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• Early-onset breast cancer in females under 50 is increasing, a new report shows.
• Deaths from breast cancer are declining overall, but disparities among women of color persist.
• Aside from a genetic component in some people, breast cancer is highly influenced by diet and lifestyle factors.
• Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, following a healthy, balanced diet, and limiting exposure to environmental toxins are proven ways to reduce breast cancer risk.

Breast cancer mortality rates have fallen in recent years, but early-onset breast cancer is on the rise.

While breast cancer deaths have decreased by 44% in the past 30 years, the biennial update from the American Cancer Society warns of an uptick in breast cancer diagnoses in females under 50. 

Moreover, disparities in mortality rates among women of color persist compared to white women. Black women face higher risks of triple-negative breast cancers and have the lowest survival rates for nearly every breast cancer subtype and stage, the report shows.

Driving breast cancer rates in all females, aside from any genetic predisposition, are myriad factors, many of which are modifiable byproducts of modern-day living.

Recent research has shown that, in 19 out of 30 types of cancer, nearly half of all cases in the United States are linked to modifiable risk factors. A significant proportion of these cancer cases affect females, including breast cancer. 

Following lung cancer, female breast cancer is linked to the most modifiable risk factors. 

One possible culprit? Alcohol. A progress report from the American Association for Cancer Research linked alcohol consumption to a higher risk for six cancer types, including breast cancer.

Other factors, such as overweight and obesity, difficulty following a healthy diet, and exposure to environmental toxins, also play a role in breast cancer development.

“It’s important to know that the breast organ itself is more vulnerable than other organs to cancer, which is why breast cancer is more common and the price more vulnerable,” said Marisa C. Weiss, MD, chief medical officer and founder of Breastcancer.org. 

“If you look at modern life, where people are not having babies until later, they’re not breastfeeding, they’re drinking a lot, or they’re overweight and not exercising, they’re not eating well, or they’re using pharmaceutical hormones for an extended time, it’s a combined set of reasons why breast cancer is more common today than it used to be, including in young women.”

Healthline spoke with Weiss to learn more about early-onset breast cancer and some of the modifiable risk factors, plus other tips for breast cancer prevention.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and brevity. 

Risk factors influencing early-onset breast cancer

Weiss: Breast cancer used to be pretty rare 100 years ago, and it’s become the most common cancer to affect women. 1 in 8 women — 2.3 million globally — are affected by breast cancer each year.

The explanation for the increase in the incidence of breast cancer overall, especially in younger women, is multifold. When it comes to steps you can take that have been proven to drop your risk of breast cancer you should try to: 

• maintain a healthy weight
• exercise regularly
• eat a mostly plant-based diet (i.e., the Mediterranean diet) 
• limit or omit alcohol use 
• reduce exposure to environmental pollutants
• consider non-hormonal birth control
• quit smoking
• sleep well
• socialize with others
• consider genetic testing for BRCA gene mutations
• consider further testing if you have dense breasts

Here’s a closer look at some of the main factors that may be affecting rising breast cancer rates in young females.

1. High prevalence of overweight and obesity  

Weiss: Obesity or being overweight affects two-thirds of women. Carrying extra weight increases inflammation, which irritates the cells of the body and can make it more likely that a cancer cell could occur. Extra weight brings puberty on earlier, which is a risk factor for breast cancer. 

For people carrying extra weight, it’s often harder to exercise, and they’re less likely to eat well. One study linked a 30% higher risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women with obesity compared to those without obesity.

Of course, it’s very hard to get to and stick to a healthy weight, but getting there reduces the risk of breast cancer and the risk of recurrence if you’ve been diagnosed. 

2. Increased exposure to environmental pollutants 

Weiss: Pesticides and plastics, fragrances, and other types of pollutants — many of them are lipophilic, meaning they dissolve in fat after exposure. 

If you had exposure to a pesticide years ago, let’s say DDT, you may still have residue of DDT in your fat tissue, which could raise your risk of breast cancer.

To reduce your exposure to pollutants, avoid products containing fragrances, and don’t cook in plastic.

4. Rising alcohol use among females

Weiss: Alcohol use in women is increasing. And the more alcohol you drink, the higher your breast cancer risk.

Recent studies show there’s no safe level of alcohol use. Any alcohol use can increase breast cancer risk, which is an unpopular reality. If you drink, limit how much you drink. 

5. Hormones in conventional dairy products

Weiss: There are hormones in the products that we eat that could stimulate breast cancer cell growth.

The conventional dairy industry, not the organic one, keeps cows pregnant as often as possible because pregnant cows make more milk. 

So, whatever’s in the pregnant cow’s milk is more likely to have hormones. Hormones generally live in the fat of the milk. 

But in the organic milk industry, they’re not allowed to do that. They only take milk from pregnant cows at the beginning of the pregnancy, not toward the middle and the end, when hormone levels are higher. 

If you want to avoid hormone exposure, buy organic fat-free milk. While it sounds elitist to say, ‘Just go out and buy organic,’ it’s true that organic products, including milk, are increasingly available in places like Walmart grocery stores or in other places that serve people with lower incomes.

6. Hormones in birth control, HRT

Weiss: The use of birth control pills is ubiquitous, particularly now, with access to abortion being limited.

Most people are trying to prevent pregnancy rather than have a baby, so the use of hormonal contraception is very effective and widely used. 

But the longer you’re on it, the higher the breast cancer risk. That’s also true of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) — the longer you’re on it, the higher the risk of breast cancer. 

Try to find nonhormonal methods of effective contraception, like an IUD that doesn’t contain hormones.

Why is it so important to limit or avoid alcohol?

Weiss: We already know girls who drink alcohol are more likely to have overgrowth of breast cells — hyperplasia — while they are still girls. While it may not be breast cancer, they’re more likely to have bumps and more likely to get a biopsy. 

We don’t know exactly why alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. It probably has to do with how the liver responds to it and maybe hormone levels that may increase.

It may be that we don’t know the whole story about why alcohol increases cancer risk. Still, there’s pretty strong evidence that says there’s an association between drinking alcohol and a higher risk of breast cancer, and the more you drink, the higher the risk.

But there’s an opportunity to modify your risk — you can drink a nonalcoholic beverage when you go to a party, like flavored seltzer in a wine glass, with a mint and a lime. 

When you drink wine with food, you drink more slowly. When you go to a restaurant, put your hand over your glass to avoid being topped off. 

Drinking less alcohol also makes a big difference in managing your weight. If you stop drinking alcohol, you will be consuming fewer calories from the alcohol. 

Diet and nutrition tips for breast cancer prevention

Weiss: Modern life is full of all kinds of exposures that are not healthy for us. If you’re in the grocery store you have choices, you can choose to bring home food that’s healthy rather than not healthy.

For example, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a list of the ‘Dirty Dozen,’ which is the top fruits and vegetables that are most likely to be grown in the presence of pesticides and other junk. You want to buy those from organic sources like, just like you would milk. 

The junk in the environment also concentrates as it goes up the food chain, which is why a bigger fish, like a tuna, is more exposed to junk like mercury throughout its life. So it’s a good idea to eat lower on the food chain. 

I tell my patients that the main show on their plate should be fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, grains, spices, and different colors of the rainbow. Your meat, fish, chicken, and pork should be more of a sideshow. 

A vegetarian diet is still healthier even if it contains foods on the Dirty Dozen list. A Mediterranean diet is the healthiest diet even if you can’t afford to buy organic. 

When you eat chicken, for example, take off the skin because that has a lot of the fat in it. When you eat fish, avoid the brown fat part underneath since it contains junk in it.

Enjoy tuna every once in a while, otherwise, enjoy smaller fish (i.e. sardines, anchovies) or even tilapia and flounder, which economically are cheaper than eating something higher on the food chain. The bigger the fish, the higher on the food chain and the more junk there is in there. 

