Officials say the warnings were based on outdated 2002 study data involving older patients and old drug formulas  read on >

They’re tasty, affordable and satisfy fast — ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) dominate the American diet, accounting for more than half of the calories consumed by the average adult, and even more for children. These foods are a growing public health concern and federal health officials are working to remove some from food assistance programs. But experts warn that the term covers more than just what is typically considered “junk food.” Roughly 75% of the U.S. food supply is considered ultra-processed, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. A cart filled with whole grain bread, breakfast cereal and strawberry yogurt is as likely to contain UPFs as a cart loaded with instant ramen and soda. What’s ‘Ultra-Processed?’ UPFs contain at least one ingredient not typically found in kitchen cabinets, such as emulsifiers, artificial colors and high fructose corn syrup. Examples include hot dogs, sliced bread, energy drinks, cookies, ready-to-eat meals or even instant oatmeal. They undergo machine and industrial processing and are no longer a whole, natural food, like fruits, vegetables, milk or fish. Less or minimally processed foods might simply involve drying, pickling or adding salt (like canned fish or cheese). Julia Wolfson, an associate professor of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said UPFs are created to appeal to consumers’ instincts. “Many of these ultra-processed foods are intentionally designed…  read on >  read on >

They’re tasty, affordable and satisfy fast — ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) dominate the American diet, accounting for more than half of the calories consumed by the average adult, and even more for children. These foods are a growing public health concern and federal health officials are working to remove some from food assistance programs. But experts warn that the term covers more than just what is typically considered “junk food.” Roughly 75% of the U.S. food supply is considered ultra-processed, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. A cart filled with whole grain bread, breakfast cereal and strawberry yogurt is as likely to contain UPFs as a cart loaded with instant ramen and soda. What’s ‘Ultra-Processed?’ UPFs contain at least one ingredient not typically found in kitchen cabinets, such as emulsifiers, artificial colors and high fructose corn syrup. Examples include hot dogs, sliced bread, energy drinks, cookies, ready-to-eat meals or even instant oatmeal. They undergo machine and industrial processing and are no longer a whole, natural food, like fruits, vegetables, milk or fish. Less or minimally processed foods might simply involve drying, pickling or adding salt (like canned fish or cheese). Julia Wolfson, an associate professor of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said UPFs are created to appeal to consumers’ instincts. “Many of these ultra-processed foods are intentionally designed…  read on >  read on >

A cup of coffee might actually benefit some people with a common heart rhythm disorder, a new study says. Adults with atrial fibrillation who drank a daily cup of coffee were 39% less likely to have an episode of irregular heart rhythm, compared to those who avoided caffeine, researchers reported Nov. 9 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Our study results suggest that caffeinated coffee may not be responsible for raising the risk of A-Fib and may even reduce it,” senior researcher Dr. Gregory Marcus, a professor of medicine at the University of California-San Francisco, said in a news release. Caffeine has traditionally been thought to contribute to heart rhythm problems, and doctors often advise A-Fib patients to cut back on coffee, researchers said in background notes. A-Fib occurs when the heart’s upper chambers — the atria — start to quiver and beat irregularly. The condition increases a patient’s risk of stroke and heart failure, if left untreated. More than 6 million people in the U.S. have A-Fib, according to the American Heart Association (AHA) news release. For the new study, researchers enrolled 200 people with A-Fib whose heart rhythm was so off-kilter that they needed drugs or an electrical shock to set it right. All of the participants were coffee drinkers, sipping an average one cup of caffeinated coffee per day, researchers…  read on >  read on >

A cup of coffee might actually benefit some people with a common heart rhythm disorder, a new study says. Adults with atrial fibrillation who drank a daily cup of coffee were 39% less likely to have an episode of irregular heart rhythm, compared to those who avoided caffeine, researchers reported Nov. 9 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Our study results suggest that caffeinated coffee may not be responsible for raising the risk of A-Fib and may even reduce it,” senior researcher Dr. Gregory Marcus, a professor of medicine at the University of California-San Francisco, said in a news release. Caffeine has traditionally been thought to contribute to heart rhythm problems, and doctors often advise A-Fib patients to cut back on coffee, researchers said in background notes. A-Fib occurs when the heart’s upper chambers — the atria — start to quiver and beat irregularly. The condition increases a patient’s risk of stroke and heart failure, if left untreated. More than 6 million people in the U.S. have A-Fib, according to the American Heart Association (AHA) news release. For the new study, researchers enrolled 200 people with A-Fib whose heart rhythm was so off-kilter that they needed drugs or an electrical shock to set it right. All of the participants were coffee drinkers, sipping an average one cup of caffeinated coffee per day, researchers…  read on >  read on >

