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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Smoking marijuana and eating cannabis gummies both linked to dangerous health risk, study finds
Long-term cannabis use in any form has been linked to a greater risk of heart disease. In a new study, researchers at UC San Francisco determined that eating edible cannabis, such as gummies, has the same impact on cardiovascular risk as smoking marijuana. The risk stems from reduced blood vessel function, according to the study, which was published in JAMA Cardiology on May 28. Heavy Cannabis Use Could Pose This Threat To The Brain The study included 55 people between 18 and 50 years of age who were "outwardly healthy." The participants were divided into three groups: those who regularly smoked marijuana, those who ate edibles containing THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), and those who didn't use cannabis, according to a UCSF press release. Read On The Fox News App The cannabis users had been consuming the substance at least three times weekly for at least one year. On average, the smokers had the habit for 10 years, while those consuming edibles had been doing so for five years, the release noted. In September 2024, the participants underwent testing to determine how well their blood vessels functioned and whether the cells lining the blood vessels were affected. Dementia Risk Connected To Cannabis-related Hospital Visits, Says Study All cannabis users were found to have "decreased vascular function," comparable to those who smoke tobacco. Their blood vessel function was roughly half compared to those who did not use cannabis. This side effect has been linked to a higher risk of heart attack, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions, the researchers noted. The participants who smoked marijuana were also found to have changes in their blood serum that harmed cells lining their blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, an effect that was not seen in those who ate edible cannabis. The researchers noted that while smoking marijuana and consuming edibles both affect vascular function, they likely do so for different reasons. Shingles Vaccine Has Unexpected Effect On Heart Health "Chronic cannabis smoking and THC ingestion were associated with endothelial dysfunction [impaired functioning of the endothelial cells lining the inside of blood vessels] similar to that observed in tobacco smokers, although apparently occurring via distinct mechanisms," the researchers wrote. "This study enhances the understanding of the potential risks to vascular health linked to cannabis use and provides more evidence that cannabis use is not benign." Dr. Bradley Serwer, a Maryland-based cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, an Ingenovis Health company that offers cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals nationwide, said he was not surprised by the study's findings. "We have known that the chronic use of THC-containing compounds can have negative health consequences — this study just reaffirms those prior studies," Serwer, who was not involved in the UCSF research, told Fox News Digital. The study did have some limitations. "Variability in cannabis strains complicates standardization," the researchers wrote. "Self-reported cannabis use may introduce recall bias; thus, participants were queried at multiple points: in the online survey, at the eligibility interview and before each visit." It was also challenging to determine whether blood vessel function could have also been affected by lifestyle factors like stress, caffeine and secondhand smoke exposure, they noted. Serwer pointed out that this was a "very small" study of only 55 people, all living in the San Francisco Bay area. "The study did not allow for variability in the different strains of cannabis, and they used a self-reporting survey, which can be under- or over-reported," he told Fox News Digital. "They looked for physiologic endpoints and not hard endpoints, such as heart attacks, strokes or death. We have to infer that the physiologic endpoints would result in cardiovascular events." Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter The cardiologist said he agreed, however, with the conclusion that cannabis use is "not benign." "Chronic use does have potential cardiovascular risks," he warned. "There are therapeutic uses of cannabis, and the decision to use or avoid it should be made with all benefits and risks in mind." In general, Serwer said he cautions all of his patients to avoid any unnecessary cardiac risks. "As clinicians, we must weigh the benefits and the risks of a medicine/drug or intervention," he said. "If the risks outweigh the benefits, it should be avoided." For more Health articles, visit The study was funded mainly by the National Institute on Drug Abuse; the California Department of Cannabis Control; the California Tobacco-Related Disease Program; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and the FDA Center for Tobacco Products. Fox News Digital reached out to cannabis industry organizations requesting article source: Smoking marijuana and eating cannabis gummies both linked to dangerous health risk, study finds
The National
23-05-2025
- Health
- The National
One in three teenagers in the Middle East to be overweight in five years
By 2030, one in three teenagers in the Middle East and in high-income countries is expected to be obese. The second Lancet Commission on adolescent health and well-being warned that the health of adolescents worldwide is at a tipping point and action is needed to tackle the rising threats. The commission estimated 464 million adolescents globally will be overweight or obese within five years, 143 million more than in 2015. It said this would underline 'the shortcomings in combating adolescent obesity'. Research earlier this year led to a forecast that the Middle East and North Africa would be the centre of the world's youth obesity crisis by 2050, at which point more than half of the region's children and young people will be overweight. Scientists expect the Middle East will overtake North America as the most out-of-shape region if "startling" trends in weight gain over the past 30 years continue. A progression has been seen over the past four decades. A World Health Organisation report in 2018 found nine Middle Eastern countries ranked highest in the obesity statistics for adults and rates had trebled since 1975, with Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia the highest. A separate study found social media use was linked to a rise in depression among teenagers. The research team at UC San Francisco examined data following nearly 12,000 children aged nine and 10 years and then three years later at 12 and 13. On average, children's social media use rose from seven to 73 minutes a day over the three years of the study and their depressive symptoms increased 35 per cent. 'There has been ongoing debate about whether social media contributes to depression or simply reflects underlying depressive symptoms,' said Jason Nagata, associate professor in UCSF's Department of Paediatrics. 