Trump's tariffs cloud the future of a medical wonder
FORCHHEIM, Germany — On the outskirts of this bucolic town, in a region known as 'das Medical Valley,' workers on a vast factory floor are assembling what they describe as the future: the game-changing scanners that can give doctors the most detailed images ever of what is happening inside the hearts, lungs and brains of their patients.
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The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
Drinking sugar may be worse than eating it, study finds
PROVO, Utah (KTVX) — Drinking your sugar may be worse for you than previously thought. That is, according to a recent study conducted by Brigham Young University (BYU) researchers in collaboration with several researchers from Germany-based institutions. The study, which analyzed data from over half a million people across multiple continents, found that sugar consumed through drinks, such as soda and juice, was consistently linked to a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. Sugar from other sources reportedly showed no such link or were, in some cases, associated with a lower risk of diabetes. Karen Della Corte, the lead author on the study and a BYU nutritional science professor, said this was the first study to draw clear 'dose-response' relationships between different sugar sources and Type 2 diabetes risks. 'It highlights why drinking your sugar, whether from soda or juice, is more problematic for health than eating it,' said Della Corte. The study suggests the more problematic nature of sugary drinks may come down to differing metabolic effects. Researchers said sugar-sweetened drinks contain isolated sugars that lead to a higher glycemic impact that overwhelm and disrupt metabolism in the liver. This, in turn, increases liver fat and insulin resistance, the study says. Meanwhile, the sugars that can be found in fruits, dairy products, or whole grains do not overload the liver. The beneficial nutrients, such as fiber, fats, and proteins, help slow the blood glucose responses that dietary sugars bring. 'This study underscores the need for even more stringent recommendations for liquid sugars such as those in sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice, as they appear to harmfully associate with metabolic health,' Della Corte said. 'Rather than condemning all added sugars, future dietary guidelines might consider the differential effects of sugar based on its source and form.' The study has been published in the Advances in Nutrition journal.
CNN
4 hours ago
- CNN
Why men with broken heart syndrome are more likely to die than women
Heart disease Chronic diseasesFacebookTweetLink Follow Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being. A 59-year-old man arrived at the Peking University First Hospital in Beijing for a procedure when he started having severe chest pain and shortness of breath. Four months earlier, he had cancerous tumors removed from his bladder. Around his family, he tried his best to appear strong and avoided discussions of his health. Privately, his severe anxiety over the possibility of a cancer recurrence kept him awake at night. Doctors said the man was experiencing takotsubo cardiomyopathy — also known as broken heart syndrome, as documented in a 2021 case study. The rare stress-induced heart condition has been observed primarily in women, but a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in May found that the illness may be more deadly for the men who get it. Thought to be caused by extreme emotional or physical events — such as learning about the death of a loved one, winning the lottery or lifting a heavy sofa — takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or TC, occurs when the heart muscle is flooded with stress hormones, causing part of it to 'freeze' in place. As the heart struggles to properly pump blood, symptoms resemble those of a heart attack, including chest pain, heart palpitations and irregular heartbeat. The new study analyzed data from nearly 200,000 patients hospitalized for TC in the United States between 2016 and 2020. While women accounted for 83% of the cases, men were more than twice as likely to die from the condition — with a mortality rate of 11.2%. 'The differences between men and women are a very striking finding,' said study coauthor Dr. Mohammad Reza Movahed, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson. 'It raises a new, interesting question that should really be studied.' Similar to differences between men's and women's cardiovascular health more generally, the discrepancies in TC death rates are not well understood, Movahed said, especially because they counter trends in other heart diseases. It's widely theorized, however, that differences in hormone levels play a role. Stressful situations trigger the adrenal glands to release our fight-or-flight hormones, called catecholamines. They are meant to increase our blood pressure and raise our heart rate, but extreme levels can temporarily 'stun' cells in the heart's tissue, leading to TC, Movahed explained. Men are thought to produce more catecholamines during stressful situations compared with women, possibly leading men to present with more severe cases of TC, he suggested. Estrogen, a sex hormone produced at higher levels in women, may also have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system, making it easier to manage an extreme influx of catecholamines and reducing the risk of severe complications from TC, said Dr. Louis Vincent, a noninvasive-cardiology research fellow at the University of Miami, who coauthored a similar, multiyear study investigating discrepancies in men and women who had TC. Vincent was not involved in the new study. Beyond biological differences, social factors may play a role as well. 'Most (physicians) know about takotsubo, but they may think of it as a disease just affecting women, so the diagnosis might be overlooked in men,' said Dr. Deepak Bhatt, a cardiologist and the director of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital who was not involved in the study. 