In this blog post, we will explore the methods used by our teams which help us to monitor the spread of mpox and determine the counter measures needed if we see cases of clade I mpox in the UK.
How are we tracking mpox in the UK? Read More »
There has never been a better time to quit smoking tobacco.
More products exist today to help people snuff out cigarettes for good, but with so many options available, identifying which are the most effective isn’t always easy.
However, a comprehensive new review published this month in Society for the Study of Addiction has revealed the top three most effective means to quit.
The Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group (CTAG) conducted this research, which included more than 300 prior studies on tobacco cessation products and 157,179 participants.
“Using the strictest and most rigorous methods, the CTAG reviews represent the gold standard in medical evidence, which is why CTAG’s work is consistently used to inform guidelines and policies around the world,” Jonathan Livingstone-Banks, PhD, a Lecturer and Senior researcher in evidence-based healthcare at the University of Oxford, and first author of the review, told Healthline.
Out of all the current options available, researchers identified three interventions that “emerged as the most effective treatments. They are:
Varenicline and cytisine both belong to a class of drugs known as nicotine receptor partial agonists.
“By interacting with the part of the brain that nicotine normally affects, they help to reduce the withdrawal symptoms people experience when they stop smoking, like cravings and unpleasant mood changes,” said Livingstone-Banks.
They also make smoking less pleasurable, disincentivizing smokers from using cigarettes.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), which includes products like nicotine gum, patches, lozenges, and pouches, is also effective. Researchers found that NRT was even more effective when a long-lasting product, like a patch, was paired with a fast-acting product, like gum.
The oral antidepressant bupropion is also approved for smoking cessation. The Cochrane review found that this medication was helpful to quit smoking, but the evidence was not as robust as that for varenicline and cytisine.
Behavioral support, which includes things like therapy and counseling, was also effective. As was incentivizing tobacco smokers with a financial reward.
E-cigarettes have boomed in popularity over the past decade.
However, numerous questions remain about their safety, their role in smoking cessation, and their appeal to teens and adolescents. The FDA has not approved any e-cigarette device for smoking cessation. Despite this, anecdotal reports and some research have indicated that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes may help people quit.
Nevertheless, research on e-cigarettes is controversial, and other studies have found the opposite to be true.
Parents and policymakers have also sounded the alarm about the appeal of e-cigarettes, particularly flavored products, to children and teens.
The dilemma has led many to ask whether the devices do more harm than good.
But, without delving into the broad social and public health implications of e-cigarette usage, the evidence for e-cigarettes as tobacco-cessation devices is substantial, according to the review.
“Our research has found that there is very strong evidence that e-cigarettes are an effective way to help people quit smoking tobacco… While e-cigarettes are unlikely to be completely safe, we can be confident that they are far safer than smoking tobacco,” said Livingstone-Banks.
Hilary Tindle, MD, PhD, the Founding Director of ViTAL, the Vanderbilt Center for Tobacco, Addiction, and Lifestyle at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told Healthline, “The long-term safety of e-cigs is unknown. Furthermore, e-cigs are aggressively marketed to entice young people to begin using nicotine-containing products, so beyond helping adults quit smoking, there are major public health considerations.”
Tindle wasn’t affiliated with the research.
According to the American Lung Association, these are only a few of the positive health benefits you can experience when you stop smoking, and how quickly they can occur:
To start quitting, Tindle recommends making a concrete plan:
“Set a target quit date, preferably within 2 weeks, and support your quit attempt with medication and counseling. This combination of support — rather than relying on one or neither — is key and leads to higher success rates,” she said.
Many people in the United States can access free counseling and medication through the hotline 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) and websites, including Smoke Free or the Mayo Clinic and Truth Initiative collaboration, BecomeAnEx.
“If someone does not succeed on the first quit attempt, keep trying. In the US, more than 50% of all people who ever smoked have now quit,” said Tindle.
There are many products and medications available to help you quit smoking, but it may be difficult to figure out which are the most effective.
A new review, which included more than 300 prior studies, has identified the three most effective tools to quit smoking.
The most effective smoking cessation tools include the medication varenicline (Chantix), the plant-derived cytisine (not available in the US), and nicotine-containing e-cigarettes.
Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do for your health.
These Are the 3 Most Effective Ways to Quit Smoking, New Research Finds Read More »
As racism within the healthcare system persists, a large new study reveals startling disparities in unscheduled C-sections among Black women.
A National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) report of nearly 1 million births at 68 hospitals in New Jersey found that Black women are 25% more likely to undergo unnecessary C-sections compared to white women.
While more research is needed to determine whether these disparities are found in other states, the data point to the potential for implicit racial bias occurring in hospital delivery rooms at a provider’s discretion.
“The findings from the new study are alarming — it is concerning that these disparities exist and are so stark,” said Mark Simon, MD, chief medical officer at Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG).
“The CDC has released data that clearly highlights national differences in C-section rates across each state, with New Jersey ranking on the high end. But this problem is not unique to New Jersey — disparities in maternal mortality, particularly along racial and socioeconomic lines, are also well-documented,” Simon told Healthline. Simon wasn’t affiliated with the research.
