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Implant Protects Against Vision-Destroying Eye Disease

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A newly approved implant appears to slow vision loss from a rare and previously untreatable eye disease, researchers report. The eye implant, called ENCELTO, gradually releases proteins that protect light-sensing nerve cells against macular telangiectasia (MacTel) type 2, researchers recently reported in the journal NEJM Evidence. The capsule-sized implant slowed the progression of MacTel in two phase 3 clinical trials involving more than 200 people, researchers said. “This is the first time we’ve seen a therapy meaningfully alter the course of MacTel,” senior researcher Dr. Martin Friedlander, a professor of molecular and cellular biology at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., said in a news release. Based on clinical trial results, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March approved ENCELTO as the first authorized treatment for MacTel, researchers said. “This is a step toward redefining how we think about vision loss,” Friedlander said. “Instead of waiting for cells to die, we’re learning how to protect and preserve them.” MacTel occurs due to problems in the tiny blood vessels under and around the retina, the layer of nerve cells at the back of the eye that detect light and convert it into electrical signals that are sent to the brain, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The blood vessels leak fluid, causing the nerve cells of the retina to begin to…  read on >  read on >

Tiny Traces of Lithium May Help Protect the Brain From Alzheimer’s

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Tiny amounts of lithium — a natural metal — may help protect the brain from Alzheimer’s and signs of aging, new research shows. Scientists at Harvard Medical School and Rush University found that when mice were fed a low-lithium diet, their brains developed more inflammation and signs of aging accelerated. The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature. Turns out, lithium may play a critical role in how the brain stays healthy, the researchers found. In the study, they compared normal mice to mice bred to develop brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s, including a build-up of sticky proteins.  Mice on low-lithium diets developed problems more quickly, while those given a specific lithium compound called lithium orotate saw signs of brain improvement. When given lithium orotate, mice had fewer memory problems and fewer of the sticky clumps known as beta amyloid plaques. In people, those plaques are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. Many people know lithium as a drug used to treat bipolar disorder and depression. It’s been used for decades. But this study suggests that very small amounts of lithium are naturally present in the body, and it may be essential for brain health. Researchers suspect that beta amyloid binds to lithium and prevents it from reaching brain cells that need it.  Without enough lithium, cells called microglia, which help clean up waste in the brain,…  read on >  read on >

New Weight Loss Pill From Eli Lilly Shows Promise in Early Study

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A new weight loss pill made by Eli Lilly helped people lose a significant amount of weight in a recent study. Taken at the highest dose, orforglipron helped patients lose an average 27.3 pounds, or 12.4% of their body weight, over 72 weeks. Eli Lilly says it plans to apply for U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval by the end of the year to market the drug. If approved, the pill could become a simpler alternative to injectable medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound and Mounjaro, which are used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes. Pills are easier to make and “can be manufactured at a significant scale,” Kenneth Custer, Eli Lilly’s president of cardiometabolic health, told The New York Times. “There are orders of magnitude differences in how many we can support,” he said, adding that pills could also help people in countries without access to cold storage needed for injected drugs. Like the injected medications, the new pill belongs to the GLP-1 class of drugs. GLP-1 drugs work by helping people feel full longer and by slowing digestion, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The recent study included 3,127 adults who were randomly assigned to take orforglipron or a placebo. Three different dosages of the drug were evaluated. In addition to weight loss, people taking the drug also saw improvements in cholesterol, triglyceride…  read on >  read on >

New Weight Loss Pill From Eli Lilly Shows Promise in Early Study

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A new weight loss pill made by Eli Lilly helped people lose a significant amount of weight in a recent study. Taken at the highest dose, orforglipron helped patients lose an average 27.3 pounds, or 12.4% of their body weight, over 72 weeks. Eli Lilly says it plans to apply for U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval by the end of the year to market the drug. If approved, the pill could become a simpler alternative to injectable medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound and Mounjaro, which are used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes. Pills are easier to make and “can be manufactured at a significant scale,” Kenneth Custer, Eli Lilly’s president of cardiometabolic health, told The New York Times. “There are orders of magnitude differences in how many we can support,” he said, adding that pills could also help people in countries without access to cold storage needed for injected drugs. Like the injected medications, the new pill belongs to the GLP-1 class of drugs. GLP-1 drugs work by helping people feel full longer and by slowing digestion, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The recent study included 3,127 adults who were randomly assigned to take orforglipron or a placebo. Three different dosages of the drug were evaluated. In addition to weight loss, people taking the drug also saw improvements in cholesterol, triglyceride…  read on >  read on >

Verbal Abuse As Damaging As Physical Abuse To Children’s Mental Health

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“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This old saying is just plain wrong, a new study argues. Verbal abuse inflicted in childhood can harm a person’s future mental health as much as physical abuse, researchers reported Aug. 5 in the journal BMJ Open. Verbal abuse increased by 64% a child’s likelihood of low mental well-being as an adult, while physical abused increased odds by 52%, researchers found. Those who suffered both verbal and physical abuse had twice the risk of low mental well-being as adults, results show. “The immediate consequences of physical abuse of children are often shocking with immediate and life course impacts on the victims’ health,” wrote the research team led by Mark Bellis, a professor of public health and behavior sciences at Liverpool John Moores University in the U.K. “Verbal abuse may not immediately manifest in ways that catch the attention of bystanders, clinicians or others in supporting services with a responsibility for safeguarding children,” the researchers continued. “However, as suggested here, some impacts may be no less harmful or protracted.” Worldwide, about 1 in 6 children endures physical abuse from family or caregivers, which has been linked to depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, violence and serious health problems in adulthood, researchers said in background notes. But verbal abuse also is a source of…  read on >  read on >

