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Previous exposure to other coronaviruses may enhance a person’s immune response to COVID-19 infection, but new research suggests that antibodies triggered by the SARS outbreak of 2003 provide only limited protection against the new coronavirus. Antibodies are blood proteins made by the immune system to protect against infection, the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) researchers explained. “Our finding has some important implications concerning immunity toward different strains of coronavirus infections, especially as these viruses continue to mutate,” said senior study author Fikadu Tafesse. He’s an assistant professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at OHSU School of Medicine, in Portland. Mutations occur quickly — about one to two per month — so it’s not surprising that an antibody generated from a virus 18 years ago (such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, also known as SARS) provides little defense against the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the study authors said. The findings suggest that more research is needed to assess how long COVID-19 vaccines are effective, Tafesse noted. “I don’t think there is any one-size-fits-all vaccine, although the vaccines coming out now may break the momentum of the virus and end the pandemic, they may not be the end game,” Tafesse explained in a university news release. Study lead author Timothy Bates, a fourth-year molecular microbiology and immunology graduate student at OHSU, said the findings weren’t that worrisome.… read on > read on >

It’s not just sagging that ages a face, but loss of fat under the skin as well, according to a new study. The findings could help plastic surgeons give their patients a more natural look, the study authors said. For the study, researchers analyzed CT scans of the faces of 19 people, taken at least a decade apart. The study participants were an average age of 46 at the time of the first scan and 57 on average at the second scan. The patients weren’t undergoing facelift surgery or other cosmetic procedures. The scans were useful for measuring changes in fat deposits in the midface, which is the area between the eyes and the mouth. The total volume of facial fat decreased by about 12% at the follow-up scan. Fat volume in the superficial compartment, which is just under the skin, decreased by an average of about 11%, while there was a greater loss in the deep facial fat compartment, an average reduction of more than 18%, the investigators found. The findings support the volume loss theory, according to the report published in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “In particular, we think that deep facial fat loss removes support from the overlying fat,” said study author Dr. Aaron Morgan, of the Medical College of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee. “That causes deepening of the… read on > read on >

Consuming greater amounts of certain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may reduce the risk of asthma in kids — but only those with a common gene variant, British researchers say. They focused on the long chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are known to have anti-inflammatory properties. “Asthma is the most common chronic condition in childhood and we currently don’t know how to prevent it,” said study senior author Seif Shaheen, of Queen Mary University of London. “It is possible that a poor diet may increase the risk of developing asthma, but until now most studies have taken ‘snapshots’, measuring diet and asthma over a short period of time,” he said in a university news release. To find out if intake of omega-3s might matter, the researchers analyzed data on more than 4,500 Britons who were born in the 1990s and whose health has been tracked since birth. The researchers analyzed the association between intake of EPA and DHA from fish at 7 years of age and rates of newly diagnosed asthma in these kids as they reached 11 to 14 years of age. Overall, omega-3 intake from fish was not associated with asthma onset. But it did seem tied to a lower odds for asthma in a subgroup of children with a particular genetic makeup. The DNA… read on > read on >

For some patients suffering from knee arthritis, a special procedure may reduce the need for a total knee replacement, Canadian researchers say. By getting what is known as a ‘high tibial osteotomy,’ younger patients with less severe joint damage who are physically active might be able to delay the need for a knee replacement by 10 years or more, though they may have to search for a doctor who performs the surgery. “High tibial osteotomy is a knee surgery aimed at treating patients in earlier stages of osteoarthritis by correcting the alignment of bowed legs and shifting load to less diseased parts of the knee,” explained lead researcher Trevor Birmingham, the Canada research chair of musculoskeletal rehabilitation at the University of Western Ontario. During the procedure, the tibia (shinbone) is cut and then reshaped to relieve pressure on the knee joint. Beyond improving pain and function, a goal of the procedure is to prevent or delay the need for total knee replacement, Birmingham said. Although high tibial osteotomy can improve pain and function and is cost-effective, the procedure is underused in North America, Birmingham said. “Rates of high tibial osteotomy continue to decline, while rates of other knee surgeries continue to rise,” he added. “The low rates of high tibial osteotomy are partially due to the perception that the procedure is only suitable for a… read on > read on >

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s crucial for homebound older adults to find safe and effective ways to exercise, an expert says. At-home workouts can help strengthen muscles, improve balance, increase blood flow to the heart, boost the immune system and reduce stress, according to Summer Cook, an associate professor of kinesiology and an expert on senior fitness at the University of New Hampshire, in Durham. “People in their 20s and 30s often set health goals like running marathons or losing weight, but as people age there is a point where they shift their priorities to maintaining health, not necessarily for athletics or looks but for improving the ability to do their daily activities,” she said in a university news release. Being inactive can worsen existing health problems, so it’s crucial for older adults to find ways to get extra exercise beyond their typical daily activities. “My goal is to keep older adults as independent as possible as they age,” Cook said. “And while most seniors find themselves not getting out of the house as much these days, it’s important for them to know that there are still plenty of ways to work on their health at home.” The first thing older adults should do is talk to their doctor about any exercise plan to ensure that it is safe and effective. The focus should be… read on > read on >

