But there’s more…

Research is revealing that one of our favorite types of drinks can counteract the effects of certain antibiotics, particularly against a specific bacterium responsible for some common and already difficult-to-treat infections.

And you know what happens when you take an antibiotic and it doesn’t fully kill the germ; it can supercharge the germ’s resistance even more.

Here’s what you need to know about which drink you should avoid when taking antibiotics. (Hint: it’s not alcohol).

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Re-think what you drink on antibiotics

After the examination of 94 different substances, researchers at the Universities of Tübingen and Würzburg were able to prove that everyday substances can influence how bacteria, such as E. coli, respond to antibiotics.

One of the worst offenders the researchers discovered when it comes to compromising the work of antibiotics is caffeine.

E. coli infections most often occur in your GI system or urinary tract, but can also migrate to cause infections in the bloodstream, prostate and gallbladder.

That means caffeinated drinks, like the coffee, tea and sodas (if you’re still drinking those) we rely on for a little extra energy, could decrease the power of antibiotics to help fight infections.

According to the scientists, that’s because caffeine triggers genetic regulators that control bacterial transport proteins. These transport proteins act as pores for the bacteria, determining what can and can’t get inside the cell.

Basically, caffeine closes down these pores to antibiotics like ciproflaxin, weakening their effectiveness.

“Caffeine triggers a cascade of events starting with the gene regulator Rob and culminating in the change of several transport proteins in E. coli, which in turn leads to a reduced uptake of antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin,” explains researcher Ana Rita Brochado.

The scientists say that this contributes to what’s called ‘low-level’ antibiotic resistance, which is not due to classic resistance genes, but to regulation and environmental factors.

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How not to make antibiotics useless

Clearly, if you’re taking antibiotics, avoiding caffeine is a must to help ensure they’re as effective as you need them to be. So, at least until you’re done with the medication, lay off the caffeinated drinks.

Additionally, there are a few ways to help antibiotics work as they should when you do have to take them:

• Taking omega-3s – Researchers at Flinders University discovered that omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, can make germs’ membranes more permeable to antibiotics. This makes the bacteria less resistant to the medicine.
• Adding in cranberry – A Canadian study found that cranberry extract made it easier for antibiotics to enter the bacteria that cause UTIs, pneumonia, and gastroenteritis. It also disrupted the mechanism that bacteria use to eliminate the antibiotic.
• Drinking green tea – Research has shown that a compound in green tea — epigallocatechin (EGCG) – is capable of making an antibiotic called aztreonam work against a dangerous, resistant bacterium again. In fact, the two compounds together were far more effective at killing the bacteria than either was alone.
• Eating more fiber – Research has shown that dietary fiber plays a crucial role in preventing the overgrowth of harmful gut bacteria, including E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Also, remember to support your gut microbiome when taking antibiotics. Probiotics help repopulate the gut microbiome after a round of antibiotics, but taking them regularly yields even better benefits…

Previous research shows that probiotics reduce the likelihood of getting common infections like respiratory infections and stomach bugs. They also reduce the duration and severity of these infections.

Sources:

E. coli infection – Cleveland Clinic

Your morning coffee could secretly be weakening antibiotics – ScienceDaily

The post The drink that makes antibiotics useless (and it’s not alcohol) appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, if you’ve suffered from a myocardial infarction, your doctor has probably warned you that not taking these medications could increase your risk of a second heart attack.

There’s a problem, though…

Not only can taking beta-blockers lead to side effects like fatigue, low heart rate and sexual dysfunction, but study after study has demonstrated the medications may be both ineffective and dangerous.

A 2017 study found that taking beta-blockers following a heart attack, in which heart function was retained, made no statistical difference in the risk of a secondary heart attack.

Worse, additional research in 2020 determined that taking beta-blockers actually increased the risk of heart failure in women.

So what was done with those findings?

Not much. Beta-blockers continued to be recommended because skeptics believed the studies weren’t definitive enough!

But now, the jury is in, and the news is not good…

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Massive trial provides definitive answer on beta-blockers

This breakthrough discovery was made during the “REBOOT Trial,” a massive study that enrolled over 8,500 patients across 109 hospitals, and followed patients who either did or did not take beta blockers after a heart attack with regular heart function.

Sure enough, the results showed no significant differences between the two groups in rates of death, recurrent heart attack, or hospitalization for heart failure.

But the most disturbing finding came from a substudy of the REBOOT Trial…

That data confirmed that women treated with beta blockers had a higher risk of death, heart attack, or hospitalization for heart failure compared to women not receiving the drug.

In other words, not only did beta-blockers not prevent a second heart attack in women, they made the chances of another heart attack (or heart-related issue or death) more likely.

The results of the study were so significant that the investigators believe they will reshape the current treatment protocol for post-heart attack patients.

“REBOOT will change clinical practice worldwide. Currently, more than 80 percent of patients with uncomplicated myocardial infarction are discharged on beta blockers. The REBOOT findings represent one of the most significant advances in heart attack treatment in decades,” says Principal Investigator Borja Ibáñez.

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Choosing what’s right for your heart

If you’re currently taking beta-blockers, don’t stop them cold turkey without talking to your doctor first.

But how can you avoid a second heart attack?

Maintaining healthy arteries is vital to avoiding a second heart attack — and choosing the right diet is one of the best things you can do on your own towards that goal.

Ditch the typical American diet, which sets you up for heart trouble. It’s an obesogenic diet — basically a high-fat diet with lots of omega-6 fatty acids, and according to previous research, it promotes an inflammatory environment that contributes to heart attack by:

• Damaging blood vessels
• Promoting the buildup and destabilization of plaque
• Triggering blood clots
• And reducing blood flow to the heart

An obesogenic diet also prevents cells known as leukocytes from performing a crucial function: repairing the heart after a heart attack and protecting it from future damage.

If you’ve suffered a heart attack and want to avoid another, your diet should contain lots more omega-3s and much fewer omega-6s. Here’s a link to four diets Harvard recommends to lower the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease.

In addition to those four, spirulina is a supplement that promotes a healthier heart in three ways: reducing free radical damage that can lead to inflammation, and supporting healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Don’t forget the importance of exercise. Following a heart attack, get your doctor’s permission, but even in heart failure, exercise can help turn the heart’s health around.

Sources:

Common heart drug taken by millions found useless, possibly risky — Science Daily

Heart attack survivors: 5 tips to support your heart health goals — American Heart Association

The post Common drug increases women’s risk for second heart attack appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Unfortunately, in addition to a possibly slimmer body, those who take them have been confronted with unexpected (and “out there”) side effects.

From rebound weight loss that can only be avoided by staying on the drugs indefinitely — to pancreatitis, gastroparesis and intestinal blockage, it seems these medications might do more harm than good.

And that’s before you consider the reports that GLP-1 drugs also cause a loss of skeletal muscle mass, which makes it harder to keep the weight off, shrink cardiac cells and the heart itself and may cause vision loss.

However, as if that weren’t enough, it’s now being reported that there’s one more warning for anyone considering taking one of these drugs…

And this time, the danger is in your mouth…

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Oral health problems abound

These weight loss drugs are now being linked to cases of what’s being called “Ozempic mouth” or “Ozempic teeth.”

The most common oral problems people who take them are noticing include inflammation affecting the gums, tooth decay and even bad breath.

And doctors point out that all of these complaints can stem from one thing: dehydration, leading to a dry mouth.

“All of the GLP-1 agonists that we use now cause changes in how everything is secreted in your GI tract,” explains Ann Marie Defnet, MD, an obesity medicine physician and bariatric surgeon.

According to Dr. Defnet, this “definitely has an impact on saliva.” Although it might not be immediately apparent why these drugs would cause saliva to decrease, the process is actually pretty simple…

Basically, because GLP-1 agonists dramatically decrease hunger and often cause nausea, people taking them may also drink far less than usual, without even realizing it.

“I have patients all the time that [say], ‘Oh yeah, I can tell I’m dehydrated,'” Defnet says.

This can lead to complaints of a dry mouth and, over time, can result in periodontal disease and gingivitis.

Check your breath

Dehydration and dry mouth can also cause bad breath — an issue that can be made worse by the fact that people taking these drugs may eat little if any fat, putting their body into ketosis.

This can cause the breath to have a “fruity smell.”

To top it off, the nausea that comes with GLP-1 agonists can cause vomiting, which exposes the teeth to acid, which can wear down tooth enamel. It’s a downhill slide from there — which makes diligent oral care especially important.

“I think all of these sorts of symptoms, especially those in the mouth, are signs that you just need to take a little bit better care of yourself while taking these drugs,” Defnet said. “They’re definitely not completely benign. They have side effects.”

Her recommendation?

Anyone taking the drugs should do two things religiously: drink water even if you don’t think you’re thirsty, and pay close attention to your oral hygiene routine — which includes seeing a dentist regularly.

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Weight loss without the Ozempic teeth

For me, that list of side effects tied to these medications goes far beyond anything I would be comfortable risking.

Especially when there are many healthier weight loss practices shown to work, without nasty side effects, such as…

• Eating more oats – Oats contain a type of fiber that mimics how Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro work. Where do you think the drug manufacturers got their ideas? Oats are Mother Nature’s way of slowing digestion and helping you feel fuller longer.
• Ditching ultra-processed foods to lose twice as much without eating less – It’s easy! You can still eat moderately processed foods and experience decreased cravings and weight loss.
• An alkaline diet – Researchers led by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine analyzed a study in which adults lost 13 pounds in 16 weeks on one such diet.

There’s also been a lot of discussion about “Nature’s Ozempic” and the combination of omega-3 fatty acids and black seed oil. You can read up on them before you decide if they’re right for you.

Sources:‘Ozempic Teeth’: Another Effect of GLP-1 Agonists? – MEDPAGE TODAY

The post ‘Ozempic teeth’: Another weight loss wonder drug side effect appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Like the way gum disease is tied to cancer and diabetes.

Well now, researchers have confirmed a new connection…

It comes from a type of drug known for helping get things “up” — but has been found to take down long-term blood sugar in type 2 diabetics…

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It’s all about nitric oxide

Before you read about this amazing connection, you need to know a little about nitric oxide (NO).

Nitric oxide is a gas that our bodies produce naturally. It acts as a signaling molecule, telling blood vessels to relax, for one very important purpose: to allow healthy blood flow to every nook and cranny of the body.

One arena where this is crucial is in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

NO is what makes drugs for erectile dysfunction, like Viagra and others, effective.

You see, erectile dysfunction is a vascular (blood vessel) and hormonal problem.

When NO helps the muscles in the penis to relax, the chambers inside the penis can fill with blood and an erection can be achieved.

Erectile dysfunction is not only a sign of trouble in the bedroom. It can be a sign of a serious heart problem or an indication of high blood sugar that is moving quickly toward full-blown diabetes.

And here’s where the connection comes in…

ED drugs promote effects of NO on blood sugar

Drugs like Viagra, known as PDE5 inhibitors, harness nitric oxide and its ability to open blood vessels.

That’s why, in previous research, investigators tested a theory that providing a sustained supply of NO may be an efficient way of treating cardiometabolic syndrome. Reduced NO absorption is a hallmark of the disorder.

And they were right. In experiments using mice, those that had their NO levels boosted had better glucose tolerance and lower fasting insulin levels. And compared to a control group that was not supplemented with NO, the NO mice gained 17 percent less body weight.

More recently, research at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden set out to investigate whether the drug tadalafil (Cialis), might have a similar effect in people…

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Potency drug reduced long-term blood sugar in small group of people

In their research, eighteen participants were randomly assigned to receive either a high daily dose of tadalafil or a placebo for a period of six weeks. The groups then switched for another six weeks.

Because tadalafil has several unpleasant side effects, including headache, heartburn, diarrhea, muscle and back pain, low blood pressure, nasal congestion, tinnitus and blurred vision, the participants were closely monitored. 

How did things pan out?

There was no significant difference in insulin sensitivity. But surprisingly, tadalafil caused a clear improvement in metabolic control, based on a test that shows how much sugar is in your blood known as the A1C test.

For people taking tadalafil, the level of A1C fell by an average of 2.50 mmol/mol (millimoles/mole).

“That’s a very distinct improvement in the long-term sugar levels, which we couldn’t have dreamed of after only six weeks of supplementary treatment in patients with well-controlled type 2 diabetes,” said Prof. Per-Anders Jansson who led the research.

But he also had a warning: “Self-medication with PDE5 inhibitors must never take place because, at worst, it can be life-threatening in combination with certain other drugs. These medicines are available on prescription only and must always be prescribed by the attending physician.”

His team is looking at repeating this pilot study with a larger group for a longer period to see if the results are similar.

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How the body produces NO

Our bodies produce NO in a couple of ways — no drugs needed — with the right foods.

The most direct way is via the nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide pathway. Research claims it’s the most bioavailable, sustainable and quickest route for raising NO levels. And it works like this…

When we eat foods containing dietary nitrates (not to be confused with the food preservatives sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate), like beets or spinach, a chemical reaction occurs with bacteria in the mouth. This converts nitrates to nitrites and then NO in the gut, bloodstream and various organs.

The amino acids l-arginine and l-citrulline are also building blocks of NO and are found in a range of foods, including:

• Lobster
• Turkey
• Chicken
• Watermelon
• Squash
• Chickpeas
• Pumpkin
• Cucumber

So, whether you are a meat eater, a vegetarian or a vegan, there are foods available to you that will help generate healthy levels of nitric oxide naturally. That’s a relief considering the side effects — and the cost of drugs like Cialis…

To quote Dr. John Morley, director of endocrinology at Saint Louis University in Missouri, providing his opinion on a similar study, “Clearly, there is a potential, but these are among the most expensive drugs there are.”

Sources:

Potency drug reduced long-term blood sugar in type 2 diabetes — Eureka Alert

Feasibility of high-dose tadalafil and effects on insulin resistance in well-controlled patients with type 2 diabetes (MAKROTAD): a single-centre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, cross-over phase 2 trial — The Lancet

All About Your A1C — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The post The ED drug that brings long-term blood sugar down appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

However, as is so often the case with medications, the truth is somewhat murkier. The gabapentinoid class of drugs, which includes gabapentin, has been associated with a 30 percent higher risk of hip fracture.

And some of the possible side effects of gabapentin use include fatigue, dizziness, headache, difficulty speaking, memory loss, movement problems and unusual eye movements and double vision.

All of that is disturbing enough. But for people who have taken gabapentin for years, an even more alarming side effect could be waiting for them…

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Gabapentin linked to increased cognitive impairment and dementia risk

A team of U.S. researchers examined real-time data from TriNetX, a health research network containing electronic health records from 60 U.S. healthcare organizations.

They studied the health records of adult patients who had and hadn’t been prescribed gabapentin for chronic low back pain between 2004 and 2024 (with 26,414 in each group). They took into account demographics, co-existing conditions and the use of other pain-relieving drugs.

The results were astonishing…

Those who had received six or more prescriptions for the drug were 29% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia and 85% more likely to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) within 10 years of their initial pain diagnosis.

What’s more, when the records were stratified by age, those between the ages of 18 and 64 who were prescribed gabapentin were more than twice as likely to develop either dementia or MCI than those who hadn’t recieved a prescription. That’s a lot younger than those normally considered at risk for those conditions.

When the younger cohort was broken down further, there was no heightened risk found among those between the ages of 18-34 who were prescribed the drug.

But for users between the ages of 35-49, the risks of dementia more than doubled — and MCI more than tripled. A similar pattern was found in those between the ages of 50 and 64.

There was also a correlation between risk and prescription frequency. Patients with 12 or more prescriptions were 40% more likely to develop dementia and 65% more likely to develop MCI than those prescribed between three and 11 times.

As recently as 2023, gabapentin was ranked #10 in a list of the top 50 most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S.

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A worrisome association

Because this is an observational study, no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. The researchers also note they weren’t able to account for dose or length of gabapentin use.

However, they conclude, “Our findings indicate an association between gabapentin prescription and dementia or cognitive impairment within 10 years. Moreover, increased gabapentin prescription frequency correlated with dementia incidence.”

These findings provide “a foundation to further research whether gabapentin plays a causal role in the development of dementia and cognitive decline,” the investigators write in the study.

In the meantime, they say their observations “support the need for close monitoring of adult patients prescribed gabapentin to assess for potential cognitive decline.”

If you use gabapentin for pain or seizure control, you may want to talk to your doctor about whether you should switch to a different medication. Definitely don’t stop using it without speaking with your doctor first about an alternative.

Sources:

Nerve pain drug gabapentin linked to increased dementia, cognitive impairment risks — Medical Xpress

Risk of dementia following gabapentin prescription in chronic low back pain patients — Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine

Does Gabapentin Raise Dementia Risk? — Medscape

The Top 50 Drugs Prescribed in the United States — Healthgrades

The post A top 10 commonly prescribed drug linked to dementia appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Symptoms include weight gain, fatigue, depression, brain fog and more, but it can be hard to get an accurate diagnosis since these symptoms mimic many other conditions.

Still, roughly 23 million are treated with a drug called levothyroxine, sold as Synthroid, making it one of the most commonly prescribed thyroid medications across the country.

However, it turns out that while the drug might help patients manage their thyroid levels, it could also be eating away at their bone health, leaving them at risk for osteoporosis and life-threatening fractures.

Here’s what you need to know to reduce your risk if you’re taking thyroid medication…

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Loss of bone mass and density

According to Elena Ghotbi, M.D., a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins University, “Data indicates that a significant proportion of thyroid hormone prescriptions may be given to older adults without hypothyroidism, raising concerns about subsequent relative excess of thyroid hormone even when treatment is targeted to reference range goals.”

And since previous studies had already proven a link between high levels of thyroid hormone and increased bone fracture risk, her team set out to determine whether taking levothyroxine could present a danger to skeletal integrity.