Verbal Abuse As Damaging As Physical Abuse To Children’s Mental Health

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“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This old saying is just plain wrong, a new study argues. Verbal abuse inflicted in childhood can harm a person’s future mental health as much as physical abuse, researchers reported Aug. 5 in the journal BMJ Open. Verbal abuse increased by 64% a child’s likelihood of low mental well-being as an adult, while physical abused increased odds by 52%, researchers found. Those who suffered both verbal and physical abuse had twice the risk of low mental well-being as adults, results show. “The immediate consequences of physical abuse of children are often shocking with immediate and life course impacts on the victims’ health,” wrote the research team led by Mark Bellis, a professor of public health and behavior sciences at Liverpool John Moores University in the U.K. “Verbal abuse may not immediately manifest in ways that catch the attention of bystanders, clinicians or others in supporting services with a responsibility for safeguarding children,” the researchers continued. “However, as suggested here, some impacts may be no less harmful or protracted.” Worldwide, about 1 in 6 children endures physical abuse from family or caregivers, which has been linked to depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, violence and serious health problems in adulthood, researchers said in background notes. But verbal abuse also is a source of…  read on >  read on >

1 in 10 Americans Has Used GLP-1 Drugs For Weight Loss, Survey Says

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More than 1 in 10 Americans have used a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, a new survey by the RAND research group reveals. About 12% say they’ve tried GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound, with rates of use highest among people ages 50 to 64, survey results show. “Of all demographic groups, women between the ages of 50 and 64 had the highest use rate,” wrote the research team led by Robert Bozick, director of RAND Survey Panels. “One in five women, or 20%, reported having ever used GLP-1 agonists.” Further, many GLP-1 users report side effects like nausea and diarrhea, the survey found. The report is the most recent and largest survey to date estimating how many Americans have used the revolutionary weight-loss drugs, researchers said. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs mimic the GLP-1 hormone, which helps control insulin and blood sugar levels, decreases appetite and slows digestion of food. Since 2020, prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs have more than tripled, researchers said in background notes. To see how widespread use has become, RAND surveyed 8,793 Americans in April and May. Along with the 12% who have tried the drugs, another 14% are interested in giving them a go, the survey found. Meanwhile, three-quarters of Americans (74%) say they don’t plan to try GLP-1 drugs. Respondents said the most common side effects associated with GLP-1…  read on >  read on >

1 in 10 Americans Has Used GLP-1 Drugs For Weight Loss, Survey Says

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More than 1 in 10 Americans have used a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, a new survey by the RAND research group reveals. About 12% say they’ve tried GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound, with rates of use highest among people ages 50 to 64, survey results show. “Of all demographic groups, women between the ages of 50 and 64 had the highest use rate,” wrote the research team led by Robert Bozick, director of RAND Survey Panels. “One in five women, or 20%, reported having ever used GLP-1 agonists.” Further, many GLP-1 users report side effects like nausea and diarrhea, the survey found. The report is the most recent and largest survey to date estimating how many Americans have used the revolutionary weight-loss drugs, researchers said. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs mimic the GLP-1 hormone, which helps control insulin and blood sugar levels, decreases appetite and slows digestion of food. Since 2020, prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs have more than tripled, researchers said in background notes. To see how widespread use has become, RAND surveyed 8,793 Americans in April and May. Along with the 12% who have tried the drugs, another 14% are interested in giving them a go, the survey found. Meanwhile, three-quarters of Americans (74%) say they don’t plan to try GLP-1 drugs. Respondents said the most common side effects associated with GLP-1…  read on >  read on >

Most Kids In Fatal Car Wrecks Aren’t Safely Restrained

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Most children involved in fatal car crashes are not safely and properly restrained, needlessly placing them in harm’s way, a new study says. About 7 of 10 kids younger than 13 weren’t safely strapped in when a fatal auto accident took place, researchers reported in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention. “We found more than half of children younger than 13 years old involved in crashes with fatalities to have suboptimal child passenger safety practices,” reported the research team led by senior researcher Dr. Michelle Macy, director of the Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research and Evaluation Center at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Most often, children had been prematurely transitioned to a booster seat or seat belt rather than left in a car seat in the rear, researchers said. Others either were riding completely unrestrained or riding in the front seat, the study says. An average of three children die in a motor vehicle wreck every day in the United States, and 429 are injured, researchers said in background notes. To figure out whether a lack of safe restraint contributes to these deaths and injuries, researchers analyzed data on more than 52,300 children involved in fatal car crashes between 2011 and 2021 as reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nearly 70% of children in a…  read on >  read on >

Most Kids In Fatal Car Wrecks Aren’t Safely Restrained

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Most children involved in fatal car crashes are not safely and properly restrained, needlessly placing them in harm’s way, a new study says. About 7 of 10 kids younger than 13 weren’t safely strapped in when a fatal auto accident took place, researchers reported in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention. “We found more than half of children younger than 13 years old involved in crashes with fatalities to have suboptimal child passenger safety practices,” reported the research team led by senior researcher Dr. Michelle Macy, director of the Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research and Evaluation Center at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Most often, children had been prematurely transitioned to a booster seat or seat belt rather than left in a car seat in the rear, researchers said. Others either were riding completely unrestrained or riding in the front seat, the study says. An average of three children die in a motor vehicle wreck every day in the United States, and 429 are injured, researchers said in background notes. To figure out whether a lack of safe restraint contributes to these deaths and injuries, researchers analyzed data on more than 52,300 children involved in fatal car crashes between 2011 and 2021 as reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nearly 70% of children in a…  read on >  read on >