Eats « Weekly Gravy

Put down the saltshaker — especially if you’re at risk of type 2 diabetes. While the condition brings to mind the need to avoid sugar, a new study links it to frequent salt consumption. “We already know that limiting salt can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and hypertension, but this study shows for the first time that taking the saltshaker off the table can help prevent type 2 diabetes as well,” said lead study author Dr. Lu Qi. He is chair and professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans. “It’s not a difficult change to make, but it could have a tremendous impact on your health,” Qi said in a university news release. To better understand the link, the researchers surveyed more than 400,000 adults registered in the UK Biobank about their salt intake. Over almost 12 years on average, the research team saw more than 13,000 cases of type 2 diabetes develop. Compared to those who “never” or “rarely” used salt, participants who “sometimes,” “usually” or “always” added salt had a respective 13%, 20% and 39% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to the study. Why high salt intake would have this impact is not fully understood. Qi thinks salt encourages people to eat larger portions, which then increases the chances of developing… read on > read on >

Despite progress in recent decades, too many Americans still have dangerously high LDL cholesterol levels, and about a quarter don’t even know it, new research finds. That puts those people at risk for a longer span of artery clogging disease and increases their risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study says. “We are not talking about mildly elevated levels in this particular study,” said co-author Dr. Salim Virani, vice provost in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies at Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan. “We are talking about levels where you need to start treatment right away.” Doctors may recommend diet and lifestyle changes for mildly elevated cholesterol levels, but someone with levels of 190 mg/dL or higher should also take cholesterol-lowering medication, experts say. A family history of heart disease further heightens the risk. “In those people, treatment needs to be started right away. If you don’t, then there’s a very high probability that a lot of these patients will end up having heart attacks and strokes at a very young age,” Virani said. Of course, you can only start treatment for high cholesterol if you know your cholesterol numbers are high. “That’s why it’s absolutely imperative that everybody should get their cholesterol checked and they should know their numbers,” Virani said. A simple blood test is all you need. Treatment… read on > read on >

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) — A new gene therapy for sickle cell disease was deemed safe by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Tuesday, paving the way for full approval by early December. The FDA had already decided that the therapy, known as exa-cel, was effective. Developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals of Boston and CRISPR Therapeutics of Switzerland, exa-cel frees patients from the excruciating symptoms of sickle cell disease. If approved by Dec. 8, as expected, it would become the first medicine to treat a genetic disease with the CRISPR gene-editing technique, CRISPR Therapeutics said in a news release. But it won’t be the only new treatment for the inherited condition coming down the pike: By Dec. 20, the FDA will also decide on a second potential cure for a disease that typically strikes Black people, a gene therapy crafted by Bluebird Bio, of Somerville, Mass. “We are finally at a spot where we can envision broadly available cures for sickle cell disease,” said Dr. John Tisdale, director of the cellular and molecular therapeutics branch at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and a member of the advisory committee, the New York Times reported. In the case of exa-cel, the one-time treatment permanently changes DNA in a patient’s blood cells. How does it work? Stem cells are removed from a patient’s… read on > read on >

Adding warning labels to meat about its impact on climate and health could lower its consumption, a new study suggests. British researchers investigated what adding cigarette-style graphic warning labels to meat in a cafeteria setting might do. “Reaching net zero is a priority for the nation and the planet. As warning labels have already been shown to reduce smoking as well as drinking of sugary drinks and alcohol, using a warning label on meat-containing products could help us achieve this if introduced as national policy,” said study author Jack Hughes. Hughes conducted the research with his supervisors as part of his PhD program in the department of psychology at Durham University, in the United Kingdom. The study included a representative sample of just over 1,000 meat-eating adults who were split into four groups. They were shown pictures of hot meals a person might get at a cafeteria that contained a health warning label, climate warning label, pandemic warning label, or no label. An example set of meals could be a meat pasta bake, fish pasta bake, vegetarian pasta bake and a vegan pasta bake, the study authors noted. Participants were asked to make 20 separate decisions on different meal choices. They were also asked how anxiety provoking and believable they found the labels. The researchers measured future intentions to buy and eat the meal options,… read on > read on >

TUESDAY, Oct. 31, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Certain pureed fruit pouches from WanaBana may contain dangerous levels of lead, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned. Parents and caregivers should not buy or serve WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches to children, the agency said in a recent public health alert. Children who have consumed this product should be tested for possible lead poisoning, the agency added. The warning was issued after four children in North Carolina were found to have high levels of lead in their blood that was linked to these products, the FDA said. State health officials detected “extremely high” concentrations of lead in the pouches after analyzing multiple lots. This exposure could lead to “acute toxicity,” according to the FDA. Lead can enter food products through soil, air, water and industrial processes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. It’s not good for anyone, but can seriously harm children’s health. Lead can cause brain and nervous system damage, as well as slowed growth and development. WanaBana is based in Coral Gables, Fla. The company has issued a recall for all lot codes and expiration dates of the products, which are sold nationally. Among the places that carry these products are Amazon, Dollar Tree and Sam’s Club. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the… read on > read on >

