PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

   IS IT POSSIBLE TO BUILD MUSCLES WITH THE HELP OF ELECTRICAL STIMULATION? New meta-analysis: combining electrical muscle stimulation with resistance training increases strength, muscle mass         If building strength and muscle mass is part of your New Year's Resolution, do a new workout routine. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), or electrical muscle stimulation for short, uses electrical currents to contract muscles. According to Sudip Bajpeyi, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Texas at El Paso, the stimulation devices are easy to use and widely available on the market. Still, he has often wondered, "Can these stimulators offer any benefits when used during resistance training? What does the research say?" Well, the results are in—and they are promising. In a new meta-analysis study published this month in the  European Journal of Applied Physiology , Bajpeyi found that using NMES while performing ...

  Adjuvant Trastuzumab Emtansine Improves Overall Survival in HER2+ Breast Cancer By Elana Gotkine, HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2025 -- For patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive early  breast cancer , adjuvant   trastuzumab  emtansine (T-DM1) improves overall survival more than trastuzumab alone, according to a study published in the Jan. 16 issue of the  New England Journal of Medicine . Charles E. Geyer Jr., M.D., from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Foundation in Pittsburgh, and colleagues randomly assigned patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer with residual invasive disease in the breast or axilla after neoadjuvant systemic treatment with taxane-based chemotherapy and trastuzumab to receive 14 cycles of T-DM1 or trastuzumab (743 individuals in each treatment group). With a median follow-up of 8.4 years, the researchers found that T-DM1 sustained the improvement in invasive...

  BIRD FLU MUTATIONS EFFECTIVELY COMBATED WITH ANTIVIRALS Researchers identified nine mutations in a bird flu strain from a person in Texas. Researchers from the Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed) report in Emerging Microbes & Infections that one of the earliest strains of bird flu isolated from a human in Texas shows a unique constellation of mutations that enable it to replicate more efficiently in human cells and cause more severe disease in mice compared to a strain found in dairy cattle . The finding highlights a key concern about the H5N1 strains of bird flu currently circulating in the U.S.: the speed at which the virus can mutate when introduced to a new host. H5N1 is naturally found in wild birds and lethal in chickens. It has spread to various mammals and began infecting dairy cows for the first time in spring 2024. As of early 2025, the outbreak had spread through herds across multiple states in the U.S. and infected dozens of people, mostly farm work...

  COLLEGE STUDENTS' WEIGHT GAIN MOSTLY MUSCLES, ACCORDING TO A  NEW STUDY .         With the holidays behind us, many Americans are seeing the numbers on the scale go up a pound or two. In fact, data shows that many American midlife and older adults gain 1 to 1.5 pounds over the November through January holiday period. Though not harmful on its own, even a small amount of holiday weight gain in the form of fat can negatively affect health. People often fail to lose the extra weight, which leads to significant cumulative weight gain over the years and contributes to health concerns. New research shows that college students gain the same weight as older adults during the holiday season; however, they add new muscle, not fat. Obesity researcher Martin Binks, professor and chair of George Mason University's Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, was surprised by the findings of this breakthrough research. "The differences between college students' and older ...

  FDA Proposes New Front-of-Package Food Labels By India Edwards HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Jan. 15, 2025 -- Grabbing a quick snack might soon come with a little extra clarity. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a new rule requiring bold, easy-to-read nutrition labels on food and beverage packages. These labels, which would highlight content of sugar, salt, and saturated fat, aim to make it easier for shoppers to make healthier choices in the grocery aisle -- helping to tackle the rising rates of obesity and conditions such as Type 2 diabetes ,  heart disease , and  high blood pressure , a media report from  The New York Times  states. These chronic illnesses affect over 60% of American adults and contribute to an estimated $4.5 trillion in annual health care costs, according to the  FDA . “Nearly everyone knows or cares for someone with a chronic disease that is due, in part, to the food we eat,” Dr. Robert Califf, the co...

  Nearly 100 Million Americans Exposed to Unregulated Contaminants in Drinking Water By Elana Gotkine, HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Jan 15, 2025 -- More than 97 million U.S. residents are served by U.S. public water systems (PWSs) with detectable levels of contaminants, and disparities related to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status are apparent, according to a study published online Jan 15 in  Environmental Health Perspectives . Aaron J. Maruzzo, M.P.H., from the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Massachusetts, and colleagues examined the determinants of unregulated contaminant detection among U.S. PWSs and assessed disparities in racial ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Four target contaminants (or classes) with industrial sources were included: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 1,4-dioxane, 1,1-dichloroethane, and chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22). Overall, more than 97 million U.S. residents were served by a PWS with detectable levels of 1,4-dioxane, HCFC-...