The researchers started with data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) — the longest-running study on aging — and assessed 81 patients taking levothyroxine and 364 non-users.

After following up for over six years, the scientists determined that people who used levothyroxine suffered a greater loss of total body bone mass and bone density — even if they had normal thyroid levels.

Is taking levothyroxine a good idea?

Because of this heightened bone risk, study co-author, Jennifer Mammen, M.D., Ph.D., advises that adults taking levothyroxine should discuss their treatment with their doctor. “A risk-benefit assessment should be conducted, weighing the strength of the indications for treatment against the potential adverse effects of levothyroxine in this population,” she said.

She also recommends requesting regular tests to monitor your thyroid function since their data shows that sometimes, patients have been taking levothyroxine for many years. Yet, it’s not clear why it was initially prescribed or even if it’s still necessary.

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Natural thyroid support

Most doctors will test levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels if they suspect a thyroid issue. But experts have suggested that the standard TSH range could be missing as many as 75 percent of people with low thyroid.

For this reason, people who have felt they had to find their own relief, have turned to natural options for their low thyroid.

For optimal health, the thyroid requires specific nutrients found in a healthy well-rounded diet or through supplementation. Those include:

• Iodine — Essential for healthy thyroid function and efficient metabolism. It’s also the fuel the thyroid needs to create critical T3 and T4 hormones.
• L-tyrosine — A powerful amino acid that partners with iodine to create T3 and T4 hormones.
• Selenium — A naturally occurring trace mineral that helps convert relatively inactive T4s to the active thyroid hormone T3.
• Zinc — An essential mineral in converting the T4 hormone to the more active T3, which helps support a healthy metabolism. It also releases vitamin A stored in the liver to help support a healthy thyroid.
• Copper — Another mineral, it helps stimulate the thyroid and protect against too much (T4) building up in the blood.

Finally, avoid BPA and phthalates as much as possible since these chemicals lower thyroid levels. That means avoiding canned foods with a lining, plastic bottles, bowls and dinnerware, and going organic in your fruits and vegetable choices.

Sources:

Common thyroid medicine linked to bone loss — EurekAlert!

Hypothyroidism: More Patients and Less Treatment? — Paloma Health

The post The bone-weakening effects of a common thyroid medicine appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Or perhaps you’ve taken an over-the-counter PPI like Nexium or Prilosec.

When I first heard the phrase “proton pump,” I imagined there was a teeny-tiny pump in the body and that these drugs shut the pump down.

Not far from the truth, but not exactly the right visual, either.

In reality, PPIs block an enzyme that produces stomach acid.

But this form of relief may come with a catch, and a dangerous one.

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PPIs may be connected to new cases of hypertension

Protein pump inhibitors block an enzyme that produces stomach acid. It’s called the hydrogen-potassium ATPase pump or the “proton pump” for short.

Here’s a good way to understand it: PPIs inhibit (or prevent) the proton pump enzyme from completing a chemical process needed to make stomach acid. By short-circuiting this process, PPIs slow down the production of stomach acid.

You’ll still have enough stomach acid to digest food, just not an overproduction that’ll irritate the stomach.

But no medication acts solely on the part of the body it’s meant for.

While PPIs are at work interrupting acid production, they’re also interrupting an unrelated cycle that converts dietary nitrates from foods you eat into nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide is a natual vasodilator made by the body; it relaxes blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure.

Maybe you can see where this is going…

While PPIs are controlling your acid reflux, they could also be elevating your risk of hypertension.

At least, this was the finding of a study done at the University of Buffalo – SUNY whose primary goal was to evaluate the association between PPI use and new cases of hypertension in menopausal women enrolled in the WHI-OS (Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study).

Out of 64,720 menopausal women, the study found 28,951 new cases of hypertension after a mean follow-up of 8.7 years.

The researchers feel this could be attributable to the reduction of nitric oxide brought on by the PPIs.

You should know this isn’t the first time the safety of PPIs have been called into question. Some have been linked to increased risk of stroke, bone fracture, pneumonia, type 2 diabetes, Clostridium difficile infection and kidney damage.

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Non-prescription ways to control stomach acid

Fortunately, some foods are safe remedies for acid reflux. These include olive oil, apple cider vinegar and carob.

And don’t forget herbs and spices!

Turmeric is derived from the root of the Curcuma longa plant. It contains a naturally active compound called curcumin. It’s often used in Indian food.

Studies have shown that curcumin is just as effective as omeprazole (a common PPI) at relieving the symptoms of indigestion, including acid reflux.

Then, of course, there are lifestyle changes that can help control GERD, acid reflux and heartburn:

• Maintain a normal weight.
• Don’t smoke!
• Engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day.
• Restrict coffee, tea and sodas to no more than 2 cups per day.

Finally, here are some tips for a diet that could help control acid reflux:

Eat foods that have a higher pH because they are more alkaline and can offset stomach acid. These include bananas, melons, cauliflower, fennel, and nuts.

High-fiber foods can curb overeating, which contributes to GERD. These include:

• Whole grains such as oatmeal, couscous and brown rice.
• Root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and beets.
• Green vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli and green beans.

Regardless of how you manage or alleviate your symptoms, it’s important to do so. If you develop GERD, the more serious form of acid reflux, you could be at higher risk of developing Barrett’s esophagus, which is a dangerous condition.

Sources:

Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and Incident Hypertension in Menopausal Women — Journal of the American Heart Association

Long-Term PPI Use Linked to Hypertension in Menopausal Women — U.S. Pharmacist

Proton pump inhibitors — Cleveland Clinic

The post The medication that trades acid reflux for hypertension appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You may want to review your medications.

That’s because, according to a review team of scientists in Singapore, prescriptions used to treat the chronic diseases that become more common as we age may also block your body’s thermoregulation abilities, leaving you baking as temperatures rise.

In fact, the scientists say that medications for four categories of conditions make it far more difficult for the human body to handle hot weather by reducing its ability to sweat or increase blood flow to the skin.

So, which conditions (along with the medications used to treat them) can cause a weather worry?

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Conditions treated with meds that get you hot under the collar

#1 – Cancer

Taking certain cancer medications and uncomfortable hot flashes often go hand-in-hand. Exercising has been shown to help calm those power surges and improve thermoregulatory responses in other chronic conditions, like diabetes, and may do the same for cancer patients.

Studies found that exercising twice per week helped people undergoing treatment for breast cancer improve their energy levels and decrease their pain levels significantly within six months.

Check with your doctor first, and be sure to exercise indoors!

#2 – Heart disease

People who take medications for cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure, are also more vulnerable when the mercury rises due to the increased work required of their hearts. As temperatures increase, the heart must deliver more blood to the skin and muscles to maintain a core temperature at an optimal level.

Certain heart medications can also increase the dangers.

Medications people with heart conditions need to watch out for include:

• Anti-platelet medications – Drugs like aspirin and clopidogrel, which are used to prevent blood clots, can increase core temperature, whether at rest or during exercise. Additionally, these meds can also reduce blood flow to the skin and block sweat responses, making your body less sensitive to accumulated heat and slowing its ability to cool down, raising the risk of heat stroke.
• Beta-blockers – Medications used to treat heart conditions such as ischemic heart disease, high blood pressure and heart failure, called beta-blockers, can also cause problems when it’s hot outside. That’s because these drugs reduce skin blood flow during heat stress by lowering blood pressure, making it hard for your body to cool off. This can make a heart attack more likely.

#3 – Diabetes

If you have diabetes and find it hard to keep cool, your medications could be to blame. That’s because insulin, which is commonly used to reduce high blood sugar, has been shown to impair your body’s ability to regulate heat properly. To make matters worse, insulin also raises metabolic heat production both at rest and during exercise, which can be fatal if your body can’t rid itself of the accumulated heat fast enough.

If that weren’t enough, another diabetes drug, metformin, can also cause problems on those hot days. Metformin can cause diarrhea and nausea, which lead to fluid loss, which increases your risk of dehydration and dramatically increases the strain on your heart.

#4 – Neurocognitive diseases

Finally, an inability to handle the heat can be caused by taking meds used to treat neurocognitive diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Anticholinergics and cholinesterase inhibitors, as well as dopamine replacement agents and dopamine agonists, may all improve symptoms of these diseases, yet they may also reduce thermoregulation, impair sweat response and increase your body’s core temperature.

All of this can lead to an increased risk of developing heat-related illnesses.

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Stay cool and see if your meds are on the hot list

So if you feel like you just can’t get cool, the medications you’re taking could be at the heart of your problems.

Check your medicine cabinet for the drugs we discussed above that can play havoc with your body’s thermoregulation abilities and talk to your doctor. But be ready to be your own health advocate, since even your doctor may not understand just how much these drugs could affect you.

As Associate Professor, Melvin Leow, the review’s co-author and Senior Consultant Endocrinologist at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, warns, “Physicians are often unaware of the potential harms certain drugs may cause by compromising the body’s thermoregulatory control mechanisms. This is an especially important area to delve into as those with chronic diseases and older adults are susceptible to adverse health outcomes in the heat, due to their reduced thermoregulatory capacity.”

Then follow these hot weather tips to keep cool, posted by Michigan Medicine.

Also, think about upping your vitamin C and nitric oxide to help your body cool itself better, as long as your doctor doesn’t think they should interfere with your medication.

Sources:

Medications for chronic diseases affect the body’s ability to regulate body temperature, keep cool – EurekAlert!

The post Meds for certain chronic conditions trigger heat-related dangers appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Take the hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). It’s released when we eat in order to stimulate insulin.

But GLP-1 does more than regulate blood sugar. It also suppresses appetite by slowing the passage of food from the stomach.

Sure enough, the weight loss industry latched on to this and brought us the drug Ozempic, whose active ingredient is semaglutide.

Originally meant to treat type 2 diabetes, it’s also marketed in a higher dose (with a hefty price) as Wegovy to anyone willing to pay for the weight loss “miracle drug.”

And now, experts are sounding new alarm bells about harmful impacts…

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Semaglutide can rob you of muscle mass

According to a study presented at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, women and older adults taking these anti-obesity drugs may be at higher risk for muscle loss.

For adults with obesity, losing muscle is already a common side effect of weight loss.

But according to Dr. Melanie Haines of Harvard Medical School, about 40% of the weight loss experienced by women and older adults taking semaglutide-based drugs is not fat loss, but rather the loss of lean muscle.

Since muscle helps control blood sugar (and support bone health), it’s not surprising that the researchers also saw less improvement in HbA1c levels among this group. Not only does muscle increase insulin sensitivity, but it also takes glucose from the bloodstream to fuel muscle cells.

In fact, sarcopenia — age-related loss of muscle mass — is tied to health complications including diabetes.

Additionally, Dr. Haines and her colleagues found that eating less protein is also linked to greater muscle loss while on these drugs — and cautions that more studies are needed to find the best way to lose fat but keep muscle when using GLP-1 medications.

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Consider the risks and the alternatives

Muscle loss is just the latest in a series of findings that should make you think twice before using semaglutide as a weight loss strategy.

A large study at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital, one of the country’s largest neuro-ophthalmology clinics, found an association between semaglutide and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), an irreversible and uncommon condition causing damage to the optic nerve and, ultimately, permanent loss of vision.

And both Wegovy and Ozempic have black box warnings. A black box warning is the most serious type of health warning mandated by the FDA.

Such a warning, usually prominently featured on a drug’s label, is reserved for serious adverse reactions or special problems associated with a drug.

A safer alternative is to help your body do its job naturally by eating foods that balance and strengthen your hunger hormones, stabilize blood sugar and help you feel full.

Berries create a feeling of fullness, and their anthocyanin content makes the body more sensitive to insulin.

Oats contain beta-glucan, a form of fiber singled out in a study to mimic how GLP-1 agonists work, without the harmful side effects.

Protein has been shown to suppress ghrelin, the hormone that signals hunger.

The only side effect here is that it could take you a little longer to lose weight than if you took drugs, and it may require some exercise. But building your muscles is also going to help keep your blood sugar under control.

But using the right foods to achieve your weight loss goals will leave you with good eating habits you can use for the rest of your life and won’t leave you with side effects like diarrhea… or an empty bank account.

Sources:

Semaglutide melts fat—but may quietly strip away your strength — Science Daily

The post Semaglutide melts muscle: Why that’s bad news for blood sugar appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Many of us strive to follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, reach for vitamins and supplements that support healthier aging, and may even try calorie restriction in hopes of that end goal.

Those with deep pockets can employ extreme (and expensive) “hacks” like hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatments, cryogenic chamber sessions, red light therapy, stem cell treatments and personal doctors or life coaches that keep them on strict regimens.

But what if living a longer, healthier life was as simple as popping a pill? Sounds like a pipe dream, right?

Well, we may be inching closer to that reality just by using currently approved drugs…

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A longevity drug cocktail?

A research team led by scientists from the Max Planck Institute in Germany sought to explore the impact of a pair of anticancer drugs, rapamycin and trametinib, on the lifespan of mice.

Rapamycin, which is also used to prevent organ rejection, has shown promise in extending lifespan in previous animal studies. Trametinib has been shown to extend the lifespan of fruit flies.

The researchers administered regular doses of rapamycin, trametinib, or both to hundreds of mice starting at six months of age. They then measured their survival for the remainder of their lives.

Each drug showed potential. Rapamycin alone extended the lifespan of mice by 17% to 18%. At the same time, trametinib showed a more modest boost in longevity, at 7% to 16%.

But it was together that the drugs truly shone…

Mice treated with a combination of rapamycin and trametinib saw a lifespan extension of about 26% to 35%.

Both of the drugs act on the same signaling pathway, known as the Ras/Insulin/TOR network, which plays a central role in aging. However, they target different points along the path.

When the researchers analyzed gene expression, they found specific changes that occurred only when the drugs were administered together.

What’s more, the combo treatment delayed the growth of liver and spleen tumors in the mice and reduced chronic inflammation in the brain. The treated mice also seemed more active in older age than the control mice, weighed less and experienced a slower decline in heart function.

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But we’re not there yet

While these results are encouraging, they are far from proving that these drugs are a miracle longevity elixir.

They need to be tested in humans first, and the researchers agree that they likely won’t have the same impact on lifespan as they did in the mice, but could hold benefits for our golden years.

“While we do not expect a similar extension to human lifespans as we found in mice, we hope that the drugs we’re investigating could help people to stay healthy and disease-free for longer late in life,” says geneticist Linda Partridge, co-senior author of the study.

“Further research in humans in years to come will help us to elucidate how these drugs may be useful to people, and who might be able to benefit,” Partridge adds.

Since both rapamycin and trametinib are already approved for use in humans in the US and European Union, human trials for the drug combo could begin soon.

But I can’t help but wonder what the cost of these cancer drugs will be if they’re approved for off-label use, and if we are looking at just another health hack for the rich and famous. It’s doubtful insurance companies will foot the bill in the absence of a medical diagnosis.

In the meantime, don’t sit idly by while your longevity clock keeps ticking away. Check out how a simple vitamin slowed biological age by three years— and in human subjects! Plus, 10 micronutrients that turn the key on age reversal.

Sources:

Live longer — EurekAlert!

Anti-Aging Cocktail Extends Mouse Lifespan by About 30 Percent — Science Alert

The geroprotectors trametinib and rapamycin combine additively to extend mouse healthspan and lifespan — Nature Aging

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for healthy aging: From mechanisms to therapeutics — Redox  Biology

Cold and longevity: Can cold exposure counteract aging? — Life Sciences

Near-infrared light increases ATP, extends lifespan and improves mobility in aged Drosophila melanogaster— Biology Letters

Anti-aging based on stem cell therapy: A scoping review — World Journal of Experimental Medicine

The post Two existing drugs that could extend human lifespan appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

One of these is the risk of heart attack.

Winter is already known as “heart attack season.” But summer, too, increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

However, a contributor to that potential threat comes from a surprising source…

It seems that the very medications that are supposed to protect your heart could elevate heart attack risk during the summer months.

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Heart drugs that increase risk during heat waves

For people with coronary heart disease, beta-blockers can improve the odds of survival, while aspirin and other antiplatelet medications can reduce heart attack risk.

But here’s something ironic:

When the weather is hot, these two drugs might actually increase the risk of heart attack!

A study led by Dr. Kai Chen of the Yale School of Public Health found a connection between hot-weather heart attacks and the use of either aspirin or beta-blockers.

The study authors looked at nearly 2500 cases in which patients experienced a non-fatal heart attack during the summer months.

Their approach was simple: they compared heat exposure on the day of the heart attack to heat exposure during the same days of the week within the same month.

For example, if a person had a heart attack on the third Thursday in June, they compared that person’s heat exposure on that day to other “control” Thursdays in June.

It turned out that people who were using either aspirin or beta-blockers were more likely to have a heart attack during the hottest days as compared to the control days.

Aspirin use was associated with a 63% higher risk and beta-blockers with a 65% higher risk.

People taking both drugs had a 75 percent higher risk of heart attack.

The study doesn’t prove that the medications caused the heart attacks. But there is one clue…

Younger patients (ages 25 to 59 years) who took these drugs had a higher risk of heart attack than older patients (60 to 74 years) who did not, although susceptibility to heart attack tends to increase with age.

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The takeaway: Keep your heart safe during the heat

“Patients taking these two medications have higher risk,” says Dr. Chen. “During heat waves, they should really take precautions.” 

That means avoiding the heat and spending more time indoors.

Consider supplementing folic acid to survive the heat. Penn State researchers found that the B vitamin worked as well as an expensive drug in helping people stay calm.

