Latest news with #Tanzi
New Statesman
30-07-2025
- Health
- New Statesman
The return of measles reveals human beings at their most contradictory
Illustration by Charlotte Trounce Tanzi was worried about sunscreen: 'Which ones are safe to use, and which are the ones that cause cancer?' I was pretty sure that if some sunscreens had proved to be carcinogenic, I would have heard about it. But Tanzi was certain, so I promised to do some digging. There was a scare in 2021 when testing by an independent laboratory in the US seemed to show the presence of benzene, a known carcinogen, in certain preparations. The research led to some product recalls, but it turned out the lab had heated samples well above temperatures encountered in ordinary life, guaranteeing chemical decomposition. Conversely, there are scientifically sound studies with years of follow-up which confirm that regular sunscreen use reduces rates of skin cancer without evidence of harm. 'I think you've got a theoretical risk set against a definite potential benefit,' I said, when I phoned Tanzi later. One of the joys of general practice is taking opportunities for health promotion. 'In any case, there's way more benzene in cigarette smoke.' She laughed wryly. 'Fair point! That's a work-in-progress.' I've been thinking about Tanzi as we see a resurgence of measles internationally. Europe and America are experiencing their highest numbers of cases for more than 25 years. In England, which hit a 12-year peak in 2024, a child recently died from measles, in Liverpool. There have been fatalities in Mexico, the US and Canada among children and young adults. Outbreaks are primarily affecting deprived areas where vaccine uptake is well below levels necessary for herd immunity. Deaths have invariably involved unvaccinated individuals. Yet I have had conversations over the past fortnight with three sets of parents determined not to immunise their children. All have cited the same considerations. Social media or friendship groups have served up alarming stories of adverse events that appear to have followed vaccination. As I have tried gently to describe the overwhelming efficacy of immunisation at preventing disease, disability and death, the shutters have slammed down. Emotive stories are far more powerful than dry data. I have empathised with their dilemma, sharing my own quandary over MMR when my children were little (this was when the disgraced doctor Andrew Wakefield first made spurious claims about the jab, and I spent obsessive late-night hours poring over research papers before deciding to go ahead). But I am part of the medico-governmental-pharmaceutical complex. And because of my training, I am biased towards science. Tanzi keeps coming to mind: how she could be simultaneously anxious about carcinogenic sunscreens while calming her nerves with a fag. We are fantastically contradictory beings and so many factors sway our perception of risk. Activities we've done daily for years become normalised. We may understand them to be potentially injurious but, subconsciously, we believe ourselves to be invulnerable – the bad stuff happens to other people. We assimilate evidence that supports our beliefs and dismiss things that run counter. Acts of commission – consenting to a vaccination – feel inherently riskier than those of omission. Measles won't happen to our child, or if it does, surely all it will do is strengthen their immune system. Vaccination is, alongside clean water, sanitation, adequate nutrition and good maternity care, one of the most effective things we have found as a species to enhance healthy life expectancy. Yet internationally declining immunisation rates are a study in what can weigh on our judgements. State restriction on individual liberty during the pandemic merges with coercion over Covid vaccination to feed in to experiences of oppression. Social media delivers limitless scare stories and conspiracies into our phones. And diseases that most of us have never seen feel remote and theoretical. Very regrettably, it may take many more avoidable tragedies before the realities of serious infectious diseases once more begin to hit home. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe [See also: Labour's summer of discontent] Related
Business Wire
17-07-2025
- Health
- Business Wire
CogniSHIELD Global Introduces Science-Based Supplement for Brain Health
