Astrophysicist explains if the meteorite that landed in Georgia could be connected to the current meteor shower
"The thing is that time ranges when those meteors could occur," Moffett said. "It could be associated with that meteor shower, or it could just be a completely random instance."
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Medscape
41 minutes ago
- Medscape
Diabetes Drug Tied to Decreased Dementia Risk in T2D
TOPLINE: Semaglutide was associated with a 20%-46% reduced risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared with other antidiabetic medications, with a particularly strong protective effect against vascular dementia, new research showed. METHODOLOGY: Researchers examined electronic health records (EHRs) of more than 1.7 million US adults with T2D with or without obesity and with no prior diagnosis of AD or AD-related dementia. They compared semaglutide (n = 64,267 users) to seven other antidiabetic medications (n = 1,646,728 users) on the first-time diagnosis of AD-related dementia, as well as the subtypes of vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Lewy body dementia, during a 3-year follow-up. The other antidiabetic medications included insulin, metformin, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors, sulfonylurea, thiazolidinedione, and first-generation GLP-1 receptor agonists (albiglutide, dulaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide, and lixisenatide). Secondary outcomes included prescriptions of dementia-related medications. TAKEAWAY: Semaglutide was associated with a significantly reduced risk for AD-related dementia compared to insulin (hazard ratio [HR], 0.54), metformin (HR, 0.67), and older GLP-1 receptor agonists (HR, 0.80). Protection against vascular dementia was also greater for semaglutide compared to insulin (HR, 0.48), metformin (HR, 0.55), and GLP-1 receptor agonists (HR, 0.67). No significant associations were found between the use of semaglutide and the risk for FTD or Lewy body dementia. The link between semaglutide and reduced AD-related dementia risk vs insulin, metformin, and GLP-1 receptor agonists was stronger in younger adults (mean age, 51.7 years) compared to older adults (mean age, 70.9 years), with risk reductions ranging from 32% to 56% vs 20% to 39%. The use of semaglutide vs other antidiabetic medications was associated with significantly fewer prescriptions of dementia-related medications. IN PRACTICE: 'There is no cure or effective treatment for dementia, so this new study provides real-world evidence for its potential impact on preventing or slowing dementia development among at high-risk population,' Rong Xu, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, said in a press release. 'Future works are needed to establish causal relationships through randomized clinical trials and to characterize the underlying mechanisms,' the investigators wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by William Wang, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland. It was published online on June 24 in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. LIMITATIONS: This retrospective, observational, EHR-based study was limited by potential over-, under-, or misdiagnosis; unmeasured confounders; and a short 3-year follow-up period. Diagnosis of AD-related dementia relied on International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes and prescription data, which may have lacked precision. This study also lacked data on medication adherence, cognitive function tracking, and genetic profiles, and could not fully adjust for variation of healthcare use. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by grants from the National Institute on Aging and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. One investigator reported being the editor in chief of the publishing journal but was not involved in the peer-review process. The other investigators reported having no relevant financial conflicts. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Fox News
41 minutes ago
- Fox News
Disposable vapes more toxic and carcinogenic than cigarettes, study shows
Illegal disposable e-cigarettes, also known as vapes, may present a greater danger than traditional cigarettes, according to a study from the University of California (UC) Davis. The research, published in the journal ACS Central Science, found that hazardous levels of several toxic heavy metals in illegal vapes could present a high cancer risk. Researchers used a special instrument to test the puffs from three popular vape brands — ELF Bar, Flum Pebble and Esco — that are not FDA-authorized for use in the U.S., but are widely sold by retailers. Three heavy metals — lead, nickel and antimony — were detected in all heavily flavored and lightly flavored devices that were tested. These metals are classified as carcinogens, potentially leading to various types of cancers, such as skin, lung and kidney, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). All vapors exceeded the cancer risk limits for nickel, which has been linked to cardiovascular disease, asthma, lung fibrosis and respiratory tract cancer, per NIH. Brett Poulin, senior study author and assistant professor at the UC Davis Department of Environmental Toxicology, told Fox News Digital that he was shocked at the levels of toxic metals. "When I analyzed the first samples, the lead concentrations were so high that I genuinely thought the instrument was broken," he said. "The levels far exceeded anything in our past data, or even the published literature." One of the brands tested exposes users to as much lead as smoking 19 packs of cigarettes, the researchers discovered. Additionally, most of the disposable e-cigarettes tested in the study were found to contain greater levels of metals and metalloids than older refillable vapes. At one point, Poulin said, he physically opened a device and discovered that it was using leaded copper alloys, which are metals made primarily of copper with small amounts of lead. "These materials leached dangerous levels of lead into the e-liquid, even without the device being used," Poulin told Fox News Digital. "It remains unclear whether this was an intentional design choice, a cost-cutting