Latest news with #hotflashes
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
5 best cooling pillows of 2025 to help keep you cool and comfy through the night
If you find yourself struggling with hot flashes, menopause symptoms or night sweats that leave you tossing and turning (especially in the summer heat), you're not the only one. For many Canadians, getting a good night's sleep becomes even more challenging with age, especially when your body temperature fails to cooperate. Whether you're experiencing hormonal changes, age-related sleep disturbances or simply run hot, investing in a high-quality cooling pillow can make a huge difference. Pillows made using breathable materials (like gel-infused memory foam and moisture-wicking fabrics) can help regulate your body temperature, relieve discomfort and keep you cool all night long. So, whether you're in the midst of a summer heat wave or a full-blown hot flash, we've rounded up the very best cooling pillows you can snag right now. If you want to sleep cooler, deeper and more comfortably, keep scrolling. Foam Pillow with Snow Technology Firmness: This standard foam pillow is available in a low loft (flatter) or high loft (great for side sleepers) option. This Casper pillow is designed to keep you cool and comfortable throughout the night, thanks to its innovative Snow Technology, which will help provide up to 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Whether you're a stomach or side sleeper, the pillow's foam will help you stay properly aligned for maximum comfort. The combination of materials and cooling technology prevents heat from getting trapped, while the cool-to-the-touch outer layer provides a refreshing feel as soon as you lay your head down. The pillow will ensure support for your neck and shoulders throughout the night, available in both Low Loft for stomach sleepers and High Loft for side sleepers. With its active cooling and supportive design, this pillow will help you stay cool and comfortable all night, allowing you to wake up feeling best sports bras for every sweaty summer workout The best dresses to conceal your tummy and how to feel confident in them 22 best walking shoes for women, recommended by a podiatrist Best cooling pillows Coop Home Goods Eden Cool+ Adjustable Pillow Firmness: This pillow has an added gel-infused layer for extra cooling and support. Inside the Coop Eden Cool+ pillow is gel-infused fill and materials that allow for better airflow, which help keep the heat away. On the outside, there's a soft, cool cover and a heat-wicking liner to keep things chill (literally). The memory foam and microfibre work together to prevent the pillow from trapping heat and moisture, making it a great pick if you tend to overheat at night or struggle with temperature regulation. The pillow is also adjustable — just unzip the cover and add or remove filling to get the right firmness for you. Plus, it has two sides to choose from: one soft and cool, and the other firmer with extra cooling support. So, no matter which side you get, you can anticipate a cool and comfortable sleep. Sijo Flexcool Adjustable Memory Foam Pillow Firmness: This pillow comes with a pouch of fill, so you can adjust its height and firmness. If you're looking for the perfect pillow, this one is adjustable, so you can tailor the height and firmness to your liking. How? It comes with a pouch of fill so you can customize it to fit your comfort needs. So, whether you like a soft or firm pillow, you can easily change it up for that just-right feel. Plus, the cooling fabric will help keep your temperature regulated all night, so no more tossing and turning from overheating. The materials consist of a super soft cotton lining and a mix of nylon and spandex on the outside. And the side zip closure makes it easy to add or remove the fill, giving you full control over the height. It's available in Standard/Queen (20' x 28') and King (20' x 36') sizes, too. Customers are loving the difference it makes: "Loved it so much, I bought another one the next day!" If you're seeking a pillow that offers personalized comfort and cooling all in one, this is definitely worth a try. Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud Breeze Dual Cooling Pillow Firmness: This dual-sided cooling pillow has a medium feel and medium profile. If you're on the hunt for a pillow that gives you the perfect balance of comfort and support, this soft TEMPUR-Cloud pillow might just be the one. It's designed for back, side and stomach sleepers, helping you get the restful night's sleep you deserve. Thanks to the pressure-relieving memory foam, the pillow will adjust to your head, neck and shoulders for customized support. It will help you wake up feeling more refreshed and pain-free. The material is also very adaptive, compressing easily for travel — and it will bounce back to its original shape by morning. It also comes with a breathable polyester cover that's super easy to clean — just toss it in the washing machine when needed. Its queen size will fit perfectly on most beds, giving you plenty of space to rest comfortably. SLUMBER CLOUD UltraCool Pillow Firmness: This standard pillow offers soft to medium firmness. Fun fact: this UltraCool