Poor vascular health in midlife can move dementia risk earlier while also making it less likely that people survive to the ages when it is most common. Researchers accounted for this competing mortality to examine how vascular risk factors shape dementia-free survival. In a long-running US cohort, 12,409 middle-aged adults were grouped by how many of three risks they had: diabetes, hypertension, and current smoking. Researchers then tracked dementia and death for more than two decades and used both outcomes to estimate dementia-free survival from ages 55 to 95. Dementia-free years fell from 30... alzheimer's blood pressure cardiovascular cognition dementia diabetes inflammation metabolism oxidative stress stroke tobacco
Read moreA medical procedure used to remove harmful antibodies and lipids from the blood may have an unexpected additional target: persistent environmental pollutants. A new study asked whether apheresis could lower circulating microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called "forever chemicals." Adults already scheduled for medically indicated apheresis provided blood samples immediately before and after treatment. In 14 people, researchers measured four PFAS. A second laboratory measured a wider PFAS panel in four people. Micro- and nanoplastic-associated signals were asses... Microplastics PFAS pollution
Read moreFor some people with periodontitis (gum disease), removing plaque and hardened deposits below the gumline is not enough to bring the disease under control. A year-long clinical trial tested whether antibiotics, omega-3 plus low-dose aspirin, or both could improve treatment outcomes in advanced cases. The study included 109 adults with advanced periodontitis who received deep cleaning and maintenance visits throughout the following year. They were randomly assigned to placebo, a 14-day antibiotic course, 3 g of omega-3 plus 100 mg of aspirin daily for six months, or both. The main comparison ... inflammation omega-3
Read moreNot everyone handles carbohydrate intake the same way. In fact, the spike in blood sugar that follows a meal—called the postprandial glycemic response—can vary widely between individuals, even when they eat the same food. A recent study found that individual responses to carbohydrate-rich meals, such as rice or potatoes, depended strongly on a person's underlying metabolic health, with people who were more insulin resistant showing much greater blood sugar spikes. Researchers measured blood glucose levels continuously in 55 participants (using continuous glucose monitors) as they ate seven sta... carbohydrates diet insulin resistance metabolism
Read moreA 24-hour fast restructured the gut microbiome in diabetic mice which beneficially impacted the shape and number of colon cells, decreased markers of gut permeability, changed bile acid secretion, and prevented the development of retinopathy. Interestingly, the same type of microbiome restructuring was not observed for control mice without diabetes that were fasted, indicating that the diabetic microenvironment may play a role in the specific microbiome restructuring observed in this study. Another thing to keep in mind is that mice have a much faster metabolism than humans with mice losing ~2... microbiome diabetes fasting
Read moreAdding a sugar-sweetened beverage to a protein-rich meal decreased fat use and diet-induced thermogenesis by more than 40% in people. The study involved participants that spent 24 hours in a metabolic chamber on two separate occasions. The metabolic chamber allows for the quantification of metabolism including oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and urinary nitrogen excretion. The participants ate the exact same meals and either had a sugar-sweetened drink or an artificially sweetened drink with the meal. In addition to the 40% decrease in metabolism, the sugary beverage also caused... obesity metabolism sugar protein
Read moreFasting before exercise increased the expression of genes in adipose tissue that signify that stored fat is being used to fuel metabolism in overweight men but eating a meal 2 hours before did not. There was also greater fat oxidation (burning of fat) during exercise in the fasted state. One potential caveat is the meal was composed of refined carbohydrates and sugars (ie. cornflakes, bread with jam). It would be interesting to see if the same results hold true for either a high-fat meal or a meal rich in fiber (ie. vegetables). The question is...is it the food type or just the signaling pathw... exercise obesity fasting fat carbohydrates
Read moreFTA: >Freshly secreted sweat has little odor, because the long-chain fatty acids the axillaries secrete are too big to be volatile, says first author, Chris Callewaert of Ghent University, Belgium. Bacteria break these, as well as hormones and sulfur compounds, down to waftable sized, odoriferous molecules. >On the clothes, the main culprit bacteria are micrococci, says Callewaert. "They are known for their enzymatic potential to transform long-chain fatty acids, hormones, and amino acids into smaller—volatile—compounds, which have a typical malodor." Staphylococci, however, do not creat... microbes exercise
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