Coffee provides a quick morning boost, but it might also protect the brain health of people with a common heart rhythm disorder. A study published recently in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows patients with atrial fibrillation who drank more than five cups of coffee a day performed better on an array of cognitive tests than those who drank little to no coffee. In fact, the brains of heavy coffee drinkers were nearly seven years younger in cognitive age compared to coffee teetotalers. “Many myths are around, but our study found no reason to discourage or forbid a patient with A-Fib from drinking coffee. Instead, say, ‘Enjoy, it may even be good for you!’” senior researcher Dr. Jürg Beer, a professor of medicine and hematology at the University of Zürich in Switzerland, said in an American Heart Association (AHA) news release. Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder in adults, affecting more than 5 million people in the United States, according to the AHA. A-Fib occurs when the upper chambers of the heart — the atria — begin beating in a quivering and uncoordinated way. This allows blood to pool in the atria and potentially clot.  A-Fib increases a person’s risk of stroke fivefold, as a blood clot can travel from the atria and block blood flow to the brain, according…  read on >  read on >

Sexism is incredibly toxic to women’s lives, resulting in lower pay, fewer career opportunities, worse health care and a greater risk of violence. It also can be toxic to their brain health, a new study says. U.S. women born in the most sexist states experience a faster memory decline in later years than women born in states with more equal rights, researchers reported in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. In fact, women born in the state with the highest structural sexism — Mississippi circa 1910 — experienced memory decline similar to women 9 years older in age, researchers found. “Our findings suggest that addressing social inequities may be a powerful way to lower the burden of Alzheimer’s among women,” lead researcher Justina Avila-Rieger, an associate research scientist at Columbia University, said in a university news release.  “Alzheimer’s is a huge societal problem, particularly among women, who account for two-thirds of Americans with the disease,” Avila-Rieger continued. “It’s imperative that we gain a better understanding of what is causing this discrepancy and what can be done about it.” For the study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 21,000 women who took part in long-term health studies. The health studies included regular measurements of women’s brain function. The team also compiled indicators of structural racism for each state in the United States, based on male versus female labor…  read on >  read on >

Seniors with an infection can take antibiotics without fear of harming their brain health. Antibiotics don’t appear to increase the risk of cognitive decline or dementia in older adults, researchers report in the journal Neurology. “Given that older adults are more frequently prescribed antibiotics and are also at higher risk for cognitive decline, these findings offer reassurance about using these medications,” senior researcher Dr. Andrew Chan, a professor with Harvard Medical School, said in a news release from the American Academy of Neurology. Previous studies have linked gut health to brain health, researchers said in background notes. The human gut contains trillions of microorganisms, and some have been shown to enhance and others to drain brain power. “Antibiotics have been found in previous research to disrupt the gut microbiome, which is the community of tiny organisms that live in our intestines and support digestion,” Chan said. “Because the gut microbiome has been found to be important for maintaining overall health, and possibly cognitive function, there was concern that antibiotics may have a harmful long-term effect on the brain,” he continued. For this study, researchers tracked data on more than 13,500 healthy Australian seniors older than 70 who took part in a clinical trial testing the health benefits of daily low-dose aspirin. Participants’ use of antibiotics was determined by reviewing prescription records, researchers said. About 63%…  read on >  read on >

Millions of American adults are struggling with Long COVID, and a fifth have symptoms so debilitating they interfere with daily activities, a new report finds. “Frequently reported symptoms include fatigue that interferes with daily life, difficulty thinking or concentrating, cough and heart palpitations,” explained a team of researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, Long COVID can include “a wide range of ongoing symptoms,” such as fatigue, brain fog, feeling exhausted after exercise, coughing, shortness of breath, sleep troubles, depression/anxiety, joint pain, gastro issues and more. “Most people with Long COVID symptoms see significant improvement after 3 months, while others may see improvement up to 6 months after symptoms first appear,” the CDC noted. Just how widespread is Long COVID? In the new study, researchers led by Nicole Ford of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases looked at 2023 federal data surveying American adults. They found that about 1 in every 16 adults (6.4%) surveyed said that they were currently suffering from Long COVID, which was defined as having persistent symptoms last 3 months or more after a bout of COVID-19. Of those with Long COVID, 19.8% “reported significant activity limitations due to their symptoms,” Ford’s group reported. That meant that everyday home and work activities like walking, exercise, shopping, housework and the like were…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration re-issued a decision first made by the agency in October that a shortage of the diabetes/weight-loss medication tirzepatide is over. Tirzepatide includes blockbuster injected GLP-1 medications Mounjaro (for diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss). The FDA first announced two months ago that any shortage of the medications observed during the summer was over. However, it was forced to “re-evaluate” that decision after demands by the Outsourcing Facilities Association (OFA), a trade group for compounding pharmacists, which sued the agency claiming that tirzepatide was still in short supply. As long as the drug shortage was declared, compounding pharmacies were still eligible to produce their own versions of Zepbound/Mounjaro. However, Thursday’s FDA announcement effectively puts an end to that, and compounding pharmacies must now cease producing the lucrative drugs within a set time period. For many compounding pharmacies that date is 60 days from today (Feb.18) and for “bulk” compounding pharmacies the date is 90 days away (March 19), the FDA said in a statement. “FDA may still take action regarding violations of any other statutory or regulatory requirements, such as to address findings that a product may be of substandard quality or otherwise unsafe,” the agency noted. Eli Lilly, the maker of Zepbound and Mounjaro, had pushed back against the OFA’s assertion that shortages of tirzepatide were still in place, and…  read on >  read on >