Pillow uses NASA-engineered Outlast technology to keep you cool throughout the night. It works to actively regulate body temperature, reducing heat buildup by up to 50 per cent, so you can sleep deeper and more comfortably without being woken up by hot flashes or night sweats. It comes in two firmness levels, allowing you to choose the right support for your neck. This one offers soft/medium support, but there's also a medium/firm option on the Slumber Cloud website. Whether you sleep on your back, side or stomach, it offers the perfect balance of comfort and support. Best cooling pillows under $50 Looking for something more budget-friendly? We've got you covered with these under-$50 picks from Amazon Canada. COZSINOOR Queen Size Bed Pillows (2-Pack) KUCEY Cooling Bed Pillow KUCEY Cooling Side Sleeper Pillow Royal Choice Cooling Memory Foam Neck Pillow KELTARO Queen Size Cooling Pillows (2-Pack)
CBS News
2 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Fighting the fire within: How I managed menopausal hot flashes
Sponsored and provided by Astellas. Pam is a real VEOZAH (fezolinetant) patient who has been compensated by Astellas. Please keep reading to see Important Safety Information, including BOXED WARNING. Like many women, Pam is always on the go. At 51 years old, she's a busy director of a rural health clinic, a full-time graduate student, and a mother of four. Recently, Pam's life was further complicated by the onset of menopause, which brought hot flashes and night sweats, causing her to wake ten times a night.* Sleepless nights because of her night sweats occurred along with frequent hot flashes during the day – at work, at school, and while spending time with her family and friends. [1] "It feels like you're burning from the inside out," said Pam. "I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy." [1] After more than a year of discomfort, Pam talked to her healthcare professional about her symptoms and learned that this new challenge she was experiencing was moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS), or hot flashes and night sweats, due to menopause. [1] Nearly half of women in the U.S. going through menopause may experience moderate to severe VMS due to menopause. [2] Hot flashes manifest as sudden and intense sensations of heat in the upper body, sometimes accompanied by sweating, reddening skin, chills, and a rapid heartbeat. [1] Hot flashes classified as moderate in severity are described as a sensation of heat with sweating, while severe hot flashes consist of a sensation of heat with sweating, causing cessation of activity. [1] As Pam knows all too well, these symptoms can impact many aspects of a woman's life, from sleep to work to personal relationships. [3] Despite so many women in the U.S experiencing VMS due to menopause, many don't openly talk about their struggles or seek help in managing symptoms due to shame or embarrassment. [2,4,5] Pam was lucky to have a supportive environment with her colleagues and loved ones to talk openly about her symptoms, and they encouraged her to talk to her healthcare professional about treatment options. After speaking with her healthcare professional about treatment options and doing further research, Pam learned about VEOZAH™, a hormone-free prescription treatment for moderate to severe VMS due to menopause, which is the first FDA-approved treatment designed to block a source of hot flashes directly. [5,6] VEOZAH blocks the binding of neurokinin B, a brain chemical known to trigger hot flashes. [1,7] Encouraged by her family, Pam asked her healthcare professional about VEOZAH to determine if it was the right treatment for her. Her healthcare provider talked to her about the benefits and advised her that VEOZAH can cause serious side effects, including liver problems. [6] Her healthcare professional advised her that she would get a blood test prior to and while taking VEOZAH, and to stop taking VEOZAH right away if she has signs or symptoms of liver problems such as feeling more tired than usual, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, itching, yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice), pale feces, dark urine, or pain in the stomach (abdomen). [6] See additional Important Safety Information, including BOXED WARNING, below. [6] Once Pam decided with her healthcare professional to move forward with VEOZAH, her healthcare professional gave her a prescription and sample at no cost. VEOZAH is proven to reduce the number and severity of hot flashes day and night based on clinical studies measuring efficacy at 4 and 12 weeks. [6] While everyone's experience differs, Pam had fewer and less severe hot flashes and night sweats within a few weeks after starting VEOZAH. [8,9] "The impact of having fewer hot flashes and night sweats on my day-to-day life as a student, wife, and working mom has been great," commented Pam. "I also found the VEOZAH Savings Card to be tremendously helpful. Since I am commercially insured and eligible for the Savings Card, it lowered how much I pay out of pocket." Pam is one of many women who have taken VEOZAH since it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May of 2023. [6,10,11] Dr. Risa Kagan, a board-certified