HealthLine Health News

People taking GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are reporting unexpected changes in the size and shape of their breasts. FG Trade/Getty Images “Ozempic breasts” is the latest reported side effect of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. The term is being used to refer to unexpected changes in breast size or shape as a result of rapid, extreme weight loss. The most common symptoms include loss of volume, sagging, and tenderness. GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have become popular weight loss tools. However, people can also experience a wide variety of side effects while taking these drugs, including some that are associated with extreme weight loss. Like “Ozempic face” and “Ozempic butt,” “Ozempic breasts” is the latest term gaining popularity as a way to describe a loss in volume and decrease in skin elasticity that people often experience while taking GLP-1 drugs, which can lead to a change in shape and appearance in specific parts of the body. What are “Ozempic breasts,” and what causes them? “Ozempic breasts” isn’t a clinical term, but it has entered the public lexicon. “Ozempic breasts is a newer term that people are using now to refer to unexpected changes in breast size or shape as a result of rapid weight loss induced by Ozempic,” says Christopher Costa MD, MPH, the founder of Platinum Plastic Surgery. According to Elie Levine, MD FACS, the director of plastic surgery at Plastic Surgery & Dermatology of NYC PLLC, “The most common symptoms include loss of volume, sagging, tenderness, and rarely, some will describe size fluctuations including swelling.” While more research is needed, each expert Healthline spoke with pointed to the same likely cause for breast changes. “In the breast area, rapid fat loss can leave the skin envelope empty, causing the breasts to look deflated and the nipples facing downward,” says Ronald F. Rosso, MD, the medical director at Peninsula Plastic Surgery. “This appearance is very similar to what happens after patients have had more traditional weight loss procedures such as gastric bypass.” Levine points out that there isn’t research backing breast changes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t happen. In fact, Levine says they likely occur for some patients and echoed Rosso’s sentiments. “Ozempic can affect weight and hormones in your body,” Levine says. “As a result of shifts in weight and hormones, other changes may occur, such as in the appearance of your breasts. Mostly, however, if one loses considerable weight, it is reasonable to think that the weight loss will include all parts of the body, including the breasts.” Hormonal effects of GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Wegovy use the active ingdedient, semaglutide, a GLP-1 hormone receptor agonist.  “The hormone, which is naturally produced in the body, plays a strong role in regulating blood sugar levels, appetite, and body weight,” Costa says. “So basically, the medication makes you feel fuller longer, experience no cravings, and not eat as much because you’re less hungry.” Hormonal changes, such as during pregnancy and a person’s menstrual cycle, can cause temporary breast changes, such as swelling. Since GLP-1 drugs mimic a hormone, could the same be true for these medications? It’s unclear. “The effects of Ozempic on testosterone and estrogen are being studied currently, but there is no definitive data on their interactions at this time,” Costa says. “More research is needed to directly link hormonal changes affecting breast tissue to the use of this medication because it is currently understood to primarily affect blood sugar and appetite hormones.” Learn more about how to get GLP-1 medications from vetted and trusted online sources here: How to Get Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) Where to Buy Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) Online How to Get Ozempic: Everything You Need to Know Where to Buy Ozempic Online How to Get Wegovy for Weight Loss In Person and Online How to Get a Wegovy Prescription Online How to Get Zepbound: What We Know So Far Where to Buy Zepbound Online How to manage or treat “Ozempic breasts” Costa notes that breast changes don’t appear to be a cause for concern at this time. “Every individual is different,” Costa says. “However, the changes in breasts are typically correlated to overall weight changes as opposed to Ozempic specifically.” However, some people may experience physical and emotional discomfort related to these changes and want solutions. First, it’s best to wait before seeking professional procedures. “I advise my patients to wait until they are able to maintain their desired weight before making any decisions,” Costa says. Also, doctors only recommend stopping medication after speaking to a healthcare professional first. Research from 2022 indicated that those who stopped using semaglutide regained about two-thirds of their lost weight within a year. This is commonly referred to as Ozempic rebound. Still, there are ways to manage physical discomfort while taking GLP-1 medications and, if and when the time is right for a patient, breast appearance, too. Experts offered the following tips: At-home care While procedures may help with breast changes, experts share some remedies for both appearance and pain that can be handled at home. “Wearing a supportive bra 24/7 except when showering can be helpful in limiting the effects of weight loss combined with the stretch and sagging caused by gravity,” Levine says. Swelling can also be reduced with minimally invasive steps. “Although there might be some discomfort with this, massaging the breasts can help increase circulation and reduce swelling,” Levine says. “Furthermore, ibuprofen or Tylenol or applying a cool compress can help relieve some of the discomfort.” Procedures  Patients may also consider or opt for a procedure. These may include: Breast lift (mastopexy) Breast augmentation Breast lift with implants “A breast lift helps to raise and firm the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the surrounding tissue to reshape and support the new breast contour,” Costa says. “I notice that patients who feel insecure due to their breasts sagging after rapid weight loss will opt for this procedure to perk up their breasts and give them a full shape.” Additionally, people who aren’t happy with a smaller breast size may opt for an augmentation to restore volume, Costa says.  “[It can help people] to feel like themselves again,” Costa says. Others may opt for both. “Many patients feel very deterred when I tell them that a breast lift will cause them to lose a cup size,” Costa says. As such, these patients will opt for a combination of a lift and augmentation implants to achieve their desired aesthetic. This is usually the case when the patient has a significant loss of volume and sagging.” That said, procedures aren’t the best fit for each patient. “While surgery often addresses the concerns of patients, it is not for everyone,” Levine says.  “I highly recommend speaking to a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options even if, in the end, you decide it is not for you or not for you at the current time. There is power in knowledge.” Embrace it Doing nothing is a perfectly acceptable solution to “Ozempic breasts.” “Your body after Ozempic may be completely different,” Costa says. “That means accepting that overall breast volume and shape may be affected. If you’re not ready for a cosmetic procedure, it’s OK to embrace your new look. Go shopping for new clothes to fit your new size and bust to create the best version of yourself.” Takeaway “Ozempic breasts” is the latest reported side effect of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic. The term is being used to refer to unexpected changes in breast size or shape as a result of extreme weight loss triggered by GLP-1 medications. Sagging, tenderness, and volume loss are among the most common symptoms people are reporting. Hormonal changes may also trigger swelling, but health experts say they should be temporary. Surgical procedures like breast lifts and implants can alter the appearance of sagging and lost volume.

hxyume/Getty Images A new study showed that the combined use of cannabis and nicotine during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of maternal and neonatal morbidity. Experts explained that it’s best to steer clear of both substances while pregnant. It is important to raise awareness that just because cannabis may be legal in some states, it does not mean it is safe during pregnancy. A new study found that using both cannabis and nicotine products during pregnancy was linked with a greater risk of maternal and neonatal morbidity compared with using just one substance. This included infant and neonatal death, infants small for gestational age, and preterm birth. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open. Researchers examined data on pregnant individuals with singleton gestations and gestational ages of 23 to 42 weeks from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information and the California Department of Public Health. “The most compelling aspect of this study was the increased rate of infant death with co-use, which was four times higher in users of cannabis and nicotine combined compared with nonusers, and nearly two times higher compared with users of either cannabis or nicotine alone,” the study’s corresponding author, Jamie Lo, M.D., M.C.R., told Healthline. “This information helps inform patient counseling where ideally patients would abstain from using cannabis and nicotine during pregnancy, but for those who are unable to, even avoiding the use of one of these substances can reduce the pregnancy risks that we see when nicotine and cannabis are used together.” Lo added: “Next steps are to look at the impact of dose, timing (i.e, which trimester), frequency, and mode of cannabis delivery or tobacco-product used on maternal and offspring outcomes. In addition, it would be important to see what longer-term offspring impacts are associated with cannabis and nicotine co-use.” The dangers of using cannabis and nicotine products during pregnancy According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, cannabis is associated with diminished fetal neurological function.  In addition, one study found that nicotine affects how the placenta functions, which interferes with the fetus receiving proper nutrition and oxygen in utero. Experts agree that it’s best to steer clear of both substances while pregnant. “While addiction knows no boundaries, and substance use covers a myriad of items, a common patient concern is the use of marijuana and nicotine while expecting,” Dr. Lea McMahon, chief clinical officer at Symetria Recovery, stated. “I tell my patients that while suffering from substance use disorders, it is important to look forward and concentrate on their continued steps of sobriety.  Due to extensive media coverage and published medical reports, it is medically advised that people abstain from both nicotine and cannabis use while expecting.” Regarding the argument of cannabis vs. nicotine and which one is worse, the medical community finds neither in good standing to award a green light of usage, McMahon explained.  She encourages any patient, pregnant or not, to seek treatment for the entire scope of their substance use disorder while pursuing full-fledged sobriety and a better quality of life. Alleviating addiction before pregnancy Pamela Berens, MD, professor and OBGYN at UTHealth Houston, stressed that just because cannabis may be legal in some states, it does not mean it is safe during pregnancy. “We don’t have sufficient research to know the full implications of cannabis use during pregnancy and lactation.  This study highlights some of the safety concerns and the need to better support people to assist them with decreasing their use prior to and during pregnancy and lactation and quitting altogether if that is a possibility for them,” Berens said. It’s strongly advised to stop cannabis and nicotine use before the start of pregnancy. Attempting to quit any addiction during pregnancy can be dangerous for both the pregnant person and the fetus. “Regarding nicotine, I tell pregnant patients that patches are not a safe method to alleviate addiction, as these contain a large dose of nicotine and may cause in-utero damage,” McMahon explained. “In my opinion, the best way to discourage cannabis and nicotine use while pregnant is to abstain from both substances and remove the social acceptance that one is ‘better’ than the other.  Especially for anyone trying to overcome substance use disorders, behaviors related to cannabis and nicotine consumption should be avoided as a whole.” Takeaway The combined use of cannabis and nicotine during pregnancy was linked to an increased risk of maternal and neonatal morbidity, according to a new study. Experts noted that it’s best to avoid both substances during pregnancy. It’s crucial to raise awareness among the public that although cannabis is legal in some states, it doesn’t mean it’s safe for pregnant people to use.

On May 6, Miss USA Noelia Voigt shared she would resign from her duties to focus on her mental health. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Miss USA Noelia Voigt announced on May 6 that she’s stepping down from her duties to focus on her mental health. It’s important to recognize the signs your mental health may be declining so you can prioritize your well-being. To care for your mental health, experts recommend eating healthily, getting enough sleep, having a strong support network. Talking with a therapist or other mental health professional can also be helpful during challenging times. Noelia Voigt, crowned Miss USA in September 2023, announced she is stepping down from her duties to prioritize her mental health. Voigt shared the news on May 6 in an Instagram post. She is the first Venezuelan American woman to hold the Miss USA title. “In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health,” she wrote. “My hope is that I continue to inspire others to be steadfast, prioritize your mental health, advocate for yourself and others by using your voice, and never be afraid of what the future holds, even if it feels uncertain.” Voigt’s announcement was timely, given that May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The Miss USA organization said it supports Voigt’s decision. “The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time,” the organization told HuffPost in a statement. “The organization is currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor and an announcement regarding the crowning of the new Miss USA will be coming soon.” How does fame affect mental health? Anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues impact everyone differently, but being in the spotlight as a public figure or celebrity can be especially challenging. “Public figures are under constant attention, experience limited privacy, limited independence, and are under relentless scrutiny,” Jennifer Bahrman, PhD, a psychologist with UTHealth Houston, told Healthline. “They are expected to be perfect, flawless, and often untouchable to the stressors of life. Hence, they are more likely to be discouraged to show vulnerability. While they remain humans who go through the same challenges as non-public figures, they are at greater risk for being scrutinized and experiencing the stigma and discrimination of mental illness that sadly remains the case,” Bahrman explained. Public figures also tend to have a significant impact on the general public. When celebrities speak out about mental health, they help normalize these discussions for others. “They can serve in a capacity to normalize that it is not only OK to ask for help when experiencing mental health concerns, but that one is not alone nor immune from being impacted by it,” Bahrman said. To that end, some public figures may feel like they become an instant spokesperson for anything they speak about publicly.  “Being a spokesperson for mental health is brave, given the stigma that surrounds it, but talking openly about mental health is also important to the process of destigmatizing mental health,” Naomi Torres-Mackie, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, told Healthline. “Existing in the public eye can feel like a lot of pressure. Constantly being scrutinized or feeling like your life is not your own can create a great deal of stress, which can negatively impact mental health. The pressure to perform, too, can take a toll on mental well-being.”  Signs your mental health is declining There are several factors to take into account when evaluating your mental well-being.  “Look for changes in normal sleep and appetite patterns as well as changes in your ability to concentrate,” Gerard Sanacora, PhD, MD, director of the Yale Depression Research Program at Yale School of Medicine, told Healthline. “There could some extra level of concern if the changes in concentration are tied to ruminative thinking patterns where it is hard to think about anything but the one issue that is upsetting you.”  Changes in energy or the willingness to socialize with friends and family can also be reason for concern.  In addition, any thoughts questioning the value of life or thoughts that the world may be better without you should be seen as a cause for immediate concern.  “Dramatic changes in any of these areas may mean it is time to take a step back and re-evaluate your current situation and how you are managing the current level of stress you are experiencing,” Sanacora explained. A major red flag that your mental health may need attention is when your daily functioning starts to decline.  “If you find yourself struggling to get out of bed, neglecting your responsibilities, unable to go to work/school, not enjoying things you used to or withdrawing from social interactions, it may be time to take a step back, pause, and pay attention to your mental health,” Susan Albers, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, told Healthline. Other signs your mental health may be worsening include: persistent feelings of sadness anxiety irritability changes in appetite or sleep patterns difficulty concentrating “It’s important to listen to your body and mind and not ignore these warning signs. Other clues that your mental health is suffering may come from those around you who express concern,” Albers said. “Friends and family may pick up on things you don’t see or recognize that you are not yourself. Remember, seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.”  How to take care of your mental health Prioritizing your mental health means giving yourself the time and attention your deserve each day to start to feel better.  “Start by taking care of the basics, such as healthy eating and getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night,” Albers said.  It’s also important to learn a wide range of coping and stress management skills. This might also include: deep breathing relaxation meditation calming exercises physical activity time with friends or loved ones allowing yourself to take a break “Surrounding yourself with a supportive network of friends and family who understand and respect your needs can be a game changer,” Albers explained. “If you’re struggling with a specific issue, consider seeking professional help from a therapist. Remember, your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and it’s okay to ask for help when you need it whether you are a public figure or not.” Although it may seem easier said than done, getting into the habit of putting your well-being first can go a long way. “Things like sleep, exercise, time with loved ones, and relaxation practices, for example, should be nonnegotiable aspects of your week,” Torres-Mackie recommended. “These forms of self-care are preventive for mental health conditions.”  You might also try to shift your thinking about mental health, which can help you become more accepting of it.  “Understand that mental health is equally as important as your physical health, and it deserves just as much care and attention. If you view mental healthcare as crucial, it becomes easier to prioritize it,” Torres-Mackie said. Takeaway Miss USA Noelia Voigt announced she will be stepping down from her duties to focus on her mental health. Signs you might need to take a step back to prioritize your mental health include changes in appetite or sleep, difficulty concentrating, and persistent feelings of sadness. Experts suggest adopting healthy eating habits, getting enough sleep, and surrounding yourself with family and friends who support you. You might also talk with a therapist or mental health professional for additional support.