Cesarean delivery (C-section) rates have been increasing in the United States in recent years.
Many C-sections are scheduled in advance, leaving experts concerned about whether these are medically necessary.
Planned and unplanned C-sections account for roughly 1 in 3 births in the U.S., well above the 10–15% target rate recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
As the new research suggests, these figures include a disproportionate number of Black women. The causes for this disparity, however, is less clear.
NBER researchers suggest that more unscheduled C-sections may be occurring in Black women due to doctors who are “exercising their discretion and are more likely to conduct unnecessary C-sections on Black mothers.”
They cite in their report previous research showing that Black women are more likely to feel “pressure from a clinician to take medication to start or speed up labor and to have a C-section.”
“I do think this points to implicit bias,” Simon said. “It’s crucial that healthcare workers receive training on implicit bias to help recognize and reduce disparities in patient care. Additionally, we know a diverse clinical workforce leads to improved outcomes for Black patients. When health systems prioritize equitable outcomes for maternal patients, everyone benefits,” Simon said.
Cesarean deliveries, whether planned or unplanned, carry risks for both the birthing person and their baby. In emergency situations, however, C-sections can be lifesaving.
C-section deliveries can raise the risk of bleeding, blood clots, infection, and injury to other organs, Simon noted. “Additionally, they pose increased risks for future pregnancies, including conditions like abnormal placentation,” he added.
As NBER researchers note, Black women tend to have worse health outcomes overall than white women. However, experts point out there are underlying factors to consider that may affect the health outcomes of Black women following C-sections.
“If Black women undergo more cesarean deliveries, their exposure to associated risk increases,” Simon said. “These risks are compounded by the fact that Black women already experience higher rates of pregnancy complications and are more likely to have underlying chronic health conditions.”
Kecia Gaither, MD, MPH, double board certified OB-GYN and maternal fetal medicine specialist and director of Perinatal Services/Maternal Fetal Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in the Bronx, agreed that comorbidities often influence C-section outcomes. Gaither wasn’t involved in the new report.
“Is there a high concentration of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, substance abuse, [or] HIV?” Gaither questioned. “[It’s a] difficult question to answer.”
Multifactorial issues, such as racism, bias, poor attention to the clinical status of postoperative Black women, or the quality of the health facility, could all impact health outcomes following a C-section delivery, Gaither said.
The long-term risks of C-section delivery are not fully understood, but research has shown that short-term effects of Cesarean delivery may include:
“Cesarean sections are not benign procedures — the risk of hemorrhage, damage to the internal organs, [and] infection run high for the mother,” Gaither said.
“Babies born via cesarean may have breathing issues. Babies swim in amniotic fluid, this fluid fills the lungs. With a vaginal birth, this fluid is ‘squeezed out’ as the baby transits the birth canal. With an operative delivery, this lung fluid isn’t expressed, and it takes a while for that process to occur. As such, the baby breathes rapidly in an attempt to clear this fluid from its lungs,” she explained.
NBER researchers suggest there may be a financial incentive for healthcare providers to perform C-sections, thus pushing more Black women into the OR for the procedure.
“I don’t believe labor and delivery units prioritize keeping their operating rooms constantly occupied,” Simon said. “In my experience, labor and delivery staff do everything in their power to keep at least one OR open in case there is an emergency.”
Gaither was also cautious to ascribe to this theory. “I think there are many factors to consider when looking at the picture,” she said.
“Is there a high preponderance of early prenatal care [and] pre-conceptual counseling, or are patients showing up late in gestation, effectively ‘crashing and burning’ with some disease process that might have had a better outcome if caught in earlier stages?” Gaither pointed out.
“Is there a high utilization of reproductive technologies contributing to the population served? Reproductive technologies contribute to multiples (twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc.). These higher-order pregnancies increase the Cesarean section rate,” she noted.
When looking at C-section rates within hospitals, Gaither said the following factors should be considered:
A concerning new report shows that unnecessary C-sections are 25% more common in Black women compared to white women.
The researchers suggest that implicit racial bias could play a role, and there may be a “financial incentive” to fill operating rooms.
Experts say the reasons for this alarming disparity are multifactorial. More research is needed to determine whether the high number of C-section rates persist in other states.
Black Women Are 25% More Likely to Have a C-Section Than White Women Read More »
Lemme, the supplement brand founded by Kourtney Kardashian Barker, announced that it is releasing a supplement called Lemme GLP-1 Daily aimed at providing consumers with an “all-natural” way to manage their weight.
In spite of its name, however, the product does not contain a synthetic GLP-1 hormone and is not a GLP-1 receptor agonist like Ozempic or Wegovy.
Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs mimic the actions of the hormone GLP-1 by activating its receptor, which leads to weight loss and lower blood sugar, among other benefits.
Lemme GLP-1 Daily instead contains natural ingredients such as Eriomin lemon fruit extract, Supresa saffron extract and Morosil red orange fruit extract.
The product is meant to “boost the body’s GLP-1 levels, reduce hunger, promote insulin sensitivity and support healthy weight management,” according to a company press release.