OBGYN, and The Menopause Society-certified practitioner, as well as a clinical professor at UCSF and gynecologist at Sutter Health, is grateful to have another option to offer her patients. [6] "Women have long endured hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause with few treatment options available, so the approval of VEOZAH in 2023 has been an important addition to available treatments," noted Kagan. [6,9] "As a physician, I see firsthand the impact that these symptoms can have on a woman's life – both personally and professionally – and it's rewarding to have this nonhormonal, first-of-its-kind option available that may help appropriate patients." [3,5,6] Dr. Kagan recommends women work closely with their healthcare professional to find the best treatment for them to manage their hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause. [1] It is important that women and their healthcare professional have the ability to choose what's right for them based on their individual medical history and personal choices. However, due to insurance challenges, such as prior authorizations or step therapy with "fail first" requirements, accessing prescribed medications is not always straightforward. Astellas is actively working to educate payers to ensure that their utilization management policies are well-grounded in clinical practice and do not impose unnecessary burdens on patients. Despite its universal impact and the fact that all women who reach midlife will experience menopause, related symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats are often underappreciated and overlooked. [4,12] "It's high time that the U.S. healthcare system acknowledges the burden of hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause on women and prioritize access to medicines that have the potential to help alleviate that burden," said Dr. Kagan. [3] "I strongly encourage women to talk to their healthcare professionals about their experience with hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause that may be affecting their day-to-day lives. [3] Your wellbeing matters, and you are not alone in your menopause journey." [2] Women should consult with their healthcare professional to determine if VEOZAH is the right treatment for them. [6] Patients should also understand the details of their health insurance policy, such as which treatments are covered, coverage restrictions and limits, and exclusions. For instance, a patient's insurance may require prior authorization to cover VEOZAH, which can be provided to their insurance company by their healthcare professional. Women taking VEOZAH with commercial insurance coverage may be eligible for the VEOZAH Savings Card. To learn about the applicable terms and conditions and enroll, patients should visit VEOZAH Support Solutions. What is VEOZAH™ (fezolinetant)? VEOZAH is a prescription medicine used to reduce moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopause. VEOZAH is not a hormone. Vasomotor symptoms are the feelings of warmth in the face, neck, and chest, or sudden intense feelings of heat and sweating ("hot flashes" or "hot flushes"). IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about VEOZAH? VEOZAH can cause serious side effects, including: Stop VEOZAH right away and call your healthcare provider if you have the following signs or symptoms of liver problems: Do not use VEOZAH if you: Before you use VEOZAH, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the- counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. VEOZAH may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how VEOZAH works. The most common side effects of VEOZAH include: These are not all the possible side effects of VEOZAH. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit or call 1-800- FDA-1088. Please see full Prescribing Information and Patient Information, including BOXED WARNING. *Individual experiences with moderate to severe VMS (also known as hot flashes and night sweats), due to menopause, may vary. [1] References 1. Thurston RC. Vasomotor symptoms. In: Crandall CJ, Bachman GA, Faubion SS, et al, eds. Menopause Practice: A Clinician's Guide. 6th ed. The North American Menopause Society; 2019:43-55. 2. Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Sanders RJ. Risk of long-term hot flashes after natural menopause: evidence from the Penn Ovarian Aging Study cohort. Menopause. 2014;21(9):924-932. 3. English M, Stoykova B, Slota C, et al. Qualitative study: burden of menopause-associated vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and validation of PROMIS sleep disturbance and sleep-related impairment measures for assessment of VMS impact on sleep. J Patient Rep Outcomes 2021;5(37):1-13. Erratum in: J Patient Rep Outcomes 2021;5:42 4. Nosek M, Kenedy HP, Gudmundsdottir M. Silence, stigma, and shame: a postmodern analysis of distress during menopause. ANS Adv Nurs Sci. 2010;33(3):E24-E36. doi: 10.1097/ANS.0b013e3181eb41e8. 5. The North American Menopause Society. The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement of the North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2023;30(6):573-590. 