EU regulator approves injectable HIV drug that experts say could help stop transmission
In a statement on Friday, the EU drug regulator said its evaluations of lenacapavir, sold as Yeytuo in Europe by Gilead Sciences, showed the drug is 'highly effective' and 'considered to be of major public health interest.' Once the regulator's guidance is accepted by the European Commission, the authorization is valid in all 27 EU member countries as well as Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
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Winnipeg Free Press
39 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Clemson's Dabo Swinney rooting for Hunter Renfrow as he attempts NFL comeback with Panthers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Hunter Renfrow remembers being cut by the Las Vegas Raiders on March 13, 2024, and not even caring all that much. He had no desire to play football. Physically, he felt awful. He'd lost 35 pounds, went a week with a 103-degree fever and was completely zapped of the energy and fire he was once known to bring to the football field. Running routes, catching passes and being blasted by defensive backs was the last thing on his mind. But after being diagnosed with a severe case of ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and ulcers in the lining of the large intestine and rectum, the 2021 Pro Bowler is now feeling like himself again. He's trying to make an NFL comeback with the Carolina Panthers, the team he rooted for as a kid growing up in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dabo Swinney, his college coach at Clemson, believes if anyone can make it back it's Renfrow. 'You're playing football at the highest level and he just couldn't eat,' Swinney said. 'It affected him, and he was really done (with football). I didn't think he was gonna play again.' Neither did Renfrow. 'I was like, I'm never playing a football again,' Renfroe said. 'Like when you feel like that, you feel like you're letting your teammates down.' Renfrow's problems surfaced late in the 2021 season in which he caught a career-high 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns. He noticed his energy level had dropped off significantly and he could never seem to get it all the way back, even after taking a month off to prep for his first Pro Bowl appearance. The Raiders rewarded Renfrow with a two-year, $32 million contract extension that offseason, but he never came close to reaching that level of production again. He caught just 36 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns in 2022 and 25 passes for 255 yards and no touchdowns in 2023, leading to his release. But after several hospital visits and a referral to a Charlotte-area pediatrician, Renfrow finally received a diagnosis. He began receiving treatment, started a new diet and saw his appetite return. By September he'd put back on the 35 pounds he'd lost and then some. His energy returned. He played pickleball, basketball and golf and the competitive juices began to return. As the 2024 NFL season went out without him, Renfrow privately began discussing a possible comeback with Swinney, who has remained a close friend and father figure. 'I was like Hunter, listen, you know you're gonna be 40 one day,' Swinney said. 'So if you got more left in you …' In January, Renfrow took Swinney's advice and began to work his way back into football shape. He asked his agent if the Panthers might be interested in giving him a workout. They were, and that ultimately led to a one-year, $1.22 million contract that included a modest $50,000 signing bonus. It was a no-lose proposition for the Panthers. But if Monday is any indication, Renfrow might just be a solid under-the-radar free agent addition for the Panthers. With Swinney observing from the Panthers sideline as a guest of coach Dave Canales, the 5-foot-10 Renfrow made two impressive catches reminiscent of the player who went from walk-on to catching the game-winning touchdown pass with 1 second remaining in Clemson's dramatic 35-31 win over Alabama in the national championship game in the 2016 season. Renfrow said he feels appreciative as he continues 'pushing toward something special.' While the unimposing Renfrow may look like an ordinary guy off the field, Swinney said that when he puts on the pads he 'turns into Superman.' 'He catches it. He makes plays,' Swinney said. 'He understands the leverage and influence and route-running and break points and how to set things up and how to play with his hands at full speed. And he's just got elite change of direction. … But he's a little guy that plays really big, and is really crafty. Just his ability to separate and change direction, that's hard to find.' Renfrow is no lock to make the Panthers roster. The Panthers have upgraded their wide receiver position in recent years, drafting Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan in the first round in 2024 and 2025, respectively. They also have veteran wide receivers Adam Thielen and David Moore, and the team remains high on last year's surprise undrafted rookie standout Jalen Coker. But Canales likes what he's seen so far from Renfrow. 'He looks like the Hunter that I remember,' Canales said. Canales said Renfrow began to show a burst during the team's OTAs in the spring, and he's been pleased with his development ever since, citing the five-year NFL veteran's knowledge of coverages and leverages and ability to attack defenses. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The next month will go a long way toward determining whether Renfrow is able to make it all the way back. Either way, at least he has his health. 'I'm just pulling for him,' Swinney said. 'He's having fun again. He's 29 and so I'm just happy that he's back out here. If he stays healthy he'll do what Renfrow does. That's just who he is.' ___ AP NFL:
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
