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submitted by /u/mubukugrappa [link] [comments] |
source https://www.reddit.com/r/Health/comments/j33b3k/a_randomized_clinical_trial_that_tracked_116/
A randomized clinical trial that tracked 116 obese and overweight individuals over three months discovered that time-restricted eating (intermittent fasting) did not help people lose weight significantly more than simply eating three meals a day. Instead, it caused the loss of lean muscle
source https://www.reddit.com/r/Health/comments/j33b3k/a_randomized_clinical_trial_that_tracked_116/
FDA widens U.S. safety inquiry into AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine - sources
FDA widens U.S. safety inquiry into AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine - sources The widened scope of the FDA probe raises the likelihood of additional delays for what has been one of the most advanced Covid-19 vaccine candidates in development. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Sept was worst as India added 41% of cases & 34% of deaths
Sept was worst as India added 41% of cases & 34% of deaths Active Covid-19 cases went up in India on Wednesday after registering a decline for two straight days even as September turned out to be the worst period for the country during the pandemic, accounting for the highest number of deaths in any month. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Covid-19 likely to be more lethal as winter approaches: Experts
Covid-19 likely to be more lethal as winter approaches: Experts The novel coronavirus that has traversed winter, spring, summer, monsoon, and now creating havoc in autumn has proven to be an all-season virus that is currently spreading rapidly in India. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Coronavirus vaccine will be a way of injecting people with microchips? Don't fall for this Facebook hoax
Coronavirus vaccine will be a way of injecting people with microchips? Don't fall for this Facebook hoax A similar claim was making rounds a few months ago when some anti-vaxxers claimed that certain 'chemicals' present in the vaccine would serve a dubious purpose by tracking those who are administered the vaccine. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Pandemic Highlights Deep-Rooted Problems in Indian Health Service
Pandemic Highlights Deep-Rooted Problems in Indian Health Service
https://ift.tt/2Sa7l1l September 30, 2020 at 05:46PM https://ift.tt/1R552o9
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submitted by /u/zsreport [link] [comments] |
Africa has unusually low fatality rates from COVID-19, and scientists are baffled Experts cite a number of possible factors at play, including the continent's youthful population and lessons learned from previous disease outbreaks
Africa has unusually low fatality rates from COVID-19, and scientists are baffled Experts cite a number of possible factors at play, including the continent's youthful population and lessons learned from previous disease outbreaks
https://ift.tt/3n1jSm1 September 30, 2020 at 05:03PM https://ift.tt/1R552o9
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submitted by /u/phishyfingers [link] [comments] |
Russia to supply Egypt with Covid-19 vaccine in expansion push
Russia to supply Egypt with Covid-19 vaccine in expansion push Russia's sovereign wealth fund, RDIF, said on Wednesday it had agreed to supply the vaccine doses to Egypt via Pharco, which it described as one of the country's leading pharmaceutical groups. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Africa has unusually low fatality rates from COVID-19, and scientists are baffled Experts cite a number of possible factors at play, including the continent's youthful population and lessons learned from previous disease outbreaks
‘Lockdown and behavioural change checked Covid spread’
‘Lockdown and behavioural change checked Covid spread’ Bhargava shared data from other countries to show that India’s infection prevalence was on par with countries such as the US with 9.3%, while Brazil has 2.8% and Spain 4.6%. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
The maximum impact of Covid-19 faced by women, children, and adolescents: Vardhan
The maximum impact of Covid-19 faced by women, children, and adolescents: Vardhan Vardhan said his ministry issued guidance to states to ensure that women, children, and adolescents continue to get all the healthcare services, according to an official statement. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Social media use linked with depression, secondary trauma during COVID-19
Social media use linked with depression, secondary trauma during COVID-19
https://ift.tt/3jfwkMB September 30, 2020 at 01:13PM https://ift.tt/1R552o9
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submitted by /u/mubukugrappa [link] [comments] |
Impact of genetic mutations on cocaine addiction elucidated: Scientists recently demonstrated that two gene mutations involved in the conformation of nicotinic receptors in the brain appear to play a role in various aspects of cocaine addiction
36% India Inc employees battling mental health issues since beginning of pandemic, shows survey
Mental health has been emerging as one of the most important concerns since the beginning of the pandemic.
