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Can vitamin D lower dementia risk? Quite possibly, a team of British and Canadian researchers report. In their study, investigators spent roughly a decade tracking more than 12,000 older people. None had dementia at the start of the study period. In the end, the team determined that those who had been taking vitamin D supplements during that time appeared to face a 40% lower risk for dementia, compared with those who had never taken the supplements. Even so, Claire Sexton, senior director of scientific programs and outreach at the Alzheimer’s Association, cautioned that much more research is needed to better understand a possible link between vitamin D and dementia risk. For one thing, she noted that the study team did not track how much vitamin D supplementation any of the participants took, nor how long they had been taking them. Similarly, overall patient vitamin D levels were never assessed — either at the study launch or conclusion. In addition, the study was observational, Sexton added, meaning at no point were patients told to take, or not to take, vitamin D. That means the study cannot prove that vitamin D actually causes dementia risk to fall. Still, study author Dr. Zahinoor Ismail said that fresh evidence of vitamin D’s power against dementia has “great biological plausibility.” For example, prior research indicates that people with genetic mutations… read on > read on >

New research offers hope to elite athletes who have genetic heart conditions but still want to play sports. In the new study, after a follow-up of seven years, researchers found that 95% of athletes with a diagnosed and treated genetic heart disease had no disease-triggered cardiac events. These would have included fainting or seizures, implantable cardio-defibrillator (ICD) shocks, sudden cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death. The researchers said the study was the first to assess the risk of potentially life-threatening arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) among National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and professional athletes with heart conditions that can increase the risk of sudden cardiac death, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and long QT syndrome (LQTS). Although people who have these heart conditions are often advised to avoid vigorous exercise and many are disqualified from sports, the findings suggest that may not be necessary. “This initial data set offers a story of hope and encouragement,” said Katherine Martinez, who conducted the study as an intern in the Mayo Clinic Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory. “With shared decision-making and appropriate risk stratification by an expert, we expect anybody of any age can live and thrive despite their diagnosis.” For players and fans alike, witnessing an athlete experience heart trouble can be traumatic, such as when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during a… read on > read on >

A new study is enough to take your breath way: Nearly no place on Earth is free of air pollution, it found. The study “provides a deep understanding of the current state of outdoor air pollution and its impacts on human health. With this information, policymakers, public health officials and researchers can better assess the short-term and long-term health effects of air pollution and develop air pollution mitigation strategies,” said study co-author Yuming Guo, from the Monash University School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in Melbourne, Australia. He spoke in a university news release. The researchers found that only 0.001% of the global population is exposed to World Health Organization-established safe levels of ambient fine particulate matter known as PM2.5. Only 0.18% of the global land area had safe levels of pollution, the study found. Fine particle pollution (PM2.5) is the main cause of smog in parts of the United States. It can be inhaled deep in the lungs, raising the risk of lung and heart disease. Daily pollution levels have fallen in Europe and North America over two decades, but they increased in southern Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and the Caribbean, with more than 70% of days globally exceeding safe levels. Among the other results, the study found that in southern Asia and eastern Asia, more than 90% of days had… read on > read on >

You can keep an arm in a cast from wasting away, researchers say, by working out your free arm. A small group of young men who performed eccentric contraction exercises with one arm — lowering a dumbbell in a slow and controlled motion — saw a 4% strength improvement in the other arm, even though it was immobilized by a cast at the elbow. Another group assigned to perform concentric contraction exercises — lifting a dumbbell — only lost about 4% of muscle strength in their immobilized arm, the study results showed. By comparison, a “control group” that did no exercises suffered a 15% decrease in their immobilized arm during the three-week study. It was already known that gaining muscle strength in one limb through resistance training will transfer to the same muscle on the opposite side of the body, said lead researcher Ken Nosaka. He is head of exercise and sports science at the Edith Cowan University School of Medical and Health Sciences, in Australia. “This is known as the cross-education effect,” Nosaka said in a university news release. “The key aspect of this study is one particular type of muscle contraction proved most effective.” For the study, 36 young men had their non-dominant arm immobilized by a cast at their elbow joint for three weeks. They were then split into three groups evenly:… read on > read on >

Consumers have been using a common over-the-counter oral decongestant known as phenylephrine for years, but that may not continue much longer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked a panel of its advisors to reassess the drug’s effectiveness. The medication’s safety isn’t in question, just whether it actually does what it claims to do. The FDA’s Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee will meet in April to consider the effectiveness of the oral version of phenylephrine. The same panel had decided the drug “may be effective” in a 2007 meeting following federal efforts to fight illegal manufacturing of methamphetamine, which required the decongestant known as pseudoephedrine to be sold behind pharmacy counters, CBS News reported. The FDA initially received a new petition to withdraw the medication back in 2015, submitted by University of Florida pharmacy professors Leslie Hendeles and Randy Hatton. The duo had cited new data that showed phenylephrine was not more effective than a placebo, CBS News reported. “Let me be clear, oral phenylephrine is not a safety risk,” Hatton told CBS News. “It just doesn’t work.” In 2022, both professors questioned the FDA’s inaction on their 2015 petition in a commentary in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy. “I get it. Risk takes priority. But eight years is long enough to wait, you know what I mean? That’s millions and millions of dollars wasted on… read on > read on >

