Seniors who get a concussion are more likely to develop dementia or falter as they age, a new study says. Older folks who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) had a higher risk of dementia, requiring home care services or admission to a long-term care facility, researchers reported Oct. 6 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. “One of the most common reasons for TBI in older adulthood is sustaining a fall, which is often preventable,” wrote the research team led by Dr. Jenny Yu Qing Huang, a geriatrician and doctoral student at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. “By targeting fall-related TBIs, we can potentially reduce TBI-associated dementia in this population,” researchers wrote. TBIs occur when a person either whacks their head or is violently jerked by whiplash, causing the brain to hit the inside of the skull and sustain damage, researchers said in background notes. More than 50% of TBIs in older adults result from falls, researchers said. For the new study, researchers analyzed data on more than 260,000 people 65 and older living in Ontario, Canada, comparing the health outcomes of those who’d sustained a TBI against those who hadn’t. The data ran between April 2004 and March 2020. New cases of TBI were associated with a 69% increased risk of dementia developing within five years, and a…  read on >  read on >

Seniors who get a concussion are more likely to develop dementia or falter as they age, a new study says. Older folks who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) had a higher risk of dementia, requiring home care services or admission to a long-term care facility, researchers reported Oct. 6 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. “One of the most common reasons for TBI in older adulthood is sustaining a fall, which is often preventable,” wrote the research team led by Dr. Jenny Yu Qing Huang, a geriatrician and doctoral student at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. “By targeting fall-related TBIs, we can potentially reduce TBI-associated dementia in this population,” researchers wrote. TBIs occur when a person either whacks their head or is violently jerked by whiplash, causing the brain to hit the inside of the skull and sustain damage, researchers said in background notes. More than 50% of TBIs in older adults result from falls, researchers said. For the new study, researchers analyzed data on more than 260,000 people 65 and older living in Ontario, Canada, comparing the health outcomes of those who’d sustained a TBI against those who hadn’t. The data ran between April 2004 and March 2020. New cases of TBI were associated with a 69% increased risk of dementia developing within five years, and a…  read on >  read on >

Fighting cancer can leave patients tired to their bones and researchers now think they might know why. Inflammation was linked to fatigue among nearly 200 women with early-stage breast cancer during and after treatment with radiation or chemotherapy, researchers reported Oct. 6 in the journal Cancer. Specifically, inflammation appeared to promote general and physical fatigue among the women, but not emotional or mental fatigue. “Our findings indicate that inflammation plays a role in some aspects of cancer-related fatigue, but not others, and that these effects persist well after treatment,” lead researcher Julienne Bower, chair of health psychology at UCLA, said in a news release. “This is critical for developing targeted treatments for this common and disabling symptom,” she added. For the study, researchers studied blood levels of proteins associated with inflammation in 192 women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Blood tests were done prior to treatment, and for 18 months following treatment. The women also reported on their different types of fatigue: General, physical, mental and emotional. Higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were linked to greater general fatigue, which involves feelings of tiredness and exhaustion, researchers found.  This association held even after accounting for other factors like cancer stage, age, race, education and body mass index (BMI). BMI is an estimate of body fat based on height and weight. These inflammation-controlling biochemicals also were tied…  read on >  read on >

Fighting cancer can leave patients tired to their bones and researchers now think they might know why. Inflammation was linked to fatigue among nearly 200 women with early-stage breast cancer during and after treatment with radiation or chemotherapy, researchers reported Oct. 6 in the journal Cancer. Specifically, inflammation appeared to promote general and physical fatigue among the women, but not emotional or mental fatigue. “Our findings indicate that inflammation plays a role in some aspects of cancer-related fatigue, but not others, and that these effects persist well after treatment,” lead researcher Julienne Bower, chair of health psychology at UCLA, said in a news release. “This is critical for developing targeted treatments for this common and disabling symptom,” she added. For the study, researchers studied blood levels of proteins associated with inflammation in 192 women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Blood tests were done prior to treatment, and for 18 months following treatment. The women also reported on their different types of fatigue: General, physical, mental and emotional. Higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were linked to greater general fatigue, which involves feelings of tiredness and exhaustion, researchers found.  This association held even after accounting for other factors like cancer stage, age, race, education and body mass index (BMI). BMI is an estimate of body fat based on height and weight. These inflammation-controlling biochemicals also were tied…  read on >  read on >

The same price is already available on Novo Nordisk’s direct-to-consumer website, as well as at Walmart and CVS  read on >

Costco shoppers will be able fill prescriptions for Ozempic and Wegovy — two of the most popular weight loss and diabetes drugs — at a discount. Novo Nordisk, the maker of both medications, announced Friday that the warehouse retailer will sell a four-week supply of the injections for $499 out of pocket at its more than 600 U.S. Costco pharmacies. The same price is already available on Novo Nordisk’s direct-to-consumer website, as well as at Walmart and CVS pharmacies. “We want to make sure we offer the real, authentic Wegovy and Ozempic where patients seek care,” David “Dave” Moore, president of Novo Nordisk U.S., told NBC News. “We know that Costco is a trusted brand.” The move is part of Novo Nordisk’s effort to expand legitimate access to its medications and compete with compounding pharmacies and medical spas that sell unapproved versions. Costco members with a valid prescription can pay the $499 self-pay price, while insurance coverage will vary by plan. Executive members and Costco credit card holders may also earn cash back through the retailer’s pharmacy rewards program. Ozempic and Wegovy are part of a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which mimic a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite. Originally developed to treat diabetes, they’ve become popular for weight loss and have shown promise in lowering stroke and heart…  read on >  read on >