Even if you’re not using these medications, these tips for heart-safe physical activity during extreme heat from the American Heart Association and the British Heart Foundation are important:

• Wear the right shoes. Believe it or not, when you exercise in the heat, you sweat the most in your shoes. Choose well-ventilated shoes and socks. Use foot powders that help to absorb sweat.
• Dress for the heat. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing made from breathable fabrics, such as cotton. Wear a hat in extreme heat.
• Stay hydrated! Drink a few cups of water before, during, and after you exercise. Avoid caffeinated or alcoholic drinks.
• Take regular breaks. Find a cool or shady spot, stop for a few minutes to hydrate, and then start again.
• Watch the clock. Avoid outdoor activity between noon and 3 pm when the sun is at its strongest.
• Use waterproof sunblock and reapply as needed. A sunburn makes it harder for your body to regulate its temperature.

Sources:

Two heart medications tied to greater heart-attack risk during very hot weather — Eureka Alert

The post Heart-protecting drugs that backfire when it’s hot out appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, someone develops dementia every three seconds.

Based on their projections, while there are currently more than 55 million people worldwide living with dementia, that number is expected to reach 78 million by 2030, and it will top 139 million in 2050.

Sadly, it often feels like the pharmaceutical companies are looking in the wrong places for cures. You might remember the drug lecanemab, which the FDA fast-tracked for treating early Alzheimer’s, was linked to stroke. A similar drug, aducanumab, was not without concern and was eventually discontinued.

Luckily, though, there’s news on the horizon that focuses on a known contributor to dementia…

Research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society provides evidence that we might have everything we need to ward off the disease at our fingertips…

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The Alzheimer’s-inflammation connection

Several studies have found a link between Alzheimer’s dementia and high levels of inflammation in the body.

Research has even shown that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications may help protect against dementia due to their anti-inflammatory effects.

However, scientists have not been able to pinpoint whether the key to dementia prevention lies in an all-out push to reduce inflammation in the short term by taking high doses of anti-inflammatories or if focusing on long-term inflammation reduction is necessary.

So researchers at the Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, set out to close that knowledge gap by following 11,745 adults for an average of 14.5 years.

Their conclusion?

“Our study provides evidence on possible preventive effects of anti-inflammatory medication against the dementia process,” said corresponding author M. Arfan Ikram, MSc, MD, PhD.

In fact, they found that long-term NSAID use was associated with a 12% reduced risk of developing dementia. On the other hand, short- and intermediate-term use offered no benefits.

Results also showed that the cumulative dose of NSAIDs was not associated with decreased dementia risk. In other words, high doses didn’t matter. What was important was sticking to a regimen of inflammation reduction.

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A ‘cure’ with significant risks

Before you call your doctor to ask for an NSAID prescription — or head out to the pharmacy to pick up an over-the-counter option, you should know one more thing.

These medications are linked to GI bleeds, acute kidney injuries and bronchospasm — a condition known as “aspirin-induced asthma” that is potentially fatal.

Studies have also found that NSAIDs increased heart attack risk by an astonishing 20 to 50 percent. And they can even drain your life force by attacking your mitochondria.

I’m not sure those risks are worth a 12% reduction in dementia risk when an anti-inflammatory diet can slash dementia risk by as much as 31% — according to research by the Aging Research Center at Karolinska Institute involving 9,000 participants followed for 14 years.

An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on whole, unprocessed foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. It emphasises healthy fats, like olive oil and omega-3s, found in fatty fish. It makes good use of naturally anti-inflammatory spices, including turmeric, ginger and cinnamon, and limits inflammatory foods like red meat, unhealthy fats and sugary drinks.

In addition, there are plenty of ways to lower inflammation without turning to potentially dangerous medications, including:

• Fasting – Scientists have found that restricting calories significantly raises the level of a lipid known as arachidonic acid. This molecule reduces the activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which in turn reduces inflammation.
• Stress reduction – By controlling stress, you reduce the production of a molecule called nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) in your body to block the formation of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Editor’s Note: You’re invited to join a tiny handful of Americans who enjoy rare, fresh-pressed olive oil all year long. Take my word for it, there’s a difference in taste, quality and benefit! Try it for $1! Click here to learn more…

Sources:

Can long-term use of anti-inflammatory medications prevent dementia? – EurekAlert

Dementia Statistics – Alzheimer’s Disease International

Fasting’s inflammation-fighting trigger may work like aspirin – Easy Health Options

4 big ways NSAID pain relievers can hurt your body – Easy Health Options

Omega-3 Fatty Acids And Inflammation – You Are What You Eat! – NIH

The post Are anti-inflammatories the secret to dementia prevention? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Considering coffee’s growing list of health benefits, that’s not a bad thing. From lowering stroke risk to reducing some cancers and promoting healthy aging, there’s a lot going for it.

However, there is a drawback to be aware of: Coffee consumption could interact with your medication.

Coffee contains caffeine and other substances that can interfere with how your body absorbs or reacts to certain medications. The caffeine in coffee may also increase the risk of side effects like restlessness or heart palpitations.

Here are 12 medications that you should think twice about combining with coffee…

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Anticoagulants

Also known as blood thinners, anticoagulants such as warfarin and heparin prevent or reduce blood clotting. People at high risk of blood clots usually take an anticoagulant daily.

According to research, caffeine increases the concentration of blood-thinning medication in the bloodstream, enhancing its effects. That may put people who consume caffeine regularly while taking anticoagulants at risk of bleeding.

Antidepressants

Antidepressant medication treats depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions. Drinking large amounts of coffee while taking antidepressants may reduce the amount of medication your body absorbs, lowering its effectiveness.

Antidepressants altered by caffeine include:

• Luvox (fluvoxamine)
• Lexapro (escitalopram)
• Amitril (amitriptyline)
• Tofranil (imipramine)

In addition, taking Luvox with coffee may raise the risk of caffeine-related side effects like heart palpitations and sleep problems.

Blood pressure medication

High blood pressure is a common chronic health condition that, left untreated, can lead to heart disease and stroke. Blood pressure medications Inderal (propranolol) and Lopressor (metoprolol) lower your heart rate and reduce the strain on the heart.

If you drink coffee at the same time you take blood pressure medication, it could result in your body absorbing less of the drug.

Bronchodilators

Asthma affects the lungs and airways, resulting in trouble breathing, chronic cough and wheezing. Bronchodilators are asthma drugs that relax the airways and make breathing easier.

Side effects of bronchodilators include restlessness, racing heart, headache and irritability. Caffeine can worsen these side effects and reduce the amount of medication absorbed by your airways.

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Cholinesterase inhibitors

Cholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept (donepezil) are used to treat symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. They work directly on the brain and help protect the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

The caffeine in coffee has a serious impact on these medications, lessening their effectiveness and decreasing how much of the medication reaches the brain.

Cold and allergy medications

If you regularly take medication for allergies or cold symptoms, check to see if they contain pseudoephedrine. This nervous system stimulant has many of the same effects as coffee, so taking them together may increase the risk of side effects such as restlessness, heart palpitations and trouble sleeping.

You should not drink coffee when taking Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) or Allegra (fexofenadine).

Diabetes medication

Research indicates that caffeine may worsen diabetes symptoms and interfere with glucose control. Drinking a lot of coffee could raise your levels of blood sugar and insulin and make it more difficult to manage your diabetes.

Antipsychotics

Antipsychotics treat serious mental health conditions like major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. As is the case with antidepressants, taking antipsychotics with coffee could cause the body to absorb less of the drug.

Examples of antipsychotics affected by coffee include:

• Abilify (aripiprazole)
• Compro (prochlorperazine)
• Haldol (haloperidol)
• Orap (pimozide)

Methotrexate

Methotrexate is an immunosuppressing drug often used in chemotherapy, a type of cancer treatment. Drinking coffee while taking it could cause higher levels of the medication in the bloodstream, since caffeine affects how the body absorbs the drug.

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Osteoporosis medication

In osteoporosis, bones lose mineral density and mass and become thin and fragile. Medications like Boniva (ibandronate) and Actonel (risedronate) strengthen osteoporotic bones and reduce fracture risk.

Drinking coffee with osteoporosis drugs affects their absorption and may make them less effective. Most healthcare providers recommend taking them only with water.

Quinolone antibiotics

Quinolone antibiotics like Cipro (ciprofloxacin) treat bacterial infections. When mixed with caffeine, quinolones can increase the risk of side effects like heart palpitations and restlessness.

Thyroid medications

Thyroid medications regulate the amount of thyroid hormone in the body. They are often prescribed to people with hypothyroidism (low thyroid), whose thyroid glands do not produce enough thyroid hormone.

Drinking coffee with medications like Synthroid (levothyroxine) can reduce the medication’s effectiveness. In fact, caffeine cuts the body’s ability to absorb thyroid medication in half.

Should you avoid coffee altogether?

If you take any of these medications and want to be completely safe, you should probably eliminate coffee and any other caffeinated beverages.

But if you can’t go without your daily coffee (or caffeine) fix, talk to your doctor or pharmacist for their advice. It’s possible you only need to avoid taking your medication at a different time of the day than when you prefer your coffee.

Sources:

12 Medications That Don’t Mix Well With Coffee — Verywell Health

Coffee Drinking Is Widespread in the United States, but Usual Intake Varies by Key Demographic and Lifestyle Factors — The Journal of Nutrition

The post 12 medications you shouldn’t take with coffee appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s because when you ingest too much salt, your body responds to the excess sodium by holding on to water to dilute it. The result is an increase in the amount of fluid in your blood vessels, which raises the pressure inside the vessels and makes your heart work harder.

You may think taking blood pressure medication counteracts this effect. However, too much sodium offsets the benefits of two commonly used blood pressure medications: diuretics and vasodilators. So, if you’re taking either of these medications but still eating too much salt, you’re canceling out the medicine’s effects.

Therefore, regardless of whether you’re on blood pressure medication, it makes sense to cut back on the salt you consume, right? Well, that’s just half of the solution…

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Add potassium to the mix

Previous research has indicated that upping potassium intake can help control blood pressure. Both potassium and sodium are electrolytes, substances that help the body send electric signals that contract muscles and affect the amount of water in the body, among other essential functions.

With that in mind, researchers from the University of Waterloo developed a mathematical model that successfully identifies how the potassium and sodium ratio affects the body. The model showed that increasing the ratio of potassium to sodium intake had a positive effect on blood pressure.

In addition, the model was developed to identify how difference in sex impacts the relationship between potassium and blood pressure. The researchers found that men develop high blood pressure more easily than pre-menopausal women. Still, men are also more likely to respond positively when the potassium-to-sodium ratio increases.

“Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less salt,” says Anita Layton, a University of Waterloo professor. “Our research suggests that adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet, such as bananas or broccoli, might have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just cutting sodium.”

“Early humans ate lots of fruits and vegetables, and as a result, our body’s regulatory systems may have evolved to work best with a high potassium, low sodium diet,” says Melissa Stadt, a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo and the lead author of the study.

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Getting the potassium-sodium balance right

If you need a little extra help, consider the DASH eating plan, specifically developed to help people lower high blood pressure. It focuses on whole foods, fat-free or low-fat dairy, whole grains, lean meats, fish and poultry, and limiting red meat and ultra-processed foods.

Not only was it designed with lower sodium intake in mind (the Standard Dash diet limits sodium consumption to 2,300 mg daily while the Lower Sodium Dash diet drops that to 1,500 mg), but it also provides guidance on reaching a target of 4,700 mg of potassium daily.

That sounds like a lot and might seem difficult if not for this helpful list with lots of recommended choices, which also identifies specific foods that pack the most potassium by food groups. For example…

• A medium potato, baked with the skin, provides 941 mg of potassium;
• A blessed medium banana will get you 422 mg;
• Plain non-fat yogurt (6 to 8 oz) provides 579 mg;
• White beans, ½ can, yields 595 mg;
• Wild Atlantic salmon puts 534 on your plate.

Be sure to check out the link to the full list!

One thing to keep in mind: if you’re already taking a diuretic for blood pressure management, you may need to check with your doctor about a potassium supplement. Diuretics increase urine output to help rid the body of excess fluid and sodium, but some can also cause potassium loss. Don’t start taking potassium supplements without your doctor’s advice, as having too much potassium in your body can be dangerous.

Sources:

High blood pressure? Eat more bananas — EurekAlert!

Modulation of blood pressure by dietary potassium and sodium: sex differences and modeling analysis — American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology

Dietary salt and blood pressure: A complex connection — Harvard Health Publishing

Foods high in potassium — Healthdirect

The post Why a banana a day is key to regulating blood pressure appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, when you consider what women have to go through, from fatigue and bloating to mood changes, night sweats and more, it’s a wonder we get through it at all.

One minute, you’re rolling through your day just fine, and the next, you’re a hot, sweaty puddle!

It’s no wonder, then, that we’re willing to pop a prescription pill just to survive.

But if survival is the goal, one particular menopause medication might be the wrong choice.

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Non-hormonal medication linked to liver injury

Veozah (fezolinetant) is a non-hormonal treatment for hot flashes. Unlike hormone replacement therapy (HRT), it does not include estrogen or progesterone and was designed as an option for women with a history of breast cancer.

First approved in 2023, close to 29,000 patients have now picked up prescriptions of the drug in the United States alone.

But the FDA is now warning about the rare occurrence of serious liver injury with use of Veozah.

In September 2024, the FDA issued its first warning that liver problems from the medications were possible. Now, though, they have added a boxed warning to the drug since a woman was found to have blood markers of liver injury after taking the drug for just 40 days.

The good news is that after she stopped taking the medication, her symptoms gradually improved, and her liver levels got back to normal.

The FDA now says that if you’re taking Veozah for hot flashes, you should take blood tests for liver markers every month for the first three months after starting the medication and repeat the test at months six and nine.

If you experience symptoms such as unusual itching, nausea, vomiting, or are more tired than usual, stop taking the medication and talk to your doctor. Other symptoms to watch out for include light-colored stools, dark urine, yellow skin or eyes, swelling of your abdomen, or pain in your upper right side, all of which are signs of liver injury.

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Other options for the dreaded hot flashes

For women who don’t feel safe with HRT, the news about Veozah is disappointing. But if you discuss the liver health risk with your doctor and keep up with the suggested liver screenings, it may be a risk you’re willing to take.

But in the long run, it may not be what it is hyped up to be. In the drug trial, some participants experienced headaches and fatigue. And the drug only reduced the frequency and severity of hot flashes.

So, what are your options if you’re not keen on HRT or Veozah?

• Acupuncture can relieve many of the most common (and most annoying) menopause symptoms. In a small group of 70 menopausal women, 80% said that acupuncture relieved their menopause symptoms.
• If needles aren’t your thing, supplement formulations that help relieve hot flashes and night sweats have gotten more sophisticated. Look for those that have been clinically tested. They will cost more, but should be able to give you an idea of how much relief to expect.
• Incorporate soy-based foods like tofu and edamame, as well as flaxseeds, which contain phytoestrogens that may help balance hormone levels. 

One important note: Menopause is more than “the change,” signaling a woman’s transformation from her reproductive years. Women also undergo a “cardiovascular change.” Unfortunately, hot flashes and night sweats are associated with worse heart disease risk levels.

In addition to staying on top of your heart health with yearly checkups, a healthy diet and exercise, Dr. Jocelyn Delgado Spicuzza, who specializes in integrative and biomedical physiology, suggests that “Women may need to consume beetroot juice daily — or even more often — to experience all of the potential cardiovascular benefits.”

Her research shows that beetroot juice can be very useful in protecting blood vessel health of mid-life women during this period of accelerating heart disease risk.

Drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice each day improved blood flow in a group of menopausal and postmenopausal women. Dr. Spicuzza surmised that this level of improved blood-vessel function — if maintained over the postmenopausal years — could significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.

Decades ago, Nobel Prize-winning scientists discovered that nitric oxide (NO), a signaling molecule found in the endothelial cells of artery walls, was a potent vasodilator and an essential regulator of the cardiovascular system. After menopause, women no longer produce estrogen, which helps maintain nitric oxide in the body. Thankfully, beetroot juice helps the body produce NO, with or without estrogen.

Sources:

FDA adds warning about rare occurrence of serious liver injury with use of Veozah (fezolinetant) for hot flashes due to menopause — U.S. Food & Drug Administration

FDA places its most serious warning on menopause drug due to risk of liver injury — CNN

The post Don’t trade hot flashes for liver damage appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

So, in addition to limiting my exposure and wearing lightweight clothing to keep my skin covered, I always carry an EWG-approved sunscreen in my purse and keep a hat in my car.   

I thought I was doing all the right things…

But imagine my dismay when I learned that certain medications could cancel out some of my sun-proofing efforts and leave me open to elevated skin cancer risk.

Here’s your heads up, too  — in case you’re taking a medication that increases your photosensitivity…

Photosensitivity, blisters and skin cancer

“Most people have no idea that their medication could be making them more sensitive to the sun,” Dr. Emily Alfonsi, medical director of Shade Skin in Australia, told The New York Post. “They might notice they’re burning faster or developing unusual rashes, but they don’t immediately connect it to their medication.”

Dr. Alfonsi said she has seen patients develop second-degree sunburns with blistering, unexplained rashes or dark patches of skin, even in indirect sunlight.

“For people on photosensitizing medications, a few minutes in the sun without protection can have serious consequences,” Alfonsi told The Post.

To avoid worst-case scenarios, it’s important to identify medications that make your skin especially sensitive to the sun’s effects…

Antibiotics

Tetracycline and fluoroquinolone antibiotics can cause severe sunburn even after brief exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. That’s because they cause photosensitivity.

In other words, they make the skin much more sensitive to UV light, which can cause exaggerated reactions such as rashes, blisters, swelling, peeling, burning, itching or sustained hyperpigmentation.

Both tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones are used for bacterial infections. Tetracyclines like doxycycline and minocycline are also commonly used to treat acne, so if you use them for that purpose, you’ll want to be extra careful about spending time in the sun.

Fluoroquinolones like ciprofloxacin used to be a first-line treatment for urinary tract infections (UTIs), but they’re no longer recommended for that use because of antibiotic resistance.

