When it comes to pregnancy and caffeinated drinks, less is best, says an expert, warning women to avoid energy drinks in particular. “Energy drinks contain varying amounts of caffeine, so check nutrition labels to understand how much caffeine and other ingredients they contain,” Dr. David Nelson said in a news release from University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He’s division chief of maternal-fetal medicine. The caffeine content of energy drinks can range from 50 mg to 500 mg in 8-ounce to 24-ounce cans and bottles, Nelson noted. During pregnancy or while attempting to become pregnant, U.S. guidelines recommend that women consume less than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day. That level does not appear to be associated with miscarriage or preterm birth, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. However, the relationship between caffeine consumption and fetal-growth restriction remains uncertain. A full-strength, 8-ounce cup of coffee contains just under 100 mg of caffeine. A 12-ounce Coke has about 34 mg of caffeine. Diet Coke has 46 mg of caffeine. A regular Mountain Dew has 54 mg. The small, 2-fluid-ounce energy shots have about 200 mg of caffeine. U.S. regulations on content labeling and health warnings for energy drinks are among the most lax, according to UT Southwestern. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate energy drinks. The impact of…  read on >  read on >

A new study offers strong evidence that eating fish or supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids supports lung health. The finding underscores the importance of including fish and other sources of omega-3s in the diet, researchers say. Many Americans aren’t meeting recommended guidelines, they noted. “We know a lot about the role of diet in cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but the role of diet in chronic lung disease is somewhat understudied,” said co-author Patricia Cassano, director of the division of nutritional sciences at Cornell University. “This study adds to growing evidence that omega-3 fatty acids, which are part of a healthy diet, may be important for lung health, too,” Cassano said in a news release from the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which supported the study. Past studies have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids may help maintain lung health because of their established anti-inflammatory action. To better understand this, researchers developed a two-part study. The first part was an observational study that included more than 15,000 Americans from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Pooled Cohorts Study. This large collection of NIH studies helps researchers examine determinants of personalized risk for chronic lung disease, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Participants were generally healthy and without evidence of chronic lung disease when the study began. The researchers followed participants for…  read on >  read on >

Every day, millions of people must take one or more pills to control their blood pressure and reduce their risk for heart attack or stroke, but if new research pans out, some may be able to scrap their pills for a twice-yearly shot with the same benefits. Given as a shot every six months, zilebesiran suppresses the gene that produces a hormone called angiotensin that causes blood vessels to contract. This contraction causes blood pressure to rise. The new shot isn’t ready for prime time yet, but phase 2 trials are underway. “This approach offers the potential for sustained reduction in blood pressure that may obviate the need for daily pills in select patients and may help overcome some of the challenges with adherence that compromise our ability to effectively treat high blood pressure,” said lead author Dr. Akshay Suvas Desai, medical director of the Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Many people with high blood pressure miss or skip pills because they are overwhelmed and don’t necessarily feel sick, among other reasons. For the study, 107 people with high blood pressure received either varying doses of zilebesiran as a shot, or a placebo injection, and were then followed for 24 weeks. The researchers also looked at the effect of the 800-mg dose of zilebesiran on blood pressure when…  read on >  read on >

Patients could find lifesaving benefits in using a home blood pressure cuff. New research finds that home blood pressure monitoring saves lives and cuts costs. It also reduces health care disparities in racial and ethnic minorities and rural residents. Furthermore, regular self-testing better controls high blood pressure, especially in underserved patients, reducing the risk of stroke and heart attack, researchers recently reported in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Home blood pressure monitoring “facilitates early detection, timely intervention and prevention of complications, leading to improved control and better health outcomes,” co-lead investigator Yan Li said in a journal news release. Li is a professor in the School of Public Health at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China. Researchers analyzed data from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a U.S. telephone survey. They projected that starting home blood pressure monitoring, in lieu of traditional clinic-based care, could reduce heart attack cases by about 5% and stroke cases by almost 4% over 20 years. The benefits were greatest for Black people, women and rural residents compared to white people, men and urban residents. Starting home blood pressure monitoring in rural areas could lead to a potential reduction of more than 21,000 heart attacks per 1 million people compared to 11,000 cases per 1 million people in urban areas, the study showed. Uncontrolled high…  read on >  read on >

