Latest news with #JAMANetwork
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Weight loss drugs may lower risk of dementia, stroke: Study
Some popular weight loss drugs may lower the risk of dementia and stroke for patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity, new research published in JAMA Network suggests. Patients taking semaglutide or tirzepatide medications — active ingredients in weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy — showed a lower risk of developing certain diseases compared to those taking other, similar medications. Those include neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer's, and cerebrovascular disease, which manifests in strokes, brain aneurysms and more. Researchers analyzed the health developments over seven years in 60,000 adults aged 40 or older diagnosed with both Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as recorded by the TriNetX U.S. network. The patients were all users of semaglutide, tirzepatide or other GLP-1 anti-diabetes drugs from December 2017 through June 2024. The effects were most prominent among women, patients older than 60 and those with a body mass index of 30 to 40. Researchers acknowledged more clinical trials are needed to corroborate their initial findings, but they maintained the data 'represents one of the most recent clinical database–driven analyses to investigate the neuroprotective and cerebrovascular associations of newer GLP-1RAs' for some patients. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Newsweek
a day ago
- Health
- Newsweek
'Extremely Severe' Obesity on the Rise in US Children—Study
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Extremely severe obesity among American children has increased more than threefold over the past 15 years, with new research published on the JAMA Network, highlighting disturbing trends in prevalence and related health complications. Researchers analyzed national health data from 2008 to 2023, uncovering a surge in the most severe obesity categories for U.S. children aged 2 to 18 years old. Newsweek has reached out to the authors of the study via email Sunday during non-working hours for further comment. Why It Matters The study comes as the nation faces persistent challenges combating childhood obesity, signaling what authors have called a "public health emergency" with wide-ranging medical and economic consequences for future generations. "The findings underscore the urgent need for public health interventions against pediatric obesity in the U.S.," authors Eliane Munte, Xinlian Zhang, Amit Khurana, and Phillipp Hartmann wrote in the study. The sharp upswing in extremely severe obesity among children raises the risk of developing serious medical conditions—including type 2 diabetes, steatotic liver disease, also known as fatty liver disease (MASLD), metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of April 2024, approximately 1 in 5 children—14.7 million—are already classified as obese, with the burden disproportionately affecting racial minorities and lower-income families. Untreated, these complications can persist into adulthood, multiplying risks for chronic disease and shortened life expectancy. What To Know The study evaluated data from 25,847 children and teens, drawing from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2008 and 2023. Obesity was categorized using percentiles based on age and sex, and researchers identified a 253 percent relative increase in extremely severe obesity. Adolescents aged 16 to 18 and non-Hispanic Black children were especially affected. According to the CDC, the prevalence of obesity in U.S. children and teens aged 2-19 years increased from 19.46 percent in 2008 to 22.52 percent in 2023. Several factors have fueled the rise in pediatric obesity, including decreased physical activity, increased screen time, and greater access to high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. Researchers noted that these issues intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, with children experiencing a nearly doubled rate of annual weight gain between 2019 and 2021 compared to prior years. "The monthly rate of BMI increase nearly times faster after the virus appeared," Dr. Alyson Goodman of the CDC said in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in 2021, highlighting the influence of pandemic-era disruptions. Economic and social disparities also contribute significantly to who is most affected. The CDC reported higher obesity rates among children in families below 130 percent of the federal poverty level around 25 percent, compared with those in wealthier households at 11.5 percent. Unequal access to healthy foods, safe recreational spaces, and adequate medical care also play roles, the CDC said in 2024. The JAMA study found significantly higher odds of children developing MASLD (a fatty liver disease), diabetes or prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and early signs of heart disease. Left unchecked, these conditions can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and major cardiovascular events later in life. In 2024, the CDC estimated the annual medical cost of childhood obesity at $1.3 billion, underscoring the seriousness of the crisis. A beam scale is seen in New York on April 3, 2018. A beam scale is seen in New York on April 3, 2018. AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File What People Are Saying The authors of the study wrote in the conclusion: "The findings of this study with over 25,800 participants provide robust evidence supporting extremely severe obesity specifically as a public health emergency. The association with metabolic and cardiovascular complications necessitates urgent public health action, such as early prevention, targeted education, and the mobilization of resources." What Happens Next? The authors called for "urgent public health interventions" and proposed a multi-layered approach, including preventive education, improved access to nutritious foods, and equitable health care.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Weight loss drugs may lower risk of dementia, stroke: Study