For people who can’t afford organic food, a vegetarian diet is still healthier even if it contains foods on the Dirty Dozen list. A Mediterranean diet is the healthiest diet even if you can’t afford to buy organic. 

Are there any risks to soy consumption?

Weiss: Soy contains isoflavones, a protein with very weak estrogen levels. I think it’s fine to consume relatively unprocessed soy foods (e.g., edamame, tofu, tempeh, and soy milk).

“Economic vegetarians” who can’t afford meat or people who follow diets where their biggest source of protein is soy. Their risk of breast cancer is low. 

What I do warn people against is concentrated pharmaceutical-grade soy protein powder. We don’t know if that’s safe, so I would say avoid it. 

Dense breasts: What can you do to lower breast cancer risk?

Weiss: First, don’t panic. The new FDA rule says you’re required to know if your breasts are dense or not. It’s important to know that breast density is not a diagnosis, it’s just a description, and it’s based off your mammogram. 

Half the women who get mammograms have dense breasts. Of the half — a quarter of the whole pie — have what we call heterogeneously dense breasts, or patches of dense tissue. 

About a quarter of all breast cancers, which is half of the half who have dense breasts, have extremely dense breast tissue. This means that your risk of breast cancer may be a little higher, and it also means that it’s a little harder to find breast cancer in there because it’s like trying to find a polar bear in a blizzard. Then you might need some extra testing like an ultrasound or an MRI. 

There’s a whole list of factors that influence your breast cancer risk. Breast density is just one of them.

So breast density, your family history, your weight, your alcohol consumption, whether you’re socially isolated, have uncontrolled diabetes, have been on extended use of HRT or birth control pills, etc. — you want to look at all those factors. 

If you find out that you have dense breasts, it’s good to talk with your doctor or a genetic counselor about your overall risk.

It is also important to note that while uncommon, breast cancer also occurs in men. The condition affects about 1 in 800 men in their lifetime, compared with 1 in 8 women.

Takeaway

Early-onset breast cancer cases are on the rise. While overall breast cancer mortality is declining, disparities persist, with women of color still facing significant risks. 

Key risk factors for breast cancer include obesity, alcohol consumption, hormone exposures, and environmental pollutants. 

Maintaining a healthy weight, getting regular exercise, following a mostly plant-based diet, quitting smoking, and limiting or avoiding alcohol can help reduce breast cancer risk. 

The role of genetic factors, particularly in women of color and those with a family history of breast cancer, should also be taken into account. Talk with your doctor if you have dense breasts or other risk factors for breast cancer. They may recommend genetic testing for personalized risk management.

• In the United States, an estimated 1 in 3 people have metabolic syndrome, which raises the risk for developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
• A new study investigates whether a form of intermittent fasting called time-restricted eating (TRE) might help remedy the condition.
• While more long-term studies are needed, the researchers found significant improvements after following a short-term personalized TRE regimen.

Intermittent fasting protocols are gaining interest among researchers and health enthusiasts for their potential benefits.

A new study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, examined the effects of time-restricted eating (TRE), a form of intermittent fasting (IF) in people with metabolic syndrome.

The researchers found that eating within an 8–10-hour window may help improve blood sugar control in people with the condition. Although the study has some limitations, its findings align with previous, similar research.

Health effects of time-restricted eating

According to the authors of the new study, one-third of people in the United States have metabolic syndrome, an umbrella term for a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors: 

• high blood pressure
• high blood sugar levels
• excess fat around the waist
• high triglyceride (blood fat) levels
• low levels of good cholesterol (HDL)

If left untreated, people with metabolic syndrome have an increased risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. 

Uncovering lifestyle interventions to reduce the burden of metabolic syndrome is vital work for researchers. Some scientists believe that time-restricted eating (TRE) might help people with this condition.

Following a TRE protocol means only consuming calories for a set number of hours each day. Outside of these times, only water or black, unsweetened tea and coffee may be consumed.

As an example, if someone starts their breakfast at 9 a.m. and finishes their last meal of the day at 9 p.m., they have a 12-hour eating window. If they decided to try TRE, perhaps they would skip breakfast, eat their first meal at midday, and eat their final meal at the same time as usual. This would give them a 9-hour eating window.

Previous research has linked TRE with:

• improved blood sugar control in people with diabetes
• decreased blood pressure
• weight loss
• lower blood fat levels

Can time-restricted eating treat metabolic syndrome?

The latest study is a randomized controlled trial — the gold standard of medical research. The scientists recruited 108 people with metabolic syndrome and an average age of 59.

For the 3-month study, the researchers split the participants into two groups:

• nutrition counseling
• nutrition counseling plus a personalized 8- to 10-hour TRE intervention.

At the beginning of the study, participants’ average eating window was just over 14 hours. During the study, they reduced their eating window by around 4 hours.

At the end of the study, the TRE group had significantly improved their HbA1c, or hemoglobin A1C, which is a marker of average blood sugar levels used to monitor diabetes.

“Lowering HbA1c reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes,” Adrian Hernandez, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner at AEH Nutrition LLC, who was not involved in the study, told Healthline. “By reducing the risk or progression of type 2 diabetes, you also improve the development of metabolic syndrome.”

Those in the TRE group also lost weight without losing muscle mass, reduced their body mass index (BMI), and lost belly fat, all of which can reduce the risk of chronic disease if maintained.

Although the results are hopeful, the authors note that the study was relatively short duration, and that they had to rely on participants reporting when they ate — which is not always reliable. 

“While there are clear limitations to the study, I would still say TRE is a viable option for those with metabolic conditions,” Hernandez said, noting that other “research on TRE and intermittent fasting shows similar outcomes.”

How does time-restricted improve metabolic health?

Rebecca Russell, a functional medicine registered dietitian at The Social Nutritionist, not involved in the study, explained how TRE can help people with metabolic syndrome.

“One reason TRE may be effective is that it aligns food intake with the body’s natural circadian rhythm,” she told Healthline.

Circadian rhythms help orchestrate the rise and fall of hormone levels throughout the day, sleep-wake cycles, metabolism, digestion, and much more.

“By restricting eating to an 8–10 hour window, we can work with our body’s natural ebb and flow, enhancing metabolic efficiency,” Russell continued.

Russell explained how eating when the body is naturally primed for digestion and energy utilization may help improve:

• blood sugar regulation
• lipid profiles
• overall metabolic health

Avery Zenker, a registered dietitian at EverFlex Fitness, not involved in the study, noted how TRE might help in other ways. “Fasting periods also give the digestive system a break, which can improve gut health and allow for essential repair and recovery,” Zenker told Healthline.

Mir Ali, MD, a board-certified bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, not involved in the current study, told Healthline that, other than circadian alignment, “fasting for a period of time directs the body toward burning fat.” This helps explain the weight loss seen in this and other studies, Ali noted.

Food quality matters

If you are eating less food overall, it is important to focus on quality to ensure you get all the essential nutrients your body needs during your eating window.

“Choosing the right foods is the most important thing for weight loss,” Ali said.

Zenker agreed. “TRE cannot compensate for low-quality food choices, so it’s important to focus on eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods rather than relying on timing alone to improve health outcomes. Focusing on a nutritious diet is essential, regardless of when you’re eating,” Zenker said.

Who should avoid time-restricted eating?

According to Hernandez, TRE is not suitable for everyone, including:

• pregnant people
• malnourished individuals
• anyone taking medications that affect blood sugar
• athletes or very active individuals who have higher nutrient needs

Also, “Individuals with a history of disordered eating may find the restrictive eating window triggering, potentially exacerbating unhealthy behaviors,” Russell said.