from Top Health News | Latest Health & Healthcare Industry Information and Updates: ET HealthWorld : ETHealthworld.com https://ift.tt/3n6A3OS
via gqrds
from Top Health News | Latest Health & Healthcare Industry Information and Updates: ET HealthWorld : ETHealthworld.com https://ift.tt/3n6A3OS
via gqrds
Impact of genetic mutations on cocaine addiction elucidated: Scientists recently demonstrated that two gene mutations involved in the conformation of nicotinic receptors in the brain appear to play a role in various aspects of cocaine addiction
Impact of genetic mutations on cocaine addiction elucidated: Scientists recently demonstrated that two gene mutations involved in the conformation of nicotinic receptors in the brain appear to play a role in various aspects of cocaine addiction
https://ift.tt/33cD1tk September 30, 2020 at 12:26PM https://ift.tt/1R552o9
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submitted by /u/mubukugrappa [link] [comments] |
36% India Inc employees battling mental health issues since beginning of pandemic, shows survey
36% India Inc employees battling mental health issues since beginning of pandemic, shows survey Mental health has been emerging as one of the most important concerns since the beginning of the pandemic. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Moderna Covid-19 vaccine appears safe, shows signs of working in older adults: Study
Moderna Covid-19 vaccine appears safe, shows signs of working in older adults: Study The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, offers a more complete picture of the vaccine's safety in older adults, a group at increased risk of severe complications from Covid-19. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
The Trump-Biden Debate Was a Missed Opportunity to Provide Americans With Clarity on COVID-19
If Americans were hoping to get some reassurance, clarity, or even hope from this year’s presidential candidates about how the U.S. will make it through the coronavirus pandemic, then Tuesday night’s first debate fell woefully short.
During the 15-minute segment dedicated to COVID-19—which is still killing hundreds of Americans each day, and stands to worsen once again—neither President Donald Trump nor Former Vice President Joe Biden provided any substantive plans for what health experts say will be a critical next few months, and possibly years, in the fight against the coronavirus. Instead of thoughtful plans for addressing the deadliest and most disruptive public health crisis the world has faced in a century, viewers got a mud-slinging brawl between two candidates who were mostly more interested in landing jabs than in providing any reassurance to an already edgy public reeling from lost loved ones, lost jobs and disrupted lives.
“Get out of the bunker, get out of the sand trap and get to the Oval Office and fund what needs to be done now to save lives,” Biden told Trump. “He does not have a plan,” Biden added, characterizing the White House’s oft-criticized response to the pandemic. He noted that while the U.S. accounts for only 4% of the world’s population, it has weathered 200,000 deaths from COVID-19—about 20% of the global total. “He’s been totally irresponsible in the way in which he handled social distancing and people wearing masks; basically encouraging them not to,” Biden said. “He’s a fool on masks.”
The Vice President went on to highlight revelations that Trump admitted to being aware of COVID-19’s danger in February, but downplayed the disease anyway—which the President said he did to avoid causing a panic. “He knew it was a deadly disease. What did he do? He’s on tape saying he didn’t want to panic the American people. You didn’t panic, he panicked,” Biden said.
Trump maintained that his decision to close travel from China into the U.S. at the beginning of the year saved lives. “If we had listened to you and left the country wide open, millions would have died,” he told Biden. “You could never have done the job we did; you don’t have it in your blood.”
The personal attacks and repeated interruptions from the candidates overshadowed any opportunity for voters to form a firm picture of how either Trump or Biden plan to navigate the remainder of this pandemic—not to mention the upcoming flu season, when the dangers of respiratory diseases like COVID-19 and flu circulate together. The next few months will also see critical results from the first potential coronavirus vaccines, but instead of explaining how we can ensure everyone who needs a shot receives one, Trump and Biden tussled over the Trump Administration’s constant conflict with scientists and public health experts and their differing views on how to safely reopen society. Trump also said he “disagreed” with his own experts who warn that any vaccine or vaccines won’t be widely available to the public until next year, and claimed that the vaccine makers can “go faster” but the process is “political.“
“Do you believe for a moment what he’s telling you in light of all the lies he’s told you on the whole issue relating to COVID?” Biden responded.
It’s hard to say what to make of the sparring that often devolved into name calling and accusations during a discussion that instead could have provided some glimmer of hope for a public desperate to know how, and when, this pandemic will finally end. For now, the victory—if there is even one to declare—goes to the virus itself, which thrives on exactly the kind of confusion and conflict Tuesday’s debate provided in spades.
CureVac plans global late-stage Covid-19 vaccine trial in fourth quarter
CureVac plans global late-stage Covid-19 vaccine trial in fourth quarter CureVac has dosed the first patient with its experimental Covid-19 vaccine in the trial taking place in Peru and Panama and expects data on older adults in the fourth quarter. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
ICMR, states’ test numbers differ by 2.7L
ICMR, states’ test numbers differ by 2.7L The ICMR announced on September 25 that 14,92,409 Covid tests had been conducted in India on the previous day, a record number not achieved before or since that day. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Serum Institute to make an additional 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses
Serum Institute to make an additional 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses The collaboration builds upon an initial agreement signed in August by the company with the GAVI Alliance and the Gates Foundation, with the total number of vaccine doses to be covered by the partnership now up to 200 million. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Air pollution particles and metals found in the placenta: Pollution particles, including metals, have been found in the placentas of fifteen women in London, according to research
Air pollution particles and metals found in the placenta: Pollution particles, including metals, have been found in the placentas of fifteen women in London, according to research
Air pollution particles and metals found in the placenta: Pollution particles, including metals, have been found in the placentas of fifteen women in London, according to research
https://ift.tt/2S7Uqx3 September 29, 2020 at 02:44PM https://ift.tt/1R552o9
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Genetic Differences in Fat Shape Men and Women’s Health Risks: Researchers determined that differences in fat storage and formation in men and women strongly affect the activity of 162 different genes found in fat tissue; 13 of the genes come in variants that have different effects in men and women
15 Minute Runner’s Core EMOM with Georgia Ellenwood
Join pro heptathlete Georgia Ellenwood in this 15 minute core EMOM workout to build toward a quicker, more efficient running gait.