Diuretics

Also known as “water pills,” diuretics help the body eliminate excess salt and water and treat high blood pressure and fluid retention.

Some studies have linked diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide with an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common skin cancer in the U.S. Their use also has been connected with a higher risk of malignant melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer.

Immunosuppressants

Azathioprine is an immunosuppressant commonly used in transplant patients to prevent organ rejection as well as to reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and irritable bowel disease. This drug also causes photosensitivity and can weaken the skin’s natural defenses against UV damage.

Other rheumatoid arthritis drugs in this class that cause photosensitivity include methotrexate, leflunomide and hydroxychloroquine.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

Nonprescription NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and naproxen reduce pain, inflammation and fever. They’re often used chronically for pain, particularly arthritis-related pain. Unfortunately, long-term use can cause photosensitivity.

Other drugs that can cause photosensitivity include:

• Antiarrhythmics (amiodarone, quinidine)
• Certain antifungals (griseofulvin)
• Antihistamines (cetirizine, diphenhydramine, loratadine, promethazine and cyproheptadine)
• Cholesterol-lowering medicines (atorvastatin, simvastatin, lovastatin and pravastatin)
• Oral contraceptives and estrogens
• Phenothiazines (tranquilizers and anti-emetics like chlorpromazine, fluphenazine and promethazine)
• Psoralens (methoxsalen and trioxsalen)
• Retinoids (acitretin and isotretinoin)
• Sulfonamides (“sulfa” drugs like acetazolamide, sulfadiazine, sulfamethizole and sulfamethoxazole)
• Sulfonylureas for type 2 diabetes (glipizide and glyburide)
• Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) in cosmetics

How to protect yourself

As scary as this is, don’t stop taking any prescribed medications without consulting your doctor. Instead, as Dr. Alfonsi noted, the key to protecting against photosensitivity is to prevent the reaction from occurring in the first place…

“A few extra precautions can significantly reduce your risk of long-term skin damage and skin cancer,” she told The Post.

Here are some protective actions you can take:

• Wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every day — even in winter (although Alfonsi cautioned that this isn’t “a free pass to stay in the sun all day”).
• Wear UV-blocking sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats and other protective clothing (make sure your clothing has an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of at least 30).
• Avoid peak sun hours (anywhere from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., depending on the time of year).
• Visit your dermatologist annually and monitor your skin for unusual changes.

You can also help fight photosensitivity with foods that have photo-protective properties.

Sources:

Most people ‘have no idea’ that these 4 common medications can increase their risk of skin cancer — New York Post

Tetracycline (class) (oral route, parenteral route) — Mayo Clinic

Avoid using a fluoroquinolone antibiotic for the first-line treatment of uncomplicated UTIs in women. — American Family Physician

Fluoroquinolone-Induced Photosensitivity: A Chemical Fragment-Based Approach by a Case/Non-case Study in VigiBase — Drug safety

Use of Thiazide Diuretics and Risk of All Types of Skin Cancers: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — Cancers (Basel)

Azathioprine and Photosensitivity — Crohn’s UK

Arthritis Medications and Sun Sensitivity — Arthritis Foundation

Azathioprine and Risk of Skin Cancer in Organ Transplant Recipients: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — American Journal of Transplantation

Photosensitivity Report Medications — Skin Cancer Foundation

The Sun and Your Medicine — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The post Medications that can increase your skin cancer risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

This could be because the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force advises healthcare professionals to prescribe statins in patients ages 40 to 75 who have at least one risk factor for heart disease, such as diabetes or dyslipidemia, and an estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk of 10 percent or more.

However, there is a dark side to statins. Their side effects can include severe muscle pain and kidney damage. And evidence suggests they can double your risk of dementia and triple your risk of diabetes.

Plus, statins have been linked in recent studies to cataracts. In fact, one study suggests they can as much as quadruple your risk!

And that’s not the only vision issue that’s been connected to statin use….

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Statins and glaucoma

Researchers conducted a cross-sectional, population-based study of over 79,000 patients ages 40 and older in the All of Us (AoU) Research Program to see whether there was an association between statin use and glaucoma. This eye disease can damage the optic nerve and lead to blindness if left untreated.

According to Dr. Victoria Tseng, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, high cholesterol can impact circulation quality throughout the body, with poor blood circulation to the optic nerve worsening glaucoma.

“Statins work to lower cholesterol levels so the question is whether they can also alter the risk of glaucoma,” Tseng says.

A large study published in 2012 tied use of statins for two years to a decreased risk of progressing from glaucoma to open-angle glaucoma compared to those who received no statin therapy.

The results of the newer study weren’t as rosy…

Tseng and her colleagues separated the results of their study based on whether participants had optimal, near-optimal, borderline high, high or very high levels of LDL.

But not only did they find a link between statin use and a higher likelihood of glaucoma in adults with high cholesterol — but even in those whose LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind) was in the optimal range.

Tseng observes that those with healthier LDL levels may have reached them by using statins. Statin use was significantly associated with glaucoma among participants with optimal and high levels of LDL. There was no association in the other LDL level groups, Tseng notes.

There was also a positive connection between statin use and the prevalence of glaucoma in participants aged 60 to 69 years.

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A complicated picture

“Most previous studies have suggested no association or a protective association between statins and glaucoma,” Tseng tells MedPage Today. “Our finding of increased glaucoma in statin users suggests that things may be more complicated than previously discussed.”

“It could be that statin users had worse hyperlipidemia, which is why they needed statins,” she adds. “So, the statins could be a proxy for worse circulation to the optic nerve.”

Tseng says more research is needed to understand whether the statins themselves might be responsible for the higher glaucoma rates. This would include exploration of associations between different types of lipid measurements, vascular circulation in the optic nerve and any changes that result with statin use.

For now, Tseng recommends ophthalmologists check the cardiovascular status of patients and their use of related medications. “These may all be factors contributing to glaucoma risk either positively or negatively and may make the glaucoma disease not behave as typically as expected,” she says.

In the meantime, if you’re using statins, it’s probably a good idea to check your glaucoma risk. Some factors putting you at higher risk include:

• Being over age 60
• Being of African, Asian, or Hispanic descent
• Having relatives with glaucoma
• Being very nearsighted (myopic) or far-sighted (hyperopic)
• Using steroid medications
• Having high eye pressure
• Having a thin central cornea
• Having had an eye injury

Suppose you have any of these risk factors and are on a statin. In that case, you may want to talk to your doctor about switching to a different medication. But medication may not be your only choice. You may be able to adjust your cardiovascular risk with lifestyle changes such as following a healthy diet, exercising regularly, losing weight and not smoking or drinking alcohol.

Sources:

 Statin Use Linked to Higher Risk of Glaucoma — MedPage Today

Associations between Statin Use and Glaucoma in the All of Us Research Program — Ophthalmology Glaucoma

Glaucoma Risks — Glaucoma Research Foundation

Lipophilic statin use linked to increased risk of dementia — EurekAlert!

Association of Common and Rare Genetic Variation in the 3‐Hydroxy‐3‐Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase Gene and Cataract Risk — Journal of the Amerian Heart Association

The post Glaucoma joins growing list of statin side effects appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s acid reflux.

If you live with these symptoms, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that anywhere from 20 percent to more than a third of adults in the United States may suffer from the condition.

So it’s no wonder that acid reflux drugs are not only commonly prescribed But as with many medications, these drugs are not necessarily what they seem and actually could cause far more problems than they solve.

That’s because research has connected acid reflux drugs to:

• A higher danger of dementia
• An increased risk of diabetes
• B12 deficiency, leading to severe fatigue
• A C. Diff infection that can cause severe diarrhea and a life-threatening infection of the colon
• A whopping 94 percent increase in stroke risk

But would you believe that’s not all?

Now, a study published in Neurology Clinical Practice, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology, says your acid reflux prescription could even be behind your migraines.

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An undeniable connection

For the study, the researchers delved into the health data of almost 12,000 people who provided information on the use of acid-reducing drugs and whether they had migraines or severe headaches in the past three months.

Specifically, the team looked at how likely someone was to have migraines while taking prescription-strength acid reflux drugs, including proton pump inhibitors (such as omeprazole and esomeprazole ) and H2 blockers (like cimetidine and famotidine). And they even looked at that old standby, Tums.

And here’s how the results broke down…

According to the research:

• A total of 25 percent of people taking proton pump inhibitors suffered migraines or severe headaches, compared to 19 percent of those not taking the drugs.
• Similarly, 25 percent of people on H2 blockers had severe headaches, compared to 20 percent for people who did not take the medications.
•  Additionally, 22 percent of people who used antacid supplements, like Tums, had severe headaches, versus 20 percent of those not taking antacids.

Overall, the researchers found that people using proton pump inhibitors to reduce stomach acid had a startling 70 percent greater chance of migraines.

H2 blockers led to a 40 percent higher risk. And antacids, such as Tums, increased the chances of migraines by 30 percent.

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A safer way to battle acid reflux

According to Margaret Slavin, the study’s lead author and an Associate Professor of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Maryland, these types of drugs are often overprescribed.

So before you think they’re your last chance to reduce the burn, consider alternatives that won’t increase your risk of migraines or the other health dangers linked to them.

Here are a few natural solutions that can make a big difference:

• Discover digestive enzymes – Bromelain and papain are digestive enzymes that support the digestion of proteins and glutens that can cause bloating, gas and worse.
• Try curcumin – Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is shown to be just as effective as omeprazole at relieving the symptoms of indigestion, including acid reflux.
• Take apple cider vinegar – Take one tablespoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a large glass of water to help balance your stomach acid.
• Alkalize your diet – Use these six easy tips to help alkalize your diet to combat stomach acid issues.

When you look at that list, it’s easy to see why going natural is a much better way to battle acid reflux than taking medications with a laundry list of dangerous and debilitating side effects.

The most important thing, though is to relieve acid reflux, don’t ignore it. You do not want it to progress to Barrett’s esophagus, which can occur when stomach acid frequently irritates the lining of the esophagus to the point that it causes changes in the tissue.

Sources:

A new paper from Dr. Slavin’s research team finds 30-70 percent greater chance of migraines in people who take prescription drugs to reduce stomach acid. — University of Maryland Department of Nutrition and Food Science

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease — NIH

The post Common medications that increase migraine risk by 70% appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, quality sleep has been found to reduce your risk of cognitive decline and dementia as you age.

However, sleep problems can creep up with age, stealing those hours that allow your brain to reset.

Because of this, many of us turn to sleep medications for help.

Unfortunately, new research is revealing that one of the most common of these sleep drugs could exert a negative influence on a little-known brain system that prevents the organ from clearing out toxic waste.

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The brain’s plumbing system works while you sleep

The glymphatic system is a network of plumbing in your brain that drains waste out of your brain as you sleep. This system is vital because, unlike the rest of your body, your brain doesn’t have a lymph system to get rid of accumulated dead cells, bacteria and other toxins.

“Instead, the brain uses cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a brain fluid that is produced inside the brain, to flush the brain tissue and wash away unwanted molecules,” explains Maiken Nedergaard, MD, PhD, of the Universities of Rochester and Copenhagen.

This system also differs in that it only works to clean out the toxic waste buildup linked to neurodegenerative diseases through slow synchronized oscillations of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine.

Those oscillations that power the glymphatic system produce a combined action with CSF only during non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep, as norepinephrine is released in slow cycles every 50 seconds.

This “drives a slow fluctuation in the diameter of the arteries and the blood volume in the brain,” creating a pump to flush out the brain waste that accumulates throughout your day.

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A hitch in the system

But what happens to that pump if you use sleep aids?

That’s exactly what Dr. Nedergaard’s team set out to study, keying in on one of the most common medications used — zolpidem, also known as Ambien.

What they discovered is something to give anyone who has used sleep aids a reason to worry…

The results showed that taking zolpidem seemed to halt norepinephrine oscillations, blocking the glymphatic system’s ability to remove brain waste during sleep.

According to the researchers, this means that despite the fact that sleep medications might help you actually get to sleep, the rest you get could lack the beneficial effects of natural, restorative sleep.

As Natalie Hauglund, PhD, explains, “Sleep is crucial as it gives the brain time to perform homeostatic housekeeping tasks such as waste removal. On the contrary, sleep aids block the neuromodulators that drive the waste removal system and prevent the brain [from] properly preparing for a new day.”

The researchers’ conclusion?

Sleep aids should only be used for short periods of time and then only as a last resort.

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Natural support for glymphatic system health

So, how can you support your glymphatic system and your cognition to help reduce the damage caused by sleep aid use?

The number one way is through exercise.

In fact, exercise improves glycemic health in a number of ways.

Studies have shown that physical activity:

• Enhances glymphatic transport and accelerates glymphatic clearance
• Reduces amyloid β-protein accumulation (a hallmark in Alzheimer’s disease)
• Blocks neuroinflammation
• Protects against synaptic dysfunction and decline in cognition

The research results have been so clear that experts conclude it’s been “convincingly demonstrated that exercise has the potential to enhance the glymphatic activity in the brain.”

In addition to exercise, to best support your glymphatic system, try sleeping on your side.

It’s been shown that your glymphatic system works best when you sleep on your side.

Finally, be sure to get enough of these essential fatty acids that work as garbage men for your brain to help take out the trash.

Sources:

Common sleep medication may prevent brain from clearing ‘waste’ — MedicalNewsToday

The newly discovered glymphatic system: the missing link between physical exercise and brain health? — frontiers

Sleep on your side to diminish Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s — Easy Health Options

The post What happens when sleep aids clog the brain’s waste drain appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

At the time, this required regular blood work to monitor the medication. She also had to avoid eating too many vegetables rich in vitamin K, like asparagus and broccoli, and give up drinking cranberry juice because of the way it interacted with the medication.

Well, doctors will tell you we’ve come a long way since then.

Unlike the blood thinners my grandmother took, newer medications, known as direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) don’t require frequent monitoring and have fewer dietary restrictions. They’re also considered to be more targeted and work faster.

But before you believe all the hype, there’s one thing you have to know…

There’s a serious danger associated with these drugs and it’s all due to the doctors themselves.

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Prescription errors for blood thinners

As Geoffrey Barnes, M.D., M.Sc., associate professor of cardiology-internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, points out, “While DOACs are lifesaving medications for patients with common thrombotic conditions, they can also cause serious harm when prescribed inappropriately.”

The two most prescribed DOACs are rivaroxaban (brand name Xarelto) and apixaban (brand name Eliquis). These drugs are prescribed to help people suffering from issues like atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

However, if they’re used at the wrong dose, they can lead to problems that can be just as deadly, including blood clots and stroke. If you haven’t guessed, potentially fatal errors in prescription dosing happen far too often.

In fact, direct oral anticoagulants can be incorrectly prescribed up to 20 percent of the time — and the people this happens to could be sitting on a ticking time bomb.

A necessary, yet overlooked, safety net

Luckily, there is good news in all of the bad. Research by Dr. Barnes and his team has provided an easy way to prevent these prescription errors.

It’s an online dashboard, developed by the United States Veterans Health Administration in 2016, that was designed specifically to optimize the treatment of patients with DOACs, but was not widely used.

After assessing over 120,000 cases in which patients with atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism were treated with DOACs, the researchers saw two lifesaving improvements after adoption of the patient management tool:

1. A decline in off-label dosing of approximately eight percent
2. A decline in the rate of blood clots and strokes at every hospital that implemented the monitoring tool.

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Naturally healthy blood flow

So hopefully, with this research, doctors will start using the dashboard and we can all rest easier if prescribed a blood-thinning medication.

In the meantime, before you ever develop conditions that will require you to sit down with your doctor and discuss starting any of those medications, consider adopting foods and habits that support head to toe healthy blood flow.  

Try stretching daily. Even passive stretching, where a partner helps by pulling on your limbs, has been shown to improve blood flow and blood vessel dilation. In another study it improved blood pressure.

Some of the best foods to support blood flow include:

• Turmeric – This golden spice, which has been shown to put out the fires of inflammation, was also found to have the potential to block clotting in a 2019 review.
• Ginger – Just like turmeric, ginger is an anti-inflammatory spice. And because it contains salicylates, the same substances that give aspirin its blood-thinning properties, it may also help keep blood flowing smoothly.
• Garlic – Research in 2018 showed that garlic possesses antithrombotic activity, which means it may help prevent blood clots. And an additional review in 2020 showed it not only offered mild antithrombotic effects, it also helped to lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension.
• Grape seed extract – 2019 research, published in Nutrients, found that grape seed extract offered dual anticoagulant and anti-platelet activity likely due to its rich levels of polyphenols.
• Natto – a Japanese dish made from soybeans led to the discovery of the Japanese secret to healthy circulation. During research, the enzyme nattokinase was isolated and found to dissolve fibrin-containing blood clots.
• Beets – speaking of blood vessel dilation, beets are the best. They help your body produce its natural vasodilator — nitric oxide (NO). NO acts as a signaling molecule telling blood vessels to relax, expand and open wide for normal blood flow and healthy circulation.

Finally, if you are taking a DOAC, such as Xarelto or Eliquis, talk to your doctor about finding out if your dosage is correct using the VA’s online dashboard. It could save your life. Never stop taking a prescribed medication without consulting your doctor.

Sources:

Risk of clots, stroke from incorrect blood thinner dosing reduced using online dashboard — ScienceDaily

Review of herbal medications with the potential to cause bleeding: dental implications, and risk prediction and prevention avenues — NIH

Intake of Dietary Salicylates from Herbs and Spices among Adult Polish Omnivores and Vegans — NIH

A comparative study of the antithrombotic effect through activated endothelium of garlic powder and tomato extracts using a rodent model of collagen and epinephrine induced thrombosis — Springer Link

Garlic lowers blood pressure in hypertensive subjects, improves arterial stiffness and gut microbiota: A review and meta-analysis — NIH

Dual Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Activity of Polyphenolic Grape Seeds Extract — NIH

The post This could save your life if you take blood thinners appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

However, there’s a catch…

While the drugs are effective in weight loss, they come with significant side effects that should not be overlooked. These include pancreatitis, gastroparesis, and bowel obstruction, as well as nausea, vomiting, and extreme acid reflux. It’s important to note that the medications could cause a loss of skeletal muscle mass, along with fat mass loss, leading to frailty and a higher likelihood of future weight gain.

