Latest news with #MemorialCareSurgicalWeightLossCenter
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Michelle Trachtenberg Died Of Complications From This Common Condition
Fans were shocked when, on February 26, news broke that actor Michelle Trachtenberg, 39, had been found dead in her New York City apartment. At the time, the reason for the Gossip Girl alum's death wasn't known. Now, her official cause of death has been revealed as complications of diabetes mellitus, according to People. Michelle's family objected to an autopsy for religious reasons, per ABC News, and as a result, the medical examiner limited the investigation to an external exam and lab testing. Sources previously told People that Michelle had a liver transplant months before her death and may have had complications. Another source told the magazine that Michelle had been 'really, really down emotionally' and had told her friends that she was 'struggling' in the year before her death. But Michelle's official cause of death is now raising more questions. Here's what you need to know. Meet the expert: Mir Ali, MD, general surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA Michelle died of complications of diabetes mellitus, better known as diabetes, according to People. Her cause of death has been ruled as natural, a spokesperson for the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner said. Nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes, and it is the eighth largest cause of death in the U.S., leading to 101,209 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, it's not common to die from diabetes complications, says Mir Ali, MD, general surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. There are a few ways someone can die from diabetes complications, Ali (who did not treat Michelle) says. 'You can die from having your blood sugar be too low,' he says. 'You can become unconscious and, if it's not treated promptly, you can die from that.' But it's also possible to die from having blood sugar that's too high, he says. This can lead to complications like diabetic ketoacidosis, which can cause someone to slip into a coma and die, per the CDC. (This is more common in people with type 1 diabetes.) But while it's possible to die from complications of diabetes, Ali says that the average patient shouldn't stress about this, especially if their blood sugar is well managed. 'Sudden death, strictly from diabetes, is very uncommon,' he says. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists Just Uncovered A Major Alzheimer's Finding—And It Involves Ozempic
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." It's hard to keep up with all of the potential perks of going on a GLP-1 receptor agonist medication like Ozempic. So far, researchers have found that these meds may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer, tamp down on symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and even treat addiction. Of course, that's on top of what they're designed to do—help with blood sugar control and weight loss. Now, a growing body of research suggests GLP-1s may also help lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, too. And there's one more study to add to the mix. New research published in JAMA Neurology found a link between people who took GLP-1 receptor agonists and a lowered risk of Alzheimer's disease, which makes even more of a case for going on one of these medications. Here's what experts think of the new study and how it might apply to you. Meet the experts: Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA; Verna Porter, MD, neurologist and director of the Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease and Neurocognitive Disorders at Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA For the study, researchers analyzed health records of 396,963 people in Florida between January 2014 to June 2023. All of the participants were at least 50 years old and had type 2 diabetes. None had been diagnosed with Alzheimer disease and related dementias at the start of the study. The researchers discovered that people who took GLP-1 receptor agonists (like Ozempic) or a type of medicine known as SGLT2 inhibitors (which are also used to lower blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes) had a statistically significant lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias compared to people who were on other medications to lower blood sugar. People with type 2 diabetes are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. (Research suggests that people with type 2 diabetes have a 50 percent higher risk of developing dementia.) The reason for that could be tied to things like insulin resistance, inflammation, and a higher risk of vascular damage, which are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease—and GLP-1 receptor agonists can lower the risks of those complications, explains Verna Porter, MD, neurologist and director of the Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease and Neurocognitive Disorders at Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. But these medications can also help people lose weight, feel better, and be able to lead a healthier lifestyle, points out Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. 