Young adults in the United States carry an increasing burden of heart health risk factors, making it more likely they’ll suffer a heart attack and stroke as they age, a new study warns. More adults ages 20 to 44 are obese and diabetic than a decade ago, and they are more likely to have poorly controlled blood pressure, according to the study published March 5 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers also found that young Black and Hispanic adults are more likely to suffer from these risk factors than white young adults. “We’re witnessing a smoldering public health crisis,” said senior researcher Dr. Rishi Wadhera, section head of health policy and equity at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Boston. “The onset of these risk factors earlier in life is associated with a higher lifetime risk of heart disease and potentially life-threatening cardiovascular conditions, like a heart attack or stroke,” Wadhera continued. “Our finding that the burden of many cardiovascular risk factors is rising in young adults could have major public health implications over the long-term, especially as the U.S. population ages.” These health problems in people so young are likely contributing to declining life expectancy in the United States, said Norrina Allen, director of the Institute for Public Health and Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School… read on > read on >

Swapping that steak for a fish filet or a veggie burger is not only good for your health, but the planet’s, too, a new study suggests. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, ranked various diets based on two measures: nutritional quality and “carbon footprint.” And overall, non-meat diets came out on top, on both counts. Researchers found that on average, vegan and vegetarian diets had the smallest carbon footprint — which refers to the amount of greenhouse gases that are churned into the atmosphere in order to produce the foods the diets comprise. Meanwhile, the pescatarian diet — which includes seafood, but no meat — scored highest in nutritional quality, and was more planet-friendly than diets containing meat. On the opposite end of the spectrum were two diets currently in vogue: the high-fat, low-carbohydrate keto diet; and the paleo diet, which centers on foods its proponents say were consumed in prehistoric times — mainly meat, fish, eggs, nuts and vegetables. Those two meat-heavy eating plans, the study found, carried the biggest carbon footprints and lowest dietary quality. (The keto diet may also be tough on the heart, raising levels of “bad” cholesterol and the risk of artery blockages, according to new research presented at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology). Experts said the findings may give consumers some food… read on > read on >

An injection that relieves low back pain by helping damaged spinal discs regenerate appears to have sustained benefits, new clinical trial data show. Most patients who received an injection of VIA Disc received back pain relief that lasted at least three years, said lead researcher Dr. Douglas Beall, chief of radiology at Clinical Radiology of Oklahoma in Edmond. About 60% of patients had a 50% or better improvement in their pain three years after treatment, results showed, while more than 70% had a greater than 20-point improvement in movement and function. “This is durable relief out through 36 months,” said Beall, who is scheduled to present these findings Monday at a meeting of the Society for Interventional Radiology, in Phoenix. Findings presented at medical meetings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. VIA Disc — the trade name for viable disc allograft supplementation — is a blend of bone marrow cells and ground-up spinal disc tissue from donors, Beall said. The cells are “one of the precursors to forming disc,” Beall said. They are selected from exactly the area where they’re precursors to form the disc material, tested for their capability to renew and differentiate from other cells and then mixed with the allograft (disc material) and injected. Once injected, the VIA Disc blend of cells and donor tissue encourages the cells within… read on > read on >

An outbreak of serious bacterial infections in 13 U.S. states linked to use of artificial tears has prompted experts to offer tips for keeping dry eyes safe. Five of the 58 people infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa had vision loss, and one person died, leading to the recall of EzriCare and Delsam Pharma artificial tears. Some of those sickened also reported lung and urinary tract infections. Tests of opened bottles used by those affected found a rare, highly drug-resistant strain of the bacterium — one never before reported in the United States, according to the U.S. National Eye Institute. While it’s unclear if the contamination occurred during or after manufacturing, and while testing continues, there are ways regular users of artificial tears for dry eye disease, contact lens use and refractive surgery can keep themselves safer. “Formulations with preservatives reduce the risk of bacterial growth and potential infection,” said Dr. Chantal Cousineau-Krieger, an ophthalmologist at the National Eye Institute. “However, commonly added preservatives such as benzalkonium chloride, polyquaternium, or sodium chlorite themselves can be irritating to the eye, especially if used five or more times a day,” she said in an institute news release. Repeatedly using an eyedrop bottle that contains no preservatives can lead to contamination, increasing infection risk. “People who require preservative-free artificial tears can purchase single-use, individual dose vials, which cut contamination risk… read on > read on >

Playing sports can be good for kids of all abilities. A leading medical organization offers some tips for getting children involved, while helping keep them safe and injury-free. “We encourage children to play a variety of sports, both to increase their enjoyment over time and to avoid injuries we often see with overuse,” said Dr. Alison Brooks, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. “Parents can play a big role in influencing their children to play sports that are appropriate for their age, development and physical abilities,” Brooks explained in an AAP news release. Sports help kids stay fit and feel good about themselves, the AAP noted. Pediatricians also encourage young people with disabilities to participate in sports, recreation and physical activities whenever possible, the academy added. Among the many benefits of playing sports are improved physical and mental health; better social skills and relationships; enhanced well-being and self-esteem; and improved sleep and behavior. Still, all sports do have risks of injuries. Among the most frequent ones are sprains, which are injuries to ligaments; strains, which are injuries to muscles; growth plate irritation; and stress fractures. The AAP recommends having a doctor evaluate tenderness over a bone in a growing child even if there is minimal swelling or limitation in motion. Here are some tips to reduce the… read on > read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Vitamin D Might Help You Avoid Dementia

Most College Athletes With Genetic Heart Trouble Can Safely Play Sports: Study

There’s Almost Nowhere in the World Free of Air Pollution

Arm in a Cast? Exercising the Other Arm Can Curb Muscle Loss

FDA Panel to Again Weigh Merit of Decongestant That Many Call Useless

Young Americans Face Rising Rates of Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes

Keto, Paleo, Vegan: How Does Your Diet Affect the Planet?

Cell Injections Show Promise Against Chronic Back Pain

Following Infection Outbreak, Experts Offer Guidance on Safe Use of Eyedrops

Gearing Up for Kids’ Sports Season? Put Safety First