By BY APOORVA MANDAVILLI AND EMILY ANTHES from NYT Health https://ift.tt/jfhLagv
Friday, February 24, 2023
Thursday, February 23, 2023
Ozempic is a ‘Band-Aid’ on the root of childhood obesity: toxic food, former pharma consultant says
February 23, 2023
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A former Coca-Cola and pharmaceutical consultant said the push to put kids on weight-loss drugs ignores what he calls the root issue behind obesity — added sugars and processed food — and will fail to prevent more people from developing the disease.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) released guidelines last month encouraging pediatricians to be more proactive in fighting childhood obesity, with treatments including rigorous lifestyle changes or even weight loss drugs, or in some cases, surgery for children as young as 12. Calley Means, who co-founded a company that promotes food as medicine, blamed added sugar that food manufacturers put in products to increase flavor or extend shelf life for the rise in obesity along with other chronic diseases.
"The only thing that will make us healthier, more fertile, less depressed, less obese, is attacking the root cause," the TrueMed co-founder told Fox News. "There are public policy measures that can take the poison out of our children's food supply and stop subsidizing it."
Added sugar intake has long been connected with a variety of health issues. Effects include "higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes and fatty liver disease," which are "all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke," according to Dr. Frank Hu, a Harvard University nutrition professor.
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Obesity affected around 20% of children between the ages of 2 and 19 between 2027 and 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When left untreated, obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, depression and other chronic conditions.
Ozempic, one of the Food and Drug Administration-approved diabetes medications that doctors prescribe for weight loss, acts as an appetite suppressant. But an April 2022 peer-reviewed study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism found that patients who went off the drug regained two-thirds of the lost weight within a year.
"Ozempic will not decrease obesity long term," Means told Fox News. "Making teenagers lifetime patients, that's not good for kids."
"Ozempic is a Band-Aid," he added.
While weight-loss drugs may help people shed pounds, Means said it will not stop more people from developing obesity or other illnesses borne from what he calls "poisonous food" consumption. He said good nutrition can prevent chronic illnesses like depression, heart disease and diabetes, while medications can only treat them after the fact.
The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests an added sugar limit of no more than 24 grams per day for women and 36 grams for men. But on average, Americans eat 77 grams a day, according to the AHA. A single can of Coca-Cola contains 44 grams of sugar.
Additionally, a high intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers according to a Harvard study.
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If obesity trends hold, 57% of children between ages 2 and 19 will be obese by 2050, according to the AAP. The newly updated guidelines do not discuss childhood obesity prevention but do recommend treatment facilities for lifestyle interventions as the first treatment option.
"This is one more example of not addressing the core question of why we're getting sick but waiting for people to get sick and drugging them," Means said. "We're being distracted from what is harming kids."
Means believes that classifying obesity as a chronic illness sends the wrong message to families, prompting them to seek life-long medical intervention rather than addressing the root issue: food.
"We would expect the medical leaders to be speaking out about the root cause of why we're sick," he told Fox News. "But they're not calling to reform food stamps to not have processed food by 70%, they're not calling for the FDA to move the sugar recommendation of 2-year-olds from 10% to 0%."
Novo Nordic, Ozempic's manufacturer, did not respond to Fox News' request for comment.
To watch the full interview with Means, click here.
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Most US states failing to protect schools' water from lead contaminants, study finds
February 23, 2023
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Could drinking from the school’s water fountain put your child’s health at risk?
The odds are higher than parents might think, according to a new report from the Environment America Research & Policy Center in Denver, Colorado, called "Get the Lead Out."
Researchers examined each U.S. state’s policy in regard to preventing lead contamination of drinking water.
More than half the states got a failing grade of an F.
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Eight states received a D and 13 got a C.
Only two states — New Hampshire and New Jersey — plus Washington, D.C., scored a B.
John Rumpler, lead author of the study and clean water program director for Environment America, said an F generally means a state has done "little to nothing" to stop lead contamination of schools’ water.
