It’s never too late for a person to quit smoking, even if they’re elderly, a new study finds. Dropping the smokes even as late as 75 can meaningfully increase a person’s life expectancy, researchers reported recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Seniors age 75 will lose on average more than four years of life if they keep smoking, compared to people who never smoked, researchers found. On the other hand, a 75-year-old smoker who quits has a 14% chance of gaining at least one extra year of life, and a 65-year-old smoker a 23% chance. And about 8% of those who quit at age 75 gain at least four years of life compared to those who keep smoking, researchers found. Quitting smoking is the single best thing anyone at any age can do to increase their life expectancy, researchers concluded. “We have seen a remarkable decline in young adult smoking over the past decade. However, rates among older adults who smoke have remained stagnant and, to our knowledge, no research had established the benefits for them of quitting,” lead researcher Thuy Le, an assistant research scientist with the University of Michigan School of Public Health. “We wanted to show that stopping smoking is beneficial at any age and provide an incentive for older people who smoke to quit,” Le added in a university…  read on >  read on >

THURSDAY, Oct.10, 2024Most boys treated with breakthrough gene therapy for a rare but deadly brain illness are faring well six years later, two new reports find. The 77 boys were treated for cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD), a formerly incurable and progressive genetic brain disease that typically led to a loss of neurological function and early death. However, most patients treated with “eli-cel” gene therapy six years ago are still showing no declines in brain function and remain free of disability, researchers reported Oct. 9 in two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine. There was a disturbing finding from one of the two studies, however: Six of 35 patients who received one form of the gene therapy have developed blood cancers that seemed tied to the gene therapy. However, the overall news is positive for children who otherwise faced a death sentence, the researchers said. “Cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy is a devastating brain disease that strikes children in the prime of their childhood and development,” explained Dr. Florian Eichler, director of the Leukodystrophy Clinic in the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and lead author of one of the two studies. “When I initially began treating patients with CALD, 80 percent came into our clinic on death’s door, and now the ratio has flipped.” “We cautiously celebrate that we have been able to stabilize this…  read on >  read on >

When it comes to coverage for the pricey GLP-1 weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound, only a fifth of large U.S. companies cover the medications in their health insurance plans, a new survey shows. In a report published Wednesday in the journal Health Affairs, researchers also found that a third of companies that do cover the medications say coverage has a “significant impact” on their plans’ prescription drug spending. Obesity can fuel poor health and affects a significant chunk of the U.S. population, and these medications can help, the survey authors wrote. However, concerns linger about the drugs’ high costs and the likelihood that they need to be used indefinitely. “Employers are really trying to thread the needle right now,” study author Matthew Rae, associate director for the program on the health care marketplace at KFF, told NBC News. “They’re trying to figure out what is the right balance between the advantages to employees, potential health benefits and the cost of these drugs. And at this point, all of those things aren’t sorted out.” Dr. Susan Spratt, an endocrinologist and senior medical director for the Population Health Management Office at Duke Health in North Carolina, told NBC News the results were “disheartening.” “People who are rich can afford to pay the $1,000 per month for this medication,” she said. “We are just widening health disparities by making…  read on >  read on >

Widely-used acne creams can become contaminated with a known carcinogen even if kept at room temperature, a new study warns. Creams containing benzoyl peroxide (BPO) can wind up containing high levels of benzene while sitting on a store shelf or in a medicine cabinet, researchers found after testing 111 products from major U.S. retailers. Brands tested containing benzoyl peroxide included products from Clearasil, Clean & Clear, Neutrogena, Proactiv, Up & Up and store brand equivalents. Benzoyl peroxide degrades into the carcinogen benzene over time when stored at room temperature, at elevated temperatures and when exposed to the ultraviolet rays of sunlight, researchers reported Oct. 7 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. This is the first time that benzoyl peroxide products have been shown to degrade into benzene at normal temperatures, they noted. “Our research demonstrates that BPO products can generate benzene at typical room and store shelf temperatures, while cold storage significantly reduces this formation,” said researcher Dr. Christopher Bunick, an associate professor of dermatology with the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. The Environmental Protection Agency classifies benzene as a known human carcinogen, noting that it specifically increases the risk of leukemia. Benzoyl peroxide acts as an antibacterial agent, and is found in over-the-counter remedies and prescription creams for acne and rosacea. For the new study, researchers bought dozens of acne…  read on >  read on >

The brain has a waste-disposal system that clears away junk proteins that contribute to the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, a new study finds. Advanced imaging scans have revealed a network of fluid-filled structures along arteries and veins within the brain, researchers reported Oct. 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. These structures allow cerebrospinal fluid to flow through the brain, potentially flushing out waste proteins like amyloid and tau, researchers said. Those toxic proteins build up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, creating plaques and tangles that are hallmarks of the disorder. Previous research found these sort of fluid channels in the brains of mice, but this is the first time they’ve been confirmed to exist in humans as well, researchers said. “Nobody has shown it before now,” said senior researcher Dr. Juan Piantino, an associate professor of pediatric neurology in the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Medicine. “This shows that cerebrospinal fluid doesn’t just get into the brain randomly, as if you put a sponge in a bucket of water,” Piantino added in a university news release. “It goes through these channels.” For the study, researchers injected five patients undergoing brain surgery at OHSU with a tracer that would be carried with cerebrospinal fluid into the brain. The research team then used MRI scans to track…  read on >  read on >