Another experimental drug meant to slow the damage of Alzheimer’s appears poised to join a growing arsenal of new treatments for this memory-robbing disease. In research published online Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association and presented simultaneously at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam, the drug donanemab slowed memory and thinking declines in early symptomatic Alzheimer’s patients by more than one-third. About 47% of those taking the medication had no decline on a key measure of thinking over a year, compared to 29% of patients on a placebo. “If approved, we believe donanemab can provide clinically meaningful benefits for people with this disease and the possibility of completing their course of treatment as early as 6 months once their amyloid plaque is cleared,” Anne White, executive vice president of Eli Lilly and president of Lilly Neuroscience, said in a company news release. “We must continue to remove any barriers in access to amyloid-targeting therapies and diagnostics in an already complex healthcare ecosystem for Alzheimer’s disease.” The company added that it has already completed an application for traditional approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “People living with early, symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease are still working, enjoying trips, sharing quality time with family — they want to feel like themselves, for longer,” Dr. Mark Mintun, group vice president of neuroscience research &…  read on >  read on >

That backyard cookout can be loaded with fat and sugar, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s possible to make some simple swaps and have a meal that’s healthy and delicious, a nutrition expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas says. “If you’re not ready to replace your entire plate with healthy alternatives, you can still cut down on added sugar and fats by blending your favorites with some healthier options,” Lona Sandon, an associate professor in the clinical nutrition department, said in a school news release. Sandon’s suggestions include build-your-own taco salad bowls with plenty of mixed greens, baby spinach and arugula. Offer a mix of toppings, including drained and rinsed canned black beans, diced avocado, black olives, fresh pico de gallo and reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Use corn tortillas instead of a fried shell, Sandon said. For the grill, choose low-fat lean ground beef (90% or higher) and chicken breasts. Offer lettuce leaves, dill pickles, sliced onion, tomato and avocado as toppings. Fill half of your plate with vegetables or fruit, such as mixed berries or fresh-cut watermelon, a treat on a hot day. Sandon offers some other tips for making your favorites a little healthier: Wings: Take the skin off chicken wings, and bake or grill them instead of deep-frying. Consider grilling chicken pieces instead of traditional wings. Use low-fat…  read on >  read on >

In findings that are likely to fuel the debate over the safety of aspartame, one World Health Organization (WHO) agency announced Thursday that the artificial sweetener is a possible carcinogen while another stood firm in saying that aspartame is safe in recommended doses. “Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. Every year, 1 in 6 people die from cancer. Science is continuously expanding to assess the possible initiating or facilitating factors of cancer, in the hope of reducing these numbers and the human toll,” Dr. Francesco Branca, director of the WHO’s department of nutrition and food safety, said in an agency news release. “The assessments of aspartame have indicated that, while safety is not a major concern at the doses which are commonly used, potential effects have been described that need to be investigated by more and better studies,” Branca added. How much aspartame is unsafe? “The average 150 lb. person would need to consume about 14 12-oz cans of diet beverages or about 74 packets of aspartame-containing tabletop sweetener every day over the course of their life to raise any safety concern,” Calorie Control Council (CCC) president Robert Rankin said in a CCC statement. “Obviously, that level of consumption is not realistic, recommended, nor is it ‎aligned with the intended use of these ingredients.” Several other industry groups issued statements challenging…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the nation’s first over-the-counter birth control pill, a move that will likely pave the way for far greater access to contraception for Americans. Women will be able to buy the progestin-only oral contraceptive at drug stores, convenience stores and grocery stores, the FDA said. There is no age limit. Opill, which is made by Perrigo, should be available in stores starting in January or February, the Washington Post reported. The suggested retail price is expected to be announced this fall. Opill was first approved by the FDA in 1973. Other types of birth control pills will remain prescription only. “Today’s approval marks the first time a nonprescription daily oral contraceptive will be an available option for millions of people in the United States,” Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in an agency news release announcing the approval. “When used as directed, daily oral contraception is safe and is expected to be more effective than currently available nonprescription contraceptive methods in preventing unintended pregnancy.” The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and other medical organizations already support over-the-counter access to hormonal contraception without age restrictions. The Free the Pill coalition also has been advocating for over-the-counter status for…  read on >  read on >

A bunch of healthy fruits and vegetables could be just what the doctor ordered. Nonprofit groups and public health agencies have experimented with the idea of a produce prescription over the years. Now, a new study simulates what would happen if patients with diabetes and diet-related conditions were given free or discounted produce and nutrition education nationwide. The researchers, from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston, report it could have significant health benefits and save billions of dollars in health care costs. “Of the strategies that can improve American’s nutrition and diet-related health outcomes, evidence continues to build that produce prescriptions are a terrific option,” said senior author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of nutrition, who is also launching an initiative dubbed Food is Medicine. “These innovative treatments are exciting because they can not only improve health and reduce health care spending, but also reduce disparities by reaching those patients who are most in need,” he said in a university news release. The simulation predicted both clinical and financial benefits from making fruits and vegetables more accessible to food-insecure diabetic patients, including a savings of at least $40 billion in medical bills because of nationwide reductions in heart disease. Typically, produce prescription programs allow a patient with a diet-related health condition to get vouchers or electronic…  read on >  read on >