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Food left in the stomach or stool left in the bowel can impede a doctor’s ability to successfully perform an endoscopy or colonoscopy. Now, research finds this scenario is more likely if the patient is taking popular new weight-loss meds such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound. For these patients, “inadequate bowel preparation was more common” before endoscopy or colonoscopy, according to researchers led by Dr. Ruchi Mathur. She’s an endocrinologist and gastrointestinal researcher at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Mathur’s team published its findings Oct. 1 in the journal JAMA Network Open. As the researchers noted, prior studies have suggested that people taking GLP-1`medications might face a higher odds of “aspirating” food when undergoing procedures requiring anesthesia. Because the drugs can also cause constipation and a delayed emptying of the stomach, Mathur’s group wondered if the meds might leave residues in the digestive tract that could interfere with the clarity of endoscopic procedures. To find out, they looked at endoscopies and colonoscopies performed on 209 patients who were all overweight or obese (mean BMI of about 34) and averaging about 63 years of age. Seventy of the participants were taking a GLP-1 medicine, with almost half of that group taking Ozempic or Wegovy. The other 139 participants were not taking a GLP-1 med. For 23 folks undergoing an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), where a camera is snaked through… read on > read on >

A new law just passed in California makes it the first state to tell public schools they may no longer serve foods that contain six artificial dyes linked to health and behavior problems among children. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the California School Food Safety Act into law on Saturday. It bans Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3 in meals, drinks and snacks served in school cafeterias across the state, although the law won’t take effect until Dec. 31, 2027. “Our health is inextricably tied to the food we eat — but fresh, healthy foods aren’t always available or affordable for families,” Newsom said in a news release after signing the bill into law. “Today, we are refusing to accept the status quo, and making it possible for everyone, including school kids, to access nutritious, delicious food without harmful, and often addictive, additives. By giving every child a healthy start, we can set them on the path to a future with less risk of obesity and chronic illness.” The bill was first proposed in March by Democratic Assembly member Jesse Gabriel, three years after a state report linked consuming synthetic food dyes to hyperactivity and neurobehavioral problems in some children. “Overall, our review of human studies suggests that synthetic food dyes are associated with adverse neurobehavioral effects, such as inattentiveness,… read on > read on >

Following the historic destruction of Hurricane Helene, many Americans must now return to their mangled homes and begin the heartbreaking task of clean-up. After making landfall in Florida near Tallahassee as a ferocious Cat 4 storm on Thursday, Helene caused record-breaking storm surges in Tampa, flash flooding in Atlanta and power outages, massive flooding and mud slides in the mountains of North Carolina. Even as rescuers continued to search on Monday for survivors, more than 120 people across six states have already been confirmed dead. For survivors, federal health experts warn they must be prepared for the many dangers that likely await them when they return to their homes. Perhaps the most pressing is the risk of electricity or gas leaks, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Be sure to go back during daylight, so you don’t need to try to turn on any lights, and use battery-powered flashlights or lanterns rather than candles, gas lanterns or torches. First and foremost, if there’s standing water and you can turn off the house’s main power from a dry location, do that first — before you start cleaning up, the CDC says. It’s a different story if accessing the main power switch means entering standing water. In that setting, you need to call an electrician to turn it off. “Never turn power on or… read on > read on >

Besides being useless in altering a person’s sexuality or gender identity, so-called “conversion therapy” or “conversion practice” can greatly raise the odds that an LGBT person experiences mental health issues, new research finds. Questionnaires completed by over 4,400 LGBTQ+ Americans found that having undergone these bogus interventions was linked to higher rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal thoughts or attempts. “Our findings add to a body of evidence that shows conversion practice is unethical and linked with poor mental health,” said study lead author Dr. Nguyen Tran, of Stanford University School of Medicine. “Protecting LGBTQ+ people from the impacts of these harmful practices will require multi-pronged legislation, including state and federal bans,” Tran added. “Additional measures such as support networks and targeted mental health support for survivors are also vital.” The findings were published Sept. 30 in The Lancet Psychiatry journal. Conversion therapy is any kind of formal, structured effort to alter a person’s sexuality or gender identification, often employing psychological, behavioral, physical and faith-based practices. Most respected professional medical and mental health organizations are opposed to the practice, although it’s still offered at sites throughout the United States. Anywhere from 4% to 34% of LGBTQ+ American children and adults may have been subjected to conversion practices, according to a Lancet news release. The data used in the new study came from the… read on > read on >

