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"It isn't easy being green." Kermit, the frog
Why are some potato chips green? are some potato chips green?
This is how poisonous green crisps are - and why you still find them in your packetFew people will happily eat the green crisp - but here's the amount you'd have to eat to get ill, and what causes them.
Why are some potato chips green? — Tasting Table
Are Meta Platforms Inc. and Snap Inc. to blame for the suicide of an 11-year-old who suffered from depression and sleep deprivation after becoming addicted to Instagram and Snapchat, the girl’s mother alleged in a lawsuit.
If the parent prevails in this case it would be a huge precedent-setting case, not dissimilar to the Perdue opioid settlement for opioids.
The case will require evidence from experts in addictive behavior. Some neuroscientists have published evidence (Andrew Doan, MD, Ph.D.). Dr. Doan is an ophthalmologist, whose Ph.D. thesis included addictive behavior in video gamers. He also authored "Hooked on Games"
The complaint appears to be the first of its kind against Meta, formerly known as Facebook Inc., said attorney Matthew Bergman, who founded Social Media Victims Law Center in Seattle and represents Rodriguez’s mother.
“There is a mental health epidemic among American teens,” Bergman said. He added that he anticipates a significant number of similar cases will be filed after a former Facebook employee turned whistle-blower testified in Congress in October that the company knew about, but didn’t disclose, the harmful impacts of services like Instagram.
This is unacceptable behavior behind the curtain of 'freedom of speech' and unaccountability. Despite Meta and Snapchat's disavowal of responsibility, there is a growing concern about their effect on morals. Young children's perception of reality becomes confused with virtual reality during their formative years.
Unguided children self treat their anxiety and fear on the internet.
Slowing the Aging Process: Two Blood Proteins Could Be Key to a Long and Healthy Life
Two blood proteins have been shown by scientists to influence how long and healthy a life we live, research suggests.
Developing drugs that target these proteins could be one way of slowing the aging process, according to the largest genetic study of aging.
As we age, our bodies begin to decline after we reach adulthood, which results in age-related diseases and death. This latest research investigates which proteins could influence the aging process.
Many complex and related factors determine the rate at which we age and die, and these include genetics, lifestyle, environment, and chance. The study sheds light on the part proteins play in this process.
Some people naturally have higher or lower levels of certain proteins because of the DNA they inherit from their parents. These protein levels can, in turn, affect a person’s health.
University of Edinburgh researchers combined the results of six large genetic studies into human aging – each containing genetic information on hundreds of thousands of people,
Among 857 proteins studied, researchers identified two that had significant negative effects across various aging measures.
People who inherited DNA that causes raised levels of these proteins were frailer, had poorer self-rated health, and were less likely to live an exceptionally long life than those who did not.
The first protein, called apolipoprotein(a) (LPA), is made in the liver and thought to play a role in clotting. High levels of LPA can increase the risk of atherosclerosis – a condition in which arteries become clogged with fatty substances. Heart disease and stroke are possible outcomes.
The second protein, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1), is primarily found on the surfaces of endothelial cells – a single-cell layer that lines blood vessels. The protein controls vessels’ expansion and retraction – and function in blood clotting and the immune response.
Levels of VCAM 1 increase when the body sends signals to indicate it has detected an infection, VCAM1 then allows immune cells to cross the endothelial layer, as seen for people who have naturally low levels of these proteins.
The researchers say that drugs used to treat diseases by reducing levels of LPA and VCAM1 could have the added benefit of improving quality and length of life.
One such example is a clinical trial that is testing a drug to lower LPA as a way of reducing the risk of heart disease.
There are currently no clinical trials involving VCAM1, but studies in mice have shown how antibodies lowering this protein’s level improved cognition during old age.
The findings have been published in the journal Nature Aging.
Dr. Paul Timmers, lead researcher at the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh, said: “The identification of these two key proteins could help extend the healthy years of life. Drugs that lower these protein levels in our blood could allow the average person to live as healthy and as long as individuals who have won the genetic lottery and are born with genetically low LPA and VCAM1 levels.”
Professor Jim Wilson, Chair of Human Genetics at the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute, said: “This study showcases the power of modern genetics to identify two potential targets for future drugs to extend lifespan.”
Reference: “Mendelian randomization of genetically independent aging phenotypes identifies LPA and VCAM1 as biological targets for human aging” by Paul R. H. J. Timmers, Evgeny S. Tiys, Saori Sakaue, Masato Akiyama, Tuomo T. J. Kiiskinen, Wei Zhou, Shih-Jen Hwang, Chen Yao, Biobank Japan Project, FinnGen, Joris Deelen, Daniel Levy, Andrea Ganna, Yoichiro Kamatani, Yukinori Okada, Peter K. Joshi, James F. Wilson and Yakov A. Tsepilov, 20 January 2022, Nature Aging.