The post 15 Minute Runner’s Core EMOM with Georgia Ellenwood appeared first on Under Armour.
20 Minute EMOM with Emily Ricketts
Challenge yourself to complete this 20 minute EMOM workout with Under Armour trainer Emily Ricketts.
The post 20 Minute EMOM with Emily Ricketts appeared first on Under Armour.
15 Minute HIIT Workout with Adinda Sukardi
Get ready to sweat with Under Armour trainer Adinda Sukardi during this 15 minute HIIT circuit.
The post 15 Minute HIIT Workout with Adinda Sukardi appeared first on Under Armour.
Genetic Differences in Fat Shape Men and Women’s Health Risks: Researchers determined that differences in fat storage and formation in men and women strongly affect the activity of 162 different genes found in fat tissue; 13 of the genes come in variants that have different effects in men and women
Genetic Differences in Fat Shape Men and Women’s Health Risks: Researchers determined that differences in fat storage and formation in men and women strongly affect the activity of 162 different genes found in fat tissue; 13 of the genes come in variants that have different effects in men and women
https://ift.tt/3jgqjPO September 29, 2020 at 01:16PM https://ift.tt/1R552o9
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The coronavirus mostly spares younger children. Teens aren’t so lucky.
The coronavirus mostly spares younger children. Teens aren’t so lucky. Scientists are scrambling to understand how often children are infected and how often they transmit the virus, but the findings have been inconsistent. Much of the national debate has centered on children in primary schools. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Genetic Differences in Fat Shape Men and Women’s Health Risks: Researchers determined that differences in fat storage and formation in men and women strongly affect the activity of 162 different genes found in fat tissue; 13 of the genes come in variants that have different effects in men and women
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submitted by /u/mubukugrappa [link] [comments] |
Strong activation of anti-bacterial T cells linked to severe COVID-19: A type of anti-bacterial T cells, so-called MAIT cells, are strongly activated in people with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease, according to a study
Strong activation of anti-bacterial T cells linked to severe COVID-19: A type of anti-bacterial T cells, so-called MAIT cells, are strongly activated in people with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease, according to a study
https://ift.tt/3jdT6ES September 29, 2020 at 12:00PM https://ift.tt/1R552o9
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submitted by /u/mubukugrappa [link] [comments] |
Doctors encourage early testing to effectively treat Covid-19
Doctors encourage early testing to effectively treat Covid-19 The government doctor warned that if a patient turns critical and his status is not known, he will first be treated as a suspect and admitted to the suspect ward before tests are done. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Strong activation of anti-bacterial T cells linked to severe COVID-19: A type of anti-bacterial T cells, so-called MAIT cells, are strongly activated in people with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease, according to a study
Covid-19: New global test will give results 'in minutes'
A test that can diagnose Covid-19 in minutes will dramatically expand the capacity to detect cases in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
from Top Health News | Latest Health & Healthcare Industry Information and Updates: ET HealthWorld : ETHealthworld.com https://ift.tt/3cQE85r
via gqrds
from Top Health News | Latest Health & Healthcare Industry Information and Updates: ET HealthWorld : ETHealthworld.com https://ift.tt/3cQE85r
via gqrds
Covid-19: New global test will give results 'in minutes'
Covid-19: New global test will give results 'in minutes' A test that can diagnose Covid-19 in minutes will dramatically expand the capacity to detect cases in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
15 Minute Runner’s Core EMOM with Georgia Ellenwood
15 Minute Runner’s Core EMOM with Georgia Ellenwood
Join pro heptathlete Georgia Ellenwood in this 15 minute core EMOM workout to build toward a quicker, more efficient running gait.
The post 15 Minute Runner’s Core EMOM with Georgia Ellenwood appeared first on Under Armour.
September 26, 2020 at 01:30AM https://ift.tt/36sJKld https://ift.tt/1ilzca620 Minute EMOM with Emily Ricketts
20 Minute EMOM with Emily Ricketts
Challenge yourself to complete this 20 minute EMOM workout with Under Armour trainer Emily Ricketts.
The post 20 Minute EMOM with Emily Ricketts appeared first on Under Armour.
September 25, 2020 at 11:30PM https://ift.tt/36eF7uF https://ift.tt/1ilzca615 Minute HIIT Workout with Adinda Sukardi
15 Minute HIIT Workout with Adinda Sukardi
Get ready to sweat with Under Armour trainer Adinda Sukardi during this 15 minute HIIT circuit.
The post 15 Minute HIIT Workout with Adinda Sukardi appeared first on Under Armour.