'These findings provide evidence that social media may be contributing to the development of depressive symptoms.' The new Lancet analysis indicates that without targeted action by 2030 at least half of the world's adolescents (more than one billion) would still live in countries where they are at risk of experiencing poor health across many indicators, including mental health and being overweight. It said over the past decade, progress in adolescent health and well-being has been 'mixed and uneven'. 'While global rates of smoking and alcohol use have declined and educational participation – especially among young women – has increased, obesity-related diseases and mental health disorders are rising in all regions,' it said. It also highlighted that today's adolescents are the first generation 'to grow up under harsher climate conditions and the pervasive presence of digital technology' and therefore disproportionately face emerging global health threats. Adolescents in low and middle-income countries represent more than a quarter of the population and bear a disproportionate share of the global disease burden (9.1 per cent), yet receive only 2.4 per cent of global development aid, it was warned. Prof Sarah Baird, of George Washington University in the US and co-chairwoman of the commission, said: 'The health and well-being of adolescents worldwide is at a tipping point, with mixed progress observed over the past three decades. "Whilst tobacco and alcohol use has declined and participation in secondary and tertiary education has increased, overweight and obesity have risen by up to eightfold in some countries in Africa and Asia over the past three decades, and there is a growing burden of poor adolescent mental health globally. "Additionally, the challenges faced by the world's adolescents are at risk of being exacerbated by emerging global issues including climate change, world conflicts and a rapid transition to a more digital world. 'Investing in the health and well-being of young people is crucial for safeguarding our collective future. We must prioritise investment in adolescent health and well-being through initiatives including those that strengthen schools to promote health and well-being and to ensure universal access to health care for adolescents. "Furthermore, adolescent engagement and activism must be central to creating the social and community changes we need to foster a more just society and create a healthier planet with more opportunities for everyone.'
The National
21-05-2025
- Health
- The National
Global adolescent health at 'tipping point' as obesity blights Middle East
One third of adolescents in the Middle East and high-income countries will be overweight by 2030, The Lancet has estimated after an analysis. The second Lancet Commission on adolescent health and well-being warned that the health of adolescents worldwide is at a tipping point and action is needed to tackle the rising threats. The commission estimated 464 million adolescents globally will be overweight or obese within five years, 143 million more than in 2015. It said this would underline 'the shortcomings in combating adolescent obesity'. Research earlier this year led to a forecast that the Middle East and North Africa would be the centre of the world's youth obesity crisis by 2050, at which point more than half of the region's children and young people will be overweight. Scientists expect the Middle East will overtake North America as the most out-of-shape region if "startling" trends in weight gain over the past 30 years continue. A progression has been seen over the past four decades. A World Health Organisation report in 2018 found nine Middle Eastern countries ranked highest in the obesity statistics for adults and rates had trebled since 1975, with Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia the highest. A separate study found social media use was linked to a rise in depression among teenagers. The research team at UC San Francisco examined data following nearly 12,000 children aged nine and 10 years and then three years later at 12 and 13. On average, children's social media use rose from seven to 73 minutes a day over the three years of the study and their depressive symptoms increased 35 per cent. 'There has been ongoing debate about whether social media contributes to depression or simply reflects underlying depressive symptoms,' said Jason Nagata, associate professor in UCSF's Department of Paediatrics. 'These findings provide evidence that social media may be contributing to the development of depressive symptoms.' Action needed The new Lancet analysis indicates that without targeted action by 2030 at least half of the world's adolescents (more than one billion) would still live in countries where they are at risk of experiencing poor health across many indicators, including mental health and being overweight. It said over the past decade, progress in adolescent health and well-being has been 'mixed and uneven'. 'While global rates of smoking and alcohol use have declined and educational participation – especially among young women – has increased, obesity-related diseases and mental health disorders are rising in all regions,' it said. It also highlighted that today's adolescents are the first generation 'to grow up under harsher climate conditions and the pervasive presence of digital technology' and therefore disproportionately face emerging global health threats. Adolescents in low and middle-income countries represent more than a quarter of the population and bear a disproportionate share of the global disease burden (9.1 per cent), yet receive only 2.4 per cent of global development aid, it was warned. Prof Sarah Baird, of George Washington University in the US and co-chairwoman of the commission, said: 'The health and well-being of adolescents worldwide is at a tipping point, with mixed progress observed over the past three decades. "Whilst tobacco and alcohol use has declined and participation in secondary and tertiary education has increased, overweight and obesity have risen by up to eightfold in some countries in Africa and Asia over the past three decades, and there is a growing burden of poor adolescent mental health globally. "Additionally, the challenges faced by the world's adolescents are at risk of being exacerbated by emerging global issues including climate change, world conflicts and a rapid transition to a more digital world. 'Investing in the health and well-being of young people is crucial for safeguarding our collective future. We must prioritise investment in adolescent health and well-being through initiatives including those that strengthen schools to promote health and well-being and to ensure universal access to health care for adolescents. "Furthermore, adolescent engagement and activism must be central to creating the social and community changes we need to foster a more just society and create a healthier planet with more opportunities for everyone.'