Bribing folks with tickets to a cash lottery got them to take their blood pressure medicines more reliably, but did nothing to improve their health, a new study says. Study participants were twice as likely to take their blood pressure medication when they could win a daily cash reward through a lottery, researchers reported Nov. 9 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. However, they didn’t achieve better blood pressure measurements compared to folks not offered these cash rewards, researchers found. What’s more, they quit taking their blood pressure medication as prescribed when the rewards program ended after six months, results showed. “Financial incentives clearly worked to change behavior during the study period because people in the rewards group took their medication much more consistently. However, we were surprised that the behavior change didn’t translate to significantly better blood pressure control,” said lead researcher Dr. John Dodson, an associate professor of medicine and population health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City. “We were also surprised that people did not keep taking their medication as prescribed after the rewards program ended,” Dodson added in a news release.  For the study, researchers recruited 400 people who had been prescribed at least one drug to help lower their high blood pressure. Two-thirds of the participants were selected to take part in…  read on >  read on >

Bribing folks with tickets to a cash lottery got them to take their blood pressure medicines more reliably, but did nothing to improve their health, a new study says. Study participants were twice as likely to take their blood pressure medication when they could win a daily cash reward through a lottery, researchers reported Nov. 9 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. However, they didn’t achieve better blood pressure measurements compared to folks not offered these cash rewards, researchers found. What’s more, they quit taking their blood pressure medication as prescribed when the rewards program ended after six months, results showed. “Financial incentives clearly worked to change behavior during the study period because people in the rewards group took their medication much more consistently. However, we were surprised that the behavior change didn’t translate to significantly better blood pressure control,” said lead researcher Dr. John Dodson, an associate professor of medicine and population health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City. “We were also surprised that people did not keep taking their medication as prescribed after the rewards program ended,” Dodson added in a news release.  For the study, researchers recruited 400 people who had been prescribed at least one drug to help lower their high blood pressure. Two-thirds of the participants were selected to take part in…  read on >  read on >

Evidence is mounting that oral immunotherapy can help many children shake off food allergies. Children benefited from being fed small amounts of food allergens to desensitize them, according to a pair of studies presented over the weekend at a meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Orlando, Florida. In the first study, 74 children 12 and younger received oral immunotherapy between 2020 and 2022, targeting food allergens like peanut, tree nuts, sesame, egg and milk. Results showed that 64% of children were able to freely eat the allergen after their therapy, and nearly 90% of parents said they had less anxiety and better confidence around meals. “In our study, Quality of Life scores got better in 88% of patients, indicating oral immunotherapy can transform daily life for young patients and their families,” said lead researcher Dr. Lamya Jaigirdar, a medical resident at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. “The burden of food allergy goes beyond physical health — it affects mental well-being and can involve social engagement,” she added in a news release. “Seeing such clear improvements is encouraging for the whole family.” The second study pushed the boundaries of oral immunotherapy by treating two high-risk infants with peanut allergy. The babies — 6 and 10 months old — were started on a therapy dose of raw peanuts. Once tolerance was built,…  read on >  read on >

Evidence is mounting that oral immunotherapy can help many children shake off food allergies. Children benefited from being fed small amounts of food allergens to desensitize them, according to a pair of studies presented over the weekend at a meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Orlando, Florida. In the first study, 74 children 12 and younger received oral immunotherapy between 2020 and 2022, targeting food allergens like peanut, tree nuts, sesame, egg and milk. Results showed that 64% of children were able to freely eat the allergen after their therapy, and nearly 90% of parents said they had less anxiety and better confidence around meals. “In our study, Quality of Life scores got better in 88% of patients, indicating oral immunotherapy can transform daily life for young patients and their families,” said lead researcher Dr. Lamya Jaigirdar, a medical resident at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. “The burden of food allergy goes beyond physical health — it affects mental well-being and can involve social engagement,” she added in a news release. “Seeing such clear improvements is encouraging for the whole family.” The second study pushed the boundaries of oral immunotherapy by treating two high-risk infants with peanut allergy. The babies — 6 and 10 months old — were started on a therapy dose of raw peanuts. Once tolerance was built,…  read on >  read on >