The daily capsules will be available for purchase on the brand’s website beginning September 16 and will be sold via a subscription model at $72 for a month’s supply or $90 as a one-time purchase.
But how effective is the product for weight loss? Here’s what to know about the potential benefits of the natural ingredients in Lemme GLP-1 Daily.
Small clinical trials of Eriomin lemon fruit extract found that this compound didn’t help people lose weight, but it may offer other benefits.
A small study of people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes who took Eriomin for 12 weeks showed that there was no effect on body weight, body mass index (BMI), lean mass, fat mass or waist-to-hip ratio.
However, those who took Eriomin saw on average a 5% decrease in their blood glucose and a 17% increase in the hormone GLP-1, compared to those who took a non-acting placebo.
Another small 12-week study of people with prediabetes also found that Eriomin had no impact on weight. But there was a 22% increase in blood levels of GLP-1, and an increase in beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Bacteria in the gut can influence your weight by affecting how food is digested, how fat is stored, and whether you feel full or hungry.
Eating a wide variety of high fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds — and limiting intake of added sugars and highly processed foods — can also support healthy gut bacteria.
An 8-week study of 60 women with overweight found that those who took a saffron extract had decreased snacking, compared to those who took a placebo.
GLP-1 drugs work, in part, by reducing appetite and feelings of hunger, which can help people manage their weight.
However, studies of saffron extract have not shown a large effect on weight when the compound is used alone.
A meta-analysis of 25 earlier studies looking at the benefits of saffron extract found that people with obesity who took this compound saw decreases in their waist-to-hip ratio.
There were also decreases in weight, BMI, waist circumference, and hip circumference. However, these changes were not statistically significant, which means saffron extract may not offer any additional benefits compared to a placebo.
Two other studies, including a review paper of previous studies and a small clinical trial in people with type 2 diabetes, also found that saffron extract didn’t help people lose weight.
Other studies have examined the benefits of saffron extract for people with diabetes, such as improving blood glucose control and cholesterol levels. Some of these studies were done alongside other supplements like cinnamon and ginger or in conjunction with aerobic or resistance exercise.
The clearest weight loss benefits are seen with Morosil red orange fruit extract.
A six-month study found that people who were living with overweight lost an average of 4.2% of their body weight while taking Morosil, compared to 2.2% in people who took a placebo. The Morosil group also saw larger decreases in hip and waist circumference, fat mass, and fat distribution.
In contrast, one study found that people who took semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — lost 15.8% of their body weight over 68 weeks.
Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif., has concerns about how supplements used for weight loss are sometimes promoted.
“GLP-1 medications stimulate hormones in the body and have the same effect as those hormones. So when people claim supplements do the same thing, I think that’s a bit deceptive,” he told Healthline.
And while “for some people, a natural, herbal supplement can be effective, there’s no convincing evidence that the supplement is going to have a significant effect on weight loss.”
Libu Varughese, MBBS, an endocrinology physician and medical advisor of Aeroflow Diabetes, told Healthline that he would like to see more scientific evidence before recommending the use of natural GLP-1 supplements.
However, if you do choose to use a dietary supplement, do so with caution, he said, and watch for any negative side effects.
The Food and Drug Administration has information for consumers on safely using dietary supplements.
Amy Lee, MD, head of nutrition for Nucific, suggests that people who want to lose weight naturally, think of supplements as just one component of a weight management program.
People also need to make “behavioral changes that result in decreased caloric intake and increased energy expenditure through movement and exercise,” she told Healthline.
Ali said certain diets have been shown in clinical trials to support weight loss, including ones that involve eating fewer carbohydrates, such as the keto diet and paleo diet.
“These diets are based on minimizing carbohydrate intake to direct the body toward burning fat,” Ali said. “That’s natural. There are no medications involved. No supplements. It’s just eating the right things to promote the burning of fat.”
These kinds of diets are even helpful for people who have had bariatric surgery or are taking a GLP-1 medication, he said, “because if you’re not eating the right things, you won’t see as much results.”
Lemme, the supplement brand founded by Kourtney Kardashian Barker, is releasing a supplement called Lemme GLP-1 Daily to provide consumers with an “all-natural” way to manage their weight.
In spite of its name, the product does not contain a synthetic GLP-1 hormone, and it is not a GLP-1 receptor agonist like Ozempic or Wegovy.
GLP-1 drugs mimic the actions of the GLP-1 hormone to lower blood glucose and promote weight loss.
Lemme GLP-1 Daily contains natural ingredients such as Eriomin lemon fruit extract, Supresa saffron extract and Morosil red orange fruit extract. Clinical studies show that these compounds may promote modest weight loss, decrease hunger and appetite, or boost the body’s GLP-1 levels.
Kourtney Kardashian’s Lemme Brand Launching ‘All-Natural’ Ozempic Alternative Read More »
James Earl Jones — known for his roles in The Lion King and Field of Dreams, and as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise — has died. He was 93. A cause of death was not immediately released.
Jones, who developed type 2 diabetes later in life, overcame a severe stutter in childhood to become an award-winning actor known for his deep, commanding voice.
In a 2016 interview on the Rachael Ray Show, Jones revealed that he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the mid-1990s while attending a diet and exercise center.
At the time, he was in his 60s, an age at which many older adults are frequently diagnosed with this condition.
“Diabetes and other age-related diseases like obesity and abnormal cholesterol are more prevalent as we get older,” said Noa Tal, MD, an endocrinologist of the Pituitary Disorders Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, Calif.
Jones told Ray in the interview that his condition was discovered by accident.
“I fell asleep on a bench in the middle of the gymnasium one day,” Jones explained. “And a doctor who was there said, ‘That’s not normal,’ and he encouraged me to go get checked out.”
A laboratory test revealed that Jones had type 2 diabetes.
This kind of delayed diagnosis is not uncommon.
“Unfortunately, [type 2 diabetes] does go under the radar sometimes,” said Tal.
In 2021, 38.1 million American adults had diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than one-fifth of these people had undiagnosed diabetes.
The rate of diagnosed diabetes is highest among American Indian or Alaska Native adults, followed by Black adults, Hispanic adults, and Asian adults, CDC data shows. White adults have the lowest rate of diabetes.
Regular screening, such as during routine doctor’s appointments, can catch diabetes early.
She recommends that everyone ask their primary care physician to screen them for diabetes at age 40 or age 35 if they have other health conditions such as high blood pressure.
“Depending on a person’s ethnicity or any [other health conditions] a patient has, screening can be either yearly or every three years,” Tal said.
Jones told Healthline’s Diabetes Mine in a 2016 interview that, after his diagnosis, there were “tough changes, like not having my favorite strawberry shortcake.”
Depending on the severity of the diabetes, some people may be able to control their blood glucose level with changes in lifestyle, said Tal, such as healthy diet and regular physical exercise.
Others may need an oral or injectable medication like metformin, Ozempic or insulin, she said.
Jones had a doctor who suggested he try Invokana. This medication works by eliminating excess glucose through the urine.
“I’ve found that [Invokana] was very helpful in balancing my blood sugar,” he told Diabetes Mine.
Diabetes can sometimes be a lot for patients to manage. In addition to the treatment burden and needing to take care of yourself, there is also an increased risk of complications due to diabetes, especially when it is uncontrolled.
These complications may include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, nerve damage and foot ulcers.
“When diabetes is not well controlled, it can impact the entire patient,” said Tal. “It affects basically any system in the body.”
One thing that Jones learned by managing his diabetes is that “it comes down to being in tune with your body, and I’m sure the body tells us things long before we’re aware of what’s happening,” he told Diabetes Mine. “Since then, it’s become my job to be more aware of what my body is telling me.”
He also said his wife and son helped him stay “in line” with his healthy eating. “[My son] would count the cookies in the kitchen, and he could smell it on my breath if I snuck some,” he told Diabetes Mine. “They’ve both helped keep me in line.”
“I realized when I was diagnosed with diabetes, my whole family became diabetics,” he explained. “Not that they suffer the same things that I do, but they understand, and we have to work as a family in living with diabetes. They became my support group, as well as my doctors.”
Tal said a strong support system can help people with diabetes successfully manage their condition.
“If I have patients with diabetes who have some issues with memory or if their treatment regimen is complex, I always ask if there is any family support or other social support,” she said.
Although Jones is well-known for his voice work, he revealed in a 1986 interview that a severe stutter largely kept him from talking throughout much of his early life.
“I was mute from first grade through freshman year in high school,” he said, “Mute because I just gave up on talking.”
Jones explained to Charlie Rose in 1993 that he learned to speak clearly through reading his own poetry and the poetry of others, even before he had become an actor.
It was his high school English teacher, Donald Crouch, who helped Jones find a way to express himself verbally.
“Donald said, ‘Jim, this poem is so good I don’t believe you wrote it.’ Accused me of plagiarism. ‘And the only way you can prove it is to get up in front of the class and recite it from memory,’” Jones recalled in the interview. When he stood up and recited the poem word for word, they were both shocked, he said.
Jones went on to work in the film industry and on stage for many years.
In spite of that, his stutter “is always there,” he told Rose. “It’s there right now.”
“Stutterers often seem like they are ponderous and deep thinkers,” he went on to explain. “We’re not. We’re simply looking for the word we can say without tripping on it.”
Throughout his career, he continued to struggle with alliteration, and would go through scripts and ask screenwriters to take out any, such as multiple words in a row beginning with vowels, he told Rose.
In the 1986 interview, when asked if he minds talking about his stutter, Jones said he doesn’t.
“It’s just another example of, you find yourself with a weak muscle and you exercise it. And sometimes that becomes your strong muscle,” he said.
James Earl Jones, known for his roles in The Lion King, Field of Dreams, and as the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars, died at the age of 93. No cause of death was immediately given.
The actor revealed in a 2016 interview that he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the mid-1990s, after he fell asleep in the middle of the day at a diet and exercise center. His family and doctors helped him manage this condition throughout his later years.
As a child and teenager, Jones had a stutter severe enough to keep him from speaking from first grade through freshman year of high school. He credited a high school English teacher for helping him overcome his stutter by encouraging him to read his own poetry out loud.
