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: AP
The White House has informed that US President Donald Trump is getting another medical and dental checkup at the end of May.
This will be his fourth publicized visit to medical experts in his second term as US President. The White House described it as "an annual physical and regular preventive care", AP reported.
Trump, who turns 80 next month, will see his doctors at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on May 26, the White House said in a brief statement.
The president’s health has been the subject of tremendous scrutiny — ranging from his mental state to visible bruising around his hands.
While past presidents have opted for the White House's on-site clinic, Trump went for a local dentist instead, a choice he made previously in January.
Trump — who has been frequently critical of former President Joe Biden for age-related health and fitness issues — has recently remarked how good he feels despite his years.
Earlier Monday, Trump said he feels the same as he did 50 years ago. “I feel literally the same,” he said at an Oval Office event. “I don’t know why. It’s not because I eat the best foods”, AP reported.
Last week, he joked about his exercise regimen, saying that he works out “like about one minute a day, max.”
Also read: Was Trump Sleeping During Oval Office Event? White House Reacts
The first visit was reported last April, when Trump had a checkup after noticing what the White House described as “mild swelling” in his lower legs. Tests by the White House medical unit found that Trump had chronic venous insufficiency, a condition common in older adults that causes blood to pool in his veins.
During the medical exam in October, which the White House called a “semiannual physical,” he also got his yearly flu shot and a COVID-19 booster vaccine. He later told The Wall Street Journal that he underwent advanced imaging on his heart and abdomen in October as preventive screening.
The upcoming evaluation follows two other recent visits to a local dentist near his estate in Florida, where Trump often spends his weekends.
Also read: Donald Trump’s Swollen, Heavily Bruised Hands Raise Fresh Health Concerns
Read More: Fact Check: Can Ivermectin Help Treat Hantavirus?
A group of medical experts has sounded the alarm over what they’ve described as Trump’s deteriorating mental health, The Daily Beast Reported.
The three dozen medical professionals include neurologists, psychiatrists, and other physicians with extensive experience diagnosing cognitive disorders and evaluating patients.
The experts have not specifically examined Trump face-to-face. But, based on his statements and behaviors over the past year, they stated that he’s “mentally unfit” and must be removed from office “with the greatest urgency” amid the escalating tension around the world, the report said.
“It is our professional opinion that they (Trump's statements) reflect a rapidly worsening, reality-untethered, increasingly dangerous decline,” the experts said in a statement.
They also listed some of Trump’s observable serious medical issues, such as “Marked deterioration in cognitive functioning, evidenced by disorganized and tangential speech, rambling digressions, factual confusions, unexplained sudden changes of course in strategic matters, both national and international, episodes of apparent somnolence during critical public proceedings.”
Credit: AP
In yet another video sparking concerns about US President Donald Trump’s health, he appeared to doze off during an Oval Office event on maternal healthcare.
This is not the first time Trump’s sleeping habits have sparked public discussion. His unusual late-night social media activity has frequently drawn attention online.
But the latest video shows the 79-year-old President, the oldest person elected US president, apparently falling asleep as the attendees stood behind the POTUS' chair spoke.
Also Read: Donald Trump Says Hantavirus Is 'Under Control'; Questions Grow Over CDC Research Cuts
The video immediately went viral on social media and sparked concerns around Trump's health, despite White House's assurances that he is “excellent” and fit to perform Presidential duties.
Some users on X called Trump "Sleepy Don", others said he is not physically fit to be the President.
“Today is Monday. That means Trump falls asleep at yet another high-profile event with cameras rolling," California Rep. Ted Lieu wrote. "Imagine what happens when there are no cameras. Trump is not mentally or physically fit to be President of the United States."
"Trump fell asleep with his face drooping in the Oval Office during a meeting today. This is a real video that should concern every American. He’s not fit to serve," wrote another user.
However, the White House responded angrily, stating that he was “blinking” and not asleep.
“He was blinking, you absolute moron,” the Rapid Response 47 account said.
Earlier, Susie Wiles, chief of staff to Trump, revealed how senior White House aides manage the President’s unusual sleep schedule and late-night work habits behind the scenes.