More than 14 million seniors a year take a tumble, and those falls can be life-changing. “The relationship between falls and dementia appears to be a two-way street,” said Molly Jarman, senior author of a new study showing that cognitive decline may increase an older person’s risk for a fall and the trauma that follows a fall may also speed up progress of dementia. The study by Jarman, deputy director of the Center for Surgery and Public Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and her colleagues notes that falls are among the most common reason for trauma center admissions and the No. 1 cause of injury in older adults. “Thus, falls may be able to act as precursor events that can help us identify people who need further cognitive screening,” Jarman said in a hospital news release. Her team looked at Medicare claims data for more than 2.4 million seniors who suffered a traumatic injury and how they were doing a year later. Half of the patients were injured in a fall. Of those, 10.6% were later diagnosed with dementia, the study found. Falls increased the risk of a future dementia diagnosis by 21%. As such, the researchers recommend that older adults who go to the hospital for care after a fall undergo cognitive screening either in the ER or in the hospital.… read on > read on >

There’s a strong link between self-esteem and good times between the sheets, a new study suggests. Folks ranking high in self-esteem also tended to rate their sex lives as satisfying, reported a team from the Universities of Zurich and Utrecht, in Switzerland and The Netherlands. The effect could work in both directions, researchers believe. “People with higher self-esteem tend not only to be sexually active more often, but also to be more satisfied with their sexual experiences,” said lead authors Elisa Weber and Wiebke Bleidorn, from the department of psychology at the University of Zurich. The data was based on interviews conducted over 12 years with more than 11,000 German adults, averaging about 26 years of age. They were asked questions such as, “How satisfied are you with your sex life?” and “How often have you had sexual intercourse, on average, during the past three months?,” or asked to agree or disagree with statements such as “Sometimes I believe that I’m worthless” or “I like myself just the way I am.” There was a strong correlation between higher levels of self-esteem and an active, satisfying sex life, the researchers found. The relationship seemed “reciprocal” over time: For example, as levels of self-esteem climbed higher, sex got more satisfying, too. And as folks enjoyed happier sex lives, self-esteem levels rose. They researchers noted that sexual satisfaction… read on > read on >

In a world where families may be more apt to interact with technology than with one another, some things never change. Many still struggle to get along. But just what do 21st century families fight about? A new survey of 593 parents with at least one child between the ages of 4 and 17 offers some clues — and the flashpoints are very familiar. For couples, communication is No. 1. They’re also clashing about issues like mood, parenting, money and whose turn it is to take out the trash or do other chores. “Think about how much relationships in our world have changed in the last 50 years, with massive cultural and technological shifts,” said study co-author Allen Barton, an assistant professor of human development and family studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. “Interestingly, despite all these changes, couples still seem to argue about the same things,” he added in a university news release. “This suggests there are some fundamental aspects for what it takes to make a romantic relationship last.” Parents and teens, meanwhile, have added technology and cellphone use to the traditional clashes over chores and messy rooms. But perennial issues such as bedtime delays, obeying instructions and picky eating remain the biggest battles between parents and younger kids. “These struggles appear to be common across different types of families,” Barton said. … read on > read on >