Some popular weight loss drugs may lower the risk of dementia and stroke for patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity, new research published in JAMA Network suggests. Patients taking semaglutide or tirzepatide medications — active ingredients in weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy — showed a lower risk of developing certain diseases compared to those taking other, similar medications. Those include neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer's, and cerebrovascular disease, which manifests in strokes, brain aneurysms and more. Researchers analyzed the health developments over seven years in 60,000 adults aged 40 or older diagnosed with both Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as recorded by the TriNetX U.S. network. The patients were all users of semaglutide, tirzepatide or other GLP-1 anti-diabetes drugs from December 2017 through June 2024. The effects were most prominent among women, patients older than 60 and those with a body mass index of 30 to 40. Researchers acknowledged more clinical trials are needed to corroborate their initial findings, but they maintained the data 'represents one of the most recent clinical database–driven analyses to investigate the neuroprotective and cerebrovascular associations of newer GLP-1RAs' for some patients. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
5 days ago
- Health
- The Hill
Weight loss drugs may lower risk of dementia, stroke: Study
Some popular weight loss drugs may lower the risk of dementia and stroke for patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity, new research published in JAMA Network suggests. Patients taking semaglutide or tirzepatide medications — active ingredients in weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy — showed a lower risk of developing certain diseases compared to those taking other, similar medications. Those include neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer's, and cerebrovascular disease, which manifests in strokes, brain aneurysms and more. Researchers analyzed the health developments over seven years in 60,000 adults aged 40 or older diagnosed with both Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as recorded by the TriNetX U.S. network. The patients were all users of semaglutide, tirzepatide or other GLP-1 anti-diabetes drugs from December 2017 through June 2024. The effects were most prominent among women, patients older than 60 and those with a body mass index of 30 to 40. Researchers acknowledged more clinical trials are needed to corroborate their initial findings, but they maintained the data 'represents one of the most recent clinical database–driven analyses to investigate the neuroprotective and cerebrovascular associations of newer GLP-1RAs' for some patients.
Forbes
13-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
American Kids Are Getting Sicker. Here's What To Know
STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT - APRIL 04: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Paramedic Randy Lilly, wearing personal ... More protection equipment (PPE), tends to a 10-month-old boy with fever while riding by ambulance with the infant's mother to Stamford Hospital on April 04, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut. (Photo by) Children across the United States are getting sicker, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network. The study examined how the health of U.S. children has changed from 2007 to 2023 using comprehensive data sets, millions of electronic pediatric health records and various surveys. According to the authors, American children were 15 to 20% more likely to have a chronic medical condition in 2023 than in 2011, with the prevalence of multiple conditions increasing such as depression, anxiety, obesity, autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; to name a few. Specifically, from 2011 to 2023, the prevalence of chronic medical conditions among 3- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. rose from 39.9% to 45.7%. The study also looked at mortality rates in America and compared them to mortality rates of children in other high-income countries. Between 2010 to 2023, the authors found that kids in the United States were 80% more likely to die than kids in other high-income nations. In older children and adolescents, deaths were most closely linked to gun violence, motor-vehicle accidents and substance abuse. The study underscores the importance of addressing root causes as to why the health of American children has deteriorated over the last 15 years or so. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made it a priority to investigate and combat chronic medical conditions as part of his Make America Healthy Again agenda. Some progress by Kennedy has already been or presumably will be made. As an example, under his leadership, the FDA has banned Red Dye No. 3 in food and ingested drugs. Under the ban, food manufacturers have until January 2027 and drug manufacturers until January 2028 to reformulate their products. The dye was linked to thyroid cancer risks in rats as well as behavioral issues in children such as hyperactivity. Removing the dye could make a dent in decreasing chronic medical conditions such as cancer and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, there remain serious challenges with the fight against chronic medical conditions in children. For starters, access to healthcare remains a serious issue in America, but not necessarily other high-income countries. Canada and the United Kingdom, for example, offer universal health coverage for children. That is certainly not the case in the United States, where 41% of children rely on Medicaid for health insurance, according to the Pew Research Center. Health coverage under Medicaid is in serious jeopardy because of the recently signed spending bill by President Trump which will cause nearly 12 million Americans to lose health insurance in the next decade, many of them children. In addition, many of the chronic conditions that have increased in prevalence in America revolve around mental health, such as depression and anxiety. However, Secretary Kennedy significantly downsized the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, decreasing a third of its workforce. President Trump also cut $1 billion from the agency's budget. These changes provide much less revenue and staff to deal with the emerging crisis of chronic medical conditions, and particularly mental health, among children in America. One thing remains certain- a wide range of chronic medical conditions are detrimentally affecting American youth. Investing in our children with adequate funds and staff will be necessary to turn the tide on this concerning health trend.