6. Veozah [package insert]. Northbrook, IL: Astellas Pharma US, Inc. 7. Jayasena CN, Comninos AN, Stefanopoulou E, et al. Neurokinin B administration induces hot flushes in women [published online February 16, 2015]. Sci Rep. 2015. 8. Johnson KA, Martin N, Nappi RE, et al. Efficacy and safety of fezolinetant in moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause: a phase 3 RCT. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023;108(8):1981-1997. 9. Lederman S, Ottery FD, Cano A, et al. Fezolinetant for treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause (SKYLIGHT 1): a phase 3 randomised controlled study. Lancet. 2023;401(10382):1091-1102. 10. Financial Results (FY2023) 11. Data on file. 2025. 12. Santoro NF. Menopause. In: Crandall CJ, Bachman GA, Faubion SS, et al, eds. Menopause Practice: A Clinician's Guide. 6th ed. The North American Menopause Society; 2019:1-21.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Katie Thurston Gives Candid Look at Being in ‘Medically Induced Menopause' at 34 Amid Cancer Battle
Former Bachelorette Katie Thurston is opening up about a rarely discussed side effect of her stage IV breast cancer battle. 'What it's like to have hot flashes due to medically induced menopause,' Thurston, 34, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Sunday, July 20, sharing a screenshot of her Apple Health chart. Per a screenshot, Thurston spent eight hours and 54 minutes in bed, but she was only asleep for just over six hours. 'I have the option to add a prescription to the routine of meds I'm on, but tbh I'm just simply scared,' Thurston wrote in her caption. 'Every added pill comes with a new risk for side effects. But, I might be reaching my breaking point when it comes to quality of life.' Katie Thurston Details How Intimacy With Husband Jeff Arcuri Has Changed Since Breast Cancer Battle She continued, 'I'm always tired and uncomfortable.' Thurston was diagnosed with breast cancer in February, later discovering that the malignant tissue had spread to her liver, which elevated her diagnosis to stage IV. In order to adequately treat her specific type of cancer, doctors had to put her body into early menopause. 'Slept like s*** because I'm now in medically induced menopause, which means I get hot flashes,' she said in a social media video posted in May. 'Tonight I have to be social so I figured I would ease into that by being social with you guys during the day. In the meantime, show you kind of what a normal day looks like for me.' She added at the time, 'My lips have been chapped for what feels like two weeks straight. And so it's this game of, like, catch-up and trying to just make sure I get enough water. Which I was already bad at before medication and now it's like a true task every day to force myself to consume water. So, good morning!' Before Thurston went into menopause, she did a round of in vitro fertilization and froze embryos. 'I'm basically putting my ovaries into a temporary menopausal state (I like to say hibernation) to protect them from chemo,' Thurston said in a March Instagram update. 'It will also reduce estrogen production, which is particularly important in hormonereceptor-ER+/PR+ breast cancer as estrogen can fuel cancer growth.' A Timeline of Former Bachelorette Katie Thurston's Breast Cancer Battle: From Diagnosis to Treatment Thurston and her husband, Jeff Arcuri, also plan to use a surrogate to carry any future children down the line. Us Weekly exclusively confirmed earlier in March that the pair tied the knot. 'We were wanting to plan a wedding and there's a lot of emotions that come in with chemo and the impact and the health and we don't know what the next year looks like,' Thurston told Us. 'And one night he said, 'I want to show you that I still love you and that I'm here to stay. I'll get married to you tomorrow.' We flew our parents in from Michigan and Washington State. We got our marriage license and a friend is just gonna marry us.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Is Relief From Menopause Just a Needle Away? The Truth About Acupuncture
Menopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and other sleep disturbances aren't just annoying—they can be disruptive. Whether you're suddenly overheating and covered in sweat or you're having trouble focusing on tasks at work because you didn't get a restful night's sleep, menopause symptoms can interfere with your daily life in truly significant ways. Fortunately, there are tools at our disposal—like hormone therapy and lifestyle changes—that can make dealing with these symptoms a bit easier. More from Flow Space The Menopause Symptom No One Talks About-But Might Signal Bigger Health Issues Some doctors also recommend acupuncture: the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice involving the insertion of extremely thin needles into the skin on specific parts of the body. But can this really help with menopause symptoms? Here's what the research and experts say. Can Acupuncture Help Relieve the Symptoms of Perimenopause and Menopause? In short: yes, acupuncture may help relieve some symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, says Dr. Maria Colon-Gonzalez, a physician at Salud Revisited and acupuncture practitioner. In TCM, perimenopause and menopause are viewed as natural transitional phases characterized by an imbalance, she explains. 