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CogniSHIELD Global, a leader in brain health and longevity, today announced Cogni SHIELD ™, a science-backed dietary supplement designed to support brain health by protecting against normal age-related cognitive decline, maximizing neural function, and promoting mental vitality, memory, and recall. Developed in collaboration with Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, a Harvard neuroscientist and leading expert on brain health, Cogni SHIELD 's unique blend of ingredients were shown in laboratory studies to help the brain protect against neuroinflammation and clear away excess beta-amyloid. It's available on Amazon and at Developed in collaboration with Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, a Harvard neuroscientist and leading expert on brain health, CogniSHIELD is designed to support brain health by protecting against normal age-related cognitive decline. Share Normal age-related cognitive decline can begin by age 30. Cogni SHIELD is the first commercial product conceived and tested using Alzheimer's-in-a-Dish ™, the world's first mini-human brain organoid model that recreates three of the main physical changes that arise in the aging brain. Dr. Tanzi tested more than 3,500 natural products at Massachusetts General Hospital using the Alzheimer's-in-a-Dish models. The testing showed that a combination of Cogni SHIELD 's four natural ingredients—Ipriflavone, Urolithin A, Quercetin, Fisetin—demonstrated the ability to reduce neuroinflammation and clear beta-amyloid, which often accumulates in the normal aging brain. Individually, each ingredient is well-studied, found in nature and has a long history of use as a supplement. Ipriflavone and Urolithin A helped clear beta-amyloid while Quercetin and Fisetin helped reduce neuroinflammation in the Alzheimer's-in-a-Dish laboratory models. A human study for Cogni SHIELD is expected to begin in late 2025. 'Anyone can start protecting their brain health at any age,' said George Alex, CogniSHIELD Global's CEO. 'We developed Cogni SHIELD in collaboration with one of the top neuroscientists in the world, Dr. Rudy Tanzi, to deliver a science-based supplement whose discovery and development reflects pharmaceutical rigor, which is unique for a dietary supplement. We hope it provides a valuable option for people who strive to maintain a healthy brain.' Dr. Tanzi has written several books on brain health, including the bestsellers Super Brain, Super Genes, and The Healing Self. His research accomplishments in brain health have revolutionized understanding of age-related cognitive decline. Cogni SHIELD builds on this understanding as well as a decade-plus of testing thousands of ingredients to identify the ones with the greatest potential impact on brain health. This positions Cogni SHIELD as a potentially valuable addition to the lifestyle choices that are known to reduce the risk of dementia. Significant published data show that lifestyle interventions can slow cognitive decline, even reducing the risk for dementia by 45 percent. Dr. Tanzi created the acronym SHIELD for the habits that can impact amyloid build up and neuroinflammation: S leep, H andling stress, I nteraction with friends, E xercise, L earning new things, and D iet. Dr. Tanzi details these lifestyle modifications on his website at Cogni SHIELD is available at and at A one-month supply is $89. About Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D. Rudy Tanzi's groundbreaking research has advanced our understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases for more than four decades. He co-discovered all three genes for familial early-onset Alzheimer's disease and co-created the novel application of human stem cells to invent the first mini-human brain, Alzheimer's-in-a-Dish, ™ which has made drug discovery significantly faster and less expensive. Dr. Tanzi is Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Director of the McCance Center for Brain Health, and Co-Director of the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. He has received the highest awards in his field, published more than 725 research papers and co-authored several bestselling books. As a professional musician, he plays the studio keyboard for Aerosmith, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp. For additional detail, please visit his full biography. To stay abreast of his research and discoveries, visit and follow him on LinkedIn, X and Instagram. About Cogni SHIELD Cogni SHIELD ™ is a science-based brain health supplement designed to support brain health by protecting against normal age-related cognitive decline, maximizing neural function, promoting brain health and mental vitality and supporting memory and recall. Cogni SHIELD 