A new study finds most adults in the U.S. have CKM syndrome. Oliver Rossi/Getty Images A new study finds that 9 out of 10 adults in the U.S. may have cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome. The research found 90% of adults qualify for stage 1 or higher of this condition. CKM syndrome is a systemic disorder that has links between heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity. A new study has revealed that roughly 90% of Americans may have cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome. The risks are greatest among older adults, men, and Black individuals, the report, which was published in JAMA Wednesday, found. The American Heart Association (AHA) introduced a new staging system in 2023 — called CKM syndrome — to better treat and manage cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic diseases, since they are deeply connected and often require a multidisciplinary approach.  CKM syndrome is a systemic disorder that has links between heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity. The new system includes four stages of disease: 0, which indicates a person has no risk factors to 4, which indicates a person has been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD). In addition to CVD, people with stage 4 may also have kidney failure. Risk factors can include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and excess body fat. Latha Palaniappan, MD, MS, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford Medicine, says she’s not surprised by the findings, given how prevalent CKM risk factors, including obesity, are. Palaniappan was not involved in the study. “Despite being a high-income country, the U.S. continues to fall behind in chronic disease mortality and morbidity,” Palaniappan told Healthline.  The chronic conditions that can lead to heart disease The researchers evaluated health data of 10,762 adults sourced from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.  The participants made up a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population. The research team evaluated each individual’s CKM stage by looking at their existing risk factors, including hypertension, excess adiposity, chronic kidney disease, or diagnosed CVD like coronary artery disease. They found that, between 2011 and 2020, 10.6% met criteria for stage 0 26% met criteria for stage 1 49% met criteria for stage 2 5% met criteria for stage 3 9% met criteria for stage 4.  Stage 1 is characterized as a person having excess body fat and higher than normal blood sugar (but not high enough to be considered diabetic). Stage 2 is characterized as a person having type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Stage 3 is characterized as a person having issues with heart and blood vessels but without noticeable symptoms. Stage 4 is characterized as a person having CKM risk factors and signs of heart disease, such as coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, or atrial fibrillation. Stage 4a includes people without kidney failure. Stage 4b includes people with kidney failure. Adults 65 and older were more likely to have advanced stages (stage 3 and 4) compared to those between the ages of 45 and 64.  About 18% of adults ages 20 to 44 were categorized as stage 0. Men had a higher risk of advanced-stage CKM syndrome compared to women. Additionally, Black adults were significantly more likely to have advanced-stage CKM syndrome compared to white adults “These data underscore how prevalent cardiovascular risk factors are in our society,” Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, told Healthline.  Chen was not involved in the study. “These data provide a framework to help us better characterize the natural disease progression of CKM diseases in the US, to track our progress in better preventing clinical cardiovascular disease,” he added. How to stop the progression of CKM syndrome Poor CKM health is common in the U.S., according to the researchers. The vast majority of the population has risk factors that put them at risk for CKM syndrome: 73% live with overweight or obesity, half of adults have high blood pressure, over 38 million American adults have diabetes, and 1 in 3 adults have prediabetes. The most common risk factors for CKM syndrome include unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and insufficient sleep, says Palaniappan. As the findings revealed, CKM syndrome disproportionately affects racial minority populations, including Black individuals. The data “highlight the need to address health inequities to better serve this high-risk population,” says Chen.  Chen says it is essential that CKM risk factors be managed properly so that people do not progress to clinical cardiovascular disease. Given the high prevalence of CKM syndrome, healthcare professionals should screen for this disease early and often, using people’s body mass index, lifestyle choices, and family history, says Palaniappan. “Investing in preventive medicine — namely nutrition and exercise — may be the key to lessening the burden of CKM syndrome and CKM syndrome risk factors like obesity, particularly among high-risk populations,” she said.  The bottom line: A new study has revealed that roughly 90% of Americans may qualify as having stage 1 or higher cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome. Older adults, men, and Black individuals face a heightened risk. 

Unlike with COVID-19, the U.S. has candidate vaccines for the bird flu currently spreading in animals. Carlos Duarte/Getty Images The U.S. government has two candidate vaccine viruses for H5N1 bird flu that could be used to make vaccines. Studies suggest vaccines based on these would offer good protection against the bird flu virus circulating among cattle in the U.S. It would take months to produce and ship millions of doses, but experts worry that uptake will still be low. The H5N1 bird flu circulating in the U.S. remains far more dangerous for birds than for people. Currently, this strain of the flu that circulated in cows has led to just a single person being affected in the last few months. But the strain of influenza has the potential to mutate, so federal health officials are already thinking ahead toward a potential vaccine. The country has two candidate vaccine viruses available to manufacturers for the production of a bird flu vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on its website. How U.S. could make millions of bird flu vaccines within weeks “These [candidate vaccine viruses] are like seed stock that are kept in reserve in case there is an outbreak of that particular strain,” said David Diemert, MD, a professor of medicine in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at George Washington University, and director of the GW Vaccine Research Unit. If bird flu started easily spreading to people, “[the candidate vaccine virus] can be sent to manufacturers to make millions of doses of vaccine,” he said, “using the existing hen egg technology that we normally use for the regular seasonal vaccine.” A candidate vaccine virus is attenuated, or weakened version of the virus. As a result, it is unlikely to lead to active infections in people who get the vaccine. This type of weakened virus is able to grow well in hen eggs, which is what most manufacturers use to produce seasonal flu vaccine.  The candidate vaccine would also have the surface proteins — known as hemagglutinin — of the virus circulating in the community. This enables a vaccine to generate a protective immune response. Would these bird flu vaccines work? The U.S. National Pre-Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Stockpile (NPIVS) has four types of H5N1 candidate vaccine viruses, reported STAT News. The bird flu affecting dairy cows is a strain of H5N1. Only two of these candidate vaccine viruses are a good match for the currently circulating strain of bird flu. Studies suggest that vaccines based on these two candidate vaccine viruses “will offer good cross-protection against cattle outbreak viruses,” Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said on a call on May 1. However, Amesh Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, cautioned that the candidate vaccine viruses are not a “perfect match” for the currently circulating strain of H5N1. This means they may not produce vaccines very effective at preventing disease. In addition, research done in the mid-2000s found that H5N1 vaccines don’t trigger a strong immune response in people unless it is given in a large enough dose; or if it is given with a compound known as an adjuvant, which boosts the immune response. Adalja pointed out that the H5N1 vaccines that we have in the stockpile are really not that good at provoking an immune response. “Even for the viruses they are targeted against,” said Adalja. “In clinical trials, the protective antibody levels that people had were modest.” One of these existing H5N1 vaccines in the NPIVS is made by CSL Seqirus, which supplies flu vaccine to the U.S. market. Still, Diemert thinks a bird flu vaccine based on the two candidate vaccine viruses in the NPIVS would be effective and potentially more effective than seasonal influenza vaccines. This is because a bird flu vaccine would likely only have to target a single virus strain. In contrast, during seasonal flu season, there may be multiple strains of influenza that spread. Seasonal flu vaccines are developed to target certain strains of influenza every year. The vaccines are developed in the summer and early fall by looking at common strains in the Southern Hemisphere. But during flu season the strains that become more common in North America may not be the strains the vaccine was primed to target. As a result, seasonal flu vaccines may end up targeting strains of influenza virus that are not the ones in circulation that year. “That’s one of the reasons that [seasonal flu vaccines] are not 100% effective because they’re not a perfect match,” said Diemert. Would vaccines need FDA approval? Before bird flu vaccines could be rolled out, they would need to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but the agency has a process for approving updated seasonal flu vaccines each year. So this should go fairly smoothly, said Diemert, “especially since the [bird flu] vaccines would be made using the same manufacturing process that they use every year [for seasonal flu vaccines].” Also, “I’m sure if there was a massive outbreak of this particular strain, then the FDA would speed things up,” he said. “So I don’t see regulatory approval being a rate-limiting step.” How quickly could the vaccine be rolled out? In terms of getting the vaccine to the people who need it the most, “all of the pieces are in place to be able to roll out a vaccine relatively quickly,” said Diemert.  However, “when you send [the candidate vaccine virus] to the manufacturer, it still takes weeks to months to make all the doses you need,” he said. This is especially difficult in a “fast-moving situation” such as a pandemic, said Peter Chin-Hong, MD, an infectious disease physician at UCSF Health. Federal health officials estimate that over 100 million doses could be shipped within three to four months. However, they expect people to need two doses, so this would only cover 50 million people. Vaccine production could also be affected by the same virus the vaccine would be designed to protect against. Manufacturers most often use hen eggs to produce flu vaccines, but chickens are also susceptible to the bird flu virus that is affecting cattle. So, “if you have a global [influenza] pandemic, and you have birds dying too, that may constrain supplies such as chicken eggs,” said Adalja. As of May 6, over 5 million chickens and other commercial or backyard poultry birds in the United States have been affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). which includes H5N1, reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The big question is whether enough vaccine doses could be rolled out in time to make a difference. “With the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, by the time the vaccine came out, the pandemic had already dissipated,” said Chin-Hong. During that outbreak, tens of millions of Americans were vaccinated, but by the time the vaccine doses were available, the fall wave had subsided. However, “this is 2024 and things have changed,” said Chin-Hong, referring to the fast development and rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines. “When people put their mind to it, it could be done fast … But the devil is in the details.” Overall, “it’s going to take some time to actually gear up to be able to vaccinate everybody who’s at risk for flu,” said Adalja. “And as I said, the candidate vaccine virus that is stockpiled is not a perfect match. And even if it were a perfect match, [the H5N1 vaccine] is not a great vaccine to begin with.” mRNA vaccines and other options Federal health officials said the government is also pursuing an mRNA bird flu vaccine, based on the same technology as Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines. Chin-Hong said this type of vaccine could potentially be updated more quickly to match the currently circulating strains of the virus. But these vaccines have their own challenges, he said, such as needing to be stored at extremely cold temperatures. In addition, given that these vaccines would be a new use of the mRNA vaccine technology, the FDA may require clinical trials which could delay the roll-out to the greater population. There are other options for dealing with an outbreak of bird flu in people, including antivirals such as Tamiflu, which would be given to people who are already infected. “Different interventions speak to different people,” said Chin-Hong. “In general, Americans prefer to treat something rather than prevent it, which can be a challenge.” Vaccine hesitancy may slow uptake As seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s not just how many vaccine doses you can ship that matters, but also how many people receive the vaccines. “The problem we may have is that there is more vaccine hesitancy now, so people may not be as willing to get vaccinated,” said Diemert. “I don’t know if that will be different because the [hen egg] flu vaccine technology has been around for decades and there’s a lot of evidence of its safety.” Chin-Hong pointed to the poor current COVID-19 vaccination rates among American adults as a sign of vaccine fatigue. Around 22% of all American adults have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine, with a slightly better rate (38%) among older adults, according to the CDC. Both rates are much lower than health officials would like to see. “That shows how fatigued people are [with vaccination campaigns],” said Chin-Hong. “This [hesitancy] would need to be addressed in the same breath as having a well-oiled plan [for rolling out the vaccines].” Adalja is concerned not just about vaccine hesitancy, but with growing public opposition to vaccines, in general. “In 2009 with H1N1, vaccination uptake was subpar because concerns raised by the anti-vaccine community — which were unwarranted concerns — dissuaded people from getting vaccinated,” he said. But “after COVID-19, the anti-vaccine movement is more powerful than it has been in decades,” he added. “So I think mounting a vaccination campaign in an [future] emergency is going to be very difficult to do in the current political environment.” Takeaway There is no sign that the H5N1 bird flu circulating in dairy cow herds is developing the ability to spread easily to people. But federal health officials are planning for the rollout of a bird flu vaccine as a precaution. The federal government has two candidate vaccine viruses stockpiled. These are weakened so they cannot infect people or cause illness, but they grow well in hen eggs, which is how flu vaccine are most often made. The candidate vaccine viruses are not a “perfect match” for the bird flu virus currently circulating, but they should offer good protection, say health officials. However, experts are concerned that vaccine fatigue will deter uptake.