As it turns out, those issues may be just the tip of the iceberg.

That’s because, according to the University of Alberta in Canada, in addition to the problems they cause with skeletal muscle, these drugs may also affect the muscles of your heart, causing them to shrink.

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Reduction in cardiac size

Your cardiac muscles play a crucial role in pumping blood that carries oxygen and nutrients to every part of your body, including your brain. This means that anything that affects your heart muscles’ health could have a significant impact on your overall body health, making it a matter of serious concern.

That’s why the findings of this study are of utmost importance. They shed light on the potential risks associated with GLP-1 agonists, providing valuable information for those considering these medications for weight loss.

The researchers gave semaglutide (the ingredient that makes Ozempic effective) to both lean and obese mice with no previous heart problems for 21 days.

In those 21 days, the obese mice lost a whopping 30% of their body weight and an amazing 65% of their fat mass, which sounds incredible.

However, they found that lean mice treated with the drug lost approximately 8% of their skeletal mass over the same time period.

Even more concerning was the fact that both groups showed decreases in overall heart mass and reductions in the individual size of their heart muscle cells.

“Together,” said the researchers, “these data indicate that the reduction in cardiac size induced by semaglutide occurs independent of weight loss.”

Tests in human cells add more weight to the evidence

Of course, while trials in mice are important, we really want to know how these drugs affect our bodies.

To learn the answer, scientists decided to test the effects of semaglutide on human cells. And the results were once again worrisome.

The team discovered that treating human heart muscle cells with the drug significantly reduced their size.

However, the researchers say that it may not be time to panic if you’ve taken a GLP-1 agonist for weight loss because they can’t be certain semaglutide is causing the shrinkage of cardiac muscles or even if this muscle loss is bad.

They do still warn, though, that semaglutide “has the potential to be detrimental in the long term” to cardiac muscle.

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Supporting weight loss safety

The good news is that you don’t have to turn to drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to drop those unwanted pounds.

In fact, scientific research has already provided two natural options that offer a safer, more natural way to lose weight by leveraging an “Ozempic-like effect.”

The first is beta-glucan, a form of fiber found in oats and barley, that was singled out in a study as being able to control blood sugar and assist in weight loss in mice fed a high-fat diet.

The mice fed beta-glucan also showed increased concentrations of butyrate in their guts, a metabolite made when microbes break down fiber. Butyrate triggers the release of GLP-1, the same protein mimicked by drugs like Ozempic to stimulate insulin release.

Additionally, some nutritional experts call one particular supplement, berberine, “Nature’s Ozempic.”

Of course safest of all is the diet researchers say is a viable option for people who want to control their body weight and improve the quality of their diet to prevent and treat metabolic diseases.

Sources:

Drugs Like Ozempic May Have a Shrinking Effect on The Heart – Science Alert

Semaglutide Reduces Cardiomyocyte Size and Cardiac Mass in Lean and Obese Mice – ScienceDirect

When wonder drugs lead to pancreatitis, gastroparesis and bowel obstruction – Easy Health Options

The post ‘Miracle weight loss drugs’ may be shrinking hearts appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For starters, the evidence for using statins to lower ‘bad’ cholesterol to prevent heart attack and stroke may not be as strong as previously thought.

The drugs themselves stoke concern about side effects, including muscle pain, doubling dementia risk, accelerating the onset of Parkinson’s and tripling the risk for type 2 diabetes, to name a few.

After years of use, the number of Americans diagnosed with heart disease every year continues to grow. And along with newer drugs and newer pathways to target cholesterol, the list of side effects continues to grow as well…

The key is to understand the risks associated with choosing medication for cholesterol treatment. Any decision you make, likely along with your doctor, should be an informed one.

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Why long-term research matters

In 2023, the University of South Australia completed one of the world’s most extensive studies on drugs designed to treat cholesterol. This study was also the first to compare these drugs to a range of clinical and heart and brain MRI biomarkers.

Statins are designed to lower cholesterol in the bloodstream. This study also included PCSK9 inhibitors, a lipid-lowering class of medications that clear cholesterol from cells, which received FDA approval in 2015. You may know them by the brand names: Praluent and Repatha.

Using the genetic data of 340,000 UK Biobank participants, researchers found a few things of note about PCSK9 inhibitors…

They were found to correlate with higher BMI and body fat, as well as reduced testosterone levels.

For both men and women, reduced testosterone can lead to low sex drive, lack of energy and reduced strength, muscle tone and bone mass. Testosterone is also a primary factor in the health of the heart and blood vessels.

One unexpected finding was that some people experienced an increase in brain volume of the hippocampus, which may reduce the risk of dementia and depression.

But that wasn’t all they found…

PCSK9: Inhibiting cholesterol and lung function

The Australian research discovered that PCSK9 inhibitors could impair lung function.

That means if you’re already living with a condition that compromises your ability to breathe, such as asthma or sleep apnea, you may want to discuss with your physician if PCSK9 inhibitors are appropriate for you.

UniSA PhD student Kitty Pham, lead author of the paper, says that this is just the point she was trying to make.

“These findings help us to understand how people may react to different drugs and assess the viability of new drug pathways.”

In other words, a lot more needs to be known about cholesterol drugs so that physicians can prescribe them with caution, and with the specific needs of their patients in mind.

Similar findings, indicating that PCSK9 inhibitors decrease lung function, were published in 2024.

Other side effects for PCSK9 inhibitors, considered mild, include:

• diarrhea
• urinary tract infection
• influenza
• bronchitis 
• sinusitis
• muscle spasms
• chest pain not related to the heart
• swelling of the nasal passages and back of the throat
• muscle pain
• injection site reaction
• mild allergic reaction

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Drugs aren’t the only option

While research is ongoing into which of these cholesterol-lowering drugs might be best for whom, remember that there are drug-free methods for keeping your cholesterol under control.

What cardiologist Dr. Elizabeth Klodas tells her patients about statins, particularly, is that guidelines suggest four instances where drugs are necessary. And if you don’t fall there, she’s happy to discuss the impressive effects of lifestyle changes and why drugs are an incomplete solution.

That’s because numerous studies have also proven that the right foods, exercise, and stress management can effectively reduce the risk of heart disease. Studies have even shown that the right diet can reverse it.

Studies have also identified causes of heart disease we’d never have suspected a couple of decades ago, like gum disease, thyroid function and testosterone balance. Therefore, it’s essential to identify the root cause of your health problem.

We’ve also learned that our diets don’t have to be as restrictive as we once thought to achieve a healthier heart through our eating habits. Simply avoiding the worst foods and eating more of a few key foods can help us reach our goals.

It’s your decision, just be sure you (and your doctor) have all the facts to make the best decision for you.

Sources:

One pill doesn’t fit all: Cholesterol study reveals effects on lung function and brain size — EurekAlert

Genetically instrumented LDL-cholesterol lowering and multiple disease outcomes: A Mendelian randomization phenome-wide association study in the UK Biobank — British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

Repurposing lipid-lowering drugs on asthma and lung function: evidence from a genetic association analysis — Journal of Translational Medicine

The post Newer cholesterol drugs linked to reduced lung function appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But the active ingredient in both, semaglutide, hasn’t been without concerns, the least of which may be acid reflux, nausea and vomiting but includes acute pancreatitis and gallbladder disease — tied to the way the drug works by slowing the passage of food through the digestive tract.

There’s also the black box warning for thyroid cancer.

We expect drugs to have drawbacks, even trade-offs. But proponents of semaglutide say the health benefits of weight loss, especially when comorbidities like diabetes and high blood pressure exist, outweigh the risks.

But for semaglutide the risks keep piling up…

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Ozempic’s potential for vision loss

A paper published in JAMA Ophthalmology by scientists from Harvard Medical School has uncovered a huge potential trade-off…

Their findings suggested an association between semaglutide and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), an irreversible and uncommon condition causing damage to the optic nerve and, ultimately, permanent loss of vision.

“We were motivated to do this study purely because of our experience,” Joseph F. Rizzo III, MD, principal investigator, said. “I had seen a patient who had NAION, and she was on Ozempic. I was meeting with my trainees the same day, and I was telling them about this when a resident walked in and said that she had just seen a case like that in the emergency room. Later that week, I saw a third case. Three cases within 7 or 8 days were very odd, I thought. That’s when I began to develop the strategy to do a clinical study.”

The study consisted of 16,827 patients referred to and evaluated at Mass Eye and Ear, one of the country’s largest neuro-ophthalmology clinics, from December 1, 2017, through November 30, 2023.  

• Of 710 patients with type 2 diabetes, 194 had been prescribed semaglutide while 516 had been taking non–GLP–1 RA antidiabetic medications.
• Of 979 overweight/obese patients, 361 had been taking semaglutide, while 618 had been taking non–GLP–1 RA weight-loss medications.
• Among the two groups, the hazard ratios for NAION were 4.28 and 7.64 respectively.

Dr. Rizzo concluded that patients should be informed of this potential risk, but because their study was observational, more research was needed before broad changes could be made.

Now, two Danish studies have confirmed his team’s findings, and in a much larger study population…

Danish studies confirm NAION association

The first Danish study was conducted by Dr. Jakob Grauslund, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Southern Denmark (USD).

Dr. Grauslund and colleagues examined data from all 424,152 Danes with type 2 diabetes. They found that Ozempic more than doubles the risk of developing NAION.

They’ve also seen an increase in cases of NAION in Denmark since Ozempic came on the market there in 2018, rising from 60-70 a year to up to 150.

In the second study, Dr. Anton Pottegard and colleagues from USD looked at the number of patients in Denmark and Norway who developed NAION after starting treatment with Ozempic compared with people who used another medication to treat diabetes.

They found that Ozempic carried a 2.81 times greater relative risk of developing NAION. This means that a patient with type 2 diabetes who takes Ozempic, has almost three times the risk of developing NAION as those who don’t use the drug.

The Danish researchers emphasized the importance of treating diabetes, and that NAION is a serious, but rare side effect. They hope their results can be used by doctors and patients to discuss the pros and cons of treatment with Ozempic.

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Things to consider

It’s always best to talk to a doctor before changing the way you take any medication that has been prescribed. And that’s part of the advice offered by The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society following the results of the Harvard study.

They do not recommend that people stop taking semaglutide unless they experience sudden vision loss — in which case they say to stop taking the drug and see a doctor immediately.

NAION symptoms include:

• Blurred vision
• Color distortion
• Loss of peripheral vision
• A dark or gray spot in the vision that doesn’t move
• Loss of contrast or light sensitivity

They also acknowledged that the medical community has been aware of other vision changes with semaglutide for some time, including that semaglutide can cause blurred vision, worsening of diabetic retinopathy and macular complications. However, they go on to say these appear to be temporary side effects.

They also suggest anyone taking semaglutide should talk to their doctor to be sure the medication is right for them.

We will stay on top of this news and if they issue a new statement based on the results of the Danish studies, we will share it.

Sources:

Danish diabetes medicine increases the risk of severely debilitating eye condition — EurekAlert

Risk of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in patients prescribed semaglutide — JAMA Ophthalmology

Specialists discuss concerns over impact of semaglutide on the eye — Healio News

Use of semaglutide and risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: a Danish-Norwegian cohort study — medRxiv

American Academy of Ophthalmology and North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society Issue Advice on Weight Loss Drug and Eye Health — American Academy of Ophthalmology Newsroom

The post Ozempic and Wegovy associated with vision loss risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

She doesn’t even have diabetes or heart disease or a family history of very high cholesterol, which are the categories of patients Dr. Elizabeth Klodas places on statins.

Still, she listened to her doctor and went on the medication. And she promptly began experiencing one of the side effects: severe muscle pain. She stopped using it and decided to go the diet and exercise route instead, with great results.

The muscle pain would have been reason enough to be anti-statins. But these medications can have other, even more dangerous side effects, such as kidney damage and cataracts. And they can double your risk of dementia and triple your risk of diabetes.

The fact that statins raise your risk of diabetes is somewhat of a merry-go-round, considering that you’re taking statins to protect your heart health while diabetes can destroy it. This is one ride no one wants to take….

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The distressing difference in rosuvastatin

Researchers conducted a secondary analysis of the LODESTAR trial conducted in South Korea between 2016 and 2019. They were looking to compare the long-term efficacy and safety of two statin drugs, rosuvastatin (Crestor) and atorvastatin (Lipitor), in adults with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Regardless of which drug they were randomized to, people with existing CAD showed no statistically significant difference in incidence of 3-year combined all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and coronary revascularization. In other words, both drugs were equally effective.

However, they did discover something alarming about one of the drugs…

The group taking rosuvastatin had a higher incidence of new-onset diabetes requiring them to start diabetes medication than the group taking atorvastatin (7.2% versus 5.3%). The rosuvastatin group also had a higher rate of cataract surgery than the atorvastatin group (2.5% versus 1.5%).

The researchers weren’t clear on how a particular statin could be tied to new-onset diabetes. However, they did say the excess cataracts could be related to rosuvastatin’s more potent LDL cholesterol-lowering power. This can prevent epithelial cell development within the crystalline lens, where cholesterol biosynthesis is critical to maintain transparency and structure of the lens.

What that means is this: the body appears to need some cholesterol to keep the lenses of the eyes clear and healthy — just as it does to maintain a healthy brain and support production of vitamin D and some hormones — and rosuvastatin may not be leaving the body enough to work with.

Inflammation could be bigger contributor

The researchers emphasize that rosuvastatin’s greater LDL lowering strength didn’t translate to fewer clinical events. Recent evidence suggests that in people already taking statins, inflammation is a bigger contributor to cardiovascular risk than cholesterol. And statins do lower that inflammation along with cholesterol.

“Therefore, when using rosuvastatin over atorvastatin as a statin regimen in people with coronary artery disease, a greater reduction in LDL cholesterol levels can be expected; however, meticulous monitoring and appropriate lifestyle interventions should be considered to mitigate the risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus or cataracts,” the researchers wrote.

Further investigation is still needed to determine whether there’s a direct relationship between new-onset diabetes and cataract surgery and rosuvastatin. If there is, investigators also would need to explore the underlying mechanism for those connections and the possible mechanism for a drug effect.

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Eating less cholesterol only half the battle

If you’re already taking a statin, don’t stop. You should always talk with your doctor before making any changes to medication.

However, if you want to lower your LDL cholesterol without having to take a statin, there are three things you need to do: follow a healthy diet, get regular exercise, and maintain a healthy weight. The third usually follows the first two, so focus on diet and exercise and you’ll be in good shape (literally and figuratively). Plus, you’ll be controlling inflammation at the same time.

You may think that to control LDL, you must stay away from foods high in fat and cholesterol. While it does help to lower dietary cholesterol and reduce saturated fat, especially trans fat, it’s more important to decrease the amount of simple/processed carbohydrates and super-starchy foods you eat. These simple and processed carbs end up spiking insulin levels, which signals your body to hold on to LDL cholesterol. They can also cause inflammation.

Does this mean going on a low-carb diet? Dr. Klodas cautions against that. Instead, she recommends a balanced diet with plenty of fiber and plant sterols to help control LDL. Plant sterols are found in fresh fruits and vegetables as well as nuts and seeds. And fiber is found in most fruits, vegetables and nuts as well as psyllium husks, bran and beans and legumes.

Some fruits and vegetables are also rich in lutein and zeaxanthin.

“There is an overwhelming amount of evidence to show that lutein and zeaxanthin play a protective role in helping to protect the eye against cataracts and macular degeneration,” said Steven G. Pratt, MD, an assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of California.

Follow these seven tips to avoid cataracts.

Sources:

Highly Potent Statin Stands Out for Diabetes, Cataract Risks — MedPage Today

Rosuvastatin versus atorvastatin treatment in adults with coronary artery disease: secondary analysis of the randomised LODESTAR trial — The BMJ

Statin Users Show LDL Doesn’t Come Close to Telling Whole Story of ASCVD — MedPage Today

The post The statin that raises your risk of diabetes and cataracts appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Research suggests roughly 80 percent of people who lose significant body fat won’t maintain that degree of weight loss for a year. In fact, one meta-analysis of studies found dieters regain on average more than half of what they lose within two years.

But whether it’s for better health or lifestyle, when a new weight loss method is discovered, there’s no shortage of people willing to jump on the bandwagon — especially when the answer seems only a pill or an injection away…

The latest of these discoveries is the GLP-1 agonist class of medicines. Originally intended to treat diabetes, doctors eventually saw the patients using these drugs were also losing significant amounts of weight. Once this became apparent, a whole new class of weight-loss drugs was born.

Unfortunately, while these drugs have become hugely popular, there are some big drawbacks to them that even doctors admit. There’s also the black box warning, rebound weight and the outrageous cost—about $1,400 a month if insurance doesn’t cover it. And yes, these drugs hit a weight loss plateau too.

And now we’re learning these drugs may set users up for stomach issues that could lead to increased risk for diabetes, poor nutritional absorption and pancreatic cancer.

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GLP-1 agonists and stomach issues

The way GLP-1 agonists work— like Wegovy, Ozempic, Saxenda, and Victoza — is that they slow the speed at which food passes through the stomach, making people feel fuller for longer. Therein lies a problem…

Researchers in Canada analyzed data from 5,411 non-diabetic obese patients taking various GLP-1 agonists for weight loss. The results were sobering, with a number of these patients experiencing various digestive issues.