's synergistic blend of four natural ingredients–Ipriflavone, Quercetin, Fisetin, and Urolithin A–were selected from 3500+ natural supplements and builds upon 10 years of research and testing at Massachusetts General Hospital's Tanzi Lab. Each ingredient has been the subject of several studies supporting safety and brain health benefits. The ingredients in the vegetable-grade capsule are sourced and tested for potency, safety, and purity, and manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). An independent, GMP-certified laboratory conducts additional third-party testing designed to ensure quality, safety, and effectiveness. Cogni SHIELD is available at and Cogni SHIELD is a dietary supplement. Any statements about the product have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Cogni SHIELD is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. About CogniSHIELD Global CogniSHIELD Global is focused on supporting brain health as people age. Its science-based supplement, Cogni SHIELD, was developed in collaboration with Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, a Harvard neuroscientist and leading expert on brain health. Cogni SHIELD's synergistic blend of four natural substances is designed to support brain health by protecting against normal age-related cognitive decline, which can begin by age 30. For more information, visit and follow the company on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Boston Globe
20-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
R.I. bill to ban smoking in casinos faces uncertain odds on final day of legislative session
Former Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio, a North Providence Democrat, had long Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Senator V. Susan Sosnowski, a South Kingstown Democrat, said she has been trying to end smoking in casinos since the Public Health and Workplace Safety Act passed 20 years ago. Advertisement 'So this is a big day for Rhode Island and especially for the workers,' Sosnowski said Wednesday. 'I think the casino is going to end up making even more money in the long run, with a decent atmosphere for people to go in and do gaming.' But new Senate Majority Leader Frank A. Ciccone III, a Providence Democrat, introduced a floor amendment that he said would correct an 'error' by removing the name of a specific smoking bar — the Advertisement Senator Samuel W. Bell, a Providence Democrat, questioned the amendment, saying, 'What's to stop this from just creating a large smoking floor — just enclosing it off and just creating a smoking floor that covers a lot of the facility? 'And on Thursday, Representative Teresa A. Tanzi, the Narragansett Democrat who has championed 'We are going to work with labor and the workers to try to understand what this all means,' Tanzi said. 'But my reading is it trades one exemption for a much bigger exemption. I'm really disappointed.' The House had been poised to pass the bill on Friday, but now it's unclear what will happen, she said. 'Nobody wants to walk away from this session without making progress,' Tanzi said. 'But if it's not going to provide protections, then what is it worth?' Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights issued a statement, noting the amendment would allow smoking in an enclosed area 'including, but not limited to, a cigar bar.' The group said, 'This vague language would open the door for casinos to continue forcing employees to work in smoke-filled spaces.' Advertisement Cynthia Hallett, the group's president and CEO, said, 'Time and again, the casino industry and big tobacco have worked to undermine and weaken the rules that protect people from the deadly impact of secondhand smoke. Smoking lounges and cigar bars are smoking sections by another name.' Vanessa Baker, a Lincoln casino worker who is founder and leader of Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) Rhode Island, said she was 'surprised and very, very disappointed' by the floor amendment. She said negotiations had already resulted in postponing the law's implementation for 18 months, and the amendment 'leaves a lot of uncertainty about the protection of the employees.' 'I had more faith in our Rhode Island legislators,' Baker said. 'This is real people's lives on the line. We are in a building with carcinogens. I really thought we had it this year.'A Bally's spokesperson declined to comment Thursday. This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
R.I. House momentum for a casino smoking ban is not enough. Unionized workers zero in on Senate.
