01/16/24 - #45

Good morning. In today’s edition:

  • Study in Mice Found That Intermittent Fasting (IF) Reduces Neuroinflammation and Cognitive Impairment by Protecting Against Blood–brain Barrier Leakage

  • Possible Ozempic Side Effects Including Hair Loss and Suicidal Thoughts Probed by FDA

  • Nearly 17,000 People May Have Died After Taking Hydroxychloroquine During the First Wave of COVID. The Anti-malaria Drug Was Prescribed to Some Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 During the First Wave of the Pandemic, "Despite the Absence of Evidence Documenting Its Clinical Benefits,"

  • Common Stomach Bug Linked to Higher Risk of Alzheimer’s, Study Finds

…and lots more. Have a great day!

FOOD & NUTRITION

Study in Mice Found That Intermittent Fasting (IF) Reduces Neuroinflammation and Cognitive Impairment by Protecting Against Blood–brain Barrier Leakage

Have you ever heard of intermittent fasting (IF)? It's when you eat for a while and then take breaks from eating. A new study found that this might be really good for the brains of mice, especially those eating lots of fat.

In this research, scientists looked at mice eating a high-fat diet. Such diets can sometimes lead to health issues like obesity or diabetes. But something interesting happened when they tried IF with these mice. It seemed to help their brains!

One big benefit was that it reduced neuroinflammation. This is a fancy word for when the brain gets swollen and angry, which isn't good. Plus, the mice seemed to remember things better. It's like IF made their brains stronger!

How does this work? The researchers think IF helped protect something called the blood-brain barrier. This barrier is super important because it decides what can enter the brain. A strong barrier keeps bad stuff out. In mice eating lots of fat, IF helped keep this barrier tough.

What does this mean for us? Well, we're not mice, so it's still too early to say. But this study gives us a hint that IF could be helpful, especially for people eating high-fat diets. Maybe it can protect our brains and help our memory.

Scientists are excited to learn more. They're thinking about how this might help with human health problems like diabetes. But remember, always talk to a doctor before trying something new like IF to make sure it's safe for you.

WEIGHT LOSS

Possible Ozempic Side Effects Including Hair Loss and Suicidal Thoughts Probed by FDA

The FDA is checking into some health worries linked to weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. They're looking at hair loss, suicidal thoughts, and a problem called aspiration, which happens during surgery when people accidentally breathe in food or other stuff.

The FDA keeps an eye on medicines even after they are approved to make sure they are safe. Sometimes, they find out about side effects that weren't known before. When this happens, they might change the medicine's instructions or do more research.

These drugs are also used for diabetes. Last year, the FDA added a warning about a possible gut problem to Ozempic's label after some people reported it.

The companies that make these drugs, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, work with the FDA to watch for any safety issues. They say just because someone reports a problem doesn't always mean the medicine caused it.

Experts have been looking into whether these drugs can make people think about suicide. In Europe, the medicine agency is also studying this. So far, there's no clear link.

The FDA has 201 reports of people thinking about suicide after taking these drugs. They also have 422 reports about hair loss. Other medicines can cause hair loss too.

There are fewer reports about aspiration, but it's still important. Doctors advise people to stop taking these drugs before surgeries to avoid risks.

The FDA's main goal is to make sure these drugs are safe for everyone.

HEALTH

Nearly 17,000 People May Have Died After Taking Hydroxychloroquine During the First Wave of COVID. The Anti-malaria Drug Was Prescribed to Some Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 During the First Wave of the Pandemic, "Despite the Absence of Evidence Documenting Its Clinical Benefits,"

In the early days of COVID-19, doctors tried many treatments to help patients. One of these was hydroxychloroquine, a medicine usually used for malaria. However, a study shows that this drug might have caused more harm than good.

Hydroxychloroquine was given to hospitalized COVID-19 patients even though there wasn't much proof it would work. Later, research found that using this drug could increase the chance of dying by 11%. This is a big concern because it was given to many people.

Researchers looked at how many deaths might be linked to this drug in six countries. They think about 17,000 deaths might be related to hydroxychloroquine. These countries are Belgium, Turkey, France, Italy, Spain, and the USA. Each country had a different number of patients affected.

This situation shows us a big lesson. When facing a new disease like COVID-19, it's risky to use drugs without strong evidence. Hydroxychloroquine can have serious side effects, like heart problems. The study found that these risks were real for COVID-19 patients.

Doctors often have to make quick decisions in emergencies. But this study reminds us that it's important to have good evidence before using a treatment widely. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us to be careful about using drugs without enough research, especially in new diseases.

So, while hydroxychloroquine seemed like a hopeful treatment at first, it turned out to be risky. This reminds us of the importance of careful research and testing in medicine.

Common Stomach Bug Linked to Higher Risk of Alzheimer’s, Study Finds

A recent study has found something surprising: a common stomach bug might increase your chances of getting Alzheimer's disease later in life. This bug, found in about two-thirds of people, is more serious than we thought.

Researchers from McGill University in Canada did this study. They looked at health information from over 4 million people in the UK who are 50 years or older. The study went from 1988 to 2019.

The stomach bug is called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). If you have this bug, your risk of getting Alzheimer’s could go up by 11%. This bug usually causes stomach problems like indigestion and ulcers, and sometimes it can lead to stomach cancer.

Alzheimer’s is a common brain disease that affects memory and thinking. It's important to find out what causes it so we can try to prevent it. This study helps with that. Dr. Paul Brassard and his team at McGill University hope their research can lead to ways to stop people from getting this stomach bug and reduce Alzheimer's cases.

Over 55 million people worldwide have dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s. This number is expected to rise a lot in the future.

The study is a big step, but it's just the start. It shows a link between the stomach bug and Alzheimer's, but it doesn't prove the bug causes the disease. Still, knowing about this link is really helpful for doctors and scientists.

✢ A Note From Hem Hero

The information in this health newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment; always consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. The publishers are not responsible for any actions taken by the reader based on the information provided.