Cats have recently tested positive for bird flu in areas where outbreaks have been detected. Westend61/Getty Images Bird flu has been documented as jumping to other animals, including cats. In March 2024, it was detected in five cats that later died. Cats can become infected if they are around infected animals or contaminated areas. However, it is extremely unlikely that they will pass the virus to humans. To be safe, keep your cat indoors and wash your hands after handling it or its waste. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), avian influenza (“bird flu”) is a contagious viral disease that affects birds, both wild and domestic. This illness, which is caused by the avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, can vary in severity. However, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strains can decimate poultry flocks within days. Also of concern is the fact that the virus has been detected in a variety of animals, including livestock and wild mammals. Closer to the average person’s home, however, are the cases that have occurred in animals that have close contact with people, such as house pets. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that, over the years, the bird flu virus has been detected sporadically in domestic animals, including cats, dogs, goats, and dairy cows. Most recently, in March 2024, the virus was found in barn cats at two farms where there were infected dairy cattle. All five cats died. There have additionally been two human cases during the current outbreak, which began in March 2022. Their symptoms were mild, and they recovered quickly. With the virus increasingly proving capable of jumping from one species to another, it raises the question of whether having close contact with cats poses any risk to humans. Is there any risk that your cat will contract bird flu? Dr. Paola Cuevas, a veterinarian, MVZ, and behaviorist with Catster, said, “Cats, like other mammals, are susceptible to infection with the highly pathogenic strains of the avian influenza virus (HPAI) if they come in direct contact with infected animals.” In the case of the barn cats, Cuevas said it is believed that they may have eaten infected wild birds. Additionally, they lived in cattle barns with confirmed infected animals. Dr. Alex Crow, a veterinary surgeon with Pet Health Guru, agreed with Cuevas, adding that infected birds and contaminated environments are the main ways in which cats can contract bird flu. Cuevas went on to say that the infected barn cats were not the only cases. In 2023, there were cats infected with HPAI H5N1 in Poland as well as cases of cats being infected with HPAI H5N6 in Asia in the 2016-2017 outbreaks.. “About 10 outbreaks in felids have been documented globally in the past 20 years, and in six of those, a raw chicken diet was suspected as a potential source of A/H5N1,” she said. How likely is it that you’ll catch bird flu from your cats? Crow said that while there is some risk, it’s important to distinguish fact from fiction so we don’t become unnecessarily afraid. “Currently, we know that cats can contract bird flu, also known as avian influenza, through contact with infected birds or contaminated environments,” he explained. However, according to Crow, the risk to humans is “incredibly low.” The World Health Organization (WHO) states that there have been no cases of human-to-human transmission of the illness, he said. Additionally, the CDC says that the risk of humans contracting bird flu from cats is extremely low. How can you protect yourself and your cat? Cuevas said, “[W]hile the risk is low and unlikely, this does not mean impossible, so taking precautions to minimize your cat’s risks and exposure is very important; avoid allowing your pet to have direct contact with wildlife.” She also stated that it’s essential to remain updated on what your local health authorities are saying and to keep a close eye on your pets. “If your area is free of avian influenza, this is a great time to start planning a gradual outdoor-to-indoor transition for your cat. Building a ‘catio’ [a cat patio], for example, will allow them to enjoy the sun and fresh air while greatly minimizing their risks,” said Cuevas. She also suggests that you don’t feed your cat raw poultry or allow them to hunt for their food. “Have strict rodent control in your home, and please don’t leave those tasks to your cat,” she said. Additionally, practice good hygiene, such as washing your hands, especially when handling food. You’ll also want to keep your cat’s food and water bowl clean and out of any area where bird droppings could potentially contaminate them. Finally, Cuevas recommends getting into the habit of making your home a shoe-free zone. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites can make their way into your home on the soles of your shoes, she said. The takeaway The highly pathogenic avian influenza strain of bird flu has been documented as jumping from birds to other animals, including cats. The virus can be deadly in cats, however, the effects in humans have thus far been mild. Cats may contract bird flu by being exposed to sick birds or contaminated environments. However, the risk that they will pass the virus to humans is extremely low, and there have been no documented cases of human-to-human transmission. To protect your pet and yourself, keep them away from wildlife. Also, wash your hands after handling your cat or their waste. See your veterinarian if you have any concerns about their health.

A new study links having high levels of testosterone to an increased risk of atrial fibrillation. SrdjanPav/Getty Images Healthy, older men with higher concentrations of testosterone were more likely to develop atrial fibrillation, according to a new study. The findings follow a landmark 2023 trial that found that men using testosterone-replacement therapy had a higher incidence of atrial fibrillation. Maintaining testosterone in a healthy, normal range appears to mitigate atrial fibrillation risk. Higher natural testosterone levels are associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib). The findings, published April 29 in The Lancet, substantiate prior research that identified a higher incidence of AFib among men who used testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT). In 2023, researchers published a landmark study, known as the TRAVERSE trial, that found that men with pre-existing or high risk of cardiovascular disease using TRT were not at increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. However, it did find that men prescribed TRT did have slightly higher rates of AFib.  Using that research as a jumping-off point, the authors of The Lancet study wanted to investigate whether they could identify an association between testosterone and AFib in men who were not prescribed TRT, using only natural testosterone levels. “Amongst 4,570 initially healthy older aged men aged 70 years or older, those with testosterone concentrations at the higher end of the clinical normal range had nearly double the risk of developing AFib compared to men in the middle of the range,” Cammie Tran, MPH, a researcher at the Monash University School of Public Health in Australia, and First Author of the study, told Healthline. The risk factors for AFib Tran and her team utilized data from the ASPREE clinical trial, a long-term study that looks at the effects of aspirin on health in older adults for their study. They included 4,570 males with an average age of 74 years old with no history of cardiovascular disease (including AFib). Participants had their circulating testosterone concentrations measured at baseline. During an average 3-5 year follow-up period, researchers observed that 286 participants, or around 6%, developed AF. They found that men who developed AFib had higher baseline testosterone levels compared to those that did not. The average testosterone concentration for the men who developed AFib was 17 nmol/L compared to 15.7 nmol/L. They also tended to be current or former tobacco smokers and had a higher baseline BMI. However, the association between testosterone and AFib persisted after controlling for these factors. “Male sex has been recognized as a risk factor for AFib for a long time, but it’s been hard to determine whether that was due to the effect of testosterone directly, or just other risk factors that are more common in men. This study found that higher testosterone levels conferred a higher risk for [AFib] even when other clinical risk factors like age, BMI, smoking, and alcohol use were accounted for. This suggests a direct role for testosterone,” M. Ben Shoemaker, MD, the Director of Vanderbilt University’s Atrial Fibrillation Precision Medicine Program, told Healthline. Shoemaker wasn’t affiliated with the research. The ideal testosterone level Another important finding of the study was that the association between testosterone concentrations and AFib was not linear. That means what they found isn’t as simple as: higher testosterone equals a higher risk of atrial fibrillation.  Men in the high-normal of testosterone concentration did have higher risk of AFib, but so did men below the normal range.  “This study suggests that testosterone levels need to be ‘just right,’” said Shoemaker. Prior related studies have come to similar conclusions. A 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that men with low testosterone had a higher incidence of AFib compared to men within a normal range. But, when their testosterone levels were normalized through TRT, the prevalence of AFib dropped. “Men with higher testosterone concentrations had a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, but there was no reduction of risk in men with lower testosterone. Our results would suggest that being within the mid-range of the clinical normal range would be best for lower risk of [AFib],” said Tran. Testosterone and TRT: what to know Despite the findings, the mechanism for why testosterone outside of normal ranges is associated with AFib is still not known. “Originally, the focus was on testosterone’s role in regulating gene expression- a process that slowly increases the risk of [AFib] over time. Now, it’s recognized that testosterone can directly bind to receptors in the heart that regulate its electrical activity, and those changes promote AFib,” said Shoemaker. Maintaining testosterone in a healthy range is therefore important due to AFib risk, but overall health as well.  Low testosterone, also called low T and testosterone deficiency, is defined as a concentration of less than 300 ng/dl, according to the American Urology Association. Testosterone production and circulating concentration typically decrease with age. Signs and symptoms of low T include: Low sex drive Erectile dysfunction Decreased muscle mass Increased body fat Low energy Smaller testicle and penis size For individuals with low T, a doctor may prescribe TRT, or testosterone replacement therapy, to increase the circulating concentration of testosterone. TRT is also frequently used off-label for various non-medical issues like gaining muscle mass, losing weight, and boosting sexual performance. It is also popularly believed to have “anti-aging” properties. However, the use of TRT for these purposes may be illegal and without scientific merit. Risks of high testosterone from TRT include: Acne High blood pressure Difficulty urinating Shrinking of testicles Fluid retention “Recreational or off-label use of testosterone needs to be strongly discouraged. There are risks of harm, including heart-related complications in androgen abusers. Testosterone should only be prescribed to men with medical conditions necessitating this treatment, with appropriate medical supervision and monitoring,” said Tran. The bottom line In healthy older men, abnormal testosterone levels were associated with a greater risk of developing AFib, according to a new study. The findings follow the findings of the 2023 TRAVERSE trial that identified men using testosterone-replacement therapy as having higher incidence of AFib, but not other cardiovascular disease risks. Experts say that maintaining testosterone concentrations in a normal range — neither too high nor too low — is optimal to minimize AFib risk.