“Additionally,” she continued, “people with type 1 diabetes or those on medication for type 2 diabetes need to be cautious as fasting can lead to dangerous drops in blood sugar.”

How to get started with TRE

Russell stressed the importance of consulting with a “qualified healthcare professional to determine if TRE is suitable for your individual needs. If you decide to proceed, a gradual approach is often best.”

She suggests first reducing your eating window to 12 hours, then gradually dropping it down to 10, and finally 8 hours. “It’s crucial to maintain a balanced, nutrient-dense diet within your eating window.”

“If you tend to eat close to bedtime, I’d start there first,” Zenker said. “Eating closer to bedtime is linked to poorer health outcomes, so cutting out late-night snacks is a positive start.

Another tip Zenker shared is to “eat an adequate amount of protein and fiber since this can help manage hunger and satiety during the fasting period. And don’t forget to prioritize other lifestyle factors, like sleep, stress, and exercise”.

Importantly, Russell explained, “If you find yourself overeating or reaching for less nutritious foods due to excessive hunger during your restricted eating window, TRE may not be the healthiest approach for you.”

Takeaway

A new study concludes that restricting food intake to 8–10 hours each day might reduce metabolic syndrome, potentially reducing cardiovascular risk. 

Although TRE might be beneficial for some, it is still important to concentrate on food quality. Importantly, certain people should not try TRE, like those who are pregnant or have diabetes.

• GLP-1 medications are most often used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.
• However, new research has found that they may have other applications.
• They may help lower the risk of opioid overdose as well as early death.
• They might also help reduce the symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa, a chronic skin condition.

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have gained popularity in recent years due to their ability to help manage type 2 diabetes and aid with weight loss.

However, researchers are finding other promising applications for these drugs as well.

From protecting against heart attacks and strokes to lowering the risk of developing severe COVID-19, a number of new studies suggest GLP-1s could help prevent and treat several conditions, including brand-new research that has linked them with three additional health benefits: treating the chronic skin condition hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), lowing the risk of an opioid overdose, and reducing the risk of early death.

Semaglutide linked with reduced risk of opioid overdose

A September 25, 2024, study published in JAMA Network Open found an association between semaglutide use and a significantly lower risk of opioid overdose over the course of one year.

Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.

According to Dr. Ramit Singh Sambyal, a General Physician associated with ClinicSpots who was not involved in the study, this could be because of how GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide impact the brain’s reward and appetite pathways.

“GLP-1 affects areas of the brain involved in regulating food intake and cravings such as the hypothalamus and the mesolimbic reward system,” he said. “These same areas are also involved in addiction-related behaviors.”

Sambyal went on to explain that modulating the brain’s reward system could theoretically reduce people’s cravings and make addictive drugs like opioids less rewarding.

“If true, this could help people with opioid use disorder by reducing the desire to misuse opioids or by making them less appealing overall,” he said.

Fewer episodes of hidradenitis suppurativa linked with semaglutide use

Another potential area of risk reduction is the chronic inflammatory skin condition hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).

New research presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2024, held September 25-28 in Amsterdam, found that patients receiving semaglutide had fewer HS flare-ups, going from having them about once every 8.5 weeks to once every 12 weeks.

Also, their C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, dropped significantly, going from 7.8 to 6.9.

Sambyal said that GLP-1 receptor agonists’ anti-inflammatory effects might explain why they can help manage HS.

He also believes that their ability to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce systemic inflammation could potentially reduce the chronic inflammation that contributes to the painful nodules seen in HS.

“Since inflammation is a driving factor in many chronic conditions, including autoimmune diseases, the anti-inflammatory properties of GLP-1 drugs may extend to skin conditions like HS, even though direct evidence is still limited,” said Sambyal.

Lower risk of early death associated with GLP-1 drugs

Additionally, GLP-1 drugs could help reduce people’s risk of early death.

According to an August 30, 2024 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, patients treated with semaglutide had lower rates of death from any cause.

Death rates were driven by both cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular causes, according to the authors, however, non-cardiovascular deaths were mainly because of fewer people dying from infections.

“The suggestion that GLP-1 drugs might lower the risk of early death could be linked to the broad range of benefits they offer for overall metabolic health,” said Sambyal. “These drugs improve glycemic control, reduce body weight, and lower blood pressure—three major factors that influence long-term health and mortality risk.”

Sambyal added that even in people without diabetes, improving these factors could reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

“Theoretically, if GLP-1 receptor agonists can help people maintain a healthier metabolic profile over the long term,” he said, “it might explain why some early studies have found an association with reduced mortality.”

Sambyal further noted that GLP-1 drugs can improve heart health directly.

“These drugs have been shown to have cardioprotective effects, including reducing inflammation in blood vessels and improving endothelial function,” he said, explaining that this could lower people’s risk of heart disease even if they don’t have diabetes.

Other potential health benefits of GLP-1 agonists

Jana Abelovska, Superintendent Pharmacist at Click Pharmacy, added that, in addition to these three recent studies, scientists are “discovering a slew of other benefits.”

There’s some evidence that people had a lower risk of cognitive problems as well as being less likely to be addicted to nicotine, she said.

“Although this link is not yet fully understood, it means that the drug may be useful in preventing cognitive decline in later life, as well as helping people give up smoking,” said Abelovsak.

Additionally, there is ongoing research looking at whether semaglutide could be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, which is thought to be linked with brain inflammation.

Abelovska further noted that semaglutide might be a potential treatment for chronic kidney disease.

“[P}eople taking it were less likely to need dialysis or lose kidney function,” she said

Finally, Abelovsia pointed to a study that found that semaglutide reduced the risk of 10 different types of cancer in people who were taking the drug for diabetes.

Takeaway

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are most often used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.

However, recent research indicates that they might also benefit health in other ways, such as reducing people’s risk for opioid overdose, lowering the inflammation associated with hdradenitis suppurative, and preventing early death.

Other promising applications that scientists are looking at include reducing the risk of cognitive problems, helping people to stop smoking, treating chronic kidney disease, and lowering the risk of several types of cancer.

• After months of coughing and having the flu and pneumonia, Son Vang was hospitalized with heart failure.
• Over the course of a few years, his condition worsened, requiring more hospital stays, a heart pump, and placement on the heart transplant list.
• Today, he is thriving and sharing his story to inspire others.

In 2018, 41-year-old Son Vang was living his life as usual. In addition to working and being a father and husband, he spent his free time playing sports, as he had for most of his life.

However, at the end of 2018, Vang came down with pneumonia.

“I had never been quite that sick before,” he told Healthline. “I felt better, and then after pneumonia, I started coughing a lot.”

He eventually recovered, but in the spring of 2019, he got the flu. After taking flu medication, most symptoms subsided, except for a lingering cough.

“My wife was concerned that I kept coughing and couldn’t figure out why,” said Vang. “Two months later, pneumonia happened again, and at this point, we started looking at other things like an x-ray and trying to figure out why I still had fluid and was still coughing.”

Doctors determined that his heart was enlarged and pumping at 25% capacity. He was immediately admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a type of heart failure in which the heart muscle has difficulty pumping blood throughout the body.

“[The doctors were] surprised I was even walking around looking halfway normal,” said Vang. “I told them I was still working and still doing stuff with my life, but I kind of felt like I was run down all the time.”

Possible causes of cardiomyopathy

Vang’s doctors don’t know the exact cause of his cardiomyopathy. However, Vang believes having pneumonia twice, and the flu may have played a part.

“I even did a genetic test to see if there were issues but there was nothing that showed that,” he said. “But…my heart being damaged a little caused me to get sick, and then it caused me to be sick even worse.”

Sirish Vullaganti, MD, cardiologist at Northwell Health, explained that there are viral infections that can cause cardiomyopathy. When this occurs, it is called myocarditis.