Boston Globe
19-05-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Common pain drug may prolong survival for brain cancer patients, Mass General Brigham study finds
'This study is an exciting step forward,' Dr. Joshua Bernstock, the study's lead author and a clinical fellow in neurosurgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said in a press release. 'The discovery that an already approved medication with a favorable safety profile can extend overall survival represents a meaningful and potentially practice-changing advance.' Researchers turned to gabapentin after studies in cancer neuroscience suggested that brain tumors may hijack neural signaling to fuel their growth. A 2023 Nature Communications paper pointed to thrombospondin-1, a protein that helps neurons communicate, as a key contributor to tumor growth. In animal models, gabapentin appeared to block that activity. Advertisement Bernstock's team combed through the medical records of 693 glioblastoma patients treated at Mass General Brigham. Many had been prescribed gabapentin to treat chronic nerve pain. Those patients had a median survival of 16 months — four months longer than those not on the drug. Advertisement To test whether the trend held up elsewhere, the team partnered with UC San Francisco researchers who reviewed data from 379 additional patients. Their results showed an even greater gap: patients taking gabapentin lived 20.8 months on average, compared to 14.7 months for those who didn't. 'There have been very few advances in survival for GBM patients since the early 2000s,' Bernstock said. 'We need to think more creatively about the emerging biology in these tumors and how to target them.' Because the study wasn't a clinical trial, the researchers emphasized that randomized studies are needed to confirm gabapentin's effect and better understand its relationship to thrombospondin-1. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Nathan Metcalf can be reached at
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chabria: Clearing encampments looks good politically. But criminalizing homelessness is bad policy
Homeless encampments are dirty. And ugly. And seem, to those who venture near them and even to some who live there, unsafe. They are also — sadly, wrongly — places of last resort for those whose second, third and even fourth chances haven't panned out, sometimes through their own mistakes, sometimes because they're so far down just staying alive is a battle. Though we tend to toss homelessness in the soup pot along with mental illness and drug use, the terrifying fact is that nearly half of the folks living on our streets are over the age of 50 and wound up there because a bit of bad luck left them unable to pay the rent. "At the end of the day, we have a homelessness crisis because we don't have enough housing," Margot Kushel said. She's a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco and director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative. There's really no one in the state who understands encampments and their residents better. Which is why I am deeply disheartened by Gov. Gavin Newsom's push Monday to encourage cities and counties to outlaw encampments — even providing a handy-dandy boilerplate ordinance for local governments to pass. It moves California one step closer to criminalizing homelessness, no matter how softly or deftly he packages that truth. Or how politically expedient it may be. "It is time to take back the streets. It's time to take back the sidewalks. It's time to take these encampments and provide alternatives," Newsom said. "It simply cannot continue. It cannot be a way of life living out on the streets, in sidewalks, in what almost become permanent structures, impeding foot traffic, impeding our ability for our kids to walk the streets and strollers, or seniors with disabilities and wheelchairs, even navigating their sidewalks. We cannot allow that to continue." From a political perspective, that tirade is spot on. The clock is already ticking on the 2026 midterms, which coincide with the end of his tenure as California's leader. Not only is Newsom eyeing the horizon for his next move, presidential or not, but Democrats are eyeing the condition of California and whether Trump and his supporters will be able to once again use it as the example of everything that's wrong with America, as they did in both 2020 and 2024. Read more: Newsom again urges cities to ban homeless camps Even Kushel, who near daily hears the heartbreaking reasons people are homeless, knows encampments aren't the answer. "I do think the encampments are a disaster," she said. "I want them gone too." But, not at the cost of making things worse, which is what breaking them down without a place to put people does. Newsom's draft ordinance makes nice talk about not criminalizing folks, but also doesn't require more than "every reasonable effort" to provide shelter to those being displaced — knowing full well that we don't have enough shelter beds. It also talks nice about not throwing out people's belongings, unless maybe they have bugs or feces on them — which, let's be real, they might — in which case, the dumpster it is, even if that bundle may contain your identification or