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Concussion? When To Start Physical Therapy

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Think you can simply shake off a concussion without any professional help? Think again, a recent study says. People who forego concussion treatment can have lingering aftereffects that make them slow, sluggish and off-kilter, researchers reported recently in the Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal. “We have people who come in and say they’re fine,” senior researcher Laurie King, a professor of neurology at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, said in a news release. “Then when we challenge them to turn their head while looking at a fixed point, they’re like, ‘Whoa, that makes me feel sick.’ ” Earlier physical therapy seems to enable the brain to return to a more normal state of balance following a concussion, clinical trial results show. Without it, people have lingering problems related to their reaction time for balance and moving their bodies, researchers found. “It means they’re balanced-challenged and don’t react as quickly as someone with normal reaction times,” King said. That’s because when physical therapy is delayed, the brain might adapt to the injury by relying more on their vision than their inner ear to help maintain their balance, researchers said. Those patients had sloppier balance control because using their vision in that way caused delayed reaction time, King added. “There seems to be a window of opportunity within two months,” King said. “After that point,…  read on >  read on >

Concussion? When To Start Physical Therapy

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Think you can simply shake off a concussion without any professional help? Think again, a recent study says. People who forego concussion treatment can have lingering aftereffects that make them slow, sluggish and off-kilter, researchers reported recently in the Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal. “We have people who come in and say they’re fine,” senior researcher Laurie King, a professor of neurology at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, said in a news release. “Then when we challenge them to turn their head while looking at a fixed point, they’re like, ‘Whoa, that makes me feel sick.’ ” Earlier physical therapy seems to enable the brain to return to a more normal state of balance following a concussion, clinical trial results show. Without it, people have lingering problems related to their reaction time for balance and moving their bodies, researchers found. “It means they’re balanced-challenged and don’t react as quickly as someone with normal reaction times,” King said. That’s because when physical therapy is delayed, the brain might adapt to the injury by relying more on their vision than their inner ear to help maintain their balance, researchers said. Those patients had sloppier balance control because using their vision in that way caused delayed reaction time, King added. “There seems to be a window of opportunity within two months,” King said. “After that point,…  read on >  read on >

FDA Gives Full OK to Novavax COVID Shot for High-Risk Groups

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval to Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, but only for certain people. The vaccine is now approved for adults ages 65 and older, or for people ages 12 to 64 who have at least one health condition that puts them at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, the Associated Press reported. Novavax’s shot is the only protein-based COVID vaccine available in the U.S. Until now, it had only been allowed for emergency use in people 12 and up. Unlike the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which are approved for anyone 12 and older and authorized for kids as young as 6 months, Novavax will be limited to specific groups. The FDA did not explain why it added these restrictions to Friday’s approval, according to the AP. However, the move aligns with the views of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others in the Trump administration, who have expressed skepticism toward vaccination in the past. In a statement, Novavax CEO John Jacobs said “Market research and U.S. CDC statistics indicate that older individuals and those with underlying conditions are the populations most likely to seek out COVID-19 vaccination seasonally. This significant milestone demonstrates our commitment to these populations and is a significant step towards availability of our protein-based vaccine option.” Novavax had expected full…  read on >  read on >

FDA Gives Full OK to Novavax COVID Shot for High-Risk Groups

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval to Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, but only for certain people. The vaccine is now approved for adults ages 65 and older, or for people ages 12 to 64 who have at least one health condition that puts them at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, The Associated Press reported. Novavax’s shot is the only protein-based COVID vaccine available in the U.S. Until now, it had only been allowed for emergency use in people 12 and up.  Unlike the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which are approved for anyone 12 and older and authorized for kids as young as 6 months, Novavax will be limited to specific groups. The FDA did not explain why it added these restrictions to Friday’s approval, according to AP.  However, the move aligns with the views of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others in the Trump administration, who have expressed skepticism toward vaccination in the past. In a statement, Novavax CEO John Jacobs said “Market research and U.S. CDC statistics indicate that older individuals and those with underlying conditions are the populations most likely to seek out COVID-19 vaccination seasonally. This significant milestone demonstrates our commitment to these populations and is a significant step towards availability of our protein-based vaccine option.” Novavax had expected full approval…  read on >  read on >

GLP-1 Drugs Appear To Lower Cancer Risk

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Cutting-edge GLP-1 weight-loss drugs appear to help lower cancer risk even beyond the benefits from dropping excess pounds, a new study says. First-generation GLP-1 drugs like liraglutide (Saxenda) and exenatide (Byetta) were associated with a 41% lower risk of obesity-related cancers, compared with weight-loss surgery, researchers report in the journal eClinicalMedicine. “We do not yet fully understand how GLP-1s work, but this study adds to the growing evidence showing that weight loss alone cannot completely account for the metabolic, anti-cancer, and many other benefits that these medications provide,” lead researcher Dr. Yael Wolff Sagy from Clalit Health Services in Tel-Aviv, Israel, said in a news release. Newer generation, highly potent GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound might even convey a greater advantage in reducing cancer risk, but they weren’t studied in this report, 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. For the new study, researchers tracked electronic health record data for more than 6,300 people 24 and older. All had obesity and type 2 diabetes and were treated with first-generation GLP-1 drugs or underwent weight-loss surgery between 2010 and 2018. Obesity and diabetes are both associated with an increased risk for many types of cancer, including breast, colon, uterus, liver, pancreatic, thyroid, stomach and ovarian cancers, researchers…  read on >  read on >