September 25, 2020 at 09:30PM https://ift.tt/3i9pdEd https://ift.tt/1ilzca6ICMR launches dedicated vaccine portal and national clinical registry for Covid-19
ICMR launches dedicated vaccine portal and national clinical registry for Covid-19 The India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday launched a dedicated vaccine portal and national clinical registry of COVID-19 to address queries of the people on vaccine development. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
1 Million People Have Died of COVID-19. It’s a Reminder That We Still Have So Much to Do
With an ever-climbing tally of COVID-19 infections, deaths, and calculations about how quickly the virus is spreading, the numbers can start to lose meaning. But one million is a resonant milestone.
According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, the world has now lost one million lives to the new coronavirus. It’s easy to draw analogies—one million people dying of COVID-19 would be the equivalent of just over the entire population of a country like Djibouti, or just under the populace of Cyprus. Perhaps more sobering would be to think of that number less as an entity and more in terms of the precious individual lives it represents. It’s a chance to remind ourselves that each of those deaths is a mother, a father, a grandmother, a grandfather, a friend, a loved one.
It’s also a warning to learn from these deaths so they haven’t occurred in vain. When the novel coronavirus burst into the world last winter, the best virus and public health experts were initially helpless to combat infections in a world where almost nobody had any immunity to fight it. As a result, the mortality rate, which hovered just under 3% around the world starting in late January, slowly began to creep upward, doubling in two months and hitting a peak of more than 7% at the end of April before inching downward again.
While every death from COVID-19 is one too many, public health experts see some hope in the fact that while new cases continue to pile up around the world, deaths are starting to slow. That declining case fatality curve was and continues to be fueled by everything we have learned about SARS-CoV-2 (the COVID-19 virus) and everything that we have put into practice to fight it. That includes using experimental therapies like the antiviral drug remdesivir, as well as existing anti-inflammatory medicines that reduce the inflammation that can compromise and damage the lungs and respiratory tissues in the most severely ill patients.
That falling case fatality is also due in part to wider adoption of prevention strategies such as frequent hand washing, mask wearing and social distancing. And to the fact that globally, we began testing more people so those who are infected can then self-isolate quickly.
Read more: The Lives Lost to Coronavirus
Still, another thing we have learned from the pandemic is that deaths often lag behind cases, sometimes by months. And the number of cases globally continues to increase, especially in new hot spots in South America and India, so the declining curve of the fatality rate hasn’t necessarily led to fewer overall deaths.
Understanding how the geography and nature of COVID-19 deaths have shifted in recent months will be critical to maintaining any progress we’ve made, as nations and as a species, in suppressing COVID-19. In the U.S., for example, deaths early in the pandemic were centered in densely populated metropolitan areas, where infections spread quickly and hospitals became overwhelmed with severely ill people needing intensive care and ventilators to breathe. The virus had the advantage, and exploited the fact that there wasn’t much that science or medicine could do to fight it.
The only strategy was to take ourselves out of the virus’s way. Lockdowns that prohibited gatherings, mandates for social distancing and requirements that people wear masks in public helped to slow transmission and gradually reduce mortality, as the most vulnerable were protected from infection. But nine months into the pandemic, deaths are beginning to rise in less populated parts of the country. Medium- and small-sized cities and rural areas accounted for around 30% of U.S. deaths at their peak in late April, but in September they have been responsible for about half of COVID-19 deaths in the country.
The reason for that, public health experts suspect, has to do with the false sense of security that less populated communities felt and the assumption that the virus wouldn’t find them. Less stringent requirements and enforcement of social distancing and basic hygiene practices like hand washing and mask-wearing could have provided SARS-CoV-2 the entrée it needed to find new chances to infect people as those opportunities in more populated regions began to dwindle. Furthermore, health resources in rural areas aren’t as well distributed as they are in metropolitan regions, which makes preparing for an infectious disease more challenging.
Globally, COVID-19 mortality also reflects the unequal distribution of health care around the world. While developed countries are able to rely on existing resources—including hospital systems equipped with the latest medical tools and well-trained nurses and doctors—those resources aren’t as robust in lower income countries where health care isn’t always a high national priority. That puts these countries at greater risk of higher fatality from COVID-19 as new infections climb. Without medical equipment and personnel to ramp up testing and isolate infected people, or to care for the sickest patients, deaths quickly follow new infections.
That tragic reality is being borne out in recent case fatality trends. While the U.S. continues to lead the world in overall COVID-19 cases and deaths, the burden of deaths is shifting to countries such as Brazil and Mexico; Brazil has just over half the number of deaths of the U.S. Deaths in India are also likely to continue inching upward before they start to decline, as survival there under lockdown conditions is nearly impossible for families that have no income to buy food and pay rent. The pressure to reopen and re-emerge into densely populated cities will provide more fertile ground for COVID-19 to spread—and to claim more lives—before better treatments and vaccines can start to suppress the virus’ relentless blaze of despair.
Treating mild hypothyroidism: Benefits still uncertain
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Your thyroid, a tiny, butterfly-shaped gland located in front of your windpipe (trachea) and below your voice box (larynx) can have a profound impact on your health and well-being. Throughout life, your thyroid is constantly producing hormones that influence your metabolism. These hormones affect your mood, energy, body temperature, weight, heart, and more.