“A virus can actually attack the heart and cause the muscle to become weak, and so that’s certainly possible and goes along with a viral infection that can also affect the lungs, but this is less common than other forms of heart failure,” he told Healthline.

He added that symptoms of cardiomyopathy can also resemble other medical issues, which can lead to misdiagnosis, especially in younger patients who don’t fit the typical profile for heart failure.

For instance, he said this can occur with pneumonia and flu.

“When a patient has a cardiomyopathy, oftentimes fluid can build up in the lungs, and that leads to shortness of breath and a cough, and those are often symptoms that can coincide with a viral infection or a flu,” said Vullaganti. “Sometimes there’s even fever production in heart failure, and sometimes that can be mistaken for indication of other [conditions].”

He has also seen young patients with heart failure misdiagnosed with asthma due to shortness of breath.

“Really, the lungs were fine. It was just their underlying cardiac condition that was leading to their shortness of breath,” he said.

Signs Vang’s condition was worsening after initial treatment

Vang was prescribed medications for heart failure that stabilized his condition. He also changed his diet and lost 20 pounds. Doctors determined that he didn’t need to be on a transplant list.

“[Doctors] figured my heart would recover with the medication, and it did. So, every time I went to see my cardiologist, they tested my blood, and things were better, and I was feeling better to the point where my cardiologist said, ‘I’ll see you next year,’” said Vang.

He carried on for three years until his health took a turn in early 2023.

“I wasn’t feeling well, and I didn’t know why. I lost a little bit of [my] appetite, and I couldn’t eat. I started feeling run down again and I was starting to cough again,” Vang said.

A change in his diuretic caused him to go to the bathroom 15 times in one day. The next day, he had an appointment with his doctor. However, Vang couldn’t remember where he was going or who his wife was.

“I couldn’t answer any of the questions [my wife] asked, and she thought I had a stroke,” said Vang.

The doctor determined that he did not have a stroke but that he was dehydrated from losing too much fluid.

His health continued to worsen, and he ended up in the hospital for three weeks. Doctors informed him that medication was no longer enough to keep him healthy.

“There are many patients who completely normalize their cardiac function with heart failure medication and for the rest of their life have a normalized heart with medication,” said Vullaganti.

However, he said for other patients, their heart failure progresses faster than the medications have time to affect the heart, or the doses can’t be increased enough, or the heart failure is so severe in the beginning that the medications cannot recover the heart function.

“So for those patients we need to think outside the box beyond medications to help them feel better and live longer,” Vullaganti said.

Turning to a heart pump improved his quality of life

For people like Vang who have end stage heart failure, Vullaganti said there are the two options that have been shown to improve life expectancy and quality of life. They can receive a heart pump, known as a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to help the heart pump blood or a heart transplant.

“Before we designate a patient with that diagnosis, we need to make sure we exhausted all of our options with different medications and devices,” Vullaganti said. “If all of that has failed and patients are still markedly symptomatic and may progress to the point where their heart is not delivering enough blood to the other organs in their body, then we need to think about the LVAD or heart transplant.”

In 2023, Vang’s heart function had become so dire that doctors implanted the Abbott HeartMate 3 LVAD into the center of his chest next to the heart. The device was meant to keep his heart working until he could receive a heart transplant.

“Essentially, an LVAD takes over for a heart that is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s demands,” Robert Kormos, MD, divisional vice president of global medical affairs at Abbott, told Healthline.

He explained that the pump takes blood from the heart’s poorly functioning left ventricle and acts as a booster pump to bring blood into the aorta, which bypasses the left ventricle. This allows patients to have more energy and the ability to walk and exercise.

“Additionally, the damage that was done to the patient’s body and other organs over their years with heart failure can be reversed in some instances,” said Kormos.

For people like Vang, the pump can also make him a better candidate for a heart transplant should the time come when he needs it or allow him to live as long as possible without a heart transplant.

Although Vang received the pump with the intention of having a heart transplant a few weeks later, he has had the pump for over a year and a half. He is back to working, golfing, and enjoying time with his wife and three daughters.

“I’m 47 now, and I feel way better than I did when I was 42 or 43. I’m able to live and enjoy my life a lot better now,” he said.

However, Vang remains on the transplant list in case the pump needs to be removed due to infection or other possible complications.

“This device allows me to stay longer on the transplant list because you don’t want to rush a transplant and have one now and then another one again in 15 years,” said Vang. “[I hope to] extend that by living with [this heart pump] for as long as I can [and push out] the transplant years down the road.”

• Sleepmaxxing is a social media trend that’s growing in popularity.
• The trend encompasses a range of advice, products, and practices aimed at improving sleep quality.
• Health experts say some aspects of the trend may help improve sleep, but they warn that many popular sleepmaxxing videos also promote actions or products that can raise health risks.

A new wellness trend that aims to maximize the amount and quality of sleep you get each night is going viral on social media platforms like TikTok. It’s called sleepmaxxing, and videos associated with the trend are racking up hundreds of thousands of views.

While some aspects of sleepmaxxing can provide healthy benefits, others have experts raising concerns. Ineffective supplements, mouth taping, and nostril expanders are among the advice and products featured in some of the most popular videos, which can raise health risks.

“Commercializing sleep as a product is concerning,” says Carleara Weiss, PhD, a sleep science advisor at Aeroflow Sleep. “We should be careful not to shift the focus from wellness to purchasing more and more products to achieve the ideal sleep quality.”

To help separate misinformation and myths from healthy hacks that work, Healthline spoke with several experts to identify sleepmaxxing trends that may (and some that probably won’t) help you catch more Zs.

Why sleepmaxxing is going viral

Sleep may be trendy, but its importance isn’t a fad.

Experts say that recommendations — like the CDC’s that most adults require at least seven hours of sleep nightly —  were drowned out for years by societal expectations of what “working hard” looked like. But that’s shifting in a post-2020 world and as a new generation enters the workforce.

“People are increasingly recognizing how essential sleep is for overall health and well-being,” says Raj Dasgupta, MD, who is board certified in sleep medicine and the chief medical Advisor for Sleepopolis. “By prioritizing sleep, more people are making choices that allow them better rest. This change is especially important today in our fast-paced lives, where self-care and balance are important for staying healthy.”

“Several factors are driving the trend, including social media,” says Noah Kass, LCSW.
The pandemic made many of us rethink our health priorities. Gen Z is focused on balancing work, fun, and self-care, placing emphasis on long-term health rather than a ‘do whatever it takes to get ahead’ mentality.”

How sleepmaxxing can help improve your health

Kass says that prioritizing rest benefits your physical and mental health, whether you call it sleepmaxxing or not. Indeed, the CDC says getting enough shut-eye helps a person:

• Have fewer sick days
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Lower stress and boost mood
• Lower the risk of health issues, including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes
• Improve attention and memory (Helping you perform daily activities – including work ones — better)

“If you’re not sleeping, everything falls apart,” says Dylan Petkus, MD, the founder of Optimal Circadian Health. “It’s like driving a sports car around constantly without ever stopping to change the tires or fill up the gas tank.”

Can supplements, mouth-taping, and nostril expanders help you get more sleep?

TikTok thinks so, but Weiss notes that the commodification of sleep is one drawback of the trend to prioritize this healthy habit. 

“I am concerned when people reach for over-the-counter medications and supplements or engage in viral yet unsafe practices,” Weiss says.

These include the following:

Magnesium

A key ingredient in the viral Sleepy Girl Mocktail and a popular supplement, there could be some truth to the idea that magnesium could improve sleep, Dasgupta says.

A 2023 review of observational studies suggested there could be a link between sleep quality and magnesium intake/supplementation.

However, it can interact with certain medications. Dasgupta says not everyone needs it, and taking too much can cause GI upset.