"Many of these states now have limited, voluntary testing programs, but testing doesn't make the water any safer," Rumpler told Fox News Digital via an email.
"Instead of spending time and money on more tests confirming that kids have been drinking lead-tainted water, families would be better served if officials took steps to prevent lead contamination in the first place."
Environment America last performed this study in 2019.
The results weren’t promising then, but Rumpler said the data confirming widespread contamination of schools' water is even stronger now.
The new study was released on Thursday morning, Feb. 23, 2023.
The dangers of drinking water tainted with lead — a toxic metal — are well-known and widespread.
In children, exposure to even small amounts over time can lead to behavioral and learning problems, stunted growth, lower IQ, hearing problems, anemia and damage to the nervous system, as listed on the EPA’s website.
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In rare cases, high levels of lead exposure can result in coma, seizures or even death.
The effects are far more pronounced in children than in adults.
"Children have developing brains that are highly susceptible to the damaging effects of lead," Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, medical toxicologist at the National Capital Poison Center in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital in an email.
"While a smaller number of children might be admitted to the ER with acute lead poisoning — from whatever source — millions of kids are at risk of behavioral, developmental and/or cognitive damage from low levels of lead," Rumpler added.
Rumpler was somewhat surprised to find that lead contamination of water is happening in suburban and rural schools as well as in urban ones.
"Tests have documented lead-tainted water in all types of communities — rural towns, big cities and affluent suburbs," the study findings stated.
"Examples include schools in Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Yarmouth, Maine; several school districts in upstate New York and suburban communities in Illinois."
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Among the schools that are testing their water, some found alarmingly high levels of lead.
At a Montessori school in Cleveland, for example, water from a drinking fountain was found to contain 1,560 parts per billion of lead; a faucet at an elementary school in Massachusetts tested at 22,400 parts per billion.
By comparison, the EPA only allows a maximum of 15 parts per billion, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has called for limits to be set at 1 part per billion.
The problem stems from aging school buildings — and old pipes.
A 2016 report in Education Week found that the average age of U.S. school buildings was 44 years.
"Because many schools are older and may contain lead pipes or older fixtures, it is certainly possible that these aging plumbing systems may experience corrosion over time, leading to the release of lead into the drinking water," said Johnson-Arbor.
In many cases, the service lines carrying water from the streets to the school buildings are also made from lead.
Lead gasoline and lead-based paints were both banned in the 1970s.
However, Rumpler pointed out that limits on lead in plumbing and fixtures were not dramatically reduced until 2014.
The Environmental Protection Agency has called for drinking water to contain zero traces of lead due to health hazards.
Even so, there is no federal law that requires schools to test drinking water for lead, per the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
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"In all states with failing grades, we could find no law requiring all schools to even test their water for lead, never mind shut down taps where lead is detected or prevent contamination in the first place," said Rumpler.
However, on a positive note, some areas — such as Maryland and Washington, D.C. — have made at least some improvements to their laws surrounding schools’ water safety.
"Since our last report in 2019, several states have gone from utter failure to taking at least some incremental steps toward safer drinking water for children at school," Rumpler told Fox News Digital.
"Yet in nearly every case, even these new policies only require remediation of taps if testing confirms lead concentrations in water above a certain threshold."
These "test and fix" policies are better than nothing, but they don’t eliminate the risk — especially when lead concentrations can vary from one faucet or fountain to the next.
In an ideal world, schools would remove any lead-containing plumbing and fixtures to eliminate the problem at the source.
Yet when that’s not feasible, Rumpler calls for replacing fountains with water stations that have filters certified to remove lead.
These filters capture the lead before it can contaminate kids’ water bottles (or lunches, when used in the cafeteria).
Schools in some cities — including Portland, San Diego and Detroit — have already started this effort.
Ideally, Rumpler says all schools should have these filtered water stations, with at least one per 100 students and staff members.