A synthetic form of the active ingredient in cannabis helps reduce agitation in people with Alzheimer’s, new research shows. Synthetic THC (dronabinol) also gave patients’ caregivers a boost, according to findings presented Thursday at a meeting of the International Psychogeriatrics Association in Buenos Aires. The findings may provide encouragement for the families of the 7 million Americans who have Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Nine out of 10 develop behavior problems, and agitation is the most common, affecting 4 in 10. Agitated patients with Alzheimer’s often pace, wander, yell, scream and get verbally abusive. Their behavior may also leave their caregivers burned out and depressed. “It is the agitation, not the memory loss, that often drives individuals with dementia to the emergency department and long-term care facilities,” said study co-author Dr. Brent Forester, director of behavioral health for Tufts Medicine in Boston. “Dronabinol has the potential to both reduce health care costs and make an important, positive impact on caregivers’ mental and physical health.” The new study included 75 outpatients with Alzheimer’s dementia. For three weeks, they took either 5 milligrams (mg) of dronabinol twice a day or a dummy pill. Symptoms of agitation were significantly improved in the patients who took dronabinol, and researchers said the drug was well-tolerated. “Dronabinol appears to perform just as well, if not better, than the only other… read on > read on >

A tumble, a tackle: Anything can bring on a sidelining sports injury. Now, four experts in such injuries at Penn State Health give advice on recovery and when it’s okay to return to play. AC shoulder sprains This happens when your acromioclavicular (AC) joint pops out and separates or is sprained, typically after a fall that lands on the shoulder area. You’re going to feel pain all over the front and top of the shoulder, said Penn sports medicine physician Dr. Caitlyn Haines. Treating AC sprains “depends on the degree of injury and can range from conservative measures like anti-inflammatories and rest to surgery if the joint is significantly separated,” Haines explained. Returning to play again depends on the extent of injury, she said. “Athletes may need some time off before returning, but others may miss little to no time if the sprain is mild and the shoulder exhibits full range of motion,” Haines noted. Recovery times can range from one to six weeks. Keeping the shoulder from a repeat injury is paramount, she added. Ankle sprains Ankle sprains typically involve damage to connective ligaments, not bone, said Penn sports physician Dr. Douglas Leder. You’ll know when you’ve sprained your ankle. It “usually occurs when an athlete stretches, falls upon or exerts their ankle in an abnormal way, resulting in stretching or tearing of the… read on > read on >

The first new type of medication in decades to help fight against schizophrenia was approved on Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Cobenfy (xanomeline/trospium chloride) could bring patients what they’ve long hoped for: A means of easing the hallucinations and “voices” that disrupt their lives without the weight gain and sluggishness of current dopamine-focused drugs. Cobenfy does affect dopamine, but indirectly through what are known as cholinergic receptors, altering the activity of another neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. “Schizophrenia is a leading cause of disability worldwide. It is a severe, chronic mental illness that is often damaging to a person’s quality of life,” said Dr. Tiffany Farchione, director of psychiatry in the Office of Neuroscience in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This drug takes the first new approach to schizophrenia treatment in decades,” she said in an agency news release. “This approval offers a new alternative to the antipsychotic medications people with schizophrenia have previously been prescribed.” According to the FDA, about 1% of people have schizophrenia, which is characterized by intrusive thoughts, hallucinations (including voices) and paranoia that can greatly interfere with daily living and social interactions with others. It can be a debilitating illness and greatly raises the odds of dying at a young age, the agency said. Almost 5% of people with schizophrenia die by suicide, the FDA noted. Almost… read on > read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

GLP-1 Weight-Loss Meds Could Interfere With Endoscopy, Colonoscopy

California Bans 6 Artificial Dyes in Foods Served at Public Schools

Helene’s Aftermath: How to Safely Enter, Clean Flood-Damaged Homes

Bogus ‘Conversion Therapy’ Leads to Higher Risk of Mental Illness for LGBT People

Falling Linked to Raised Risk of Dementia in Older People

Good Sex and Self Esteem Often Go Together, Study Finds

What Do Families Fight About Most? New Study Finds Out

Synthetic THC May Calm Agitation in Alzheimer’s Patients

Sports Injuries: How They’re Treated, and How Soon You Can Safely Return to Play

FDA Approves New Kind of Drug for Schizophrenia