Linda Carrier, 61, has run more than 78 marathons and is the first woman to complete the World Marathon Challenge (seven marathons on seven continents in seven days) three times — and she’s done it all while living with type 1 diabetes. Image Provided by Linda Carrier Ultrarunner Linda Carrier shares how she runs marathons while managing type 1 diabetes. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 14 years old, Carrier has lived with the condition for nearly 50 years. Carrier has witnessed significant advancements in diabetes management during her journey with the condition. 61-year-old ultrarunner Linda Carrier is the first woman to complete the World Marathon Challenge (seven marathons on seven continents in seven days) three times.  Plus, she has run 78 marathons and 55 half-marathons and is currently in the process of running a marathon in all 50 states with just 12 to go. To add to the wow factor, Carrier has accomplished it all while managing type 1 diabetes for nearly 50 years. “I naturally like to challenge myself, and when someone says [you have] a life-shortening disease, I’m like, heck it’s not. I’m going to show them that I’ll be the longest-living type 1 diabetic,” Carrier told Healthline. She was 14 years old when she learned she had the condition. Because her older sister had been diagnosed a few years before, Carrier was familiar with the symptoms. She also knew the outlook was daunting. “There was no internet, and I remember going to the encyclopedia and books and documentation to find out how long the life expectancy would be for someone who was type 1 diabetic, and I couldn’t find anyone who would live past 20 years,” she said. “I actually told my husband when he asked me to marry him, ‘just so you know, it’s going to be short-term. I’ll probably be dead when I’m 34.’” Doctors told her that while her life would most likely be short, if she ate properly, exercised, and took her insulin, she could live a little longer. “Decades ago, when someone was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, they were told they wouldn’t live as long or be able to do the same activities as their peers without diabetes,” Dr. Andrew Welch, an endocrinologist at UC Health, told Healthline. “With increased understanding of how to treat type 1 diabetes, and with the use of diabetes technologies such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, it is much easier to prevent complications from diabetes and participate in any activities available to those without diabetes.” Pushing past the notion ‘you can’t’ while living with type 1 diabetes Rather than letting her diagnosis hold her back, Carrier used it to push her forward. The summer before she learned about her condition, she became the first girl on her school district’s all-boys baseball team. “I loved baseball and I remember my grandfather teaching me how to throw and catch and I kept asking my parents to be on a baseball team because my younger brothers were and finally my mom said ‘fine,” Carrier said. She also wanted to play football, but since that wasn’t an option, she became a football referee for youth leagues. “I thought, I can’t play it, so I reffed it,” said Carrier. She also ran on her school track team, and as she got older, running became her favorite pastime. At first, she wasn’t sure how far she could run with diabetes, but she embraced a bigger challenge with each race. “As soon as I started running these organized races, it was like, what can I do next? I ran a half marathon, and that was easy, and then I ran a marathon, and I tried another one,” she said. She kept going from there. When she first started running marathons, she was on multiple daily insulin injections. “You’re just kind of relying on the insulin in the body and food at a point in time, so it was harder to stay in control,” said Carrier. She went on her first pump while training for a marathon. She carried her meter with her during the races, checking her blood sugars every five minutes and drinking Gatorade if needed. “[It] would take two or three minutes to get a reading, but it did a really good job compared to the long-acting, short-acting multiple injections,” she said. Today, she uses Medtronic’s MiniMed 780G System, which uses current and past sugar level trends to anticipate, adjust, and correct insulin delivery. Since using the system, she has run a couple of marathons. While she always carries a mini bag of candy as backup, she said she hasn’t had to eat any yet. “[All] I’ve done is make sure I don’t have any insulin on board…and as I go through the miles, I will usually take a little bit of Gatorade, and that’s been keeping me stable throughout the entire run,” she said. “It’s almost like going back to being a non-diabetic.” Dr. Minisha Sood, endocrinologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, said we are in an era when type 1 diabetes management is advancing. “Newer technology is allowing the use of insulin and other hormone delivery systems to lower the risk of dangerous episodes of low blood sugar and to better control high blood sugar in patients with type 1 diabetes,” she told Healthline. “It’s an exciting time right now.” Welch added that there are groundbreaking developments underway to help delay or prevent the development of type 1 diabetes by modulating the immune system using precise medications.  “Effective management of type 1 diabetes involves educating people about their condition and motivating them to make positive changes in their lives without the use of guilt or shame when challenges arise,” he said. Helping others outrun diabetes In 2022, Carrier published the memoir Outrunning Diabetes with the hopes of inspiring others. “When I think back to when I was 14 to where I am today, it’s amazing,” she said. As an ambassador for Medtronic, she talks with parents of newly diagnosed children. Often, she reassures them that their children can still live out their dreams. “Sometimes parents are fearful, and they want to tell their daughter that she can no longer do ballet because she could die if her blood sugars drop,” said Carrier. “I assure them that they just have to prepare and carry candies in their car or bag.” She also enjoys connecting with other like-minded people living with type 1 diabetes. “I find it interesting meeting other people who…have the same drive to make sure that they can complete their goals even with diabetes–could be climbing mountains, hiking, running,” said Carrier. She will finish her latest goal of running a marathon in all 50 states next October in Twin Cities, Minnesota. The race will be sponsored by Medtronic. “Seems like the perfect way to finish,” Carrier said. “And to show that type 1 diabetes should not stop you from reaching any of your goals, whatever it might be.”

A new study looks at the potential health benefits of consuming olive oil. Adene Sanchez/Getty Images A new study finds consuming olive oil is linked to a lower risk of death related to dementia. The study tracked 92,383 people. The study found consumption of at least 7 grams a day of olive oil was associated with a 28% lower risk of death from dementia-related causes. Olive oil consumption was shown to be associated with a lower risk of death from dementia-related causes, a new study found. The study, published by JAMA, examined data from 1990 to 2018 and assessed olive oil consumption every four years and breaking that consumption into four categories: Never or less than once a month More than 0 but under or equal to 4.5 grams a day More than 4.5 grams a day but under or equal to 7 grams a day More than 7 grams a day The data was taken from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The study tracked 92,383 people — 60,582 women and 31,801 men — who were “cognitively highly functioning”; it excluded anyone with a history of cancer or cardiovascular disease, with missing data on olive oil intake, or whose total energy intakes were “implausible” (under 500 or more than 3,500 kcal a day for women/under 800 or more than 4,200 kcal a day for men). Over the study period, questions about the frequency of fats and oils consumed were included in the queries conducted every four years, with 1 tablespoon of olive oil considered to be 13.5 grams. Researchers found 4,751 dementia-related deaths in the study cohort over the 28-year period. Ultimately, the study says, consumption of at least 7 grams or about half a tablespoon a day of olive oil was associated with a 28% lower risk of death from dementia-related causes. “Beyond heart health, the findings extend the current dietary recommendations of choosing olive oil and other vegetable oils for cognitive-related health,” the authors wrote. How does olive oil affect cognitive health? Olive oil contains high levels of so-called healthy fats — monounsaturated fatty acids — along with vitamin E and polyphenols, which are plant-based compounds that can help protect the body from type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. They also aid digestion and support brain health. Melanie Murphy Richter, a registered dietitian nutritionist and the director of communications for the nutrition company Prolon, who was not involved in the research, told Healthline that this unique structure of olive oil is what facilitates its ability to support cognitive functions. “Consuming adequate amounts of monounsaturated fats, including those from olive oil, supports proper communication between brain cells and also helps to surround and insulate our brain’s nerve fibers, allowing efficient transmission of electrical impulses along our neural pathways. Strong neural pathways are necessary for a variety of brain functions like learning, speaking, and memory,” Richter said. “The polyphenols in olive oil, which are potent antioxidants, also have neuroprotective effects and can help protect neurons from inflammation and oxidative stress. High levels of inflammation in the brain is strongly associated with neurodegenerative disorders like dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.” How is olive oil different from other plant or seed oils? Olive oil is a major component of the Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with overall wellness. But a number of other oils are widely accessible to consumers: vegetable, coconut, sunflower, and avocado. Richter says that what sets olive oil apart are its fats: along with higher monounsaturated fats, olive oil has lower amounts of saturated fats. “While our body needs both Omega 3 and Omega 6 for optimal health, vegetable and seed oils are higher in Omega 6 than Omega 3, which is known to promote inflammation in the body,” Richter said. Richter also pointed out that humans are now consuming Omega 6s at much higher rates than before due in part to consuming seed oils in processed foods. “This has been linked to higher oxidative stress and the onset of diseases related to inflammation,” Richter said. “Olive oil is much higher in Omega 3, which can help balance out these ratios and support improved health and longevity. Additionally, extra virgin olive oil contains higher levels of antioxidants, by way of polyphenols, which can reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and other brain-related degeneration.” What should people look for when choosing olive oil? Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Dept of Department of Wellness & Preventive Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, and a senior fellow at the Meadows Behavioral Healthcare in Wickenburg, Arizona, who was also not involved in the research, told Healthline that “olive oil does not have to be expensive to be high in quality.” There are a number of factors to consider when picking an olive oil, you can check the country of origin, harvest date and type of bottle (dark glass protects the oil from UV rays.) Additionally, be sure to look for “extra virgin” status, which is the highest grade of olive oil. Olive oil prices have spiked recently as climate-related supply concerns begin to affect producers. Richter cautioned against opting for the cheapest varieties, as they can contain processed elements that work against the oil’s healthy aspects. “Not all olive oils are created equal,” Richter said. “There are different processing methods used in the production of olive oil that can either protect or degrade its overall nutrient content. For instance, cold-pressed olive oils that are not processed with heat or other chemicals are going to have the highest nutritional profile.” Takeaway A new study found that consuming more than 7 grams a day of olive oil was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia. The higher concentration of monounsaturated fats and polyphenols, a potent antioxidant, make olive oil extremely beneficial for neurological health. Olive oil prices have spiked recently due to climate-related supply concerns, but experts say you still should be cautious about what type of oil you buy; extra-virgin or cold-pressed organic varieties are best.

New research suggests that psilocybin, a compound found in magic mushrooms, may be effective in treating depression symptoms. recep-bg/Getty Images A study has found that psilocybin appears to have antidepressant properties. Experts say it activates serotonin receptors. It might also work by increasing the brain’s neuroplasticity. Side effects are minimal, and it is regarded as non-addictive. “Magic mushrooms” are often used by people seeking their hallucinogenic effects. However, psilocybin, a compound found in magic mushrooms, might also have applications in treating depression, according to a study published on May 1, 2024, in BMJ. This is significant since an estimated 5% of adults around the world are affected by this common mood disorder. The authors of the study note that it appears to reduce symptoms after only one or two doses. Additionally, there are minimal side effects and it is regarded as non-addictive. Studying whether psilocybin relieves depression To learn more about how well psilocybin works for depression, the researchers searched various databases for randomized controlled trials comparing the drug with controls, such as microdoses of psychedelics, niacin or a placebo. The review also included any studies in which psychotherapy was used in both the experimental and control groups. This allowed them to distinguish between the effects of psychotherapy and psilocybin. Altogether, they were able to gather seven trials, including 436 participants with depression. A little over half were women, while most (90%) were white. After analyzing changes in depression scores, they found that psilocybin had a large effect size, meaning that it had a strong positive effect on depression symptoms when compared with the control groups. The team of scientists also found that factors like having depression secondary to another health condition, being assessed using a self-reported scale, being older, and having previously used psychedelics were associated with larger improvements in scores. Psilocybin’s potential as a treatment for depression Padam Bhatia, MD, FAPA, Chief Executive Officer at Elevate Psychiatry in Miami, Florida, commented on the research saying that the large effect size was the most “impressive” part of the study. “While most studies answer a single question (“Did the medication work or not?”), effect size goes a step further and looks at how well the medication worked,” he said.   “For this study, the effect size was huge, much greater than any oral antidepressant that has ever been studied.” However, he did point out that while the results are promising, the individual studies were small and had significantly different methods and results. Bhatia said that more studies would need to be done to reach a conclusive answer. Before it becomes an accepted treatment for depression, there would also need to be a change in the legal landscape of the country to allow its medicinal use. According to Psychedelic Alpha, while several cities throughout the U.S. have decriminalized the personal use of psilocybin, only two states, Oregon and Colorado, have decriminalized psilocybin in general and have legalized psilocybin use at licensed service centers. However, several other states have active legislation or working groups to study its use. Why psilocybin might be effective for depression Alex Dimitriu, MD, who is double board-certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, explained that researchers are still learning why psilocybin might have an antidepressant effect. He said one possible mechanism “is increased neuroplasticity, allowing the brain to make new connections, known as synaptogenesis.” Dimitriu went on to explain that neuroplasticity might allow a patient to develop new ways of looking at old problems. It might also allow them to make connections to life events and behaviors that previously did not exist. “Put more briefly,” he said, “the effects are likely biological as well as psychological and rooted in improvement in the function of the serotonin system, as well as higher-level changes in thought patterns.” Risks associated with psilocybin treatment Bhatia noted that while research is growing on the potential mental health benefits of the therapeutic use of psilocybin, magic mushrooms should still be used with caution since being in an altered state of mind can be challenging “An extreme version of these side effects, sometimes called a ‘bad trip,’ can be associated with confusion, disorganized thinking, and severe panic,” said Bhatia. “Although this is temporary, it is certainly disturbing to the individual and can lead to physical aggression or [in rare cases] seeking emergency treatment.” Dimitriu agreed with Bhatia, noting that while there are minimal physiological risks with psychedelic use, the “power and intensity of these substances and experiences cannot be underestimated.” He noted that while some experiences “can be very positive and uplifting,” others can be scary or temporarily destabilizing. Dimitriu advised that you should seek out guidance and support before, during, and after using psilocybin for the best outcome. Using an analogy, he added, “You would never willingly fly an airplane alone for the first time,” noting that you should not attempt to treat yourself as it could be “catastrophic.” “Of particular concern is people with any history of psychosis, bipolar disorder, and possibly panic attacks,” he concluded. Takeaway A new study published in BMJ has found that psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, could have applications as an antidepressant. In a meta-analysis of seven studies, they found it had a strong positive effect on depression symptoms. It might exert its antidepressant effect by increasing serotonin receptor sensitivity or by increasing brain neuroplasticity. However, while the findings of the meta-analysis are promising, the selected studies were small, and more research is needed to determine whether psilocybin is an effective antidepressant.

