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Neighborhood deprivation and coronary heart disease in patients with bipolar disorder | Scientific Reports - Nature.com

Duke Health leadership launched Translating Duke Health in 2017 as a multi-disciplinary, multi-year commitment to capitalize on Dukes collective strengths in research, clinical care, and population health to address major health challenges.

This article is the fourth of a series exploring how Translating Duke Health has changed the health care landscape at Duke. Learn more about Translating Duke Health.

Translating Duke Health: Controlling the Immune System

Pause for a moment, and take a deep breath.

Now, as you read this, your immune system is hard at work: analyzing the thousands of microbes you just inhaled and which now fill your respiratory tract and lungs. Sensor cells, one of your bodys first lines of defense, are searching for potentially dangerous pathogens, and split decisions are made whether to trigger a defense response toward any unwelcome visitors.

When functioning properly, the immune system maintains this delicate balance on a continuous basis, scanning for friend or foe and responding accordingly. Understanding how the system functions harmoniously with our environment and how we can harness its power to improve human health is one of the five pillars of the Translating Duke Health Initiative.

Under the leadership of Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Surgery, the immunology steering committee has successfully worked for five years to increase funding for discovery-based and translational immunology research at Duke, recruiting top scientists in the field to the institution to continue this important work.

Every disease is influenced by immunity, Kirk said. The immune system has evolved over millions of years to maintain homeostasis despite continuous threat, and those threats can come from the outside, microorganisms, or trauma, but also from the inside when cells that are normal transform into cancer cells, or when the immune system inappropriately recognizes our own cells as being foreign, such as in autoimmune-disease.

Tapping into this powerful and complex system has the potential to improve human health in myriad ways.

In late 2019, as the world started to hear whispers of an emerging virus in China, Priyamvada Acharya, PhD, associate professor in the Departments of Surgery and Biochemistry, was in the process of applying for a grant on human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV-3).

Acharya came to Duke in 2019 as a result of Translating Duke Healths recruitment efforts. As an immunologist who had studied the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) for most of her professional career, Acharya was interested in using the tools she had already learned and apply them to a new virus.

The timing of this decision, it turns out, was serendipitous.

I started looking at the structure of the HPIV-3 fusion (F) protein, and was intrigued by its large central cavity, Acharya said. It was a structure that was unique, in that it was full of empty. We started looking at other viral proteins with similar large internal cavities, and came across the spike protein of coronaviruses. Thats when we turned our attention to SARS-CoV-2 that was emerging in China at the time.

Because Acharya was already funded by an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), she was able to receive a supplement to expand her work into studying coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2. Previous efforts by the Translating Duke Health initiative to fund immunology research at Duke made this rapid pivot in research scope possible.

In a sense, we were taking our first steps, because we had no idea of the biology of this new virus, Acharya said, so we thought we should do what we know. We knew proteins, so if we forgot all the biology, that perspective would not be that hard.

Over the next year, Acharya and her collaborating researchers would study the protein structures on the surface of SARS-CoV-2, eventually discovering that the virus spike proteins were mutating to create variants that made the virus more transmissible. In August 2021, Acharya and her team published this important research in Science.

I want to thank the Translating Duke Health initiative, Acharya said. The startup funding I received was key to getting other funding and to really dig into new science. It was key to have that support from the Duke Human Vaccine Institute.

Acharya continues to study the new SARS-CoV-2 variants as they emerge, including BA.5, to understand how they are able to evade the bodys immune system even if antibodies are present from the COVID-19 vaccine.

Now, in 2022 as infections continue, the importance of this research is exceedingly clear.

While the immune system fights its continuous battle, researchers like Acharya study the invaders: the bacteria, viruses, and pathogens that cause disease.

Other scientists, such as R. Keith Reeves, PhD, professor in the Departments of Surgery and Pathology, focus their attention on the other side of the battlefield: investigating the biology of human cells and how they respond to these outside threats.

Reeves was recruited to Duke from Harvard University in 2021, joining the newly created Center for Human Systems Immunology, which was founded to promote Translating Duke Health efforts. His research, supported by multiple R01 and P01 grants from the NIH, seeks to answer questions about the mechanisms and behavior of natural killer (NK) cells.

Unlike T and B immune cells, which adapt over time as they encounter pathogens, NK cells are generally considered part of the bodys innate immune response, attacking anything in the body that appears to be non-self. Reeves has made notable strides in helping the scientific community understand the important role that NK cells play in the immune system.

It was thought for a long time that NK cells could not mount an adaptive response, that they can't adapt to individual antigens, said Reeves. But actually, we were one of the labs that first described that NK cells could actually have adaptive memory functions.

This discovery has opened the door for further investigation on how NK cells can be used in cell-based therapies, a major component of Reeves current research.

We are currently conducting molecular, cell-based, and protein assays to determine the mechanisms of how NK cells could best recognize an HIV-infected cell, or how they could recognize an influenza-infected cell, Reeves said. Then going one step beyond that, we want to know what mechanisms they use to eliminate them, once the NK cells recognize a sick cell versus a healthy one.

With gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), Reeves says that NK cells could be modified and programmed to initiate a specific response. This process has the potential to create powerful cell-based immunotherapies.

Conversely, understanding the function of NK cells and how to suppress their immune response has other important applications, including in transplant research.

One of the reasons that our team came to Duke is that we are very interested in seeing where we could take our work and expertise and apply it to transplant studies, Reeves said. As good as NK cells can be for responding to infectious disease or cancer, they may actually complicate matters during organ transplant.

Reeves added that its important for research programs to study NK cells in reverse, learning how to dampen the immune response in order to achieve better outcomes.

Fortunately, Duke has a long history of investigative research in transplant immunology.

As a surgeon-scientist, fourth-year general surgery resident Brian Shaw, MD, has a unique perspective in the field of immunology. In the laboratory, he researches how immune cells specifically respond to organ transplant, how they change over time, and what treatments can be used to manipulate their response. In the operating room and clinic, he sees the direct impact of immunosuppressive therapies on patients post-transplant.

In spite of great advances in solid organ transplantation, we still have really poor outcomes for people with end-stage organ disease, Shaw said. In fact, successful kidney transplantation still only offers survival that is the same or worse as breast cancer with metastatic disease. Most of the morbidity and mortality associated with transplantation is due to imperfect immunosuppression.

Paraphrasing from Kirk, Shaw said that every immune response is a decision that has three components: specificity, context, and magnitude. Research has been able to successfully track the context in which the immune system activates and the magnitude of its response but the specificity of how the system works remains an unanswered question.

For patients who require immunosuppressive therapies, this gap in knowledge about the specific cells that respond to and injure a transplanted organ requires that the patients entire immune system be suppressed in order to prevent organ rejection.

As we know, immunosuppression is not benign, Shaw said. It has all sorts of negative side effects. Patients on chronic immunosuppression have two times the mortality rate from cancer as the general population.

As a potential solution, Shaws research tracks specific immune cells affected by transplant and how they can be manipulated to blunt their response to the new organ. Rather than lowering the overall level of activation of the immune system through immunosuppressive therapies, this research could reveal what therapies will specifically inhibit the cells which cause transplanted organs to fail.

Were fortunate to be at Duke, said Shaw, whose work is currently funded by an R38 grant to support clinician-scientists. This work requires very specialized instrumentation, and also specialized analysis. All the tools we're using utilize next-generation sequencing including single cell sequencing to analyze T cells and their specific receptors over time.

At Duke, an institution that recently completed its 10,000th organ transplant, Shaw says he is grateful to be in an environment that is able to help so many patients through transplant.

I think it shows you the impact that were having on people, Shaw said. Organ transplant is one of the few things that we do where the patients get better within a matter of days to weeks. Someone who needs a kidney transplant can sometimes be off dialysis the next day. If someone needs a liver transplant, they could be sick in an ICU on a ventilator, and within a week or two theyre walking out of the hospital to be with their families. It says something about our society, that weve been generous enough to donate these gifts to others.

Bettering outcomes for patients who receive improved immunotherapies, Shaw said, honors the gifts made by organ donors.

Acharya, Reeves, and Shaw are just three researchers among many at Duke who have been supported by the Translating Duke Health Initiative. Across the university, overlapping investigation contributes to our ability to unravel the mysteries of the immune system.

The understanding of how immunity can be harnessed as a tool to protect us better is the real focus of this initiative, Kirk said. The solution were seeking is to completely characterize and understand the signals used in that network so they can be harnessed, recognized, and mobilized as tools themselves.

With each scientific discovery, immunology researchers at Duke get closer to doing just that.

Scott Behm is Director of Communications for Duke Surgery

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Unraveling the Mysteries of the Immune System - Duke University School of Medicine

Social distancing has become part of everyday life for many people since the start of COVID-19. And yet many misconceptions exist about its impact on the immune system.

This is an effective tool in helping to limit disease spread, especially when paired with other public health measures. Knowing more about how social distancing may impact the immune system can help you in taking preventive measures to maintain emotional and physical health.

The terms social distancing and physical distancing have been used interchangeably since the beginning of COVID-19, but they do mean two slightly different things:

Most of the general public hadnt heard of social distancing prior to the COVID-19 pandemic much less practiced it when sick or not feeling well.

Many people think that the lack of exposure to germs due to social distancing weakens the immune system and makes us more vulnerable to infections and sickness. This is called the hygiene hypothesis.

While we do need exposure to germs to build a strong immune response, staying away from germs wont weaken our immunity. The body remembers exposure to germs, and the lack of exposure to germs that social distancing allows does not weaken our bodys memory.

That being said, reduced or minimal social interactions and personal connections with other people that are part of social distancing can have psychological and emotional effects. This may include depression and feelings of loneliness and isolation.

In turn, these can have negative effects on health and health behaviors, including being more sedentary, negative changes in diet, and increased blood pressure.

Depression can interfere with ones job, possibly leading to financial worries and further impacting ones physical and emotional health all of which negatively affects the immune system.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines herd immunity as the indirect immunity or protection from a disease that occurs when much of the population becomes immune to the disease, either by vaccination or prior infection.

Social distancing does not go against the concept of herd immunity but instead works in tandem with it. Especially with a dangerous virus that can cause death or disability, allowing infection to spread just to achieve herd immunity is irresponsible.

Social distancing works with herd immunity because vaccines can be deployed to eligible individuals while social distancing measures are in place. This allows minimal contact among individuals while taking steps to mitigate the spread of infection.

It also helps to protect vulnerable populations and those who cannot be vaccinated at that time. Once a sizable amount of people are vaccinated, social distancing measures can be slowly and progressively relaxed.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing was found to be significantly effective and beneficial in reducing the spread of coronavirus.

This is because when people are closer in proximity to each other, airborne transmission of the virus via droplets occurs, but social and physical distancing helps to reduce the likelihood of that.

Its beneficial because if people adhere to it, especially along with other public health tactics like handwashing and mask-wearing, its a fairly easy way to reduce the likelihood of transmission.

Social distancing isnt just for pandemics! It can also help protect you against the flu, especially when used along with other precautions, such as:

This doesnt mean you need to lock yourself in your house all winter. But by taking these preventive measures, you can help to reduce the risk of flu.

Anyone can be impacted by social distancing, but older people may be especially sensitive to it. This may be for a variety of reasons, including chronic illness, loss of family or friends, and sensory impairments that can make things like Zoom or video calls more difficult.

Individuals who are already having a challenging time or those who may need an extra level of support can also be affected by social distancing. Factors that can make isolation more difficult include:

If people need help with everyday activities and theyre not able to get in-person assistance or support, this only has a further negative impact on physical and mental health.

Social distancing, especially prolonged social distancing, can also have significant impacts on children, adolescents, and young adults. According to a 2021 study, the impact on children was significant:

A 2022 study also found that social distancing caused elevated stress levels and lowered mood in adolescents. Teenagers need to spread their wings, explore their autonomy, and connect with peers, and social isolation during the pandemic hampered all of that. However, some things helped to minimize the negative effects. These included:

Explaining the reasons behind social distancing to children and teens, and recognizing that theyre experiencing stressors from the pandemic as well is important. Finding and encouraging healthy coping behaviors can help improve emotional and psychological health.

Social distancing became a commonly used term with the COVID-19 pandemic, referring to staying at home, minimizing social gatherings, and maintaining a distance of 6 feet between oneself and others in order to minimize the spread of disease.

While this is effective in helping to reduce the spread of disease, it can also have negative impacts on emotional and mental health.

Being aware of the stressors involved with social distancing, especially for children, teens, older adults, and those with pre-existing conditions, can help to minimize negative effects. Using positive coping skills can also help reduce those stressors.

Despite potential drawbacks to social distancing, it remains an effective tool in helping to control the spread of disease.

Originally posted here:
Social Distancing: The Impact on Your Health and Immune System - Healthline

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (PRWEB) October 06, 2022

VitaGaming.com is a Gaming Supplement Company focusing on healthy supplements for Gamers and the Gaming Lifestyle. VitaGamings proprietary line of supplements include brain health, focus and concentration and increased energy.

The highly competitive and strenuous demands of professional gaming are widely known to pose challenges on the immune system and overall wellbeing of e-sports athletes, who are constantly pushed to go beyond the limits of physical and mental endurance to achieve success. These days, however, its an absolute must for gamers -- and anyone with a similarly hectic lifestyle -- to be extra cautious in protecting themselves from the onslaught of different kinds of viruses and stress-related diseases.

Protection against viral infections

When the immune system works at peak level, it becomes our bodys first line of defense against outside invaders such as viruses, fungi, toxins, and bacteria. A healthy immune system defends the body against infectious diseases while protecting its own cells.

In fact, with its own unique intelligence, the immune system is known to keep a record of every single germ or microbe it has ever defeated, so that if ever the same intruder enters the body again, it can be detected and destroyed right away, before it multiplies and make you sick.

However, when the immune system is compromised, its protective properties are impaired and the body becomes susceptible to a variety of adverse conditions, including skin and respiratory allergies, asthma, autoimmune disorders, delayed wound healing, colds, and viral infections, among others.

With daily use of VitaGamings Immune Support, you can be sure that your hardworking immune system is nourished with the micronutrients that have been found to be most critical in maintaining healthy immune response: Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), and Zinc.

On top of these vital ingredients, VitaGamings Immune Support also contains Quercetin -- whose powerful natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have been known to ease allergy symptoms, protect against cancer and degenerative brain disorders, reduce blood pressure, help control blood sugar, and even improve exercise performance. More recently, Quercetin has also received much attention from medical researchers for its potential value in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19.

Helping the body heal and regenerate

Meanwhile, VitaGamings Collagen is formulated to help the body heal and restore its natural suppleness, while at the same time, reduce the adverse impacts of stress and aging on the bones, joints, and skin.

Collagen supplementation has been found to provide a variety of health benefits that include younger-looking skin, relief from joint stiffness and pain, and building stronger bones, nails and hair. Some studies also indicate that collagen may help promote muscle growth after exercise.

Made from the finest herbal and botanical ingredients, VitaGaming products are formulated to enhance the competencies and overall wellness of pro gamers, athletes, and people with active lifestyles.

All our products are premium, natural supplements that are non-GMO, gluten-free, and caffeine-free, says VitaGaming founder, Jordan Totten. They are power-packed, complete, and are conveniently packaged in concentrated volumes that are hard to obtain through diet alone.

For more information on how you can achieve peak performance in e-sports or in your active lifestyle with VitaGamings all-natural premium supplements, check out http://www.vitagaming.com.

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VitaGaming Introduces Immune Support and Collagen to help Gamers boost immunity and fight stress - PR Web

We feel now is a pretty good time to analyse ISR Immune System Regulation Holding AB (publ)'s (STO:ISR) business as it appears the company may be on the cusp of a considerable accomplishment. ISR Immune System Regulation Holding AB (publ) develops immunostimulatory drugs to treat chronic infectious diseases and cancer in Sweden. The kr373m market-cap company posted a loss in its most recent financial year of kr79m and a latest trailing-twelve-month loss of kr257m leading to an even wider gap between loss and breakeven. The most pressing concern for investors is ISR Immune System Regulation Holding's path to profitability when will it breakeven? We've put together a brief outline of industry analyst expectations for the company, its year of breakeven and its implied growth rate.

View our latest analysis for ISR Immune System Regulation Holding

Expectations from some of the Swedish Biotechs analysts is that ISR Immune System Regulation Holding is on the verge of breakeven. They anticipate the company to incur a final loss in 2022, before generating positive profits of kr104m in 2023. So, the company is predicted to breakeven just over a year from today. What rate will the company have to grow year-on-year in order to breakeven on this date? Using a line of best fit, we calculated an average annual growth rate of 101%, which signals high confidence from analysts. Should the business grow at a slower rate, it will become profitable at a later date than expected.

Given this is a high-level overview, we wont go into details of ISR Immune System Regulation Holding's upcoming projects, but, take into account that typically biotechs, depending on the stage of product development, have irregular periods of cash flow. So, a high growth rate is not out of the ordinary, particularly when a company is in a period of investment.

One thing we would like to bring into light with ISR Immune System Regulation Holding is it currently has negative equity on its balance sheet. Accounting methods used to deal with losses accumulated over time can cause this to occur. This is because liabilities are carried forward into the future until it cancels. These losses tend to occur only on paper, however, in other cases it can be forewarning.

There are too many aspects of ISR Immune System Regulation Holding to cover in one brief article, but the key fundamentals for the company can all be found in one place ISR Immune System Regulation Holding's company page on Simply Wall St. We've also compiled a list of relevant aspects you should further research:

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Find out whether ISR Immune System Regulation Holding is potentially over or undervalued by checking out our comprehensive analysis, which includes fair value estimates, risks and warnings, dividends, insider transactions and financial health.

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When Will ISR Immune System Regulation Holding AB (publ) (STO:ISR) Become Profitable? - Simply Wall St

A Northwell Health staff member holds the monkeypox vaccine, at Cherry Grove on Fire Island, New York, where monkey pox vaccines were administered on July 14, 2022.

James Carbone | Newsday | Getty Images

Health authorities in Ohio reported the death of an adult male who had monkeypox, the third fatality in the United States of someone who tested positive for that virus since the outbreak began in May.

The unidentified man had other health conditions, according to the state's health department, which announced his death late Thursday.

Michelle Fong, a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Health, said on Monday that the patient's health conditions decreased their immune response, "in line with what we're seeing nationally in severe cases of monkeypox."

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a health alert to physicians Thursday warned that people who have compromised immune systems due to HIV and other conditions face a higher risk of developing severe symptoms from the virus.

The U.S. had the largest monkeypox outbreak in the world, with more than 25,000 cases reported across all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, according to CDC data.

The outbreak has started to slow as the two-dose Jynneos vaccine has become more widely available, and people have become more aware of what precautions to take to avoid infection.

Los Angeles health officials confirmed earlier this month that an individual with a severely compromised immune system died from monkeypox after being hospitalized.

Texas health officials reported in late August that an adult in the Houston area diagnosed with monkeypox had died. That person also had a severely compromised immune system. The cause of death in that case is still under investigation.

While monkeypox is rarely fatal it causes a rash resembling blisters that can be extremely painful.

The virus is primarily spreading among gay and bisexual men through close contact during sex. But anyone can catch the disease through close contact with someone who is infected or with contaminated materials.

Read CNBC's latest global health coverage:

In a study published earlier this month, the CDC found that 38% of 2,000 people diagnosed with monkeypox were living with HIV. And people with HIV were more likely to become hospitalized with monkeypox than other patients, according to the study.

The CDC, in its health alert this week, warned of severe monkeypox symptoms that include a persistent rash that turns into lesions resulting in the affected tissue dying. In some cases, treatment has required surgery and even amputation of the affected extremity, according to the agency.

Other severe symptoms include lesions that cover a significant portion of the body that are associated with secondary bacterial or fungal infections. Extremely painful lesions in sensitive areas such as the throat, urethra, rectum and vagina have also been reported.

Some lesions cause scarring that results in the narrowing of the urethra or anal canal, according to CDC. Facial scarring has also been reported.

In other instances, multiple organ systems have been affected resulting in neurological conditions such as encephalitis and cardiac conditions like myocarditis. Pink eye and ulcers on the cornea that threaten people's sight have also been reported.

Update: This story was updated on Monday, October 3 to include an additional statement from the Ohio Department of Health about the patient's health conditions.

Originally posted here:
Ohio reports third U.S. death of person with monkeypox who had underlying health conditions - CNBC

WAGENINGEN, the Netherlands, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NutriLeads BV announced today that its patented immune health ingredient BeniCaros has won the 2022 Nutrition Industry Executive award for the Immune Health category. Each year the publication honors the most cutting-edge and advanced natural branded nutritional ingredients backed by science.

A panel of five health and nutrition experts evaluated nominated products in several categories based on the following criteria:

We are gratified to receive this honor, said Joana Carneiro, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of NutriLeads. This award reflects the hard work and dedication of everyone at NutriLeads and our trusted partners.

BeniCaros is a soluble prebiotic carrot fiber known as RG-I (Rhamnogalacturonan-I) that trains the immune system to respond faster when challenged. BeniCaros has a unique dual mode of action prepares innate immune cells for a heightened state of readiness and selectively increases beneficial gut microorganisms and their metabolites that support immune responses.

Peer-reviewed clinical research shows that 300 mgs. daily of BeniCaros accelerated protective immune responsiveness, reduced airway symptom severity (20-33%) and duration (25-43%) and minimized the impact on quality of life following a controlled challenge with a common cold virus.

The awards panel praised BeniCaros for its strong scientific support.

BeniCaros is safe to use and can easily be consumed on a daily basis by a wide range of consumers. It is well sourced and characterized from field to point of use. The supporting scientific and clinical research documents are of very good quality and help substantiate a structure function claim that the ingredient can support the immune system. Yair Steve Henig, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Caligenix, Founder of Henig Consulting

I like this novel nutraceutical from carrot pomace, with two human clinical studies demonstrating effectiveness in immune health, with concurrent prebiotic benefits. Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, RH(AHG) Senior Director of Product Innovation, Twinlab Consolidation Corporation

Ruud Albers, Ph.D., NutriLeads founder and Chief Scientific Officer, will present clinical research demonstrating the effectiveness of BeniCaros at 11:00am on November 2 at the SupplySide West Supplier Presentation Theater, booth #3077, in the exhibition hall at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. His presentation is titled, Meeting Post-Pandemic Consumer Demands in Immune Health. NutriLeads will also showcase BeniCaros at display #3876 on November 2 and 3.

About NutriLeads BVNutriLeads is a private company developing natural, plant-derived ingredients that are scientifically and clinically proven to strengthen human health. The companys proprietary technology platform is based on naturally bioactive fibers known as RG-I (Rhamnogalacturonan-I) found in select crops. The companys first product BeniCaros has won several awards for research and innovation. NutriLeads is developing other products to protect the gut barrier and improve metabolic health through gut microbiome modulation. For more information, visit NutriLeads and BeniCaros.

Contact:

David WalshCommunications Consultant 1-651-503-8248david.walsh@nutrileads.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/624dad98-6acc-4dce-8926-e83e5e53bb80

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BeniCaros Wins Nutrition Industry Executive 2022 Immune Health Award - GlobeNewswire

Over the past year, news of two new people cured of HIV grabbed headlines, stirring hopeful talk of what these scientific wonders might portend for the four-decade fight against the virus.

To researchers working in the HIV cure arena, these cases are inspiring because they prove it is in fact possible to eradicate this extraordinarily complex virus from the body.

That said, such cures are the result of treatments too toxic to attempt on all but a select few. So while they provide a scientific roadmap toward success, they do not necessarily make researchers job any easier as they work to develop alternatives: safe, effective and, crucially, scalable therapies to cure HIV.

HIV has been a tough nut to track, says Marshall Glesby, an infectious disease specialist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City and a coauthor of one of the recent HIV cure case studies. But there is incremental progress being made in terms of our understanding of where the virus hides within the body and potential ways to purge it from those sites.

The HIV cure research field is yet quite young. And it likely never would have ballooned as it has in recent years were it not for the very first successful cureone that served as a catalyst and guiding light for scientists.

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the HIV research establishment focused the lions share of its energy and resources on treatment and prevention of the virus. Actually curing HIV was generally regarded as a distant dream, with only a small set of researchers pursuing such a goal.

Then, in 2008, German scientists announced the first case of what would ultimately be deemed a successful cure of the virus. This proof of concept ignited the field and sent financial investment soaringto $337 million in nonpharmaceutical industry funding in 2020, according to the HIV nonprofit AVAC.

Clinicians were able to cure HIV in an American man living in Berlin named Timothy Ray Brown, by exploiting the fact that he had also been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, or AML. This made Brown a candidate for a stem cell (bone marrow) transplant to treat his blood cancer.

Browns treatment team relied on the existence of a rare genetic abnormality found among people with northern European ancestry. Known as the CCR5-delta32 mutation, it gives rise to immune cells lacking a certain coreceptor called CCR5 on their surface. This is a hook to which HIV typically latches to begin the process of infecting an immune cell and hijacking its machinery to manufacture new copies of the virus.

The clinicians found a stem cell donor who was not only a good genetic match for Brown, but who also had the CCR5-delta32 mutation. First they destroyed Browns immune system with full-dose chemotherapy and full-body radiation. Then they effectively gave him the donors immune system through the stem cell transplant. This cured his HIV by ensuring that any remaining virus in his body was incapable of infecting his new immune cells.

Variations of this method have yielded cures, or likely cures, in four other people during the years since. These cases provide researchers with increasing certainty that it is possible to achieve the ultimate goal: a sterilizing cure, in which the body has been rid of every last copy of virus capable of producing viable new copies of itself.

It was not a given that if you completely replace the immune system, even with a purportedly non-susceptible immune system, that you would cure infection, says Louis Picker, associate director of the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute at the Oregon Health & Science University. It was possible that HIV could be hiding in non-immune cells, like endothelial cells, and still find targets to infect.

But the small cohort of people who have been cured or likely cured to date, Picker says, show thats not the case.

Nevertheless, these successes have not opened the door to a cure for HIV available to much more than a few of the estimated 38 million people living with the virus worldwide. Critically, it is unethical to provide such a dangerous and toxic treatment to anyone who does not already qualify for a stem cell transplant to treat blood cancer or another health condition.

Brown, for one, nearly died from his treatment. And a number of efforts to repeat his case have failed.

Highly effective treatment for HIV hit the market in 1996, transforming what was once a death sentence into a manageable health condition. Today, the therapy, a combination of drugs called antiretrovirals, is so safe, tolerable and effective, that it has extended recipients life expectancy to near normal. But despite the fact that these medications can inhibit viral replication to such a degree that its undetectable by standard tests, they cannot eradicate HIV from the body.

Standing in the way is whats known as the HIV reservoir.

This viral reservoir is composed in large part of long-lived immune cells that enter a resting, or latent, state. Antiretrovirals only target cells that are actively producing new copies of the virus. So when HIV has infected a cell that is in a non-replicating state, the virus remains under the radar of these medications. Stop the treatment, and at any moment, any of these cells, which clone themselves, can restart their engines and repopulate the body with HIV.

This phenomenon is why people with HIV typically experience a viral rebound within a few weeks of stopping their antiretrovirals. And it is the reason why, given the harm such viral replication causes the body, those living with HIV must remain on treatment for the virus indefinitely to mitigate the deleterious impacts of the infection.

A key new advance is the finding that those cells which harbor the virus seem resistant to dying, a problem with cancer cells, HIV cure researcher Steven Deeks, a professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco, says of the viral reservoir. We will be leveraging new cancer therapies aimed at targeting these resilient, hard-to-kill cells.

Brown stood alone on his pedestal for over a decade.

Then, at the 2019 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Seattle, researchers announced two new case studies of men with blood cancer and HIV who had received treatments similar to Browns. The men, known as the Dsseldorf and London patients, were treated for Hodgkin lymphoma and AML, respectively. By the time of the conference, both had spent extended periods off of antiretroviral treatment without a viral rebound.

To this day, neither man has experienced a viral reboundleading the authors of the London and Dsseldorf case studies recently to assert that they are definitely and almost definitely cured, respectively.

In February 2022, a team of researchers reported at CROI, held virtually, the first possible case of an HIV cure in a woman. The treatment she received for her leukemia represented an important scientific advance.

Called a haplo-cord transplant, this cutting-edge approach to treating blood cancer was developed to compensate for the difficulty of finding a close genetic match in the stem cell donorwhich is traditionally needed to provide the best chance that the stem cell transplant will work properly. Such an effort is made even more challenging when attempting to cure HIV, because the CCR5-delta32 mutation is so rare.

The American woman received a transplant of umbilical cord blood from a baby, who had the genetic mutation, followed by a transplant of stem cells from an adult, who did not. While each donor was only a partial match, the combination of the two transplants was meant to compensate for this less-than-ideal scenario. The result was the successful blooming of a new, HIV-resistant immune system.

The authors of the womans case study, including Weill Cornells Marshall Glesby, estimate that this new method could expand the number of candidates for HIV cure treatment to about 50 per year.

A variety of antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV infection. Image Credit: NIAID, Flickr

In July, at the International AIDS Conference in Montreal, researchers announced the case of a fifth person possibly cured of HIV. Diagnosed with the virus in 1988 and 63 years old at the time of his stem cell transplant three years ago, the American man is the oldest to have achieved potential success with such a treatment and the one living with the virus for the longest. Because of his age, he received reduced intensity chemotherapy to treat his AML. Promisingly, he still beat both the cancer and the virus.

The lead author of this mans case study, Jana K. Dickter, an associate clinical professor of infectious disease at City of Hope in Duarte, California, says that such cases provide a guide for researchers. If we are able to successfully modify the CCR5 receptors from T cells for people living with HIV, she says, then there is a possibility we can cure a person from their HIV infection.

Scientists also know of two women whose own immune systems, in an extraordinary feat, appear to have cured them of HIV. Both are among the approximately 1 in 200 people with HIV, known as elite controllers, whose immune systems are able to suppress replication of the virus to low levels without antiretroviral treatment.

Researchers believe that these womens immune systems managed to preferentially eliminate immune cells infected with viral DNA capable of producing viable new virus, ultimately succeeding in eradicating every last such copy.

As they seek safer and more broadly applicable therapeutic options than the stem cell transplant approach, HIV cure researchers are pursuing a variety of avenues.

Some investigators are developing genetic treatments in which, for example, they attempt to edit an individuals own immune cells to make them lack the CCR5 coreceptor.

The science that I am particularly excited about and that we and others are working on is to make this treatment as an in vivo deliverable therapy that would not rely on transplant centers and could ultimately be given in an outpatient setting, says Hans-Peter Kiem, director of the stem cell and gene therapy program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle.

Then there is whats known as the shock and kill method, in which drugs are used to flush the virus from the reservoir and other treatments are then used to kill off the infected cells. Conversely, block and lock attempts to freeze the reservoir cells in a latent state for good. Researchers are also developing therapeutic vaccines that would augment the immune response to the virus.

Progress will be incremental and slow, Picker predicts, unless there is a discovery from left fieldan unpredictable advance that revolutionizes the field. I do think it will happen. My personal goal is to be a very good left fielder.

This reporting was supported by the Global Health Reporting Center.

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How a select few people have been cured of HIV - PBS

Autumn is a superfood haven waiting to be enjoyed. (Getty Images)

While the days might be starting to get a little colder, it's also the perfect time to cosy up and tuck into some tasty seasonal superfoods to boost your immunity this autumn.

Whether you're a fan of the blender, like a homemade hearty meal, or graze throughout the day, incorporating highly nutritious ingredients into what you eat can make the world of difference to your health.

"Superfoods as a group, are nutrient-dense foods in an overall balanced diet that are filled with vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre just as the food mentioned in the list [below is]", says nutritionist Signe Svanfeldt.

And right now, we could especially benefit from an internal pick-me-up.

"Autumn is generally a time filled with lots of activities and people getting back from summer holidays and can be a stressful time for many. Some find it challenging eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet during stressful periods even though we really need healthy fuel for our wellbeing," says Svanfeldt, of healthy eating app Lifesum.

Svanfeldt also points out that we're now switching from doing things outdoors to indoors, which can lead to more germs spreading. "It is, therefore, vital to nourish our immune system in the best way possible to avoid getting ill," she advises.

So, as eating well doesn't mean skimping on taste, here's some of the most nutritious but delicious foods (that don't break the bank) you can add to your shopping list to help you stay well this autumn.

Read more: Vitamin D supplements: When and why you should take them

Apples are perfect for Tarte Tatin. (Getty Images)

British apples came into season a little early this year on Monday 26th September, thanks to favourable weather in the spring and summer, according to British Apples & Pears (BAPL). They are second to bananas in terms of fruit affordability, store well in the fridge, travel low food miles to our supermarkets, and are packed full of health benefits.

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With October National Cholesterol Month, leading nutritionist Rob Hobson also says, Recent research has shown apples (and pears) contain several bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, dietary fibre, and antioxidants, that have been individually associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Studies show incorporating apples into our diet helps to lower cholesterol (which can cause problems with the heart), thanks to their pectin (natural fibre) content. Svanfeldt also points out that they're rich in potassium (important for our body's nerve & muscle function, and to regulate blood pressure) and vitamin C (needed for our bone and tissues).

BAPL recommends British Cox apples, which are tart and sweet, one of the most aromatic varieties with a hint of honey, and keep their shape when cooked. This makes them great for Tarte Tatin, chopped into muffin mixes or a salad with blue cheese and celery, or simply paired with rich cheeses. Meanwhile, British Gala are sweet, delicate, light and juicy a great pick-me-up after exercise.

Start your day with pears. (Getty Images)

Often overshadowed by the apple as an on-the-go snack, as mentioned above the humble pear has just as many health benefits and are also versatile in the way you can eat them.

Svanfeldt explains that they're also "filled with fibre (also good for digestion and gut health), potassium and vitamin K (important for coagulation of our blood as well as for our bone health)". Plus, they're high in water content, helping you to keep you full while being low in calories.

"Pears are perfect for making a compote, to serve with pancakes or adding on top to your morning oats or yogurt," Svanfeldt adds. You might also want to try baked pears with cinnamon, poached pear tarts, or simply go back to basics and remember why you should bite into a napkin-held pear more often.

Read more: The best and worst foods you can eat, according to science

How do you like your sweet potatoes? (Getty Images)

The sweetest of potatoes, ready to eat as 'fries', crisps, baked, roasted, steamed, tossed in a salad, or however you like.

"These are filled with beta-carotene (important for our skin and eyesight) as well as folate (important for cell renewal and red blood cells)," says Svanfeldt. In the body, beta-carotene converts into vitamin A, which is also known for boosting immunity.

"Sweet potatoes are excellent to roast or to add into a soup or stew," she adds.

Pumpkins aren't just for decoration. (Getty Images)

Hello October, hello pumpkins. But, while it is of course tradition, you might want to try being a little more resourceful this year with your carving and use discarded parts for a highly nutritious warming meal.

"Pumpkins, just like sweet potatoes, are packed with beta-carotene and potassium, and make a perfect base to a soup. Spice it up with ginger, green curry and garlic and you have the perfect soup this autumn," suggests Svanfeldt.

Brighten up your meals with beetroot. (Getty Images)

Beetroot doesn't just have to be eaten in salad you can have it in falafel, in your pizza base, and even in cake.

"Beetroots are high in folate as well as nitrate, which can transform into nitric oxide and enhance exercise performance," according to Svanfeldt, which is one of their main perks. Some studies suggest that athletes benefit from eating them in their diet, with it thought to help endurance, and even recovery due to the nitrates bringing more oxygen to muscles.

All the vitamin C you could need and more are in red bell peppers. (Getty Images)

Red bell peppers are packed-full of vitamin C, and according to Svanfeldt, just one of the delightful shiny veggies "almost contains twice our daily requirement of vitamin C".

Vitamin C is great for helping to protect cells and keep them healthy, maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage and wound healing. Red bell peppers also contain vitamin K1, vitamin E, vitamin A, folate, and potassium.

Svanfeldt recommends that they're perfect to either eat raw (as this is how they keep their high vitamin C content), or to roast in the oven and then mix into a spread with some nice spices like chilli and garlic.

Read more: Flu jab: Who's eligible for the NHS vaccine rollout and how to book

Warm your soul with a cauliflower stew. (Getty Images)

Svanfeldt points out that cauliflower isn't only high in fibre, which we've learnt is vital for our digestion, and potassium, which we've learnt is great for regulating internal systems in our body, but it's also high in magnesium, which is important for muscle & nerve function. It also helps turn the food we eat into energy and ensure the parathyroid glands, which produce hormones important for bone health, work normally.

Some studies suggest it can help with anxiety and depression and improve sleep to a certain extent, though more research is needed.

And, other than being great for our health, cauliflower is also much-loved by veggies and vegans for its multiple uses think bang bang cauliflower, buffalo cauliflower wings, baked cauliflower nuggets and so on.

Or, for a more traditional staple, Svanfeldt suggests, "Roast the cauliflower in the oven with some nice spices like curry and chilli, add it to a delicious stew."

Don't knock them until you've tried them. (Getty Images)

While you might not necessarily think to reach for a handful of chestnuts, it's the best time to start. In season through both autumn and winter, roasting them will help to warm you up as much as it will benefit your body.

Like cauliflower, they're also packed with magnesium, as well as iron (important for our blood health) and fibre. "They're great to roast with sprinkled sea salt," recommends Svanfeldt.

Dates aren't just good for digestion. (Getty Images)

They might not seem like a superfood, but dates have a worthy place on the list. They're high in magnesium, iron and zinc (important for our immune system, and enzymes) and fibre of course.

Svanfeldt says they're perfect together with oats, as small treats, or mixed with your favourite flavours like chocolate, sea salt or freshly ground cardamom.

Meet the latest superfood. (Getty Images)

Again, mushrooms are thought to be the newest superfood, or the superfood of the future, with more crediting them for their nutritional value. They've even been named as ingredient of the year by the New York Times.

But the type you're eating might make a difference. "Wild mushrooms have various nutritional content, some (like chanterelles) are high in vitamin D, important for our immune system and bone health, as well as fibre," says Svanfeldt.

According to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, for example, estimates show fresh wild mushrooms like chanterelles and morels can contain up to1200 IU of vitamin D per 3.5-ounce serving, but mushrooms grown in darkened conditions like white button, shiitake, and oyster contain less than 40 IU.

Svanfeldt adds, "Mushrooms are perfect in a risotto, a creamy pasta dish or as a toast topping." We agree.

Watch: Three little-known superfoods to add to your diet

Link:
Seasonal superfoods to give your immune system a boost this autumn - Yahoo Entertainment

(WHTM) This week, the providers of UPMC Childrens Community Pediatrics in York and Spring Grove are continuing to see COVID-19, flu, RSV, and viral syndrome.

WellSpan Pediatric Medicine Physicians across the Midstate are seeing RSV, croup, influenza A, and asthma and allergy flares.

This week, pediatricians at Penn State Health Childrens Hospital are seeing a lot of common colds and cases of COVID. They are also seeing some upper respiratory viruses and stomach bugs.

The CVS MinuteClinic in York also saw upper respiratory viruses and COVID-19.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Physicians Roseville Pediatrics is seeing many fevers for a myriad of reasons this week, the most popular being enterovirus, influenza, strep throat, RSV, and adenovirus.

They have seen influenza officially several times, all Type A.

Strep throat took a sharp increase. They are also seeing a sharp increase in pneumonia.

Dr. Joan Thode is offering the following advice about the flu:

Influenza is a group of viruses that causes a syndrome of fevers, chills, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, congestion, cough, headache and sore throat. These symptoms occur due to the virus invading the cells of the body, as well as the immune systems attack of the bodys cells in an attempt to kill the virus that invaded them. When there is a body-wide immune attack on flu-invaded cells, tissues and organs can be damaged to the point of not functioning. That is when the flu can become dangerous and deadly. The time is now to get your family vaccinated for the flu.

How the flu shot works: Influenza rapidly changes its outward appearance. While the core structure of the flu stays the same, the tiny molecules that adorn its surface can change rapidly. Its hard to create a flu vaccine that primes the immune systems memory cells to recognize the surface of the flu, because that surface changes! Thats why, unlike other vaccines, the flu shot is never perfect. BUT thats also why the makers of the flu vaccine include not only pieces of the predicted surface molecules but ALSO pieces of the core structure of the flu that doesnt change. This is where getting the flu shot can be lifesaving.

Think of it like a high school reunion. Though your acquaintances may have changed their hairstyle, put on a little weight or started wearing glasses since high school, you would still recognize them because their face, laugh and personality, their core, dont drastically change. If you ran into one of these prior acquaintances while out running errands, you would have some recognition, even if you couldnt immediately recall their name.

This is how flu vaccines work. The flu will change its hairstyle and outward appearance every season, but by giving your immune cells a taste not only of the predicted hairstyle but also of the core molecule, your immune system will have some familiarity with it. And when memory immune cells recognize somethingeven partiallythey sound the alert and activate the immune system.

The flu virus moves fast to invade our bodys cells, but when the immune system is primed to recognize pieces of it, the defense process starts sooner. Yes, you may still be unlucky enough to get the flu infection despite getting the shot, but with an armed immune system, you will have a decreased severity of the illness that can be lifesaving.

You cant get the flu from the flu shot because the intact virus is not in the shot. There are just a few pieces of the influenza structure to give your immune system enough of a taste to learn how to identify it. As with any shot, your immune system will be activated, which uses a lot of energy and may make you feel a bit tired. But your symptoms are not the true flu, and your cells are not being destroyed as they are with the flu.

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Whats Going Around: Flu cases confirmed locally - ABC27

With cold and flu season approaching, tips for avoiding the worst of the respiratory viruses are important for facing the coming months, when health experts expect an uptick in flu cases compared with the past 2 years.

As the weather starts changing and winter approaches, we begin to brace ourselves for the season of respiratory viruses. The flu, COVID-19, and even the common cold can make us miserable, take time away from work and school, and prevent us from enjoying activities with family and friends. These illnesses can be even worse for those who are elderly or have compromised immune systems. After 2 years of below-normal numbers for flu cases, public health authorities fear an upsurge in the number of cases. What can we do to prepare for the viral onslaught? Here are 3 tips to fight the cold and flu season!

1. Practice healthy habits. An overall healthy lifestyle not only prolongs life but also fights colds and flu. The tried-and-true advice of getting plenty of sleep, exercising, eating a balanced diet, and drinking adequate amounts of fluid is vital to practice year-round. These habits are even more crucial during the respiratory illness season. Our immune system relies on a healthy body to be able to fight off invaders. When we dont take care of ourselves, we become more likely to get sick, and it will take longer to recover. Taking a little time daily to get an extra glass of water or make a balanced and nutritious meal will pay off in the long run with less illness and better health overall.

2. Wash your hands. Keeping our hands clean is 1 of the most effective ways to control the spread of many diseases, including the common cold, flu, and COVID-19. Handwashing also prevents diarrhea-related illnesses and infections caused by bacteria, reducing the need for antibiotic use. Lathering with soap and water for 20 seconds is the best way to ensure that germs get removed. Using a paper towel to turn off the faucet helps ensure you dont pick up more bugs on your newly clean hands. When soap and water are unavailable, you can use an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

3. Get your flu shot. As we have been fighting COVID, some of us have forgotten the flu can be a severe respiratory illness and 1 that we should all avoid. Thousands of people each year are hospitalized and even die from flu complications. Everyone over 6 months of age should get their annual flu shot, ideally in September or October. For those aged 65 years and older, there is a special high-dose flu shot that is even more effective in this age group. You can get a COVID-19 booster at the same time as a flu shot. The COVID-19 shots available now are more effective against the newest strains of the virus. But dont forget your flu shot for additional protection.

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us some essential lessons in reducing the spread of respiratory illness. We know that having a healthy lifestyle, washing our hands, and getting vaccinated are all keys to preventing infection or reducing the severity. Following the same simple principles can reduce the chances of catching a cold or the flu.

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Contributor: How to Fight the Cold and the Flu This Season - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network

Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an updated COVID-19 bivalent booster, specifically to target the Omicron variant. Starting this fall, Moderna and Pfizer will offer these boosters to provide protection as COVID-19 infection rates are expected to rise.

A bivalent vaccine is a vaccine that contains two strains, or two slightly genetically different versions, of a virus. According to Prof. Cynthia Leifer, microbiology and immunology, bivalent vaccines are created for extra protection against new viral strains that arise over time.

The COVID-19 bivalent booster is not the only vaccine with more than one strain of virus. Many vaccines, such as the flu and MMR vaccines, contain multiple strains of a virus or even different viruses.

Half of the contents in the COVID-19 bivalent booster are mRNA from the original COVID-19 strain while the other half includes mRNA from the Omicron strain.

mRNA are pieces of genetic material used to synthesize proteins. In the COVID-19 virus, mRNA allows the production of spike proteins, proteins located on the surface of COVID-19 viruses that allow entry of the viruses into host cells. Once the spike proteins are in the body, the immune system learns to develop a response and attack against them.

Because the immune system can fight against multiple antigens, vaccines with multiple viruses do not change in efficacy compared to their monovalent counterparts. However, it reduces the number of shots necessary to combat against all strains of a virus. Thus, it allows our immune system to provide better protection against more viral strains.

The bivalent COVID booster works by reminding our immune system of the original strain and introducing the new variant, Leifer said.

The COVID-19 bivalent booster contains the Omicron variant as opposed to other strains of COVID-19 because of Omicrons high infection rate. Omicron is now responsible for 90 percent of COVID-19 cases and is predicted to spread during the fall and winter season due to reasons such as decreasing COVID-19 immunity and cold weather that drives people indoors and allows for more spread of infection.

Although the original COVID-19 vaccine and boosters reduced rates of symptomatic infection, severe disease, hospitalization and death from the original Alpha and newer Delta strain infection, it is ineffective in reducing symptomatic infection for Omicron.

However, studies have shown that the updated bivalent booster causes high levels of antibodies against the original Alpha strain and reasonable levels of antibodies against the Omicron strain.

The FDA analyzed data of 600 people over the age of 18 who all received the first dose of the Moderna monovalent booster and then received either another dose of the monovalent booster or a dose of the bivalent booster. A stronger immune response was observed from the individuals who received the Moderna bivalent booster dose after the first monovalent booster dose.

Additionally, an estimate of over 100,000 hospitalizations can be prevented in the upcoming month through administration of the bivalent booster.

All individuals who received the initial booster are eligible to receive the bivalent booster after two months. The Moderna booster can be given to those ages 18 and up while the Pfizer booster can be given to those ages 12 and up.

The bivalent COVID-19 booster, like the original version, has similar side effects and takes up to two weeks to have full effects. Additionally, it is also still possible to become infected even after receiving the booster.

As cases continue to persist, many health experts compare making new COVID-19 vaccines to the yearly flu shots. Although there is still uncertainty about this, COVID-19 boosters will most likely be frequently updated to combat against newly arising strains or increase effectiveness against the infection.

Prof. Leifer even believes that one day there may be a multivalent vaccine that protects against COVID-19 and the flu.

While Biden confidently claimed the pandemic is over, not all scientists and epidemiologists agree, Prof. Leifer said. What everyone does agree on is that COVID-19 is here to stay.

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Updated COVID-19 Bivalent Booster Released in Time for Fall and Winter Omicron Wave - Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun

Immune reactions from COVID infections could lead to memory problems and contribute to brain fog, according to research.

The preliminary findings by researchers at King's College London reveals a process which could also trigger delirium in patients.

Scientists analysed blood samples taken from 36 patients who were admitted to Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation in London during the first wave of the pandemic between March and June 2020.

A protein released by immune cells was found in infected patients to be 15 times higher than normal.

The protein, called IL6, was even higher in patients with delirium, a state of confusion which can lead to an increased risk of dementia.

The report said it is "likely that a major contributing mechanism to the development of neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients is a hyper-activated immune system".

The research added: "The virus infection is now well-known for its ability to induce an over-reacting immune response.

"Once produced, these peripheral inflammatory cytokines can then penetrate the blood brain barrier and directly affect brain mechanisms and induce neurological symptoms affecting cognition, memory, alertness and emotional state, and leading to delirium."

Some drugs which are used to treat high immune responses to COVID could be used against delirium, it was suggested.

The impact of COVID on brain health has already been analysed in other studies.

Last month, a year-long study published in Nature Medicine assessed brain health across 44 different disorders using medical records from millions of US veterans.

Read more:Long-awaited inquiry into COVID 'won't drag on'

American researchers found brain and other neurological disorders occurred in 7% more of those who had been infected with COVID compared with a similar group of veterans who had never been infected.

The figures translated into roughly 6.6 million Americans who had brain impairments linked with their COVID infections, the study reported.

The authors highlighted how their study included both hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients.

Memory impairments, or brain fog, were the most common symptom.

Continued here:
COVID immune reaction could affect brain mechanisms and induce neurological symptoms - Sky News

A daily pill can change immune cell memory and reduce allergic reactions such as hay fever and thunderstorm asthma, new research shows.

A study led by Monash University researchers found Victorians who took the prescribed medication Oralair for four months in the lead up to allergy season for three consecutive years had retrained immune cells, providing long-term protection against allergic reactions.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Pill delivering relief for hay fever and asthma sufferers.

Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >>

In 2019, researchers studied 27 Victorians allergic to ryegrass pollen; half of them took the daily tablet consisting of grass pollen under the tongue and the others received antihistamines.

Its probably about 75 per cent effective in terms of symptom improvement, such as nasal congestion, the runny nose, sneezing and itching, allergy specialist Dr Joy Lee said.

The pill exposed sufferers to five different types of grass pollen and works by retraining the immune system and can reduce the risk of thunderstorm asthma.

This is very good news... we compared the samples before and after for any changes in immune memory and what we found is the bases treated with the tablet - their immune cells that responded to ryegrass pollen had changed, Monash Universitys Central Clinical School lead researcher Menno van Zelm said.

The cells in the patients that were not treated with the medication had not changed.

More than 4.6 million Australians suffer from hay fever, which is often triggered by an allergic reaction to outdoor or indoor allergens such as pollen and dust mites, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

In 2016, Melbourne had the worlds largest epidemic thunderstorm asthma event, with thousands of people developing breathing difficulties and at least nine deaths.

Oralair does not work for everyone and asthma sufferers should first check with their general practitioner.

- With AAP

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Hero neighbour helps a mother and her children escape inferno.

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Oralair pill that retrains the immune system to reduce risk of thunderstorm asthma - 7NEWS

Pure canned pumpkin can be added to smoothies, oatmeal, baked goods, pancakes and much more. Need just a small amount? Pour the remainder into small, freezer-safe containers (or into a silicone ice cube tray covered with a gallon-size zip-close bag), freeze it and defrost as needed.

Most of these frothy drinks are totally pumpkin-less, though some versions contain a smidgen. In either case, the biggest problem is that these are really indulgent desserts in disguise: A 16-ounce cup may have as much as 400 calories, 50 grams of sugar and nearly half the maximum amount of saturated fat you should get in an entire day. (If you cant pass it up, ordering yours with skim milk, less syrup and no whip will blunt the damage.)

Pumpkin pie spice doesnt contain any pumpkin either, but this spice blend (typically cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice) offers plenty of health benefits provided you use it to add flavor to otherwise healthy foods. Cinnamon might help balance blood sugar, ginger may relieve minor stomach upset, and nutmeg offers B vitamins and minerals, Kimberlain says. Try adding this seasoning to unsweetened applesauce, oatmeal or regular coffee or tea.

Many people think of pumpkin as a vegetable, but treat it as a fruit by saving it for sweet drinks and desserts. Neither is quite right. By scientific definition, a fruit develops from the flower of a plant, while other parts are categorized as vegetables, so pumpkin fits the bill. And pumpkin itself isnt inherently sweet; its all about what you pair with it. Pumpkin is very versatile, says Kimberlain, who likes to use it in risottos and chilies or simply roast it and serve as a side dish.

Lakatos is a fan of pumpkin seed butter, an earthy green paste you can buy premade or make yourself (by pureeing pumpkin seeds with a small amount of sea salt). I often recommend it to vegetarians, because its a good deal higher in protein than most nut butters, she says. (It has about 9 grams per serving.) When youre craving something with a little sweetness but dont want to go overboard, try Lakatos recipe for Pumpkin Pie Oat Breakfast Muffins.It incorporates canned pumpkin and pumpkin seeds and has a reasonable 8 grams of sugar per muffin. (A typical blueberry muffin, in contrast, can have as much as 35 grams.)

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned oats or rolled oats (not instant)1 tsp. baking powder1/4 tsp. salt1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice1/4 tsp. vanilla extract1 cup almond milk (we used unsweetened vanilla)3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin1 egg1/4 cup honey1/4 cup dried cranberries (if youd like muffins a little sweeter, we suggest adding an additional 1/4 cup)3 Tbsp. raw pumpkin seeds1 Tbsp. seed and grain blend (we used Trader Joes Super Seed & Ancient Grain blend; you can use whatever type of seed or grain you have on hand!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.2. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with muffin papers or coat with nonstick spray.3. Combine all ingredients and mix completely until thoroughly combined in a bowl.4. Divide batter into 12 cups so its evenly distributed.5. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes.

When done, the tops will be firm and not gooey or moist. Poke with a toothpick and when it comes out clean, the muffins are ready! Be careful not to overbake.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 105 calories, 2g fat, 0g saturated fat, 16mg cholesterol, 75mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 8g sugar, 3g protein

Source:Nutrition Twins

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7 Surprising Health Benefits of Pumpkins - AARP

Of all the nicknames I have for my cat CalvinFluffernutter, Chonk-a-Donk, Fuzzy Lumpkin, Jerky McJerkfaceBumpus Maximus may be the most apt. Every night, when I crawl into bed, Calvin hops onto my pillow, purrs, and bonks his head affectionately against mine. Its adorable, and a little bit gross. Tiny tufts of fur jet into my nose; flecks of spittle smear onto my cheeks.

Just shy of a decade ago, cuddling a cat this aggressively would have left me in dire straits. From early childhood through my early 20s, I nursed a serious allergy that made it impossible for me to safely interact with most felines, much less adopt them. Just a few minutes of exposure was enough to make my eyes water and clog my nasal passages with snot. Within an hour, my throat would swell and my chest would erupt in crimson hives.

Then, sometime in the early 2010s, my misery came to an abrupt and baffling end. With no apparent interventions, my cat allergy disappeared. Stray whiffs of dander, sufficient to send my body into conniptions mere months before, couldnt even compel my nose to twitch. My body just up and decided that the former bane of its existence was suddenly totally chill.

What I went through is, technically speaking, completely weird, says Kimberly Blumenthal, an allergist and immunologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Some allergies do naturally fade with time, but short of allergy shots, which dont always work, we think of cat allergy as a permanent diagnosis, Blumenthal told me. One solution thats often proposed? Get rid of your cat.

My case is an anomaly, but its oddness is not. Although experts have a broad sense of how allergies play out in the body, far less is known about what causes them to come and goan enigma thats becoming more worrying as rates of allergy continue to climb. Nailing down how, when, and why these chronic conditions vanish could help researchers engineer those circumstances more often for allergy sufferersin ways that are actually under our control, and not just by chance.

All allergies, at their core, are molecular screwups: an immune system mistakenly flagging a harmless substance as dangerous and attacking it. In the classic version, an allergen, be it a fleck of almond or grass or dog, evokes the ire of certain immune cells, prompting them to churn out an antibody called IgE. IgE drags the allergen like a hostage over to other defensive cells and molecules to rile them up too. A blaze of inflammation-promoting signals, including histamine, end up getting released, sparking bouts of itching, redness, and swelling. Blood vessels dilate; mucus floods out in gobs. At their most extreme, these reactions get so gnarly that they can kill.

Just about every step of this chain reaction is essential to produce a bona fide allergywhich means that intervening at any of several points can shut the cascade down. People whose bodies make less IgE over time can become less sensitive to allergens. The same seems to be true for those who start producing more of another antibody, called IgG4, that can counteract IgE. Some people also dispatch a molecule known as IL-10 that can tell immune cells to cool their heels even in the midst of IgEs perpetual scream.

All this and more can eventually persuade a body to lose its phobia of an allergen, a phenomenon known as tolerance. But because there is not a single way in which allergy manifests, it stands to reason that there wont be a single way in which it disappears. We dont fully understand how these things go away, says Zachary Rubin, a pediatrician at Oak Brook Allergists, in Illinois.

Read: What they arent telling you about hypoallergenic dogs

Tolerance does display a few trends. Sometimes, it unfurls naturally as people get older, especially as they approach their 60s (though allergies can appear in old age as well). Other diagnoses can go poof amid the changes that unfold as children zip through the physiological and hormonal changes brought on by toddlerhood, adolescence, and the teen years. As many as 60 to 80 percent of milk, wheat, and egg allergies can peace out by pubertya pattern that might also be related to the instability of the allergens involved. Certain snippets of milk and egg proteins, for instance, can unravel in the presence of heat or stomach acid, making the molecules less allergenic, and giving the body ample opportunity to reappraise them as benign, says Anna Nowak-Wgrzyn, a pediatric allergist and immunologist at NYU Langone Health. About 80 to 90 percent of penicillin allergies, too, disappear within 10 years of when theyre first detected, more if you count the ones that are improperly diagnosed, as Blumenthal has found.

Other allergies are more likely to be lifers without dedicated interventionamong them, issues with peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, pollen, and pets. Part of the reason may be that some of these allergens are super tough to neutralize or purge. The main cat allergen, a protein called Fel d 1 thats found in feline saliva, urine, and gland secretions, can linger for six months after a cat vacates the premises. It can get airborne, and glom on to surfaces; its been found in schools and churches and buses and hospitals, even in space, Blumenthal told me.

Read: The next weird way were changing cats

For hangers-on like these, allergists can try to nudge the body toward tolerance through shots or mouth drops that introduce bits of an allergen over months or years, basically the immunological version of exposure therapy. In some cases, it works: Dosing people with Fel d 1 can at least improve a cat allergy, but its hardly a sure hit. Researchers havent even fully sussed out how allergy shots induce tolerancejust that they work well for a lot of patients, Rubin told me. The world of allergy research as a whole is something of a Wild West: Some people are truly, genuinely, hypersensitive to water touching their skin; others have gotten allergies because of organ transplants, apparently inheriting their donors sensitivity as amped-up immune cells hitched a ride.

Part of the trouble is that allergy can involve just about every nook and cranny of the immune system; to study its wax and wane, scientists have to repeatedly look at peoples blood, gut, or airway to figure out what sorts of cells and molecules are lurking about, all while tracking their symptoms and exposures, which doesnt come easy or cheap. And fully disentangling the nuances of bygone allergies isnt just about better understanding people who are the rule. Its about delving into the exceptions to it too.

How frustratingly little we know about allergies is compounded by the fact that the world is becoming a more allergic place. A lot of the why remains murky, but researchers think that part of the problem can be traced to the perils of modern living: the wider use of antibiotics; the shifts in eating patterns; the squeaky-cleanness of so many contemporary childhoods, focused heavily on time indoors. About 50 million people in the U.S. alone experience allergies each yearsome of them little more than a nuisance, others potentially deadly when triggered without immediate treatment. Allergies can diminish quality of life. They can limit the areas where people can safely rent an apartment, or the places where they can safely dine. They can hamper access to lifesaving treatments, leaving doctors scrambling to find alternative therapies that dont harm more than they help.

But if allergies can rise this steeply with the times, maybe they can resolve rapidly too. New antibody-based treatments could help silence the bodys alarm sensors and quell IgEs rampage. Some researchers are even looking into how fecal transplants that port the gut microbiome of tolerant people into allergy sufferers might help certain food sensitivities subside. Anne Liu, an allergist and immunologist at Stanford, is also hopeful that the incidence of new food allergies will decline over the next 10 years, as more advances come through. After years of advising parents against introducing their kids to sometimes-allergenic substances such as milk and peanuts too young, experts are now encouraging early exposures, in the hopes of teaching tolerance. And the more researchers learn about how allergies naturally abate, the better they might be able to safely replicate fade-outs.

One instructive example could come from cases quite opposite to mine: longtime pet owners who develop allergies to their animals after spending some time away from them. Thats what happened to Stefanie Mezigian, of Michigan. After spending her entire childhood with her cat, Thumper, Mezigian was dismayed to find herself sneezing and sniffling when she visited home the summer after her freshman year of college. Years later, Mezigian seems to have built a partial tolerance up again; she now has another cat, Jack, and plans to keep felines in her life for goodboth for companionship and to wrangle her immune systems woes. If I go without cats, that seems to be when I develop problems, she told me.

Its a reasonable thought to have, Liu told me. People in Mezigians situation probably have the reactive IgE bopping around their body their entire life. But maybe during a fur-free stretch, the immune system, trying to be parsimonious, stops making molecules that rein in the allergy, she said. The immune system is nothing if not malleable, and a bit diva-esque: Set one thing off kilter, and an entire network of molecules and cells can revamp its approach to the world.

I may never know why my cat allergy ghosted me. Maybe I got infected by a virus that gently rewired my immune system; maybe my hormone levels went into flux. Maybe it was the stress, or joy, of graduating college and starting grad school; maybe my diet or microbiome changed in just the right way, at just the right time. Perhaps its pointless to guess. Allergy, like the rest of the immune system, is a hot, complicated messa common fixture of modern living that many of us take for granted, but that remains, in so many cases, a mystery. All I can do is hope my cat allergy stays gone, though theres no telling if it will. I have no idea, Nowak-Wgrzyn told me. Im just happy for you. Go enjoy your cats.

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Why Do Some Allergies Go Away While Others Dont? - The Atlantic

Sarcopenia, an age-related loss of muscle mass and depletion of strength and performance, is significantly more common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when compared with controls when assessed using the updated European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2)criteria. Further, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH)definition showed a higher proportion of participants with sarcopenia in individuals with high body mass index (BMI) and fat mass, regardless of RA diagnosis, according to a study published in Rheumatic & Musculoskeletal Diseases.1

Currently, no consensus definition for sarcopenia exists, investigators explained. However, all definitions proposed recently include the assessment of muscle mass and muscle strength, yet different thresholds are being applied to determine these parameters. Hence, the existing data on the prevalence of sarcopenia vary, depending on the definition used and the respective population studied. However, it is well known that sarcopenia increases with advanced age. Whereas the amount of sarcopenia is found to be around 15% in 65 years, it rises up to 40% in 85-year-old healthy ambulatory subjects.

The single-center, cross-sectional study, performed at the CharitUniversittsmedizin Berlin, included 289 adult patients with RA. Appendicular lean was measured via dual x-ray absorptiometry and muscle function, including chair rise time, gait speed, and grip strength was assessed. EWGSOP2 and FNIH assessed the prevalence of sarcopenia. Patients with RA were then compared with a cohort of healthy controls (n = 280).

The mean age of patients in the RA cohort was 59 years, 80% were women, the median disease duration was 9 years, and most had a low disease activity score. Among patients with RA, 4.5%, (59.411.3 years) were affected by sarcopenia, compared with 0.4% of controls (62.911.9 years) by EWGSOP2 definition. Of those with RA, body weight (odds ratio [OR] 0.92, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.97), BMI (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.87), disease duration (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.36), current medication with glucocorticoids (OR 5.25, 95% CI 2.14 to 24.18), cumulative dose of prednisone equivalent (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.05), C reactive protein (CRP) (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.10), and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) (OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.27 to 4.86) were associated with a sarcopenia diagnosis.

However, when using the FNIH definition, 2.8% of patients with RA and 0.7% of controls were affected by sarcopenia. In these participants, smaller body height (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.88), higher BMI (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.41), higher CRP (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.11), and higher HAQ (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.17 to 6.59) were linked to sarcopenia.

The cross-sectional design of the study, which did not allow for the determination of a causal relationship between sarcopenia and contributing factors, limited the study. Applying the same criteria to a control group without inflammatory disease showed that patients with RA are more likely to be affected by sarcopenia, low lean mass, and poor muscle function. However, it could not be determined whether patients with joint pain or joint destruction, caused by RA, impacted grip strength. Therefore, assessments may have been influenced by factors unrelated to muscle function. Future studies should evaluate the influence of pain and erosive lesions. Other studies are needed to determine risk factors and cut-off values for muscle mass and muscle function.

This research is a first step towards a deeper understanding of defining low muscle mass by using different muscle mass indices, investigators concluded. The 2 definitions were found to respond differently to the anthropometric characteristics of the cohort, resulting in different rates of prevalence. This shows the importance of a common definition of sarcopenia and the need for reliable methods to determine low muscle mass and the inclusion of muscle function.

Reference:

Dietzel R, Wiegmann S, Borucki D, et al. Prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using the revised EWGSOP2 and the FNIH definition.RMD Open. 2022;8(2):e002600. doi:10.1136/rmdopen-2022-002600

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Higher Prevalence of Sarcopenia Reported in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis - Rheumatology Network

Patients with arthritis are often first diagnosed with psoriasis. In this excerpt from a Dermatology Times DermView video episode1, 2 physicians explored the relationship between the skin and joint disorders, why the two are often related, and some of the medications that may bring relief for patients with both conditions.

About a third of our [patients with psoriasis] go on to psoriatic arthritis [PsA]...and we know there are certain risk factors that increase the likelihood that a patient is going to develop psoriatic arthritis. That includes factors such as nail disease, inverse psoriasis, scalp psoriasis, more severe psoriasis, obesity, and family history of psoriatic arthritis, specifically in a first- or second-degree [relative], said Joseph Merola MD, MMSc, vice chair of clinical trials and innovation in the Department of Dermatology, director of the Clinical Unit for Research Innovation and Trials, and director of the Center for Skin and Related Musculoskeletal Diseases at Brigham and Womens Hospital and associate professor of dermatology and rheumatology at Harvard Medical. Although there may be a genetic risk factor, with overlap-ping risks between skin and joint disease, environmental factors can also trigger the immune response that becomes psoriasis and leads to psoriatic arthritis.

Mark Lebwohl, MD, dean of clinical therapeutics at the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sanai in New York, New York, noted that 70% of patients with arthritis are first diagnosed with psoriasis and that arthritis occurs before psoriasis 15% of the time. Plaque psoriasis is the predominant presenting form of psoriasis.

Lebwohl then explained the domains of the disease and the different preexisting conditions that dermatologists see in many patients before a diagnosis, including nail disease, scalp disease, or inverse and intertriginous psoriasis. I would say close to 20% come in with guttate psoriasis. [Pustular psoriasis and erythrodermic psoriasis are exceedingly rare], but those are deadly ones.... And of course, in plaque [psoriasis] we include inverse palm and sole psoriasis, [which is] less common than just plaque psoriasis.

Some patients also show signs of other types of arthritis, including the following:

The treatments for PsA also work for psoriasis. The physicians discussed a few widely used treatments such as TNF- blockers, IL-17 blockers, and Janus kinase inhibitors. Several Janus kinase inhibitors were approved in 2022 for the treatment of psoriasis and PsA, and Lebwohl said they work well, despite some boxed warnings that come with the drugs. He added that doctor involvement is key. It is up to the physician to ask questions to help the patient pinpoint the source of pain or stiffness. The physicians discussed the reasons a physician may choose one category of drug over another. They agree that TNF- blockers have the best evidence to date that they prevent heart attacks. For patients who have preexisting heart conditions, a drug in that category would be the first line of defense. Lebwohl explained this is important because of a marked increase in the risk of heart attacks in patients with psoriasis. If a patient has or had skin cancer, a TNF- blocker would not likely be the first choice, because a side effect is an increased risk of squamous cells.

In addition, they mentioned that patients with PsA who are pregnant could benefit from certolizumab pegol (Cimzia), a drug that does not contaminate breast milk and therefore will not cross the placenta. Dermatologists often start women of childbearing years on certolizumab pegol for that reason.

The patients weight also factors into some treatment plans. We know that one of the unique aspects of some of our infusion therapies, in particular infliximab (Remicade; Janssen Biotech, Inc), is that it is weight-based dosing, Merola said. It does offeralbeit off-labeldose flexibility around frequency dosing, IV [intravenous] dosing that is...weight based but has flexibility around frequency. I can do it every 4 weeks, every 8 weeks. I can do 5 mg/kg. I can do 10 mg/kg.

Merola noted that some of the highest efficacy in PsA was shown in findings from the GO-VIBRANT trial (NCT02181673) that examined intravenous golimumab (Simponi Aria).

The physicians also mentioned treatment options when a drug fails to yield positive results. Lebowhl and Merola described primary failure as the ineffectiveness of a drug; no history of a response. A secondary failure, they said, indicates a lack of response after an initial period of success. A practitioner may prescribe a new classification of drugs for a patient who experiences primary failure. In a secondary failure, the doctor may have to increase the dosing or move to a new treatment plan. Merola said that one cause for secondary failure is due to the patients development of antibodies; they would then have to prescribe an additional medication to suppress their formation.

Both physicians agreed that the number of drugs available for PsA is always increasing, which means more access for doctors and patients. We have robust data from studies that support that switching [medications] seems to be well tolerated, seems to continue efficacy for our patients with these disorders, Merola said. However, patients often have negative expectations about what changing drugs means, which may lead to confusion, more calls to the office, or failure to take the drugs.

Merola and Lebwohl concluded by talking about the importance of regular screenings for PsA or psoriasis patients. Merola suggested a frequency of every 6 months to record new or worsening symptoms and to keep track of disease progression.

Transcript edited for clarity and conciseness.

Reference

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Exploring the Relationship Between Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriasis - Dermatology Times

Rumor has it that eating too many tomatoes causes inflammation in the body, which can lead to arthritis symptoms. But are tomatoes really to blame? Should everyone with arthritis swear off the vegetable (or fruit, depending on who you ask)? Good thing you asked because its time to officially debunk this myth.

Arthritis is the degeneration and inflammation of the joints that causes uncomfortable symptoms like joint swelling, stiffness, and decreased range of motion. There isnt a cure for arthritis, but diet *can* play a major role in mitigating inflammation and managing symptoms, says Melinda Ring, MD, an integrative medicine physician at Northwestern Medicine.

Certain foods are more likely to trigger inflammation in the body, she says. And while the foods you do or do not eat won't cure or eliminate all your arthritis troubles, they can make an impact.

More From Women's Health

Read on to see what foods pass the inflammation test, and if tomatoes are in or out.

In short, no. There is really minimal scientific data that supports the elimination of tomatoes, or nightshades, by looking at inflammation markers or symptoms, says Dr. Ring. It is not an across the board statement that nobody with arthritis should eat them, because in fact, nightshade vegetables are rich in lots of really healthy phytonutrients.

So, why do tomatoes get such a bad rep? Nightshades, which are a family of plants including tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant, naturally produce a toxin called solanine, which is long believed to trigger inflammation and joint pain. But there is actually no scientific or medical link between the two. Instead, studies actually show that tomatoes can reduce systemic inflammation, and that solanine does not directly cause inflammation in humans. It's true purpose: to protect plants against animals and harmful fungi.

That being said, people do have individual sensitivities or intolerances to different foods, and tomatoes can potentially trigger arthritis symptoms in some, says Dr. Ring. If you find your joints are extra sore, swollen, or stiff after eating tomatoes (or any food for that matter), try an elimination diet.

If someone wants to see if they have a reaction to a food, including the nightshade category, eliminate [a specific food] for a couple of weeks, says Dr. Ring. Then, add it back into your diet, and see if you notice a different response in terms of pain.

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In other words, if arthritis symptoms disappear or lessen with the elimination of nightshades, it might be your bodys way of telling you to scale back.

Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder, but if you experience an immediate or severe reaction to a specific food, its time to check-in with your doctor or an allergist. Severe allergies or anaphylactic reactions to nightshades are rare, but if you have trouble breathing, or experience throat swelling or difficulty swallowing, stop eating immediately and seek medical care.

Simply put, yes. Sugar, processed foods, alcohol, charred foods, meats, additives, and gluten can cause inflammatory responses and can sometimes be avoided to minimize arthritis symptoms, says Dr. Ring.

But dont panic! Certain foods can trigger an inflammatory response for some and not others, so there is not one cure-all eating plan. However, a good rule of thumb for someone with arthritis is a plant-forward, Mediterranean diet, that focuses on whole and not processed foods, stresses Dr. Ring.

Certain foods can also help quench inflammation, she says, including foods that are rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seeds, chia seeds, and fish like salmon and sardines, along with vegetables and fruits are rich in antioxidants also help with inflammation in the body, she says. In addition, turmeric, ginger, green tea, and fermented foods have also been shown to promote a healthy gut, support the body, and lower chronic inflammation, she explains.

But remember that not everyone reacts the same to all foods, and eating habits are extremely personalized. Ultimately, food should still be something that somebody enjoys and sees as pleasurable and nourishing, says Dr. Ring. While we should always be striving to improve our diet, we should also enjoy the food we eat.

Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based writer and graduate student at Northwestern Medill. Shes a mass consumer of social media and cares about womens rights, holistic wellness, and non-stigmatizing reproductive care. As a former collegiate pole vaulter, she has a love for all things fitness and is currently obsessed with Peloton Tread workouts and hot yoga.

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Are Tomatoes Bad For Arthritis? Here's What An MD Has To Say - Women's Health

Adverse events related to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy lack alternative treatments outside of glucocorticoids, which themselves may reduce the efficacy of ICI therapy in patients with cancer. Researchers in the COLAR trial examined whether interleukin-6 blockade with tocilizumab reduced ICI-induced colitis and arthritis and concluded that tocilizumab had promising efficacy and manageable safety profiles for this population.

The clinical trial, published in the Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer, enrolled 20 patients. Participants had solid cancers and met Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) for grade >1 ICI-induced colitis/diarrhea (n=9), arthritis (n=9), or both (n=2).

Patients ICI treatments included pembrolizumab (n=10), nivolumab (n=4), or combined ipilimumab and nivolumab (n=5), and tocilizumab was administered at 8 mg/kg every 4 weeks. The primary end point of the study was improvement in colitis or arthritis.A total of 19 patients were included in the final analysis after 1 exclusion due to pancreatic insufficiency-induced diarrhea.

According to the researchers, 15 out of 19 (79%) patients achieved the primary end point of a 1 or greater reduction in CTCAE score within 8 weeks. One further patient achieved the primary end point at week 10, and one other maintained stable symptoms. Additionally, at week 24, 12 patients had ongoing improvement without glucocorticoids and 10 had complete remissions of ICI-induced colitis or arthritis.

In closing, the authors summarized that that tocilizumab demonstrated promising efficacy with manageable toxicity in patients with ICI-induced colitis and arthritis (84% clinical benefit rate), and highlighted that half of their patients were able to continue ICI treatment alongside tocilizumab.

Further studies are required to confirm these results and to eventually compare efficacy of tocilizumab with currently standard approaches in the treatment of ICI-induced toxicities, the researchers closed.

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Tocilizumab for Treating ICI-Induced Arthritis and Colitis - DocWire News