Weekly Gravy « Weekly Gravy

All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Vaccines have become a hot topic in the past few years, but a new survey finds many parents aren’t discussing immunization with their child’s doctor. Though a child’s pediatrician has often been the go-to resource on vaccines, the University of Michigan Medicine poll found that 1 in 7 parents have not discussed vaccines with their child’s doctor during the pandemic. While 80% of parents have talked with their child’s pediatrician about immunizations required for school, only 68% have discussed a flu vaccine and only 57% have sought information about a COVID-19 vaccine. “With a new vaccine like COVID, we would expect parents to have a lot of questions and concerns, and we would expect parents to turn to that trusted primary care provider who has guided them through other vaccine decisions for their child,” said Sarah Clark, co-director of the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at University of Michigan Health. “The lower rates of discussions for the COVID vaccine may suggest a downturn in the role of the primary care provider as the go-to source on this topic,” she said in a poll news release. About 6% of parents don’t get any vaccines for their children. The poll discovered that 43% of that smaller group have had no vaccine discussions with any healthcare provider in the past two years. Another 3%… read on > read on >

Fungi found in the soil are causing lung infections nationwide, even in places that doctors aren’t aware are at risk. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not revised maps for environmental fungi since 1969, according to a new study that found one disease-causing fungus — histoplasma, or histo — to be more widespread than the old maps show. This can lead to delayed or missed diagnoses in people with lung infections, according to researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The infections can be confused with COVID-19, bacterial pneumonia or tuberculosis. Fungi become a problem for people when they breathe in spores that are in the soil as the ground is disturbed by farming, landscaping or construction. People can become infected just by walking in areas that have a lot of spores — caves, for example. Infants, older adults and people with compromised immune systems may develop fever, cough, fatigue and other symptoms. “Every few weeks I get a call from a doctor in the Boston area — a different doctor every time — about a case they can’t solve,” said senior author Dr. Andrej Spec, an associate professor of medicine and a specialist in fungal infections at WUSTL. “They always start by saying, ‘We don’t have histo here, but it really kind of looks like histo.’ I say,… read on > read on >

When loved ones come together for your Thanksgiving feast, keep in mind your those who have food allergies. Practice safety in menu planning, food preparation and even serving, urged Courtney Cary, a senior dietitian at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Be aware of the eight most common allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. “If someone who is attending the holiday meal has an allergy to any food, it is important to fully disclose the ingredients of what you prepared so they can avoid a potentially life-threatening reaction,” she said in a college news release. Find out specifically what your guest is allergic to, Cary said. Then, to prepare their food, use separate, sterilized utensils on surfaces untouched by the allergen. Make sure the allergy-free food is served with its own utensil. “This can even mean trading out a baking dish that has just been hand-washed that previously contained that allergen,” Cary said. “Even the smallest particles of allergenic foods can cause a reaction in a person who is very sensitive or has severe reactions to foods.” In addition, a holiday meal isn’t the time to start giving your child new foods. “If your child has never had eggs, for example, the holidays are not the time to have them try key lime pie,” Cary said. “You are in control… read on > read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first drug that could delay the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Teplizumab (Tzield) targets the autoimmune issues that drive the disease, rather than its symptoms, making the medication a game changer. “Today’s approval of a first-in-class therapy adds an important new treatment option for certain at-risk patients,” Dr. John Sharretts, director of the division of diabetes, lipid disorders, and obesity in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a news release. “The drug’s potential to delay clinical diagnosis of type 1 diabetes may provide patients with months to years without the burdens of disease.” Advocates applauded the approval. “A delay in the onset of type 1 diabetes will have a tremendous impact on the daily lives of people at risk for diabetes, their families, and the overall health system,” Aaron Kowalski, CEO of the nonprofit JDRF (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), said in a statement. “It would free them from the constant burden and stress of blood-sugar monitoring and insulin administration,” Kowalski added. “It would free them from the worry and fear of short- and long-term complications, while giving them the opportunity to learn more about disease management.” People who have two or more T1D-related autoantibodies and whose blood sugar levels are starting to be abnormal are considered at high… read on > read on >

Something — or rather, someone — may be standing between moms and a regular exercise routine: their children. New research from the universities of Cambridge and Southampton in the United Kingdom suggests that fewer than half of mothers met recommended activity levels, a number that was even lower when the children were younger or there was more than one. “It is perhaps not unexpected that mothers who have young children or several children engage in less intense physical activity, but this is the first study that has quantified the significance of this reduction,” said study author Keith Godfrey. He is a professor of epidemiology and human development at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre at Southampton. “More needs to be done by local government planners and leisure facility providers to support mothers in engaging in physical activity,” Godfrey said in a university news release. For the study, the team analyzed data from 848 women who participated in the U.K. Southampton Women’s Survey. The women were aged 20 to 34, and were recruited between 1998 and 2002. The researchers followed up with them over the years. The study found that women with school-aged children did an average of about 26 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. For mothers with children aged 4 and younger, that was an average of 18 minutes per day. Having… read on > read on >

It’s sort of like the Goldilocks principle — a room that’s either too dry or too humid can influence transmission of COVID-19 and cause more illness or death, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers say. Maintaining an indoor relative humidity between 40% and 60% is associated with lower rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths, they reported Nov. 16 in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. Indoor conditions outside that range are associated with worse COVID outcomes, according to the report. “There’s potentially a protective effect of this intermediate indoor relative humidity,” said lead author Connor Verheyen, a doctoral student in the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, in Cambridge, Mass. The research team noted that most people are comfortable between 30% and 50% relative humidity. An airplane cabin is kept around 20%. Until now, researchers have considered that COVID-19 could be influenced by the seasons, but they tended to examine the virus’ patterns in the context of outdoor weather conditions. The MIT team decided that other researchers might be looking in the wrong direction, given that people in most places spend more than 90% of their time indoors. Indoor conditions also are where most viral transmission occurs. For the study, the investigators combined COVID data with meteorological measurements taken from 121 countries. They gathered COVID case counts and deaths from between January and August… read on > read on >