'As estrogen and progesterone levels decline, symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia and fatigue can arise,' she says. 'Acupuncture works by restoring balance within the body's meridian system, calming the nervous system and regulating hormonal function.' According to Dr. Haley Parker, an acupuncturist and director of clinical operations at the Academic Clinic of the Virginia University of Integrated Medicine, rather than addressing or masking symptoms, acupuncture works by restoring balance in the body's energetic systems. 'These vital substances begin to shift during perimenopause, and acupuncture helps harmonize their flow,' she explains. A 2016 study published in the journal Menopause supports this. The researchers found acupuncture treatments were associated with significant improvement in quality-of-life measures that participants who did not receive acupuncture treatments didn't experience. The study also found that the clinical benefits of acupuncture for menopause symptoms lasted at least six months beyond the end of treatment. A 2015 meta-analysis of 12 studies on acupuncture and menopause, also published in the journal Menopause, came to the same conclusion. According to Parker, modern research supports what TCM has known for centuries: acupuncture stimulates the nervous system, improves circulation, regulates hormone levels and promotes endorphin release—all of which help mitigate the wide range of symptoms experienced during this time. However, as Dr. Anita Sadaty, an OB-GYN, founder of Redefining Health Medical and medical advisor for Womaness, points out, there are also studies that cast doubt on the effectiveness of acupuncture for menopause symptoms. 'I think it's important to recognize that some studies caution that the effects of acupuncture may not be significantly different from sham acupuncture, suggesting a potential placebo component,' she says. 'Despite this, I believe that acupuncture is a reasonable, low-risk alternative for women seeking non-hormonal relief from menopausal symptoms, especially vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.' Which Menopause Symptoms Can Acupuncture Help Alleviate? Technically, TCM doesn't treat symptoms and isolated issues, Parker explains. Instead, practitioners look at root patterns, which may manifest differently in each woman. 'In a treatment, we treat the root and branch of the condition to address the symptoms and why they are presenting,' she says. Here are some of the most common menopause symptoms that acupuncture may help alleviate, according to Parker, Sadaty and Colon-Gonzalez: Hot flashes Night sweats Irregular or heavy periods Insomnia and restless sleep Anxiety or depression Irritability and mood swings Fatigue and low energy Brain fog and poor memory Digestive changes Weight fluctuations Vaginal dryness Loss of libido Joint pain or stiffness Pain related to intercourse Bone health How Does Acupuncture Help Relieve Menopause Symptoms? Acupuncture influences the body's energy pathways—called 'meridians'—to create physiologic shifts, Sadaty explains. 'It is thought that acupuncture may influence cortisol, cortisol metabolites and DHEA levels. These levels typically increase with menopause, contributing to changes in mood, metabolism, bone density,and cognition. It is possible that the same mechanisms play a role in the treatment of hot flashes, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, obesity, osteoporosis and dementia.' Additionally, there is evidence that acupuncture enhances stimulation of several brain regions to improve cognitive symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, cognitive decline, insomnia and mood symptoms, she adds. According to Park, each acupuncture treatment is personalized. 'There's no 'one-size-fits-all' because we honor the individual pattern presenting in each woman,' she says. 'We recommend booking a consultation with your acupuncturist to go through a thorough review of symptoms and medical history to make a tailored treatment plan, with point prescriptions and herbal formulas fit for your main concerns.' How Long Does It Take for Acupuncture to Relieve Menopause Symptoms? The short answer is that it depends. 'The benefits, the duration of the effects and the overall experience depends on the patients' health, lifestyle and other lifestyle factors that contribute to whole-person health,' Parker explains. 'This means that a patient who is inherently healthy and practicing a healthier lifestyle will usually see results faster and sustain longer.' Most women benefit from weekly sessions for the first four to five weeks, Colon-Gonzalez says. The findings of a 2019 study published in BMJ Open suggests that as few as five weeks of weekly acupuncture may be enough to improve vasomotor symptoms, like hot flashes and night sweats. As symptoms improve, treatments can be spaced to every two to three weeks. 'Once stable, monthly 'tune-ups' are helpful for maintenance,' Colon-Gonzalez says. 'While some women feel relief immediately—though it's not the case for most—cumulative benefits are more common with consistent care over time.'
