Health Journal Online

Category: Diseases & Conditions

  • Your Menopause Treatment Tablets Could Affect Heart Health: Here’s What Study Says

    Your Menopause Treatment Tablets Could Affect Heart Health: Here’s What Study Says

    Hormone tablets taken during menopause provide relief from symptoms, but do they have long-term health risks? Researchers have found that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) tablets containing both estrogen and progestogen may increase the risk of heart disease and blood clots in menopausal women.

    During menopause, women’s body goes through a series of changes due to a decrease in female hormones, progesterone, and estrogen resulting in symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, insomnia, and vaginal dryness. These symptoms are often frustrating, interfering with their daily lives and mental well-being.

    HRT was once commonly prescribed for menopausal symptoms and to reduce the risk of bone loss during this stage. However, recent studies pointing to long-term risks have led to a more cautious approach. It is now recommended only for those where the benefits outweigh the risks. The estimate shows that only 5% of women in the U.S. use it now, a significant drop from about 27% two decades ago.

    The latest study published in The BMJ examined the effects of HRT tablets on heart health based on the route of administration and the combination of hormones used. The study suggests that tablets containing both estrogen and progesterone, such as oral combined continuous, oral combined sequential, oral unopposed estrogen, and transdermal combined therapy, increased the risk of ischemic heart disease and venous thromboembolism (blood clots) in women.

    The researchers also found that the tablet tibolone in particular was linked to a higher risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, but not blood clots. Tibolone is a synthetic hormone that contains estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

    “Compared with not starting menopausal hormone therapy, starting oral combined continuous therapy or tibolone was associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease,” the news release stated.

    “If 1,000 women started each of these treatments and were observed for a year, we would expect to see seven new cases of venous thromboembolism across all groups,” the researchers wrote.

    However, there was no increased risk associated with transdermal treatments such as skin patches, gels, and creams.

    The researchers caution that the study does not prove that HRT causes heart health risks, as the findings are based on observational data. Also, the lack of information on menopausal status and other unmeasured factors, such as smoking and body mass index, may have influenced the results.

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  • Trump Pick for Public Health Chief Opposed COVID Lockdown, Wanted People to Get Infected on Purpose

    Trump Pick for Public Health Chief Opposed COVID Lockdown, Wanted People to Get Infected on Purpose

    President-elect Donald Trump‘s latest leadership pick for the National Institutes of Health once published an open letter slamming the COVID-19 lockdown, while promoting “herd immunity” as a solution to the pandemic.

    “Together, Jay and RFK Jr. will restore the NIH to a Gold Standard of Medical Research as they examine the underlying causes of, and solutions to, America’s biggest Health challenges, including our Crisis of Chronic Illness and Disease,” Trump wrote in a statement released Tuesday, AP News reported.

    Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of medicine, economic and health research policy at Stanford University whose research focuses not on the science of health but the economics of health care, was shadow-banned on Twitter after he joined in 2021 and started sharing misinformation regarding the pandemic, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal. His account was fully reinstated after Elon Musk bought the platform and invited Bhattacharya to defend his output.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, and before vaccines were available, Bhattacharya encouraged “low-risk” people to live normally to build immunity to the infectious disease while people at higher risk were protected in an open letter dubbed the Great Barrington Declaration, written by three medical experts, including Bhattacharya, in October 2020, AP News reported.

    At the time, then-NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins called the letter dangerous and “not mainstream science.”

    “I think the lockdowns were the single biggest public health mistake,” Bhattacharya later said during a panel discussion organized by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in March 2021.

    The Senate will have to approve Bhattacharya’s appointment before officially takes office.

    Originally published by Latin Times

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  • Vaping Affects Circulation With Immediate Effects, Study Finds

    Vaping Affects Circulation With Immediate Effects, Study Finds

    Vaping is often promoted as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking. But is using e-cigarettes truly risk-free? Researchers have discovered that vaping impacts circulation, with noticeable effects occurring immediately.

    In the latest study that will be presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) next week, researchers explored the impact of both cigarette smoking and vaping on vascular function. The study found that while vaping exposes users to fewer toxic chemicals than cigarettes, it still affects circulation and overall health. Interestingly, the effect was observed even in e-cigarettes without nicotine.

