04/26/24 - #117

Good morning. In today’s edition:

  • Vitamin D Shows Promise in Influencing the Hallmarks of Aging, Including Genomic Stability and Senescence

  • Eli Lilly’s Weight Loss Drug Zepbound Found to Reduce Sleep Apnea, Company Says

  • Dementia Risk May Fall as Younger Generations Have Larger Brains

  • Scientists Discover How You Might Be Getting More Sleep Than You Think

…and lots more. Have a great day!

FOOD & NUTRITION

Vitamin D Shows Promise in Influencing the Hallmarks of Aging, Including Genomic Stability and Senescence

Vitamin D is well-known for keeping our bones and muscles healthy. Recently, scientists have discovered it might also help us age healthier by affecting our genes and cells.

What Does Vitamin D Do? Vitamin D helps our bodies in many ways, but new research suggests it might also slow down aging. This includes making sure our genes stay healthy and preventing our cells from aging too quickly.

Why Is This Important? As we get older, changes in our genes and cells can lead to health problems. Vitamin D might help control these changes, which could mean fewer age-related issues.

What We Know So Far The studies done so far have mixed results. In labs and early human trials, Vitamin D showed some good effects on aging. However, more research is needed to be sure of its benefits.

What’s Next? Scientists want to do more detailed studies to really understand how Vitamin D affects aging. They hope that Vitamin D might be used to help us live longer and healthier lives.

In Conclusion For now, it's a good idea to keep enough Vitamin D in our diet because it’s great for our bones and might even help us age better. As research continues, we might find out even more good things about Vitamin D and aging. Stay tuned to see what new discoveries come about!

WEIGHT LOSS

Eli Lilly’s Weight Loss Drug Zepbound Found to Reduce Sleep Apnea, Company Says

Eli Lilly & Co. announced that their weight loss drug, Zepbound, helps reduce obstructive sleep apnea in obese adults. Sleep apnea is a common problem where a person’s airway gets blocked during sleep, leading to serious health issues like heart problems.

Obesity makes sleep apnea worse because it can squeeze the airway. Zepbound was made to help people lose weight. But, new research shows it also cuts breathing problems during sleep.

In a study, adults with sleep apnea took Zepbound for a year. Those who did not use airway support devices saw their breathing interruptions drop by 27.4 times per hour. Those who used these devices saw a reduction of 30.4 times per hour. People in both groups lost about 20% of their body weight, which helped improve their sleep apnea.

Dr. Jeff Emmick from Eli Lilly said that Zepbound might become the first drug to target the main cause of sleep apnea. Dr. Susan Spratt, a specialist at Duke Health who was not involved in the study, praised the research. She said it shows that treating obesity is not just about looks—it's about improving serious health problems.

The findings could make insurance companies more willing to cover the drug. Eli Lilly plans to share more details at the American Diabetes Association conference. They will seek FDA approval later this year.

HEALTH

Dementia Risk May Fall as Younger Generations Have Larger Brains

There's encouraging news about brain health. Research shows that human brains are getting bigger. This might mean fewer people will get dementia, including Alzheimer's.

Today, Alzheimer's affects about 6.7 million older Americans. This number could double by 2060 unless new treatments are found. But, there's a silver lining. More people are getting Alzheimer's because there are more older people. But, a smaller percentage of people now get the disease compared to the past. Since the 1970s, the rate of Alzheimer's in the U.S. has dropped by 20%.

A team led by neurologist Charles DeCarli at UC Davis Health studied brain scans to find out why. They looked at scans from the Framingham Heart Study, which started in 1948 to track people's health. They compared scans of people born in the 1930s to those born in the 1970s and noticed that newer generations have brains about 6.6% bigger with 15% more surface area.

DeCarli said bigger brains might be better at avoiding diseases like Alzheimer's. "A bigger brain can fight off age-related diseases better," he said.

While the study mainly included non-Hispanic whites, it suggests that genetics, health, education, and lifestyle might help our brains grow. Knowing this could lead to new ways to keep our brains healthy and lower the risk of dementia as we age.

Scientists Discover How You Might Be Getting More Sleep Than You Think

Do you often feel like you're not getting enough sleep? You're not alone. Many adults think the same way. But interesting research from the University of Montréal suggests that you might be sleeping more than you realize.

Lack of sleep can affect your mood and health, increasing the risk of heart disease and depression. Some people try to go to bed earlier, but end up just lying awake, frustrated.

The researchers focused on dreams and how they relate to our sleep quality. They think dreams might tell us more about how well we're sleeping than we thought. Claudia Picard-Deland led the study. She says that we usually measure sleep by looking at brain waves. But, it's also important to look at our dreams.

In the study, participants were woken up several times a night and asked about their sleep and dreams, while their brain activity was also checked. Many times, participants thought they were awake when they were actually asleep, especially during the early parts of the night that don't involve dreaming.

This finding could help change the way we understand sleep, especially for the 30 million Americans who have insomnia. It offers hope and could lead to new ways to treat sleep problems by focusing on how we think about our sleep.

Picard-Deland, who has had insomnia herself, found these results very reassuring. The study will be presented at a big neuroscience conference, where more details will be shared.

✢ 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.