Reuters
09-07-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Health Rounds: Experimental Bayer drug eases menopause-like symptoms from breast cancer therapy
July 9 (Reuters) - (This is an excerpt of the Health Rounds newsletter, where we present latest medical studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here.) The hot flashes and night sweats that plague breast cancer survivors during years-long hormone-suppressing therapy are eased by an experimental non-hormonal drug being developed by Bayer ( opens new tab, according to results from a late-stage trial. The participants in the trial – similar to two-thirds of breast cancer patients overall - had tumors that use the hormones estrogen and progesterone to grow. The goal of so-called endocrine therapy is to block those hormones, which reproduces the uncomfortable menopause symptoms. The most effective way to relieve these symptoms in healthy women is to replace the hormones, which is not feasible when tumors use the hormones to grow. In a year-long trial involving 474 breast cancer patients experiencing daily hot flashes due to hormone-suppressing therapy, 316 received Bayer's elinzanetant and 158 received a placebo. Within three months, more than 70% of those on elinzanetant reported at least a 50% reduction in moderate-to-severe hot flashes, compared to about 36% of the placebo group, the researchers reported at a recent meeting of cancer doctors and in The New England Journal of Medicine, opens new tab. The Bayer drug also significantly improved sleep quality and menopausal quality of life by week 12. 'It is important to treat vasomotor symptoms because they can negatively impact quality of life and lead to women prematurely stopping their breast cancer treatment,' said study leader Dr. Fatima Cardoso of the Champalimaud Clinical Center in Lisbon. Elinzanetant belongs to a new class of drugs called neurokinin receptor antagonists that target the neurobiological mechanisms in the brain involved in hot flashes and night sweats. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved an Astellas Pharma (4503.T), opens new tab drug from the class under the brand name Vezoah for easing symptoms of menopause. It is not approved for treating breast cancer patients, so that use would be off-label, the study authors noted. Doctors can prescribe any approved medicine as they see fit, but companies can only promote them for approved uses. An editorial, opens new tab published with the study notes that up to 90% of women with early breast cancer treated with endocrine therapy experience hot flashes and other vasomotor symptoms, which may impact their survival if the symptoms lead them to quit taking the medications. In one large study of breast cancer survivors, half the participants reported non-adherence to endocrine therapy, the editorial says. Bayer is awaiting approval of elinzanetant from the FDA and the European Medicines Agency. Cases of type 1 diabetes caused by cancer immunotherapy drugs can be controlled – and even reversed – by treatment with already approved medicines for autoimmune conditions like psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, laboratory studies suggest. Type 1 diabetes, in which the body mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, occurs in 1% to 2% of patients receiving immunotherapies known as checkpoint inhibitors, such as Merck's (MRK.N), opens new tab Keytruda and Bristol Myers Squibb's (BMY.N), opens new tab Opdivo. The condition is often permanent, requiring insulin therapy for life. With the increased use of the blockbuster cancer drugs, 'preventing long-term autoimmune damage is becoming a critical part of survivorship care,' study leader Dr. Melissa Lechner of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA said in a statement. 'This is one of the first times we've found a way to intervene in these toxicities in a meaningful way,' she added. Her team identified a new group of immune cells called CD4+ T follicular helper cells, or Tfh cells, which produce signaling molecules called IL-21 and IFN-gamma that fuel the immune attack on the pancreas. In experiments in mice, the researchers found that a class of drugs known as JAK inhibitors, which block the IL-21 and IFN-gamma pathways, not only blocked the effects of the two signaling molecules but also reduced the number of Tfh cells and, in some cases, restored normal blood sugar levels. The results were reported in JCI Insight, opens new tab. Available JAK inhibitors include Pfizer's (PFE.N), opens new tab Xeljanz, Rinvoq from AbbVie (ABBV.N), opens new tab and Eli Lilly's (LLY.N), opens new tab Olumiant. 'This is the first study to identify Tfh cells and the IL-21/IFN-gamma pathway as key drivers of checkpoint inhibitor–induced type 1 diabetes,' said Lechner. 'Importantly, we show that this pathway can be therapeutically targeted with a drug that is already FDA-approved and widely available without weakening the immune system's ability to fight cancer.' (To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here)