    “E-cigarettes have long been marketed as a safer alternative to regular tobacco smoking. Some believe that e-cigarettes don’t contain any of the harmful products, such as free radicals, found in regular tobacco cigarettes, because no combustion is involved,” said Dr. Marianne Nabbout, the study lead author in a news release.

    To assess the impact on brain circulation, researchers evaluated 31 healthy participants—both smokers and vapers—using MRI scans before and after exposure to tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarette aerosol with nicotine, and e-cigarette aerosol without nicotine. The participants, aged 21 to 49, were compared to baseline scans from 10 non-smokers and non-vapers, aged 21 to 33.

    The study also measured blood flow speed in the femoral artery by placing a cuff on the upper thigh to restrict circulation. Also, the venous oxygen saturation of the participants, which shows the amount of oxygen in the blood returning to the heart after supplying oxygen to the body’s tissues was tested.

    After inhaling each type of vaping or smoking, blood flow in the superficial femoral artery significantly decreased. The greatest decrease in vascular function occurred after vaping e-cigarettes with nicotine, followed by those without nicotine. Vapers also showed lower venous oxygen saturation, indicating an immediate reduction in oxygen uptake by the lungs, regardless of nicotine content.

    “This study serves to highlight the acute effects smoking and vaping can have on a multitude of vascular beds in the human body. If the acute consumption of an e-cigarette can have an effect that is immediately manifested at the level of the vessels, it is conceivable that the chronic use can cause vascular disease,” Dr. Nabbout said.

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  • Miscarrying Texas Mother Becomes Latest Woman to Die As Doctors Risk 99-Year Prison Sentence for Administering Life-Saving Drug

    Miscarrying Texas Mother Becomes Latest Woman to Die As Doctors Risk 99-Year Prison Sentence for Administering Life-Saving Drug

    A Texas mother became the third woman to die as a result of the state’s abortion ban when legislation prevented a doctor from administering life-saving care.

    In June of 2023, 35-year-old Porsha Ngumezi suffered a miscarriage at just 11 weeks pregnant, causing her to lose an immense amount of blood. Ngumezi, who already had young children, had been “passing large clots the size of grapefruit,” according to nurse’s notes obtained by ProPublica.

    “You need a D&C,” Hope Ngumezi, Porsha’s husband, was told by his mother who was a former physician. A dilation and curettage, also referred to as a D&C, is a common procedure by which a doctor removes the remaining tissue from a uterus in order to allow the uterus to close up and stop bleeding. The procedure addresses first-trimester miscarriages and abortions.

    However, the obstetrician on duty, Dr. Andrew Ryan Davis, gave Porsha misoprostol, a drug intended to help her body pass the tissue independently instead of administering life-saving care due to hospital policy.

    The drugs were not enough to stop the bleeding, and Porsha eventually passed away.

    Porsha’s death could have been easily prevented by a simple medical procedure that has become intertwined in state abortion laws because it is sometimes used to enact first-trimester abortions. Texas state law demands a prison sentence of up to 99 years for any doctor who violates legislation.

    Porsha’s death is the fifth preventable death caused by a lack of access to a D&C in the first trimester or a dilation and evacuation in the second. Three of these deaths occurred in Texas, according to ProPublica.

    Instead of administering D&Cs, doctors are giving patients misoprostol instead as the drug is often used to induce labor and treat postpartum hemorrhage, making it less directly related to abortion. However, the drug is not recommended to treat unstable patients.

    “Stigma and fear are there for D&Cs in a way that they are not for misoprostol,” said Dr. Alison Goulding, an OB-GYN in Houston. “Doctors assume that a D&C is not standard in Texas anymore, even in cases where it should be recommended. People are afraid: They see D&C as abortion and abortion as illegal.”

    “All Houston Methodist hospitals follow all state laws,” said a spokesperson for Houston Methodist, “including the abortion law in place in Texas.”

    Originally published by Latin Times.

