Credits: Canva
An experimental treatment happens to be the solution to delay Alzheimer's symptoms in some people. These people are the ones who are genetically destined to get the disease in their 40s or 50s. These new findings form ongoing research has now been caught up in Trump administration funding delas. The early results of the study has been published on Wednesday and the participants too are worried that politics could cut their access to a possible lifeline.
One of the participants had said, "It is still a study but it has given me an extension to my life that I never banked on having." The participant is named Jake Henrichs, form New York City, who is 50 years old. He is one of them to be treated in that study for more than a decade now and has remained symptom-free despite inheriting an Alzheimer's-causing gene that had killed his father and brother around the same age.
Two drugs which can modestly slow down early-stage Alzheimer's are sold in the United States. These drugs clear the brain of one of its hallmarks, a sticky gunk-like part called the amyloid. However, there have not been any hints that removing amyloid far earlier, way many years before the first symptoms appear, may postpone the disease.
The research is led by Washington University in St Louis, which involved families that passed down rare gene mutation as participants. This meant it was almost guaranteed that they will develop symptoms at the same age their affected relatives did.
The new findings is based on a subset of 22 participants who received amyloid-removing drugs the longest, on average eight years. Long-term amyloid removal cut in half their risk of symptom onset. The study is published in the journal Lancet Neurology.
Washington University's Dr Randall Bateman, who directs the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Network of studies involving families with these rare genes says, "What we want to determine over the next five years is how strong is the protection. Will they ever get the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease if we keep treating them?”
The researchers before though did not know what exactly caused Alzheimer's which affects nearly 7 million Americans, most of them in their later life. However, it is clear that these silent changes occur in the brain at least two decades before the first symptom shows up. The big contributor. At some point amyloid buildup can trigger a protein named tau that then starts to kill neurons, which can lead to cognitive decline.
Researchers are now thus studying the Tau-fighting drugs and are looking into other factors, like inflammation, brain's immune cells and certain virus.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) has expanded its focus as researchers have found more reasons for Alzheimer's. In 2013, the NIH's National Institute on Aging funded 14 trials of possible Alzheimer's drugs over a third targeting amyloid. By last fall, there were 68 drugs and 18% of them target amyloid. However, there are scientists too who think that amyloid is not everything and their is way more in the brain tissue, immune cells, and more which can be studied.
Credit: Canva/Eli Lilly
The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorized Eli Lilly’s orforglipron, marketed as Foundayo, for weight management and type 2 diabetes.
With the approval, the UK has become the first country in Europe to authorize Lilly’s once-daily GLP-1 tablet. It is also the second oral GLP-1 weight-loss medicine authorized in the UK after Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy.
“As with all GLP-1 receptor agonists, this is a prescription-only medication, and the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of orforglipron under close review,” said Julian Beach, MHRA Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access.
Orforglipron is a prescription-only pill and is authorised for weight loss and weight maintenance in adults with:
Unlike injectable GLP-1 medicines such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, Foundayo is taken as a once-daily tablet. It can be taken at any time of day, with no restrictions on food or water.
Treatment starts at 0.8 mg and is gradually increased through 2.5 mg, 5.5 mg, 9 mg, 14.5 mg and 17.2 mg, with at least one month at each dose level. Patients should follow the dosing instructions provided with the medicine.
Although Foundayo has been authorized for use in the UK, it is not currently available through the NHS. The NHS availability will depend on established processes, including assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The MHRA urged people to buy the prescription only GLP-1 medicines from a registered pharmacy, with a prescription from a doctor. Buying GLP-1 medicines from unregulated sellers carries serious health risks.
Orforglipron is Eli Lilly’s first oral GLP-1 medicine for weight management, marketed as Foundayo. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April this year.
The medicine is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that mimics the action of glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone involved in appetite and blood sugar regulation.
By activating GLP-1 receptors, orforglipron helps reduce hunger and food cravings and increases feelings of fullness. Along with diet and lifestyle changes, this can support weight loss.
In people with type 2 diabetes, it also helps lower blood glucose levels. Unlike some oral GLP-1 medicines, orforglipron does not require patients to take it on an empty stomach or avoid food and water around the time of dosing.
A recent clinical trial led by Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian showed that Foundayo may be help prevent rebound weight gain caused by GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.
The ATTAIN-MAINTAIN trial included people who had previously taken tirzepatide or semaglutide and whose weight loss had plateaued.
Foundayo is not approved for use in children. Its safety information also includes a warning about the potential risk of thyroid tumours, including thyroid cancer.
Patients should seek medical advice if they develop symptoms such as:
Credit: Instagram
Amid speculation about a potential 2028 US presidential run, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has revealed that she plans to freeze her eggs.