Mouth-taping

Some research, like a 2020 study, suggests mouth breathing can increase snoring.

Mouth-taping promises to eliminate that, but Kass and Weiss say there’s not enough evidence to support that. Further, they caution that it can be dangerous for people with sleep apnea, of which snoring is a symptom.

Melatonin

Kass says melatonin might help temporarily with sleep issues, such as those caused by jet lag.

However, timing and dose are important. Additionally, Weiss says many over-the-counter melatonin supplements are higher than the adult range considered safe (0.3 to 5 mg). 

White noise

Studies, such as one from 2022 on patients in an ICU in India, indicate white noise could improve sleep quality.

While some machines, like high-tech alarm clocks with white noise, can have three-figure price tags, they don’t have to break the bank.

“A fan or an app on your phone may work just the same,” Weiss says.

Sleep nostril expanders

Weiss says that there is not enough evidence to support their use in aiding sleep or eliminating snoring at this time.

Sleep trackers

Wearables once reserved for logging steps and workouts now offer sleep tracking. Other devices are exclusively for sleep tracking.

Weiss says research on their effectiveness is emerging, and updates evolve to improve the products.

“We should be careful when interpreting that part,” Weiss says. “In addition, most commercially available sleep trackers are not diagnostic tools, meaning they will not lead to a sleep disorder diagnosis.”

However, you can use the data from the tracker as part of a conversation with your doctor to help find ways to rule out or diagnose sleep issues.

What can help you sleep better?

While not as aesthetically pleasing (or delicious) as a Sleep Girl Mocktail or high-tech alarm clock, the experts Healthline spoke with say the basics still apply:

• Not consuming caffeine within six hours of bedtime (some people may need longer stretches)
• Drinking in moderation and stopping within three hours of bedtime
• Putting screens to bed at least 45 minutes before you plan to do the same to reduce blue-light exposure that interferes with the body’s natural production of sleep hormones
• Exercising regularly but refraining from high intensity sweat sessions before bedtime
• Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day
• Keeping your bedroom cool and dark
• Getting natural light exposure when you wake up

How sleepmaxxing can backfire

You can max out on sleepmaxxing, experts say.

“Trying too hard to get the perfect sleep…can cause you anxiety about not always getting the perfect results,” Dasgupta says. 

Dasgupta says signs that your quest for more, better sleep may be an issue include:

• Obsessively tracking sleep
• Feeling anxious about not sleeping enough
• Constantly worrying about your sleep quality if it isn’t perfect

Perhaps the biggest sign, ironically, is that your sleep quest is making you lose sleep.

“The thing about sleep is, the harder you try to sleep or focus on it, the more anxious you become,” Petkus says. “That anxiety hurts your ability to sleep.”

Takeaway

Getting at least seven hours of sleep per night has long been a public health recommendation for most adults.

Research, experts, and public health organizations say that getting enough sleep can improve the ability to think and memory, as well as reduce the risk of chronic diseases and mood disorders.

Prioritizing sleep is positive, but some of the methods being pushed on social media as part of the sleepmaxxing trend are causing health experts to raise concerns. Speak to a healthcare professional before trying one.

Tried-and-true ways to get more sleep include consistent bed and wake times, keeping the room cool and dark, and lowering caffeine, alcohol, and screen use before bed.

• Type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
• According to a new study, certain diabetes medications may significantly reduce this risk.
• These drugs, called gliflozins or SGLT2 inhibitors, stop the kidneys from reabsorbing too much blood glucose to improve blood sugar levels.
• Although the results of the study are encouraging, the authors call for more research to confirm their findings.

A team of scientists in Korea recently investigated a group of diabetes medications called gliflozins, or sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. 

They wanted to understand whether these drugs might reduce the risk of neurodegenerative conditions in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Their analysis showed that compared to people taking other diabetes medications, those who took gliflozins were: 

• 19% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s
• 20% less likely to develop Parkinson’s
• 31% less likely to develop vascular dementia

The study was published in the online issue of Neurology on September 18.

“The results are generally consistent even after adjusting for factors like blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, and kidney function,” study author Minyoung Lee, MD, from Yonsei University College of Medicine in South Korea, said in a news release.

SGLT2 inhibitors lowered dementia, Parkinson’s risk by 22%

For this study, the researchers accessed data from 358,862 participants with type 2 diabetes and followed them for an average of 9.6 years.

By the study’s end, 6,837 participants had developed either dementia or Parkinson’s disease.

Overall, gliflozin use was associated with a 22% lower risk of developing either dementia or Parkinson’s. 

When the researchers broke down the risk of specific neurodegenerative conditions, they found a 19% reduction in Alzheimer’s risk, a 20% reduction in Parkinson’s risk, and a 31% reduction in vascular dementia risk.

Daniel Truong, MD, a neurologist and medical director of the Truong Neuroscience Institute at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, shared his thoughts on the study findings with Healthline.

He said he was surprised “how consistent the benefits were across various subgroups of patients, including those with different comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease or hypertension.” Truong was not involved in the study.

SGLT2 inhibitors help protect against neurodegenerative diseases

Gliflozins or SGLT2 inhibitors work by stopping the kidneys from reabsorbing as much glucose. This allows the body to remove the glucose in urine rather than re-entering the blood.

SGLT2 inhibitors are considered a second-line medication. In other words, doctors tend to prescribe them if a current diabetes medication is not working well enough. 

Recently, there has been growing interest in this class of drugs and their protective effects against neurodegenerative conditions. 

For instance, another Korean study published last month concluded that taking gliflozins was associated with a 35% lower risk of developing dementia compared with taking another common diabetes drug.

The latest study took a similar approach but also studied the impact of gliflozins on Parkinson’s disease.

In addition, the scientists compared gliflozins with a range of other diabetes medications, rather than the singular comparison drug in the previous study.

What’s the link between diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases?

Insulin primes the body’s cells to absorb blood sugar more efficiently, thereby lowering blood sugar levels. 

In type 2 diabetes, however, individuals can become insulin resistant, which means that cells stop responding adequately to insulin and no longer take up glucose as efficiently.

Evidence is mounting that insulin resistance in the brain plays an important part in neurodegenerative conditions. As blood sugar levels rise, sensitive brain cells can become damaged.

A recent meta-analysis, for instance, found that diabetes is associated with a significantly higher risk of developing dementia. 

Similarly, individuals with type 2 diabetes have a 21% increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Evidence also suggests that the condition may progress more quickly in people with type 2 diabetes. 

“An appropriate response to insulin is important not only for the pancreas and many organs in the body but also for the brain,” explained Alvaro Pascual-Leone, MD, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and chief medical officer and co-founder of Linus Health. Pascual-Leone was not involved in the study.

“Insulin resistance may play a key role in the link between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, but also other causes of dementia,” he told Healthline.

Combining metformin with gliflozins may further reduce risk

As diabetes prevalence increases, more people may face higher risks of developing neurodegenerative conditions as they grow older.

While the study authors suggest that gliflozins may just slow the progress of neurodegeneration, rather than stop it altogether, this would significantly benefit the aging population, nonetheless.

Still, the study does have some limitations. The researchers note because these neurodegenerative conditions take many years to develop, some people who did not develop dementia or Parkinson’s during the study might develop these conditions later. 

“More research is needed to validate the long-term validity of these findings,” Lee said. 

The study also leaves us with some unanswered questions.

For instance, the authors wonder whether starting treatment with gliflozins earlier might reduce the risk of neurodegeneration even further. This may be another reason why it’s best to start treatment as soon as possible.

Also, the researchers found that combining metformin with gliflozins reduced Parkinson’s and dementia risk to a greater extent than any other combination of drugs. 

This raises the tantalizing possibility that drug combinations might be even more effective.

“To optimize antidiabetic drug use in clinical practice for neurodegenerative diseases, future research should evaluate the synergistic association of [gliflozins] with various combination therapies,” the authors wrote.

Could gliflozins reduce dementia risk in people without diabetes?

It’s currently unclear whether gliflozins could also reduce the risk of neurodegenerative conditions in people without type 2 diabetes.

“Further research needs to be done to determine if gliflozins can be neuroprotective and improve brain health and decrease dementia in people without diabetes,” explained Clifford Segil, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, who was not involved in the study. 

“With their widespread use, it should be clear within a decade whether this is true. We may know the answer by 2035,” Segal added.

Truong noted these drugs do “have the potential to form the basis for future anti-dementia drugs, particularly for people at increased risk of developing dementia.”

“Their ability to improve brain metabolism, reduce inflammation, and protect cardiovascular health aligns with the primary risk factors and mechanisms driving dementia,” he continued.

“These significant effects on reducing the risk of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases represent an exciting development in diabetes care with broader implications for public health,” Truong concluded.

Takeaway

A recent study concludes that people with type 2 diabetes who take a class of drugs called gliflozins or SGLT2 inhibitors have a significantly reduced risk of developing dementia and Parkinson’s disease. 

Although further research is needed, the results add to existing evidence showing the effects of gliflozins on slowing neurodegeneration.

• A new study compares psilocybin — the active compound in magic mushrooms, with a common antidepressant medication.
• During 6 months of follow up, both drugs effectively improved depressive symptoms.
• Psilocybin, however, seemed to provide additional benefits, including improved psychological connectedness and social functioning. 
• This is a small study, and scientists still need to conduct more research to understand the longterm effects of psilocybin.

Psilocybin is the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. In recent decades, the psychedelic compound has become a growing area of research for its potential mental health benefits.

A new study, published on September 21 in eClinicalMedicine compares the antidepressant effects of psilocybin with escitalopram, a common selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used to treat depression.

The research is a 6-month follow-up to a previous study published in 2021. In that study, researchers found that two doses of psilocybin plus psychological support had a similar antidepressant effect as escitalopram taken daily for 6 weeks. 

At the 6-month mark, the researchers noted that psilocybin had other psychological benefits compared with escitalopram. Namely, those in the psilocybin group were more likely to:

• function well at work and in society
• feel more psychologically connected
• find more meaning in life

This research is among the first to directly compare psilocybin on depression symptoms to standard treatment.

Still, despite being the largest of its kind to date, the study had only 59 participants. The authors explain their results should be “interpreted with caution,” and call for more research.

How does psilocybin for depression compare to SSRIs?

SSRIs are a common class of antidepressants and can be very effective, especially in combination with talk therapies.

However, SSRIs may not work for everyone. Importantly, people often need to take these drugs daily for many years to ensure they do not experience a relapse.

David Merrill, MD, a board-certified geriatric psychiatrist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, not involved in the new research, told Healthline that “escitalopram is one of the most widely prescribed drugs for depression currently available.”

Even so, SSRIs are associated with side effects, such as “sexual dysfunction, weight gain, fatigue, and emotional blunting,” the authors of the new study noted.

For these reasons, scientists must identify new approaches to treating depression. Some hope that psilocybin might help fill this gap.

Several small studies conclude that it may have a powerful antidepressant effect.

For instance, a preliminary 2016 study found that a high dose of psilocybin alongside psychological support improved symptoms of depression for 3 months and also reduced feelings of anxiety and anhedonia.

Similarly, a 2023 study concluded that psilocybin had a “sustained” antidepressant effect, compared with a placebo.

Importantly, these studies identified few serious side effects, and rather than a daily dose, the treatment appears to be effective for weeks or months after just a single dose.

To date, few have compared psilocybin with standard antidepressants, which is where this new study comes in.

Psilocybin for depression led to sustained improvement in symptoms

The study involved 59 participants with a diagnosis of moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder. The researchers split them into two groups, who received either:

1. Two 25-milligram oral doses of psilocybin combined with psychological support.
2. A 6-week course of escitalopram plus the same level of psychological support as the psilocybin group.

At the 6-month mark, participants in both groups had sustained improvements in their depressive symptoms. 

“While several studies have shown psilocybin’s potential to reduce depressive symptoms, this study’s strong and sustained effect for 6 months even after two doses is noteworthy,” Ozan Toy, MD, a neuropsychiatrist not involved in this study, told Healthline.

“The absence of severe side effects in a larger population size adds confidence to psilocybin’s safety profile,” Toy noted.

Compared with the escitalopram group, those who took psilocybin also reported improved:

• functioning at work and in social situations
• psychological connectedness with others
• sense that life has meaning

“It is surprising how psilocybin therapy led to significant long-term improvements in social functioning, psychological connectedness, and meaning in life compared with escitalopram,” explained board-certified psychiatrist Brook Choulet, MD, who was not involved in the study.

“Previous studies have shown shorter-term benefits, but this study suggests possible broader improvements,” Choulet told Healthline.

How does psilocybin work?

Neuroplasticity describes the brain’s ability to reorganize its networks in light of new information. It is essential for learning new skills and adapting to change, which can help with depression.

“Psilocybin interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, particularly the 5-HT2A receptor,” Toy explained. “This interaction promotes neuroplasticity, allowing for a ‘reset’ of rigid thought patterns, which may help alleviate depressive symptoms.” 

“Psilocybin also alters activity in brain regions linked to mood regulation and self-reflection, which can contribute to novel experiences such as ‘ego dissolution’ or ‘cognitive reappraisal’,” Toy continued.

Ego dissolution describes a sense of losing oneself, which may benefit people with depression.

An example of cognitive reappraisal is putting a positive spin on things or looking at a situation from another perspective. For instance, viewing poor exam results as an “opportunity to grow.”

Is psilocybin the next antidepressant?

Many people — experts and the public — are hopeful about the potential of psilocybin as a mental health treatment, but is this excitement justified?

“The excitement is justified, given psilocybin’s potential to treat resistant depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” Toy said. “Many studies have demonstrated significant benefits for PTSD.”

Still, Toy added a word of caution: “Concerns remain about long-term effects, accessibility, and better safety data to understand the risks and benefits.”

As the evidence base for psilocybin grows, more research is still needed before the psychoactive compound can be rolled out to the public.

In the meantime, experts do not recommend self-treating depression with psilocybin at home. “Psychological support is crucial for ensuring safety, guiding the experience, and integrating insights gained,” Toy said.

“Without professional supervision, people may experience overwhelming emotions, anxiety, or bad trips that could exacerbate their mental health issues. It is proper that these powerful drugs are utilized in a controlled and safe environment,” he noted.

Choulet aded there are “concerns about inducing bad trips or distressing psychological experiences, so it’s important that there’s appropriate medical oversight. There’s also the possibility that it could induce psychosis,” she said.

Despite concerns around safety, Merrill shared that psilocybin may be useful in the future to treat depression and said the drug “helps us understand mechanisms of depression.”

Merrill added there may be “ways to achieve the benefits of psychedelics without the drugs.”

Holotropic breathing, for instance, may be helpful for depression, but Merrill noted “even that can be of an intensity such that it’s recommended to be tried only under the direct supervision of an experienced practitioner.”

Overall, Merrill said he hopes that psilocybin can be further investigated and eventually reach a larger audience.

“I would like to see more efforts to complete scientifically rigorous trials that can help legalize psilocybin and then achieve FDA approval for scheduled use of the drug in a controlled setting,” Merrill concluded.

Takeaway

A new study compares psilocybin with a common antidepressant. Both drugs successfully reduced depressive symptoms over 6 months, but psilocybin had additional mental health benefits.

Despite these promising findings, the study was relatively small, and more research is needed.

People living with depression should not self-treat with psilocybin. Professional supervision while taking psilocybin can help ensure safety and effectiveness.

• Reducing your intake of ultra-processed food may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. 
• Researchers found that every 10% increase in the amount of ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet is linked with a 17% increase in type 2 diabetes risk.
• The highest-risk foods include processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, savory snacks, and ready meals. 
• To limit your intake of ultra-processed foods, experts advise cooking more of your meals from scratch.

A new study has found that replacing ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in your diet can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health: Europe in collaboration with experts at the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, investigated the relationship between the degree of food processing and type 2 diabetes risk, including which kinds of UPFs were highest risk.

The researchers found that every 10% increase in the amount of ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet is linked with a 17% increase in type 2 diabetes risk, but this risk can be lowered by consuming less processed foods instead.

The highest risk UPF groups were savory snacks, animal-based products such as processed meats, ready meals, and sugar-sweetened and artificially-sweetened beverages. 

Ultra-processed foods and type 2 diabetes risk: what’s the link? 

Nichola Ludlam-Raine, who was not involved in the study, is a specialist dietitian and author of How Not To Eat Ultra-Processed. She said she isn’t surprised by the findings of this new research. 

“The findings align with previous research linking ultra-processed foods with an increased risk of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes,” she said. “This is not surprising, as UPFs are often high in refined sugars, unhealthy fats, and low in essential nutrients as well as fiber.” 

What stands out about this study for Ludlam-Raine is the specific emphasis on the risk reduction seen when UPFs are replaced with less processed alternatives. 

Explaining why eating ultra-processed foods appears to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, Ludlam-Raine noted that UPFs are often high in refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and unhealthy fats. 

These foods can lead to weight gain and insulin resistance when overconsumed, which Ludlam-Raine said is a key factor in the development of type 2 diabetes. 

“Additionally, UPFs typically have a low fiber content, contributing to poor blood sugar regulation and reduced satiety,” she said. “In turn, this can cause overconsumption and weight gain, both of which increase diabetes risk.” 

Another reason UPFs contribute to type 2 diabetes risk is that they often lead to rapid spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels. Ludlam-Raine said this exacerbates insulin dysfunction. 

“Replacing UPFs with whole, minimally processed foods can help with weight management, stabilize blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and provide more nutrients and fiber, which are protective against type 2 diabetes,” she said. 

Ultra-processed food groups that pose the greatest risk

An important point to note about this study is that only certain UPF groups were shown to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The highest-risk UPF groups were savory snacks, processed meats, ready meals, and sugar-sweetened and artificially-sweetened beverages.

“Some groups in this study lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes, including bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals, dessert, and plant-based alternatives,” said Priya Tew, a Specialist Dietitian at Dietitian UK, who was not involved in the new study.

She noted that the foods in the highest-risk UPF group “tend to be high in salt, saturated fat, and sugar” and may “displace other more nutritious food items.” 

Ludlam-Raine agreed.

“Savoury snacks and processed meats are often high in unhealthy fats, sodium (salt), and preservatives, all of which can contribute to metabolic issues and inflammation when overconsumed,” she said. “Meanwhile, ready meals frequently contain refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, minimal plant-based foods, and low quality ingredients, which increase the risk of weight gain and insulin resistance.” 

Sugar-sweetened beverages don’t fare much better. Ludlam-Raine notes that they can lead to rapid blood sugar spikes and are often calorie-dense and nutrient-poor, further compounding the risk of type 2 diabetes.

How to identify ultra-processed foods 

Knowing how to identify ultra-processed foods is a great place to start if you’re thinking about reducing your intake of them. 

Ludlam-Raine advised that checking the ingredients list is a great place to start.

“If the product contains more than one ingredient that you wouldn’t find in a home kitchen (like emulsifiers, preservatives, colors, thickeners or artificial flavorings), it’s likely ultra-processed,” she explained. 

Long ingredient lists can suggest a food has been heavily processed, too, though Ludlam-Raine said you should keep in mind that the addition of vitamins (known as food fortification) doesn’t automatically make the product a UPF.

A good rule of thumb is to avoid eating too many convenience foods, for example, pre-packaged ready meals, instant noodles, and frozen dinners. 

“Be cautious of ‘low fat’ or ‘sugar-free’ labels,” Ludlam-Rainie added. “These products are often ultra-processed and may contain artificial sweeteners and additives.” 

Simple tips for replacing ultra-processed foods 

Now that you know what to avoid, how do you replace ultra-processed foods in your diet in a way that is sustainable? 

Small swaps are the way to go.

“Replace sugary snacks with whole fruit or nuts, or instead of a sweetened yogurt, opt for plain yogurt and add your own fruit or honey for sweetness,” Ludlam-Raine said. “These small changes add up.” 

Cooking from scratch more often is a great way to limit ultra-processed foods in your diet too. 

“Preparing meals at home allows you to control the ingredients and avoid foods with multiple additives. Simple dishes like a stir-fry or roasted vegetables with lean protein are both nutritious and easy to make,” Ludlam-Raine said. 

Tew agreed.

“Try replacing your ready meal with a home-cooked version. Simple meals can be a mixed bean chili with tinned beans, chopped tomatoes, peppers, and seasoning,” she said. 

If cooking from scratch seems like a lot of time and effort, Ludlam-Raine suggests batch cooking and freezing your meals. 

“Preparing larger quantities of homemade meals and freezing portions can make it easier to avoid the temptation of ready meals or takeaways when time is limited,” she said. 

Finally, opt for minimally processed alternatives: “You can swap processed (red) meats like ham for leaner, minimally processed cuts like chicken breasts or fish. 

“Or, instead of packaged snacks, try homemade options like roasted chickpeas or wholegrain crackers with hummus,” Ludlam-Raine said. 

Takeaway 

Replacing ultra-processed foods in your diet may help significantly reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

A good place to start is reducing your intake of savory snacks, processed meats, ready meals, and sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages. 

If you are unsure what to limit, look for foods with long ingredient lists and ingredients you wouldn’t normally find in your kitchen.

• Brooke Shields is speaking out about the importance of preventive health for people over 50.
• Specifically, Shields is working to encourage others to embrace aging and the increased risk of shingles for people over 50.
• About one million people develop shingles in the U.S. each year.
• The best way to prevent shingles is to get vaccinated.

Brooke Shields has been in the spotlight for most of her life. She began modeling at just 11 months old and became a household name at age 12 for her leading role in the 1978 movie Pretty Baby.

However, as a younger person, she struggled with having a widespread platform and seeing the value in being famous.

“[As] I got older, I started to understand the value and visibility of being in the public eye and…if used appropriately, it can be used for good,” she told Healthline.

In addition to acting as president of the Actors’ Equity Association, she is outspoken about post-partum maternal mental health and is an advocate for women’s health.

“[As] a woman of this age who has experienced these things…[advocating] is the only real purpose that I have found to being a public figure,” said Shields.

Why Shields is raising awareness about the importance of preventive health for women over 50

As Shields lives through her 50s, she embraces preventive health more and more and hopes others will do the same. For people who believe that with age comes less control of your health, she said the antithesis is true; you have more control.

“We’ve gotten this far, and when you really look at what we’ve all gone through health-wise, as women…we’ve earned the position of knowing ourselves actually better than most,” said Shields.

Over the years, she learned to be persistent in asking important questions regarding her health.

“Now, if someone says something to me, I don’t assume it’s the right thing just because I’m in a hospital bed…I know that there is something amiss with me, and it’s my prerogative to be able to ask about it,” she said.

Why people over 50 are at higher risk for shingles

While Shields has not had shingles, two of her close friends, who are over 50 years old, have.

