Heart disease, strokes and diabetes contribute to many dementia cases in the United States, but the risk is not equal everywhere, a new study says. Overall, more than a third (37%) of U.S. dementia cases are linked to eight conditions: diabetes, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, researchers found. The South has the strongest link between these diseases and dementia, researchers reported recently in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. “A substantial number of dementia cases could be eliminated by mitigating modifiable cardiometabolic risk factors, especially in U.S. counties with a high risk of dementia attributed to these risk factors,” senior researcher Dr. Brad Racette said in a news release. He’s chair of neurology at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. For the study, researchers analyzed claims data from Medicare covering nearly 21 million Americans 67 and older, including more than 756,000 dementia cases. Dementia cases were most strongly associated with stroke, with a 2.2-times higher risk, followed by heart failure (2.1 times increased risk) and high blood pressure (78% increased risk), results show. The link between high cholesterol and dementia was the weakest, with a 27% increased risk, researchers found. “Realistically, a 15% proportional reduction in these [eight] risk factors would reduce incident dementia cases in the population by an estimated 6.3 %,” Racette estimates. Looking…  read on >  read on >

Heart disease, strokes and diabetes contribute to many dementia cases in the United States, but the risk is not equal everywhere, a new study says. Overall, more than a third (37%) of U.S. dementia cases are linked to eight conditions: diabetes, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, researchers found. The South has the strongest link between these diseases and dementia, researchers reported recently in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. “A substantial number of dementia cases could be eliminated by mitigating modifiable cardiometabolic risk factors, especially in U.S. counties with a high risk of dementia attributed to these risk factors,” senior researcher Dr. Brad Racette said in a news release. He’s chair of neurology at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. For the study, researchers analyzed claims data from Medicare covering nearly 21 million Americans 67 and older, including more than 756,000 dementia cases. Dementia cases were most strongly associated with stroke, with a 2.2-times higher risk, followed by heart failure (2.1 times increased risk) and high blood pressure (78% increased risk), results show. The link between high cholesterol and dementia was the weakest, with a 27% increased risk, researchers found. “Realistically, a 15% proportional reduction in these [eight] risk factors would reduce incident dementia cases in the population by an estimated 6.3 %,” Racette estimates. Looking…  read on >  read on >

These days Americans can agree on few things, but unfortunately, pizza, soup and chicken aren’t among them, a new study says. Those three foods are some of the main sources of sodium for Americans of all racial and ethnic groups, contributing to high blood pressure and heart disease in the U.S., researchers reported May 28 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. But beyond the common love for pizza, soup and chicken, the ways different groups of Americans consume too much sodium vary widely, researchers found. For example, Asian American adults are more likely to add salt in their cooking, but less likely to sprinkle it at the table, results show. Meanwhile, Black Americans are more likely to try to reduce their salt intake, often on the advice of their doctor, researchers say. The average American consumes about 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day, far above the American Heart Association’s (AHA) recommended 2,300 mg. for healthy people and 1,500 mg. for those with high blood pressure, researchers said in background notes. “The World Health Organization calls sodium reduction one of the most cost-effective strategies for addressing chronic conditions such as heart disease,” said lead researcher Jessica Cheng, a postdoctoral research fellow in epidemiology at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. “High sodium intake can even affect non-heart-related diseases like…  read on >  read on >

These days Americans can agree on few things, but unfortunately, pizza, soup and chicken aren’t among them, a new study says. Those three foods are some of the main sources of sodium for Americans of all racial and ethnic groups, contributing to high blood pressure and heart disease in the U.S., researchers reported May 28 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. But beyond the common love for pizza, soup and chicken, the ways different groups of Americans consume too much sodium vary widely, researchers found. For example, Asian American adults are more likely to add salt in their cooking, but less likely to sprinkle it at the table, results show. Meanwhile, Black Americans are more likely to try to reduce their salt intake, often on the advice of their doctor, researchers say. The average American consumes about 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day, far above the American Heart Association’s (AHA) recommended 2,300 mg. for healthy people and 1,500 mg. for those with high blood pressure, researchers said in background notes. “The World Health Organization calls sodium reduction one of the most cost-effective strategies for addressing chronic conditions such as heart disease,” said lead researcher Jessica Cheng, a postdoctoral research fellow in epidemiology at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. “High sodium intake can even affect non-heart-related diseases like…  read on >  read on >

Almost $34 million worth of unauthorized e-cigarette products seized in joint operation  read on >

They’re a go-to breakfast for millions of kids and adults. They’re brightly colored, packed in enticing boxes and often marketed as healthy — but many cereals today are actually less nutritious than they were a decade ago, a new study has found. Breakfast cereals in the U.S. now contain more sugar, fat and salt, while key nutrients like protein and fiber are on the decline, according to research published May 21 in JAMA Network Open. The study looked at 1,200 newly launched or reformulated cereals sold between 2010 and 2023.  Researchers found that while these cereals are often promoted as healthy, their nutrition labels tell a different story. “What’s most surprising to me is that the healthy claims made on the front of these products and the nutritional facts on the back are actually going in the opposite direction,” study co-author Shuoli Zhao, a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Kentucky, told The New York Times. The study found that, per serving, total fat in breakfast cereals rose by 34%, sodium by 32%, and sugar by nearly 11% over the 13-year period. This trend concerns experts because ready-to-eat cereals are a major part of the American diet, especially for kiddos, The Times reported. Nearly one-third of children eat cereal each morning, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But only 15% eat fruit…  read on >  read on >

They’re a go-to breakfast for millions of kids and adults. They’re brightly colored, packed in enticing boxes and often marketed as healthy — but many cereals today are actually less nutritious than they were a decade ago, a new study has found. Breakfast cereals in the U.S. now contain more sugar, fat and salt, while key nutrients like protein and fiber are on the decline, according to research published May 21 in JAMA Network Open. The study looked at 1,200 newly launched or reformulated cereals sold between 2010 and 2023.  Researchers found that while these cereals are often promoted as healthy, their nutrition labels tell a different story. “What’s most surprising to me is that the healthy claims made on the front of these products and the nutritional facts on the back are actually going in the opposite direction,” study co-author Shuoli Zhao, a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Kentucky, told The New York Times. The study found that, per serving, total fat in breakfast cereals rose by 34%, sodium by 32%, and sugar by nearly 11% over the 13-year period. This trend concerns experts because ready-to-eat cereals are a major part of the American diet, especially for kiddos, The Times reported. Nearly one-third of children eat cereal each morning, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But only 15% eat fruit…  read on >  read on >

Publix is recalling one of its popular GreenWise baby food pouches because it may contain lead, the company said this week.  The recalled product is the Pear, Kiwi, Spinach & Pea Baby Food pouch. The supermarket chain said it found the issue through routine testing and pulled the pouches off store shelves, NBC News reported. “To date, there have been no reported cases of illness,” the company’s news release said. This is the second baby food recall for possible lead contamination in recent weeks.  In March, Target recalled its Good & Gather Baby Pea, Zucchini, Kale & Thyme puree, NBC said. In both cases, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not issue a public warning. Safety experts say the FDA usually alerts the public when there is a serious health risk. Last year, the agency issued news releases for several lead-related cinnamon recalls. Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, called the lack of warning “concerning.” “There is no safe level of lead,” she said. Lead exposure in babies and young kids can cause brain damage, slow development and behavior problems, according to the FDA. Sorscher said FDA alerts increase “the attention that stores and consumers give it, so that [a product is] more likely to be pulled off the shelf.” Lead can enter baby…  read on >  read on >