The 36-year-old New York Democrat shared her decision in a series of Instagram Stories, including footage of herself administering fertility medication.
“This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Ocasio-Cortez said she had been saving for the procedure for a long time and noted that women often lack information about fertility and their reproductive health.
She also spoke about balancing fertility treatment with her work as a congresswoman, saying she would take her medication injections in a dressing room before a scheduled ABC interview.
“I want you all to see that,” she said, adding that women can balance fertility treatment with their professional lives. Ocasio-Cortez also showed some of the medicines and supplies used during the process, including syringes and alcohol wipes. Egg-freezing treatment typically involves hormone injections over about 10 days or longer.
She joked about the process before administering an injection herself. Afterward, she said: “That wasn’t so bad!”
During an interview with ABC News, Ocasio-Cortez said she had not “ruled out the possibility” of running for president. She also said she wanted to normalize conversations about fertility treatment, particularly for working women.
“In this political environment where this administration is denying reproductive care to women across the country, from abortion rights to the ability to carry out a healthy pregnancy, I think it’s important for us as leaders to have these conversations and share these processes,” she said.
Egg freezing, medically known as oocyte cryopreservation, allows women to preserve eggs at a younger reproductive age for potential use in the future.
It does not guarantee a future pregnancy but can provide an additional reproductive option for women who want to delay childbearing for personal, social or medical reasons.
Planned egg freezing may be considered after appropriate counselling and fertility assessment, particularly when undertaken at a younger age.
Dr. Tarang Yadav, Senior Consultant – IVF, Obstetrics and Gynecology, ShardaCare–Healthcity, told HealthandMe that fertility preservation may benefit women who:
“In such situations, fertility preservation can provide psychological reassurance and reproductive flexibility before ovarian function declines further,” Dr. Tarang said.
Egg-freezing outcomes are generally better when eggs are frozen at a younger age, particularly before 35. Younger eggs tend to have better quality and chromosomal competence, which may improve the chances of successful IVF in the future.
Dr. Tarang stressed the importance of early fertility counselling and ovarian reserve assessment. Tests such as Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH), ultrasound-based antral follicle count (AFC) and an overall reproductive evaluation can help determine whether egg freezing is appropriate.
Credit: iStock
After recalling lettuce that may have been linked to a severe nationwide Cyclospora outbreak in the US, Taylor Farms has now recalled 20 more products, including salsa and guacamole, over concerns about possible Salmonella contamination.
Taylor Farms also said on social media that none of its Taylor Farms-branded salad kits are associated with the outbreak. Most of the recalled lettuce was sold in large bags to food-service operations, including restaurants, with many products containing romaine lettuce.
In a statement on August 9, Taylor Farms said the latest recall is tied to fresh jalapeños supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors. A grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, that supplies Coast Citrus was identified as a potential source of the Salmonella outbreak.
“Taylor Fresh Foods is no longer sourcing products from this farmer and will be filling orders from alternative suppliers,” the company said on its website.
Also read: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Plans To Freeze Eggs As She Eyes 2028 US Presidential Run
The recalled products were sold in several states, including Texas, and distributed to major retailers such as Target, Walmart and Whole Foods.
Taylor Farms products were also recalled from Target, Trader Joe’s and Scarborough, Maine-based supermarket chain Hannaford across about 20 states.
Walmart said it had removed the impacted products from its stores and implemented a sales block at its registers and online. Kroger, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Hannaford-parent Ahold Delhaize did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The CDC and FDA said earlier this week that they were investigating a Salmonella outbreak that had sickened 345 people across 27 states and led to 36 hospitalizations.
The US investigation identified restaurants including Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba as having received jalapeños imported by Coast Citrus Distributors, Reuters reported.
Both restaurants stopped using the jalapeños, while Coast Citrus recalled the remaining product and notified customers.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has also issued a new public health alert for 18 meat and poultry products containing recalled jalapeño peppers potentially contaminated with Salmonella.
The products were made using jalapeños that had already been recalled by the FDA. Many of the affected products are sold under brands including Taylor Farms, Walmart’s Marketside and H-E-B. The products have expiry dates extending through August 15.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said the issue came to light after the FDA notified the agency that several meat and poultry establishments had received the recalled jalapeños as an ingredient.
The agency warned that some of the products may still be sitting in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers and advised people not to eat them. Retailers have also been told not to sell the affected products.
Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of developing severe illness.
Contaminated food may look, smell and taste completely normal, meaning consumers cannot rely on appearance or taste to determine whether food is safe.
Consumers who have purchased products covered by the USDA alert should not eat them. They should discard them safely or return them to the place of purchase.
Anyone who develops symptoms after eating a potentially contaminated product should contact a healthcare provider and disclose the possible Salmonella exposure.
© 2024 Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited