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Intermittent fasting is having a moment. Whether you prefer to eat keto or plant-based or are just trying to make up for some extra indulging over the holidays, everywhere you turn someone is extolling the virtues of this simple, flexible diet strategy, where you eat for a window of time (usually 8 hours) and then fast and let your body go without any food for a longer window (usually 14 to 16 hours). This allows your your body to metabolize the food you eat and then shift from burning that as its fuel to burning fat for fuel.

Adam Sandler to Kourtney Kardshian swear by intermittent fasting for weight management and other health benefits, according to the founders of Zero, the worlds most popular fasting app with 7 million users. Zero's Chief Medical Officeris Dr. Peter Attia, a fasting expert. The app itself was launched by Kevin Roe and is now run by Mike Maser, CEO and Founder of Big Sky Health.This app's popularity shows that intermittent fasting, while simple in concept, is not always as intuitive as it sounds, and some people need a little helpful coaching, insights, tracking, custom plans, in order to make intermittent fasting work.

If you're one of the millions of intermittent fasters who havetried it recently and not had great luck with it, or didn't see the weight drop off, there may be simple shifts you can make (like what you're eating during the on hours) to get the results you crave.

If you need a little help losing weight and eating healthier, while you're intermittent fasting, an all you're hearing is how "great" and easy it is from friends, we say turn to a source you trust, since expert advice is always the way to go. We asked Nicole Grant, RD, CNSC the lead dietician for the Zero Fasting app, the most popular IF coach in the app store, for her best tips on how to do IF right

Nicole Grant:While some people believe that fasting is another fad diet, the practice has been going on for centuries. So, it isnt an entirely new concept. However, I believe the uptick in popularity has come from a wider understanding of the non-weight loss related benefits. There are so many other positive outcomes from IF that can be experienced including boosted energy, reduced inflammation, accelerated cellular repair, improved body composition, and it can even be an effective tool to mitigate risk for metabolic syndrome.

Nicole Grant: Every individual body responds to fasting a little differently, due to genetics, current health, pre-existing conditions, and lifestyle, to name a few. However, for an average healthy person, there is a general timeline of expected metabolic responses. Between 0 and 4 hours after a meal, your body is still going through the process of digesting, utilizing and storing the last thing you ate. It takes the carbohydrates, protein and fat you consumed and turns them into glucose, amino acids and fatty acids to be used as energy or to be stored for later use. Once your body shifts out of that anabolic phase, the next 416 hours are dedicated to catabolism, [the breaking down of food into smaller molecules to burn as energy] lowering of blood glucose, lowering insulin levels, and triggering glucagon, to start breaking down glycogen (stored glucose in the body).

Between16 and 24 hours is generally when fat burning starts to become more dominant and 24+ hours is when we start seeing the body switch to a ketogenic state, where many of the longevity benefits start coming into play. Exactly which benefits you will experience depends on the duration of your fast as well as many of the individualized characteristics noted above (health, genetics, etc.). We suggest establishing a plan and approach thats best for your health, lifestyle, and specific goals in order to achieve the results you want.

Nicole Grant: We dont like to promote IF as a diet for rapid weight loss. Instead fasting should be seen as a tool that can be used in conjunction with better nutrition, exercise and other lifestyle practices to enhance overall health in a prolonged, sustainable way.In addition to that, we encourage people to establish and understand their why for fasting. By identifying what each individual wants to accomplish with fasting and having a clear goal in mind, it will help them to make safe and informed choices about what type of fasting and duration is right for them.

If the goal is to lose weight, the individual also needs to keep in mind where they are starting at, from a health perspective. Those who have more severe metabolic issues or who have more weight to lose will likely respond differently than those who start out a bit healthier.

Nicole Grant: The biggest pitfalls of fasting are the misconceptions that surround the practiceits not just a weight-loss strategy. There are many different benefits to fasting as outlined above, and based on the persons goal, fasting can provide different results and outcomes for people.Fasting is also not always the best choice for everyone. We do not recommend fasting for those who are Type I diabetic, pregnant or have had a history of disordered eating. In addition, those who take medications and supplements should also consult with a doctor prior to fasting to discuss any possible precautions that may need to be taken.

Nicole Grant: Zero acts as a personalized fasting coach that offers expert insights, tips, education, and resources for users. It also includes various helpful features, the timer feature for example is very popular and reminds users when they are able to break their fasts. Zero also recently announced Challenges which offers a fun way to stay motivated! Through Challenges, users can fast alongside Zero experts, invite friends to join, and achieve their goals.

Nicole Grant: When breaking a fast, consuming protein in the first meal is important because it helps to initiate the rebuild and repair phase. Some recommended plant-based options include organic, fermented soy, sprouted nuts/seeds and possibly some legumes/grains if those are tolerated and digested well in that individual. In addition, general nutrition guidelines of choosing whole foods, low in added sugars, and minimally processed items will be important to focus on outside of a fast.

Nicole Grant:One reason why I think fasting has become more mainstream is that it isnt a diet, its a practice that can be incorporated into a healthy way of eating throughout someones lifespan, and has a low barrier of entry. You dont have to pay for a system or regiment, its truly putting intention behind when you eat.

Unlike diets where people are on the program for a certain duration of time and then they revert back to their old eating habits, fasting is a timeless practice that can be used to benefit a variety of people.

The most popular fasting zone is catabolic,where you break down energy in the body, followed by anabolic where you build up muscle, followed by fat-burning, autophagy and finally deep ketosis.

According to data, a 16:8 fast is the most popular, where you fast for 16 hours and eat within the next 8, followed by 18:6 (fasting for 18 hours, eating in a 6-hour window), then 20:4, and then 13:11.Ascertain your best rhythm. Figure out what type of fast works best for you.

Setting goals is key to a successful fast. Managing weight is the #1 goal of those who fast, followed by increased energy, increased clarity, increased longevity, and finally detoxing.

Time isn't enough. Time restriction, caloric restriction and dietary restriction are the three variables that you should be keeping in mind when fasting, according to Dr. Attia, chief medical officer for Zero. "Time restriction is when you eat, when you dont eat; calorie restriction is how much; dietary is what you eat. The right way to do this is to have a strategy for all three and cycle through them."

People want to be healthier in quarantine and IF can help.Zero saw an uptake of 3M+ sign-ups since March, when the pandemic forced people into their homes for work and play, and your home became y our gym, so fitness and diet apps had a surge in popularity.

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Intermittent Fasting Not Working? Here's What Could Be Going Wrong, By an RD - The Beet

Hair loss: Dr Ranj discusses causes of male pattern baldness

Hair loss is a tricky situation as most of the time it comes down to stress with the more hair being lost, the more one stresses and so the vicious cycle continues. Genetics and environmental factors are also at play when it comes to hair loss. Fortunately, there are remedies to help this condition and sandalwood and sandalore could be your answer.

In traditional medicine, sandalwood oil has been used as an antiseptic and astringent, and for the treatment of headaches, stomach aches and urinary and genital disorders.

In India, sandalwood essential oil is used in the treatment of inflammatory and eruptive skin diseases.

Millions of men who are going bald may benefit from rubbing sandalwood oil onto their scalps.

Laboratory tests of scalp tissue by German researchers found it stimulates hair growth after just six days.

READ MORE:Hair loss treatment - Dr Sara explains the best type of shampoo to stimulate hair growth

Although humans and animals are only able to smell through their noses, receptors in hair, sperm and even our guts are able to recognise chemicals in certain aromas.

The findings could lead to a sandalwood-based balding treatment that may benefit the quarter of men who start to lose their hair by the time they turn 25.

Studies have already shown that exposing human skin cells to sandalwood in the lab causes the protein keratin to multiply, which speeds up wound healing.

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Researchers from the University of Manchester found that applying sandalwood to the scalp helped prolong human hair growth.

The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications explaining how the experiment conducted with the synthetic material and human skin samples achieved startling results.

The team found that a receptor cell in the skin known as OR2AT4 was sensitive to chemicals in synthetic sandalwood and when applied to the skin a growth of keratinocytes was stimulated.

As skin healing and hair growth are closely related, the researchers hypothesised that if applying sandalwood would new hair be able to grow.

Studies have shown that exposing human skin cells to the artificial sandalwood-like odour Sandalore, could help improve hair loss.

Sandalore is often added to fragrances and moisturisers to give sandalwood its aroma.

It has also been used in previous experiments in investigating its effect on keratin.

Intrigued by the possible effect sandalore has on hair growth, researchers from the Monasterium Laboratory in Munster, exposed the human scalp tissue to sandalore with impressive results.

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Hair loss treatment: Sandalwood and sandalore are both effective in increasing hair growth - Express

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Tuesday, 15th December 2020, 8:31 am

According to the NHS, there are around 850,000 people in the UK living with dementia.

Following the death of actress Dame Barbara Windsor on 10 December, there has been much discussion around how dementia affects people and families and what can be done to prevent it from becoming aggressive.

The condition is linked with old age and lifestyle habits, but there is a range of things you can do to decrease your likelihood of developing dementia or to reduce the severity of the illness.

The term dementia is related to the symptoms and changes caused by various diseases in the body.

These symptoms include struggling with problem solving, memory loss, confusion and behaviour changes.

Dementia is not a disease nor is it a natural part of ageing - instead it is the name given to the impact of other diseases which have a negative effect on daily life.

The most common disease that causes dementia is Alzheimers.

Vascular dementia on the other hand is caused by diseased blood cells. Blood vessels can become blocked and deprive the brain of oxygen.

Other illnesses such as alcohol related brain disorder and strokes may also alter how the mind works and cause dementia.

The impact of dementia on each person can vary depending on what part of the brain is affected and what disease is causing it.

Some strains of dementia have been linked to genetics in a small number of cases.These people may inherit dementia through a specific gene and are likely to be diagnosed before the age of 65.

The majority of people will carry a number of genes which can increase and decrease the risk of dementia.

These can be exacerbated by their lifestyle habits.

What are the early signs and symptoms?

Dementia is a degenerative disease, meaning it will get progressively worse over time.

There are different signs and symptoms experienced at the early and later stages of dementia.

According to Alzheimers society, common early symptoms include problems with:

- recalling recent events and memory loss

- Difficulty concentrating, planning or organising this could include being unable to follow a sequence of tasks, such as cooking a meal

- misusing or struggling with common language using the wrong words to describe or label something or struggling to piece together a sentence.

- visuospatial skills for example, problems judging distances (such as on stairs) and seeing objects in three dimensions,

- orientation getting lost in common places or being unable to recall the day or date

A recent study published by Dr Davide Bruno at the School of Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) also suggested forgetting the start of a story could be a tell-tale sign of early onset of dementia.

What long-term effects can dementia have?

Alzheimers is thought to have the slowest progression rate, while dementia caused by strokes or vascular dementia may have a significant impact on memory and cognitive ability in a shorter period.

People experience different symptoms at different stages, however, some of the more progressive challenges are:

- lack of mobility - this can be caused by medication, dementia diseases or a combination of dementia and the other factors which resulted in the diagnosis - such as having a stroke or high blood pressure.

- an increasingly poor memory - a dementia patient may begin to lose their memory of significant people or times in their life as the disease progresses.

- loss of communication - the inability to verbalise what they want to say, struggling to understand what is being asked of them or limited speech.

- weight loss and eating - in the later stages of dementia, patients may lose a considerable amount of weight due to a lack of appetite or inability to chew and swallow. Weight loss can lead to a poor immune system and inability to fight infections and struggling to physically eat could be a choking hazard. You should contact your GP if you are concerned about someone with this symptom of dementia.

What lifestyle habits may increase your likelihood of having dementia?

There are thought to be a number of factors which result in dementia and many are linked to health and lifestyle habits which form and continue throughout your life.

There are also factors which are unavoidable and dementia cannot be completely prevented.

Habits which could reduce your risk are:

- Eating a healthy diet - a balanced diet which includes protein, fats and carbs and is high in nutrient rich food such as fruits and vegetables can help prevent dementia and cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, stroke and heart disease.

- Exercising regularly - take part in two and a half hours of aerobic exercise - such as walking or cycling - per week, as well as some strengthening exercises

- Do not smoke - smoking inhibits the ability for blood vessels to carry oxygenated blood around the body and can lead to strokes, cancer and high blood pressure too.

- Avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol - at most, you should aim to drink no more than 14 units each week, spread across at least three days. If you regularly drink much more than this, youre at risk of alcohol-related brain damage.

Challenge your mind - keeping your mind active is one of the most important ways to reduce the onset and severity of dementia. Think use it or lose it - try studying a new language, completing crosswords, playing cards or board games and reading.

Factors which you cannot control are:

- Age - people over the age of 65 are most likely to suffer from dementia related diseases and it affects one in six people over 80.

- Sex - women are more likely to suffer from dementia than men, even after longevity is taken into account. It is not known why this is.

- Ethnicity - South Asian people (from countries such as India and Pakistan) and people of African or African-Caribbean origin seem to develop dementia more often. They are known to be more prone to diabetes and stroke and this is thought to be more closely related to lifestyle and diet factors than genetics.

Currently, there is no cure for dementia, however there are therapies and drugs which can alleviate some of the related symptoms..

While drugs can curtail some of the effects, person-centred care such as taking part in hobbies and interests which the dementia patient has enjoyed throughout their past and recent years can support memory.

Psychological therapies can also support people who are struggling to cope with the confusion around dementia, and the changes they experience with regards to their mood and behaviour.

Continuing to eat healthily, exercise, read and avoid smoking and drinking will also support in slowing the progression to varying degrees.

For anyone experiencing dementia, or if you care for someone with dementia, support can be found via the following charities:

Age UK's Advice Line - 0800 055 6112 - 8am to 7pm everyday

Dementia UK - 0800 888 6678 - 9am to 9pm weekdays, 9am - 5pm weekends

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These are the signs and symptoms of dementia - and the stages explained - Yorkshire Post

Catherine Kate Scales (center) has lived in Manahawkin since 1959 and was partly responsible for the development of Stafford Townships first master plan. (Supplied photo)

In 1920, women in the U.S. were given the right to vote, Warren Harding was elected the 29th president, movies were silent and televisions didnt yet exist, the American Civil Liberties Union was founded, Agatha Christies first novel was published, and American football became a professional sport.

Later that year, on Oct. 27, Catherine Kate Scales was born in Jersey City, but as she grew a slight problem arose she was allergic to regular milk.

I didnt like regular milk anyway, she recently said, bursting with laughter, from her home on North Lakeshore Drive in Manahawkin, several weeks after celebrating her 100th birthday. But I was raised on goats milk, and I really believe that has something to do with why Im still around.

Certainly, thats one of several viable possibilities for why Scales has lived through 17 presidencies, 10 decades worth of revolutionary changes throughout the nation, and the immense development of Stafford Township. But lets consider the others for a moment.

I have a vodka and tonic every night before dinner, just one while dinner is cooking, she said, sounding quite proud of that fact. Ive had a lot of good luck, too. Under a lot of different circumstances, things have worked out for me.

So well, shes rarely entered a hospital.

I went to the hospital for childbirth and to have a bunion taken off my foot, she said. I dont go to hospitals except to visit people. I have my tonsils, appendix and all that good stuff. Ive been healthy. I really think it was the goats milk.

Stafford Township Mayor Greg Myhre presents a proclamation and key to the city to Kate Scales on her 100th birthday, as family and friends celebrated in a drive-by way. (Supplied photo)

Whatever the reasons for her longevity, whats more fascinating about the woman who once was asked by both the Stafford Republican and Democratic clubs to run for mayor she dismissed that request by telling those who asked she didnt lie well enough to be a good politician is not that shes lived 100 years, but how shes lived through those years.

One of two girls to a mother widowed by the time she was 2 years old, Scales grew up in Jersey City and, not long after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, she made a decision that shocked her mom.

I went into the Navy in 1942, because thats where all the boys were, she said with a chuckle. But we had no boys in the family, and this was my country and we all had stars in our eyes in those days. So, I just joined. I came home and told my mother and she said, You cant do that. I said, Mama, I already did it. I knew youd say no, so I didnt ask you. I was 22 when I went in.

While serving during World War II, she became a celestial navigation instructor for naval pilots and fulfilled the role for two years, 10 months and 11 days.

Somebody said to me at the beginning of my service, Dont volunteer for anything because theyll give you the opposite, so I didnt know anything, she said, a bit of a coy emphasis to the explanation. They needed mechanics someplace out in Oklahoma, so I looked at this list of tools and I said, I think that might be a hammer. I knew what it was, but I wasnt telling them that. I didnt want to be some grease monkey for the Navy. I may as well have stayed home and worked in an office in New York.

After serving with the Navy, Scales did in fact go to work in an office in New York City as a secretary to a very fine gentleman named Howard Book with Reed Roller Bit Co. but not before she graduated with a degree in English literature from Fordham University.

I went to college under the G.I. Bill, she said. I was very grateful for that, because I couldnt have gone to school without it. I wouldnt have been able to afford it. But I had big plans. I was going to work in New York until 40, then go to Cape Cod, teach in the winter and have a boarding house in the summer. That didnt happen.

Instead, she met the man who became her husband, Michael Scales, on a blind date set up by her sisters sister-in-law.

She said, I have this nice gentleman for you, and I said, If hes so nice, why didnt you take him? Whats wrong with him? She said he was too young for her, but he wasnt much younger, Kate recalled. I agreed to meet for a drink in Rockefeller Plaza and I told her not to leave me with him. She introduced us and left. I couldve killed her. She left me with this strange fellow, who happened to be British.

That blind date occurred in 1954 and the couple married in 1956. Three years later, they moved to Manahawkin after the company for which Michael worked, Ciba-Geigy, moved from Pennsylvania to Toms River. Scales has lived on the same street next to Manahawkin Lake since, and even had some influence on the booming development of Stafford Township through the 1960s and 70s.

Kate Scales spent nearly three years as a celestial navigation instructor for the U.S. Navy during World War II. (Supplied photo)

While her husband traveled a lot for his job, Kate got involved within the township, eventually making her way onto the planning board. At the time, the town didnt have a master plan. She ultimately chaired the planning board and was part of the committee that developed the first master plan.

Some gentlemen said to me, Mrs. Scales, they just made you the head of the planning board. How would you like to be addressed? Well, everybody there was friendly, and wed always have coffee and cake during our meetings. Everything was real matey, so I said, Just call me Madam. So, thats what they called me. All of a sudden, I was Madam this and Madam that. It was fun, she said.

But it was an exciting time for the town. At the time, the biggest store was Grants, downtown where the motor vehicle office is now. The town was just coming to life at that point. We did our best with the master plan, and I saw the town grow. It was a really nice time.

Scales also spent time as the night court clerk only temporarily, for about a year, because I couldnt stand doing that for too long, she said and was active with the American Legion, Stafford Historic Society and the historic preservation commission. For a few years, she also served as president of the Republican Club.

At 22, Kate Scales joined the U.S. Navy and didnt tell her mother she had done it until after she signed the paperwork to enlist. (Supplied photo)

All the while, she operated a printing and secretarial service from home while her children grew up and served as a job developer for the local Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) program, through which she helped teens get their high school diplomas while working and completing life and skills training during the Reagan administration.

Years later, following her husbands passing, Kate bought and operated an inn on Cape Cod, in West Harwich, for 13 years, before selling it so she could return to Manahawkin full-time to be closer to her grandchildren.

Ive had an interesting life, said Kate, who credits her grandfathers Scottish genetics Thomas Murray was the only postman in New York to complete his mail route during the blizzard of 1888, featured in The New York Times that year for at least some of her strength and longevity. I was always involved with stuff. And I am strong, not stubborn. If I say, I wont, I wont and if I say, I will, I will. But Im still here. I guess thats something special.

On her 100th birthday, family and friends delivered a drive-by celebration orchestrated by her granddaughter Erika in which relatives from as far away as Texas made the trip just to camp out in the backyard, since there wasnt enough space in the house to accommodate many visitors, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Greg Myhre also made a special visit to present a town proclamation recognizing Kates milestone and give her a key to the city.

I didnt see a reason he should have come by, but he did and gave me this key to the city, she said. It was nice of him to do that. I never saw the keys to the city, so it was something to get one. I havent tried to see if it works yet.

biggy@thesandpaper.net

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Manahawkin Woman 'Scales' 100 Years With Service, Strength and Determination - The SandPaper

More than 15 years ago, I set out to reverse-engineer a formula for longevity. Working with renowned doctors and nutritionists, I identified several Blue Zones: Places around the world where people live the longest.

Along the way, I met experts who helped me understand why the foods people ate led to longer lives. We also distilled 150 dietary surveys of centenarians, or those who live to 100 or longer, to reveal the secrets of a strong longevity regimen.

These nine simple guidelines reflect what foods (and how of much of it) Blue Zone residents eat to stay healthy:

Centenarians eat an impressive variety of garden vegetables and leafy greens (especially spinach, kale, beet and turnip tops, chard and collards) when they are in season.

During the off-season, they pickle or dry the surplus. Beans, greens, sweet potatoes, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds dominate Blue Zone meals all year long.

Olive oil is also a staple. Evidence shows that olive oil consumption increases good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol. In the Greek island Ikaria, for example, we found that for middle-aged people, about six tablespoons of olive oil daily seemed to cut the risk of premature mortality by 50%.

On average, Blue Zone residents eat about two ounces or less of meat about five times per month (usually as a celebratory food, a small side, or as a way to flavor dishes).

One 12-year study, which followed a community of 96,000 Americans in Loma Linda a Blue Zone region in California determined that people who lived the longest were vegans or pesco-vegetarians who ate a small amount of fish.

Vegetarians in Loma Linda, according to the researchers, were more likely to outlive their meat-eating counterparts by as many as eight years.

Okinawans in Japan probably offer the best meat substitute: Extra-firm tofu, which is high in protein and cancer-fighting phytoestrogens.

In most Blue Zones, people ate small amounts of fish, fewer than three ounces up to three times weekly.

Usually, the fish being eaten are small, relatively inexpensive varieties like sardines, anchovies and cod species in the middle of the food chain that are not exposed to the high levels of mercury or other chemicals that pollute our gourmet fish supply today.

Again, fish is not a necessary part of a longevity diet, but if you must eat it, elect varieties that are common and not threatened by overfishing.

Beans reign supreme in Blue Zones and are the cornerstone of every longevity diet in the world: Black beans in Nicoya; lentils, garbanzo and white beans in the Mediterranean; and soybeans in Okinawa.

Most centenarians eat at least four times as many beans as Americans do on average at least a half cup per day. And so should you. Why? Beans are packed with more nutrients per gram than any other food on Earth.

On average, they are made up of 21% protein, 77% complex carbohydrates, and only a few percent fat. Because they are fiber-rich and satisfying, they'll likely help to push less healthy foods out of your diet.

Blue Zone communities eat sugar intentionally, not by habit or accident.

They consume about the same amount of naturally occurring sugars as North Americans do, but only about a fifth as much added sugar no more than seven teaspoons a day.

Between 1970 and 2000, the amount of added sugar in the American food supply rose by 25% (about 22 teaspoons of added sugar per day) generally, the result of the insidious, hidden sugars mixed into soda, yogurt and sauces.

If you must eat sweets, save cookies, candy and bakery items for special occasions (ideally as part of a meal). Limit sugar added to coffee, tea or other foods to no more than four teaspoons per day.

Skip any product that lists sugar among its first five ingredients.

Eat two handfuls of nuts per day.

A handful weighs about two ounces, the average amount that Blue Zone centenarians consume: Almonds in Ikaria and Sardinia, pistachios in Nicoya, and all varieties of nuts with the Adventists in Loma Linda.

A study on food and longevity found that nut eaters outlive non-nut eaters by an average of two to three years. So try to snack on a couple handfuls of almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, walnuts, or peanuts every day.

If you can, strive to eat only sourdough or 100% whole wheat bread.

Most commercially available breads start with bleached white flour, which metabolizes quickly into sugar and spikes insulin levels.

But bread in Blue Zones is either whole grain or sourdough. In Ikaria and Sardinia, breads are made from a variety of whole grains such as wheat, rye or barley, each of which offers a wide spectrum of nutrients.

Whole grains have higher levels of fiber than most commonly used bleached flours. Some traditional Blue Zone breads are made with naturally occurring bacteria called lactobacilli, which "digest" the starches and glutens while making the bread rise.

The process also creates an acid the "sour" in sourdough. The result is bread with less gluten than breads labeled "gluten-free," with a longer shelf life and a pleasantly sour taste that most people like.

If possible, strive to avoid soft drinks, including diet soda. With very few exceptions, people in Blue Zones drink only coffee, tea, water and wine.

(Soft drinks, which account for about half of Americans' sugar intake, were unknown to most Blue Zone centenarians until recently.)

Here's why:

We found that most centenarians traditionally eat whole foods.

These are foods made from single ingredient raw, cooked, ground or fermented and are not highly processed. They eat raw fruits and vegetables; they grind whole grains themselves and then cook them slowly.

They also use fermentation an ancient way to make nutrients bioavailable in the tofu, sourdough bread, wine and pickled vegetables they eat.

And they rarely ingest artificial preservatives. Blue zones dishes typically contain a half dozen or so ingredients, simply blended together.

Dan Buettneris a longevity researcher,National Geographic Fellowand award-winning journalist. He is the author of"The Blue Zones Solution"His latest bestseller,"The Blue Zones Kitchen,"fuses scientific reporting,National Geographicphotography and recipes that may help you live to100. Follow him on Instagram@DanBuettner.

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'Ensure that your diet is 90% to 100% plant-based': 9 food rules from the world's longest-living people - CNBC

The wide world of diet trends is full of limitations and restrictions, and that's likely why the Mediterranean diet, with its mindset of moderation and simplicity, has become so popular. Consistently ranked as a top diet for health and beyond, the adaptable eating style prioritizes whole foods, healthy fats, and lots of colorful produce.

That said, if you only focus on eating Mediterranean diet macros, you'll miss out on many of the health-supporting habits of people who live in this region.

The immense popularity of this eating style originated with a study that became known as the Seven Countries Study. Beginning in the 1950s, this study observed how diet affects heart disease risk inyou guessed itseven countries: the United States, the Netherlands, Finland, Yugoslavia, Italy, Greece, and Japan. While they found the risk was lowest in Italy and Greecethe Mediterranean countriesthe researchers could only partially attribute the health benefits to diet: After all, while nutrition is crucial, health is more than just what we eat.

The work of Dan Buettner, establishing what he's termed "Blue Zones"those areas of the world where people live the longest and the healthiestis further evidence that it's important to take a holistic view of the lifestyles in these regions. Of the five areas Buettner noted as hot spots of longevity, two rest among the Mediterranean. His work has also highlighted common longevity-promoting habits of people across the Blue Zonesones that aren't restricted to dietary choices but expand into lifestyle.

So whether you're already an avid follower of a Mediterranean diet or you're simply looking for a few ways to support your health this holiday season, consider some key components of the Mediterranean dietor Mediterranean lifestyle, if you willthat extend outside the kitchen:

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3 Easy Ways To Embrace Mediterranean Longevity Practices This Holiday Season - mindbodygreen.com

Television presenter and former tennis player Sam Groth says tennis stars are playing longer than ever before.

Speaking on Wide World of Sports with Peter Psaltis and Todd Woodbridge, Groth said it was common to stop around the age of 30 or before.

I probably came in the era where guys were starting to look after themselves a bit better, it became a lot more common for a physio to be with the top players.

And the longevity even since I have retired, coming up on 3 years, guys are playing a lot longer.

Woodbridge agreed, saying todays stars were changing the way the game is being perceived.

It was a mentality as much as it was a physicality even in my own space, because I was 34, he said.

There was no reason why I couldnt have kept playing it was just that seemed like the time you should move on.

And this generation have absolutely wiped that out.

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How the 'longevity' of today's tennis stars has changed the game - 4BC

December 14th, 2020

While scientists are gaining a better understanding of the keys to healthy aging, they are also grappling with the complexities of dementia in all its different forms. Research in the lifestyles and brains of people aged 90 and older are yielding critical insights on habits that lead to a longer life and the different pathologies involved in dementia.

Being Patient spoke with Dr. Claudia Kawas, professor of neurology, neurobiology and behavior at University of California, Irvine, and co-lead investigator of the 90+ Study, about how some people are more resilient than others against dementia.

Education appears to be a critical factor in building peoples resilience against dementia. For one, it is associated with behaviors that promote brain health, which in turn, may influence the risk of dementia. Meanwhile, the more people learn, the more cognitive reserve they may have as a buffer against the disease.

Social engagement is one of the key lifestyle factors that is linked to longevity.

People can experience symptoms similar to those of Alzheimers, even without the presence of beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles in their brains. After all, TDP-43, a biomarker of a newly described form of dementia known as limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE), can be present in peoples brains and impair the brains memory center.

Being Patient: Whats the quality of life of people who are aged 90 and older?

Dr. Claudia Kawas: It really spans the whole range. Unfortunately, variability is the hallmark of aging. You have people at one spectrum who are quite impaired, whether it be [the] ability to walk or think. At the other end of the spectrum, you have people who are remarkable, flying all over and visiting [people], driving, doing artwork, volunteering all sorts of things. And [theres] everybody in between. We know which end of the spectrum we want to be at, so the question is how to move all of us over to the good end.

Being Patient: How are some people able to live without dementia even though their brains are filled with beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles?

Dr. Claudia Kawas: One possibility is that if theyve lived longer, they might have developed dementia. Another possibility might be that the toxic effects arent for some reason affecting them. Now, were realizing that there do appear to be some people, particularly among the oldest old, who [appear to be] resilient. That is, they can have all these things in their head, and theyre still fine.

Being Patient: What contributes to peoples resilience? Could it be that certain genetics protect our brain from neurodegeneration?

Dr. Claudia Kawas: It could be. But it could also be an environmental resiliency. Education appears to be related to resiliency. Maybe its the effects of early life development and education that carry forward with behaviors Some people think it might also be that when you get educated, you can hide the signs [of dementia] for longer.

Being Patient: The case of Ted Rosenbaum from the 90+ Study was featured in the CBS show 60 minutes: He had dementia even though he didnt have plaques in his brain. What could have caused his symptoms of dementia?

Dr. Claudia Kawas: The most likely explanation in his case was something that is now being called LATE limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy. People [with LATE have symptoms that are] very similar to Alzheimers disease. [Alzheimers] is almost always the diagnosis they receive during life. They tend to have memory problems. They tend to progress less quickly. They have a slower rate of decline and lower levels of impairment, at least in some cases.

We now realize that [TDP-43] happens in a lot of disorders, [including] ALS, where it was first identified. Frontotemporal dementia is associated with it. Many Alzheimers patients also have it. You can have Alzheimers alone. You can have [LATE] alone. You can have them both together.

Being Patient: What is TDP-43?

Dr. Claudia Kawas: Its an abnormal protein. Its a hyperphosphorylated protein thats associated with neurodegeneration. In that way, its very similar to an amyloid plaque or a tau tangle, which are the abnormal proteins we use to identify Alzheimers disease.

[LATE] basically identifies another disease process. For example, when we talk about Alzheimers disease, we say [people] have amyloid [and] tau. If were talking about Parkinsons, we talk about the alpha-synuclein protein, which is whats in Lewy bodies. A lot of people think that this entity of LATE is another thing along the same lines: You might have [TDP-43] as the associated abnormality. Maybe stopping that phosphorylation will help and maybe it wont.

The same problem we have now with [TDP-43] is the one we have [had] for Alzheimers disease through my entire career, until recently. Now, I can get an idea if you have an amyloid plaque or a tau [tangle] in your head [through] a PET scan, or a spinal tap, or most recently some blood assays. But I cant do any of those things yet for [TDP-43], although people are working on it. [It] would help a lot to study it more.

Theres some optimism that needs to be said here. It turns out that over the last 20 years. The age-specific risk of dementia has gone down. If you were an 80 year old 20 years ago, your likelihood of having dementia at [one time point] was much higher than it is if youre an 80 year old now.

The real interesting part about that is what made it go down, because the only thing I know for sure is none of our drug trials were successful. There is no drug that made it go down. [There are] other things that are happening, some of which I think have to do with lifestyle [and] management of things like hypertension and cholesterol. The fact that its down [is] very encouraging [for] us, because it should tell us that theres factors that we may be already manipulating, and theres probably more.

Being Patient: We have all experienced a great deal of isolation during the pandemic, and we know that social isolation is detrimental to brain health. How are your study participants doing during the pandemic?

Dr. Claudia Kawas: Its been a long year, and a very isolating one for our 90-year-olds. About a month ago, when we temporarily reopened the clinic so that they could come in for it in-person visits, out of the first 15 people we called, 14 immediately were scheduled and came in. We miss seeing them and they miss seeing us.

[The effect of social engagement] is always minimized in our head. It doesnt sound real scientific or its not a pill. But engaging with other people probably contributes more to brain health than we generally admit Its a very important kind of brain activity.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Contact Nicholas Chan at nicholas@beingpatient.com

See the original post:
What the 90+ Community Can Teach Us About Longevity and Dementia - Being Patient

Because the past is being wiped away, and experts must choose between authenticity and longevity.

The city of Venice, all but completely submerged in water, so that tourists are greeted by a maze of planks and boardwalks that make it possible to see the sites but only from a distance. Easter Island, its iconic statues whittled away by watery erosion. The Statue of Liberty, her great American torch of hope chipped from storm damage.

These are the very real threats of climate change staring at the worlds most memorable sites. There are myriad more challenges facing lesser-known places of deep cultural importance in the U.S. alone, from waves battering coastline cottages in North Carolina to flooding rivers sweeping away archaeological digs in North Dakota and forest fires literally burning history to ashes in California.

While preservationists have long fought nature in trying to protect monuments, the signs of escalating climate change are now adding fresh urgency to an old debate: How to balance the desire to restore sites as closely to their original forms as possible with the need to ensure that they survive decades or centuries longer. For generations, conservationists have trained in the art of ensuring near-perfect authenticity in their restoration work. Now, leading minds at universities and nonprofits, from groups like the Union of Concerned Scientists to UNESCO, are recognizing that a new approach might be needed. One, where restoration using climate-friendly and sustainable materials and technology are given precedence over the urge to use the same materials and approach as was originally done even if the monument looks slightly different as a consequence.

There is just this growing awareness on multiple levels.

Erin Seekamp, North Carolina State University

Its a strategy North Carolina State Universitys Erin Seekamp calls transformative continuity, and it involves altering sites to better protect them for the future while still preserving the central elements that make those sites culturally significant.

There is just this growing awareness on multiple levels of people hearing this need to get ready and prepared to learn how to deal with loss, says Seekamp, who published a paper on the subject in August.

Its an approach that conservationists in different parts of the world are beginning to embrace. A 140-year-old building in Brussels has been refurbished with insulation on the facades and the roof and improved ventilation. Centuries-old hammams public baths in Moroccos Fez have been retrofitted with solar panels so they can double up as giant batteries. Chan Chan, an earthen city in the Moche Valley desert of Peru that served as the capital of the Chimor empire, is at new risk from erosion caused by intensifying storms from the El Nio weather phenomenon. There, the Peruvian government is spending millions of dollars to preserve the citys drainage systems while installing roof coverings and erecting protective scaffolding.

To be sure, approaches to preservation vary from place to place. Theres a school of thought, for instance, which argues that restoration by its very nature alters the way nature has ordained a structure to evolve, endure wear and tear, and eventually collapse. Questions of cultural sensitivity also often crop up in debates over whether its OK to adapt the original monument to a new look just to preserve it.

But experts say theyve increasingly found local communities ready to see their monuments adopt climate-friendly technologies and materials. Seekamp interviewed locals while working with the National Park Service to protect historic beachside buildings in Portsmouth and Cape Lookout Villages. She asked them whether they would prefer elevating the buildings or picking them up and moving them farther in shore.

The communities did not want to see them moved at all, Seekamp says, particularly because the people who lived in those homes, dating as far back as 1753, understood that change would be necessary given their existence in a low-lying region.

Many old buildings were also constructed using traditional technology or ideas that also inherently give them better ventilation and make them more climate-resistant. All thats needed is an upgrade. Take the structures Seekamp is working on. The buildings had floor plugs that helped ensure the building didnt move from its structure during storms.

Still, incorporating local input is vital, especially with communities that for decades or centuries havent been adequately heard. That includes monuments on indigenous lands. People are coming together to think about these things in a deeper way, says James Rattling Leaf, a member of the South Dakota Rosebud Sioux tribe and a liaison with the Northeast Central Climate Adaptation Science Center. My only thing? Make sure to include indigenous people.

After all, many indigenous artifacts are today already outside of their original environments and in museums that never sought permission to take them. Its the same with artifacts from Asia, Africa and Latin America stolen by colonial powers that now sit in European museums. Now theres a growing movement for repatriation of these items. But for local communities, preservation often comes down to resources. Its always an issue of funding, in terms of how we make decisions about what we save and what we dont save, Rattling Leaf says.

Technology too is modernizing preservation. Seekamp created a data-driven model for determining the significance and vulnerability of Cape Lookout Village buildings, which was then used to help National Park Service managers prioritize more cost-effectively. Rattling Leaf has also seen his work increasingly involve analytics as he decodes the impact of climate change on historical sites. He is especially excited about the prospect of digital inclusion the ability for tribes to choose artifacts to digitize through imaging tech, which would allow them to be replicated: If you have an artifact or item to preserve, you could use 3D imaging to replicate those items, where you dont have to touch the original or affect them.

To be sure, there are risks. Changing the soil structure under and around a monument to help structural stability may have other unforeseen consequences, for instance. Future generations might have little or no memory of the original look of monuments that are adapted. Still, more and more conservationists are pointing out that those challenges pale in comparison to the more dire threat that without change, those monuments might simply not exist some years from now. To them, thats what makes this a gamble worth taking.

Read the original:
Authenticity Versus Longevity for Preservation: Which Matters More? - OZY

The Blue Zoneswhich includes places like Ikaria, Greece and Okinawa, Japanare home to some of the worlds oldest and healthiest people. While a lot of factors play into how often theyre celebrating folks 100th birthdayslike having a larger purpose, natural movement, and stress managementthe food they put on their plate is a biggie.

You might think a typical Blue Zones-approved grocery list is loaded with hard-to-find exotic foods, but Dan Buettner, longevity expert and author of The Blue Zones Kitchen, has made it clear that theres only simple, wholesome, and nutritious options you can find at any store. Better yet, you dont even need to load your refrigerator with fresh fruit and veggies to eat like those living in centenarian hotspots. You can utilize your freezer to reap the same benefitsand save some money in the process.

The next time you schedule your grocery pick-up, make sure to bring these freezer foods for longevity home with you.

While fresh fruit can go bad in a matter of days, frozen fruit can last forever. The Blue Zones recommends stocking up on frozen fruit and adding it to smoothies, yogurt, and oatmealreally, whatever you want. In addition to fiber, these gems contain phytonutrients, which play a key role in gut and immune health, the site reads.

Stock up on:Berries, pineapple, mangoes, peaches, and other fruits you love

Its no surprise frozen veggies are on this list. Because theyre frozen at the peak of freshness, Blue Zones says theyll not only last a long time, but also provide the same nutritional benefits as the fresh kind. Plus, you can make frozen veggies taste just as great with the right cooking method. One of the easiest ways to prepare frozen veggies of any kind is to roast them in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil, garlic, and herbs.

Stock up on: Spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, riced cauliflower, butternut squash, asparagus, green beans, and any other veggies you love

Yep, bread is a freezer staple, too. Blue Zones recommends baking up a loaf of gut-friendly sourdough bread. Or, simply grab a loaf of 100 percent whole grain bread from the grocery store. Whenever youre ready for a new loaf, let it thaw in the fridge. Then enjoy some avocado toast or a veggie-packed sandwich.

Stock up on: Sourdough bread or 100 percent whole grain bread

The Blue Zones recommends storing nuts in your freezer for later use, too. In fact, nuts last longer in the freezer or refrigerator than they do in the pantry: The biggest reason to store dry goods in the refrigerator is to prevent the oils in nuts from turning rancid, says Emily Brekke, executive chef at Mint Kitchen. Eat two handfuls of nuts every day, which experts say can help decrease your risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, and other health issues.

Stock up on: Walnuts, almonds, peanuts, Brazil nuts, and cashews

Buettner is a big fan of 100 percent whole grains, which store easily in your freezer after theyre cooked. Make preparing meals a breeze by preparing single-serve options of your favorite whole grains (he loves fiber-packed steel cut oats and brown rice), then freeze them until youre ready to use them. Instead of making a new batch of rice for every meal, you can warm up a pre-made batch in minutes.

Stock up on: Steel cut oats, brown rice, quinoa, farro, millet, and barley

For more healthy recipes and cooking ideas from our community, join Well+Goods Cook With Us Facebook group.

See more here:
5 Items You Should Always Have in Your Freezer, According To a Longevity Expert - Well+Good

Boca Raton, Dec. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine Concludes the 28th Annual World Congress

The 28th Annual World Congress | The Science of Longevity: Exploring the Limits of the Human Lifespan concluded on Sunday, December 13th. Delivered entirely online for the first since its inception, the highly anticipated event provided clinicians from around the world with direct access to over 30 renowned clinical educators, 5 in-depth clinical tracks, 30 advanced educational sessions, 8 product theater presentations, 40 featured industry sponsors, and moreall from the safety and comfort of their homes. Centered on the latest knowledge in longevity medicine, the conference delivered actionable, and clinically transformative solutions for clinicians to improve patient health spans.

Prior to the official start of the Congress, the Academy delivered two pre-conference events: the Pain & Cannabinoid Medicine Update and the Lab Fundamentals Workshop. Led by industry leading experts such as Drs. Wade Cooper, DO of the University of Michigan, Joseph Maroon, MD of the University of Pittsburgh, and more, these pre-conference workshops delivered in-depth expertise on valuable tools that participants could integrate immediately into practice.

The conference officially commenced on December 12th, with opening remarks delivered by A4M Educational Director, Dr. Andrew Heyman, MD, MHSA on the current state of healthcare and the future trajectory of longevity-based medicine. General sessions continued with presentations on topics such as fasting, hormones and immunocompetence, and the Wahls protocols from world-renowned clinicians Drs. Valter Longo, PhD, Thierry Hertoghe, MD, and Terry Wahls, MD respectively. The remainder of the day was divided into three separate educational tracks: regenerative therapies, the aging brain, and a non-cme track centered on cutting edge therapeutic options.

Day two of the conference began with a wide array of general sessions topics from industry experts including a presentation on the evolutionary gender differences role in longevity from Dr. Felice Gersh, the latest bio-hacking tools from Dave Asprey, and more. The conference continued with three subsequent tracks: the Longevity Toolbox, Immunocompetency and Aging, and the New Key to Vascular Health.

Additionally, 40 companies participated through the events Company Spotlight pagean interactive page that allowed attendees to browse through the latest tools, resources, and services at their convenience.

On the success of the conference, A4Ms educational directors remarked:

What an amazing weekend of the latest and cutting edge science in longevity medicine and prolonging human Health Span. We had world class clinicians and scientists from major academia and private sector teaching our attendees from around the globe the latest science and tools to expand our Health Span. So honored to be part of the academic programming committee where A4M has and continues to be the global leader in functional and longevity medicine education. - Sahar Swidan, PharmD, BCPS, ABAAHP, FAARFM, FACA | Director of Professional Programming, A4M

"The A4M Congress on Longevity Medicine was a great success! World class speakers. Incredible cutting edge content. And a huge online audience. I am so proud to be a part of this leading education organization. It is without peer as a global leader in Anti Aging and Regenerative Medicine. We will continue to maintain our high standards of academic excellence in 2021 and I look forward to all the new wonderful programs in the coming year. - Andrew Heyman, MD, MHSA | Director of Academic Affairs, A4M

Delivered during a undeniably transformative, challenging, and revealing year in modern medicine, the 28th edition of the Annual Anti-Aging World Congress delivered timely clinical pearls for practitioners seeking to improve the quality of patient health spans, and ultimately build a new and more resilient standard of healthcare.

The rest is here:
The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine Concludes the 28th Annual World Congress - GlobeNewswire

GOSHEN Goshens mayor will be getting a pay increase heading into the new year following action by the Goshen City Council on Tuesday evening.

At the meeting, council members approved an ordinance establishing the 2021 compensation for elected city officials, though not before first approving an amendment to the ordinance calling for an increase in the mayors salary in the form of an annual $5,000 longevity bonus.The mayor will receive a bi-weekly salary in 2021 of $3,665, plus the new $5,000 longevity bonus

INCREASE, WITH CONDITIONS

Council president Brett Weddell, R-at Large, was responsible for putting forward the amendment calling for the mayoral salary bump, which as approved reads as follows:

Commencing at the beginning of the mayors fifth year in office, the mayor shall receive a longevity increase in pay in the amount of $5,000 during each year the mayor serves as mayor. The longevity increase in pay shall be included in the mayors regular bi-weekly paycheck. This increase in pay shall not be considered as part of the compensation of the mayor when considering increases or decreases in the mayors pay.

So, the base salary is the same, Weddell explained, noting that for a new mayor to be eligible to receive the annual longevity bonus, they would need to be re-elected to another four-year term, and thus begin their fifth year in the position.

Ive been proposing, I think for three or four years at least, trying to increase the mayors salary a little bit. Before my time, councilman Everett Thomas tried unsuccessfully. I know there has been some pushback on this. I was hoping, in discussion with our city attorney, that this might be a little more palatable for some people, so that way an incoming new mayor isnt getting the increase right away, and this is showing a little bit of an appreciation for the hard work that a mayor is doing. So, thats the idea behind it.

Given that Stutsman is currently finishing out his fifth year in office, having been re-elected to his second four-year term in 2019, it was explained that he will immediately be eligible to receive the annual $5,000 longevity bonus.

PAY BUMP NEEDED?

Council member Julia King, D-at Large, upon hearing of the proposed amendment, said she did not feel such an increase is warranted, noting primarily that the mayors current pay scale is in line with the mayors of many similarly sized cities in the state.

If you look at the size of the city, the number of employees, the area median income, the mayoral pay in similar cities, kind of the educational requirements, coupled with state statue guidance... To me, it doesnt make sense, because were very much in alignment with all of those things, King said of the proposed pay increase. Goshen is above average, in my research.

She also noted that during previous discussions about such an increase, the council had agreed to hold off on such a change until a full survey of all city employee salaries had been conducted.

My recollection was, the last time we talked about this, we agreed that there was going to be an attempt to do a complete salary review of all employees before we brought this back again, King said. And I understand why it didnt happen this year. But, do I misremember that? That was my recollection. Because Im open to something like that once I know, kind of up and down the board, everyone is taken care of.

In response, Weddell said he would still be open to moving forward with such a salary review for the citys employees, though he felt that when it came to the mayors salary, an increase was warranted and should be pursued immediately.

Im not going to compare us to other communities. I look, and I know, what job the mayor of our city does. I know the hours that he works. I know how he puts personal responsibilities and family aside for this job, and theres no doubt in my mind that its underpaid, plain and simple, Weddell said. I dont really care to compare it to other communities. I dont know what their mayors do. ... I know whats going on in our community, and if I compare the job that our mayor is doing, what hes in charge of, and compare it to executives in other businesses education, manufacturing and whatnot I think that this is small potatoes so to speak.

INCENTIVE TO EXCEL

Council member Megan Eichorn, D-District 4, offered a similar sentiment in voicing her support for the increase.

I think what I like about this amendment is that, in most jobs, people expect, or have an expectation of a wage scale. So, everyone within the city has this wage scale that they know that when they start here, and they get to 10 years down the road, theyre going to be making this amount of money, and that theres an increase. For the mayors position, there isnt that option, Eichorn said. So, I do think that this, having a base pay, which a new mayor would come in at, is a fair piece. And then putting in five years of work, you get this longevity increase, I think its absolutely consistent with how other industries work with regard to knowing that if youre there for a certain amount of time, youre going to be making more money.

And it also, I think, incentivizes mayors who are doing a good job to continuing wanting to stay, she added. Given the amount of hours and time that the job requires, whether its personal choice to put that amount in, or the requirement of the job, or the situation that were in, I know at least our mayor works far more hours than the average person. So, I think that doing something like this is very reasonable.

In the end, a majority of the councils members agreed, and a motion to approve the ordinance amendment adding the annual $5,000 longevity increase to the mayors salary was passed in a vote of 5-2 in favor.

Voting for the amendment were council members Weddell; Eichorn; Jim McKee, R-District 1; Doug Nisley, R-District 2; and Matt Schrock, R-District 3. Voting against the amendment were council members King and Gilberto Perez Jr., D-District 5.

With the amendment approved, the council then voted unanimously on both first and second readings to approve the ordinance establishing the 2021 compensation for elected city officials as amended.

This was a surprise to me tonight, and I really appreciate the councils support and thoughtfulness of how hard Im working, Stutsman said of the pay bump prior to Tuesdays vote. I do appreciate that, and I appreciate working with each of you. So, thank you.

ELECTED OFFICIALS

As approved Tuesday, the clerk-treasurer will receive a bi-weekly salary of $2,793; the city judge will receive a bi-weekly salary of $2,007; and the seven city council members will receive bi-weekly salaries of $584.

The ordinance also notes that the mayor, clerk-treasurer and judge must enroll in the citys group health insurance plan, where the city will pay 80% of the total cost, or $347.09, and the mayor, clerk-treasurer and judge pay 20% of the cost, or $86.77, toward the cost of the weekly health insurance premium.

The judge and council members are not eligible to enroll in the citys group health insurance plan, as they are considered to be employees working 1,300 hours or less per year, and thus do not qualify for coverage.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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Goshen mayor to receive $5,000 bonus in 2021 | News - Goshen News

Posted: 8:38am Tuesday 15 Dec, 2020

File Image.

New research backed by the Ministry for Primary Industries could help bumblebee hives to live longer and be more efficient.

The new project is researching ways to protect the long-term sustainability of New Zealand horticulture, including how to enhance the performance of bumblebee hives using pheromones.

MPI is contributing $160,000 towards the $400,000 project through its Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures fund.

Dr Gunjan Gera of Gourmet Waiuku Limited is leading the project, supported by consultant Dr Jo Stephens.

Dr Gera says bumblebees are often used for pollination in berryfruit crops, glasshouses, and other covered crop areas as the bees tend to travel only about 200 metres from their hives and dont mind enclosed spaces, whereas honeybees prefer to fly to flowers further afield.

In the field, the queen bumblebee of a commercial hive lives for approximately 8-10 weeks and the hive winds down once the queen dies.

With fewer worker bees, the hives can appear less active when compared to honeybees and there can be variation in vigour and productiveness.

Our project will study various factors and compounds in conjugation with the bumblebee queens to see if we can extend the life of a hive to at least 12-18 weeks. If this works, we have a way of complementing nature, using a pheromone substitute.

The technology is in its infancy overseas and commercial companies using it havent yet released much information, says Dr Jo Stephens.

Were hoping to lead the way in NZ, but it will involve a good deal of trial and error given the limited progress globally in this area.

Dr Stephens explains that bumblebees were introduced to New Zealand from the United Kingdom by the early pioneers, so there is limited genetic diversity. Although commercial breeders incorporate new genetic diversity from the wild occasionally, the gene pool is limited.

Another important part of the research will be screening bumblebees for diseases, including those associated with inbreeding.

Well be looking at the levels of inbreeding in New Zealand populations to see if this is a major concern, and whether we need to consider the possibility of importing bumblebee genetics.

MPI Investment Programmes director Steve Penno says this project could help increase the productivity of bumblebee hives dramatically.

Enhancing bumblebee activity would mean better pollination for growers, which means higher yields and better quality produce, he says.

As well as the bumblebee research, the project will also look at developing technology to rear Limonicuspredatory mites.

This mite is effective in controlling thrips, whiteflies, and other mites in greenhouses and protected culture systems.

While it occurs naturally in New Zealand, it is currently only reared overseas and is re-imported for New Zealand growers.

This is expensive, time-consuming, and theres always the risk of supply shortages, says Dr Gera.

If we can successfully rear these mites for commercial production and release them in New Zealand it will be far more cost-effective to control pests.

Excerpt from:
New study aims to increase longevity of bee hives - The Bay's News First - SunLive

SportOther SportThe longevity of the career is staggering.

Sunday, 13th December 2020, 2:49 pm

Lee Westwood may never have won a major the best player never to do so dare we say but even that must now be rendered inconsequential given this latest achievement.

Twenty years after winning the European Tours money list for the first time, and 11 years after claiming it for a second time, the 47-year-old from Worksop topped the Order of Merit for a third occasion in the Middle East yesterday.

The Race to Dubai it might now be known, but how the evergreen Westwood outran athletes half his age over the marathon of a season is a testament to his everlasting durability.

Granted, it was a season truncated by coronavirus, but still. This has to be Westwoods crowning glory, eclipsing even November 2010 when he rose to No 1 in the world rankings.

Eclipsing his first Order of Merit title, surely, when he ended Colin Montgomeries seven-year stranglehold over the European Tour.

Even then, that first Harry Vardon Trophy for Europes premier player, would have been his earlier had it not been for Montgomerie, with Westwood winning 12 times over a three-year span from 1998.

His first win came in 1996. Earlier this year the man who honed his skills at Worksop Golf Club achieved a victory in four different decades.

There have been lean years, notably a spell after the turn of the millennium when he plummeted to a position outside the top 250 in the world, but that he scaled the mountain top eventually a deceade ago now says much about his resolve.

Not many golfers can operate at the top level for the best part of a quarter of a century. For every Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson on the PGA Tour, who can match Westwood for longevity, there is a David Duval, Vijay Singh or Jason Dufner, men who enjoyed spells but faded.

Watching it all unfold yesterday was Billy Foster, for so long Westwoods caddie but now carrying the bag for Sheffields Matt Fitzpatrick, the only man to go lower than Westwood in Dubai.

Foster will have been the first to join Westwood for a celebratory drink.

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Lee Westwoods longevity at the top his greatest achievement - Yorkshire Post

We all know that good nutrition is linked to good health. Vitamins are a vital part of the equation and B vitamins are essential for preventative care (1). They can aid in promoting a healthy metabolism (1) and are also linked to reducing the risk of stroke (1) (2) (3).

Vitamin B complex comprises eight B vitamins. These include Vitamin B-1 (thiamine) (4), B-2 (riboflavin) (5), B-3 (niacin) (6), B-5 (pantothenic

acid) (7), B-6 (pyridoxine) (8), B-7 (biotin) (9), B-9 (folate or *folic acid) (10) and B-12 (cobalamin) (11). They are key to a healthy body and regulate energy levels, brain function, and cell metabolism (12).

If you enjoy a varied and balanced diet, it is unlikely that youll be vitamin B deficient. Of all the B vitamin deficiencies, B-12 deficiency is the most common.

According to Jennifer Brown (Ph.D.) for Everyday Health (1) symptoms of a B-12 deficiency include:

People who experience this deficiency often experience depression, anxiety, and mood swings(1). Folate (also known as vitamin B-9 or *folic acid) is at the forefront of mood management(1). Findings have shown that many people who battle depression have a lower level of folate present in their blood (1) (12) (13).

B vitamins are key for a healthy body and have a direct impact on your health, energy levels, brain function, and cell metabolism (12). Cell metabolism is a set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms in order to maintain life (13).

If youre looking to regulate and possibly improve your mood. Folate (vitamin B-9 or *folic acid) is found in: green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, peanuts, and other legumes, and citrus fruits (1).

Foods that contain high levels of vitamin B are

Specifically, salmon is low in mercury as well as being a great source. Salmon is high in riboflavin, niacin, B6, and B12(14).Its also a good source of vitamin B-1 (thiamine) and vitamin B-5 (pantothenic acid) (14).

They have a high B-9 (folate) content. The highest sources of folate are spinach (raw or cooked), collard greens, turnip greens, and romaine lettuce (14). Unfortunately, some of the folate is destroyed during the cooking process (14). This can be lost in the water when boiling. The best course of action is to steam them until they are partway between tender and crisp (15).

Liver and organ meats are admittedly, not particularly popular. However, they contain loads of vitamin B. If you are a meat eater and can stomach liver, this could be a great way to supplement your intake (14).

According to Healthline (14) one large egg contains 33% of the RDI for biotin. This is spread equally between the yolk and the white. So, in order to get as much biotin as possible, its best to eat the whole egg. Be aware that raw egg whites contain avidin which is a protein that prevents the absorption of biotin into the body. Eggs also contain small amounts of other B vitamins including B-2, B-5, b-7, B-9, and B-12 (14).

Just 8oz or. 240 ml of milk provides 26% of the RDI for riboflavin (14). Milk and other dairy products are usually the top sources of riboflavin (B-2) in peoples diets (16). This is followed by meat and grains (16). Milk is also a great source of cobalamin (B-12) (14). B-12 is also absorbed most efficiently through the milk and dairy products. Studies have shown absorption rates of 5179% (14).

All meat is a good source for vitamin B, but studies have shown that beef is best (14). Overall, meat and associated products are the main sources of thiamine, niacin, and pyridoxine (14) (17). Beef specifically though, boasts very high levels of B3, B6, and B12. A 3.5 oz or 100g serving provides about a third of the RDI for each of these vitamins (14).

These are a great source of both vitamin B-12 (cobalamin) and B-2 (riboflavin). In fact, oysters, clams, and mussels each contain at least four times the RDI for vitamin B12 per serving (14) (18).

Having good levels of B vitamins is great for your body. Maintaining proper levels of folate (B-9 or folic acid) can help to improve mood and reduce mood swings. This is a great one to increase if you battle with PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome). Making sure that you eat a balanced diet whether you are vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian or a meat-eater is vital when it comes to maintaining levels. Increasing your intake of green leafy vegetables is always a good idea. Just make sure not to overcook them. If you can stomach oysters, mussels, clams and/or liver, its a fabulous source of B vitamins. Its also worth noting that youre **unlikely to get too much in your diet. B vitamins are water-soluble and so any excess will be excreted through your urine (14).

*Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate which is found in supplements and fortified foods (1)

**Please see your doctor if any of the following symptoms develop. This could mean you have overdosed on vitamin B complex: excessive thirst, skin conditions, blurry vision, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, increased urination, diarrhea, or skin flushing (14).

Original post:
B Vitamins: What are they and how can they help? - Longevity LIVE - Longevity LIVE

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clene Nanomedicine, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced the presentation of blinded interim results from the Phase 2 RESCUE-ALS clinical trial investigating the effects of its lead clinical candidate, CNM-Au8, for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). CNM-Au8 is an aqueous suspension of clean-surfaced, faceted gold nanocrystals with catalytic activity that has been shown to enhance the metabolic energetic capacity of motor neurons while simultaneouslyreducing oxidative stress.

As of the data cutoff (October 27, 2020), the trial was fully enrolled with a preliminary blinded assessment of the studys primary endpoint, the motor neuron number index-4 [MUNIX(4)] score, showing that more than 40% of enrolled patients with completed week 12 data experienced improvements in motor neuron function assessed by MUNIX. When compared to baseline values, the average MUNIX(4) score of the overall trial population (including both active CNM-Au8 and placebo) experienced an absolute increase in mean MUNIX(4) values. This increase exceeded the expectations of the statistical modeling on which the study was based, which predicted a linear decline in average MUNIX(4) score from study onset (Neuwirth et al. JNNP 2015). These data, while blinded, suggest that CNM-Au8 may have neuro-reparative potential in ALS patients. Clene expects to report the complete, unblinded results from the RESCUE-ALS study in 2H 2021.

Although blinded to treatment assignment, these data are encouraging. We believe Clenes breakthrough approach with the application of physics to biology via direct electron interactions within cellular systems at the nano-scale may hold the potential to revolutionize the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and other motor neuron diseases, said Robert Glanzman, MD, FAAN, Chief Medical Officer of Clene.

Rob Etherington, President and CEO of Clene added, This blinded interim analysis suggests that CNM-Au8 is working mechanistically to address a foundational challenge common to many neurodegenerative diseases, namely that stressed or failing neurons need additional energy for their survival, repair, and improved function. Emerging MUNIX data potentially indicate preservation of motor units, which is promising. We eagerly anticipate final results and are encouraged that these blinded interim results may provide hope for ALS patients and their families as they search for new therapies to treat this devastating disease.

The presentation (CLT-23) titled, RESCUE-ALS Trial, A Phase 2, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of CNM-Au8 to Slow Disease Progression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients: Design and Interim Blinded Results, is available as a live e-Poster on December 10th at 12:10 12:50 pm EST at the Virtual 31st International Symposium on ALS/MND, held online (https://symposium.mndassociation.org/virtual-2020/).

About RESCUE-ALSRESCUE-ALS is a Phase 2 multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebo-controlled study examining the efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of CNM-Au8 in participants who are newly symptomatic with ALS (within 24-months of screening or 12-months from diagnosis). Enrolled subjects will be randomized 1:1 to receive either active treatment with CNM-Au8 (30 mg) or placebo in addition to their current standard of care. Participants will receive their randomized treatment over 36 consecutive weeks during the treatment period. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of improving neuronal bioenergetics, reducing reactive oxygen species and promoting protein homeostasis with CNM-Au8 to slow disease progression in patients with ALS. In the trial, efficacy is assessed as the average change in motor neuron unit number index (MUNIX) estimated by electromyography for the abductor digiti minimi (ADM), abductor pollicis brevis (APB), biceps brachii (BB), and tibialis anterior (TA) (muscles of the hand, arm, and leg). The trial was fully enrolled with 44 participants as of the reported 27-October-2020 data cut. Baseline characteristics include [mean (SD)], MUNIX(4) score: 93.7 (45.8); FVC % predicted: 80.8 (16.3); ALSFRS-R: 38.6 (6.1); ALSSQOL-20: 3.3 (1.3), mean time from diagnosis: 4.7 (4.6) months; riluzole background treatment, 92%.

About CNM-Au8CNM-Au8 is a concentrated, aqueous suspension of clean-surfaced faceted gold nanocrystals that act catalytically to support important intracellular biological reactions. CNM-Au8 consists solely of pure gold nanoparticles, composed of clean-surfaced, faceted, geometrical crystals held in suspension in sodium bicarbonate buffered, pharmaceutical grade water. CNM-Au8 has demonstrated safety in Phase 1 studies in healthy volunteers and has shown both remyelination and neuroprotective effects in multiple preclinical (animal) models. Preclinical data, both published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific congresses, demonstrate that treatment of neuronal cultures with CNM-Au8 improves survival of neurons, protects neurite networks, decreases intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species and improves mitochondrial capacity in response to cellular stresses induced by multiple disease-relevant neurotoxins. Oral treatment with CNM-Au8 improved functional behaviors in rodent models of ALS, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinsons disease versus vehicle (placebo). CNM-Au8 is currently being tested in a Phase 2 clinical study for the treatment of chronic optic neuropathy in patients with MS in addition to Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical studies for disease progression in patients with ALS.

About ALSALS is a universally fatal neurodegenerative disorder that results in loss of motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, brain stem, and spinal cord. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, leads to the death of the neurons controlling voluntary muscles resulting in weakness, muscle atrophy, and progressive paralysis. ALS affects more than 15,000 patients in the United States and is the most prevalent adult-onset progressive motor neuron disease.

About CleneClene is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of unique therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. Clene has innovated a novel nanotechnology drug platform for the development of a new class of orally administered neurotherapeutic drugs. Clene has also advanced into the clinic an aqueous solution of ionic zinc and silver for anti-viral and anti-microbial uses. Founded in 2013, the company is based in Salt Lake City, Utah with R&D and manufacturing operations located in North East, Maryland. For more information, please visit http://www.clene.com.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains, and certain oral statements made by representatives of Tottenham, Clene, and their respective affiliates, from time to time may contain, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Tottenham's and Clene's actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as "expect," "estimate," "project," "budget," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "might" and "continues," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, Tottenham's and Clene's expectations with respect to future performance and anticipated financial impacts of the business combination, the satisfaction of the closing conditions to the business combination and the timing of the completion of the business combination. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results. Most of these factors are outside the control of Tottenham or Clene and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement relating to the proposed business combination; (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Tottenham or Clene following the announcement of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; (3) the inability to complete the business combination, including due to failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of Tottenham or other conditions to closing in the Merger Agreement; (4) delays in obtaining or the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals (including approval from regulators, as applicable) required to complete the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; (5) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement or could otherwise cause the transaction to fail to close; (6) the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the post-acquisition company's ordinary shares on NASDAQ following the business combination; (7) the risk that the business combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the business combination; (8) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; (9) costs related to the business combination; (10) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (11) the possibility that Clene or the combined company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and (12) other risks and uncertainties to be identified in the Form S-4 filed by Chelsea Worldwide (when available) relating to the business combination, including those under "Risk Factors" therein, and in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) made by Tottenham and Clene. Tottenham and Clene caution that the foregoing list of factors is neither exclusive nor exhaustive. Tottenham and Clene caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Neither Tottenham or Clene undertakes or accepts any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, subject to applicable law. The information contained in any website referenced herein is not, and shall not be deemed to be, part of or incorporated into this press release.

Media ContactAndrew MielachLifeSci Communications(646) 876-5868amielach@lifescicomms.com

Investor ContactBruce MackleLifeSci Advisors, LLC(929) 469-3859bmackle@lifesciadvisors.com

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Clene Nanomedicine Presents Blinded Interim Results from RESCUE-ALS Phase 2 Study at the 31st International Symposium on ALS/MNDResults provide...

Global Nanomedicine market Industry Trends and Forecast to 2027 New Research Report Added to Databridgemarketresearch.com database. The report width Of pages : 350 Figures: 60 And Tables: 220 in it. To build an influential report, detailed market analysis has been conducted with the inputs from industry experts. By working on a number of steps for collecting and analysing market data, this supreme market research report is prepared with the expert team. It describes various definitions and segmentation or classifications of the industry, applications of the industry and value chain structure. Businesses can obtain a complete knowhow of general market conditions and tendencies with the information and data involved in the credible Global Nanomedicine market business report. The foremost areas of market analysis such as market definition, market segmentation, competitive analysis and research methodology are looked upon very vigilantly and precisely throughout the report.

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Global Nanomedicine market 2020- Industry Overview, Global Trends, Market Analysis, CAGR Values and Country Level Demand To Forecast by 2027 -...

Key Griffith University research projects have received $4.5 million in funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Announced on December 15 by the Federal Minister for Health, The Honorable Greg Hunt MP, the seven Ideas Grants projects will contribute to vital health and medical research.

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Professor Mario Pinto said the funding highlights the extraordinary work conducted by the Universitys researchers in addressing major societal health challenges.

These projects have the potential to make a significant difference to peoples health and wellbeing. I extend my congratulations and appreciation to all staff who have contributed to these efforts.

More than half the funding for Griffith University was awarded to projects within theInstitute for Glycomics, withfour research projects securing $2.56 million to explore a super vaccine that tackles bothinfluenza virus andGroup A Streptococcus bacteria and other vaccine development projects that tackle other clinically important bacterial infections.

Institute Director Professor Mark von Itzstein AO said the awards cemented the Institutes reputation as a leading biomedical research institute.

Our institute is focussed on translational research outcomes that diagnose, prevent and treat diseases of global impact. These grants will significantly assist our researchers to deliver on our mission to achieve a disease-free world.

NHMRC Ideas

Dr Mehfuz Zaman, Professor Mark von Itzstein and Professor Michael Good (Institute for Glycomics) awarded $707, 717 for the project Vaccine to prevent Influenza Virus and Bacterial superinfection (Associate Professor Victor Huber, University of South Dakota).

Associate Professor Kate Seib, Professor Michael Jennings and Dr Arun Everest-Dass (Institute for Glycomics) awarded $826,490 for the project Gonococcal vaccine development guided by a cross-protective meningococcal vaccine (Dr Caroline Thng, Gold Coast Health).

Dr Freda Jen, Associate Professor Kate Seib, Professor Michael Jennings and Dr Milton Kiefel (Institute for Glycomics) awarded $526,949.6 for the project Targeting a bacterial glycol-Achilles heel to make new vaccines for Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Professor Michael Jennings, Associate Professor Thomas Haselhorst, Dr Lucy Shewell, Dr Christopher Day (Institute for Glycomics) awarded $608,425 for the project Structure and biophysical analysis aided design of novel toxoid vaccines for a major class of bacterial toxins (Prof James Paton, The University of Adelaide, Prof Mark Walker, The University of Queensland and Prof Victor Torres, New York University).

Dr David Lloyd, Dr Claudio Pizzolato, Dr David Saxby and Dr Laura Diamond (Menzies Health Institute Queensland) awarded $860, 231 for the project Osteoarthritis compass: Predicting personalized disease onset and progression with future capacity for clinical use (Dr Michelle Hall, Assoc Prof Adam Bryant University of Melbourne, Prof David Hunter, University of Sydney; Prof Juha Toyras, Dr Shekhar Chandra, Assoc Prof Craig Engstrom The University of Queensland; Dr Jurgen Fripp, CSIRO Australian e-Health Research Centre; Prof Rami Korhonen, University of Eastern Finland).

Professor Heidi Zeeman, Dr David Painter and Professor Elizabeth Kendall (Menzies Health Institute Queensland) awarded $513, 483 for the project Dimensional Attention Modelling for Neglect Detection (DIAMOND): A novel application for brain injury (Prof Julie Bernhardt, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health).

Associate Professor Hang Ta (Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre/GRIDD) awarded $523, 342 for the project Developing smart nanomedicine to enable advanced diagnosis and stimuli-responsive treatment for atherosclerosis and thrombosis (Dr Nghia Truong Phuoc, Monash University; Dr Gary Cowin, Dr Nyoman Kurniawan, Prof Zhiping Xu, The University of Queensland and Prof Karlheinz Peter, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute).

Griffith researchers involved in research led by other institutions

NHMRC Ideas

Prof Randipsingh Bindra, Dr Mo Chen, Assoc Prof James St John, Assoc Prof Jenny Ekberg, Dr Brent McMonagle (Griffith Health) are part of a team led by Assoc Prof Jeremy Crook (University of Wollongong) awarded $805,064.45 for the project titled A wireless electric nerve-guide for peripheral nerve repair (Dr Eva Tomaskovic-Crook, University of Wollongong).

Assoc Prof Joshua Byrnes (MHIQ, Health) is part of a team led by Assoc Prof Maree Toombs (The University of Queensland) awarded $1,279,602.45 for the project titled Advancing equitable and non-discriminatory access to health services for First Nations peoples: A multidisciplinary Queensland Human Rights Act case study (Dr Shivashankar Hiriyur Nagaraj, Queensland University of Technology; Jodie Luck, Mr DanielWilliamson, Queensland Health; Mr Jed Fraser, Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council; Prof Anthony Smith, Dr Claire Brolan Dr Caitlin Curtis, Dr Sandra Creamer, Prof Wendy Hoy, Dr Amelia Radke (The University of Queensland), Dr Kelly Dingli (Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council); Mr Gregory Pratt (The Council of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research)

ARC Linkage 2020 Round 1

Dr Pooja Sawrikar (School of Human Services and Social Work) is part of a Western Sydney University project led by Assoc Prof Rebekah Grace awarded $387,107 for the project Upholding the right to cultural connection for children in care.

More:
NHMRC awards Griffith University $4.5 million in research funding - Griffith News

FARAH YOUSRY - Side Effects Public Media

Agatha Walston leads a busy life. Shes a nurse in southern Indiana and a single mother of two young kids.

Shes kept control of her type 1 diabetes for over 28 years partly through a healthy lifestyle. I would rather snack on veggies than trash food, the Clarksville woman says.

But when the pandemic hit, she feared that the control she maintained for so long could be unraveling. I told my kids, I said, Okay, there's this super-killer virus on the loose, and I'm a nurse and I will probably get it.

That was really hard conversation to have with the kids to make sure that they knew that, you know, if mom goes, they're still going to have each other.

People living with diabetes are not more likely to get COVID-19. But they are at a much greater risk of developing severe symptoms and complications. A COVID study in England examined more than 20,000 deaths and found that a third of those people were diabetic.

In mid-April, Walston tested positive.

She survived without hospitalization, but months later, she noticed new health issues. She was diagnosed with high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, heart problems and glaucoma a condition that could cause blindness.

She recalls, The glaucoma specialist, he had said, You know, you're already at risk for glaucoma. So we won't know if it was COVID or diabetes.

Walstons doctors are unsure if COVID is behind any of these complications or if her diabetes was a contributing factor.

But many diabetics worldwide are battling health complications from a COVID infection.

Even if your blood glucose control is perfect, you're still going to have some risks, says Dr. Carmella Evans-Molina, director of the Diabetes Research Center at Indiana University.

COVID has the power to elevate blood sugar levels and cause insulin resistance even in previously healthy people, she says. For diabetics, this effect is magnified.

So they might then need to make changes in their insulin regimen or changes in their diabetes medication, Evans-Molina says. If they're in the hospital, obviously their providers in the hospital will be taking care of these things. But if they're recovering from COVID at home, they need to be very careful and checking their blood glucose very frequently, and then be in communication with their doctors.

She says that such drastic changes in blood sugar levels could cause long-term complications if not managed carefully.

Dr. Francisco Rubino, a professor at Kings College London, also has been watching the emerging problem. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we noticed there is a bidirectional relationship between COVID and diabetes.

In a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine, he and other healthcare professionals noted that the severe insulin resistance caused by COVID might have another shocking effect. Even people who didn't have any history of diabetes, coming up to the hospital with clear signs of having diabetes, he says.

Rubino says data is still limited, so he set up a global registry called CoviDiab to track these cases.

Dr. Evans-Molinas team has studied pancreatic cells of patients who died from COVID. They did not see evidence of the virus being able to trigger new on-set diabetes, she says, adding, I think we're really early in our understanding of that.

She notes that managing COVID patients requires the use of steroids, which causes elevated blood sugar levels. This is one of many factors that could have damaging effects on diabetics or someone with pre-diabetes.

So we know that we're probably seeing people who were very close to a diagnosis pass over that threshold and become diagnosed with diabetes, she says.

As doctors and scientists work to understand the relationship between COVID and diabetes, Walston is dealing with her medical problems. She says this year has been rough physically and emotionally.

She adds, The best thing about 2020 [is] not dying.

This story was produced by Side Effects Public Media, a news collaborative covering public health.

This reporting is supported by the GBH Educational Foundation through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. To learn more about the diabetes epidemic in America, watch the documentary"Blood Sugar Rising."

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COVID-19 And Diabetes Can Be A Dangerous Mix - WFYI

A research study led by Teresa Quattrin, MD, could prove beneficial for children and young adults with newly-diagnosed Type 1 diabetes.

Published December 16, 2020

A Phase 2 research study led by Teresa Quattrin, MD, UB Distinguished Professor of pediatrics and senior associate dean for research integration, shows that the drug golimumab preserves beta-cell function in children and young adults with newly-diagnosed Type 1 diabetes for at least a year after diagnosis.

Research Published in New England Journal of Medicine

The study published on Nov. 19 in The New England Journal of Medicine represents a major step forward in the effort to find ways to preserve the insulin-making capabilities of children and young adults newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

The study demonstrates that golimumab, an anti-tumor-necrosis-factor (TNF) therapy, reduced the amount of injected insulin required by children and young adults with newly-diagnosed Type 1 diabetes by preserving their ability to produce insulin on their own, called endogenous insulin.

The need for less injected insulin is a major quality of life improvement for patients with Type 1 diabetes, according to the researchers.

Golimumab, marketed as Simponi, is currently used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and other autoimmune conditions. However, it is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes.

Quattrin, first author on the study, also presented the findings on June 13 at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

The most important finding of our work is that this drug, golimumab, is a potential disease-modifying agent for newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes, says Quattrin, attending pediatric endocrinologist at the Diabetes Center atUBMD PediatricsandOishei Childrens Hospital. The main goal of the study was to see if golimumab could preserve beta-cell function in these newly-diagnosed patients and it does.

This was assessed by measuring the amount of C-peptide in patients blood during a four-hour mixed meal tolerance test. Because C-peptide reflects only insulin made by the body and not injected insulin, C-peptide levels reveal how well the pancreas is producing insulin.

Higher C-Peptide Levels After 1 Year

Patients treated with golimumab had a higher C-peptide level at week 52 compared to placebo.

This was statistically significant; thus the study met its primary goal, Quattrin says.

Quattrin adds that 41.1 percent of participants receiving golimumab had an increase or a less than 5 percent decrease in C-peptide compared to only 10.7 percent in the placebo group.

Nearly 43 percent of those who received golimumab were in partial diabetes remission (also known as the honeymoon phase) versus 7.1 percent of those receiving placebo. The definition of partial remission was based on insulin dose and blood sugar control levels as indicated by hemoglobin A1C, a measurement of average blood sugar levels over three months.

Blood Sugar Control With Less Insulin

Quattrin explains that a child with Type 1 diabetes requires about 1 unit of insulin per kilogram of body weight per day. That means that a child weighing about 65 pounds typically requires about 30 units of injected insulin per day once they are out of the partial remission period about 3 to 6 months after diagnosis.

In this study, both golimumab and placebo groups achieved good blood sugar control, but patients treated with golimumab achieved it with less insulin, Quattrin says.

During the 52 weeks, insulin dose increased only slightly for those on golimumab 0.07 units per kilogram per day versus 0.24 units per kilogram per day for those on placebo study.

In a post-hoc analysis an analysis conducted after the conclusion of the clinical trial those younger than 18 years had 36 percent fewer episodes where blood sugar was less than 54 mg per deciliter, designated by the ADA as level 2 hypoglycemia.

This is important clinically because low blood sugar reactions are dangerous and can even be fatal if untreated. Low blood sugar levels also require immediate attention, often causing the child to be removed from classroom or recreation activities, compromising quality of life.

UMBD Pediatrics, Oishei Among Trial Sites

The drug is self-administered as a subcutaneous injection every two weeks. No serious side effects related to the study drug such as serious infections were reported.

The randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted at 27 centers throughout the U.S., including at theDiabetes Center at UBMD Pediatrics andOishei Childrens Hospital in Buffalo. It involved 84 patients, ages 6 to 21 years, with two-thirds receiving golimumab and one-third receiving placebo starting within 100 days from diagnosis.

Throughout three decades as a leading researcher in pediatric endocrinology, Quattrin has been interested in finding ways to extend the remission, or honeymoon period, to preserve the ability of recently diagnosed Type 1 diabetes patients to continue to make insulin on their own.

The current study took place on the basis of positive findings in animal models, as well as Quattrins work with patients treated at the Diabetes Center at UBMD Pediatrics and Oishei Childrens Hospital. It confirms results published by her team in 2009 where in a randomized pilot study 10 patients received another TNF inhibitor and eight received placebo starting within 28 days from diagnosis.

The results of this small proof-of-concept study strongly suggested that this class of drugs might be able to preserve beta-cell function in newly diagnosed patients with Type 1 diabetes.

Jacobs School Faculty Are Sub-Investigators

Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical SciencesDepartment of Pediatrics sub-investigators in the research are:

They were supported by the pediatric diabetes-endocrinology research team at the Diabetes Center at UBMD Pediatrics and Oishei Childrens Hospital, led by Amanda House.

Other co-authors of the research presented at the ADA and on the New England Journal of Medicine paper were from Emory University, the University of Colorado, the University of Florida and Janssen Research & Development LLC. The World Without Disease Accelerator a group within Janssen funded the study.

Read more from the original source:
Kids With Type-1 Diabetes Helped by Anti-TNF Therapy - ubmd.com