02/19/24 - #69

Author

Health Horizon. Herald Staff
February 19, 2024

Good morning. In today’s edition:

  • Teabags and Processed Meats May Be Key Dietary Sources of PFAS

  • Drugmakers Hiking Prices for More Than 700 Medications, Including Ozempic and Mounjaro

  • Study Finds Thickness of Retinal Layers - A Routine Ophthalmic Procedure - Can Help Predict a Person’s Risk of Developing Eye, Neuropsychiatric, Heart, Metabolic, and Lung Diseases

  • People Who Have a Typical Work Patterns - Long and Irregular Work Hours - Such as Shift Workers and Those Who Work on the Weekend, Have Worse Quality and Quantity of Sleep, Compared to Those Who Work a Typical 35-40 Hour Week

…and lots more. Have a great day!

FOOD & NUTRITION

Teabags and Processed Meats May Be Key Dietary Sources of PFAS

Imagine finding out that your favorite tea or hot dog could be adding unwanted chemicals to your body. Scientists have discovered that these everyday items might be packed with PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," because they don't break down and stay around for a very long time.

A group of researchers studied what young adults were eating and found something interesting. People who ate a lot of fast food, processed meats (like bacon and hot dogs), and drank lots of tea had higher levels of PFAS in their blood. These chemicals are not good for us and have been linked to health problems, including some types of cancer.

Why are these foods a problem? It turns out the packaging or even the tea bags might have PFAS. And with processed meats, the way they're made or packaged can add these chemicals.

But here's a bit of good news: cooking your meals at home might help you avoid these chemicals. People who made their own food had lower levels of PFAS. This is likely because they weren't using the packaged or processed items that often contain PFAS.

The study also looked at fish but didn't find a big connection between eating fish and higher PFAS levels. This was mainly because the participants didn't eat much fish to begin with.

So, making your meals at home and being careful about drinking too much tea or eating processed meats can help keep those hidden chemicals away.

WEIGHT LOSS

Drugmakers Hiking Prices for More Than 700 Medications, Including Ozempic and Mounjaro

Drug companies are raising the prices of more than 700 medicines this year. This includes popular weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro. On average, prices went up by about 4.5%. This is a bit less than the last five years, where prices went up by 5% each year.

Ozempic and Mounjaro are special because they help people with diabetes and those wanting to lose weight. Because so many people want these drugs, there's not enough for everyone. Ozempic's price went up to $984.29 for a month, and Mounjaro's to about $1,000.

Other medicines got more expensive too:

  • Enbrel, for autoimmune diseases, increased by 5%.

  • Oxycontin, a painkiller, went up by 9%.

  • Plavix, a blood thinner, rose by 4.7%.

  • Wellbutrin, an antidepressant, increased by 9.9%.

These price hikes usually happen in January. But not all news is bad. Some drug prices are falling, like insulin. After Medicare made a rule, insulin now costs $35 a month for many people. This made Novo Nordisk cut their insulin price by 75%. Prices for some other drugs like Cialis, Prozac, and Advair dropped a lot too.

Even though not many drugs got cheaper, it's a big deal when it happens. It shows some drug prices can go down, especially for important medicines like insulin.

HEALTH

Study Finds Thickness of Retinal Layers - A Routine Ophthalmic Procedure - Can Help Predict a Person’s Risk of Developing Eye, Neuropsychiatric, Heart, Metabolic, and Lung Diseases

Guess what? An eye exam could tell you way more than whether you need glasses. Researchers have found that looking at your retina, the back part of your eye, might predict if you're at risk for diseases like heart trouble or diabetes down the line.

In a cool study, scientists from Harvard and other big places studied eye images from 44,000 folks. They noticed something interesting: if certain parts of the retina are thin, it might mean a bigger chance of getting not just eye problems, but other big health issues too.

This is super important because it means going to the eye doctor could help spot these risks early. And knowing early could help you avoid these diseases or manage them better if they do show up.

They used a special eye scan called OCT, which is an easy, no-pain way to take a peek at your retina. Usually, this scan checks for eye issues, but now it might also help doctors give you a heads-up about other health stuff like high blood pressure.

So, next time you're at the eye doctor, remember, it's not just about seeing clearly. It's also a little window into your future health. This discovery is a big step in understanding how our eyes can help keep our whole body healthy.

People Who Have a Typical Work Patterns - Long and Irregular Work Hours - Such as Shift Workers and Those Who Work on the Weekend, Have Worse Quality and Quantity of Sleep, Compared to Those Who Work a Typical 35-40 Hour Week

Imagine working late at night or during the weekend. Sounds tough, right? A big study with over 25,000 people found out that if you work like this, you might not sleep as well as someone who works from 9 to 5.

People who work a lot or at odd times often don't get enough sleep or have trouble sleeping. This is bad because not sleeping enough can make you feel really tired and can even make you sick.

The study showed that women who work a lot of hours often don't sleep as much as men. And men who don't work many hours might sleep more, but this could mean they're not happy with how much they're working.

What can we do about this? The study suggests that bosses should let people work hours that fit their natural sleep schedule, give more breaks, not make people work too much extra, and help them relax after work. They also said that people who work these tough schedules should get something extra, like more days off or extra money.

It's important for bosses and the people who make the rules to think about how work hours affect sleep and health. This way, everyone can stay healthy and do their best at work.

✢ 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.