PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  ITCHING: CAUSE UNCOVERED         Most of us know the sweet relief of scratching an itch. But when scratching becomes constant, it’s more than annoying—it can turn into a serious health issue. So, what stops the body from itching itself raw? Researchers at UC San Francisco may finally have an answer. In findings that could shake up how we treat conditions like eczema and allergies, scientists have zeroed in on a single immune protein, IL-31. This molecule doesn’t just trigger the urge to itch—it also throws a wet blanket on nearby inflammation, creating a fascinating feedback loop. The big reveal, published October 13th in Science Immunology, opens the door for more innovative drugs that harness the body’s own ability to keep itself in check. For years, scientists thought IL-31 was just a double-trouble signal—causing us to scratch and inflame the skin at the same time. But the UCSF team found something surprising: when neurons sense IL-31 and make us scratch, ...

  STUBBORN HIGH CHOLESTEROL REDUCED WITH NEW INJECTABLE MEDICATION     A new PCSK9 inhibitor (recaticimab) injected every one to three months may work safely and provide more flexible dosing to lower cholesterol, according to late-breaking science presented today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2023. The Philadelphia meeting is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research, and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science. "Previous studies found that 30% to 40% of people discontinued their current PCSK9 therapies, given every two to four weeks, during or after six months of beginning treatment. More flexible dosing with recaticimab, given up to every 12 weeks, might increase the proportion of people with high levels of bad cholesterol to stick with their recommended treatment to lower bad cholesterol levels and reduce risk of heart disease," said lead study author Xin Du, Ph.D., a professor of card...

  MENSTRUAL CYCLE AND  IMPACT ON TRAINING         There is plenty of advice for women on what to eat, how to train, or what supplements to take during their menstrual cycles. However, a new review by an international team of scientists has yet to find evidence to support such recommendations. In fact, they found sparse research on women and exercise and even less on the effect of their periods on sports performance, physiology, or physical fitness. The paper's authors, from McMaster University, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, call for much more high-quality, standardized research on women. A key finding from the review was that hormonal levels vary substantially between women during their menstrual periods and between the cycles of individual women. Virtually no woman has a standard version of a menstrual cycle, which is typically 28 days long, with ovulation consistently occurring on day 14. "The dat...

  PEOPLE WITH OBESITY BURN LESS CALORIES DURING THE DAY Building on prior studies with healthy-weight participants, the new research includes different body sizes.         New research indicates that weight influences how and when bodies burn energy. An Oregon Health & Science University study published in the journal  Obesity  found people who have a healthy weight use more energy during the day, when most people are active and eat, while those who are obese spend more energy during the night when most people sleep. The study also found that during the day, those with obesity have higher levels of the hormone insulin -- a sign that the body is working harder to use glucose, an energy-packed sugar. "It was surprising to learn how dramatically the timing of when our bodies burn energy differed in those with obesity," said the study's first author, Andrew McHill, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the OHSU School of Nursing and the Oregon Institute of ...

  PREGNANT WOMEN MAY BE MISSING OUT ON ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS Pregnant women are not getting the essential nutrients they and their babies need from modern diets, say scientists, who have warned that the situation will likely worsen as more people turn to plant-based foods. A study looking at the health of expecting mothers from high-income countries, including the UK, New Zealand, and Singapore, found that 90 percent were lacking essential vitamins necessary for healthy pregnancies and the well-being of unborn infants. Scientists from the University of Southampton, working with experts worldwide, surveyed more than 1,700 women and found abundant essential nutrients in meat and dairy products. These included vitamins B12, B6, and D, folic acid, and riboflavin, which are essential for developing fetuses in the womb. Lead author and Professor of Epidemiology Keith Godfrey, from the University of Southampton, said the prevalence of vitamin deficiencies among women attempting to become pr...

  A VEGAN DIET IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH, ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY         In a study with 22 pairs of identical twins, Stanford Medicine researchers and their colleagues have found that a vegan diet improves cardiovascular health in as little as eight weeks. Although it's well-known that eating less meat improves cardiovascular health, diet studies often need to be enhanced by genetic differences, upbringing, and lifestyle choices. By studying identical twins, however, the researchers were able to control for genetics and limit the other factors, as the twins grew up in the same households and reported similar lifestyles. "Not only did this study provide a groundbreaking way to assert that a vegan diet is healthier than the conventional omnivore diet, but the twins were also a riot to work with," said Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor and a professor of medicine. "They dressed the same, they talked the same, and they had a banter ...

   EMOTIONAL EATING AND STRESS .         If you've had a near-miss accident in your car or suffered the intimidation of a menacing person, you've probably felt it -- a psychological reaction to a threat called a fight-or-flight response. Your heart rate climbs, anxiety washes over you, and you might shake or sweat. But hours after that stress passes, you may feel another response -- a powerful desire for comfort food, that highly processed, high-fat stuff you know isn't good for you. It can relieve stress and tension and provide a sense of control. Emotional eating following a stress-triggering interaction is familiar to many of us and scientists. But how a threat signals your brain to want comfort food has been unknown. Now, a Virginia Tech scientist has pinpointed a molecule found in a region of the brain called the hypothalamus that is connected to changes in the brain that lead to emotional overeating. Sora Shin, assistant professor at the Fralin Biomed...

  CHEMOTHERAPY MAY TRIGGER CANCER RECURRENCE   Unraveling new therapeutic targets to prevent the return of cancer         A standard chemotherapy drug injures surrounding non-cancer cells, which can awaken dormant cancer cells and promote cancer growth, according to a new study published in the open-access journal  PLOS Biology  by Ramya Ganesan of Emory University, US, and colleagues. The finding is important for understanding cancer recurrence and may point to new prevention targets. Advances in cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, have dramatically reduced mortality for many types of cancer, including breast cancer. Nonetheless, up to 23% of breast cancer patients experience recurrence within the first five years. Treatment is meant to kill all cancer cells, but often, some cells enter a state of dormancy, in which they stop dividing and become unresponsive to chemotherapeutic agents. Recurrence occurs when dormant cells are reawaken and s...