'When patients lose weight, risk factors [for Alzheimer's disease] like heart disease and diabetes improve, too,' he says. Dr. Porter says she has 'cautious optimism' about the latest study results, noting that she treats many patients who have both type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. GLP-1 receptor agonists work in the body in a few different ways. But these medications specifically signal to your brain to feel less hungry, making it less likely that you'll overeat, Dr. Ali explains. As a result, many people lose weight on these drugs. But the exact mechanisms of how the drug works in the brain in doing things like tamping down food noise, addiction, and now, decreasing Alzheimer's risk, is still under investigation. This isn't the first study to find a link between GLP-1 receptor agonists and a lowered risk of Alzheimer's disease in people with type 2 diabetes. A study published in October in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia found that people who took semaglutide (a GLP-1 receptor agonist medication) had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to people who took other medications to treat type 2 diabetes. Another study published in Nature Medicine in January found that people who took GLP-1 receptor agonist medications had a lowered risk of developing a slew of health conditions, including dementia. It's important to point out that a lot of these studies look at the impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists on people with type 2 diabetes. Meaning, it's not clear if taking these medications without having type 2 diabetes will have an impact on your Alzheimer's risk. But this growing body of research is definitely raising a lot of questions—and possibilities for treatment—as it unfolds. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
These Foods Have Been Linked to Brain Changes and Obesity
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." There are certain lifestyle habits that are clearly linked to weight gain, like not being active in your daily life and eating a diet filled with ultra-processed foods. But new research suggests that certain foods may actually trigger changes in your brain that could raise your risk of developing obesity. Of course, obesity is a complex chronic disease, and eating certain foods once in a while won't automatically cause you to develop the condition. But this new study has raised a lot of questions about how your diet and brain health can have total-body impacts. So, to help parse the science, Women's Health asked some experts to break down these findings and explain what they mean for you (and your kitchen cupboard!). Meet the experts: Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA; Jessica Cording, RD, CDN, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers; Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy The study, which was published in Nature Metabolism, recruited 29 average-weight men and split them into two groups. One group was asked to supplement their regular diet for five days with an additional 1,500 calories from highly-processed, high-calorie snacks, while the other group didn't consume those extra calories. The researchers had the participants undergo a series of tests (including magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, imaging) at the start of the study, five days after starting the study, and seven days after going back to their usual diet. After five days, the researchers discovered that people in the extra calorie group experienced a significant jump in the amount of fat in their livers. But the researchers also discovered that the participants in this group had significantly lower insulin sensitivity a week after going back to their regular diet compared to the control group, suggesting that their bodies weren't processing foods in as healthily or efficiently as before. In case you're not familiar with it, insulin sensitivity is a measure of how effectively the body's cells respond to the hormone insulin, which allows glucose to be converted into energy in the body. Low insulin sensitivity, or insulin resistance, is linked to a higher risk of developing diabetes and obesity. As a result, the researchers concluded that the 'brain response to insulin can adapt to short-term changes in diet before weight gain and may facilitate the development of obesity and associated diseases." Insulin actually plays a big role in the brain, including influencing the hippocampus, an area linked to reward recognition. It also influences your food intake, says Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. "Insulin isn't just about blood sugar—it plays a crucial role in the brain by regulating appetite, metabolism, and even cognitive functions like memory and learning," explains Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. "When insulin is working properly, it signals the brain to reduce hunger and helps neurons use glucose efficiently for energy." But insulin's impact on the brain can be influenced by other factors, including what you eat, as the study results showed. 'Having large amounts of high carbohydrate, high fat foods can cause insulin secretion to be altered in all organs, including the brain,' Dr. Ali says. Those foods can increase cravings, and lead to poor appetite control and a greater risk of developing obesity and metabolic disorders, according to Dr. Keatley. In this case, eating high-carb, high-calorie foods may make it harder for your body to process the fuel you eat and may also work against your efforts to eat healthy—even days after you had a lot of junk food. This study specifically looked at foods that were considered "highly processed" and high in calories, with a nutritional breakdown of 47 to 50 percent fat and 40 to 45 percent carbohydrates. The researchers called these specific foods out in the study, mentioning they were some of the snacks that were eaten by participants: Snickers Brownies