What the study found was an increased risk of problems including pancreatitis, gastroparesis and bowel obstruction in patients using GLP-1 drugs, compared with a medication that doesn’t activate the same chemical pathways as GLP-1.

It’s important to note that while the risk is increased for GLP-1 drugs, it’s still relatively small. For instance, 0.8 percent of people taking the GLP-1 medication Saxenda reported bowel obstructions, compared with 0.17 percent of people taking Contrave, a non-GLP-1 drug.

Still, that’s a fourfold increase in risk of bowel obstruction for patients taking Saxenda.

“When you have millions of people using these drugs, you know, a 1 percent risk still translates to many people who may experience these events,” epidemiologist Mahyar Etminan from the University of British Columbia tells CNN.

These are not minor digestive problems…

• Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that, if it lasts long-term, could raise your risk of diabetes, poor nutritional absorption and pancreatic cancer.
• Gastroparesis is a paralysis of the stomach that can lead to acid reflux, malnutrition and dehydration, blood sugar imbalances and stomach obstruction.
• And bowel obstruction is a potentially deadly medical emergency that requires immediate intervention, often surgery, to repair.

This isn’t the first time this connection has been made. The companies that manufacture GLP-1 agonists have acknowledged the possibility of digestive complications, but say they are known side effects and only affect a small fraction of users.

Still, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already ruled that Ozempic should come with a warning indicating the variety of gastrointestinal disorders reported by users of the medication. It’s likely only a matter of time before they require the same of other GLP-1 agonists.

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More research is needed

The study didn’t cover all GLP-1-related treatments and didn’t go into why these drugs are increasing the associated health risks. Nor did it prove cause and effect. However, the results indicate further investigation is needed in this area.

“Given the wide use of these drugs, these adverse events, although rare, must be considered by patients who are contemplating using the drugs for weight loss because the risk-benefit calculus for this group might differ from that of those who use them for diabetes,” the researchers write in their published paper.

Luckily, if you’re truly committed to losing weight and keeping it off, there are a number of natural alternatives to these drugs that I wrote about in a past article. Any of these methods can help you be one of those who successfully beat the weight loss odds.

Sources:

Popular New Weight Loss Drugs Linked to Digestive Problems — ScienceAlert

Risk of Gastrointestinal Adverse Events Associated With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss — JAMA

Unexpected Clues Emerge About Why Diets Fail — Scientific American

Researchers link popular weight loss drugs to serious digestive problems for ‘hundreds of thousands’ worldwide — CNN

Pancreatitis — Johns Hopkins Medicine

Gastroparesis — Cleveland Clinic

Bowel Obstruction — Cleveland Clinic

Drug Safety-related Labeling Changes (SrLC): Ozempic — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The post When wonder drugs lead to pancreatitis, gastroparesis and bowel obstruction appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Five years later, the same medication was approved to treat hair loss when scientists discovered that by reducing DHT levels, finasteride also worked to block hair follicle shrinkage and promote hair regrowth.

Now, research is suggesting this wonder drug could offer even more benefits — benefits that could be the key to saving your heart as you age.

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New clues found in old data

Clues to finasteride’s heart health benefits first appeared in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2009 and 2016.

Dr. Jaume Amengual, an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois looked back at that data and found that men taking the drug averaged cholesterol levels 30 points lower than men not taking the drug.

However, while that 30-point difference was massive, Dr. Amengual knew he had to dig deeper before they could truly attribute the drop in cholesterol to the drug.

 “This was not a clinical study in which you can control everything perfectly,” admitted Amengual. “It was more of an observation that led us to say, ‘Okay, now we’ve seen this in people. Let’s see what happens in mice.”

The connection stacks up

Mice predisposed to atherosclerosis (a condition where arteries narrow due to plaque buildup) — and who were fed a diet high in cholesterol — were administered varying doses of finasteride to see how it performed, ranging from 0, 10, 100, and 1000 milligrams per kilogram of food.

And sure enough, the results held true.

The researchers found that mice given the highest dose of the drug had:

• Lower cholesterol levels in their blood plasma
• Reduced cholesterol in their arteries
• Fewer lipids and inflammatory markers in their livers

According to these findings, which were published in the Journal of Lipid Research, the medication might offer benefits that go beyond cholesterol-lowering and include the ability to reduce inflammation and even block the formation of plaques in the arteries.

From cholesterol reduction to better heart health

So how in the world does a prostate drug keep cholesterol in check?

Well, the scientists say it’s pretty simple.

As we mentioned earlier, finasteride works by stopping the body from converting testosterone into a derivative of the hormone, called DHT.

While DHT is best known for causing prostate hypertrophy and hair loss, both DHT and testosterone itself can play a role in the development of atherosclerosis.

This means that controlling levels of DHT and other testosterone derivatives could have a positive impact on cholesterol metabolism and could even reduce inflammation, ultimately supporting better heart health.

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There’s always a catch

However, don’t run out and ask your doctor for a finasteride prescription just yet since there are some issues to be aware of…

First, in that rodent study, the researchers say that the mice that experienced reductions in cholesterol were given levels of the drugs that would be toxic to humans.

Second, previous studies of finasteride have shown that it has some drawbacks. It’s been linked to an increase in diabetes risk and a common side effect is loss of libido.

Going safer and more natural

A natural option to finasteride just may be beta-sitosterol.

Beta-sitosterol works by inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase activity to block testosterone conversion to DHT the same way that finasteride works.

Yet, it doesn’t have the negative side effects of the drug. And studies have shown that beta-sitosterol promotes prostate health, heart health and discourages hair loss and insulin resistance.

In fact, if you’re looking to support healthy cholesterol levels, plant sterols, like beta-sitosterol, are the way to go…

That’s because plant sterols leverage our internal cholesterol circulation system to dramatically reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.

Of course, many of us have never heard of beta-sitosterol.

But you’ve probably heard of saw palmetto, which many men already use to support prostate health.

Well, here’s the skinny on saw palmetto…

The reason it works is thanks to it beta-sitosterol content!

It’s why saw palmetto has been found to have benefits for the prostate, hair loss and beyond.

Sources:

Common hair loss and prostate drug may also cut heart disease risk in men and mice — ACES News

Old drug, new life: “Magic pill” regrows hair, heals prostate, boosts heart health — earth.com

Finasteride — Drugs.com

Saw Palmetto vs. Finasteride for Hair Loss — hims

Beta-sitosterol: Natural support for the prostate, heart and more — Easy Health Options

Can saw palmetto shrink the prostate? — Easy Health Options

Effect of β-sitosterol on glucose homeostasis by sensitization of insulin resistance via enhanced protein expression of PPRγ and glucose transporter 4 in high fat diet and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats — Cytotechnology

The post The prostate drug that reduces hair loss and heart disease appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The makers of sildenafil, the drug behind the famous brand, are constantly looking for off-label uses so doctors have more reasons to prescribe it.

To that end, past research has found it may be helpful for pulmonary hypertension, mountain sickness, Raynaud’s phenomenon and even heart disease.

The reason it could improve most of these conditions lies in its ability to enhance nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation. In other words, improving oxygenated blood flow (obviously to places other than the penis).

Now, thanks to the increase in nitric oxide that Viagra offers, scientists are finding it could be key in easing symptoms for those living with two specific lung conditions…

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Increasing blood flow to the lungs

Specifically, the research looked at two lung diseases that are not only incurable but also frequently get worse over time despite the use of the best available treatment options.

Those diseases are pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

PAH is fortunately a relatively rare disease that causes breathing difficulties and heart strain due to elevated pressure in the arteries of the lungs.

On the other hand, IPF is more common and is a result of repeated and chronic thickening, stiffening and scarring of the lungs.

So, how can Viagra be used to help even the worst of the worst lung diseases? It’s all about that nitric oxide we talked about earlier.

Viagra works by blocking the work of an enzyme called phosphodiesterase. And through a complex pathway involving other molecules, it ultimately increases nitric oxide in the body, which helps smooth muscles relax and blood vessels dilate — that process known as vasodilation.

So, how did Viagra and the nitric oxide boost it offers stack up against those lung diseases?

When pitted against PAH, Viagra:

• Reduced the number of “clinical worsening events” like disease progression and hospitalization by 12.7 percent compared to placebo
• Increased markers of exercise capacity, measured by a six-minute walk test, by almost 50 meters

And when it came to IPF, a Viagra-like drug showed promise in patients with combined interstitial lung disease, including the hard-to-treat disease.

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Beyond the blue pill

Unless directed by a doctor, taking Viagra isn’t the only way to get a nitric oxide boost. And there are many reasons healthy people would want to…

Athletes swear by it to improve endurance.

It also improves stamina and can help against altitude sickness.

And numerous studies show nitric oxide is the pathway to better blood vessels, blood pressure and blood flow.

How can you increase your natural nitric oxide levels without popping a pill?

1. Increase L-arginine intake – When you consume the amino acid L-arginine, it’s broken down and used by your body to produce nitric oxide. And it’s easy to up your intake by eating foods like spinach, lobster, crab, turkey, fish and chicken.
2. Try beetroot powder – Beets are packed with dietary nitrates that are converted to nitrites and then to nitric oxide in your gut, bloodstream and organs. This makes beetroot powder a great way to level up your nitric oxide to help the smooth muscles relax and get more oxygenated blood flow to the organs. Spinach is also a good source.
3. Limit salt intake – Be sure to keep the salt in your diet minimal since research has shown it can diminish nitric oxide production.

Sources:

Viagra’s Other Uses — Science Daily

Popular Erectile Dysfunction Treatment Eases Symptoms in Lung Disease — sciencealert

Viagra Side Effects by Likelihood and Severity — WebMD

Could Viagra Help Prevent and Treat Alzheimer’s Disease? — AARP

The post New use for that little blue pill: Breathing easier appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Commonly prescribed for neuropathic pain and seizures, gabapentinoids are also prescribed for many different kinds of pain, such as back pain. These uses are part of the reason gabapentinoids are now one of the top 10 prescribed drugs in the U.S.

For instance, prescriptions for one gabapentinoid, gabapentin, have grown from 18 million in 2004 to 40 million in 2022.

But even though these medicines are seen as safer than opioids, that doesn’t mean they’re completely without risk. In fact, gabapentinoid use has been connected with a debilitating condition that afflicts many elderly people…

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Gabapentinoids and hip fracture

Medicine safety experts at Monash University in Australia analyzed the data for 28,293 patients hospitalized for hip fractures in Victoria, Australia across a five-year period.

Study results showed patients had a 30 percent greater risk of suffering a hip fracture within two months of being given a gabapentinoid medication. The link between gabapentinoids and hip fractures existed across different age groups, but the odds of hip fracture were higher among patients who were frailer or had chronic kidney disease.

Gabapentinoid use increased eightfold in Australia between 2012 and 2018, with one in seven Australians aged 80 and older prescribed a gabapentinoid during this period.

Study co-author Simon Bell, a professor at Monash, says while gabapentinoids can be effective for neuropathic pain, their side effects include dizziness, gait disturbance and balance disorder.

Lead author of the study and Monash Ph.D candidate Miriam Leung says the study highlights the need for caution before prescribing gabapentinoids, especially for people who are prone to falls and fractures. Bell adds that the presence of frailty and chronic kidney disease should also be taken into account.

The researchers say further studies are needed to investigate the risk of hip fracture with different dosages of gabapentinoids and with different degrees of kidney impairment. They are also working with the University of Eastern Finland to investigate hip fractures in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

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Alternative pain regimens

For people over the age of 80, the survival rates from hip fractures are worse than for people living with some cancers.

Bell says anyone presently taking a gabapentinoid should discuss it with their doctor or pharmacist first before deciding to discontinue treatment.

If you do decide to forego gabapentinoids, you may want to consider one of these natural pain-relieving alternatives before your doctor whips out that prescription pad again.

• Acupuncture: Harvard Health says acupuncture may relieve pain by releasing endorphins — the body’s natural pain-killing chemicals — and by affecting the part of the brain that governs serotonin, a brain chemical involved with mood.
• Exercise: While exercise may seem counterintuitive for pain, the longer you work out, the greater your ability to tolerate pain thanks to the body’s natural release of adrenaline and endorphins. And certain exercises, such as yoga, have been proven to relieve pain.
• Mindfulness-based stress reduction and/or cognitive behavioral therapy: In one study, 61 percent of those practicing mindfulness-based stress reduction and 58 percent of those practicing cognitive behavioral therapy saw improvement in their chronic lower back pain.
• Omega-3 fatty acids: These have been proven in studies to reduce inflammation and relieve arthritis pain.

Sources:

Neuropathic pain drugs found to increase risk of hip fracture in older adults — ScienceDaily

Gabapentinoids and Risk of Hip Fracture — JAMA Network Open

Number of gabapentin prescriptions in the U.S. from 2004 to 2022 — Statista

The post The commonly prescribed pain medication linked to hip fracture appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Yet, while these GLP-1 drugs, better known by brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy, are having their moment in the sun, more and more reports of serious side effects are stacking up.

Luckily, recent research has proved that you don’t have to risk the dangers of these drugs to lose weight. In fact, the researchers say that embracing one specific dietary strategy can not only help you shed excess pounds — but also dramatically improve your health.

That’s a far cry from what we’re hearing about GLP-1 agonists…

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The dangers of weight loss drugs

But before we take a look at the diet trick that research shows really works, just how bad can those oh-so-popular weight loss drugs be?

It turns out pretty horrible.

Just ask Juanita Gantt, who was prescribed Ozempic and Wegovy and is now suing their manufacturer.

Gantt, who had always struggled with her weight, found herself at 62 weighing 242 pounds. After talking to her doctor about her weight and diabetes risk, she started the drugs.

According to CBS News, a few months later, her husband found her unconscious on the floor.

The problem?

Large portions of her large intestine had died inside of her and required surgery to be removed.

And her troubles weren’t over…

While still in the hospital, Gantt suffered a cardiac arrest. And though thankful, that she lived, Gantt now lives with a daily reminder of her ordeal in the form of an ileostomy bag to collect waste that’s attached to her abdomen.

A safer weight loss option

 Scary stuff, right?

That’s why it’s so important to consider natural options, like diet, for weight loss whenever possible.

And that’s where research from Qilu Hospital of Shandong University comes in.

Researchers there found that “A plant-based diet is a viable option for people who want to control their body weight and improve the quality of their diet to prevent and treat metabolic diseases.”

In fact, they didn’t just conduct a single study.

They reviewed 24 studies, combining data on more than 2,200 people on the effects of a plant-based diet on weight loss.

And they found that not only does going plant-based work, the positive impacts of plant-based diets increase over time.

The researchers found that while a strictly vegan diet leads to the most weight loss, it was not significantly more than diets that included dairy and eggs.

And they say that to grab the most benefits, what matters is eating more raw vegetables — a factor that had the strongest links to a lower risk of obesity and heart problems.

“Raw vegetables contain phytosterols and unsaturated fats that lower blood cholesterol concentrations,” explained the researchers. “They also contain various substances (e.g., tocopherols, ascorbate, carotenoids, saponins, and flavonoids) that can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.”

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An evidence-based strategy that works

The news about regaining weight after stopping GLP-1 agonists is surely disappointing. But reports are mounting that, other than staying on the drug, it offers no evidence-based strategy to maintain weight loss.

Nate Wood, MD, MHS, of Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, told MedPage Today “We generally do expect that when folks discontinue this medication, they’ll gain at least some weight back, if not all of it. And the reason for that is that we really think about obesity as a chronic disease. And chronic diseases require chronic treatment.”

That puts these drugs in the same basket as those people take for high blood pressure or high cholesterol, for example. As soon as the medication stops, the health threat returns. However, the dangers of GLP-1 agonists cast doubt on the safety of taking the drugs for life.

So if you want to lose weight, without facing the possibility of serious adverse effects due to weight loss drugs, adding more vegetables (especially raw veggies) to your diet seems to be the way to go.

Just remember that you can take a raw vegetable diet too far since going 100% vegetarian or vegan can lead to nutrient deficiencies.

Additionally, while eating a plant-based diet is a powerful and healthy weight loss strategy, eating certain foods can give you an even bigger advantage thanks to specific nutrients.

So be sure to check out this shortlist of foods that have been shown to help promote a fat-burning metabolism.

Sources:

Weight loss drugs allegedly landed this woman in the hospital, prompting lawsuit about drug label warnings — CBS News

New Study Backs Simple Weight Loss Strategy That Doesn’t Require Drugs — Sciencealert

The post The safe simple drug-free weight loss strategy that works appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And it’s a risk not to be taken lightly…

One-quarter of seniors who fracture a hip from a fall die within six months of the initial injury.

Other research shows 1-year mortality rates in hip fracture patients from nursing homes to be 36 percent for women and 54 percent for men.

And according to researchers at Rutgers University, there’s a surprising factor increasing this risk…

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The link between blood pressure medications and fractures

It wasn’t all that long ago that I warned about the threat that long-term use of blood pressure drugs can pose to our kidneys. Now I need to share another…

As noted by Hanna Gaggin, MD, MPH and Daniel Kirshenbaum, MD from Harvard Health Publishing, “A common source of prescriptions is high blood pressure, with older adults often finding themselves on multiple medications to lower their blood pressure.”

Unfortunately, as the Rutgers research reveals, this could spell an increased fracture risk.

The researchers analyzed data from nearly 30,000 elderly patients in long-term care facilities from 2006 to 2019, comparing the 30-day risk of fractures for patients who began using blood pressure medications with similar patients who didn’t.

They found that the 30-day fracture risk for adults who began blood pressure medication was 5.4 per 100 people per year. Compare this to a rate of just 2.2 per 100 for patients who took no blood pressure medication.

Put simply, blood pressure medications more than double the risk of life-threatening bone fractures.

But why? They were associated with a side effect that contributed to falls.

A dangerous impact on balance

To ensure they could pinpoint falls caused by the use of the drugs, the team weeded out all other issues, like demographics and clinical history — and it came down to blood pressure drugs.

