Wegovy, Zepbound and other cutting-edge weight-loss drugs can be tough to get these days. They’re in short supply, and often too expensive to afford without insurance coverage. Because of these barriers, many people are doing an end-run around their doctor’s office, reaching out to potentially unreliable sources that promise to set them up with the drugs, a new survey finds. About 1 in 4 people surveyed said they would consider using an injectable weight-loss drug without consulting their doctor, Ohio State University researchers report. Their reasons for skipping the doctor include: Lower cost (18%) Not covered by insurance (15%) Unable to get a prescription from their doctor (9%) Lack of availability through a pharmacy (6%) However, unlicensed online pharmacies or dodgy telehealth sites could be risky places to turn to for these drugs, experts said. “It’s really important for those who want to lose weight to first discuss options with their doctor,” said Dr. Shengyi Mao, an internal medicine specialist with Ohio State. “It is not one-size-fits-all, and every medication can have risks and side effects,” Mao added in a university news release. “A trusted doctor can go through a patient’s medical history and current medications to assess their particular risks and benefits.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued two warnings this year about compounded semaglutide, which has caused dosing errors that resulted…  read on >  read on >

Brain training aimed at improving memory can ward off symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease for years, a new study claims. Seniors experienced a slower decline in their memory and thinking abilities after undergoing brain training, compared to others who didn’t get the training, researchers found. This benefit persisted for five years after the seniors got the brain training, results show. “These results are important because this kind of intervention is non-pharmacological — there are no drugs involved — and can have a significant impact on the lives of those affected,” said lead researcher Sylvie Belleville, research chair in cognitive neuroscience of aging and brain plasticity at the University of Montreal. For the study, 145 seniors with mild cognitive impairment were recruited from memory clinics in Montreal and Quebec City between 2012 and 2015. One-third of the seniors were randomly assigned to receive training in memory strategies. They worked on things like memorizing the names of people, remembering lists of items or tasks and focusing their attention to better memorize. Another third underwent training to help their overall psychological well-being, such as techniques in anger management and problem-solving. The final third received no training at all. The initial results “showed that early intervention can improve cognitive function in people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” Belleville said in a university news release. “We had also observed cerebral changes…  read on >  read on >

For the first time, scientists have detected microscopic microplastics lodged in the human brain. Researchers in Germany and Brazil say that 8 out of 15 autopsied adults had microplastics detected within their brain’s smell centers, the olfactory bulb. The particles were likely breathed in over a lifetime, since tiny floating microplastics are ubiquitous in the air. Although microplastics have already been found in human lungs, intestines, liver, blood, testicles and even semen, it had long been thought that the body’s protective blood-brain barrier might keep the particles out of the brain. However, the new study suggests that there’s “a potential pathway for the translocation of microplastics to the brain” via the olfactory bulb, according to a team led by Luis Fernando Amato-Lourenco, of the Free University Berlin and Thais Mauad, an associate professor of pathology at the University of Sao Paolo in Brazil. The team published its findings Sept. 16 in the journal JAMA Network Open. “With much smaller nanoplastics entering the body with greater ease, the total level of plastic particles may be much higher,” Mauad said in a news release from the Plastic Health Council, a group that advocates for reductions in plastics use and funded the new study. “What is worrying is the capacity of such particles to be internalized by cells and alter how our bodies function,” Mauad added. The new…  read on >  read on >

Vaping may look cool when you’re young, but it appears to be dulling the brains of college students, a new study warns. College students who vape have lower cognitive function scores than those who don’t, researchers reported Sunday at the American Neurological Association’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. And the more students vape, the lower they score on tests of learning, memory, problem-solving and critical thinking, researchers found. Students who vaped 10 to 20 puffs per day had scores 9% lower than those who did not vape or smoke, while those who vaped more than 20 puffs a day had scores nearly 14% lower, researchers found. “We believe our research marks a before-and-after in the field of studying cognitive function regarding vaping,” said lead researcher Linker Vinan Paucar, a medical student at Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil in Ecuador. Previous studies have shown that smoking can affect brain function by shrinking the brain and lowering blood flow to brain cells, researchers said in background notes. Nicotine also causes neurotoxicity that damages brain cells. The risk might be even greater in people who vape, Paucar said. “People in the study who had previously smoked cigarettes typically smoked three or four a week, but with vaping, they now smoke double, triple or more, especially if they smoke and vape,” Paucar said. “Electronic cigarettes with up to…  read on >  read on >