A brief overview of hypothyroidism
Your thyroid produces two kinds of thyroid hormones: T4, or thyroxine, and T3, or triiodothyronine. These hormones influence every cell, tissue, and organ in your body, from your muscles, bones, and skin to your digestive tract, brain, and heart, by controlling how fast and efficiently cells convert nutrients into energy — a chemical activity known as metabolism.
The thyroid gland is under the influence of the pituitary gland. No larger than a pea and located at the base of the brain, the pituitary gland controls your thyroid’s production of thyroid hormone by releasing thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).
TSH levels in your bloodstream rise or fall depending on whether there is enough thyroid hormone made to meet your body’s needs. Higher levels of TSH prompt the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone, while lower levels signal the thyroid to produce less.
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid fails to produce enough thyroid hormone to meet the body’s needs, thereby slowing metabolism. In someone with overt hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone levels are below normal and TSH levels are well above the normal range.
What is mild hypothyroidism?
Subclinical, or mild, hypothyroidism doesn’t meet the standard definition of hypothyroidism. In mild hypothyroidism, you may or may not have symptoms and your levels of T4 and T3 are normal, but your TSH levels are slightly elevated. Mild hypothyroidism is diagnosed by a blood test.
More than 10 million adults in the US have hypothyroidism, the vast majority of which is subclinical.
What are the risks of leaving mild hypothyroidism untreated?
Whether or not to treat mild hypothyroidism is a subject that has been studied and debated for years. What worries doctors most about mild hypothyroidism is the potential link between untreated mild hypothyroidism and coronary artery disease. Results of research on whether subclinical thyroid disease causes heart problems have been conflicting. The condition has been associated with heart and blood vessel abnormalities, and studies indicate that treating mild hypothyroidism can improve various markers of heart structure and function.
However, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association may give doctors pause. The researchers studied people with mild hypothyroidism who had also had a heart attack. They treated one group of these patients for their mild hypothyroidism, and left the condition untreated in the other group. The study showed that those treated for mild hypothyroidism did not have better heart function than those who were not treated.
What are the downsides of treating mild hypothyroidism?
When mild hypothyroidism is treated, levothyroxine (T4) is the treatment of choice.
A 2017 trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that treating people ages 65 and older for mild hypothyroidism doesn’t have much of a benefit. The authors found no real differences in symptoms between participants who received levothyroxine and those who got a placebo. The authors say many older adults revert to normal thyroid function on their own, without treatment. A follow-up study recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine analyzed data from patients enrolled in the 2017 NEJM study, and determined that even those with the greatest number of symptoms did not benefit.
In addition to the possibility that the treatment may not offer any benefit, there are other reasons for caution. Overtreatment — prescribing thyroid medication to someone with subclinical disease who may not need treatment, or giving excessive thyroid medication — comes with serious risks, particularly thyrotoxicosis, the presence of too much thyroid hormone in the body. This happens frequently; estimates suggest 20% or more of those treated with thyroid hormone experience thyrotoxicosis. Long-term complications of even mild thyrotoxicosis can include heart problems and bone loss.
Considering the risks and benefits of treatment
If you are weighing the pros and cons of treatment for hypothyroidism, discuss the following questions with your doctor:
- How might I benefit from treatment? Could it treat my symptoms? Prevent heart disease? Help me conceive?
- What are the risks of treatment?
- How will we know if treatment is working, and how long will it take to determine this?
- For how long will I need to continue treatment?
The post Treating mild hypothyroidism: Benefits still uncertain appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
Hey health redditators i I feel coughing pain after three seconds of good inhalation with cut off breathing . What does that means
Hey health redditators i I feel coughing pain after three seconds of good inhalation with cut off breathing . What does that means submitted by /u/fakhrye41
[link] [comments] https://ift.tt/eA8V8J September 29, 2020 at 12:56AM https://ift.tt/1R552o9
[link] [comments] https://ift.tt/eA8V8J September 29, 2020 at 12:56AM https://ift.tt/1R552o9
Alarming Data Shows a Third Wave of COVID-19 Is About to Hit the U.S.
There are few things as powerful as avoidance learning. Touch a hot stove once and you’re not likely to do it again. Cross against the light and almost get hit by a car and you’re going to be a lot more careful the next time. But when it comes to the U.S. response to COVID-19? Not so much.
You’d have thought that the sight of overflow hospital tents and refrigerated trucks to hold victims’ bodies in New York would have been enough to scare us all straight in mid-March and early April, when infection rates peaked at 32,000 new cases a day, or nearly 10 cases per 100,000 residents—making social distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing all universal practices. But shortly after that peak, the warm weather arrived and several states cautiously reopened some public spaces for Memorial Day.
That, as we wrote at the time, quickly led to distressing signs of upticks in several states, pushing the national rate marginally north again. By the end of June, the rolling average of new cases per day had far exceeded the April peak, prompting some states to pull back their reopening plans. But the damage had been done. By mid-July, a second wave peaked at over twice the value of the first, exceeding 67,000 cases per day—more than 20 cases per capita. There was good news buried in that bad news, however: after the peak was reached, the decline was at least quicker and more precipitous than it was the first time.