measure or a manufacturing oversight." "This neurotoxin poses serious health risks, particularly to children and adolescents." There is no known safe level of lead exposure, according to Poulin. "This neurotoxin poses serious health risks, particularly to children and adolescents, who are especially vulnerable." Daniel Sterman, M.D., director of the Pulmonary Oncology Program at the NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, told Fox News Digital that the study "clearly" demonstrates high concentrations of metal. "There are several health risks of vaping that we enumerate for our patients and their family members, [such as] risks of various lung diseases, including asthma, COPD and lung cancer," said Sterman, who was not involved in the study. The doctor noted that while it is challenging to establish a direct link of causation between disposable vapes and cancer, he does see cancer patients who use the devices. "Disposable vapes should be highly regulated by local, state and federal agencies, and restricted to those individuals 21 years or older," Sterman recommends. The doctor also called for the packaging on disposable vapes to clearly outline the many health risks, "particularly to teenagers and young adults." One of the primary limitations of the study was that only three disposable e-cigarette brands were tested out of the hundreds currently on the market. There are distinct differences in the metal leaching and profiles across all three brands, Poulin shared. "We still know very little about the metal content in the vast majority of untested disposable e-cigarette products," he said. "This gap in knowledge poses a significant public health concern, especially given the popularity of these devices." A spokesperson for the China-based brand, ELFBAR, told Fox News Digital that they refute the results of the study, claiming that they stopped shipments in May 2023. Due to ongoing trademark litigation, they are unable to market or sell products in the U.S., the company stated. "This market void has led to a surge in counterfeits, imitations and illicit variations misusing our brand name," the spokesperson said. "As such, we have every reason to believe the devices tested in this study are not genuine and were not manufactured by ELFBAR." The spokesperson acknowledged that smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease worldwide, noting that the recent study "continues to undermine public understanding of smoking cessation." The other two brands tested in the study did not respond to requests for comment. "Disposable vapes should be highly regulated by local, state and federal agencies and restricted to those individuals 21 years or older." Electronic cigarette use among adults increased from 4.5% in 2019 to 6.5% in 2023, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Men are more likely to vape than women, while 15.5% of young adults between the ages of 21 and 24 reported using e-cigarettes, the above source states. For more Health articles, visit The UC Davis study received support from the University of California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program Grant and the California Agricultural Experiment Station.
Forbes
44 minutes ago
- Forbes
Don't Miss This Weekend's Sky Show As The Moon And Mars Shine Together
In an alignment of celestial bodies, Mars was captured here rising out of a lunar occultation on 13 ... More January 2025 using the new Visitor Center 0.6-meter Shreve Telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab, near Tucson, Arizona. Skywatchers will have two opportunities this weekend to see the moon form striking alignments in the post-sunset sky. On Saturday, June 28, a trio featuring the moon, Mars and the bright star Regulus will appear in a neat arc. Then, on Sunday, June 29, the moon and Mars will be in a very close conjunction — and in some parts of the world, Mars will be briefly occulted by the moon. Here's everything you need to know about what to see in the night sky this weekend. Where And When to Look Be outside looking to the western horizon about 45 minutes after sunset. You'll need a clear, unobstructed view since the moon and its companions will be low in the sky. The display will be short-lived, disappearing from view within about 45 minutes as twilight deepens — so good timing is imperative. Mars will appear dimmer than the moon, but it will be easy to find. Saturday, June 28: Moon, Regulus And Mars What You'll See On Saturday, June 28, a 16%-lit crescent moon will be a spectacular sight. Slightly above and left of the moon will be Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo, and farther away, the reddish dot of the planet Mars. The three objects will be spaced nearly evenly, forming a clear visual arc. That arc will crumble after sunset on Sunday, June 29, when the now 24%-lit crescent moon will appear in conjunction with Mars — just 0.2 degrees apart as seen from North America. That's less than an outstretched little finger held against the night sky. From parts of the Pacific and northern South America, the moon will occult Mars for about an hour, according to Sunday, June 29: Moon And Mars In Conjunction Observing Tips You just need naked eyes for this sky event, though a pair of binoculars will enhance the view, especially on Sunday, when the moon and Mars will be close enough to fit within the same field. However, a close-up of the moon on either night will reveal something beautiful on its night side — Earthshine, sunlight reflected from Earth's clouds, oceans and ice caps onto the lunar surface. An open view to the west is essential both nights, especially during the first hour after sunset, when the celestial trio is visible. Monday, June 30: Moon, Mars And Regulus What's Next In The Night Sky Although the arc of bright objects will be much looser, look west after sunset on Monday, June 30, and you'll see a 33%-lit crescent moon, this time on the other side of Mars and Regulus. For exact timings, use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are, Stellarium Web for a sky chart and Night Sky Tonight: Visible Planets at Your Location for positions and rise/set times for planets. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