medications. That constant loss, constant movement, not only sets people back even more, it also breaks trust and pushes people further out of sight and out of society. So by the time there are shelter beds or treatment centers, you've lost cooperation from the people you want to help. Homelessness becomes even more dystopian, if more invisible. "I actually worry that making people move every day, threatening them with arrest, all of those things make the problem worse and not better," Kushel said. Some might recall that this new age of compassionate crackdowns began last year after the Supreme Court ruled in Grants Pass vs. Johnson that it wasn't cruel or unusual punishment to outlaw camping in public spaces — allowing municipalities to cite or arrest those who did. Newsom's office took the side of the city of Grants Pass, Ore., filing a brief in support of more enforcement powers. Since then, Newsom — sometimes personally with camera crews in tow — has cleared more than 16,000 encampments on state lands. Some cities have followed suit with tough laws of their own, including San José. But other cities have resisted, much to Newsom's dismay. In Grants Pass, things didn't go exactly as planned. There's currently an injunction against its enforcement on camping laws after Disability Rights Oregon sued the city. Tom Stenson, the group's deputy legal director, told me that the organization has seen how the anti-camping laws have been hard on folks with physical or mental impairments, many of whom are older. As the housing crunch hit that state, the low-rent places where his plaintiffs lived "disappeared, and then there is just nowhere for them to go, and it just forces them right into homelessness," he said. California's struggle around homelessness has been a black eye and a contentious soft spot for years, and even the most sympathetic of Californians are tired of the squalor and pain. A recent poll by Politico and the Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research at UC Berkeley found that about 37% of voters support arresting folks if they refuse to accept shelter, and that number jumped for male voters and Republicans. Homelessness is, without a doubt, "the issue that defines more anger and frustration of Californians than any other," as Newsom put it. On the same day Newsom put out his legal template for clearing encampments, he also announced $3.3 billion in funding for 124 mental health facilities around the state. It's money from last year's Proposition 1, passed by voters, that will add 5,000 residential treatment beds and more than 21,000 outpatient slots to our struggling system of mental health and substance abuse treatment. The grants include $65 million for Los Angeles to refurbish the Metropolitan State Hospital campus in Norwalk into a psychiatric subacute facility for transitional-age youths, a big and glaring need for the region. To steal from the history lesson Newsom gave, in 1959 this state had 37,000 mental health beds in locked facilities, the kind that inspired "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Not ideal. Read more: Should California expand what it means to be 'gravely disabled'? So the state did away with them, through a series of necessary reforms. But it never built the community-based system that was promised. California is now down to 5,500 locked beds and a bunch of overcrowded, understaffed, outdated jails and prisons that have become our de facto mental health treatment centers, along with the streets. Not ideal. This investment in a robust community care system that provides both substance abuse and mental health treatment in one place is a huge win for all Californians, and will be a game changer — in about 10 years. Newsom optimistically showed pretty renderings of facilities that will be built with the funds, one even expected to open next year. But folks, building takes time. Still, Newsom should receive all credit due for taking on a problem ignored for decades and doing something meaningful around it. I've seen him act thoughtfully, carefully and forcefully on the issue of homelessness. Which makes this encampment right-wing swing all the more obviously political, and unworthy of our policy. Despite those encampments, homelessness in California is actually getting better, though you have to wade through the numbers to see it. There were 187,000 people living without homes in the state last year, according to federal data, a record. About 70% of those people were living unsheltered, more than 45,000 in the city of Los Angeles. Although the sheer number of people living without homes is overwhelming, it represented an increase of about 3% — compared with an increase of about 18% nationally. Across the country, but not in California, families were the group with the largest single-year increase. So what we are doing, with policies that prioritize housing and meeting people where they are, is working. What Newsom has done to build a community care system is overdue and revolutionary. But the fact remains that California does not have enough housing. Clearing encampments may be a political solution to an ugly problem. But without a place to move people, it's just optics. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
