Weekly Gravy « Weekly Gravy

All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

THURSDAY, Oct. 3, 2024 (HeathDay News) — Moms-to-be have long known about breast milk’s multiple benefits. Now, a global study confirms that antibodies passed from to baby in breast milk can indeed shield against disease. Immune system antibodies against one common infection, rotavirus, were especially protective, said a team from the University of Rochester in New York. “It was encouraging to see such a clear link between higher antibody levels and a delay to rotavirus infection,” said study lead author Dr. Kirsi Jarvinen-Seppo, a professor of allergy and immunology at the university’s Golisano Children’s Hospital. The new study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and published recently in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The research involved analysis of breast milk samples from 695 women in Finland, the United States, Pakistan, Peru and Bangladesh. Jarvinen-Seppo and her colleagues measured levels of certain IgA and IgG immune system antibodies produced in breast milk, and pitted them against 1,607 proteins from 30 disease-linked germs. The participants’ global diversity was key to the research. “We would expect to find differences in antibody levels in different countries, due to different diseases circulating among areas of the world, but this is one of the first times that there’s been a head-to-head comparison for dozens of pathogens across several continents,” Jarvinen-Seppo explained in a university news release. The study… read on > read on >

If you’re a 20-something who is unattached, having good friends is a key to happiness, new research shows. “The quality of your friendships is a key factor for your well-being, especially if you’re single,” a team led by Lisa Walsh, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported Oct. 2 in the journal PLOS One. “We found that singles who were satisfied with their friendships tended to be happy with their lives, while those dissatisfied with their friendships were less happy,” they added in a journal news release. Other research has found that Americans in their early 20s tend to be less happy than at other times of life — and a growing percentage of folks in that age group are not in long-term relationships. While researchers are increasingly looking at single folks as a group, few studies have zeroed in on sub-groups, such as younger adults. This one analyzed responses to a survey of 1,073 single adults between the ages of 18 and 24. They were asked about their overall happiness as well as five factors that predict happiness: self-esteem, neuroticism, outgoingness, satisfaction with family and satisfaction with friends. The study was built on what is known as latent profile analysis — an assumption that individuals aren’t all the same and that differences among them fit diverse categories. Researchers found… read on > read on >

Nearly 8 in 10 Americans go through the day in a fog that interferes with their jobs, their moods and their relationships. Chalk it up to sleepiness: A new survey shows that 54% of Americans think they just don’t get enough sleep. “Daytime sleepiness is more than just an inconvenience — it can affect our ability to function our best, impacting everything from work productivity to personal relationships,” said sleep specialist Dr. Alexandre Abreu, a spokesman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the survey sponsor. The online poll of more than 2,000 adults was conducted in mid-May and revealed that daytime sleepiness is taking a big toll. Nearly half (47%) of respondents said it hampers their productivity, making it hard to focus and complete work efficiently. One-third (31%) said sleepiness affects the quality of their work — a complaint more often voiced by men than by women. A similar percentage (34%) of respondents see effects of sleepiness on their memory and mental recall, and 16% said it affects their reaction time behind the wheel. Notably, nearly a quarter (24%) said it affects their relationships with family and friends. “These statistics paint a clear picture of the widespread impact of daytime sleepiness,” Abreu said in an AASM news release. The academy says adults need seven or more hours of sleep a night. It recommends… read on > read on >

Even air pollution levels considered safe by U.S. standards appear to cause differences in the brains of growing children, a new review suggests. “We’re seeing differences in brain outcomes between children with higher levels of pollution exposure versus lower levels of pollution exposure,” said corresponding author Camelia Hostinar, an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis. In all, she and her colleagues reviewed 40 studies. Most linked outdoor air pollution with differences in children’s brains, including the amount of the brain’s “white matter.” These differences affect thinking skills and may even be early markers for Alzheimer’s. Because their brains are still developing, air pollution poses a special risk to kids and teens. Relative to their weight, they absorb more contaminants than adults, researchers explained. As such, the authors called on parents and policymakers to add air filters to homes and schools near freeways to protect children from outdoor air pollutants. They urged other researchers to incorporate air quality measures into studies related to brain health and other health outcomes. The new review looked at research from the United States, Mexico, Europe, Asia and Australia that compared pollution levels with brain outcomes at various ages, from newborns to age 18. Some relied on brain imaging. Some looked at chemical changes in the body that affect brain function. Others looked for tumors in the… read on > read on >