It might be tempting to buy prescription medication online, but buyers should beware, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns. While some pharmacy websites operate legally and can offer convenience, privacy and lower costs, others may be selling unapproved, counterfeit and unsafe medications, the FDA advises. Many unsafe online pharmacies do exist, offering prescription medications without requiring a prescription and selling them at “deeply discounted” prices. These pharmacies may use fake “store fronts” designed to mimic licensed pharmacies. They may imply or say that their medicines come from countries with high safety standards, according to the FDA. Yet, what they’re selling could be made anywhere without safety or effectiveness. The drugs could also be fake or expired. Be wary if the online pharmacy does not require a doctor’s prescription, the FDA cautioned. Other red flags: The pharmacy is not licensed in the United States or by your state board of pharmacy and doesn’t have a licensed pharmacist on staff to answer questions. You should also beware medicine that looks different from what you receive at your usual pharmacy, arrives in damaged packaging, is labeled in a foreign language, has no expiration date or is expired. A price that seems too good to be true is another warning sign. An unsafe online pharmacy may not provide clear written protections about guarding your personal and financial information,… read on > read on >

Whether you survive a bout with cancer may depend, in part, on where you live. Researchers at the American Cancer Society and Clemson University in South Carolina found a 20% higher death rate for all cancer types in the communities with the most racial and economic segregation. For lung cancer, the death rate was 50% higher in the most segregated counties. “Many people living in low-income minority households have less access to employment opportunities, transportation, education and health care, and are more likely to experience worse health outcomes,” said senior study author Xuesong Han, scientific director of health services research at the American Cancer Society. “These findings show it is imperative we continue to look for ways to increase access to cancer prevention and early detection wherever possible, to reduce disparities in cancer outcomes,” she said in a society news release. The researchers examined county-level sociodemographic and death rate data from 2015 to 2019 from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics. Among their findings: Residential racial and economic segregation was associated with cancer deaths at the county level. Segregation was associated with higher death rates from 12 of 13 selected cancer sites. Reasons why lung cancer death rates would be most strongly associated with segregation included more exposure to risk factors such as smoking and air pollution and less early… read on > read on >

Ayahuasca, a powerful psychoactive drug derived from a South American plant, is a traditional Amazonian-based medicine and an increasingly popular hallucinogenic brew used by devotees worldwide. But what is the ayahuasca experience really like? An international survey of thousands of men and women who have tried the drug for religious, therapeutic or recreational purposes provides some clues. On the downside, the vast majority said the drug induced some significant side effects, ranging from nausea and vomiting to the onset of nightmares, disturbing thoughts and a feeling of disconnection. On the upside, however, only a very small minority said they needed medical care to handle their physical discomfort. And among those reporting psychological disturbances, nearly 9 in 10 said they were just part of an experience they considered beneficial. “Ayahuasca has seen rapid growth in popularity over the last 15 years, via Western tourists heading to South America, and underground facilitated ceremonies being offered in alternative healing and spirituality settings in Western countries,” said study author Daniel Perkins, an associate professor and senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne in Australia. “However, it remains fairly niche.” Generally, ayahuasca is a brownish-red drink with a strong taste and smell. The active drug it contains is considered a Schedule 1 drug in the United States, like heroin, and therefore illegal. In most cases, Perkins said, it’s taken… read on > read on >

Americans could soon be eating chicken that’s grown in a lab from cultured animal cells, rather than raised at a farm or facility. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced Wednesday that the environment-friendly chicken made by California-based Upside Foods is safe to eat, although it is not yet fully approved for sale. “Our goal is to support innovation in food technologies while always maintaining as our priority the production of safe food,” the FDA said. “Human food made with cultured animal cells must meet the same stringent requirements, including safety requirements, as all other food.” The idea behind the firm’s production plan is to use animal cell culture technology to take living cells from chickens, then to grow those cells in a controlled environment. The business walked the FDA through its production process, establishment of cell lines and cell banks, manufacturing controls, and all components and inputs. Before its products are approved for sale, Upside still needs a grant of inspection from the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) for its manufacturing facility, according to the FDA. The food itself will also require a mark of inspection from USDA-FSIS. The FDA is closely coordinating with USDA-FSIS to make sure the food would be properly regulated and labeled. UPSIDE Foods CEO and founder Dr. Uma Valeti, who is also a… read on > read on >

Weekly Gravy

Look Good – Feel Good – Feed Good

A little about: Weekly Gravy

All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Many U.S. Parents Avoid Vaccine Talks With Child’s Doctor

Fungi in Soil Can Cause Illness, With Range Expanding in U.S.

Food Allergies & Thanksgiving Dinner Can Mix, Just Follow These Tips

FDA Approves First Drug to Delay Onset of Type 1 Diabetes

Study Confirms It: Kids Keep Harried Moms From Exercise

There Might Be a Perfect Indoor Humidity to Curb COVID Spread

Using an Online Pharmacy to Buy Meds? It’s Buyer Beware, FDA Says

As Segregation Rises in Communities, So Do Cancer Death Rates

Is Mind-Altering Ayahuasca Safe? No, But Folks Who Try It May Not Care

FDA Approves First Lab-Grown Meat Product