous hazardous chemicals. To avoid a catastrophic explosion after the Feb. 3 derailment, authorities opted for a controlled release of gases, and they also burned the train cars’ contents, which included toxic vinyl chloride. But residents were worried about their health and environmental hazards, so researchers have been assessing the local air. Using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data, a team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and Texas A&M University determined that nine of 50 gases reached levels above their baseline, especially acrolein, a respiratory irritant. Researchers noted that if these nine compounds remained at those levels, breathing the air could pose health risks. However, the amounts of many pollutants decreased significantly as the month wore on. Vinyl chloride, for example, declined to concentrations below long-term limits of health concern. The researchers assessed the local air quality with stationary and mobile sampling methods, and reported their findings July 12 in the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science & Technology Letters. The team, which included Albert Presto, a research professor from Carnegie Mellon, used air-quality monitoring data from two EPA stations at fixed locations. They also drove a cargo van… read on > read on >

A targeted treatment has had unprecedented success in shrinking a rare brain tumor, according to clinical trial results. These tumors are papillary craniopharyngiomas (PCPs), and the drug combo is called vemurafenib/cobimetinib. Each of 15 patients who received one or more cycles of targeted therapy responded to treatment, with an average 91% reduction in tumor size, Mass General Cancer Center researchers reported. PCPs can cause substantial health problems. They are typically treated with surgery and radiation, but incomplete removal of the tumor and toxicity from radiation can leave patients with lifelong health challenges after treatment. This can include neuroendocrine dysfunction, as well as vision or memory loss. “All patients who completed one or more cycles of therapy responded to treatment, which is the highest response rate to date of any medical therapy for brain tumors,” said study co-author Dr. Priscilla Brastianos, director of the cancer center’s Central Nervous System Metastasis Center. “These unprecedented results signal a paradigm shift for targeting brain tumors because they show that, with the right target and the right drugs, precision medicine can have a dramatic impact on brain tumors,” Brastianos added in a hospital news release. This was the first multicenter treatment protocol in this rare tumor, according to Mass General Cancer Center, which led the study. The findings were based on laboratory discoveries by researchers who studied the genetic drivers… read on > read on >

U.S. federal officials took a big step toward protecting children from a contaminant blamed for irreversible health effects, proposing tougher standards for removing lead-based paint in pre-1978 buildings and child care facilities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the proposed new standards Wednesday at an event in Newark, N.J. If finalized, the new rules would protect up to 500,000 children under age 6 from lead exposure each year. The proposed standards would apply to homes and child-care facilities. “The Biden-Harris Administration is taking a whole-of-government approach to ensuring that the most vulnerable among us — our children — are protected from exposure to lead,” EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe said in an agency news release. “This proposal to safely remove lead paint along with our other efforts to deliver clean drinking water and replace lead pipes will go a long way toward protecting the health of our next generation of leaders.” The plan is aligned with the EPA’s aim to address racial, ethnic and economic disparities in lead exposure. Lead-based paint is more likely to be found in lower-income areas, putting communities of color at greater risk. Racial segregation in housing over the years, called redlining, is part of this. Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, noted there is no safe level of lead. “Even low levels… read on > read on >

The centuries-old practice of mindfulness is having a moment in present times, and a new study finds the therapy can improve mental health for at least six months. Analyzing the results of 13 prior studies, U.K. researchers concluded that in-person, teacher-led mindfulness courses were tied to reduced stress and anxiety. Mindfulness “was the seventh step of the Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism many thousands of years ago. And lots of different cultures have used different variations of this,” said Dr. Yvette Sheline, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral research at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. There are many cited benefits of mindfulness, which is defined by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center as “maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.” Mindfulness training is offered in over 600 companies globally, and 79% of U.S. medical schools, according to background notes with the new study. And it’s estimated that at least 5% of U.S. adults have practiced mindfulness. “Although there has been previous research on the topic, this is the largest and most reliable study so far confirming that these courses work for the average person,” said study co-author Julieta Galante, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Cambridge, in England. For the study, Cambridge researchers pooled and analyzed data from 2,371 adults who participated… read on > read on >

Water fasting has become one of the trendiest new weight-loss sensations, touted by former athletes and wellness gurus. But whatever weight is lost during a water fast can come back quickly, while other health benefits fade fast, according to a new review of the available scientific evidence. “I personally wouldn’t really recommend this diet,” said senior researcher Krista Varady, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “I know it’s become popular for some reason, kind of out of nowhere, over the past year or so. But even if people maintain the weight loss, all the health benefits go away.” Water fasting involves taking in nothing but water for at least five to 20 days, and sometimes even longer, researchers said in background notes. Some supervised water fasts allow 250 calories a day, “a little bit of juice at breakfast and a really small amount of soup at lunch,” Varady said. Last month, former Seattle Seahawks lineman Russell Okung announced on Twitter that he had lost more than 100 pounds by taking in nothing but water for 40 days. “I fasted for 40 days with nothing but water. Yes, you read right!” Okung tweeted. “The experience was so rich and rewarding that I’m going to do it again…” And Australian wellness coach Kristine Crouch says a 25-day water fast cleared up her… read on > read on >