“It was debilitating for each of them in a different way. One had to shut down production for two weeks for something she was working on. Another one…couldn’t perform, the pain was [awful],” she said.

As she began researching shingles, she learned that about one million people develop shingles in the U.S. each year.

Shingles occur when the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which causes chickenpox, reactivates in the body after having chickenpox.

While anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles regardless of age, Steven Furr, MD, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said most cases occur in people 50 or older because 99% of adults born before 1980 had chickenpox, and therefore, they have the virus that causes shingles inside their bodies. Even though not all of them will develop shingles, Furr said the risk of getting it increases with age.

“If you’ve had the chickenpox vaccine, you are less likely to get chickenpox. Therefore, you’re less likely to later develop shingles,” Furr told Healthline. “People with weakened immune systems or over 50 are more likely to get shingles, including if you have cancer, HIV or AIDS or take medicines that affect the immune system.”

Shingles symptoms and common treatments

Because shingles is a viral infection that affects the skin, it can present as a skin condition, said Adam Friedman, MD, professor of dermatology at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC.

“The herpes zoster virus migrates from a nerve root along sensor nerves to ultimately enter and insert itself into skin cells,” he told Healthline. “The immune system is not a fan of this and attacks both the nerves (why it’s so painful) and skin, killing said skin cells and causing blisters to form.”

Because the virus travels along the sensory nerves, the skin eruption typically follows imaginary lines called dermatomes, which represent the path of said nerves, said Friedman.

High risk areas for outbreaks include the forehead toward the eye, which may require an eye doctor’s help. If there is a rash inside the ear, an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor is often required, he added.

“Also, when patients have lowered immune systems due to any number of reasons (HIV, medication, cancer), shingles can go against the textbook description and appear along multiple dermatomes (aka disseminated), and look quite different than standard cases,” said Friedman.

Because an active rash is contagious, he said to make sure to keep the rash covered and away from high risk populations like babies and older adults.

“Shingles is often treated with an antiviral medicine. These medicines can reduce the severity and duration of shingles symptoms,” said Furr. “However, I cannot stress enough the importance of preventive care.”

The best defense against shingles is to prevent it

Shields partnered with GSK on the Thrive@50+ campaign to spread awareness about shingles risk and vaccination.

The campaign includes videos of women sharing the impact of having shingles and talking about how embracing aging and prioritizing preventive health has helped them.

One of the videos features Shields, who states, “Turning 50 felt like a superpower to me.”

“[I’ve heard] the stories [about] the emotional impact and the pain and the disruption and the missing of life’s moments,” said Shields. “I think we don’t really connect with it as much as we should, and there are very clear, easy steps to take once you really understand your risk and ask about vaccination.”

The best way to prevent shingles is twofold, said Furr.

“First, I tell people in my community to vaccinate children for chickenpox. Remember, you can’t get shingles unless you’ve had chickenpox first,” he said. “I tell older adults to get the shingles vaccine, which is recommended for adults 50 and older. The vaccine can prevent shingles and stop the disease from coming back.”

The vaccine requires two doses and is over 90% effective at preventing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia (nerve pain) in adults 50 years and older with healthy immune systems.

Adults 19 years and older who have weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complications and should also get vaccinated, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Shields hopes adults 50 and over take shingles prevention seriously.

“This is an entire era of time to take control of your own health,” she said. “I just hope that the fear is diminished and that anybody over 50 simply asks the questions.”

She said to turn to your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions or concerns about the shingles vaccine.

“They’ll tell you what your risks are, and inevitably, you’ll take your power back for your own health to make decisions for your health positively,” said Shields.

• The FDA has approved an at-home nasal flu vaccine.
• FluMist will be available through an online pharmacy for people ages 2-49.
• However, it is not for the very young, older adults, or the immunocompromised.
• Experts say it will expand access to flu vaccinations and keep more people safe.
• However, injectable vaccines are safe for a wider range of populations.

On September 20, 2024, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced they had approved an at-home nasal spray influenza (flu) vaccine.

The vaccine, FluMist, can be administered by either the recipient or their caregiver. It is sprayed into the nose.

FluMist prevents cases of the flu caused by influenza virus subtypes A and B. It can be administered to people between the ages of 2 and 49.

The nasal flu vaccine is not an entirely new medication, however. It was first approved for usage in 2003 for people from age 5 to 49. Later, in 2007, FDA approval was given to lower the minimum age to 2.

Now, it has become the first flu vaccine that can be administered without the assistance of a healthcare professional.

The FDA states that the vaccine manufacturer will be making the vaccine available through a third-party online pharmacy.

To obtain FluMist, people can undergo a screening process, and the pharmacy will prescribe and ship the vaccine.

Flu vaccines play an essential role in controlling seasonal flu outbreaks. On average, about 700,000 people die each year from the disease’s respiratory and cardiovascular complications. However, the flu used to be much more deadly before a vaccine was developed.

While many people will only experience relatively mild symptoms, the flu is a contagious illness that can be passed along to those who are more vulnerable.

Older people, young children, and people with certain medical conditions are most at risk, per the FDA.

The availability of FluMist could make it easier for more people to be vaccinated and help protect those who are at greater risk.

How FluMist compares with injectable flu vaccines

Andrew Handel, MD, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, explained that there are different types of flu vaccines available in the U.S.

“Injectable vaccines consist of inactivated (dead) virus or viral particles, whereas FluMist is a live, attenuated (or weakened) influenza vaccine given by nasal spray,” he said.

According to Handel, some studies show that FluMist is more protective against infections and severe illness than injectable vaccines. However, not all studies are consistent.

John Lowe, MD, a physician focused on preventive health at Restore Care, added to Handel’s comments saying, “It has this advantage over the injection in that it can elicit a more physiological sort of interaction with the immune system than the injection, which simply presents the body with a dead virus for the body to form an immune response against it.”

Lowe went on to say that another way that FluMist contrasts with injectable vaccines is that it is not given to people under 2 or over 49 years of age.

“The injectable form is incorporated for people in high-risk groups,” he said, explaining that it is even used for people who are immunocompromised.

Additionally, Lowe said FluMist’s nasal route of administration could be more beneficial in preventing alveolar respiratory infections since the influenza virus enters the body through the nose.

“On the other hand, the injectable preparation provides more consistent efficacy across pandemic and seasonal influenza as well as other vaccine-preventable diseases,” he added.

Finally, Lowe noted that while both injectable vaccines and FluMist can provide immunization against the flu virus, injectables remain the first-line recommendation since they are safe for the majority of the population.

What health experts think about FluMist

“The approval of FluMist for self-administration at home is a huge step forward for the FDA,” said Handel, explaining that many people skip vaccines because of obstacles like having to take children out of school to get them.

“Any effort to making vaccines more accessible will help increase uptake and keep more people safe,” he said.

Lowe agreed, calling the FDA’s approval of FluMist “a welcome improvement.”

He noted that a self-administered nasal flu vaccine could also be useful in arid regions or locations with an inadequate number of healthcare facilities.

However, Lowe cautioned that FluMist is not appropriate for everyone, especially if they are immunocompromised.

“Patients should be assessed, and it should be established that it is OK to recommend FluMist to them,” he said.

Takeaway

The FDA has announced that it has approved an at-home nasal flu vaccine that is administered by spraying it into the nose.

It can be used by people aged 2 to 49. However, it is not appropriate for very young children, older adults, or those who are immunocompromised.

Injectables remain first-line vaccines because they are safe for a larger percentage of the population.

FluMist will be available through an online pharmacy that will write the prescription and ship the medication to people’s homes.

Experts say FluMist will help make vaccination against the flu more accessible to people who might otherwise have a hard time getting into a doctor’s office. This can help expand the number of people who are vaccinated.