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  • New Chemical Identified In U.S. Tap Water, Scientists Urge Investigation Into Its Toxicity

    New Chemical Identified In U.S. Tap Water, Scientists Urge Investigation Into Its Toxicity

    Scientists have identified a new chemical byproduct in tap water consumed by millions of Americans, solving a decades-long mystery. This compound, formed during water purification with chloramine, raises health concerns for roughly 113 million people and warrants further investigation into its potential toxicity.

    Chloramine is a disinfectant created by combining chlorine with ammonia. It is preferred over chlorine in many water treatment systems due to its greater stability, which results in lower levels of disinfectant byproducts compared to chlorine.

    Although researchers first noted the unidentified chemical byproduct in tap water treated with chloramine nearly 40 years ago, its exact details were not known. In a recent study published in Science, scientists used advanced analytical methods to uncover its structure, which is now officially named chloronitramide anion.

    The researchers detected chloronitramide anion in all 40 samples taken from 10 drinking water systems located in seven states. It was not seen in ultrapure water, or drinking water treated without chlorine-based disinfectants.

    “It’s well recognized that when we disinfect drinking water, there is some toxicity that’s created. Chronic toxicity, really. A certain number of people may get cancer from drinking water over several decades. But we haven’t identified what chemicals are driving that toxicity. A major goal of our work is to identify these chemicals and the reaction pathways through which they form,” Julian Fairey, first co-author on the paper said in a news release.

    The study represents a significant breakthrough, as it successfully identified chloronitramide anion and determined its structure.

    “It’s a very stable chemical with a low molecular weight. It’s a very difficult chemical to find. The hardest part was identifying it and proving it was the structure we were saying it was,” Fairey noted.

    Although the toxicity of chloronitramide anion remains uncertain, researchers have raised concerns due to its widespread presence and structural similarities to other toxic compounds. They stress the need for further investigation by academics and regulatory agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    “Even if it is not toxic, finding it can help us understand the pathways for how other compounds are formed, including toxins. If we know how something is formed, we can potentially control it,” Fairey added.

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  • Cardiovascular Fitness May Lower Dementia Risk, Even For Those With Genetic Predisposition, Study Finds

    Cardiovascular Fitness May Lower Dementia Risk, Even For Those With Genetic Predisposition, Study Finds

    Regular exercise is known to prevent chronic conditions and slow cognitive decline. New research suggests that cardiovascular fitness, the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to muscles during exercise, could also play a crucial role in reducing dementia risk.

    A recent study found that improved cardiorespiratory fitness is linked to better cognitive performance and a lower risk of dementia, even among those genetically predisposed.

    As people age, cardiovascular fitness typically declines by 3% to 6% every decade in their 20s and 30s. However, this decline accelerates to over 20% per decade once individuals reach their 70s. With reduced fitness, there is an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as strokes and heart attacks and mortality from all causes, according to the researchers of the latest study.

    The study evaluated 61,214 participants between the ages of 39 and 70 enrolled in the UK Biobank study between 2009 and 2010. The participants did not have dementia and were followed for up to 12 years.

    The researchers assessed the cardiorespiratory fitness of participants at the beginning of the study by conducting a 6-minute submaximal exercise test on a stationary bike. While neuropsychological tests were used to evaluate cognitive function, the participant’s genetic predisposition for dementia was estimated using the polygenic risk score.

    During the follow-up, 553 people were diagnosed with dementia. Based on the cardiorespiratory fitness scores, the participants were divided into three equal-sized groups standardized by age and sex.

    The analysis revealed that people with higher fitness scores were 40% less likely to develop dementia than those with lower scores. Also, dementia onset was delayed by nearly 1.5 years for those with high scores.

    The researchers noted that in those with a moderate to high genetic risk of dementia, high cardiovascular fitness reduced their risk of developing dementia by 35%.

    Since the study is observational, the researchers could not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship. They noted some limitations, including the potential underestimation of dementia cases, as UK Biobank participants are healthier than the general population. Individuals with certain health conditions were excluded from the exercise test, making the study group healthier which may have impacted the findings.

    However, based on the current findings, the researchers suggest that “enhancing CRF could be a strategy for the prevention of dementia, even among people with a high genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease.”