A new study found that people who combined time-restricted eating and high intensity exercise not only improved their cardiometabolic health but also achieved the most noticeable body composition changes. Oleg Breslavtsev/Getty Images A small study has found that combining time-restricted eating and high intensity exercise may improve cardiometabolic health and contribute to weight loss. Participants who combined this diet and exercise approach achieved the most noticeable body composition changes. Experts say this is because time-restricted eating can create a calorie deficit, and exercise can lead to an increase in lean muscle mass. A new study has found that time-restricted eating and high intensity exercise can work together to improve health and help people achieve fat loss.  Time-restricted eating, also known as intermittent fasting, involves limiting the hours for eating to a specific number of hours each day.  The research published in the PLOS ONE Journal found that, when combined, time-restricted eating and high intensity exercise could contribute to weight loss and improve markers of cardiometabolic health, including cholesterol, blood glucose, and lipid levels.  How the study was conducted 64 women with obesity were assigned to one of three groups: time-restricted eating (diet only), high intensity functional training (exercise only), or time-restricted eating plus high intensity functional training (diet + exercise). Participants ate only between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, and those in the functional training groups worked out three days per week with an instructor. After 12 weeks, all three groups had achieved significant weight loss and body composition improvements. Favorable changes were also found in lipid and glucose levels. Participants in the diet+exercise group achieved more noticeable body composition changes and cardiometabolic parameters compared to the other two groups.  The authors said, “Combining time-restricted eating with High-Intensity Functional Training is a promising strategy to improve body composition and cardiometabolic health.” However, they note that this is a small study and more research is needed.  The benefits of time-restricted eating and high intensity exercise  Registered dietitian Emma Shafqat, who was not involved in the research, says she isn’t surprised by the findings of this study, even though time-restricted eating doesn’t seem to restrict your total calorie intake – which is necessary for weight loss to occur.  She said that studies have found that people often spontaneously reduce their energy intake when following an intermittent fasting plan, inducing a mild (1%–4%) body weight loss over periods of time lasting from 1 week to 3 months. Likewise, celebrity personal trainer Michael Baah says the combo of time-restricted eating and high intensity experience tend to work well together. “When we limit the time we eat and do intense workouts, our bodies get better at using energy and processing sugar, and it’s like they become more efficient at staying healthy,” he explains. Intense exercise has added benefits when it comes to fat loss. “Time-restricted eating helps us burn fat, and intense exercise helps us build muscle,” Baah surmises.  This is good news for anyone wanting to sustain their weight loss in the long term as lean muscle mass increases your body’s metabolic rate, meaning you burn more calories.  As well as triggering weight loss, the combination of time-restricted eating and high intensity exercise can also lead to improvements in cardiometabolic health.  “Cardiometabolic disease describes a range of conditions starting with insulin resistance, progressing to the metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, and finally to more severe conditions including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes,” Shafqat explains.  She notes that time-restricted eating improves cardiometabolic health in lots of ways, for example, improving glucose tolerance, reducing blood pressure, and enhancing gut function.  Risks and challenges of time-restricted eating to consider However, time-restricted eating won’t be the right weight loss tool for everyone.  “The only way to lose fat is to be in a calorie deficit. For some people, time-restricted eating is simply a tool that allows them to achieve that goal,” says Baah. “If they restrict their time eating window, it [often] reduces their overall calories for the day, which puts them in a calorie deficit.”  While this works for some, it may not fit with your lifestyle or may feel too restrictive. Time-restricted eating is not the only way to lose fat. However, if you are planning to follow a time-restricted eating plan, Shafqat says ensuring you feel adequately fuelled and satiated is key.  “I recommend starting your day with a breakfast that is high in fiber, protein, and some fruit, for example, full-fat yogurt with seeds and fruit or porridge with added seeds and fruit,” she says. “I’d also recommend eating a good balanced meal before 4 pm, which includes fiber-rich carbohydrates, protein, and plenty of vegetables to help prevent hunger before bedtime.”  Shafqat says planning is key when it comes to time-restricted eating.  “In this study, there appears to be an 8-hour schedule in which participants can eat, so if you’re following this schedule. I recommend scheduling your meal and snack times and preparing your food in advance.”  How to get started with high intensity exercise for beginners However you plan to lose weight, factoring exercise into your schedule is a good idea. If high intensity exercise sounds intimidating, don’t worry, says Baah. “Start with simple exercises and focus on using good form,” he advises.  Ideally, you should aim for a mix of strength and cardio exercises. Some exercises Baah recommends include skipping or jumping jacks, bent-over rows, weighted crunches, and dumbbell reverse lunges.  The term ‘high intensity’ can conjure up images of grueling workouts, but Baah says it’s important to give your body time to rest and recover. Take a rest period of about 60 seconds between each set and plan rest days into your schedule.  The key to making progress, according to Baah, is to ensure you lift heavier weights over time.  Takeaway  Combining time-restricted eating and high intensity exercise appears to contribute to fat loss and improve other health markers related to cardiometabolic health. However, if you have a goal of losing weight, a calorie deficit is the most important factor, and if you find time-restricted eating too restrictive, you should consider something else.

Grains like millet, brown rice and oats can help lower cholesterol levels. eleonora galli/Getty Images A new review has found that ancient grains like oats and brown rice can improve type 2 diabetes. More research is needed to better understand the association between these grains and diabetes. Aside from incorporating more ancient grains in your diet, experts recommend portion control and eating more heart-healthy fats and lean protein. A new meta-analysis found that ancient grains (oats, brown rice, and millet) can improve health outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes. The findings were published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases this week. The review included 29 randomized controlled trials and 13 were meta-analyzed.  Results showed for those with type 2 diabetes, oat consumption could improve cholesterol levels. However, further research is needed to learn more about the relationship between ancient grains and diabetes. How ancient grains can improve heart health Oats, brown rice, millet, and all other “ancient grains” are considered whole grains. Whole grains include not only starch, but also fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.  “When we consume starch, it’s quickly digested into sugars and then absorbed into our bloodstream,” said Dr. Nate Wood, physician at the Yale School of Medicine and culinary school graduate. “This can cause a blood sugar spike. Over time, we know that these blood sugar spikes can lower our body’s sensitivity to insulin, which is the problem in type 2 diabetes.” However the healthy fats and especially the fiber contained in whole grains like oats, brown rice, and millet work to slow the speed with which the sugar from the grain is absorbed into our bloodstream, reducing glucose spikes.  Reducing the number of glucose spikes in the blood can help preserve our body’s insulin sensitivity, which helps reduce the risk of developing diabetes. This is one big reason that eating whole grains is linked to lower rates of type 2 diabetes, Wood explained. How fiber helps your heart Oats, brown rice and millet are also good dietary sources of soluble fiber.   “Soluble fiber has been found in studies to have a positive impact on T2D [type 2 diabetes] and blood lipids [cholesterol and triglycerides,]” said Nancy M. Ryan, MS, RD, inpatient diabetes coordinator at Greenwich Hospital. “Soluble fiber absorbs water in the intestinal tract and the gel that forms can slow gastric emptying. This may decrease the after-meal rise in blood glucose in T2D.”   Soluble fiber also binds with bile salts in the intestinal tract, reducing absorption of these salts back into the body and reducing the amount of bile salts available to the liver to manufacture cholesterol, Ryan explained. Additionally, soluble fiber also supports a healthy microbiome, the beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract.   “These bacteria have a positive impact on the immune system and anti-inflammatory effects,” Ryan stated. Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons explained, “These grains are typically whole grains, which means that they have not been stripped of their bran and therefore provide more fiber than refined counterparts. Higher fiber intakes produce more stable blood glucose patterns with less pronounced spikes upon consumption.” More study needed While the research found positive benefits of the grains for overall health, the different studies examined different types of grains and over a variety of time periods. As a result, experts said more studies will be needed to verify the findings. The authors note that most of the studies indicated a positive impact on measures of blood sugar management and lipid profiles. However, the small number of studies for each of the grains limited the ability to come to a definitive conclusion that ancient grains improve blood sugar management and blood lipid control in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Reducing type 2 diabetes symptoms with dietary and lifestyle changes Experts say to help manage type 2 diabetes staying on track with diet is key, especially by monitoring the intake of simple carbohydrates. These carbohydrates can break down quickly leading to blood sugar spikes. “Reducing overall sugar intakes not only from refined grain products (bakery products, sweets, desserts) but also from beverages, is a longstanding recommendation to reduce blood sugar swings in patients with [diabetes,]” St-Onge stated. “But, aside from diet, patients should also consider other lifestyle behaviors that are important for health, including obtaining sufficient sleep and exercise.” In managing type 2 diabetes, Ryan explained it is important to consider three treatment goals to monitor: blood sugar, blood lipids, and blood pressure.  Dietary modifications should take these three goals into account.   The American Diabetes Association does not promote one specific diet or way of eating.   “The emphasis is on supporting an eating pattern and food choices that support these three goals, including a variety of nutrient-rich foods, incorporating preferred foods and foods with cultural meaning/value,” said Ryan. There are many strategies to achieve these goals. “The first step is knowing which foods contain carbohydrates as that is the nutrient that will raise blood glucose the most after eating.  With that knowledge, portion management can be very helpful,” Ryan stated.  Additionally, including heart-healthy fat (such as nuts, nut butters, avocado, olive oil) and/or lean protein (such as chicken, turkey, fish, lower fat cheese) at meals and snacks blunts the after-meal rise in blood glucose, Ryan explained.  Slowing down our eating pace also reduces the after-meal rise in blood glucose.   Also, the order in which we eat the foods on our plate can make a difference.   “If we eat vegetables (cooked vegetables and/or salad) first, then our protein (chicken, turkey, fish, lean meat) and finally our starch (potato, rice, pasta), slows down the rise in blood glucose after eating,” said Ryan. If the person with diabetes is not meeting their personal management goals, meeting with a registered dietitian/nutritionist can be very helpful. Collaboratively, a plan can be developed to support diabetes goal attainment. The contact information for a registered dietitian/nutritionist near you can be found on the website for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Takeaway A new review showed ancient grains can improve cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Aside from incorporating more ancient grains in your diet, experts recommend portion control, and eating more heart-healthy fats and lean protein.

Actress Busy Philipps was diagnosed with ADHD at the same time her daughter received her diagnosis. Theo Wargo/Getty Images Actress Busy Philipps is talking about being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. ADHD is often diagnosed in childhood and about 10% of children in the U.S. have the condition. ADHD symptoms include trouble organizing tasks, fidgeting, talking excessively, or having trouble waiting. ADHD or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a condition that generally starts to present during childhood and affects nearly 10% of children in the U.S. But for some people, this condition may not be diagnosed for years or decades until they are well into adulthood. Actor Busy Philipps is among those who received a diagnosis later in life and is opening up about her journey with this health condition. Philipps, who is currently starring in “Girls5Eva,” said she had ADHD symptoms for years but was never diagnosed until her older daughter had signs of the condition. An estimated 8.7 million adults in the U.S. live with ADHD, according to research. Symptoms of ADHD can include: trouble organizing tasks fidgets with or taps hands or feet Talks excessively Has trouble waiting for their turn The actress has partnered with Supernus Pharmaceuticals to talk about the medication she is currently taking, Qelbree, along with her personal experience with ADHD. We had the opportunity to chat with Philipps about her ADHD diagnosis, how it’s impacted her mental health and the advice she wants to share with other women who have been recently diagnosed. Can you walk us through your journey to being diagnosed with ADHD? I’ve been experiencing symptoms of ADHD my entire life. I just didn’t know what it was and wasn’t properly diagnosed as a young woman and even into my adult years. It wasn’t until I was with my older daughter at a doctor’s appointment. We were trying to figure out what was going on with her schoolwork and the ways that she was presenting as disorganized and not being able to focus that as the doctor was going through the checklist for ADHD I just looked at my ex-husband and thought, ‘I have every single one of those.’ I had been overwhelmed for so many years for what I thought was some sort of deficiency in me not being able to focus or keep different tasks straight, mixing up times and dates, and double booking things. Especially as a working mother, it can be very challenging regardless of whether or not you have ADHD. But I frequently felt so badly about myself and it affected my self-esteem as the years went on.  What have you found helpful in terms of treatment and managing your symptoms?  Once I got the diagnosis and started a treatment that worked for me, the world shifted in the way I perceived it and what I felt capable to take on. I take this non-stimulant medication, Qelbree, to help manage my symptoms. It was like a fog lifted. And not just in terms of being more productive, being on time for my appointments and all of those things, also just in the way that I feel about myself and feel when I’m not able to complete everything. Because I think I was feeling such intense overwhelm before I really knew what it was that I allowed it to be some sort of indictment of my own personality. How has ADHD impacted your mental health? I think that it’s wonderful that people are talking about this, especially women because as we know across the board in women’s healthcare we have to work twice as hard and advocate for ourselves in order to get the right diagnosis.  For many years, I was treated by several different doctors for having other kinds of things like low-grade depression, but that honestly wasn’t my issue. My issue was that I was experiencing a great deal of anxiety because my executive functions were not at the level they needed to be at and my brain wasn’t able to make sense of all of it.  In the last few years as more people are talking about ADHD with the rise of social media and people being able to get more information faster you see that women are being diagnosed more and more. When I was a kid people back then associated ADHD with hyperactivity and a person that couldn’t sit still. But for me the chaos was inside my own brain and causing me a great deal of anxiety and feeling terrible about myself.  I think back to my early to mid-30s and how exhausted I was all the time because I was spinning so many different wheels trying to keep it all together. I’m sad that I didn’t have the information to be able to go a doctor and say, ‘but I feel terrible because I can’t finish anything. Because I can’t get out of my house in under 25 minutes. Because last week I booked three separate events on the same night at the same time.’ Those things can cause you to feel terrible about yourself. Especially when you see other people who are seemingly able to handle things and do the most.  That’s why I feel strongly about talking about it. Once I started opening up on my podcast about my experience, so many women reached out and shared that they had the same experience or said, ‘I was listening to you talk and it sounded like you were describing me.’ And ‘I’m going to see my doctor next week…because I’ve also struggled with this my whole life.’ What advice would you give to those who have been recently diagnosed with ADHD? First of all, there’s no shame and no stigma attached to any of this. We have to get past that.  In general, what I’m hoping we can all work toward is engendering more kindness and grace towards everyone else’s experience but also deeply to ourselves. I do think the people who lash out the most are feeling the worst about themselves. So, I would say to someone who is newly diagnosed to remember to give themselves some grace, love and understanding and not feel shame about the fact that their brain works differently. 