'With misdiagnosis, care is delayed, and that can sometimes lead to worse outcomes.' Men may also seek care at a later stage of illness, believing that their symptoms are manageable or may pass, said Dr. Alejandro Lemor, an assistant professor of interventional cardiology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center who was also not involved in the study. Deadly complications from TC include blood clots, stroke, cardiac arrest and heart failure, Lemor said. If the condition is caught early, medications can reduce the risk of having these complications, restore proper heart function and allow for full recovery within weeks, he added. Movahed's team was able to factor for important variables like age, race, income, chronic lung disease, hypertension and diabetes in the findings. However, there was no patient data on other comorbid diseases, such as a history of stroke or the presence of a Covid-19 infection, Vincent said. Additionally, the new study included in-patient diagnostic data only for those hospitalized with TC, so those who received outpatient care or died later from complications outside the hospital were likely not counted in the analysis, Movahed noted. To establish a firmer explanation for the differences in mortality rates between men and women and further test treatment methods, a more detailed dataset would be needed, Vincent said. 'People should be aware in studies like this, we're presenting findings that are based on diagnostic codes, and we're not looking at patient procedures or lab results,' Vincent said. 'But it's powerful in the sense that it lets us look at large populations and look at trends. And I think that this trend of a higher mortality in men is worth taking a deeper look into.' Sudden, severe chest pain or shortness of breath should always be treated as a medical emergency, warned Bhatt, who is also a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. 'It's not a time to tough it out at home or get on the internet to figure it out. … Don't try to track down your primary care provider. Call emergency services,' Bhatt said. 'Time matters. By winning those few hours, you could save yourself irreparable damage to your heart.' Symptoms following physical stressors — a common cause of TC in men — should not be ignored, Movahed said, especially preceding medical events such as asthma attacks, seizures or complications from drug use. And while TC is caused by sudden stress, Bhatt said that managing chronic stress with daily meditation or exercise can lead to better cardiovascular health overall while giving you routines to fall back on in unexpected situations.
Washington Post
4 hours ago
- Washington Post
Will you be able to get a COVID-19 shot? Here's what we know so far
Want a COVID-19 vaccination this fall? For many Americans, it's not clear how easy it will be to get one — and some doctors already see signs of trouble. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was a longtime anti-vaccine activist, said last month that the shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, usurping a decision normally made by scientific experts, not political appointees . Days later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said healthy children and pregnant women 'may' get COVID-19 vaccinations, removing stronger language that those groups 'should' get the shots. Its website currently lists no advice for pregnant women — graying out that section of the vaccine guidance chart. The change follows an earlier Trump administration step to limit COVID-19 vaccinations among healthy people under age 65. Until now, the U.S. — following guidance from independent experts who advise the CDC — has recommended yearly COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone age 6 months and older. Together, the moves have left health experts, vaccine makers and insurers uncertain about what to advise and what comes next. In Seattle, University of Washington infectious disease expert Dr. John B. Lynch said he recently advised a fellow health care worker who's pregnant to get vaccinated. She agreed, only to be turned away by two pharmacies. 'That's the practical implication,' Lynch told reporters in an Infectious Diseases Society of America briefing. 'We see confusion play out. We see chaos play out. And we see barriers to access.' The conflicting statements are also leaving primary care doctors uncertain of how to advise patients, Lynch added. 'I'm not sure when that confusion is going to be abated,' he said. Some of this season's vaccine is still available. Insurance industry experts say if people had coverage before Kennedy's announcement, insurance likely would still pay for the shots. In a move that could help access, Wisconsin's health department announced that state 'continues to recommend the current COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy and for every person 6 months and older,' and reiterating the its state Medicaid program will continue to cover it. Who will be able to get what vaccines this fall is still unclear. Vaccine manufacturers plan to issue updated COVID-19 shots in the late summer or fall. But the Food and Drug Administration has said it plans to limit approval of seasonal shots to seniors and others at high risk, pending more studies of everyone else. Even if the U.S. approves vaccines only for certain groups, it still may be possible for others to get the shot depending on the outcome of upcoming advisory meetings, regulatory moves and decisions from insurers and employers. Insurers base coverage decisions on the recommendations of that CDC panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. It's not clear what role that panel now will play. Paying out of pocket could cost about $200. The CDC says its new language for healthy kids — known as shared decision-making — means health insurers must pay for the vaccinations. Some insurers and employers may decide to still cover the shots no matter what, said Jen Kates, a senior vice president at the non-profit KFF, which studies health care issues. She noted that they may view the expense as worthwhile if it avoids a higher bill from someone hospitalized by the coronavirus. The FDA published a list of health conditions it said would qualify, including asthma, cancer, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity. The CDC has a more extensive list. But, again, it isn't yet known how this will play out. For example, it could be hard for people to prove they're qualified. If they're vaccinated at a drugstore, for instance, the pharmacist wouldn't normally know about underlying health problems or even ask. And Ajay Sethi, an epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said 'this elephant in the room' is that blocking vaccination to the healthy may mean people who have a risk factor and simply don't know it will miss out. Adding to the confusion was Kennedy's implication that the coronavirus isn't dangerous to pregnant women. COVID-19 complications during pregnancy can include preterm birth as well as serious illness in the mother, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine said it 'strongly reaffirms' its recommendation for vaccination during pregnancy. Moreover, vaccinating mom can provide spillover protection for the newborn for a few months, until he or she is old enough for their own vaccination, Lynch stressed. ___ Associated Press writer Mike Stobbe contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