James Earl Jones Lived with Diabetes for Decades Before His Death at 93 Read More »
The race between drug manufacturers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to develop a once-weekly insulin shot continues.
On September 5, officials at Eli Lilly announced the latest results of two phase 3 clinical trials — QWINT-1 and QWINT-3 — involving a new insulin injection that would allow people with type 2 diabetes to take insulin once a week instead of daily. These results have not yet been published yet in a peer-reviewed journal.
Still, the new data builds on prior results released in May about the effectiveness of the company’s once-weekly shot during the QWINT-2 and QWINT-4 clinical trials. Those results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Lilly announced on Tuesday. They’re are also being presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting 2024 this week in Spain.
During the phase 3 trials, scientists studied the effectiveness of Lilly’s once-weekly insulin efsitora alfa (efsitora) in adults with type 2 diabetes taking insulin for the first time. They compared their progress with people who require daily insulin injections.
Eli Lilly officials said their product was effective in controlling A1C levels in all four clinical trials.
“Once weekly insulins, like efsitora, have the potential to transform diabetes care as we know it,” said Jeff Emmick, MD, senior vice president of product development at Eli Lilly, in statement last week.
“Many patients are reluctant to start insulin because of the burden it places on them. With a simple fixed-dose regimen, once-weekly efsitora could make it easier for people with diabetes to start and manage insulin therapy, while reducing the impact it has on their day-to-day lives,” Emmick continued.
The goal of both the QWINT-1 and QWINT-3 studies were to show equal efficacy to the currently approved insulin products. In the QWINT-1 phase 3 clinical trial, 796 participants were randomly selected to receive either the weekly efsitora injection or a daily injection of insulin glargine for 52 weeks.
At the end of the trial period, researchers reported that A1C levels on average were reduced by 1.31% in the efsitora cohort compared to 1.27% in the insulin glargine group. People taking efsitora ended the study with an average A1C level of 6.92% compared to an average of 6.96% for those taking insulin glargine.
In the QWINT-3 clinical trial, 986 participants have been randomly selected to receive either the weekly efsitora injection or a daily injection of insulin degludec.
At the 26-week mark of this 78-week trial, researchers reported that participants using efsitora had an average reduction of 0.86% in their A1C levels compared to 0.75% for the insulin degludec cohort.
People taking efsitora had an average A1C level of 6.93% at 26 weeks compared to 7.03% for the degludec group.
“Based on all the available information about the new once weekly insulin, the results consistently show the similar degree of reduction in hemoglobin A1C level to the currently available insulins and even in patients who were new to insulin, without increasing in risk of severe hypoglycemia, defined as blood glucose less than 54 mg/dl,” Marina Basina, MD, a clinical professor of endocrinology, gerontology, and metabolism at Stanford University, told Healthline.
Noa Tal, MD, an endocrinologist at the Pituitary Disorders Center at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in California, said the clinical trials offer hope for people with type 2 diabetes.
“The QWINT studies represent a significant advancement in diabetes management, particularly with the development of a weekly insulin injection,” Tal told Healthline. “This long-acting formulation could help address adherence issues associated with daily insulin regimens, offering a more convenient option for patients.”
Tal added that more than 8 million people in the United States with type 2 diabetes need insulin therapy, so a new weekly injection could make a major difference.
“A product like this weekly injection could have a profound impact,” Tal said.
“It could simplify diabetes management for those struggling with compliance or who are currently not using insulin due to the burden of daily injections. By reducing the frequency of injections, this weekly insulin might enhance patient adherence, improve overall glucose control, and potentially lead to better long-term health outcomes,” she noted.
Basina agreed with the importance of the clinical trials. “The more tools we have available in the treatment of diabetes, the better it is,” she said.
Basina noted an important advantage of a once-weekly shot of long-acting insulin could benefit people also taking GLP-1 receptor agonists once a week, streamlining the frequency of their injections or making travel easier.
“Another important point is that in patients who have been on insulin for a prolonged period of time and developed scar tissue from long-term insulin injections, it will allow less frequent insulin injections and sparing some of the injection sites,” Basina added.
Lilly competitor Novo Nordisk is also in the process of developing a weekly insulin injection.
However, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel stated in May that it appears the benefits of the company’s insulin icodec lack sufficient clinical data and do not clearly outweigh the risks of the product, which may cause low blood sugar.
Novo Nordisk officials have said they are evaluating the FDA panel’s decision.
Basina cautioned that once-weekly insulin injections may not be convenient for everyone.
“It does not provide flexibility for patients who have variable day-to-day schedules with being more physically active on some days than other day. This insulin might increase the risk of low blood sugars on more physically active days,” she noted.
“There is also a concern for patients who may need urgent surgical procedure for which we usually recommend taking half of the long-acting insulin dose on the night before the procedure which will be not possible with weekly insulin administration,” Basina added.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic medical condition that causes a build-up of glucose, also known as blood sugar, in the bloodstream. This happens because a person’s body can’t react to insulin effectively or doesn’t produce enough of it.
About 38 million people in the United States have diabetes. More than 90% of them have the type 2 variety.