Currently, most people over age 45 are recommended to get a colonoscopy once every 10 years. lechatnoir/Getty Images If you have had a negative colonoscopy for colorectal cancer and have no family history, you might not need another screening for 15 years. Ten years between colonoscopies is the typical guideline recommendation, but healthy individuals could be able to wait longer. Changing colorectal cancer guidelines would ideally reduce the cost and potential harm of unnecessary colonoscopies while still maintaining cancer prevention. Most colorectal cancer screening guidelines suggest a colonoscopy every 10 years, but healthy individuals with no family history of the disease may have the option to wait even longer. A Swedish population study suggests that adults who have tested negative for colorectal cancer after an initial colonoscopy and have no family history, may not need another screening for 15 years. The results of the study were published today in JAMA Oncology. “Fifteen years between a first negative colonoscopy and a second one might be just as safe and effective as the current 10-year recommendation. This could save people from unnecessary procedures and free up resources for important colon cancer screening programs,” Mahdi Fallah, MD, PhD, a researcher at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany, and senior author of the study, told Healthline. However, other experts pushed back on the findings, noting that while it was robust, its conclusion may not be easily generalized to more diverse populations that live outside of Sweden, such as those in the United States. “This is an excellently performed study from a large database and their recommendations seem valid for their population. Whether or not these are translatable to the US or other populations, there’s reason to believe they may not be,” Reid Ness, MD, MPH, an Associate Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt Health, told Healthline. Ness wasn’t affiliated with the study. How 15-year interval for colonoscopies could impact overall health Fallah and his co-researchers leveraged several large Swedish health and population databases to sift through cancer outcomes across nearly three decades.  The team’s goal was to compare colorectal cancer outcomes among individuals with no family history of the disease and had received an initial negative colonoscopy versus those who never received a colonoscopy. The study involved more than 110,000 Swedish adults (nearly 60% of whom were female) who received their first colonoscopy between 1990 and 2016 in one population. The average age of participants was 59. Additionally, participants also did not have inflammatory bowel disease, a documented risk factor for colorectal cancer.  Members of this group were then matched against members of a control group, who did not receive a colonoscopy, to compare outcomes. Researchers looked at two in particular: 10-year standardized incidence ratio and 10-year standardized mortality ratio. That means the prevalence of colorectal cancer (incidence) and how often deaths (mortality) related to colorectal cancer occurred in the populations. They found that the group that received negative first colonoscopies had a “significantly lower” risk of both developing colorectal cancer and dying from it over the following 10-year period. Their findings allowed them to further extend the standard 10-year window between colonoscopies and conclude that a 15-year interval for this healthy population could be sufficient. “If we waited 15 years instead of 10 years for a second colonoscopy in this population, we might only miss catching two extra cases of colorectal cancer and one colorectal cancer death out of 1000 people. But it would save a lot of unnecessary colonoscopies — about one per person,” said Fallah. Why reduce cancer screenings? If you’re reading this and wondering why doctors are proposing to do fewer colorectal cancer screenings and not more, that’s a valid question. As with any kind of medical procedure, colorectal cancer screening and colonoscopies have risks and benefits that need to be evaluated. “Ultimately screening recommendations are a value judgment that society makes. What is the acceptable risk in CRC [colorectal cancer] diagnoses and mortality that justifies extending the interval and decrease in the inconvenience in the cost of colonoscopies? There’s never, I think, truly a right or wrong answer,” Christopher Chen, MD, an Assistant Professor of Oncology and Director of Early Drug Development at the Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford Medicine, told Healthline. Chen wasn’t involved with the research. The goal of redefining colorectal cancer screening recommendations is about creating the most benefit in detecting cancer early while also reducing potential harm from unnecessary colonoscopies. Colonoscopies have their own potential harms, so reducing how frequently someone should get one is a legitimate concern. In addition to the burden of having to schedule, prepare, and pay for a colonoscopy, there are also physical harms, however unlikely, that can occur as well. Bleeding and perforation are the most common complications of colonoscopy; perforation occurs in about 3 in 10,000 procedures. “Obviously, it’s not a trivial issue,” said Chen. “First of all, there’s the risk of injury from the procedure. Then there’s the cost to society. The cost of additional colonoscopies is significant,” adds Ness. What is colorectal cancer? Colorectal cancer affects the cells of the rectum and colon. It is the second-leading cause of all cancer-related deaths. Colorectal cancer most often starts out as small growths known as polyps. While most polyps may be benign, some will eventually develop into cancer. Colorectal cancer is a serious and deadly cancer, but many Americans still do not follow recommended screening guidelines that require regular testing. Less than 60% of adults between the ages of 45 and 75 receive screenings, either in the form of a colonoscopy or a take-home test for colon cancer. It is estimated that 35,000 deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented annually through adherence to regular screening. The American Cancer Society recommends that adults start colorectal cancer screening at age 45 and continue through age 75.  Colonoscopy is considered the “gold standard” for colorectal cancer screening. The bottom line If you’ve had a negative colorectal cancer colonoscopy and have no family history of the disease, you could wait 15 years until your next screening, concludes a novel Swedish population-based study. The findings add an additional five years to the standard 10-year recommendation between screenings. Experts caution, however, that the findings may not be generalizable to more diverse populations, such as that of the United States.

Can your oral health be affected while you are taking GLP-1 medications? Aleksandar Georgiev/Getty Images People can experience a range of side effects while taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. A growing number of people are reporting they’re experiencing “Ozempic breath,” or foul-smelling breath they believe stems from taking GLP-1 weight loss drugs. Health experts say there are a number of factors that can contribute to oral health issues while taking weight loss drugs. Ozempic and drugs like it, including Wegovy, Monjouro, and Zepbound, have been praised as game-changing medications for weight loss in qualified patients. Patients lost an average of 15% of their body weight in clinical trials for semaglutide (Weogvy and Ozempic) and about 21% on tirzepatide (Monjouro and Zepbound). Side effects, primarily GI discomfort, have also been reported. However, some have taken on buzzy terms – ”Ozempic face,” “Ozempic butt,” and now, “Ozempic breath.” “Ozempic breath refers to a fishy smell in burps or bad breath,” says Neha Lalani, MD. It’s not a clinical diagnosis, nor is it discussed with the same frequency as GI discomfort. Yet, the two can be intertwined, and doctors and dentists agree that it’s important to understand all the potential side effects of taking a GLP-1 medication. “All medications have side effects, and the anti-obesity drugs are no exception,” says Christopher McGowan, MD, a gastroenterologist, obesity medicine specialist, and founder of True You Weight Loss. “Bad breath, or halitosis, almost universally arises from oral hygiene. Therefore, it’s crucial to differentiate where odors are arising so that they can be treated at the source.” What causes Ozempic breath? Notably, halitosis, or bad breath, is not listed as a side effect for Ozempic, Wegovy, Monjouro, or Zepbound. Additionally, there is no peer-reviewed data on whether these drugs cause bad breath or why they might. “However, people are studying it,” says Fatima Khan, DMD, a dentist and co-founder of Riven Oral Care. And that’s important, as Khan stresses, as it’s essential to gather more long-term data before drawing any conclusions as to why people may experience oral hygiene issues like bad breath while taking these medications. However, Khan pointed out that clinical trials indicated that “eructation” (or burping) was a side effect that participants experienced, which is often referred to as “Ozempic burp.” In one study run by Novo Nordisk, nearly 9% of people taking semaglutide reported belching. Again, more research is needed before linking foul-smelling breath (or a bad taste in a person’s mouth) with GLP-1 medications. However, experts say it’s plausible belching is one potential reason GLP-1 drugs may trigger oral odor — keyword: one. “The three most common causes of GLP-1-related oral odor are belching, bad breath (halitosis), and ketosis,” McGowan says. Burping-related oral odor isn’t bad breath, though it can feel that way and prompt mental health side effects.  “This is stomach odor venting through the mouth,” McGowan says. “Patients report that these odors can ‘clear out a room’ and may be a source of anxiety in social situations.” Why does “Ozempic burp” happen? “This is a direct result of the mechanism of action of GLP-1 medications,” McGowan explains. “All drugs within this medication class lead to a delay in gastric emptying, which means it takes significantly longer for food to exit the stomach. This is one way in which the medications assist with portion control.” The downside is that food can break down and ferment in the stomach. “The stomach is normally designed to empty within four hours after eating,” McGowan says. “However, GLP-1 medications like Ozempic cause food to remain in the stomach for many more hours, even days. At that point, your stomach is functionally a compost bin, and if you burp, it won’t be pleasant.” McGowan adds that patients who experience GI-related side effects like vomiting and diarrhea can become dehydrated and experience dry mouth, a common trigger for bad breath. Finally, the medication’s ability to decrease food noise is a benefit but, in rare cases, can cause severely reduced nutrition intake that prompts ketosis. “Ketosis occurs when the body burns fat for energy, commonly leading to a sweet, acetone-like odor in the breath,” McGowan says. “Maintaining a balanced nutrition plan, replete with all macronutrients, will prevent this.” Other oral hygiene issues you may experience while taking weight loss drugs like Ozempic Besides the potential for oral odor, Khan says people taking GLP-1 medications may experience: Acidic tastes in their mouth Enamel erosion Sensitive teeth Gingivitis Tooth decay Khan notes that people with gastro-esophageal (GERD) may experience frequent heartburn as well as a bitter and acidic taste in their GERD. Vomiting, a potential side effect, can erode enamel. “Enamel…is the hard and mineralized outermost layer of your tooth,” Khan says. “Dental erosion results from the dissolution of enamel due to acidic substances. GERD further exacerbates erosion.” Khan says this erosion can have a ripple effect, triggering oral sensitivity, discolored teeth, and teeth that look smaller. Khan adds that dry mouth also increases the risk of tooth decay, and people with diabetes have a higher chance of developing dental disease. How to reduce your risk of “Ozempic breath” “The good news is that most of these symptoms will improve over time as the body adjusts to the medication,” McGowan says. However, there are a few steps you can take in the meantime. The first are common-sense measures recommended to people, regardless of what medications they take, such as brushing and flossing daily and seeing a dentist at least twice annually, McGowan says. Other tips include remaining hydrated (especially if experiencing dry mouth, nausea, or vomiting) and eating a well-balanced diet. “Fatty, greasy, and heavier foods are slower to digest and exit the stomach, leading to increased belching and odors,” McGowan says. “Stick to lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats in moderation. Fast foods, saturated fats, cheeses, and greasy meats should be limited.” The time of day you eat may also help. “Finish your last meal three to four hours before bedtime,” Lalani says. Finally, if you’re still experiencing poor oral health, experts advise speaking with your team. Registered dieticians can assist with food choices, and a dentist can give insights on oral health issues and advice. Takeaway Ozempic breath is not a clinical diagnosis, but people are experiencing poor oral odors while taking GLP-1 medications. Experts say this can be because of belching (and therefore not bad breath), halitosis, or ketosis. Additionally, side effects of GLP-1 medications, like nausea and vomiting, can prompt dehydration (and dry mouth), enamel erosion, tooth sensitivity, and discoloration. Following general guidelines about brushing and flossing and visiting a dentist can help ward off these side effects, which generally resolve over time.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration plans to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug.  Leo Patrizi/Getty Images The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) plans to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. Although the change will not take effect for at least a year, experts see the move as a significant step forward. The DEA will not make cannabis legal for recreational use across the country, however. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) plans to reclassify cannabis, recognizing it as a less dangerous drug, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday. The proposal from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) would cover medical use but would not change the legislative position on recreational use. If this change is implemented, cannabis will move from being a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug, meaning it is less tightly regulated. Ronald S. Eppen, a partner at Foley & Lardner LLP, who specializes in the cannabis industry, called the move “both overdue and necessary.” However, the wheels of government tend to move slowly, so the process may take some time. Eppen guessed it would “be months before the policy change on the ground has occurred — it’ll probably be after the election,” he told Healthline. First, the proposal would need to get through the White House Office of Management and Budget. Then, the public will be allowed to comment on the proposals for specific regulations, which Eppen told us can sometimes take a year or more to issue in final form. However, the DEA has been discussing easing restrictions since the beginning of 2024, and Eppen was surprised at how swiftly they have moved on the matter. Cannabis downgraded to Schedule III drug Currently, the DEA considers cannabis a Schedule I drug. According to their official categorization, Schedule I drugs have “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” This explains the current disconnect between states with decriminalized cannabis laws and central government. Schedule III drugs, on the other hand, are defined as “drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”  According to the DEA, other drugs in this category include “products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit (Tylenol with codeine), ketamine, anabolic steroids, [and] testosterone.” This means in the eyes of the law, the DOJ’s move would view cannabis as a much less dangerous drug.  What will rescheduling cannabis do? While the wait might be long, some are excited about this significant change in direction — the most significant for many decades. Eppen said it’s a “major shift in public policy.” Until the DOJ’s April 30 announcement, Eppen said that “all branches of the federal government had steadfastly taken the position that cannabis was dangerous, a gateway drug, and had no legitimate medical purpose whatsoever.” “The executive branch has gone on the record as saying that the past 90 years of cannabis policy is going to be reversed,” he noted. The change will make certain aspects of the cannabis industry easier. For instance, banking services will be easier to access. As it stands, federal restrictions have made this challenging.  Also, their tax bill might be reduced. As Eppen told Healthline, “Most business expenses related to trafficking illegal narcotics cannot be deducted.” This includes things like payroll, rent, and marketing.  However, these tax rules do not apply to Schedule 3 drugs, which could mean significant savings for cannabis businesses. This helps explain why cannabis stocks spiked in response to the news. Will more cannabis dispensaries open up? We asked Eppen whether this change to Schedule III might open the floodgates to cannabis dispensaries, even in states with tougher cannabis laws.  He explained how it is difficult to predict how this will pan out. The first problem is the “mish-mash” of rules between states. Also, Eppen said that cannabis dispensaries may become unnecessary — you can already pick up other Schedule III drugs in local pharmacies and doctor’s offices.  There are still a great many open questions surrounding how this schedule change will impact businesses. However, “the cannabis industry will have a say in the shape of these regulations,” Eppen explained, “typically the government does give some weight to the industry’s input, so they’ll try to protect their investment.” Good news for cannabis researchers The news of a schedule change is exciting for scientists who study cannabis. Working with Schedule I substances involves jumping through many more hoops than investigating Schedule III drugs.  “There are a lot of barriers to conducting research with substances that are Schedule I, so moving cannabis to a Schedule III will certainly make things easier,” Susan Ferguson, PhD, director of the Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, told Healthline. For instance, “researchers will be able to purchase cannabis products from local dispensaries, rather than the very few places in the country that are currently authorized to sell cannabis for research,” she noted. Ferguson said that “many researchers who have an interest in studying cannabis but have been put off by the regulatory hurdles needed to get a Schedule I license will now enter the research arena.”  There are many remaining questions about the medicinal properties of cannabis. So, if it is easier to research, more scientists will conduct investigations, and we will get the answers to these questions much more quickly. “In addition, human subjects research is very challenging because of the bureaucratic layers with schedule I drugs, so this should increase the number of studies in people,” Ferguson told Healthline. Similarly, Ferguson explained how rescheduling cannabis “would allow us to study the impact and effects of ‘real-world’ cannabis use, i.e., the actual products that are being consumed. Researchers will be able to assess the harms and/or benefits of these products, which in turn will better educate the public and inform policy and practice.”  Eased cannabis laws not linked to increased substance use No doubt, some will be concerned about the health implications of cannabis being more freely available. However, a recent review published in JAMA Pediatrics found that there were “few effects” of recreational cannabis legalization on adolescent substance use. Others worry that the legislation change will add more confusion to an already muddled mix of laws across the states. Similarly, some believe the change does not go far enough — they call for full legalization and an end to this unusual state of legal limbo. Eppen believes that, in the future, cannabis will be legislated and taxed in a similar way to alcohol. However, he said he expects that to take at least a decade.  For now, politicians, scientists, and the general public will all be focused on these changes as they roll out. The takeaway The DEA announced that cannabis will be downgraded to a Schedule III from a Schedule I drug. This change, which will impact science and the cannabis industry, may come into full effect in 2025.