Time-restricted dieting may be a better way for people with type 2 diabetes to lose weight than counting calories, a new study suggests. Researchers found that people who only ate between noon and 8 p.m. each day lost more weight than those who reduced their calories by 25%. Both groups, however, had similar reductions in long-term blood sugar levels based on a test of hemoglobin A1C. The test shows blood sugar levels over the past three months. “It’s important to give people with type 2 diabetes more than one strategy to lose weight and decrease their HbA1C,” said lead researcher Krista Varady, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois, Chicago. “Some people find it difficult to count calories. Others don’t have weekly or monthly support and they need a dietary pattern that is simple to follow, such as watching the clock,” Varady added. In the United States, about 1 in 10 U.S. residents has diabetes, and that number is rising, the researchers said. It’s crucial to find more ways to control weight and blood sugar levels for these patients. While the study represents a “proof of concept” showing that time-restricted eating is safe for those with type 2 diabetes, Varady said people with diabetes should consult their doctor before starting this sort of diet. Also, “some medications for type 2 diabetes will lower… read on > read on >

Federal regulators are warning consumers to stop using eyedrops and gels from several major brands after finding unsanitary conditions in a manufacturing plant. Twenty-six eye care products are part of the alert. Contaminated products have the potential to cause eye infection and blindness because drugs applied to the eye can bypass some of the body’s defenses. Those concerning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are branded CVS Health, Leader (Cardinal Health), Rugby (Cardinal Health), Rite Aid, Target Up & Up and Velocity Pharma. The FDA urged the manufacturer to recall all lots of these products. CVS, Rite Aid and Target are pulling products from shelves and websites. Although there were no reports of infection, bacterial tests were positive in critical drug product areas of the plant. The FDA’s list of eye products to avoid is here. Patients and providers should report any issues to the FDA. Consumers should discard products involved in the recall at a drug take-back site. They can also check the FDA’s flush list to see if they can be safely discarded at home, the New York Times reported. Certain products — those branded Leader, Rugby and Velocity — may still be available for purchase in stores and online. Don’t buy them, the FDA advised. Rite Aid is removing “applicable Rite Aid branded products” from store shelves, a spokeswoman said. CVS “immediately… read on > read on >

MONDAY, Oct. 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Patients with sickle cell disease may soon have two new treatments to try. On Tuesday, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee will weigh the merits of a new gene therapy for the painful, inherited condition, which typically strikes Black people. The agency is expected to make a decision on that therapy in early December, and it also plans to decide on a second new treatment before year’s end, the Associated Press reported. The treatment being reviewed Tuesday is based on CRISPR technology, a gene-editing tool. The inventors of that tool won the Nobel Prize in 2020 for their work, the AP reported. A one-time treatment, “exa-cel” is made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, and it permanently changes DNA in a patient’s blood cells. How does it work? Stem cells are removed from a patient’s blood, and then CRISPR knocks out a gene that triggers the development of defective, crescent-shaped blood cells. Meanwhile, medicine kills off flawed blood-producing cells in patients, who are then given back their own altered stem cells. “Anything that can help relieve somebody with this condition of the pain and the multiple health complications is amazing,” Dr. Allison King, a professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, told the AP. “It’s horribly painful. Some people will say it’s like being stabbed… read on > read on >

Fighting climate change could come down to choosing chicken for your burrito or using soy milk for coffee creamer, a new study suggests. Making simple substitutions to an everyday diet can reduce the average American’s food-based carbon footprint by more than 35%, according to an article published online Oct. 26 in the journal Nature Food. “What we’re looking at here is a small changes approach. What happens if somebody just changes one thing in their diet?” said senior researcher Diego Rose, nutrition program director at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans. “What we found was that if you just made one change — if everybody that was eating a high-carbon footprint food in those categories just made one change on a given day — that you could really lower the overall carbon footprint,” Rose continued. What’s more, these substitutions also tended to improve the quality of a person’s diet, the researchers noted. A person might scoff at the thought of their bacon cheeseburger contributing to global climate catastrophe, but they would be wrong, Rose said. “What a lot of people don’t realize is that human food systems globally account for a third of greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. To assess how small substitutions might help the climate, Rose’s team analyzed diet data from more than 7,700 adults and children… read on > read on >

High triglycerides, widely known as an enemy of the aging heart, may not be as threatening to older adults’ brains, new research suggests. The study, of over 80,000 older adults, found those with triglycerides in the “high-normal” or moderately high range were less likely to develop dementia, versus their peers with lower triglyceride levels. Over six years, 3% of older folks with the highest triglyceride levels developed dementia — half the rate seen in the study group with the lowest triglycerides, at 6%. Experts stressed some important caveats around the findings, published Oct. 25 in the journal Neurology. The main one is the study doesn’t prove that triglycerides somehow shield the aging brain. “This particular study is not enough to derive recommendations and claim with certainty that changing triglyceride levels will affect future dementia risk,” said Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, a neurologist at Columbia University in New York City. The findings are still important, though, said Scarmeas, who cowrote an editorial published with the study. He noted that blood “lipids” — cholesterol and triglycerides — can be easily modified with diet or medication. So, if further studies show they directly affect dementia development, that would offer one way to lower the risk. Zhen Zhou, a research fellow at Monash University in Australia, led the study. She said there could be various explanations for why low triglycerides… read on > read on >