Vitamin D supplements might lower blood pressure in seniors who are obese, reducing their heart health risk, a new study says. But taking more than the recommended daily dose will not provide additional health benefits, researchers report in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. “Our study found vitamin D supplementation may decrease blood pressure in… read on > read on >
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Weight Loss Meds Help Stroke Survivors Prevent Stroke Recurrence, Death
The weight-loss drug Ozempic can help reduce stroke patients’ risk of a heart attack or death, a new study says. GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic or SGLT2 diabetes medications like Jardiance or Farxiga both helped protect the health of people following a stroke, researchers found. Patients taking either a GLP-1 or SGLT2 drug had a… read on > read on >
Obesity-Linked Heart Deaths Nearly Tripled in U.S. Over Past Two Decades
Lives lost to obesity-related heart disease have nearly tripled over the past twenty years, a new study reports. Heart disease deaths linked to obesity increased 2.8-fold between 1999 and 2020, according to findings presented today at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting in Chicago. The increase occurred especially among middle-aged men, Black adults, Midwesterners and… read on > read on >
Unexplained Weight Loss and What It Can Mean for Your Health
It may seem counter-intuitive, but losing weight without even trying may not be a good thing. “It’s not typical to have a noticeable drop in weight without changing how much you’re eating, being more physically active or trying to lose weight,” said dietitian Christine Goukasian. “Unexplained weight loss is a red flag,” she added in… read on > read on >
FDA Proposes Ban on a ‘Useless’ Decongestant, Phenylephrine
More than a year after its advisory panel unanimously declared the drug phenylephrine to be useless against nasal congestion, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing that it be removed from common over-the-counter decongestants. Products that include phenylephrine as an active ingredient include Sudafed PE, Vicks Sinex and Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion. In fact,… read on > read on >
Novo Nordisk CEO Warns of Deaths Linked to Compounded Semaglutide
The head of the company that makes the diabetes and obesity drugs Ozempic and Wegovy has warned that compounded versions of the active ingredient in those medications have now been linked to at least 100 hospitalizations and 10 deaths. “Honestly, I’m quite alarmed by what we see in the U.S. now,” Novo Nordisk President and… read on > read on >
Psilocybin Shows Effectiveness in Curbing Anorexia
THURSDAY, Nov. 7, 2024 (HeathDay News) — The active chemical in “magic mushrooms” may help treat anorexia, a new study has found. Following psilocybin treatment, 4 of 10 study participants showed clinically significant reductions in their anorexia-driven eating habits, researchers report. “Our findings suggest that psilocybin may be helpful in supporting meaningful psychological change in… read on > read on >
Vitamin D Supplements in Pregnancy Linked to Stronger Bones in Kids
THURSDAY, Nov.7, 2024Women who take vitamin D supplements during a pregnancy may be giving their kids the legacy of stronger bones, new British research suggests. Children whose moms took vitamin D supplements when pregnant had stronger, denser bones at the age of 7 compared to the kids of women who didn’t, a study from the… read on > read on >
U.S. Diabetes Rates Rise to Nearly 1 in 6 Adults
Nearly 16% of American adults — that’s close to 1 in 6 — now has diabetes, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Increasing age and widening waistlines greatly increase the odds for the disease, which happens when the body doesn’t use insulin properly, resulting in high blood… read on > read on >
PCOS Plus Obesity Can Be Hazardous in Pregnancy
Women who are pregnant but who also have the ovarian cyst disorder polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at higher odds of giving birth to an underweight baby, new Norwegian research shows. The risk rises even higher if the woman with PCOS is also obese, the study found. “In women of normal weight who have PCOS,… read on > read on >