FRIDAY, Jan. 29, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — New federal dietary guidelines encourage Americans to focus more on eating healthy throughout life, to be flexible in their eating patterns and to cut down on empty calories. The recommendations, released every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, are designed to promote nutrition and prevent chronic disease. The guidance influences food and nutrition programs at the federal, state and local levels, and impacts how food companies formulate their products. “The high prevalence of diabetes, cancer and heart disease could be reduced if people ate better,” said Judith Wylie-Rosett, a professor of health promotion and nutrition research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. “Chronic diseases are often related to obesity and poor nutritional habits.” Here are five important takeaways from nutrition experts: There’s flexibility to customize The recommendations emphasize that healthy eating comes in many forms and can be adjusted to fit cultural traditions, personal tastes and different budgets. Swapping out red meat, for example, doesn’t mean people have to force down their least-favorite source of protein. “You can go with a plant-based diet or eat seafood, poultry and legumes rather than red meat,” said Penny Kris-Etherton, a distinguished professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University in University Park. The new focus… read on > read on >

Dry and chapped lips are common during the winter, but there are a number of things you can do to protect them, an expert says. “Cold, dry weather; sun damage; and frequently licking your lips are just some of the reasons your lips might feel dry and chapped this winter,” dermatologist Dr. Noëlle Sherber said in an American Academy of Dermatology news release. “Understanding these causes and anything else that might trigger your chapped lips goes a long way in preventing and treating them.” Sherber offered the following advice on preventing and treating dry, chapped lips: Use non-irritating lip products. Stick to lip balms, lipsticks and other lip products that contain ingredients like castor seed oil, ceramides, dimethicone or mineral oil. Choose products that are labeled “fragrance-free” and “hypoallergenic.” Avoid harsh ingredients. Camphor, menthol or eucalyptus can irritate your lips. If your lips burn, sting or tingle after using a lip product, stop using it. Refresh often. Apply your lip balm throughout the day and before you go to bed. If your lips are very dry and cracked, use a thick ointment, such as petroleum jelly. Ointment seals in moisture longer than waxes or oils. Protect your lips outdoors. Before going outside, apply a lip balm with an SPF of 30 or higher. Use a lip balm with titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide and reapply… read on > read on >

Heart surgery can be stressful, but researchers may have found a way to reduce patients’ anxiety and postoperative pain — without any extra side effects. A team from the Netherlands found that the simple act of listening to music around the time of surgery may help patients as they recover. “This is a fascinating question for heart surgeons because we perform the most invasive procedures that require opening the chest, stopping the heart, using a heart-lung machine while we fix the heart, and then allowing the patient to return to life again,” said Dr. Harold Fernandez, a U.S. cardiac surgeon unconnected to the new study. “Undoubtedly, there is a significant amount of both anxiety and pain associated with these procedures,” said Fernandez, who is chief of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Northwell Health’s Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. In the new research, published Jan. 25 in the online journal Open Heart, the Dutch team analyzed data from 16 studies looking at the effect of music on post-op care. The studies included almost 1,000 patients, and about 90% of the procedures involved coronary artery bypass grafts and/or heart valve replacement. A majority of the time the type of music used was relaxing and did not have strong rhythms or percussion, the researchers noted. The choice of music varied; sometimes it was from the… read on > read on >

People who are hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine don’t have to work hard to find internet rumors and theories that will fuel their fears regarding the vaccine’s safety. That’s because anti-vaccine groups and individuals are working overtime to promote frightening, false theories about the two COVID-19 vaccines that have now been administered to more than 24 million Americans, infectious disease experts say. “These kind of rumors have been around ever since Edward Jenner made his smallpox vaccine in the late 1700s,” said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “There was a belief if you got the vaccine, which was derived from cowpox, that you would take on bovine characteristics. You’d get a snout, you’d get a tail, you’d get floppy ears. That was the internet 1802, basically.” There are two major types of disinformation being promulgated about the coronavirus vaccines: Anecdotal “cause-and-effect” rumors that erroneously tie a person’s untimely demise to the fact they recently got a COVID-19 vaccine. “Big lie” conspiracy theories that allege the vaccine can cause all manner of major side effects, from infertility to permanently altering your genetics. Health care workers had braced for stories coming out that tie people’s personal health problems and untimely deaths to their recent vaccination, even though there’s no evidence linking the two. For example, vaccine… read on > read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Prior Exposure to SARS Virus Provides Little Protection Against New Coronavirus

Fat Loss in Face Does Make Folks Look Older: Study

Omega-3s From Fish Might Curb Asthma in Kids, But Genes Matter

Knee Procedure Done Earlier Might Prevent Knee Replacement Later

No Gym Required: How Seniors Can Exercise During Lockdown

AHA News: 5 Things Nutrition Experts Want You to Know About New Federal Dietary Guidelines

Kiss Chapped Lips Goodbye This Winter

Music Could Be a Post-Op Panacea, Study Finds

Anti-Vaxxers Mounting Internet Campaigns Against COVID-19 Shots

AHA News: 5 Things Nutrition Experts Want You to Know About New Federal Dietary Guidelines