The research also revealed that certain people are at higher risk of fracture when taking these meds than others, including:

• High systolic blood pressure (when the first number of the blood pressure reading is above 139).
• High diastolic pressure (the second number of the blood pressure reading above 79).
• And people with dementia.

The most extreme risk was found in people who had no recent use of blood pressure medication, who all experienced at least triple the chance of suffering a fracture within 30 days.

You’re probably wondering why taking these medications makes falls and fractures more likely.

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The researchers say that the increased risk is due to the medications’ adverse effects on balance.

This is especially true when someone taking blood pressure drugs first stands up and temporarily experiences a drop in blood pressure that deprives the brain of oxygen. It’s similar to what occurs with orthostatic hypertension.

And of course, interactions with other drugs (due to multiple prescriptions, known as polypharmacy) and existing balance problems that come with aging may only compound the problem.

Reducing fracture risk

While this study looked at nursing home residents, it’s important to remember that the median age of the people in this study was 77.

This means these fractures could just as easily happen to an older person at home. Therefore, it’s vital to know the steps to take to prevent falls and fractures if you or a loved one is taking medications for your blood pressure.

These include:

• Stand up slowly – Since blood pressure drops when you stand, it’s especially important not to rise too quickly. Take your time as you stand up to allow your pressure to adjust.
• Steady yourself – As you stand, hold onto something such as the back of a chair, a counter or the edge of a desk.
• Be aware – Caregivers and adult children should be mindful of the potential fall dangers that come with blood pressure drugs to offer proactive support.

Falls present a real and present danger to both quality and length of life for older adults, and many medications, not just blood pressure drugs, can play a significant role in their risk. Keep track of any medications you or your loved one is taking and take steps now to make falls and the fractures they cause less likely.

Sources:

Blood pressure drugs more than double bone-fracture risk in nursing home patients — EurekAlert

Is it safe to reduce blood pressure medications for older adults? — Harvard Health Publishing

The post Blood pressure drugs tied to surprising fracture risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

So far, a couple that we’ve written about are the phytochemical berberine and the fiber beta-glucan found in oats and barley. They’re both cheaper and safer than GLP-1 agonists, as well as better for your health.

Now, there’s evidence of a third inexpensive natural alternative — one you probably already have in your pantry — that could not only help you shed unwanted pounds but protect you from diabetes…

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Olive oil’s elenolic acid could be the key

Olive oil is a wholesome monounsaturated fat with a host of health properties. They include supporting the brain to help avoid dementia, as well as defending against heart disease, diabetes, depression and intestinal injury.

There are a lot of components that give olive oil its benefits, including polyphenols and the powerful antioxidant oleic acid. But another naturally occurring compound found in extra virgin olive oil and mature olives could be the source of olive oil’s ability to ward off diabetes and promote weight loss: elenolic acid.

Researchers at Virginia Tech were curious about the impact of elenolic acid on blood sugar, so they administered an oral dose of the compound to mice with type 2 diabetes and diet-induced obesity.

After just one week of treatment, the mice weighed significantly less, and their blood sugar levels were better regulated. They also weighed less and had better blood sugar than obese mice with type 2 diabetes that were not given elenolic acid.

But after four to five weeks of receiving elenolic acid, researchers found that obese mice with diabetes experienced a 10.7% reduction in obesity!

And that’s not even the most amazing part: elenolic acid’s effect on blood glucose was similar to that of the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide, and better than the first-line type 2 diabetes drug metformin.

In other words, elenolic acid may work as well or better than two medications commonly used to treat diabetes.

Dr. Dongmin Liu, a nutrition scientist from Virginia Tech and co-author of the study said the finding is significant for two main reasons.

“One, the finding that elenolic acid improved blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity to the point where they became similar to those of healthy lean mice indicates that it is an effective compound for rectifying the key defects leading to overt diabetes,” he detailed.

“Two, the results suggest that elenolic acid could potentially be developed into a treatment for humans with obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. If it works similarly in humans, it could offer a new, natural way to manage these conditions.”

Imagine, a natural compound that does what those agonists do without the potential long-term safety risks.

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How elenolic acid works in the body

In past research, the investigators found that elenolic acid prompts the release of two metabolic hormones that signal the brain when we’re full: GLP-1 and the less well-known peptide YY (PYY). GLP-1 is the hormone Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro mimic to regulate blood sugars and satiety. PYY is released by cells in the gut to curb our appetite at the end of a meal.

Past research showed that even one dose of concentrated elenolic acid stimulated the secretion of GLP-1 and PPY. One study demonstrated obese mice on a high-fat diet given doses of 50 mg/kg/day for two weeks achieved glucose tolerance and fasting blood glucose levels equal to their peers on a standard diet.

“The compound seems to mimic the physiological conditions of eating to directly promote gut metabolic hormone secretion, which helps regulate energy balance and metabolic health,” Liu says.

While elenolic acid is found in olive oil and mature olives, the researchers caution we likely couldn’t eat enough of either to match the concentrations used in the study. We’ll just have to wait and see how this develops.  

However, there’s already plenty of proof that following the Mediterranean Diet, which emphasizes extra virgin olive oil as a staple, can put you on a path to weight loss and improve glycemic profile.

And if you like olives, enjoy them as a snack. But look for a low-sodium brand. There are plenty of them to choose from.

Editor’s Note: You’re invited to join a tiny handful of Americans who enjoy rare, fresh-pressed olive oil all year long. Take my word for it, there’s a difference in taste, quality and benefit! Click here to learn more…

Sources:

Natural Compound in Olives May Help Fight Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes — Science Alert

Identification of a Novel Multi-target Bioactive Compound With Anti-obesity and Anti-diabetic Activities — NUTRITION 2024

Can a compound found in olives help treat obesity and diabetes? — Medical News Today

The post The metabolism-busting secret in olives rivals those new weight-loss drugs appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Are things just not moving?

Is your daily bathroom ritual a strain? Or, do you think it’s normal to go just every few days?

Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not.

Over 60 million Americans suffer from chronic constipation, and if you don’t have at least one, easy-to-pass bowel movement a day, then you are one of them.

Constipation can be caused by many things, though most people never suspect the medicines they are taking. But, it turns out that there are 7 sneaky medications you could be taking right now that could be making your restroom trips more troublesome than they should be.

Let’s take a look at the drugs that are the worst offenders.

1. Painkillers

Any medications you take for pain, from ibuprofen and aspirin to prescription drugs, could be causing your constipation. Your digestive tract is loaded with receptors to these types of medications, meaning that they have a direct effect on your bowels. Chronic use of over-the-counter pain medicines or even just a day or two of narcotic pain medicines can stop you up, leaving you feeling bloated and sick.

If it’s painful joints you’re dealing with, try the omega-3 fatty acid that essentially blocks pain, and ditch the pills.

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2. Antidepressants

These are some of the worst offenders in the battle against constipation. Older tricyclic antidepressants block the contractions of your bowels. When nothing moves, your bowels get more and more blocked. Even the newer antidepressants, including the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Prozac, can leave you straining and unable to go.

Talk to your doctor before stopping this type of medication first.

3. Anti-nausea medications

Your doctor may have given you Zofran to ease your nausea, but thanks to its negative impact on the serotonin in your body, you’ll likely end up constipated too. Instead, beat nausea naturally with a cup of ginger tea or a couple of sips of cola.

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4. Antacids

If you take drugs to relieve heartburn it’s likely to leave you unable to relieve yourself in the bathroom, especially if you take it long-term. Even worse are the antacids with calcium and aluminum in them and — unfortunately for sufferers of heartburn and acid reflux — these types of medications litter the drug aisles in every store.

But let me share a secret… your doctor may be operating under the false premise that acid reflux is caused by too much stomach acid when it’s actually caused by too little stomach acid. That’s what we call acid reflux’s biggest myth. Ditch the meds and try a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar a day in eight ounces of water, or the spice that works like medicine on acid reflux.

5. Blood pressure drugs

From calcium channel blockers to diuretics, if you’ve been prescribed a medication to lower your blood pressure, you’ve probably ended up constipated as just one of the side effects.  It’s easy to see how taking a diuretic can stop you up since they pull water out of your system… the same water your body needs to soften your stool so that it can pass easily.

If possible, consider natural supplements to lower your blood pressure, like pterostilbene, a powerful antioxidant found in blueberries that puts a dent in your readings.

However, never stop taking a medication prescribed to you by a doctor without first discussing it with them.

6. Allergy medications

The rule is, “If it gives you a dry mouth, it gives you constipation.” This makes allergy medications one of the sneakiest causes of constipation. After all, you don’t want to suffer from sneezing and itchy, watery eyes all season, so you pop an allergy pill. It seems harmless until your bowels just won’t move. Black seed oil is a natural alternative for allergy relief, that may actually help you “go.”

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7. Laxatives themselves

The fact that laxatives actually stop you up may seem counter-intuitive but if you start the laxative cycle, it can cause dependency, and you may end up not being able to go without them.  Think twice before reaching for that Dulcolax or Ex-lax.  It may help today but make things worse in the long run. If you need a little help now and then and have to reach for a product to help you go, look for one with natural ingredients that puts the least stress on your body.

Read: 7 supplements to help you “go”

Never stop taking a medication prescribed to you by a doctor without first discussing your concerns, like constipation, with them.

Constipation is not something you should ignore. Too many people accept it as a fact of everyday life, but not only can constipation lead to hemorrhoids and even fecal incontinence — but chronic constipation can set you up for disease… from leaky gut to colon cancer.

If you don’t have at least one, easy bowel movement a day, take a look at the medicines your doctor has prescribed. You may be taking one of these sneaky medicines that make you constipated. If you can manage your health without them… more power to you. At the least, experience daily, easy bowel movements by:

• Make sure you get enough potassium in your diet to keep stool hydrated, and of course, drink plenty of water.
• Substitute your regular coffee for chicory coffee. Chicory supplies inulin fiber that supports the natural production of beneficial bacteria in the colon. Bananas are also a good source of inulin fiber.
• Avoid too much insoluble fiber from leafy greens. They bulk up stool and can make things worse if you’re constipated.

Sources:

1. Essential Guide to IBS Medications — IBS Treatment Center
2. What causes opioid-induced constipation (OIC)? — Medical News Today
3. Relieving Constipation Caused by Antidepressants — Verywell Mind
4. Zofran Side Effects Center — RxList
5. Side Effects of High Blood Pressure Medications — WebMD
6. Constipation May Lead to Other Problems — MedicineNet

The post 7 sneaky medications that cause constipation appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And it truly is SAD. It’s packed with convenient food products that may be tasty but damage our health with every bite.

That’s because ultra-processed food and drinks bear little resemblance to real food and are chock-full of harmful additives banned in other countries, artificial and low-calorie sweeteners tied to blood clots and copious amounts of added sugars linked to 45 health conditions.

Unfortunately, those aren’t the only dangers that come with feasting on high-fat (saturated fats), sugary foods.

According to researchers at the University of Southern California, the evidence is piling up that junk food can cause lasting damage to your brain…

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It can start early

Past studies have shown that eating an unhealthy diet can increase a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Additionally, researchers have found that in patients with Alzheimer’s, a neurotransmitter involved in memory and learning — known as acetylcholine — gets depleted.

The California researchers suspected that diet could be a culprit. But what they discovered was worse than they expected…

The damage to the brain’s levels of acetylcholine could begin much sooner than anyone thought.

The scientists fed one group of rats a junk food diet during the time in their life that parallels human adolescence. It’s a time when the brain is undergoing dramatic levels of development and therefore could be more open to damage.

For comparison, another group of rats was given a healthy diet to eat instead.

The rats that ate the junk food lost out in a big way: being raised on a diet similar to our SAD diet, they failed memory tests and were unable to identify new objects in a scene they had explored days earlier.

And those memory problems stuck around even after they had been switched to a healthy diet for 30 days (which would be the same as a human reaching adulthood).

The junk food diet also resulted in:

• Reduced levels of a protein that transports acetylcholine in the hippocampus (the brain region that consolidates memories and spatial information)
• Impaired acetylcholine signaling in rats that had problems with the memory tests

As lead researcher, Anna Hayes explains, “Acetylcholine signaling is a mechanism to help them encode and remember those events, analogous to ‘episodic memory’ in humans that allows us to remember events from our past. That signal appears to not be happening in the animals that grew up eating the fatty, sugary diet.”

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Diet isn’t the only threat to acetylcholine

The good news is that you’re never too old to change your diet and save your brain.

Although the junk food you ate in your younger years may be showing up as memory problems now, you don’t have to simply accept them.

In fact, researchers at the University of Edinburgh found that the Mediterranean diet could make the brain work better with age. We know that it contains brain-supporting nutrition that’s been found to cross the blood-brain barrier and has been detected in the blood work of super-agers.

And plenty of research into healthy aging confirms nootropics can help our brains operate like younger ones.

But — and this is a big deal — bad food isn’t the only threat to your brain’s acetylcholine…

Many common medications, including those used to treat colds, bladder leaks, Parkinson’s and more interfere with how it works in your body. At least three recent studies point to a strong connection between these medications, considered anticholinergics, and cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s.

So ditch them (talk to your doctor first if prescribed) and start eating better — for your brain’s sake.

Sources:

Too Much Junk Food Could Cause Lasting Damage to The Brain — Science Alert

The post Food and drugs that harm your ‘memory’ transmitter appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But if a headache hits or your tennis elbow is acting up, you probably pop a Tylenol when it’s needed.

After all, medicine has the same effect in your body 24 hours a day, right?

Not according to researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who warn that your body’s circadian rhythm has a big influence on the breakdown of medications…

And that taking them at the wrong time of the day could lead to toxin buildup.

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Enzymes matter

It’s estimated that about 50 percent of human genes follow a circadian cycle, and many of these genes are active in the liver.

Using tiny, engineered livers derived from cells from human donors, the researchers found that these circadian variations can affect how much of a drug is available to your body at any given time — and how effectively the body can break it down.

That’s because the enzymes that break down both over-the-counter and prescription drugs are more abundant at certain times of day. This is important because if your body can’t break down the medication you take, levels of toxins can build up.

Let’s take a look at Tylenol specifically…

According to the researchers, when Tylenol is broken down in the liver, a small fraction of the drug is converted into a toxic byproduct known as NAPQI.

Yet, the study showed that the amount of NAPQI produced can vary by up to 50 percent, depending on what time of day you take the medicine.

And it wasn’t just Tylenol…

They also found that atorvastatin (prescribed for high cholesterol) generates higher toxicity at certain times of the day. (If, by the new guidelines, you find atorvastatin won’t be necessary, try CoQ10 to raise HDL and support your liver!)

What these two drugs have in common is that both are metabolized in part by an enzyme called CYP3A4, which has a circadian cycle.

And because CYP3A4 is involved in processing about 50 percent of all drugs, you can just imagine how many medications could put a heavy load on liver health.

Guarding your liver health

Unfortunately, it will take more research before they can tell us the optimal and safest time of the day to take drugs that are affected by circadian rhythm.

But in the meantime, what you can do is support your liver’s efforts to detox your body by helping the process along naturally…

Some of the most powerful detoxing agents and liver supporters can be supplemented…

No doubt you’ve heard of milk thistle, a purple flower and an ancient liver-booster, milk thistle has been found to help support the elimination of heavy metal buildup, medication residue, environmental pollutants and alcohol that can accumulate in and damage your liver. But there are more…

• N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) — NAC is a little-known amino acid that has been shown to help support the gentle detoxification of your liver, to rid it of tobacco and other types of carbon monoxide-rich smoke, alcohol and the air pollutants you’re exposed to daily.
• Turmeric — This 4,000-year-old Indian herb helps balance inflammation and protect your liver from oxidative stress while promoting healthy liver function.
• Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) — ALA is a potent antioxidant that helps keep fats from accumulating in your liver.
• Selenium — is a trace mineral that helps promote detoxification. One study has shown that selenium helps detox mercury buildup and reduce its effects. Never take OTC pain relievers if you’re low on selenium!
• Schisandra — An ancient Chinese herb that promotes healthy liver function, it helps activate enzymes in the liver cells that produce glutathione — the master antioxidant that detoxifies the body.

Also, it might be a good time to go over current medications with your physician to see if dosages can change or if less toxic medications are available. Remember, never stop taking a prescribed medication without discussing it with your doctor.

The post Medicating against your circadian rhythm can be toxic appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But what if your doctor tells you that your cholesterol is “borderline high”?  Can you just simply “watch” your readings?

First a bit of background: The CDC defines high cholesterol as a total cholesterol of 240 mg/dL or higher.  Normal total cholesterol is defined as a number under 200 mg/dL. “Borderline” readings fall between 200 and 239 milligrams per deciliter. 

If you’ve been told your total cholesterol is “borderline high,” you’re not alone. Turns out, borderline high cholesterol is a common scenario, with about 85 million Americans clocking in between 200 and 239 mg/dL.

If you don’t know what your cholesterol levels are, you can ask for a blood test at your next primary care appointment. If you haven’t had one for a while, rechecking it is a good idea… 

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All about cholesterol readings

As a reasonable rule of thumb, you should have your cholesterol checked once in childhood, twice in your twenties, three times in your thirties, four times in your forties, at least five times in your 50s and yearly thereafter, assuming your cholesterol numbers are acceptable. If at any point they’re elevated or “borderline,” more frequent checks may be necessary.

Coming back to borderline readings: If your total cholesterol level falls between 200 and 239 mg/dL, here’s one important fact you need to know: The number that defines whether a cholesterol reading qualifies as “borderline elevated” or “high” is somewhat arbitrary. There’s nothing magical about the number 239 mg/dL that makes it radically different from 240 mg/dL. Cholesterol numbers fall on a continuum.