Sleep apnea is known to wreak havoc with the body, contributing to heart problems, diabetes and liver disease. The sleep disorder also appears to have direct effects on brain health, a new study shows. People with sleep apnea appear to experience accelerated aging of the brain’s white matter, which serves to connect the various regions of the brain, researchers reported Dec. 18 in the journal Neurology. Sleep apnea also is associated with an increase in the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and thinking, researchers said. “Both brain shrinkage and brain growth can harm memory and thinking by disrupting normal brain functions, increasing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia,” lead researcher Dr. Alberto Ramos, a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist with the University of Miami, said in a news release from the school. People with sleep apnea stop breathing while asleep. This causes their brain to jolt them to wakefulness, at least enough for them to resume breathing. Over time, untreated sleep apnea can increase a person’s risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and mood disorders, according to the Sleep Foundation. But researchers suspected that sleep apnea might do damage to the brain as well, Ramos said. “Some studies have found sleep problems and lower oxygen levels during sleep have been linked to…  read on >  read on >

Knee arthritis could become easier to detect and diagnose thanks to a new test involving the lubricating fluid inside the joint. A new study shows that arthritis of the knee often is diagnosed in its late stages, after cartilage has degraded and bones are rubbing against each other in the joint. At that point, it’s tough to tell whether knee arthritis has been caused by natural wear and tear, or if an inflammatory disease is behind a person’s joint problems, the researchers noted in a new study published Dec. 18 in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. But a new test involving two markers found in the synovial fluid of patients’ joints might be able to help docs suss all this out more promptly. The test “addresses an unmet need for objective diagnosis of osteoarthritis to improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes,” researcher Daniel Keter with CD Diagnostics, a division of Zimmer Biomet, said in a journal news release. The fluid test looks for a protein called cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), as well as an inflammatory biochemical called interleukin-8 (IL-8), researchers said. COMP levels tend to be high in the synovial fluid of people with “wear-and-tear” osteoarthritis, because it’s released as cartilage breaks down. On the other hand, IL-8 is low in osteoarthritis but elevated in people with inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Using these…  read on >  read on >

TUESDAY, Dec. 17, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A woman’s sex drive often diminishes with age, particularly during perimenopause when issues like pain and vaginal discomfort arise. A new study, however, reveals that sexual identity may play a key role in sexual well-being during midlife. The study, published Dec. 18 in the journal Menopause, found that non-heterosexual women were significantly more likely to remain sexually active and less likely to report pain during sexual activity compared to heterosexual women. Up to 85% of postmenopausal women report challenges with sexual function, including pain, reduced libido and distress. These symptoms, often emerging during perimenopause, can have lasting effects on quality of life and relationships. Researchers led by Laura Muratore, a clinical research coordinator in psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, analyzed survey data from more than 230 female veterans enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration. The participants had an average age of 56, and 25% identified as non-heterosexual. Female veterans are a critical population for research, as their numbers have more than doubled in the past two decades and over half are now in midlife (40s to 60s). What was found? Non-heterosexual women were 2.2 times more likely to report being sexually active in the past month compared to heterosexual women. Only 12% of non-heterosexual women reported pain during sexual activity, compared to 48% of heterosexual women.…  read on >  read on >

The ancient Japanese practice of reiki “energy healing” might help some cancer patients deal with the pain that can come with infusion therapies, new research shows. “Outpatients receiving reiki during infusion reported clinically significant improvements in all symptoms, high levels of satisfaction and a qualitatively positive healing experience,” reported a team led by Natalie Dyer, of Connor Whole Health at the University Hospitals of Cleveland. Her team published its findings recently in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. The Cleveland Clinic notes that reiki “has roots in ancient Japanese healing practices and is considered a form of energy healing. It stems from the Japanese words ‘rei,’ meaning universal, and ‘ki,’ meaning vital life force energy.” The theory behind reiki is that people all have a life force and a reiki master (a practitioner trained in reiki) can channel the “universal life force energy” to you by either lightly touching you with their hands or hovering their hands above you, “channeling” energy in healthy ways. Does reiki work beyond a possible placebo effect? That still “up for debate,” the Cleveland Clinic said, and probably will be for some time to come. In the new study, Dyer and colleagues tracked outcomes for 268 cancer patients who were receiving infusion treatments such as chemotherapy on an outpatient basis. These treatments can come with painful side effects, such…  read on >  read on >