If you sweat excessively, you’re likely to have sensitive skin as well, with new research confirming the two go hand-in-hand. A team led by Adam Friedman of George Washington University and Linqing Zhang of Virginia Tech used machine learning models to examine survey data from more than 600 people who sweat excessively. It uncovered a significant link excessive sweating — a condition known as primary hyperhidrosis — and sensitive skin. People with primary hyperhidrosis sweat four times more than needed to cool the body — even when they’re not exposed to high temperatures or exercising. The condition affects specific areas such as the hands, feet, face and armpits. People with sensitive skin often experience itching, burning and tightness when exposed to heat, sweat, skincare products and stress. Researchers found that folks with hyperhydrosis are more likely than most people to have sensitive skin. Sensitivity often goes beyond areas that sweat excessively, showing that perspiration isn’t the cause of their skin sensitivity. “Someone with primary hyperhidrosis is more likely to have sensitive skin than the general public, even in areas where there is no excessive sweating,” said Friedman, head of dermatology at GWU School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Friedman’s team suspects the connection is more complex than has previously been recognized. They theorize that abnormal nerve signals connected to sweating may be involved. The study… read on > read on >

The head of a Princeton team that mapped the brain of an adult fruit fly — a watershed step in understanding the human brain — explains the feat in a way that belies its complexity. “Just like you wouldn’t want to drive to a new place without Google Maps, you don’t want to explore the brain without a map,” explained lead author Sven Dorkenwald, who received his Ph.D. last year from Princeton and is now at the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle. “What we have done is build an atlas of the brain, and added annotations for all the businesses, the buildings, the street names.” With this, he added in a Princeton news release, “researchers are now equipped to thoughtfully navigate the brain as we try to understand it.” Likening it to a roadmap that traces every tiny alley as well as every superhighway, he said the new map — called a “connectome” — shows connections in the fruit fly brain at every scale. It could one day lead to tailored treatments for brain diseases. Researchers described their work Oct. 2 in a special issue of the journal Nature. They created a neuron-by-neuron and synapse-by-synapse map of the brain of an adult fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). It identifies different types of neurons and chemical links — or synapses — between them and offers… read on > read on >

As the southeastern United States begins to recover from Helene’s devastation, a new study suggests the health impact of major storms can linger for over a decade. So far, more than 120 people across six states have already been confirmed dead in Helene’s aftermath, although that number could rise much higher as rescue efforts continue. Now, a team from Stanford University reports the death toll over the much longer term could be in the thousands. Even years later, “in any given month, people are dying earlier than they would have if the storm hadn’t hit their community,” explained senior study author Solomon Hsiang. “A big storm will hit, and there’s all these cascades of effects where cities are rebuilding or households are displaced or social networks are broken. These cascades have serious consequences for public health,” said Hsiang, professor of environmental social sciences at Stanford’s Doerr School of Sustainability. Overall, the researchers estimate that anywhere between 7,000 and 11,000 excess deaths can be attributed to the years-long aftermath of a major tropical storm or hurricane. Adding up the damage, major storms have since 1930 contributed to the deaths of anywhere from 3.6 million and 5.2 million Americans, the team reported Oct. 2 in the journal Nature. That exceeds the combined number of deaths from motor vehicle accidents, infectious diseases or battle deaths in wars during… read on > read on >