'Please don't kill us we have families' reads the sign held by one Bally's employee during a State House rally on May 20, 2025. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) 'NO MORE SMOKE! NO MORE SMOKE!' That was the chant from about 150 casino workers who packed the steps inside the State House Tuesday — their backs to the House chamber, but their voices aimed directly across the rotunda to the Senate floor. It's the fourth such year they've backed the bill by Rep. Teresa Tanzi, a South Kingstown Democrat, seeking to end the Lincoln and Tiverton casinos' exemption from the state's 2005 indoor smoking ban. 'For the last 20 years, there has been a grave injustice happening in our casinos,' Tanzi told the crowd. 'These are our workers who are there day in, day out — they're doing a service for our state.' Tanzi's proposal has yet to reach the House floor. But unlike previous years, casino workers now have some additional institutional backing. For the first time, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi is a co-sponsor on Tanzi's legislation. Casino workers from 11 separate unions had help making noise from yellow and purple-clad striking Butler Hospital workers who gathered at the State House Tuesday to call on House Democrats meeting for a budget caucus. The Butler workers, who are members of SEIU 1199NE, want lawmakers to prioritize any state funding intended for hospitals for wages and staffing for frontline staff. 'Workers deserve a smoke-free workplace,' Jesse Martin, the executive vice president of SEIU 1199NE, told the crowd. 'People deserve the ability to do their work free from injury, free from these types of concerns.' Across the rotunda, companion legislation sponsored by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski has still yet to be heard by the Senate Committee on Labor and Gaming chaired by the chamber's newest majority leader: Frank Ciccone III. Ciccone, a Providence Democrat, has been a staunch opponent of the ban citing concern that the state would lose millions in revenue should smoking completely disappear from the two casinos. It's the same position shared by the late Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, whom many advocates saw as the main reason smoking still remains inside Rhode Island's casinos. Newly-elected Senate President Valarie Lawson, an East Providence Democrat, has previously stated she personally supports a smoking ban. But she also indicated that she would like to see the standard committee review process play out. But Ciccone is instead looking to reach an agreement between Bally's and the union to expand existing non-smoking areas in the casinos. Ciccone said in an interview Tuesday that talks remain ongoing. 'If anything looks fruitful, we'll set up another meeting with everyone again,' he said in an interview Tuesday. 'Hopefully we'll get closer.' Whether Bally's wants to expand its nonsmoking offerings — or reduce the size of the smoking area — is still being kept under wraps. 'We don't have anything to report right now on the smoking issue,' Bally's spokesperson Patti Doyle said in an email Tuesday. 'Will certainly share updates when/if we do.' Union leaders remain adamant that a compromise won't solve the problem. Matt Dunham, president of Table Game Dealers Laborers Local 711, told Rhode Island Current that even with a larger non-smoking section at the state's two casinos, some workers would still be exposed to smoke. 'A lot of people are going to be left out,' he said in an interview before the rally. Dunham pointed to the 2024 non-smoking expansion at Bally's Lincoln casino, which he said has flaws. 'We still have to walk through cigarettes to get to our own break room,' he said. Ending Bally's smoking ban exemption is also a top priority for the AFL-CIO, which commissioned a poll in February that found nearly 7 in 10 survey respondents 'strongly' or 'somewhat' supported a smoking ban at the state's two casinos. 'We're taking the lead from the workers,' Rhode Island AFL-CIO Political Director Autumn Guillote said in an interview just before the rally. 'And the demand is still 100% from the advocates.' Vanessa Baker, an iGaming supervisor at Bally's Lincoln casino, said staff are constantly 'abused and assaulted' by the second-hand smoke that lingers throughout the two Rhode Island facilities. 'The Rhode Island casinos are allowing the safety and wellbeing of their employees and patrons at risk and showing that their employees are expendable,' Baker said. There was a time when smoking was temporarily banned inside Bally's two Rhode Island casinos: when they first reopened after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But those rules were eventually lifted by March 2022. 'And all our lives changed for the worse,' Baker said. Philip Farinelli, a floor supervisor at Bally's Twin River Lincoln Casino, told the crowd he has dealt simultaneously with stage 3 neck and head cancer and stage 1 lung cancer, along with a heart attack, because of conditions caused by lingering smoke. 'I'm still here fighting today so I can work in a healthy environment,' he said. 'We all suffer — nose running, eyes itching — it's just every day, it's terrible.' Maegan Tikiryan, a server and bartender at Bally's Lincoln for 14 years, said she regularly deals with congestion and headaches from the casino's smoke. She's said she's seen three coworkers diagnosed with cancer and is worried it could happen to her as she begins to pursue a law degree at UMass Law. 'I don't want the smoke to kill me before I earn my degree,' Tikiryan said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Push to ban smoking at R.I.'s casinos reignites at the State House