About 25% of people with type 2 diabetes need to take insulin. That requires them to administer injections every day, much like people with type 1 diabetes.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:
Symptoms can become more severe as the disease progresses.
Type 2 diabetes that is not properly managed can lead to serious complications, such as:
People who don’t need insulin for type 2 diabetes can manage and sometimes reverse their condition with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Maintaining a healthy weight is considered one of the most important ways to avoid or manage type 2 diabetes.
For people who don’t need insulin, medications such as metformin can be prescribed to help manage their condition.
Insulin is a hormone created by the pancreas that helps move glucose from a person’s bloodstream to their cells. The body then uses the insulin in the cells for energy.
Insulin also helps store glucose in the liver and helps control how the body metabolizes carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Insulin helps keep blood sugars in a healthy range and ensures a person’s body is provided with sufficient energy.
The most common results of insulin insufficiency are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
They are several different types of insulin therapy available. They are:
Medical professionals prescribe an insulin treatment that works best for a particular individual. Sometimes a combination therapy involving insulin injections and non-insulin oral medications are used.
Tal said people with diabetes need to be vigilant in managing their condition.
“For individuals with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, focusing on lifestyle changes is essential,” Tal said. This includes:
“Early intervention and adherence to prescribed medications are also critical for effective management of the condition. Staying informed about new treatment options and discussing them with healthcare providers can help in making well-informed decisions regarding disease management,” Tal continued.
“Regular check-ups and personalized care plans tailored to individual needs contribute to better overall management and improved health outcomes. For patients using insulin, it is particularly important to be aware of hypoglycemic symptoms and to have strategies in place to prevent and address them,” she concluded.
Basina had similar advice: “Healthy lifestyle, diet, and exercise are all extremely important for prediabetes individuals to prevent conversion into clinical insulin,” she said. “For individuals with type 2 diabetes, take care of diabetes from the start. It is easier to prevent the complications than treat them if they develop.”
Eli Lilly says phase 3 clinical trials indicate that its new weekly insulin injections were as effective as daily injections in managing A1C levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
About 8 million people in the United States with type 2 diabetes need to take insulin on a regular basis.
Experts say a weekly injection could make managing the disease easier for people with the condition and improve their overall quality of life.
Weekly Insulin Shots for Type 2 Diabetes May Be as Effective as Daily Shots Read More »
On the roof of a UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) lab, at Chilton’s Harwell Science Campus in Oxfordshire, a new chapter in artificial intelligence (AI) and pollen monitoring is unfolding. In this blog post we’ll explore how our team of Toxicologists are working to better understand and monitor what we’re breathing in and how this may impact our health.
How cutting-edge AI technology could hold the key to forecasting the pollen count Read More »
Following the death of her son, a mom is warning others about the “blackout challenge” (also known as the “choking challenge”), a dangerous viral TikTok trend.
In an editorial for Huffpost, Joann Bogard describes the tragedy of losing her son Mason in 2019. Like other kids his age, he’d shown an interest in social media “challenges.” Challenge videos encourage social media users to copy an activity from social media and then perform it themselves, posting the video for all to see. Many can be relatively innocuous, but some are far more dangerous.
The “blackout challenge,” which encourages individuals to asphyxiate themselves to the point of losing consciousness, falls into the latter. It is extremely dangerous. Mason lost his life after attempting the challenge and accidentally choking himself to death. Now Bogard is helping other parents to become better educated about social media and online trends.
“What worries me most today is that what happened to Mason and our family can happen to anyone — and has happened to others. Families are desperately seeking answers on how to protect their children online,” she wrote for Huffpost.
The “blackout challenge,” or “choking challenge,” is an online challenge proliferated through social media apps such as TikTok that encourages viewers to asphyxiate themselves until they lose consciousness. The loss of consciousness is believed to be associated with a “high” or feeling of euphoria. Challenge videos may be particularly appealing to teens and adolescents.
Unlike other dangerous trends that have come and gone over the years, such as the Tide pod challenge, variations of challenges related to asphyxiation tend to crop up every couple of years.
“This is a trend that seems to come of age with each progressive generation,” said Mary Beth Howard, MD, MSC, a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
“It’s very dangerous to begin with, and the other issue at hand is that we have social media and these very powerful algorithms that are propagating these very dangerous behaviors,” she said.
Benjamin Morse, BA, a Visiting Lecturer in New Media and social media expert at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Healthline, “These trends take off, and they accelerate at such a speed that something tragic can happen before a parent is even aware of what their kids are watching.”
Asphyxiation is extremely dangerous and can quickly lead to brain damage and death. There is also the added risk that an individual may take part in the “blackout challenge” by themself, without any form of supervision, greatly increasing the danger.
“When you deprive the brain of oxygen and you go unconscious, that’s it, you’re not able to stop the event,” said Marla Levine, MD, an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Director of Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
“You have a brief period of time where you can then reestablish blood supply or oxygen to your brain to prevent cerebral death,” she said.
Asphyxiation leads to a condition known as cerebral hypoxia, literally depriving the brain of oxygen.
The brain can be deprived of oxygen with as little as 4.4 pounds of pressure and can cause loss of consciousness in just ten seconds. When hypoxia begins, permanent brain damage can occur within just four minutes. Brain death can occur within five minutes of hypoxia.