New research suggests that regularly getting angry may increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Yana Iskayeva/Getty Images Anger appears to affect vascular health by diminishing blood vessels’ ability to dilate. Other negative emotions, such as sadness and anxiety, did not have this effect. The research highlights how your mental health can affect your body. Anger is bad for your heart. Researchers have discovered that anger is unique from other common negative emotions, such as sadness or anxiety, in its effects on vascular health. And while those effects may be reversible in the short term, repeated bouts of anger could have the potential to increase your risk of cardiovascular disease in the long run. The findings were published this week in the Journal of the American Heart Association, and they shed more light on the complex relationship between mental health and physical health. “We found that anger, but not the other emotions that we studied, had an adverse impact on vascular health. So there’s something about anger that’s what I call ‘cardiotoxic.’ So it’s a possible mechanism of why feelings of anger may be associated with increased heart disease risk,” Daichi Shimbo, MD, a Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and first author of the study, told Healthline. Abinash Achrekar, MD, MPH, Executive Vice Chair of Medicine in the division of cardiology at the University of New Mexico, who wasn’t affiliated with the research, called it “fantastic.” “They have measured a way to look at our vascular biology, how healthy our cells are functioning, with something that’s so common to a human being: emotional state,” he said. Anger may diminish vascular function Shimbo and his team took a multidisciplinary or translational approach to their research. Translational research is often described as “bench to bedside,” or bridging the gap between laboratory science and real-world application. Their goal was to investigate the relationship between emotional state and endothelial cell health, an overall indicator of vascular health. Endothelial cells line the interior of blood vessels and are an essential mechanism to maintain healthy blood flow throughout the body. “Our blood vessels are not just tubes; they’re active organs that modulate themselves and function to either improve or sometimes worsen our cardiovascular overall health,” said Achrekar. The study included 280 healthy adult participants randomized to one of four “emotional recall tasks.” During an emotional recall, the participants are asked to explore memories and experiences associated with a given emotion. In this case, participants were randomized to “anger,” “anxiety,” “sadness,” and an “emotionally neutral condition.”  Following the session, researchers used a combination of serological markers to assess endothelial cell health. Additionally, they tested for reactive hyperemia, or how quickly blood vessels are able to expand and facilitate blood flow after an occlusion. If you’ve ever fallen asleep on your arm and it has gone numb, you’ve experienced ischemia, lack of blood flow, in your limb. That “pins and needles” feeling you get when you move your arm is a result of blood flow returning. Reactive hyperemia indicates how quickly blood vessels can increase blood flow through the ischemic region. Researchers found that anger negatively affected endothelial cell health by impairing the blood vessels’ ability to dilate, restricting blood flow. This impaired state persisted up to forty minutes after the recall exercise, before returning to baseline. These findings were not identified for the other emotional states.  “Our data suggest that maybe the mechanisms that explain anxiety and sadness in heart disease risk are different than those that explain anger. So it tells us: be careful about lumping different negative emotions in the same bucket,” said Shimbo. The role anger can play in heart disease risk Anger has profound effects on the body and mind, but it tends to fly under the radar in discussions about mental health. It is a strong emotion that taps deep into your “fight or flight” response.  “It has a lot to do with threat. It’s both experiencing threat and expressing threat to others. It’s triggered in the base of the brain, the amygdala, and it stimulates sympathetic arousal that it is preparing the body to fight or flee,” said David Spiegel, MD, Associate Chair of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Director of the Center on Stress and Health and Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. He wasn’t affiliated with the research. When you get angry, your body is flooded with catecholamines, or stress hormones. Catacholamines include things like dopamine, epinephrine (adrenaline), and norepinephrine (noradrenaline). These hormones result in detectible physiological changes like a rapid heartbeat and increased blood pressure. A famous study published by researchers at Harvard in 2014 found that following an angry outburst, an individual is at an increased risk of having a cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke, especially within the first two hours. They also found that the more frequently an individual had an episode of anger, the greater the risk of a cardiovascular event. While the exact mechanism for how anger is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes may not be fully understood yet, it seems researchers are on the right path. “It reminds us that the mind is indeed connected to the body. The paper shows that even transient, but intense experiences of anger seem to have an effect on the capacity for cardiovascular stimulation of blood flow,” said Spiegel. The bottom line Your emotional state can affect the health of your body. In a new study, researchers found that anger had deleterious effects on vascular health compared to other negative emotions like sadness and anxiety. Anger appears to be uniquely harmful to the heart or “cardiotoxic.” The research casts new light on the interconnectedness of the brain, mental health, and physical health.

New research from The Trevor Project highlights some of the biggest factors that are negatively affecting mental health and increasing the risk of suicide for LGBTQ+ youth. AHPhotoswpg/Getty Images The Trevor Project has published its 2024 National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People. The annual report highlights how factors like home life, school environment, and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation can affect mental health and the risk of suicide for young people. Over 18,000 LGBTQ+ youth, ages 13 to 24, participated in the 2024 survey. National nonprofit The Trevor Project has published its 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People. Ronita Nath, PhD, vice president of research at The Trevor Project, told Healthline that a “big takeaway” from the sixth annual poll shows that “time and time again, LGBTQ+ young people are not inherently prone to increased suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.” Instead, she said these young people are “placed at higher risk because of the stigma and discrimination” they experience in society at large. For example, the survey found that young people who are physically harmed or receive threats of physical harm as a result of their gender identity or sexual orientation had a threefold increase in the rate of attempting suicide compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. While the new survey reflects how the current national mood can impact everything from anxiety to suicide risk, it also highlights the positive effects of creating affirming, supportive spaces for LGBTQ+ youth at home and in school. How the 2024 Survey was conducted and what it found Over 18,000 LGBTQ+ youth, ages 13 to 24, participated in the 2024 survey. Answers were collected between September 13 and December 16, 2023. Among the findings, the survey shows that 39% of the respondents said they seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. Zeroing in further, this includes 46% of transgender and nonbinary youth. The survey also shows that 12% of respondents attempted suicide in the past year. Among the other top-line findings: 90% of LGBTQ+ young people reported their well-being was negatively impacted due to recent politics. 45% of transgender and nonbinary youth reported that they and their family considered moving to a different state due to anti-LGBTQ+ laws and policies. 49% of LGBTQ+ young people from 13 to 17 reported they experienced bullying in the past year, which dovetails with higher rates of reporting that they attempted suicide in the past year. 50% of respondents who said they wanted mental health care in the past year were unable to get it. LGBTQ+ youth who reported living in communities that accepted their identities reported attempting suicide at less than half the rate of those who said they lived in unaccepting communities. How minority stress can increase health risks Chase Anderson, MD, MS, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry in the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), who is unaffiliated with The Trevor Project, said that “not enough is being done nationally to address the mental health crisis among LGBTQ+ people — especially among youth with intersecting identities. The survey reveals some of the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ young people who inhabit identities in addition to their sexual and gender identities that can face added stigma. For example, the poll found that young people of color considered attempting suicide at higher rates than their white peers. “Many studies have demonstrated that holding more than one minoritized identity can leave the person more vulnerable than having only one minoritized identity,” Anderson said. “Two factors noted to decrease the effects of minority stress and their outcomes are community and pride. Community can consist of people who hold those similar identities or people who are supportive and allies. Pride means the internal sense of self that someone holds, an acceptance of self, an ability to live openly and authentically.” Anderson pointed to resources like GLAAD, GLSEN, and The Human Rights Campaign, where LGBTQ+ youth of color could turn if they are looking for support and community. Nath said that it is important to note that the survey also showed just 40% of the LGBTQ+ youth surveyed said they found their homes to be affirming, which underscores the need to create safer spaces for this particular population of youth. “We know from our research that affirming environments, affirming schools, affirming homes make a difference. Our survey shows that young people who had access to affirming schools and homes experienced lower rates of attempting suicide in the past year,” Nath said. How the current national climate is affecting LGBTQ+ youth In this current politically charged era, the survey pinpoints just how broadly LGBTQ+ youth are impacted by national politics. Nath said that, right now, 24 states have passed laws that ban or criminalize “best practices in essential medical care for transgender and nonbinary young people.” While this kind of gender-affirming care dominates headlines, Nath said only a small subset of the population seeks this care, yet they receive a disproportionate amount of negative national political attention. For example, Nath said the poll found that 13% of young people were on hormones, and only 2% reported taking puberty blockers. However, “as we get closer to a major election season this fall, we do expect LGBTQ+ young people to continue to be discussed, debated, and unfairly targeted.” Hearing their identities constantly examined and dissected can be challenging for impressionable young people, but Anderson pointed out that parents and mentors can help in many ways. “Reminding LGBTQ+ youth they did not cause these issues in America is one way to continually remind them that this is not their shame to bear,” Anderson explained. He also pointed out that simply listening to what LGBTQ+ youth have to say can help them feel supported and heard. Furthermore, helping them connect with organizations like local LGBTQ+ youth groups or youth activities that foster a sense of community, support, and belonging can also help counteract some of the stress they may be feeling. Building a better future for LGBTQ+ youth Nath said that surveys like this can offer a call to action for change. This could entail a number of things. It might mean change at the legislative level, how we all advocate for LGBTQ+ youth in our personal orbits, the need to contact legislators “to fight back against anti-LGBTQ+ policies, and encouraging “schools to implement the school district policies that prioritize suicide preventions and intersectional approaches to mental health care.” Nath said schools, in particular, need to enact “zero tolerance policies for anti-LGBTQ+ bullying,” especially given how research shows this type of harassment can negatively affect mental health and increase suicide risk. One step in the right direction could be supporting programs and resources like gender and sexuality alliances where students can find a sense of community and support from each other. For adults who want to offer support but don’t know how exactly to go about it, Nath said to listen to the young people around you and be receptive. “I think folks should turn to resources on how to be allies. We have these resources on our website,” Nath said. “I think…at the very basic level, they [adults and allies] should try to learn more about LGBTQ+ identities, learn the terms, learn to speak respectfully to LGBTQ+ young people about their identities and be welcoming to their friends and their partners,” Nath added. “Those are some smaller steps we can take.”