Bill DelSanto, a table dealer at Bally's Twin River casino in Lincoln, speaks in favor of banning smoking inside the state's two casinos before the House Committee on Finance on April 10, 2025. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) Vanessa Baker brought more than just testimony to the State House basement Thursday. She came armed with inhalers, eye drops, nose spray, and ibuprofen, the medication she relies on to treat the constant symptoms triggered by lingering cigarette smoke at Bally's casinos in Lincoln and Tiverton, where she works as an iGaming supervisor. There was a time she was able to stop using them: when Bally's temporarily banned smoking after it reopened Rhode Island's two casinos which had been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But those rules were lifted by March 2022. 'It took me nine months to get put back on all that medication and I had to take a sick leave of absence for six months to get my lungs back to where I could work,' Baker told the House Committee on Finance. 'There's no safe ventilation that's protecting us.' Which is why she and other employees are once again pushing lawmakers to pass a bill sponsored by Rep. Teresa Tanzi, a South Kingstown Democrat, that would put an end to Bally's two-decade exemption from the state's indoor smoking ban. It's a proposal Tanzi has filed each session since 2021, usually stalling at the committee level, although House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi allowed a symbolic vote to advance the bill last year. He is now one of the 10 cosponsors listed on the latest edition of the bill. 'I hope we will pass some version of the bill this year,' Shekarchi said in an emailed statement Friday. Tanzi's bill has the backing of 55 of the chamber's 75 members. The growing support in the House mirrors overall sentiment in Rhode Island. The AFL-CIO in February released a poll that found nearly 7 in 10 survey respondents 'strongly' or 'somewhat' supported a smoking ban at the state's two casinos. Rep. George Nardone, a Coventry Republican, told the Bally's representative before him Thursday that he continues to 'draw the short straw' in testifying against the proposal. 'It's cruel to make people that are not smokers have to inhale some and work in [that] environment — and they have to stay there based on their job,' he said. 'I think the state made a mistake giving you guys an exemption.' But the company remains firmly opposed to the annual proposal. Craig Sculos, Bally's senior vice president of Rhode Island Regulatory Relations, told the committee that allowing smoking attracts customers coming in from out of state. Massachusetts does not allow smoking at any of its casinos, nor is it allowed at the two tribal-run facilities in Connecticut. 'Should all the regional casinos maintain a non-smoking policy, players are expected to do what players normally do: They'll go to the casino that's closest,' Sculos said. He argued that the smoking sections of the casinos generate more revenue than the non-smoking areas, pointing to slot machines that average $200 more in daily play within the smoking zones. 'You set the floor like you set a menu in your restaurant, you set based upon player demand,' Sculos said. 'If we were to see capacity switch the other way — we would make that change.' Matt Dunham, president of Table Game Dealers Laborers Local 711, refuted the idea that smoking provides Bally's a market advantage over its neighbors. He called Bally's a 'casino of convenience' — central, away from Boston traffic, and allows people as young as 18 to play. 'It is not because people can smoke while they are in the building,' he said. 'And I can all but guarantee that the same customers will still be there, they'll just be smoking outside of the buildings.' Sculos said rules already prohibit patrons from smoking directly at gaming tables and employees can request non-smoking areas as shift availability allows. But those shifts aren't easy to get. Bill DelSanto, a table dealer at Bally's Twin River Casino in Lincoln, told the finance committee those shifts are given based on seniority. Beverage server Karen Gorman also told lawmakers that trying to pick up non-smoking shifts isn't an option at the Tiverton location where she works. 'Even if I had that ability, I would still have to walk through the smoke,' she said. 'I don't want to get cancer. I want to feed my family, I want to buy groceries, I want to pay for my daughter's taekwondo, and for a college education.' Tanzi's bill was held for further study by the committee, as is standard for an initial vetting by a legislative panel. Companion legislation introduced Feb. 7 by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski, a South Kingstown Democrat, has yet to be scheduled for a hearing before the Senate Committee on Labor and Gaming. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