But now for the worse news: Heading into the fall and winter, there are clear signs of a third resurgence bearing a close resemblance to what we saw in early June. Since the most recent nadir on Sept. 9, when the national rate was at 34,300 cases a day—still a notch above the April peak—cases have risen to 45,300 a day, a 32% increase. The numbers paint an alarmingly familiar picture that spells trouble ahead—despite President Donald Trump’s repeated but false assertions that the country is “rounding the final turn” on the pandemic.
“The latest information is that 90% of the country has not yet been exposed to the virus,” says Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. “The virus hasn’t changed and has the capacity to spread rapidly if given a chance.”
It’s now getting that chance. The politicization of mask-wearing; conflicting guidelines from the White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration; and state and local policies that contribute to viral transmission are helping to do the disease’s work for it.
“A single and coordinated strategy might have brought us to a different place,” says Dr. Jon Samet, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health. “Even within some states, counties may proceed independently. There is wide variation in the credence given to misinformation, some sourced from the Administration and even the President.”
Samet’s own state offers a vivid example of the rise of the third wave, with its graph since spring forming a stark, three-peaked mountain range, not unlike a view you might find while hiking in the Colorado Rockies:
In some ways, however, Colorado is an outlier in the new wave—or at least lies at its very vanguard. The first wave hit hardest in the Northeast; the second in the South and the West. Now, even as cases balloon in the South again (driven in large part by Texas and Florida), the Midwest has surpassed the West in cases, with dramatic spikes from Wisconsin and Minnesota to the Dakotas and down to Utah and Wyoming:
At a more granular level, the geographic trends become even clearer. There are more than 3,000 counties (or county-equivalents, like parishes) in the U.S., almost all of which report individual daily figures for new COVID-19 positive tests. Breaking them down into three categories—small, medium and large, each with about a third of the U.S. population—reveals that the 62 largest counties, which are home to 110 million people, were responsible for more cases than either of the other two categories through mid-August. Now the story has flipped, with the bloc of smallest counties—encompassing the same number of total people but distributed across a much larger, more rural geography—contributing the most new cases:
“Given that these are rural areas, behaviors of individuals are likely to be a dominant driver: not adhering to distancing and not wearing masks,” says Samet. “Checking across mask orders in these states, there is a wide range. I suspect adherence to use of masks is lower in these rural counties than in urban areas, as in Colorado by anecdotal reports.”
There has also been a shift in COVID-19 age demographics that in turn affect the regional situation. “In part of the Midwest, the rise is being driven by young adults who seem to have gotten the coronavirus in universities,” says Inglesby. It doesn’t help that college students—who are by nature less risk-averse than older people—are being enabled in their heedlessness by a lack of guidance from adults who ought to know better. It’s also worth noting that many young Americans hold jobs that increase exposure risk, like retail or restaurant work.
Whatever the manifold causes of the third wave, there is reason to worry that it will prove worse than the first two. The arrival of colder weather in some states means more time spent indoors, where viruses are more easily transmitted by aerosols produced when people sneeze, cough or merely speak. With the pandemic still raging, many people will likely scrap seasonal travel and family get-togethers for Thanksgiving, Christmas and so on—but many are likely to press ahead regardless, meaning minimal social distancing in crowded planes and trains and around holiday dinner tables.
“We are concerned that there could be a holiday spike with severity depending on where the epidemic curve is positioned before the start of the season in later November,” says Samet.
Whether the third wave will be followed by a fourth is, paradoxically, both impossible to say and entirely within our control. Hopefully, greater policy coherence from Washington, uniform national rules around masking and distancing, and broad public acceptance of an eventual vaccine—once it is proven to be safe and effective—will all, at last, stuff the COVID-19 genie back into its bottle. Until then, the U.S., which represents only 4% of the world’s population yet has reported more than 20% of its COVID-9 cases and deaths, will continue to struggle. It is up to all of us, working together, to bring that suffering to an end.
National Poll: 1 in 3 Parents Plan to Skip Flu Shots for Their Kids During COVID-19 Pandemic
National Poll: 1 in 3 Parents Plan to Skip Flu Shots for Their Kids During COVID-19 Pandemic
https://ift.tt/3i8Lm5t September 28, 2020 at 11:16PM https://ift.tt/1R552o9
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The Definitive Guide to Saturated Fatty Acids
What are saturated fats, exactly? Today, I’m diving into the nuances of saturated fatty acids — a guide to all the individual fatty acids that make up the saturated fats we eat, store, and burn.
I won’t cover every single saturated fatty acid in existence. Some don’t play any significant role in human health or diet, like cerotic acid, which appears mainly in beeswax. Or arachidic acid, which you can get by hydrogenating arachidonic acid or eating a ton of durian fruit. There are a few more that aren’t very relevant.
I will instead cover the most important ones.