Parents can ask principals to identify those filtered stations and make sure their kids only use those for drinking.
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For new construction or renovations, all fixtures and plumbing should use only lead-free materials.
"Given the pervasiveness of lead contamination in schools' water across the country, the time for state and local governments to step in and protect our kids' health is now," Rumpler said.
"It would take a small fraction of the unprecedented federal funding that states and school districts are now receiving to install filtered water stations at every school in America."
A simple blood test can help diagnose lead exposure and poisoning in both children and adults.
Concerned parents can contact Poison Control online at www.poison.org or by phone at 1-800-222-1222.
Environment America says its "mission is to transform the power of our imaginations and our ideas into change that makes our world a greener and healthier place for all." The nonprofit is part of The Public Interest Network, "which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to social change," it says on its website.
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Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Pancreatic cancer rates are rising faster among women than men: new study
February 22, 2023
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Pancreatic cancer rates are rising faster among women than men, according to a new study by researchers from Cedars-Sinai Cancer in Los Angeles, California.
The findings were published recently in the journal Gastroenterology.
Pancreatic cancer rates have been climbing for both genders — but women ages 55 and younger saw a 2.4% higher increase compared to men in the same age group.
Young Black women experienced a 2.23% higher increase than Black men of the same age.
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These findings may be surprising, given that the American Cancer Society (ACS) states on its website that the disease is more common in men.
Pancreatic cancer accounts for about 3% of all cancers and 7% of all cancer deaths, per the ACS. It’s estimated that 33,130 men and 30,920 women will be diagnosed this year.
Researchers analyzed a database of cancer patients — specifically those who received pancreatic cancer diagnoses between 2001 and 2018.
"We can tell that the rate of pancreatic cancer among women is rising rapidly, which calls attention to the need for further research in this area," said Dr. Srinivas Gaddam, lead author of the study and associate director of pancreatic biliary research at Cedars-Sinai, in a Feb. 10 press release published on the hospital’s website.
"There’s a need to understand these trends and to make changes today, so this doesn’t affect women disproportionately in the future."
Fox News Digital reached out to the study's lead authors for comment.
Dr. Michael Chuong, medical director of proton and photon therapy with Miami Cancer Institute in South Florida, was not involved in the study but was not surprised by its results.
"It has been known that the incidence of new pancreatic cancer diagnoses is increasing, and this study further adds to the understanding that this likely will continue for the foreseeable future, thus highlighting the importance of developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to this deadly disease," he told Fox News Digital via email.
"While we’re reporting improving survival in pancreatic cancer each year, that improvement is largely among men," Dr. Gaddam said in the press release.
"The mortality rate among women is not improving."
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The increase in female pancreatic cancer rates is still relatively small, yet it does highlight the need for awareness and prevention through healthy behaviors.
Dr. Gaddam plans to continue researching pancreatic cancer trends to better understand the differing impacts on men and women, according to the press release.
The study did not pinpoint a clear reason for the increase in women’s diagnoses. However, researchers suggested a potential cause: a higher frequency of an aggressive type of tumor called pancreatic head adenocarcinoma, which has a low survival rate.
Dr. Dung Trinh, chief medical officer of Irvine Clinical Research and a physician with Memorial Care Medical Group in California, cited several possible reasons for pancreatic cancer rates rising in younger women.
"One potential factor is the increasing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, as both conditions have been linked to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer," he told Fox News Digital in an email.
"Poor dietary habits, such as a diet high in red meat, processed foods and saturated fats, may also contribute to this trend."
Additionally, Dr. Trinh said there is evidence that exposure to certain environmental toxins and chemicals may increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
"For example, exposure to pesticides or other chemicals used in agriculture or industry has been associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer," he said.
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Dr. Trinh also said some studies suggest women who smoke cigarettes or use oral contraceptives for extended periods of time may have a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Experts agree that healthy lifestyle choices are the biggest weapons against pancreatic cancer risk.