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  • Study Finds Two Common Gynecological Disorders Linked To Increased Risk Of Early Death

    Study Finds Two Common Gynecological Disorders Linked To Increased Risk Of Early Death

    History of two common gynecological disorders, endometriosis and uterine fibroids, is linked to an increased risk of early death, a recent study revealed.

    Endometriosis is a chronic reproductive disorder that affects about 10% of women of reproductive age. It occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, causing symptoms such as severe period pain, chronic pelvic pain, bloating, nausea, fatigue, and infertility. There is no permanent cure for the condition, so treatment involves managing symptoms.

    Fibroids are noncancerous growths on uterine walls that can cause symptoms such as heavy menstrual bleeding, back pain, and frequent urination. Around 40% to 80% of women have uterine fibroids.

    In a large-scale study, researchers analyzed 110,091 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II, aged 25-42 in 1989. The participants had no prior hysterectomy, cardiovascular diseases, or cancer. Diagnoses of endometriosis (via laparoscopy) and fibroids (via ultrasound or hysterectomy) were self-reported every two years from 1993.

    Over 30 years, there were 4,356 premature deaths, including 1,459 from cancer and 304 from cardiovascular diseases.

    The all-cause premature death rate for women with confirmed endometriosis was 2 per 1,000 person-years, compared to 1.4 per 1,000 for those without. After accounting for factors such as age, weight, diet quality, physical activity, and smoking status, individuals with endometriosis were 31% more likely to die prematurely (before age 70) compared to those without these disorders. The majority of these deaths were attributed to gynecological cancers.

    Although uterine fibroids were not linked to all-cause premature death, the condition elevated the risk of death due to gynecological cancers.

    “Women with a history of endometriosis and uterine fibroids might have an increased long-term risk of premature mortality extending beyond their reproductive lifespan,” the researchers concluded.

    “These conditions were also associated with an increased risk of death due to gynecological cancers. Endometriosis was associated with a greater risk of non-cancer mortality. These findings highlight the importance for primary care providers to consider these gynecological disorders in their assessment of women’s health,” they wrote in the study published in the journal BMJ.

    The researchers caution that since it is an observational study relying on self-reported data, it can be prone to errors. Also, as the participants were predominantly white healthcare workers, the findings may not be generalizable to other populations.

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  • Texas Woman Who Briefly Died After Rare Delivery Room Complication Has No Memory of Giving Birth to Triplets

    Texas Woman Who Briefly Died After Rare Delivery Room Complication Has No Memory of Giving Birth to Triplets

    A Texas woman retained no memory of giving birth to triplets, including the 48 to 72 hours leading up to the delivery, after being clinically dead for about 45 minutes post-birth.

    Tomball resident Marisa Christie gave birth to triplets in late August, during which she faced multiple pregnancy-related complications causing her to flatline multiple times in just 45 minutes.

    “It was the toughest moment of my life going from the most beautiful experience in seeing our baby girls for the first time to ‘oh my gosh my wife is—they’re doing CPR on her’. I just remember going to the restroom and collapsing on the ground expressing myself to God,” said her husband, Dylan Christie, who had been in the delivery room at the time of the births.

    Marisa, who had already had one son before giving birth to triplets, miraculously survived the ordeal. According to her Maternal Fetal Medicine Physician, Dr. Amber Samuel, Marisa survived a rare post-birth complication called amniotic fluid embolism, a condition with a mortality rate of 80%.

    “Some exposure that causes the mom’s body to react like a really bad allergic reaction. I think they call it like 7.7 cases on 100,000,” Dr. Samuel said.

    Dylan made the call for Marisa to be administered a hysterectomy, which ultimately saved her life. However, when she recovered and woke up, she had no recollection of the delivery or the days leading up to it.

    “My family took lots of photos and videos of me when I was in the hospital, which helped a lot to kind of have reality hit,” Marisa said.

    The family has set up a GoFundMe in order to cover Marisa’s medical costs.

    Originally published by Latin Times.

