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When it comes to pumping iron, women have as much to gain as men. A new study compared the results of women and men aged 50 to 90 who started resistance training exercise programs, finding that though men were more likely to gain absolute muscle size, their gains were on par with women’s relative to body size. “Historically, people tended to believe that men adapted to a greater degree from resistance training compared to women,” said senior study author Amanda (Mandy) Hagstrom, exercise science lecturer at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. “The differences we found primarily relate to how we look at the data — that is, absolutely or relatively. ‘Absolute’ looks at the overall gains, while ‘relative’ is a percentage based on their body size,” she said in a university news release. The researchers compared muscle mass and strength gains in more than 650 older men and 750 older women across 30 resistance training studies. Most participants had no previous resistance training experience. “We found no sex differences in changes in relative muscle size or upper body strength in older adults,” Hagstrom said. “It’s important for trainers to understand that women benefit just as much as men in terms of relative improvement compared to their baseline.” They found that when looking at absolute gains, older men gained bigger muscles and… read on > read on >

A special calorie-burning type of body fat appears to help protect against an array of chronic ailments, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, a new study suggests. Brown fat generates heat by drawing glucose from the bloodstream, as opposed to energy-storing white fat, explained senior researcher Dr. Paul Cohen. He’s an assistant professor and senior attending physician at the Rockefeller University Hospital in New York City. That sort of a tissue sounds like a godsend. However, brown fat has been long thought to have little impact on human health because your stores of brown fat diminish as you age. But research now shows that adults who have active brown fat tissues in their bodies are far less likely than their peers to suffer from a range of chronic illnesses. What’s more, this protective effect holds even if the person carries excess weight, researchers reported recently in the journal Nature Medicine. “When we grouped our subjects based on their body mass index, we saw that even obese people with brown fat show protection from these conditions,” Cohen said. “For example, it’s well known that type 2 diabetes is more common in overweight and obese individuals, but what we saw was that even obese individuals who have brown fat have a significantly lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes than obese individuals without brown… read on > read on >

Gut microbes may play a significant role in the eating disorder anorexia, a new British study says. Researchers from the University of Oxford reviewed available evidence suggesting that in people with anorexia gut microbes could affect affect appetite, weight, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and compulsive behavior. The findings appear online Jan. 12 in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. “Anorexia nervosa is a very common psychiatric disorder and can be incredibly debilitating or even fatal, but is unfortunately still quite challenging to treat,” said study co-author Ana Ghenciulescu, from Oxford’s Corpus Christi College. “Moreover, there has been a great deal of recent excitement about the idea that gut microbes affect many aspects of our health, including our mental health — and that this relationship goes both ways,” she said in a journal news release. People with anorexia restrict their eating and become dangerously thin. However, they may believe they are fat. In anorexia, microbial communities seem to be less diverse and more abundant in “harmful” species,” noted co-author Phil Burnet, an associate professor in Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry. For example, it’s been found that anorexia patients may have more bacteria that consume the protective mucus layer of the gut. This makes the gut “leaky” and contributes to chronic inflammation, which is linked with mental health symptoms. Other microbes found in anorexia patients may… read on > read on >

Could a cancer diagnosis sometimes produce positive life changes? In a new study, many people with colon cancer, even in advanced stages, believed their diagnosis had brought some beneficial effects to their lives. In surveys of 133 colon cancer patients, researchers found that nearly all — 95% — said their lives had benefited in some way since their diagnosis. Often, they felt their family relationships had strengthened, or they were better able to “take things as they come” and feel grateful for each day. That was the case whether people were in an earlier stage of the disease or had metastatic cancer — meaning it had spread to distant sites in the body. In fact, the study found, no medical factors seemed to influence patients’ capacity for “benefit finding.” On the other hand, that ability to see a “silver lining” did not buffer people against feeling anxious, sad or otherwise distressed. While that might seem counterintuitive, experts said it actually makes sense. People can simultaneously see the positives in their lives, and be distressed by dealing with a cancer diagnosis, said lead researcher Lauren Zimmaro, a senior postdoctoral associate at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Benefit-finding, she said, is about finding meaning in the midst of difficulties, and not “putting a positive spin on things.” “It’s more realistic than that,” Zimmaro said. Allison Applebaum,… read on > read on >

Concerns about “long-haul” symptoms in COVID-19 survivors may be reignited by a new study: It finds that 3 out of 4 patients from Wuhan, China — where the pandemic originated — were still suffering at least one lingering health problem six months later. The study from China involved more than 1,700 patients first diagnosed with the virus in Wuhan between January and May, and then followed to June and September. Researchers report that 76% of these patients had at least one symptom six months after symptoms began. The most common symptoms were fatigue or muscle weakness (63%) along with trouble sleeping (26%) and anxiety or depression (23%). “Because COVID-19 is such a new disease, we are only beginning to understand some of its long-term effects on patients’ health,” said researcher Dr. Bin Cao, from the National Center for Respiratory Medicine at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and Capital Medical University, both in Beijing. His team published the findings in The Lancet journal Jan. 8. “Our analysis indicates that most patients continue to live with at least some of the effects of the virus after leaving the hospital, and highlights a need for post-discharge care, particularly for those who experience severe infections,” Cao said in a journal news release. “Our work also underscores the importance of conducting longer follow-up studies in larger populations in order to understand… read on > read on >