Ozempic and its weight-loss cousin, Wegovy, outperform another longstanding weight-loss drug that targets the same hormone associated with blood sugar and appetite, a new study finds. Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) promoted the loss of 10% or more body weight in 61% of people being treated for obesity and 23% being treated for diabetes after a year on the drugs, researchers reported Sept. 13 in the journal JAMA Network Open. By comparison, Saxenda (liraglutide) prompted similar weight loss in only 29% of those being treated for obesity and 12% being treated for type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that losing 10% or more of body weight provides clinically significant health benefits, researchers said. This sort of weight loss can improve blood sugar levels and even put diabetes into remission for some, according to the National Institutes of Health. It can also improve cholesterol levels and promote heart health. “We found that long-term weight reduction varied significantly based on the medication’s active agent, treatment indication, dosage and persistence with the medication,” said lead investigator Hamlet Gasoyan, a researcher with the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Value-Based Care Research. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.  Liraglutide was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2010 to treat type 2 diabetes and in 2014 to treat obesity. Semaglutide is more recent, having received approval in…  read on >  read on >

Initially approved to treat type 2 diabetes, Ozempic and Mounjaro also can help people with type 1 diabetes lose weight and control their blood sugar levels, a new study finds. Overweight or obese type 1 diabetics taking Mounjaro were able to reduce the amount of daily insulin they needed, researchers reported Thursday at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Madrid. And both drugs helped patients lose weight, which can improve blood sugar control, researchers said. Ozempic (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) help the body produce more insulin when needed — something that won’t help type 1 diabetics, who have lost the ability to produce any insulin. However, the drugs also slow down digestion of food and reduce the amount of glucose produced by the liver, both of which should help some type 1 diabetics control blood sugar levels, researchers said. “Some of the mechanisms through which semaglutide and tirzepatide lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes are also likely to be relevant in type 1 diabetes,” said lead researcher Janet Snell-Bergeon, a professor with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. For this study, researchers analyzed medical data for 100 adults with type 1 diabetes, half of whom where prescribed Ozempic and the other half Mounjaro. Both drugs prompted weight loss. Type 1 diabetics lost an average of 9% of their…  read on >  read on >

Humans could learn a few medical tips from their gorilla cousins, a new study says. Four plants used by wild gorillas in Gabon have antibacterial and antioxidant properties, researcher reported Sept. 11 in the journal PLOS One. Wild great apes often self-medicate, consuming medicinal plants that can treat their ailments, researchers said. Observing gorillas, researchers identified four native plant species they regularly use: the fromager tree (Ceiba pentandra), giant yellow mulberry (Myrianthus arboreus), African teak (Milicia excelsa) and fig trees (Ficus). The bark of all four plants demonstrated antibacterial activity against at least one antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli, researchers discovered in lab tests. One in particular, the fromager tree, showed “remarkable activity” against all tested E. coli strains. All four plants also contain compounds that have medicinal effects, including phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids and proanthocyanidins, researchers said. Interviews with 27 people living in a nearby village found that these plants are used in local traditional medicine, the researchers added. Biodiverse regions like central Africa are home to a huge reservoir of potentially medicinal plants, researchers said. By paying attention to wild great apes, humans might be able to find new means of combatting antibacterial-resistant germs. “Alternative medicines and therapies offer definite hope for the resolution of many present and future public health problems,” wrote the research team led by senior investigator Sylvain Godreuil, a professor…  read on >  read on >