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  • Taking Pills For Cardiovascular Diseases? They May Also Protect Against Dementia, Study Says

    Taking Pills For Cardiovascular Diseases? They May Also Protect Against Dementia, Study Says

    Taking medications for cholesterol and blood pressure might seem like a health burden for many. But there’s good news for those who have to depend on cardiovascular medications. Researchers have found that beyond their cardiovascular benefits, long-term use of these drugs, especially when used in combination, may offer protection against dementia.

    The latest study conducted by Karolinska Institutet in Sweden revealed the use of common cardiovascular drugs for more than five years is associated with a reduced risk of dementia later in life.

    “Previous studies have focused on individual drugs and specific patient groups but in this study, we take a broader approach,” said Alexandra Wennberg, a lead author of the paper.

    The study analyzed dementia risk using data from Swedish national registers, involving around 88,000 individuals over the age of 70 who were diagnosed with dementia between 2011 and 2016. It also included 880,000 control participants. The researchers obtained data about the participants’ use of cardiovascular drugs from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register.

    “The results show that long-term use of antihypertensive drugs, cholesterol-lowering drugs, diuretics, and blood-thinning drugs is associated with between 4 and 25 percent lower risk of dementia. Combinations of the drugs had stronger protective effects than if they were used alone,” the news release stated.

    However, the researchers noted that the use of antiplatelet drugs for stroke prevention may be associated with a higher risk of dementia. This could be due to the increased risk of microbleeds in the brain caused by these drugs, which are linked to cognitive decline.

    “The association between the use of common cardiovascular drugs and dementia risk suggests that these pathways may be explored for the development of dementia treatment though future research is necessary. Conversely, because antiplatelets are commonly used, it is important to further understand any long-term negative effects on cognitive outcomes.

    Researchers believe that the new finding adds an important piece of the puzzle for finding new treatments for dementia. Also, since the study observed cognitive decline associated with antiplatelet use, it highlights the need to consider their potential long-term cognitive effects when prescribing these medications.

    “We currently have no cure for dementia, so it’s important to find preventive measures,” said Wennberg.

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  • Hot Cocoa, Green Tea With Fatty Meals May Combat Negative Effects Of Stress: Study

    Hot Cocoa, Green Tea With Fatty Meals May Combat Negative Effects Of Stress: Study

    Do you crave fatty foods during stress? While this is natural, adding hot cocoa or green tea to your meals might help. A recent study found that these flavonoid-rich drinks can counteract the negative effects of stress, even after eating a fatty meal.

    The latest study published in the journal Food and Function investigated how flavanols, when consumed with fat, can help reduce the negative effects of fat on stress-related problems in endothelial function.

    “We know that when people are stressed, they tend to gravitate towards high-fat foods. We have previously shown that fatty food can impair the body’s vascular recovery from stress. In this study, we wanted to see if adding a high-flavanol food to the fatty meal would alleviate the negative impact of stress in the body” said leading author Dr. Catarina Rendeiro in a news release.

    The study looked at 23 young, healthy males and females who were given a breakfast of two butter croissants with cheese and milk, followed by either a high-flavanol cocoa drink or a low-flavanol cocoa drink.

    After resting, the participants took a mental math test, which increased in difficulty over eight minutes, with incorrect answers flagged. The test is designed to create stress in participants like a scenario that would cause stress in their daily lives.

    The researchers measured the participants’ blood flow in the forearm, heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels in the prefrontal cortex ( anterior frontal lobe of the brain) during the test and while at rest. Using Brachial Flow-mediated Dilatation (FMD) tests, the researchers also assessed the blood vessel functions of the participants that would predict cardiovascular disease risk.

    The results showed that those participants who consumed low-flavanol drinks had reduced vascular function, which lasted around 90 minutes even after the stressful event.

    Meanwhile, the results of FMD tests were significantly higher in those who had high-flavanol cocoa compared to low-flavanol cocoa 30 and 90 minutes after the stressful period. FMD tests indicate how much the brachial artery widens when blood flow increases, so a higher value indicates lesser heart disease risk.

    “This research shows that drinking or eating food high in flavanols can be used as a strategy to mitigate some of the impact of poorer food choices on the vascular system. This can help us make more informed decisions about what we eat and drink during stressful periods,” added Dr. Rendeiro.

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