Trump’s habit of posting on Truth Social late at night and remaining active during overnight hours has long fueled curiosity about how much sleep he actually gets.
Speaking during the Independent Women’s Gala, Wiles discussed the challenges of operating in what she described as a White House that runs on “Trump time,” according to The Mirror US.
“I am not one of those people that doesn’t need sleep, I actually do very much,” Wiles, 68, said while explaining how staff members adapt to the president’s around-the-clock routine.
According to Wiles, the administration has developed an informal system to ensure staff can manage the demanding workload while still getting rest.
“I go to sleep early, and Dan Scavino, who I’m sure many of you know, is a night owl; we divide it,” she explained. “I get the early calls, and Dan gets the late calls.”
Previously, Trump himself has joked about his sleeping habits. After appearing to briefly close his eyes during a televised cabinet meeting earlier this year, he brushed off the speculation by saying the session had simply become “a little bit on the boring side.”
“I didn’t sleep, by the way,” Trump added. “I don’t sleep much.”
Also read: Fact Check: Can Ivermectin Help Treat Hantavirus?
A group of medical experts has sounded the alarm over what they’ve described as Trump’s deteriorating mental health, The Daily Beast Reported.
The three dozen medical professionals include neurologists, psychiatrists, and other physicians with extensive experience diagnosing cognitive disorders and evaluating patients.
The experts have not specifically examined Trump face-to-face. But, based on his statements and behaviors over the past year, they stated that he’s “mentally unfit” and must be removed from office “with the greatest urgency” amid the escalating tension around the world, the report said.
“It is our professional opinion that they (Trump's statements) reflect a rapidly worsening, reality-untethered, increasingly dangerous decline,” the experts said in a statement.
They also listed some of Trump’s observable serious medical issues, such as “Marked deterioration in cognitive functioning, evidenced by disorganized and tangential speech, rambling digressions, factual confusions, unexplained sudden changes of course in strategic matters, both national and international, episodes of apparent somnolence during critical public proceedings.”
Credit: X/CDC
While concern continues over the deadly hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, reports of more than 100 people falling ill on a Caribbean cruise with vomiting and diarrhea have also sparked alarm.
A cruise ship sailing from Florida with over 3,000 passengers reported a major outbreak around May 7. More than 100 passengers and crew were affected. Health officials confirmed the cause as norovirus.
According to Cruise operator Princess Cruises, enhanced cleaning protocols were introduced immediately after the outbreak was detected. Sick passengers and crew were isolated, and hygiene measures across dining and public areas were intensified.
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes gastroenteritis, leading to inflammation of the stomach and intestines.
Speaking to HealthandMe, epidemiologist Dr. Amitav Banerjee, professor at DY Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, described norovirus as “notorious because it spreads very fast.”
“It can spread through fomites like handles and knobs, and even a very low infectious dose—around 18 viral particles—can cause infection. So it spreads very fast,” he said.
He added that while many common disinfectants are ineffective against it, norovirus can be inactivated using bleach and chlorine-based cleaning agents.
Although outbreaks can look alarming, Dr. Banerjee emphasized that norovirus infections are generally self-limiting.
“In the ship, it can be managed with oral rehydration, and in severe cases, IV fluids can help prevent complications and mortality,” he said.
A recent report from the US also showed that norovirus can spread very rapidly from person to person on a cruise ship.
Dr. Banerjee also clarified that, unlike diseases with pandemic potential, norovirus outbreaks—while explosive in nature—do not typically pose a long-term global threat.
“So, this particular outbreak is not a cause for worry. It does not have pandemic potential, though it can spread very fast,” he added.
Read More: Hantavirus Alert on MV Hondius: One US Passenger Tests Positive, Two Others Show Symptoms
Dr. Banerjee noted that extreme age groups, especially very young infants and the elderly, are at higher risk due to dehydration from diarrheal illness. However, deaths remain rare when proper care is provided.
Norovirus illnesses usually last between two and three days. Symptoms usually begin suddenly within 12 to 48 hours of exposure and may include:
Because of how fast viruses spread, experts highly recommend preventive actions such as:
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