“We’re not talking about a long period of time here,” said Levine.
There are also no hard rules for how asphyxiation may affect one individual to the next.
“Everyone’s response to these challenges is variable. So someone could pass out within seconds, someone may take closer to a minute,” said Howard. That variability makes the challenge even more dangerous since an individual may lose consciousness much faster than they anticipate.
Other dangers from asphyxiation include:
If an individual is asphyxiating and has lost consciousness, immediately contact emergency services such as 911.
Speaking to a child about social media and dangerous online challenges may not be easy, but prevention should be a top priority for all parents.
How parents, companies, and lawmakers monitor and regulate social media can be a thorny issue. While some advocate for greater responsibility and censorship from social media companies themselves, Morse recommends a more pragmatic approach.
“Waiting for the platforms to do the work is not going to happen,” he said.
Instead, he recommends parents actively engage with the platforms and apps that their children are using and set appropriate boundaries.
“If your kids are on TikTok, you need to be on TikTok. I know that’s not a fun answer for parents, but you need to understand what your kids are doing,” he told Healthline.
“It’s so incredibly important that parents are vigilant in having conversations with their children and vigilant about what they’re consuming in social media,” said Levine.
A dangerous social media trend known as the “choking challenge,” which encourages viewers to asphyxiate themselves until they lose consciousness, has resulted in at least one death.
Asphyxiation can result in brain damage and death in as little as four minutes.
Parents are encouraged to have open and informed conversations with their children about social media to help set safe boundaries.
According to a study published online on August 30, 2024, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, people using 2.4-milligram semaglutide were less likely to have severe cases of COVID-19 when using this drug.
They were also less likely to die from any cause, cardiovascular or otherwise.
The study authors further noted that the reduced rate of non-cardiovascular deaths was mainly due to fewer people dying from infections.
Semaglutide is available under the brand names Ozempic for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss.
However, while Wegovy is available in the 2.4-milligram dose, Ozempic tops out at 2 milligrams.
The authors state that people with overweight and obesity are at greater risk for dying, both from cardiovascular disease and other causes.
Their goal was to see if semaglutide might help prevent these deaths, looking at both cardiovascular deaths and deaths from other causes, including deaths from COVID-19.
The researchers randomly selected over 17,000 individuals to participate.
Participants were ages 45 and up with a body mass index (BMI) that established them as living with either overweight or obesity.
The study participants also had been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease but not diabetes.
Over a period of 3.3 years, these people received weekly injections of either semaglutide or a placebo.
During this time, any deaths that occurred were recorded based on the cause of death.
They found that 833 people died during the course of the study, with 58% of these being related to cardiovascular disease, while the remainder were due to other causes.
After analyzing the data, the researchers reached the conclusion that there were fewer deaths from any cause in the group that was treated with semaglutide.
Another salient finding was that, while semaglutide did not reduce the rates of COVID-19, those who contracted the virus had fewer adverse events related to the disease.
Dr. Ramit Singh Sambyal, a General Physician associated with ClinicSpots who was not involved in the study, said that GLP-1 receptor agonists, like semaglutide, were originally designed to treat diabetes.
However, they can improve overall metabolic health by making it easier for people to lose weight, he said.
“When we think about this in the context of COVID-19, there’s a fascinating link: obesity is a known risk factor for severe outcomes from the virus,” Sambyal explained. “So, anything that helps reduce obesity-related issues might also lower the risks if you get infected.”
Sambyal went on to explain that obesity isn’t just about added weight.
“[I]t also put a lot of stress on the body, including chronic inflammation, which makes it harder for your immune system to fight off infections like COVID-19,” he said.
Losing weight with semaglutide allows your body to function better, said Sambyal.
“Blood pressure drops, blood sugar becomes easier to control, and inflammation decreases,” he said. “This makes you healthier overall and less vulnerable to severe complications if you contract COVID-19.”
Sambyal additionally emphasized that drugs like semaglutide do not appear to have any direct effect on the COVID-19 virus, although ongoing research is investigating whether GLP-1 drugs could impact it.
“So, while they can make you healthier and possibly less likely to suffer severe outcomes, they’re not a miracle cure for COVID-19,” he concluded.
Dr. Michael Lahey, a physician with My Weight Loss Partner, added to Sambyal’s thoughts by noting that while drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy can aid with treating obesity and obesity-related diseases, they do not free you from taking precautions against COVID-19.
“These drugs are intended for controlling certain illnesses and must be regarded only as useful adjuncts to a particular disease control program,” he explained.
If you have obesity or accompanying diseases that put you at higher risk for COVID-19 complications — such as cancer, chronic kidney, liver, lung, or heart disease; diabetes; or a compromised immune system — you still need to follow measures such as vaccination, physical distancing, and masking to protect yourself, according to Lahey.
“These medications, when taken, truly lower the risk of severe COVID-19, but they do not eliminate the need for every preventive measure,” he stated.
Sambyal added that it’s important to think of these drugs as “a piece of a bigger puzzle.”