Chips Kit Kats M&Ms This particular study didn't look into whether you can reverse the brain changes that result from eating highly processed, calorie-dense foods, but Dr. Ali says it's possible. If you feel like your dietary habits have taken a nosedive lately, he recommends doing your best to get back on track by focusing on lean proteins and vegetables. Focus on eating a mix of protein, fat, and fiber at every meal to help you get in plenty of nutrients while still feeling satisfied, says Jessica Cording, RD, CDN, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. Regular exercise and good sleep can help manage insulin levels too. "Both cardio and strength training boost insulin sensitivity in the brain," Dr. Keatley says. "Poor sleep disrupts insulin signaling, while good sleep helps reset brain metabolism." Don't count yourself out if you've just dug into a bag of chips or candy. 'Just like unhealthy eating only took a short time to cause some abnormality, healthy eating can help reverse the effects,' Dr. Ali says. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Doctors Say This Is The Key To Avoiding Menopausal Weight Gain
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." There's been a lot of focus on perimenopause and menopause over the last few years and, frankly, a lot of the noise is scary. Cruise through social media and you'll see a ton of posts about how you're doomed to experience perimenopausal weight gain, with no hopes of ever seeing the number on the scale go down again. But being proactive about menopause can make the transition period easier to manage and even empowering as you navigate through it, says Jessica Shepherd, MD, an ob-gyn in Texas and author of the book, Generation gain is a common symptom that can happen during perimenopause, and it can be harder to lose weight as you get older, says Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. But it's not inevitable that you'll gain weight and not be able to lose it. Making small changes before you hit perimenopause across your diet, exercise routine, and overall lifestyle can help to set you up for success in the future, Dr. Shepherd says. 'The transition that is healthiest for menopause is one that looks at all the factors that impact our health over time,' she says. Meaning, the healthiest way to navigate menopause is to be the healthiest version of yourself in general. Ali agrees. 'If you go into perimenopause and menopause at a healthy weight and maintain good habits, that will help prevent weight gain," he says. Meet the experts: Jessica Shepherd, MD, an ob-gyn in Texas and author of the book, Generation M; Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA; Michael Snyder, MD, medical director of HCA HealthONE Denver Center for Weight Loss and bariatric surgery at Rose Medical Center and in-house obesity specialist at FuturHealth Because living a healthy lifestyle is all about good habits, setting yourself up for success now will have a big impact on your future. Here's why weight management can be harder as you get into menopause, plus what you can do to reverse unwanted weight gain. It's important to point out that you can gain weight during any phase of life, and that's probably something you're well aware of. But perimenopausal weight gain is slightly different. During perimenopause, you're navigating a bunch of hormonal shifts (more on those in a sec) and that can mess with your ability to lose weight or even maintain your existing weight. While you're likely to gain weight during any phase of life if you start eating more than you did in the past or having more high-calorie foods, perimenopausal weight gain is different. With perimenopausal weight gain, you may find that you gain weight by eating the same way you always have, and that it's harder to lose that additional weight than it was in the past, Dr. Ali says. While people gain weight differently, you may be more likely to gain it around your midsection when it's due to perimenopause, according to the Mayo Clinic. There are a few things that happen during menopause that can make weight management more difficult. 'Women gain weight in this time of their life due to hormone shifts,' Dr. Shepherd says. That includes a drop in estrogen and an increase in the stress hormone cortisol, she says. That increase in cortisol can impact how your body breaks down nutrients and may even encourage your body to store more fat, she says. At the same time, you may also have a drop in your body's levels of testosterone, says Michael Snyder, MD, medical director of HCA HealthONE Denver Center for Weight Loss and bariatric surgery at Rose Medical Center and in-house obesity specialist at FuturHealth. Those hormonal shifts can impact how fat is broken down in your body, as well as where it's stored, he says. To make things even more complicated, women tend to lose muscle mass and bone density during this time because of a combination of hormonal shifts and aging, Dr. Snyder says. 'That can make it easier to gain weight and harder to lose it,' he says. 'Factors like stress, sleep disturbances, and changes in activity levels can also contribute.' All of the experts we spoke to recommended increasing your protein intake to combat perimenopausal weight gain. That's because protein helps support muscle mass, which can rev up your metabolism, Dr. Shepherd says. It also lowers the odds you'll lose muscle mass, which can help to support bone health as you get older, Dr. Ali says. Protein is also filling, decreasing the risk you'll get hungry between meals and snacks and overeat, Dr. Ali says. The exact amount of protein you need varies depending on other factors in your life. However, research suggests that people who are active need 1.2 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of protein to support tissue growth. That breaks down to about 30 to 35 grams of protein per meal for most people. 