To stay sharper while aging, get active, challenge your brain, and eat healthy
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's official: Older Americans worried about cognitive decline can stay sharper for longer by exercising both their bodies and their brains and eating healthier. That's according to initial results released Monday from a rigorous U.S. study of lifestyle changes in seniors at risk of developing dementia. People following a combination of healthier habits slowed typical age-related cognitive decline — achieving scores on brain tests as if they were a year or two younger, researchers reported in JAMA and at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference. It's not too late to get started — study participants were in their 60s and 70s — and it doesn't require becoming a pickleball champ or swearing off ice cream. 'It was the first time I felt like I was doing something proactive to protect my brain,' said Phyllis Jones, 66, of Aurora, Illinois, who joined the study after caring for her mother with dementia and struggling with her own health problems. It's too soon to know if stalling age-related decline also could reduce the risk of later Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. But Jones and other study participants underwent brain scans and blood tests that researchers now are analyzing for clues – such as whether people also saw a reduction in Alzheimer's-related protein buildup. 'We're all on a cognitive aging clock and anything we can do to slow that clock down, to me, that is a significant benefit,' said Laura Baker of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, who led the study. What's good for the heart is good for the brain Doctors have long encouraged physical activity and a healthy diet for brain fitness. Those steps fight high blood pressure and cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes, factors that increase the risk of dementia. But until now the strongest evidence that specific lifestyle changes later in life could improve how people perform on brain tests came from a study in Finland. Would it work for a more sedentary and culturally diverse U.S. population? With funding from the Alzheimer's Association and the National Institute on Aging, Baker's team tested the strategy for two years in 2,100 adults ages 60 to 79. Here's what study participants had to do Half of participants were randomly assigned to group classes for exercise and dietary changes plus brain-challenging homework – with peer support and coaches tracking their progress. They did a half-hour of moderately intense exercise four times a week — plus twice a week, they added 10 to 15 minutes of stretching and 15 to 20 minutes of resistance training. They followed the 'MIND diet' that stresses lots of leafy greens and berries plus whole grains, poultry and fish. Nothing is banned but it urges limiting red meat, fried or 'fast food' and sweets, and substituting olive oil for butter and margarine. They also had to meet someone or try something new weekly and do brain 'exercises' using an online program called Brain HQ. Other study participants, the control group, received brain-healthy advice and minimal coaching — they chose what steps to follow. Both improved but the groups fared significantly better. Combining social engagement with exercise and dietary steps may be key, said Jessica Langbaum of the Banner Alzheimer's Institute, who wasn't involved with the study. 'Americans want to have that one easy thing – 'If I just eat my blueberries,'' Langbaum said. 'There is no one magic bullet. It is a whole lifestyle.' How to exercise your body and mind on your own Moderately intense physical activity means raising your heart rate and panting a bit yet still able to talk, said Wake Forest's Baker. Pick something safe for your physical capability and start slowly, just 10 minutes at a time until you can handle more, she cautioned. Make it something you enjoy so you stick with it. Likewise there are many options for brain exercise, Baker said – puzzles, joining a book club, learning an instrument or a new language. Jones, a software engineer-turned-tester, learned she loves blueberry-spinach smoothies. Her favorite exercise uses an at-home virtual reality program that lets her work up a sweat while appearing to be in another country and communicating with other online users. One challenge: How to keep up the good work Researchers will track study participants' health for four more years and the Alzheimer's Association is preparing to translate the findings into local community programs. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. Will people with stick with their new habits? Jones lost 30 pounds, saw her heart health improve and feels sharper especially when multitasking. But she hadn't realized her diet slipped when study coaching ended until a checkup spotted rising blood sugar. Now she and an 81-year-old friend from the study are helping keep each other on track. The lifestyle change 'did not just affect me physically, it also affected me mentally and emotionally. It brought me to a much better place,' Jones said. —- The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Toronto Star
3 hours ago
- Toronto Star
To stay sharper while aging, get active, challenge your brain, and eat healthy
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's official: Older Americans worried about cognitive decline can stay sharper for longer by exercising both their bodies and their brains and eating healthier. That's according to initial results released Monday from a rigorous U.S. study of lifestyle changes in seniors at risk of developing dementia. People following a combination of healthier habits slowed typical age-related cognitive decline — achieving scores on brain tests as if they were a year or two younger, researchers reported in JAMA and at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.