Pickleball is a hot trend and it’s getting folks exercising who haven’t been so active in a long time. It’s also racking up injuries — both overuse type and acute traumas — often in those aged 50 and up. A new poll suggests these players are forgoing care when they hurt their knees, wrists and rotator cuffs. Sports medicine experts are urging them not to ignore their nagging pain. Dr. Luis Gandara, a specialist in sports medicine at Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute in Florida, sees a few types of pickleball injuries, including those that are acute from a fall and those in which someone has aggravated chronic pain issues, such as existing arthritis in a hip or other joint. “Then [there are] the other ones who enjoy it so much that they play either too many hours or play too many games in a row,” Gandara said. “And those are the ones that we see having the overuse type of injuries due to the time and span, or the improper use of the equipment, like the paddle’s too heavy, improper mechanics or they may be using the wrong shoes to play.” About one-third of people surveyed last month in a new Harris Poll for Orlando Health reported avoiding sports or a hobby because of a nagging injury. Nearly half said it wasn’t worth seeing… read on > read on >

A growing obesity epidemic may affect the outcome of treatment for those dealing with cancer, according to a new study of adults and teens being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Researchers called for further study of how weight affects the response to different chemotherapy regimens for ALL. “We have known for roughly 15 years that obesity affects survival in pediatric patients treated for ALL, and more recently, we are recognizing a similar relationship in adult populations,” said lead author Dr. Shai Shimony, an advanced fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “But we wanted more granular data on this, to understand why this correlation exists, and how dependent it is on age.” For the study, Shimony’s team collected data on 388 individuals (average age, 24 years) who were treated on Dana-Farber Consortium pediatric regimens for ALL from 2008 to 2021. The investigators examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI, a measure of body fat based on height and weight); age; toxicities; and treatment outcomes. In all, nearly 47% of the individuals were overweight or obese. The study found they had a higher rate of non-relapse death, nearly 12%, compared to just under 3% for those with a normal BMI. They also had a lower event-free survival rate — 63% versus 77% at four years. (Event-free survival is the length of time after… read on > read on >

Teens who use stimulant medication like Ritalin to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not have an increased risk of illicit drug use later, a new study finds. This study looked specifically at cocaine and methamphetamine use. High school seniors who used stimulant therapy were no more likely to use cocaine or methamphetamine as young adults (ages 19 to 24) than their peers who didn’t use stimulant therapy, the researchers found. “These findings should be comforting to parents who have teenagers taking stimulants for ADHD, who worry that these medications may lead to use of illicit stimulants like cocaine or methamphetamine as their children enter young adulthood and become more independent,” lead researcher Sean Esteban McCabe said in a University of Michigan news release. He’s a professor of nursing and director of the Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health. Some past research has tied ADHD to an increased risk for illicit drug use, so these findings should reassure concerned parents, the study team stressed. However, the researchers also found that teens who misuse prescription stimulants were significantly more likely to use these illicit drugs as young adults. Moreover, the frequency of misuse matters. About 20% of high school seniors who misused prescription stimulants like Ritalin (methylphenidate) or Adderall started using cocaine or methamphetamine in young adulthood. And 34% of teens who misused… read on > read on >

As extreme heat continues to blanket numerous parts of the United States, Americans with dementia may be particularly challenged. “Triple-digit temperatures and heat indexes are especially dangerous for someone with a dementia-related illness such as Alzheimer’s disease, because the effects of dementia can impair their ability to notice if they are developing heat stroke or dehydration,” said Jennifer Reeder, director of educational and social services for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. “Taking a few simple steps will go a long way to help caregivers keep their loved one with dementia safe during the heat wave,” Reeder said in a foundation news release. Watch out for wandering, a common behavior in individuals with dementia. They can become lost or disoriented and not know whom to call for help. This can be a particularly concerning behavior during a heat wave because in extreme heat conditions heat stroke can develop within minutes. A way to reduce the chances of wandering is to help someone feel purposeful indoors, while also reducing excessive stimuli and ensuring basic needs are met. Create walking paths around the home with visual cues and stimulating objects. Help the person stay engaged with simple tasks or activities such as music, crafts and games. Just in case your loved one still does wander, be sure you have recent photo and medical information close at hand to… read on > read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Could ‘Produce Prescriptions’ Save $40 Billion in Medical Bills Among Those With Diabetes? Study Says Yes

Cleanup After Ohio Train Derailment Released Dangerous Gases: Report

Targeted Treatment Shrinks Rare Brain Tumors in Small Study

EPA Toughens Lead Standards in Older Homes, Buildings

Stressed? Depressed? Mindfulness Training Could Offer Long-Term Relief

Water Fasting: Is It Safe? Is It for You?

As the Popularity of Pickleball Soars, So Do Related Injuries, Poll Finds

Obesity, Overweight Shrinks Survival Rates Against Childhood Leukemia

ADHD Drugs Won’t Raise Risk for Illicit Drug Use Later

Triple-Digit Heat Wave a Danger to Those With Dementia