GLP-1 Drugs Appear To Lower Cancer Risk

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Cutting-edge GLP-1 weight-loss drugs appear to help lower cancer risk even beyond the benefits from dropping excess pounds, a new study says. First-generation GLP-1 drugs like liraglutide (Saxenda) and exenatide (Byetta) were associated with a 41% lower risk of obesity-related cancers, compared with weight-loss surgery, researchers report in the journal eClinicalMedicine. “We do not yet fully understand how GLP-1s work, but this study adds to the growing evidence showing that weight loss alone cannot completely account for the metabolic, anti-cancer, and many other benefits that these medications provide,” lead researcher Dr. Yael Wolff Sagy from Clalit Health Services in Tel-Aviv, Israel, said in a news release. Newer generation, highly potent GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound might even convey a greater advantage in reducing cancer risk, but they weren’t studied in this report, 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. For the new study, researchers tracked electronic health record data for more than 6,300 people 24 and older. All had obesity and type 2 diabetes and were treated with first-generation GLP-1 drugs or underwent weight-loss surgery between 2010 and 2018. Obesity and diabetes are both associated with an increased risk for many types of cancer, including breast, colon, uterus, liver, pancreatic, thyroid, stomach and ovarian cancers, researchers…  read on >  read on >

Couch Potatoes Have Greater Risk Of Brain Decline, Even If They Exercise

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Couch potatoes are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, even if they set aside time to work out each day, a new study says. People who spent more time sitting around were more likely to experience cognitive decline and brain degeneration, no matter how much they exercised, researchers reported May 13 in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. “Reducing your risk for Alzheimer’s disease is not just about working out once a day,” lead researcher Marissa Gogniat, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh, said in a news release. “Minimizing the time spent sitting, even if you do exercise daily, reduces the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease,” she added. For the study, her team tracked activity levels for more than 400 adults 50 and older, using watches that measured their movement continuously for a week. The team then followed people for an average seven-year follow-up period. More sedentary time was linked to brain shrinkage and worse performance on memory and information processing tests, researchers found. This increased risk occurred even though 87% of the people met the weekly physical activity recommendations set forth by the U.S. government, results show. This shows that sitting around could be an independent Alzheimer’s risk factor, and that exercise will not mitigate all the harmful effects of sedentary behavior, researchers said. The link between sedentary time and cognitive…  read on >  read on >

Couch Potatoes Have Greater Risk Of Brain Decline, Even If They Exercise

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Couch potatoes are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, even if they set aside time to work out each day, a new study says. People who spent more time sitting around were more likely to experience cognitive decline and brain degeneration, no matter how much they exercised, researchers reported May 13 in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. “Reducing your risk for Alzheimer’s disease is not just about working out once a day,” lead researcher Marissa Gogniat, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh, said in a news release. “Minimizing the time spent sitting, even if you do exercise daily, reduces the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease,” she added. For the study, her team tracked activity levels for more than 400 adults 50 and older, using watches that measured their movement continuously for a week. The team then followed people for an average seven-year follow-up period. More sedentary time was linked to brain shrinkage and worse performance on memory and information processing tests, researchers found. This increased risk occurred even though 87% of the people met the weekly physical activity recommendations set forth by the U.S. government, results show. This shows that sitting around could be an independent Alzheimer’s risk factor, and that exercise will not mitigate all the harmful effects of sedentary behavior, researchers said. The link between sedentary time and cognitive…  read on >  read on >

Song Lyrics Matter When Managing Your Mood, Study Says

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(HealthDay New) — Looking for a little uplift from Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” or “Happy” by Pharrell Williams? Or perhaps you’re in a reflective mood and would rather hear “Forever Young” by Alphaville or “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper. People turn to music to cope, and a new study focused on the COVID-19 lockdowns reveals that lyrics matter as much as melody when grappling with the feels. Listeners turn to lyrics to reflect their internal states, whether to process sorrow, feel less alone or give themselves a boost, researchers report in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. “This research offers a new perspective on how people use music not just for entertainment, but as a meaningful tool for emotional self-regulation,” researcher Roni Granot, an associate professor of musicology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, said in a news release. “Lyrics embedded in music often give voice to emotions that are difficult to express — grief, remembrance, and hope among them,” she said. For the study, researchers relied on data gathered from an online poll of more than 5,600 people between June and November 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic. The people came from 11 countries severely affected by the epidemic — Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S. As part of the…  read on >  read on >