DOI: 10.1038/s43587-021-00159-8
If you need to take beta-blockers, consider taking melatonin supplements.
And finally here are.
A weekly collection focused on cardio prevention
Joel Kahn, MD, FACC of Detroit, Michigan, is a practicing cardiologist, and a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Michigan Medical School. Known as "America’s Healthy Heart Doc", Dr. Kahn has triple board certification in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, and Interventional Cardiology. He was the first physician in the world to certify in Metabolic Cardiology with A4M/MMI and the University of South Florida. He founded the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity in Bingham Farms, MI. Dr. Kahn has authored scores of publications in his field including articles, book chapters and monographs. He writes health articles and has 6 books in publication including Your Whole Heart Solution, Dead Execs Don’t Get Bonuses and The Plant-Based Solution, and Lipoprotein(a): The Heart’s Silent Killer. He has regular appearances on Dr. Phil, The Doctors Show, Dr. Oz, Larry King Now, Joe Rogan Experience, and with Bassem Yousef. He has been awarded a Health Hero award from Detroit Crain’s Business. He serves as medical director of the largest plant support group in the USA, www.pbnsg.org. Dr. Kahn can be found at www.drjoelkahn.com.
An analysis of the relationship of red and white wine drinking and C19 infection shows an association with benefits to raising a glass? Caution all but at least hypothesis-generating. Do you know your Lp(a) level, your patient's levels? The prognostic power of Lp(a) suggests you should as I check in 100% of my clinic visits. CIMT is a powerful tool I use routinely to track plaque and it is valid in children too. Broccoli, aging, cherry juice, and dietary epigenetics finish the list with a bowed head and a walking meditation in memory of Thich Nhat Nahn.
The study found that those who drank one to two glasses of red wine per day had between a 10 and 17 percent lower risk of getting Covid-19 when compared with teetotalers. White wine drinkers in the study who drank between one and four glasses a week reduced their risk of contracting Covid-19 by 7 to 8 percent.
Meanwhile, beer and cider drinkers increased their risk of contracting the virus by 28 percent over non-drinkers, regardless of the amount they consumed. Those who drink five or more hard alcohol drinks a week also increased their risk of infection. Heavy drinkers of all types of alcohol also had an increased risk.
Welcome back to Path to Recovery, a newsletter that will bring you weekly conversations on how the health care profession will recover from one of the most significant crises of our time. Click "subscribe" above or follow along using #PathtoRecovery.
Here’s what we’re talking about this week.
One of the most fundamental ways that the pandemic has reshaped health care has been the rapid adoption of telemedicine. Technology is now ubiquitous and a staple of care. While the volume of telemedicine visits has come down from its April 2020 peak, virtual care leveled off at the beginning of last year at a number 38x higher than prior to the pandemic.
Not only are there practical reasons to offer telemedicine — like decreasing the no-show rate, allowing clinicians to see more patients and, of course, controlling the spread of covid — surveys show that a sizable percentage of people prefer the convenience, particularly younger patients.
The shift has given an opening to a number of direct-to-consumer companies that connect patients to clinicians. The convenience sell is three-fold: not only can patients see a doctor or nurse practitioner directly from their living room, but they can often get an appointment much faster than an in-person visit and have their medications delivered directly to their homes. In that way, DTC companies aim to take some of the pressure off stretched doctors’ offices and pharmacies.
I sat down earlier this month with Varsha Rao, CEO of San Francisco-based Nurx, to talk about how the industry is changing. Nurx is a direct-to-consumer telehealth company focused on medications for birth control, skincare concerns and migraines. Like many of these platforms, it offers a self-pay rate for people without insurance.
Rao joined the company in 2019 after serving as chief operating officer of Clover Health. But her background spans travel, fashion and beauty. Here, she discusses why doctors and pharmacists are joining these companies and how Nurx fits into the larger health care ecosystem.
Let me know: How do you think direct-to-consumer telehealth platforms are changing the industry? What role do you think they play alongside traditional practices?
Below is an edited transcript of our conversation.
LinkedIn News: Tell me about some of your growth plans, both within women's health and outside of it.
Rao: We’ve been focused on building out areas of care that have been really important to our patients. We started off with contraception as a key area where a lot of people have had challenges accessing care. There are a lot of stigmas. It’s also the first place as a younger person where you’re really interacting with the health care system typically. Then we expanded to broader sexual health, so STI testing, HPV testing, and herpes. And then we continued to ask our patients about other areas where they needed care and so that's what led us to migraine.
About 35% of our patients experience migraines and we felt like that was really important for us to address. Over 55% of our patients have acne or rosacea challenges and so that was what led us to acne and rosacea. Coming up next we have new areas of service that we are launching this quarter. We’ll [also] look to continue to expand in dermatology like anti-aging. [Dermatology is] an area that we're going deeper in in general; our focus is really trying to be world-class in the areas that we're in.
LinkedIn News: When you say world class, what do you mean?
Rao: In a way that is a lot more accessible from multiple dimensions. It can take people three to six months, sometimes, to get in to see a neurologist. And we are enabling people to get support within 48 hours. The price point is also very different; it can cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars to see a neurologist or a dermatologist, and for us, our migraine service is $60 for the consultation. The medication is additional. And then for dermatology, our main consultation fee is $35, so very affordable and accessible.
LinkedIn News: You said something interesting in terms of how you compare to the traditional doctor experience. How do you work with clinicians? What's their interest in working with you?
Rao: I think we've built an amazing culture for our clinicians. We have virtually no attrition. Some of them are full-time on staff as a part of a professional medical corporation, but some of them are 1099 [contractors]. But most of them are spending over 50% of their time with us because we require that in order to be familiar with our platform and our protocols. The other thing is providers want to feel like they're really working on true health care challenges. And I think when you're working on areas like contraception, PrEP for HIV prevention, and migraine and dermatology, these are really important challenges that people are experiencing and it feels like they're making a huge impact, which they are.
LinkedIn News: Do you feel like this is the future of where medicine is going in terms of these sort of direct access points for patients?
Rao: I think that telehealth is incredibly important as the first port of entry because there are so many things that are so much more efficiently done through telehealth. And then there are also so many challenges around accessing care. Those are the reasons why I’m such a big believer in telehealth. That’s not to say that I think there isn’t an important element of meeting a provider in person as well. And so I see ourselves as being part of an ecosystem, not replacing an ecosystem. There's always going to be an interplay.
The quality of care that's delivered through telehealth is incredibly high. And so telehealth has gone from being viewed as a second or third option to really being a primary option of choice and very trusted.
Linked News: When you say you want to be part of the ecosystem, what does that mean? Are you building referral networks or how do you tap into the larger healthcare ecosystem?
Rao: We are very clear about the kinds of cases that we can handle. We refer out cases all the time for people who really need to see an in-person provider because you know they might be suffering from something that really requires a physical exam. We have relationships with providers in the community.
Pharmacists
It's incredibly challenging right now to find all kinds of health care providers who are going to be part of a new world of health care delivery. In this new world of telehealth, pharmacists have an incredible role to play. I feel that they may have been under-appreciated in working in a lot of retail environments where you’re on your feet for 12 hours a day or more. My understanding is it can be quite unpleasant in some locales where you’ve had the opioid crisis; they've had to handle really challenging patient interactions. And then I also think that many pharmacists may not be working to the top of their license in the sense that they’re often stuck doing a lot of administrative work. My hope is that, in this kind of new world, we can empower pharmacists with more technology and more support so that they can deliver the kind of care that most of them went to school to get training for.
Pharmacists are in a multi-dimensional environment. Many are in large chain pharmacies such as CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens. These organizations will be required to incorporate telehealth into their daily operations. This will be a synchronous match to ask questions and offer information in face-to-face interaction, much like the clinician-patient telehealth contact. Telehealth providers offer SMS links when a telehealth appointment is desired. The integration of SMS and telehealth provides a unique connection asset.
Their research shows how the body produces different health-promoting signaling molecules in an organ-specific manner following exercise depending on the time of day. These signals have a broad impact on health, influencing sleep, memory, exercise performance, and metabolic homeostasis. Their findings were recently published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
“A better understanding of how exercise affects the body at different times of day might help us to maximize the benefits of exercise for people at risk of diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes,” says Professor Juleen R. Zierath from Karolinska Institutet and the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR) at the University of Copenhagen.
Around the United States, in numerous cases, hospitalized COVID-19 patients have asked for Ivermectin but were denied the drug, and then sought a court order forcing the hospital to provide the requested medication. Ivermectin, which has been used safely in humans since 1985, has shown promise in treating the virus, especially when taken early. Although it is an off-label use and not guaranteed to work every time, it is legal for doctors to prescribe Ivermectin for COVID-19, and many patients, some desperate and dying, want to give it a try.
Why are so many hospitals opposed to trying safe, inexpensive Ivermectin? The answer is tied to the complicated financial house of cards covering the entire health care system.
This isn’t a story about Ivermectin; it’s about what COVID-19 exposed in America’s health care system. The federal government, pharmaceutical, and insurance companies hold the reins on what care hospital administrators can offer. They never looked at your chart, but have a say in your treatment, and doctors who stray from administrative protocol can kiss their careers goodbye.
Here is a look at the many forces driving health care decisions outside the doctor-patient relationship.