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Saturated Fat Definition
A fatty acid molecule is typically an arrangement of carbon and hyrdrogen atoms. Saturated fats have two main characteristics:
- All or most of the carbon-hydrogen bonds are single bonds
- All available carbon bonds are paired with hydrogen atoms
This makes saturated fats highly stable and resistant to oxidation and rancidity, even when heated. That’s why our bodies tend to build cellular membranes with a significant portion of saturated fats. They provide stability and a strong foundation.
The 5 Main Categories of Saturated Fats
Saturated fats you most commonly see in the human diet include:
- Caproic acid, caprylic acid, and capric acid
- Lauric acid
- Myristic acid
- Stearic acid
- Palmitic acid
Again, there are a few other categories of saturated fats that aren’t as relevant to the human diet, so I’m covering the most important ones.
1. Caproic Acid, Caprylic Acid and Capric Acid
Caproic acid, caprylic acid, and capric acid are all medium-chain triglycerides, which means the fatty acid molecule has a tail length of 6-12 carbon atoms. Short-chain fatty acids have fewer than 6 carbon atoms, and long-chain saturated fats have more than 12.
I included these together because their names come from the Latin word for “goat,” and all three are found most famously in goat milk — they run about 15% of goat milk fat. You can also find capric acid in smaller amounts in coconut oil (10% of coconut fat) and palm oil (4% of palm fat).
The “goat” fats are what give goat milk its distinctive “goaty” odors. Come to think of it, I’ve had coconut oil that had a “funk” to it, and I bet the capric and caprylic acids were to blame. But if you can get past the goatiness, there are benefits to these fatty acids.
- Capric acid has been used to inhibit seizures in people with epilepsy,1 and if you combine it with caprylic acid, the anti-seizure effect seems to increase.2
- As medium-chain triglycerides, the goat fatty acids increase ketone production. In fact, caprylic acid3 is the most ketogenic medium-chain triglyceride of all.4
- Capric acid has anti-fungal properties, showing particular efficacy against Candida,5 while all three are effective against oral bacteria.6
Best sources of capric acid, caprylic acid, and caproic acid: goat milk, coconut oil, palm oil
2. Lauric Acid
Another medium-chain triglyceride, lauric acid is the primary fatty acid in coconut fat (40-50% lauric acid) and palm kernel fat. It also appears in human breast milk (about 6.2% of total fat).
- Lauric acid is anti-microbial. That’s why it appears in breast milk—to help infants ward off pathogens while their immune systems are still developing. And it’s probably why people report getting rid of foot and toenail fungus by smearing their feet with coconut oil.7
- Lauric acid reduces hunger. In one study, people who had lauric acid shot directly into their guts ate less food than the people who had oleic acid shot in.8
- When you consume lauric acid, some of it is converted into monolaurin, a more potent compound (both coconut oil and breast milk also contain some monolaurin directly) with anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal properties.
- Lauric acid is not as directly ketogenic as the “goaty” medium-chain triglycerides.
Best sources of lauric acid: coconut fat, palm kernel fat, breast milk
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3. Myristic Acid
Myristic acid is a perplexing one. Some studies find that its presence in the blood indicates metabolic issues, whereas, as you’ll see below, in the diet it can have some good effects and play some important roles.9
What’s happening? Why the discrepancies?
- Some in the diet is way better than none. Too much more than 1-2% of calories (about 10% of calories from dairy fat), and the benefits start dropping and even reversing. However, that “1-2%” limit was in the context of a higher-carb diet. If you’re lower carb, you can probably benefit from higher intakes.
- Myristic acid in the blood isn’t so much “dangerous” as it is indicative of metabolic dysfunction. For instance, the most reliable way to reduce blood levels of myristic acid is to reduce your carbohydrate intake.
Best sources: coconut fat, palm kernel oil, milk fat, breast milk
4. Stearic Acid
Stearic acid is enjoying a bit of a renaissance lately. People are mixing isolated stearic acid into clarified butter to create a “super-stearic butter.” Why?
- Stearic acid is one of the saturated fats that even SFA-phobes admit has a neutral effect on cholesterol levels. If anything it boosts HDL.14
- Dietary stearic acid appears to cause “fusing” of our mitochondria—our cells’ power plants—and increase fatty acid oxidation shortly after consumption. In other words, it’s a potent boost to our ability to generate energy.15
- Diets based on either red meat or cheese—two foods high in stearic acid—improve metabolic and blood markers.16
It’s getting really tough to deny the benefits of stearic acid.
Best sources of stearic acid: cocoa butter, beef fat (steer/stearic), dairy, lard
5. Palmitic Acid
Palmitic acid gets a terrible rap. In study after study, we find palmitic acid doing bad things to our cells and our health markers. And when you douse cells in pure palmitic acid, they tend to suffer and even die. This looks really bad.
For instance, palmitic acid lowers expression of the LDL receptor gene.17 Less LDL receptor activity, more time for LDL to hang around in the bloodstream and cause trouble.18 That’s not good.
Or the fact that palmitic acid is toxic to skeletal muscle cells, impairing glucose uptake and increasing insulin resistance.