"Obesity has been linked to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, so maintaining a healthy weight through regular exercise and a balanced diet is important," said Dr. Trinh.
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Eating a healthy diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, with lower amounts of red meat and saturated fats, is also important, he said.
Abstaining from or quitting smoking is another important way to minimize risk.
The ACS cites smoking as one of the biggest risk factors for pancreatic cancer.
"Historically, men have had higher smoking rates than women," said Dr. Trinh.
"As smoking rates have decreased among men, this could explain the improvement in pancreatic cancer incidence."
People with a family history of pancreatic cancer can talk with a doctor about early screening options.
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Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Post-COVID, many parents are giving kids fever-reducing medicine when it's not necessary: study
February 21, 2023
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Parents might want to think twice before reaching for aspirin or ibuprofen to bring down a child’s fever.
One in three parents give their kids fever-reducing medicine when it’s not really needed, a new study from Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan found.
In response to a poll, 33% of parents said they would administer meds if their kids had a fever below 100.4°F.
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Half of them would medicate if their kids ran a fever between 100.4°F and 101.9°F.
One-quarter of the parents would even add an extra dose to keep the fever at bay, according to the study.
The data was gathered between August 2022 and September 2022 from 1,376 parents of kids 12 years old and younger.
Dr. Tiffany N. Kimbrough, medical director at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, was not involved in the study but pointed out that during COVID, many parents may have gotten a break from managing common childhood illnesses.
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"Over the last few years, there was a decreased transmission of viral illnesses and fewer ear infections," she told Fox News Digital via email.
"Parents of young children may be managing fevers this season for the first time and may be worried about them being dangerous — leading to the over-treatment of temperatures that do not technically meet the cut-off of a true fever," she said.
Another reason for over-treatment is that there aren’t many approved medications for routine childhood illnesses, the doctor added.
"Often, giving medication can make parents feel like they’re at least doing something when their child isn't feeling well," she said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, defines a fever as a rectal temperature of 100.4°F or higher.
However, it also says that "the treatment of fever itself is less important than the identification of its cause."
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"Temperatures make some kids feel really poorly, leading to increased risk for dehydration from not drinking well and the illness causing the fever," said Dr. Kimbrough.
"I recommend treating fevers based on how a child appears in order to help improve their oral intake and keep them out of the hospital."
For the vast majority of children, a mild elevation in temperature is not dangerous, said Kimbrough — it’s actually the immune system’s way of fighting off illness.
"There is no need to treat a well-appearing child with a mild temperature elevation," she told Fox News Digital.
"Fevers are technically those temperatures that are greater than 100.4°F, but even then, most temperatures do not need to be treated if the child is feeling well — with the exception of some specific health conditions."
For children under three months of age, Dr. Kimbrough recommends checking a rectal temperature for the most accurate reading.
The next best method is an oral temperature for children who are old enough to close their mouth around the thermometer.
The AAP states on its website that rectal and oral temperatures are more accurate than axillary (armpit) or tympanic (ear) readings.
The AAP recommends calling the doctor when a child under three months old has a fever greater than 100.4°F.
For children older than three months, parents should call a doctor if a fever is combined with extreme fatigue or fussiness, severe sore throat, an unexplained rash, diarrhea or vomiting, trouble breathing, or a severe headache, neck pain, ear pain or sore throat.
Children with immune system problems or heart conditions should also be seen right away if they are running a fever, the AAP states.
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"We also want to hear if a fever is lasting four days or more, especially if there are no other signs," said Dr. Kimbrough.
"Lastly, parents and guardians know their child well — if they generally feel like something just isn't right or if they have questions, we would always want to hear from our families."
If parent do administer fever-reducing meds, they should keep in mind that dosages are weight-based.
"Check in with your child's doctor or pharmacist if you're uncertain what dose of medication your child should be using," Dr. Kimbrough said.
"Pay attention to the time of last medication as well, to be sure you're not giving too frequently."
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