Scientists say they’ve discovered a protein that seems crucial to the onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common cause of blindness in older people. The research is in its very early stages, but it might help lead to the first effective therapy against the vision-robbing illness, which affects up to 15 million Americans. “Current treatments for AMD have limited efficacy and often come with significant side effects,” said study lead author Ruchira Singh. “Our research aims to identify novel therapeutic targets that could potentially halt the progression of this disease,” said Singh, who is associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Rochester in New York. With AMD, a portion of the eye’s retina, called the macula, undergoes progressive damage. This typically means a person loses central vision, while retaining the ability to see things on the periphery. There are currently no treatments that can stop AMD, which the American Academy of Ophthalmology says is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 50. What causes AMD has long remained unclear. What is known is that a layer of cells at the back of the eye, called the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), is central to the illness. A buildup within the RPE of fats and proteins, called drusen, is a hallmark of early-stage AMD In their new study, Singh’s team bypassed… read on > read on >

In a finding that illustrates the damage that laws targeting transgender people can cause, new research shows that trans and nonbinary youth in states with such laws are more likely to attempt suicide. How much more likely? The study authors found the laws triggered up to a 72% increase in suicide attempts in the past year. “This groundbreaking study offers robust and indisputable evidence to support what we have already known: the recent wave of anti-transgender laws in the United States is quite literally risking the lives of young people across the country,” study co-author Dr. Ronita Nath, vice president of research at The Trevor Project, said in a news release. “From a scientific perspective, studying the phenomenon of how these policies impact LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health is relatively new,” she added. “In our analysis of data collected from more than 61,000 transgender and nonbinary youth across five years, this study critically confirms — for the first time — a causal relationship between anti-transgender laws and heightened suicide risk among transgender and nonbinary young people.” Published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, the research was conducted by the Trevor Project, an LGBTQ youth suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization. From 2018 to 2022, 48 anti-transgender laws were enacted in 19 different states, according to the Trevor Project. These included restrictions on transition-related care for minors and laws… read on > read on >

Most Americans are eating their way to inflammation that puts them at risk of cancer, heart disease and other serious health problems, a new study shows. “Overall, 57% of U.S. adults have a pro-inflammatory diet and that number was higher for Black Americans, men, younger adults and people with lower education and income,” said lead study author Rachel Meadows, a visiting faculty member at Ohio State University’s College of Public Health. Her team used a tool known as the dietary inflammatory index, which includes 45 components, to examine the self-reported eating habits of more than 34,500 adults included in a federal health and nutrition survey between 2005 and 2018. While other dietary measures look at intake of food groups like fruit, veggies or dairy or nutrients like fats, proteins and carbs, Meadows said inflammation is important to consider. Using the tool, they assigned inflammation values ranging from -9 to 8, with 0 representing a neutral diet. In all, 34% had anti-inflammatory diets, according to findings published Sept. 27 in the journal Public Health Nutrition. Meadows said overall balance of the diet is important. “Even if you’re eating enough fruits or vegetables, if you’re having too much alcohol or red meat, then your overall diet can still be pro-inflammatory,” she said, adding that she wants people to think about anti-inflammatory foods as tools to boost health.… read on > read on >

Weekly Gravy

Look Good – Feel Good – Feed Good

A little about: Weekly Gravy

All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Antibodies in Mom’s Breast Milk Are Protecting Babies

Good Friendships Crucial to Young Adults’ Happiness, Study Finds

Most Americans Struggle With Poor Sleep, Daytime Drowsiness: Survey

Air Pollution Could Be Changing Children’s Brains

Science Finds Link Between Excessive Sweating, Sensitive Skin

So Fly: Scientists Complete Map of Adult Fruit Fly Brain

Deadly Legacy of Storms Like Helene Can Linger for Over a Decade

Scientists Get Closer to Stopping Macular Degeneration

Restrictive State Laws Tied to Higher Suicide Risk for Trans Youth

Six in 10 Americans Have Unhealthy Pro-Inflammatory Diets