Or that palmitic acid induces inflammation19 and disrupts insulin signaling, suggestive of diabetes. We don’t want diabetes, we don’t want heart disease, and we like our muscle cells to function, so we should probably stop eating any palmitic acid, right?
Except a modicum of oleic acid stimulates LDL receptor activity.20 And arachidonic acid,21 a polyunsaturated fat found in animal products often alongside palmitic acid, prevents cell toxicity.22 And finally, if you throw in a little oleic acid alongside that “inflammatory” palmitic acid, you obliterate the inflammation.23
Okay, but what about serum palmitic acid being a harbinger of metabolic disorder? Easy. When you overeat sugar and there’s nowhere to put it and you can’t burn it, the liver converts any extra into palmitic acid to be stored. Elevated palmitic acid is a marker of eating too many carbohydrates (and food in general).
Best sources: dairy fat, ruminant fat, palm oil.
What does it all mean?
Even though today’s post was about the individual saturated fatty acids, we very rarely eat individual fatty acids. Instead, we’re eating fats that contain a half dozen fatty acids or more, or foods that contain fats that contain a half dozen fatty acids. We aren’t cooking with lauric acid or sprinkling pure palmitic acid in the pan. We’re eating foods. And, as part of the food matrix, all the saturated fatty acids I’ve examined have important and valid roles to play.
If you want to avoid palmitic acid but welcome stearic acid, guess what? You’re gonna have to craft some Frankenstein-fat. Foods that contain stearic acid also contain palmitic acid. The best sources of lauric acid are also pretty high in stearic, palmitic, and myristic acid. And so it goes. You can’t avoid palmitic acid and only eat lauric and stearic acid while eating actual food.
If you have any questions, drop them down below.
Thanks for reading, everyone!
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26608744-seizure-control-by-decanoic-acid-through-direct-ampa-receptor-inhibition/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25445478
- https://todayspractitioner.com/alzheimers/caprylic-acid-shows-greater-plasma-ketone-response-in-humans-consuming-different-medium-chain-triglycerides/#.XjDlfhSYVBw
- https://todayspractitioner.com/alzheimers/caprylic-acid-shows-greater-plasma-ketone-response-in-humans-consuming-different-medium-chain-triglycerides/#.XjDlfhSYVBw
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2919387/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21333271
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gambhirsinh_Vala2/publication/280574942_Medicinal_Benefits_of_Coconut_Oil_A_Review_paper/links/55bb561b08ae092e965ed871/Medicinal-Benefits-of-Coconut-Oil-A-Review-paper.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18469237
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22849318[/ref]
- The odor of myristic acid draws the newborn to the breast and helps trigger the appetite for mother’s milk.[ref]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28886572
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30787402
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/div-classtitlevariations-in-daily-intakes-of-myristic-and-linolenic-acids-in-sn-2-position-modify-lipid-profile-and-red-blood-cell-membrane-fluiditydiv/83AA3871CA89CDD1D0D48CC5B6019203
- https://www.marksdailyapple.com/dairy-fat-healthy-paleo-primal/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7270479/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19939984
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30087348
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26178720
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8978483
- https://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-10-things-you-need-to-know-part-2/
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21478880
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7730302
- https://www.marksdailyapple.com/arachidonic-acid/
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24521082
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16126172
The post The Definitive Guide to Saturated Fatty Acids appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.
378: Q&A: Health on a Budget, Virtual Schooling, Screen Time, Self Care, Eczema & Giving Blood
378: Q&A: Health on a Budget, Virtual Schooling, Screen Time, Self Care, Eczema & Giving Blood
Today we’re going to switch things up and have a Q&A episode to cover some of the great questions I get from all of you. We’ll cover some timely topics like virtual schooling and homeschooling on a budget, as well as health-related topics I have been talking about for a while, like why I make …
Continue reading 378: Q&A: Health on a Budget, Virtual Schooling, Screen Time, Self Care, Eczema & Giving Blood...
September 28, 2020 at 04:30PM Wellness Mama® https://ift.tt/2hMTHxr https://ift.tt/eA8V8JOver 3,000 vaccinated against coronavirus in Moscow
Over 3,000 vaccinated against coronavirus in Moscow More than 60,000 people have applied to volunteer for the coronavirus vaccine trials in Moscow. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
HC issues notice on Delhi govt's plea against stay on reserving ICU beds for Covid patients
HC issues notice on Delhi govt's plea against stay on reserving ICU beds for Covid patients The bench, while posting the matter for October 9, said that those hospitals have complied with the Government of NCT Delhi order and expanded their bed capacity may voluntarily continue to comply. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
CCMB scientists launch study to check whether coronavirus can travel in air, if so how far
CCMB scientists launch study to check whether coronavirus can travel in air, if so how far The objective of the study, which began around ten days ago, was to know whether the virus actually travels in the air and if it does, how far it goes and primarily intended to help the healthcare personnel, CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra said. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Belly fat linked to early death, study finds: Excess belly fat is associated with a higher risk of early death from any cause, regardless of how much overall body fat you have, a new study finds
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