“Yes, they can help reduce your risk by improving your overall health, but they don’t prevent the virus from infecting you,” he said.
Vaccines help train your immune system to fight off the virus. Taking additional precautions can help keep you from getting the virus in the first place, said Sambyal.
A new study has found that people using semaglutide experienced less severe cases of COVID-19.
Additionally, they were less likely to die from any cause during the study.
Experts say this is because weight loss makes you healthier overall, reducing your risk for COVID-19 complications.
Even if you are using drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy, you still need to take precautions against COVID-19 — such as vaccinations, physical distancing, and masking — to reduce your risk.
Can Ozempic Really Lower Your Risk of Severe COVID-19? Read More »
Brian May, guitarist for the legendary rock group Queen, revealed this week that he experienced a “minor stroke.”
In a video posted on his personal Instagram account, May explained that the incident required medical attention and briefly left him unable to use his left arm. Fortunately, the rocker is back in good health and, importantly, playing guitar again.
“Good news is that I can play guitar after the events of the last few days and I say this because it was in some doubt,” he said in the video.
“All of a sudden, out of the blue, I didn’t have any control over this arm,” May recounted.
The incident is an important reminder that strokes can vary drastically in severity and presentation of symptoms. But don’t let the term “minor stroke” mislead you: strokes are a serious medical issue. Even minor strokes, if left untreated, can lead to serious health outcomes and death.
Here’s what you need to know.
A stroke refers to when areas of the brain are not receiving blood flow, which can result in damage to brain tissue. A minor stroke is a non-scientific term that a doctor may use to describe the general severity of a stroke. However, the term doesn’t make specific reference to the type (ischemic or hemorrhagic) or etiology (cause) of the stroke.
“There’s no specific definition of minor stroke. A minor stroke for one person might be much more significant for somebody else. Presumably, the way it’s being used here is that it’s a stroke that hasn’t led to significant or lasting neurologic deficits,” Neil Schwartz, MD, PhD, a Clinical Professor of Neurology at Stanford Medicine, told Healthline.
A minor stroke shouldn’t be confused with a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which is often described as a “ministroke” or “warning stroke.” A TIA causes stroke-like symptoms, such as limb weakness and drooping face, but resolves on its own without damage to the brain. It is called a “warning stroke” because it may be an early sign of a stroke.
“The difference between a TIA and a minor stroke is that with a TIA, the symptoms go away, and the person recovers before there’s any actual injury to the brain. In other words, the lack of blood flow that is contributing to the problem resolves before there’s any permanent damage to the brain,” Mitchell Elkind, MD, MS, the Chief Clinical Science Officer of the American Heart Association, told Healthline.
“A minor stroke, conversely, is when there may actually be a permanent injury to a small part of the brain, leaving a little scar, but the person’s brain reorganizes, and they’re able to recover from it very quickly,” added Elkind.
Both TIA and stroke are serious medical conditions. A TIA may resolve on its own, but because it manifests with similar symptoms to a stroke, there is no way of knowing the severity without seeking medical attention.
A minor stroke may also become a major one without treatment. So, if you are experiencing symptoms of a stroke, always seek aid.
Brian May’s experience of a sudden lack of control over his left arm is one of the classic symptoms of a stroke.
“We often just see one side of the body or the other affected,” said Schwartz. “We typically see a loss of function, such as weakness or numbness, and facial droop. Those are kind of the classic stroke symptoms,” he added.
The hallmark stroke warning signs can be identified through the acronym FAST:
Other symptoms of stroke include:
Elkind points out that, unlike a heart attack, individuals experiencing a stroke may not experience any pain.
“Strokes often don’t cause any pain. So, people sometimes get misled because they think of a heart attack and think they should have pain. The brain doesn’t have any sensation itself, so it doesn’t feel pain, it just stops functioning,” he said.
What a doctor prescribes for a patient following a stroke will differ based on the severity of the stroke, as well as other health and lifestyle factors.
Brian May says that his doctors “grounded” him, advising him to stay off of airplanes, avoid driving, and keep his heart rate down. However, this advice isn’t generalizable to everyone who has experienced a stroke. Instead, patients should work with their doctors to develop a personalized recovery plan.
Following a stroke, a doctor will order a diagnostic workup, likely including a brain MRI, to determine the cause and extent of the stroke. Depending on the findings, they may prescribe drugs, such as anticoagulants.
A patient’s specific lifestyle and health factors are also key to recovery. During recovery, a doctor will want to address stroke comorbidities such as diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
Patients may also need to modify lifestyle factors, including diet, exercise, and smoking following a stroke.
“Depending on what the doctors think the specific cause is, they may make specific recommendations about rest, additional testing, or even surgery to the neck,” said Elkind.
Brian May, the guitarist for legendary rock group Queen, recently experienced what his doctors described as a “minor stroke.”
During the incident, May lost the ability to use his left hand. He now appears to be in good health and has regained the use of his hand.
The severity of a stroke may vary from person to person, but individuals are always urged to know the signs of a stroke and to seek medical attention.
Queen Guitarist Brian May Reveals He Had Minor Stroke: Warning Signs He Noticed Read More »
