Firefighters might face a higher risk of brain cancers caused by exposure to chemicals in fire extinguishers, a new small-scale study says. Veteran firefighters appear to have a higher risk of brain tumors called gliomas, which can be caused by gene mutations linked to flame retardant chemicals called haloalkanes, researchers reported in a study published March 10 in the journal Cancer.  Previous studies have highlighted a mutational pattern, or “signature” in gliomas linked to haloalkane exposure, researchers said. “In these data, we confirm detection of this signature in a cohort of individuals likely highly exposed to haloalkanes, i.e., long-term firefighters,” a team led by senior researcher Dr. Elizabeth Claus, director of medical research at the Yale University School of Public Health, wrote. Gliomas are the most common type of brain cancer, researchers said in background notes. About one-third of all brain tumors are gliomas, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. For the study, researchers found 17 firefighters with gliomas participating in a University of California-San Francisco study of adults with this form of brain tumor. The firefighters had been on the job for an average of 22 years. They compared the tumors of the firefighters with 18 other participants in the brain tumor study who worked in other fields.  “As firefighters have exposure to such chemical agents, we examined mutational signatures in glioma brain tumors diagnosed…  read on >  read on >

A mother’s diet during pregnancy can influence her child’s risk of ADHD and autism, a new study says. In particular, the unhealthy hallmarks of a typical Western diet appeared to increase a child’s risk of developmental disorders, researchers reported in the journal Nature Metabolism. “The greater a woman’s adherence to a Western diet in pregnancy – high in fat, sugar, and refined products while low in fish, vegetables, and fruit — the greater the risk appears to be for her child developing ADHD or autism,” lead researcher Dr. David Horner of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark said in a news release. Even slight moves toward a more Western diet were linked to a 66% increased risk of ADHD and a 122% increased risk of autism, researchers found. But this also means that even small dietary adjustments away from a Western pattern of eating could potentially reduce a child’s risk of developmental disorders, researchers added. For this study, researchers started by identifying more than 500 Norwegian 10-year-olds diagnosed with a developmental disorder, and then analyzed what their moms ate during pregnancy. In that group, they found significant associations between an expecting mother’s diet and later ADHD and autism diagnoses among their children. A Western dietary pattern was tied to a 53% increased risk of any developmental disorder, results showed. The team then tested those associations…  read on >  read on >

Sleep-deprived night shift nurses are at greater risk for the common cold and other infectious diseases, a new study says. Shift work and its impact on quality sleep can wreak havoc on nurses’ immune systems, making them more vulnerable to infection, researchers report in the journal Chronobiology International. “Sleep debt and irregular shift patterns, including night work, not only compromise nurses’ immune health but could also impact their ability to provide high-quality patient care,” senior researcher Siri Waage said in a news release. She’s coordinator of the Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen. Nurses who got up to two hours’ less sleep than they needed had a 33% higher risk of the common cold, and the risk was double among nurses with more than two hours of sleep debt, researchers said. Their risk of pneumonia and bronchitis also increased dramatically with a lack of sleep, running nearly 2.3 times higher with moderate sleep debt and 3.9 times higher with severe sleep debt, results show. Sinusitis and GI infections also were more common among nurses who weren’t getting enough sleep, researchers added. For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 1,300 Norwegian nurses. Results showed that shift work, particularly on the night shift, was associated with higher risk of infection. However, night shift work was solely linked to an…  read on >  read on >

LED light therapy is touted by social media influencers as a trendy way to treat acne. And it actually appears to work, a new evidence review suggests. Both red and blue LED light therapy are safe and effective in clearing up mild to moderate acne, researchers reported in JAMA Dermatology. “We found individuals who use red and/or blue LED devices experienced a significant reduction in both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions compared to the control groups,” senior researcher Dr. John Barbieri, director of the Advanced Acne Therapeutics Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said in a news release. LED light therapy is thought to work by targeting the bacteria that causes acne and reducing skin inflammation, researchers said in background notes. Blue LED light therapy also might reduce activity in the sebaceous glands of hair follicles, causing them to produce less pore-clogging oil, Harvard Medical School says. It affects the uppermost layer of skin. On the other hand, red light is believed to act on skin cells that play a role in producing collagen, a protein that helps skin recover when damaged, Harvard says. Red light penetrates deeper into skin. For their review, researchers pooled data from six studies of LED therapy for acne involving 216 participants. The LED devices resulted in about a 45% improvement in acne lesions and symptoms compared to…  read on >  read on >

The makers of two popular weight-loss drugs — Wegovy and Zepbound — are cutting prices to make the medications more affordable for people without insurance. Novo Nordisk, the Danish company behind Wegovy, announced Wednesday that it has lowered its monthly cost by 23%. The new price — $499 per month — takes effect immediately. The price had been $650 a month. The discount applies to all dose levels of the medication, NBC News reported. The lower price is available to both uninsured patients and people whose insurance does not cover weight-loss drugs, the company also said. Last week, Eli Lilly, the maker of Zepbound, also cut prices for its starter dose to $349 per month. Larger doses will now cost $499 per month through the company’s self-pay program. People using these GLP-1 meds start with smaller doses and gradually increase to higher amounts over time. The price cuts come as supply issues ease. Both medications have recently been removed from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s shortage list, allowing the companies to meet growing demand. As a result, compounding pharmacies, which were allowed to make off-brand versions during the shortage, will need to wind down production. Both Wegovy and Zepbound belong to a class of drugs that have been shown to help people lose weight by reducing appetite and increasing the feelings of fullness. More…  read on >  read on >