As Americans await their COVID-19 shot, a new study of a different vaccine shows the power of Facebook posts in fueling “anti-vax” resistance to immunization. The study included more than 10 years of public Facebook posts on the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. It found that nearly 40% of 6,500 HPV vaccine-related posts from 2006 to 2016 amplified a perceived risk. The data suggest the posts had momentum over time. “We should not assume that only the disease is perceived as a risk, but when research supports it, that medical treatments and interventions might unfortunately also be perceived as risks,” said Monique Luisi, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, in Columbia. “It’s more likely that people are going to see things on social media, particularly on Facebook, that are not only negative about the HPV vaccine, but will also suggest the HPV vaccine could be harmful. It amplifies the fear that people may have about the vaccine, and we see that posts that amplify fear are more likely to trend than those that don’t,” she said in a school news release Luisi said the findings could shed light on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and distribution. During the rollout, people will likely see a lot of negative information and that negative information will be what trends on social media, she said. “If… read on > read on >

President-elect Joe Biden plans to release nearly all available doses of COVID-19 vaccine when he takes office, reversing the Trump administration’s strategy of holding back half the supply to ensure second doses are available. The potentially risky move is meant to boost a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination program that has gotten off to a slow start, with only about 5.9 million doses administered out of 29.4 million distributed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The President-elect believes we must accelerate distribution of the vaccine while continuing to ensure the Americans who need it most get it as soon as possible,” T.J. Ducklo, a spokesperson for Biden’s transition, told CNN. Biden “will share additional details next week on how his administration will begin releasing available doses when he assumes office on January 20th,” Ducklo added. One infectious diseases expert noted that supply is not the only issue hampering the vaccine rollout. “I do think it is important to get all of those out as fast as possible so we can accelerate the process of vaccination,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, in Baltimore. “However, it’s not just an issue of doses, it’s about turning those doses into actual vaccinations, so we do still need more support at the state level to actually implement vaccination programs.… read on > read on >

A task force of allergists and immunologists recommends those administering the COVID-19 vaccine ask patients some key questions beforehand. While reactions to vaccines are extremely rare, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) said anyone being vaccinated should be asked if they have a history of a severe allergic reaction to an injectable medication. If the answer is yes, the individual should be referred to a board-certified allergist for evaluation before getting the COVID-19 vaccination, ACAAI said in a news release. The academy also said COVID-19 vaccines should be given in a health care facility where an allergic reaction can be treated. Patients must be monitored for at least 15 to 30 minutes after injection for any adverse reaction. COVID-19 vaccines should not be given to people with a known history of severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if you have a severe allergic reaction after the first shot, you should not get the second shot. Data regarding risk in individuals with a history of allergic reactions is very limited and evolving, according to ACAAI. Patients and doctors should balance the risks and benefits of vaccination. People with allergies to medications, foods, inhalants, insects and latex are probably no more likely than others to have an allergic reaction to COVID-19… read on > read on >

Americans battling hypertension may have one less thing to worry about: Blood pressure drugs do not affect outcomes of people hospitalized with COVID-19, a new study finds. Researchers looked at whether two types of medications used to treat high blood pressure — ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) — could either lessen complications or lead to more severe COVID symptoms. “At the start of the pandemic, patients were worried about perceived harm based on limited and incomplete information and, unfortunately, some insisted on stopping their medications,” said study first author Dr. Jordana Cohen, an assistant professor in the university’s Perelman School of Medicine. “However, stopping these medications unnecessarily can increase the risk for severe complications, including heart attack and stroke,” “Now, we have high-quality evidence to support our recommendation that patients continue to take these medications as prescribed,” Cohen said in a university news release.”Our trial results importantly show that these medications can be safely continued for patients hospitalized with COVID-19,” said researchers from the University of Pennsylvania. The study involved 152 patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and already using one of the blood pressure drugs. The researchers randomly assigned the patients to either continue their medications or stop using them. The investigators found no difference in outcomes between the two groups. More than 49 million Americans take high blood pressure medications, and… read on > read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Weight Training Benefits Older Women, Men Equally, Study Shows

Calorie-Burning ‘Brown Fat’ Could Help Keep You Healthy, Even if You’re Obese

Do Gut Microbes Play a Role in Anorexia?

For Many Cancer Patients, Diagnosis Brings Psychological ‘Silver Lining’

Six Months Later, Most Wuhan COVID Survivors Still Have Health Issues

Facebook Posts Big Drivers in Vaccine Resistance, Study Finds

Biden Says He Will Release All Vaccine Doses After Taking Office

Allergists’ Group Offers Guidelines on COVID-19 Vaccines

Common Blood Pressure Meds Won’t Up Risks for COVID Patients: Study

Facebook Posts Big Drivers in Vaccine Resistance, Study Finds