'Consider both plant and animal forms of protein,' Dr. Shepherd says. Meaning, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts—they're all on the menu. Fiber isn't as hot a macronutrient lately as protein, but it's important. You can get fiber from foods that are traditionally viewed as "healthy," like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Fiber can do a few things, and one is to support a good gut microbiome. 'As we age, the gut microbiome weakens and therefore fiber intake should increase,' Dr. Shepherd says. Fiber is crucial for helping you to maintain a healthy weight, since it's filling and can help to regulate your blood sugar levels, lowering the chances you'll experience a blood sugar crash and feel hangry as a result, Dr. Shepherd says. Another perk: Fiber helps support good digestive health, i.e. it helps you poop. Dr. Ali recommends trying to load up non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, and carrots, along with plenty of protein. Not only are vegetables packed with nutrients that can support your health as you get older, but they're also high in fiber and can help to fill you up, too, Dr. Ali says. Vegetables can also help to crowd out less healthy options from your plate. Only about five percent of Americans get enough fiber, so having more of this macronutrient should be a goal. (Most women need to have at about 25 grams a day.) Just ramp up your fiber intake slowly—otherwise, you run the risk of dealing with uncomfortable bloating and gas. While Dr. Ali says that weight management is largely about diet, he also stresses the importance of being physically active. Not only is exercise good for your overall health, it can help to maintain muscle and bone mass, he says. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone gets at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise every week. Being active in any form is great, but weight-bearing exercises are especially good for bone strength, Dr. Shepherd points out. That's why it's good to have things like running, stair climbing, hiking, and dancing in the mix. Every person is different, but the CDC suggests aiming to do those 150 minutes of exercise a week (which can be broken down into 30 minutes, five days a week), along with two days of muscle-strengthening activity. That basically breaks down to five days of cardio, with strength training in the mix, too. This is something a lot of women are missing. As we just mentioned, the CDC currently recommends having at least two days of muscle-strengthening activity each week in your workout routine, and Dr. Shepherd says this is especially important as you near menopause—along with ramping up your protein intake. 'Make sure weight training is also a part of the increase in protein,' she says. 'As much as one can fit into a weekly routine is more important than none at all.' Why? It can help to build muscle mass and support the muscle mass you already have. 'If you lose muscle mass, you need fewer calories to maintain your weight,' Dr. Ali says. 'But increasing muscle mass can help.' Not only can muscle mass support your bones and increase strength as you get older, it also helps keep your metabolism working well, he says. Your body doesn't need added sugars, which are sugars that are added to foods. (Those are different from naturally-occurring sugars, which are found in things like fruit, by the way.) Added sugars provide empty calories and can lead to weight gain, Dr. Ali points out. Not only that, sugar can be habit-forming, and eating a lot of added sugar now can make it tough to cut it out down the road. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting calories from added sugars to less than 10 percent of your total calories per day. (So, if you eat a 2,000-calorie diet, that means having more than 200 of your calories from added sugars, or 50 grams.) But the American Heart Association (AHA) takes things a step farther, recommending that women have no more than 100 calories a day from sugar or 25 grams. Dr. Snyder lists sleep as a crucial factor in lowering the odds of perimenopausal weight gain. Logging at least seven hours of quality sleep a night can do a few things for you. One is that it can help you to wake up feeling refreshed, providing plenty of energy to do things like maintain your activity level and workout routine. Another is that it can help to control levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your body. You're also more likely to overeat when you're wiped out, making it important to get rest when you can, Dr. Ali says. Unfortunately, the hormonal changes that happen in perimenopause and menopause can mess with your ability to get good sleep. But having a consistent exercise routine, eating a good diet, and limiting alcohol can help support good sleep, Dr. Shepherd says. (If you're really struggling, it's important to check in with a physician or sleep specialist to see if something else could be behind your sleep issues.) Doctors stress that you're not doomed to gain weight in perimenopause and menopause. And, even if you notice the scale creeping up, it's still possible to lose it, Dr. Ali says. Taking up these habits now—even in your 20s and 30s—can help set you up for successful weight management down the road. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