So it’s not a matter of absolutely needing to go on medications at 240 mg/dL and being in the clear at 239 mg/dL. It’s far more nuanced than that…

And this is where considering the fuller picture becomes important. For example:

• Do you have other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels or smoking?
• Is there a strong family history of heart disease? 

The more non-cholesterol risk factors you have, the more significant ANY number over 200 mg/dL becomes. 

Simply “watching” your cholesterol numbers is therefore an unwise strategy as elevated cholesterol readings, whether watched or not, only add to your already elevated risk profile.

Next, look at your cholesterol test results a little more closely. The total cholesterol number is just that — a TOTAL.  This means it is made up of components, specifically good (HDL) cholesterol, bad (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides (TG, mostly fatty particles).  This means you can have various combinations of the three components and end up with the same total cholesterol reading. 

The formula for how these values relate to each other is as follows: Total cholesterol = LDL + HDL + TG/5

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Look at the big picture and relax

So if your total cholesterol is elevated, is it the HDL or LDL cholesterol that’s driving it?

If HDL is high while LDL is low (LDL falling at or below 100 mg/dL would be ideal) — and you don’t have other heart disease risk factors (or very high TGs) — relax:  Even though your total cholesterol is elevated, it does not represent a significant risk factor for developing heart disease.

Now, if it’s the LDL that’s high (regardless of HDL results), the scenario is different, and you need to really pay attention and try to get this number lower. The good news is that most people can see meaningful LDL reductions with a few simple lifestyle changes, thus avoiding the need for medications.

This list won’t come as any surprise to regular readers: If you smoke, quit. Get regular exercise. And eat a whole food, plant-based diet. Step One Foods makes it easier to eat this way.  In fact, our products are clinically proven to lower LDL cholesterol. They’re a great place to start if your cholesterol levels are abnormal but you’re not already following a full-on plant-based Mediterranean diet or if you find the idea of comprehensive dietary change a bit overwhelming.

If your cholesterol is in that murky middle range, your doctor may also advise you to get a coronary artery calcium scan, which is an imaging test of your heart that can determine how much plaque may have built up in your arteries. (If you’re unsure about getting this scan, here’s everything you need to know.) 

In my own practice, I use this test quite frequently because it’s a great way to segment out people at very low risk of heart events that can safely defer going on medications.

Sometimes people have abnormal/borderline cholesterol readings that will not budge despite their best lifestyle efforts. If that’s you, please don’t despair! There’s so much more to heart disease risk — and to health maintenance in general — that goes far beyond a cholesterol result! 

Please know that if you’re living in a way that should help lower cholesterol (even if it doesn’t), you’re also living in a way that helps lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar control, prevent cancer and reduce your chances of developing dementia.

Regardless of whether your cholesterol levels are high, borderline or perfect, doing your best around lifestyle is NEVER a wasted effort.

The post What is borderline cholesterol, and what should I do about it? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

They’re an inexpensive medication and prevent future heart attacks. A no-brainer, right?

But, as with most things medical, time and research have proven this wisdom to be … well, not so wise after all.

Here’s why you might want to think twice and discuss with your doctor before taking beta-blockers…

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Beta-blockers may be unecessary

Beta-blockers, also called beta-adrenergic blocking agents, block the release of the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline in certain parts of the body. This results in a slowing of the heart rate and reduces the force at which blood is pumped around your body.

They have been typically prescribed to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib), heart failure and angina — and heart attack.

But a new study shows that about half of heart attack patients discharged from the hospital with a prescription for beta-blockers really don’t benefit from them at all. Considering the risks associated with the drug, this is good to know…

In 2017, researchers at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet, Lund University and Uppsala University began a study involving more than 5000 patients at 45 hospitals who had suffered a small heart attack and retained heart function.

At discharge, these patients were randomly assigned either to receive or not receive beta-blockers.

After six years, there was a statistically insignificant difference between the groups in terms of a second heart attack (7.9 percent for those taking beta-blockers vs. 8.3 percent for those not).

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Weigh the pros and cons

This study is only about the effect of starting beta-blocker treatment after a small heart attack.

Naturally, if you’ve suffered a more severe heart attack, or have ongoing issues with heart failure, medications may be necessary.

But if they’re really not going to make a difference, knowing the pros and cons could help you and your doctor decide if they’re right for you.

Here are just a few things we know:

• People using beta-blockers have been found to be 65 percent more vulnerable to heart attack during the hottest days of the year.
• In one study, taking beta-blockers raised the risk of heart failure almost five percent more in women than in men.
• Beta-blockers are one of many medications that lower levels of the essential antioxidant CoQ10. According to a lead researcher from another study from a few years ago, “… CoQ10, which is a natural and safe substance, corrects a deficiency in the body and blocks the vicious metabolic cycle in chronic heart failure called the energy-starved heart.”

And finally, beta-blockers can make you more likely to end up with a dangerous infection due to antibiotic resistance.

You should never stop taking beta-blockers, or any medication, without first speaking with your doctor.

But if your doctor is proposing a prescription for beta-blockers for a minor heart attack, it’s worth your while to discuss the pros and cons before beginning this course of medication.

Sources:

Unnecessary use of beta-blockers after a heart attack? — Science Daiyk

Beta-Blockers after Myocardial Infarction and Preserved Ejection Fraction — New England Journal of Medicine

The post Think twice about beta-blockers after a heart attack appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

If you take certain medications, you may have seen the following text on their label: “Do not operate heavy machinery.” For some medicines, like sleeping pills, that may seem like a given.

But there are a lot of other medications you may be surprised to learn could get you into trouble if you take them before driving…

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What are some symptoms that can influence your driving?

Some prescription and nonprescription (or over-the-counter) medications can have side effects that can make it unsafe for you to drive or operate heavy machinery.

What exactly does the label mean by “heavy machinery?” Obviously, your car counts. But so does a motorcycle, boat, truck, bus, train, forklift or any heavy construction equipment. Even an electric scooter can qualify if it goes fast enough. And if you really want to be careful, you probably shouldn’t ride your bike, either.

Worrisome symptoms that make driving dangerous include:

• Sleepiness or drowsiness
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness
• Slowed or uncoordinated movement
• Fainting
• Inability to focus or pay attention
• Nausea
• Excitability

Which medicines can cause these symptoms?

It’s always a good idea to read the labels of whatever medications you take so that you know what side effects to expect. However, you can be reasonably sure the following medications could make it dangerous for you to drive:

• Antipsychotic medicines
• Antiseizure medicines (antiepileptic drugs)
• Medicines to stay awake and other stimulants (like caffeine pills, diet pills, or ephedrine)
• Medicines for diarrhea and urine or bladder control
• Motion sickness medicines
• Muscle relaxants
• Opioids
• Cough suppressants containing codeine and hydrocodone
• Prescription medicines for anxiety (like benzodiazepines)
• Sleeping pills
• Some antidepressants
• Some prescription and OTC cold or cough medicines
• Some prescription and OTC allergy medicines, especially antihistamines

It might be surprising to see stimulants on this list. Although drowsiness isn’t an issue with these medicines, they could make you overly jittery and affect your concentration or judgment when behind the wheel.

You should also be wary of taking products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds like CBD which can cause sleepiness and make you less alert.

You’ll also want to watch out for natural sleep aids like melatonin, valerian root, chamomile, L-theanine or even magnesium. While they may not be quite as powerful as prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids, there’s still a chance they could cause problems if you take them right before driving.

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How can you avoid impaired or drugged driving? 

If taking a medication with a warning, it’s best to always heed that warning. But some medications can affect or impair others differently, without warning.

To be extra safe, the first time you take a new medication should be at a time when you won’t need to drive. That way, you can see whether it causes any of the symptoms listed above.

Some medicines may cause symptoms for a short time, while for others the effects may last several hours and even into the next day.

For example, many people with insomnia take medicines before bedtime to help them fall asleep, stay asleep or both. However, these medicines could come with a bit of a hangover the next morning that leaves you less able to perform daily activities, including driving.

It’s always a good idea to read your medication’s labeling. You can also speak with your doctor about the medication to get more information about its side effects, including drowsiness or lack of focus.

Never drink and drive. That’s a no-brainer, but did you know that drinking while on some of the medications listed above can double or triple the effects of alcohol? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, prescription drugs are commonly linked to drugged driving accidents.

Always tell your doctor about all the prescription and nonprescription medicines you’re taking and any vitamins and herbal or dietary supplements to avoid possible interactions that could cause drowsiness.

Source:

Some Medicines and Driving Don’t Mix — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The post The surprising truth about medications and driving appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But before you ditch your Lipitor and reach for a sleeve of black and white disks, read on…

The experiment involved one  27-year-old man managing ulcerative colitis who tried two different approaches to lower his LDL cholesterol levels.

First, he ate 12 OREO cookies every day for 16 days, then after a 3-month cookie break he took 20 mg of rosuvastatin (Crestor) daily for 6 weeks instead. Surprisingly, the OREOs dropped his LDL by 71 percent, while the statin only lowered it by 32.5 percent.

So far, so amazing. But here’s more detail… 

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The catch

The man was following a strict keto diet.  His starting LDL cholesterol was in the 380 to 420 mg/dL range (!).  If you recall, one of the mechanisms that can cause high LDL is saturated fat intake impacting LDL receptor function. 

Keto diets are high in saturated fats and can turn off LDL receptors keeping LDL levels high.  Lesson number 1:  Some people who follow a ketogenic diet can see their LDLs rise to stratospheric levels.

The fact that adding OREOs lowered his LDL is not the point.  The point is that adding CARBS lowered his LDL.  Lesson number 2: The way our bodies respond to nutrients is complex and, for overall health, a mix of nutrients is usually preferred over favoring only one nutrient class.  Maybe, just maybe, a super high-fat diet is not such a good idea.

The fact that he did not have as big a response to Crestor is also not the point.  Another mechanism that can cause high LDL is excess LDL production in the liver related to HMGCo-A reductase activity. 

Statins inhibit this enzyme, but if it’s not a major driver in causing high LDL levels in a specific individual, even high doses of statins are not going to have much of an effect. 

It’s one of the reasons we order follow-up lab tests on people placed on statins.  We don’t know ahead of time if their LDL elevations are HMGCo-A reductase driven.  Lesson number 3:  Not everyone will see dramatic LDL reductions with statins.

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Why whole-food, plant-based wins

Finally, there’s more to health than an LDL effect — whether attained through medications or through food. 

The fact that LDL is lower with OREO cookies added to a restrictive keto diet doesn’t make the OREOs or the keto diet the best choice for health. 

We have boatloads of data showing that a whole-food plant-based diet not only supports better cholesterol levels but is also the dietary pattern most consistently associated with healthy longevity. 

This is why Step One Foods is grounded in the whole-food plant-based approach and why it works to lower cholesterol in most people, not just those following a keto diet. 

In the same vein, we have boatloads of data showing that consumption of highly processed carbohydrates (I’m talking to you, OREOs) contributes to insulin dysregulation as well as chronic inflammation and a higher burden of chronic disease. 

Meanwhile, there are no examples of human populations following a ketogenic diet as experiencing longer life or longer healthspans.

Lesson number 4:  You always knew this was too good to be true.

The post Why you shouldn’t lower cholesterol with OREOS appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I had to read that statistic twice before it sank in.

Surely if a safe and highly effective smoking cessation remedy were available, pharmaceutical companies would jump at the chance to produce it and get it into people’s hands.

It’s been a while since I had to report to you on Big Pharma’s greed machine and how it makes us sicker.

But now I’ve got a doozy for you.

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The natural substance that could double your chances of quitting

Cytisine is a plant-based compound that eases smoking withdrawal symptoms. It’s been used in Eastern Europe as a low-cost stop-smoking aid since the 1960s.

There is a great deal of solid research demonstrating that cytisine is a more efficient smoking cessation aid than nicotine — and that it is safe. (The obvious advantage, of course, is that it doesn’t put the same addictive substance back into the body).

For example, a study published just last year pooled the results of eight randomized control trials comparing cytisine with a placebo.

Among the 6000 patients involved, the results showed that cytisine more than doubles the chance that a person will successfully stop smoking.

And in an earlier study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, cytisine was compared with a nicotine-replacement aid such as the patch.

At the one-month point, 40% of the 1310 subjects had continuously refrained from smoking, as opposed to only 31% of those on nicotine-replacement therapy.

Why you can’t get cytisine in the U.S.

With these kinds of results, why can’t smokers in the United States get their hands on cytisine?

“It should be available to patients in the U.S.,” says Dr. Maher Karam Hage, professor of behavioral science at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Lisa Fucito agrees.

Dr. Fucito is a professor at Yale School of Medicine. She is also the director of the Tobacco Treatment Service at nearby Smilow Cancer Hospital.

“The challenge in the U.S.,” Dr. Fucito says, “is that you need a pharma company behind a med.”

And therein lies the rub.

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You see, since cytisine is a naturally occurring compound, it can’t be patented, any more than, say, oregano can be patented.

So there’s really very little incentive (read monetary gain) for a big drug manufacturer to try and push it through the very complex — and costly — FDA approval process.

In other words, there’s no money to be made by producing cytisine and making it available to those who need it, so Big Pharma simply won’t do it.

In 2017, Canada’s version of the FDA approved cytisine as a natural health product, meaning it’s available over the counter.

Why hasn’t that happened in the U.S.? If the pharmaceuticals can’t make money from cytisine, why not release it to the natural health market so millions of people can use it?

I don’t have an answer for that.

Limited safe options currently available

So what should you do if you’re trying to kick the habit?

I’ll tell you one thing you shouldn’t do.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine took a look at the effects of e-cigarettes on your health.

What they found is that it’s not worth it.

On the other hand, one study found that placing a drop of black pepper and angelica essential oils on a tissue and inhaling it whenever you have the urge to smoke can significantly reduce the strength and frequency of your cravings.

Partnering up with someone can make you almost six times more successful — and that’s backed by research!

So however you do it, don’t go it alone. If you don’t have a friend who’s able to commit their support, check out the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking program.

Sources:

Want to quit smoking in 2024? Cytisine can help … if you live in the right country —Eureka Alert

There’s a Pill That Helps People Quit Smoking. Why Isn’t It Sold in the U.S.? — Slate

Evaluation of the effectiveness of cystine for the treatment of smoking cessation: A systematic review and meta-analysis — Addiction

The post The safe, effective quit-smoking pill Americans can’t get appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

One is their estimated $1,400-a-month price tag, which isn’t covered by all insurance plans. Another is their black box warning that cautions the drugs caused thyroid cancer in rodents (though the same hasn’t been reported in humans). And people who stop taking these drugs often regain the weight they lost — plus more.

Then there’s a side effect that no one seems focused on….

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The GLP-1 Agonist Plateau

GLP-1 agonists are synthetic versions of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a hormone made in the gut that controls blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as influencing hunger and satiety centers in the brain.

When these drugs are used to control weight, they work… for a while. But at some point, people hit a point where their weight stabilizes. And that plateau can differ for each person.

What’s more, sometimes with stabilization comes the return of appetite, which is something the drug is supposed to control.

On average, the plateau comes a little over a year with semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. In the STEP 1 and STEP 2 studies, participants’ weight loss gradually stopped after week 60 of the 68-week trial, with about 10 to 15 percent of body weight lost. In a longer 2-year study, STEP 5, patients plateaued at around 60 weeks, though they were able to maintain their weight for the rest of the study.

With tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, the plateau hit within 60-72 weeks. A 2-year trial of the drug is ongoing and expected to offer more insight.

While physicians aren’t surprised by this plateau, they say their patients often are upset by it.

“Everyone will plateau, of course. No one on my watch has disappeared. No one has vanished,” Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrinologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, tells MedPage Today. “It’s alarming to me that people find that surprising, but everyone will reach a plateau and there’s no way to know when you start the medication what that will be, what percent weight loss that will be, and how quickly they will reach it.”

Different responses for different patients

Dushay notes the importance of providers setting expectations with patients before prescribing GLP-1 agonists for weight loss. It’s also important to note that different medical histories, medications, and comorbidities can all affect how well, and for how long, an individual responds to these drugs.

Dushay says a “drug holiday,” where a patient stops and restarts a GLP-1 agonist has typically had no impact on plateaus.

Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, tells MedPage Today she would like to see future studies on GLP-1 agonists that stratify patient response by various characteristics like genetics. Right now, she notes, weight-loss drugs require a lot of trial and error, so predicting how likely success will be would save time and money.

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“If I know that, on average, this person is going to be a really poor responder to a GLP-1 agonist, I won’t [prescribe it],” she says. “It is a really arduous pathway for a lot of reasons — access, coverage, prior authorization. It’s burdensome on the patient, it’s burdensome on the system, it’s burdensome on me.”

In the meantime, physicians do have strategies to help a patient move past a plateau if they still haven’t met important clinical markers. Some will increase the dose if the patient can tolerate it well, or they may supplement with a second drug that targets a different neuronal or hormonal pathway.

Natural alternatives to GLP-1 agonists

Are there any natural ways to get the same effects provided by these expensive, potentially toxic drugs? One has become known as “nature’s Ozempic” — berberine. This plant-based compound has been shown to help manage blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, and help with weight loss.

Another natural alternative, the humble chia seed, may also help reduce blood sugar and promote a feeling of fullness, keeping you from overeating. You could also try black seed oil, which has similar effects on blood sugar and could help manage obesity.

Finally, make sure your diet is rich in protein and soluble fiber, both of which can help with weight loss and blood sugar stabilization.

And remember, nothing beats diet and exercise. The best diet for weight loss is one you can stick to—and this one comes out on top!

Sources:

The GLP-1 Agonist Plateau No One’s Talking About — MedPage Today

Semaglutide Shines as Weight Loss Therapy — MedPage Today

Another Weight-Loss Trial Win for Weekly GLP-1 Drug — MedPage Today

The post The Wegovy plateau you should know about appeared first on Easy Health Options®.