New research looks at potential benefits of hormone therapy for postmenopausal women. FG Trade/Getty Images Hormone treatment for menopause can help reduce symptoms, but it won’t reduce the risk of heart disease. Previous studies found postmenopausal women taking hormone therapy had a lower risk of heart disease. This new research finds that hormones may not have a protective effect on the heart. New research has found that hormone therapy doesn’t appear to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women.  Around the start of the study, in 1993, multiple observational studies had suggested that postmenopausal women who took hormone therapy had lower risks of developing coronary heart disease.  It was believed that the decline in estrogen during and after menopause triggered metabolic changes that upped the risk of cardiovascular disease. As a result, many physicians prescribed hormone therapy to women in both early and late menopause to prevent cardiovascular disease. The study, published in JAMA Wednesday, adds to growing evidence suggesting that hormone replacement therapy is, contrary to previous beliefs, not useful in preventing heart disease in postmenopausal women.  “Because of this, we have recommended against the use of hormone replacement therapy for heart disease prevention for quite some time now,” Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, told Healthline.  Chen was not involved in the study. Hormone therapy had no major effects on heart health To understand the effects associated with menopausal hormone therapy, the Women’s Health Initiative conducted multiple clinical trials that tracked the health of 68,132 postmenosual women, between the ages of 50 to 79, from 1993 to 1998. Women were followed up for up to 20 years. The report found that, compared to women who took a placebo, those who took conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) had a 6% decrease in coronary heart disease and a 3% decrease in myocardial infarction or heart attack, which the researchers say is not statistically significant.  Additionally, those who took CEE had a significantly higher risk of stroke and a higher, but not statistically significant, risk of pulmonary embolism. It’s worth noting that current versions of hormone therapy include lower doses and transdermal modes of delivery that may reduce the risk of stroke and embolism. According to Supreeti Behuria, MD, a cardiologist at Staten Island University Hospital, this research corroborates what physicians have known: “that for postmenopausal woman, menopausal hormonal therapy does not prevent cardiovascular diseases.” The findings do not support the use of CEE for preventing coronary heart disease or other chronic diseases in postmenopausal women, the paper states. “These WHI trials have greatly contributed to our understanding of how hormone replacement therapy affects future cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women,”Chen said.  How hormone therapy can help women during menopause Based on the results, doctors should not be routinely prescribing hormonal therapy to postmenopausal women with the goal of preventing cardiovascular disease, says Behuria. Per the report, menopausal hormone therapy is best used to treat bothersome vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes in women in early menopause who don’t have any conditions that could be exacerbated by hormone therapy. Hormone therapy is commonly used when severe menopausal symptoms affect people’s quality of life, adds Chen. That said, “the decision to start therapy should be made on an individualized basis and should take into account someone’s age as well as their risk for developing heart disease,” Chen said.  Behuria would like future trials to investigate the cardiovascular effects of newer formulations of hormone therapy. Until then, the recommendations for lowering the risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women are the same as those geared toward the general public.  “Eat a heart-healthy diet, get plenty of exercise, maintain a healthy weight, avoid tobacco and alcohol, get good sleep, and watch your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels,” Chen said.  The bottom line:  New research has found that hormone therapy doesn’t appear to reduce the risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women. The report adds to growing evidence suggesting that hormone replacement therapy is, contrary to previous beliefs, not a useful heart disease prevention tool.

For years, doctors couldn’t explain why Cydney Carter was breaking out with painful “boils” on her skin. Then, she received a diagnosis that changed her life. After years of living with painful symptoms, Cydney Carter (pictured above) was diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a rare skin condition. Image Provided by Cydney Carter Cydney Carter says she was 12 years old when she first noticed what she thought were blackheads, transitioning into what she described as “boil abscesses” on her inner thighs. At first, she assumed she wasn’t washing properly in the shower or using the right kind of soap. But soon, Carter says the “boils” on her skin became painful. “It just got so bad that I couldn’t walk,” Carter told Healthline. She told her mother, who took her to the emergency room, but the physician there had no answers and could not diagnose the issue. “It was just a lot of unknown back then, and you just don’t know what you don’t know. So that was kind of the beginning of me not having the best relationship with myself,” she recalled. Throughout her teen years, Carter was in and out of emergency rooms as more painful lumps appeared. Doctors would drain the fluid, but none of them were able to give her a diagnosis, and the pain got so bad she sometimes needed to stay home from school. Finally, when Carter turned 17, she scheduled an appointment with a new dermatologist who told her, “I think what you have is hidradenitis suppurativa. It’s also called HS.” She says hearing those words was life changing for her. She finally had a name (and soon a diagnosis) for the chronic condition she’d been living with for years. Today, the 27-year-old is a visible advocate for others living with HS. She has gained more than 200,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram, where she shares her journey managing her chronic condition. Recently, she partnered with Make HStory, a national unbranded educational campaign from UCB that aims to raise HS awareness. “If you told me at 12 years old that one day I would be sharing my story with everybody, I would literally probably laugh at you. To be in this space now is nothing short of an honor and a privilege that I don’t take for granted,” she said. What is hidradenitis suppurativa (HS)? HS affects about 3.3 million people in the United States, according to 2017 research, which disproportionately affects women and Black people, who are at two and three times higher risk, respectively. The recurring painful skin growths caused by HS occur in areas with sweat glands. They usually appear as firm lumps just under the skin’s surface or pus-filled abscesses that can drain out and cause a pungent odor. In some cases, the lumps can form sinus tracts between these pockets of pus on the skin’s surface. Jenny Hsiao, MD, is a dermatologist and researcher at the University of Southern California and a member of the HS Foundation. She joined the Make HStory campaign to shed more light on this condition, which can often bring stigma and feelings of shame. Hsiao told Healthline that when left uncontrolled, HS can lead to “anxiety over flares and start to impact the quality of life and the ability to function.” For Haley B. Naik, MD MHSc, associate professor and vice chair for the Health Equity Department of Dermatology at UCSF Health, HS can really be a “painful, isolating, and limiting condition” for people, especially given that it generally starts to present itself during a person’s adolescent years. “HS affects all parts of their lives. It physically impacts people’s ability to be active. In some cases, it makes it difficult for people to walk and sit,” Naik, who is unaffiliated with the campaign, told Healthline. “In adults, this is a condition that limits people’s ability to get to work or sit or stand.” Naik added that, besides impacting job opportunities and income attainment, it can also limit social interactions, friendships, and intimate relationships. All of which can contribute to depression and anxiety. What types of treatments are available for HS? While there is currently no cure for HS, treatments are available. Naik said two FDA-approved medications are currently on the market that can help treat severe-to-moderate HS. Both of the treatments and immunotherapy medications, or “biologic agents”, and she said they have been a “real boon for treating HS.” She added that other drugs are in the development pipeline for this condition, including JAK inhibitors that reduce inflammation and BTK inhibitors, both of which “show promise in HS treatment.” “So, for the next three to five years, and even beyond, we are really excited about the opportunities that exist for treating people with HS and help [come up with] solutions so that people can live their lives,” Naik added. Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is often misdiagnosed Naik said that misdiagnoses for HS are “extremely common.” She said it takes about seven to 10 years for people with this condition to get a correct diagnosis from the onset of their symptoms. Naik also said there is “limited awareness” of HS within the general public and the medical community, with most medical students getting a limited overall education in dermatology. “So, if you haven’t seen it or been taught about it, you are unlikely to think about it when it walks in your door,” she said. Hsiao said that over the years of misdiagnoses, many people are in and out of urgent care or emergency rooms, trying to find short-term solutions. She said it’s important to note that HS is a chronic inflammatory skin condition and needs long-term management by a dermatologist in an outpatient setting. “Hopefully, with more awareness about HS, people who get symptoms will know that they can see a dermatologist, and they know they can get appropriate treatment,” Hsiao said. Recognizing a need for greater awareness and advocacy Shortly after her diagnosis, Carter was surprised to find there was little research about HS, treatments were limited, and there was no known cure. Frustrated at the lack of available HS information, Carter began sharing her skin journey on social media. “The first time I posted a picture on Facebook, I deleted it 20 minutes later. Instant regret! But talking about it in video form really changed everything for me. I remember flaring on my lower abdomen, and one day, just the pain alone, I was like, ‘somebody’s gotta get it, somebody’s gotta understand what I’m going through,’ ” Carter recalled. “I remember going through that vulnerable moment in my bathroom and waking up the next day, and it went viral. I was like, ‘Woah, what is happening?'” She was floored by the comments of support and people writing things like, “I can’t believe you have this. Your skin looks like my skin.” She said they confirmed for her that she needed to keep sharing her story. “To the people who say, ‘You keep me going,’ I say, ‘No, you keep me going,’ ” she added. Carter also said it was “eye-opening” for her to see the number of Black people living with HS. In addition to sharing her own story, she said she strives to share information that can help “Black people get all the correct care and treatment and recognition that they deserve with their doctors and providers.” It’s still unknown exactly why women and some ethnic and racial groups are affected more than others. However, Hsiao said that knowing that there are disproportionately affected groups can better help healthcare providers properly diagnose and treat the condition. That knowledge can also help guide the direction of future research and awareness campaigns. How HS awareness campaigns can help change lives Carter said that through the Make HStory campaign, she feels she is “healing myself and other people in such a positive way,” and she hopes it inspires those who need treatment to seek it. Hsiao echoed Carter’s hopes, saying the big takeaway from the awareness campaign is that early diagnosis and treatment can help significantly improve a person’s overall quality of life. “If a reader sees this and says, ‘Wait a minute, I have had a couple boils in my armpits, and they happened in more than one occasion in a span of one year,’ then you should see a dermatologist,” Hsiao said. Today, Carter says she is doing well. A mother of three with another baby on the way, She keeps posting on TikTok to her followers, sharing information about HS with a dose of positivity and empathy along the way. “Any time I’m talking to [my followers] live and have them right there in my face, I say, ‘Please talk to somebody,'” she said. “We don’t deserve to carry the weight that HS can put onto your mental life, your physical life. You don’t deserve to carry that alone. I just give them the homework to talk to somebody about their HS. For some people, that might be a therapist; for some, it might be telling a stranger. [It’s] okay to take themselves out of that shame box and isolation. That is one of the first steps to really allowing yourself to heal and feel all the feels and share their story, just like I do.”