PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  RUNNERS: AIR QUALITY MATTERS         Most runners don’t give air quality much thought when gearing up for a marathon. But maybe they should. New research out of Brown University’s School of Public Health suggests that the air you breathe on race day could be the difference between a personal best and a tough slog. The study, published in Sports Medicine, looked at how tiny airborne particles—known as delicate particulate matter—affect marathon finish times. The results? Runners who compete on more polluted days tend to finish slower. The difference wasn’t huge—an extra 32 seconds for men, 25 for women, for every slight uptick in air pollution—but as any marathoner can tell you, every second counts. “Just think about all the time, money, and sheer effort someone like Eliud Kipchoge spends chasing that sub-two-hour marathon,” said Elvira Fleury, who led the research as a grad student at Brown and is now at Harvard. “Top athletes obsess over shoes, training, nutr...

  WALKING FAST IMPROVES HEALTH A recent study published in Scientific Reports suggests that people with obesity who report walking at a faster pace are less likely to have certain metabolic diseases. The research, led by Yuiko Yamamoto from Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, looked at thousands of adults who met criteria for obesity either by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, or both. The study found that those with higher BMIs who said they walked quickly had a noticeably lower risk of developing diabetes and abnormal cholesterol levels, even after accounting for age and sex. When looking at people with larger waistlines, a brisk walking pace was linked to reduced odds of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. The same trend held for those who met both obesity criteria. The takeaway: According to the authors, walking at a fast pace may help lower the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and unhealthy cholesterol—even among those already at higher risk due to obesi...

  MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH REQUIRES HOLISTIC APPROACHES Scientists call for holistic mental health care that combines physical and psychological well-being.         Picture this: you're struggling with anxiety or depression, and the first thing your doctor does is pull out their prescription pad. Sound familiar? It's been the go-to move in mental health care for decades. But some brilliant minds in Brazil say, "Hold up - we're missing something big here." Their groundbreaking research in PLOS Mental Health couldn't come at a better time. Right now, mental health issues are skyrocketing, hitting young people especially hard. The World Health Organization's latest numbers are eye-opening: one in eight people worldwide is wrestling with mental health challenges. That's your neighbors, your coworkers, maybe even you. Here's what's fascinating: these researchers aren't anti-medication. They're just pointing out what we've all secretly susp...

  Proposed FDA Rule Targets Asbestos in Talc Cosmetic Products By India Edwards, HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, Dec. 27, 2024 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a new rule to require standardized testing of talc-containing cosmetics for asbestos, a known carcinogen linked to serious illnesses such as lung and ovarian cancers. According to an FDA report, the proposed rule would require manufacturers to test each batch of talc-containing cosmetic products using advanced microscopy techniques, such as polarized light and transmission electron microscopy. Failure to comply with these testing or record-keeping requirements would result in the products being classified as adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Asbestos contamination in talc-based cosmetics has been a long-standing health concern. The FDA emphasized there is no safe level of asbestos exposure, and this rule aims to reduce harmful exposure and protect consumers from poten...

  COFFEE MAY PREVENT MENTAL DECLINE A new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association finds that drinking up to or more than five cups of coffee daily may help cognitive function in people with irregular heart rhythms.         New research published on Dec. 14, 2024, in the  Journal of the American Heart Association , an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association, suggests that drinking multiple cups of coffee daily may help prevent cognitive decline in people with atrial fibrillation (AFib or AF). "Many myths are around, but our study found no reason to discourage or forbid a patient with AFib from drinking coffee. Instead, say, 'Enjoy, it may even be good for you!'" said Jürg H. Beer, M.D., senior study author and professor of medicine and hematology at the University of Zürich in Switzerland. Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder in adults, affecting more than 5 million people in the U.S., accor...

  BEING SINGLE AND LIFE SATISFACTION         The Solo Life Revolution: New Science Changes How We See Singles Gone are the days when being single meant you hadn't found "the one" yet. A groundbreaking study in Psychological Science has turned our understanding of lifelong singles upside down, and its findings are reshaping how we think about those who live without a partner. Picture this: researchers at the University of Bremen dug through data from 77,000 Europeans over 50, but with a twist. Instead of treating all singles the same (rookie mistake), they got granular - separating those who'd never married from those who'd never lived with someone and those who'd never had any serious relationship. Smart move, right? The results? Eye-opening, to say the least. Permanent singles tend to be less extroverted and less open to new experiences. But hold your horses before jumping to conclusions - it's not that relationships change people. Instead, certain perso...

  FDA Approves Less Expensive Generic GLP-1 Medicine For Diabetes And Weight Loss   Big news for anyone wrestling with Type 2 diabetes: the FDA just gave the green light to a cheaper version of a popular diabetes drug. Think of it as the store-brand equivalent of Victoza – the same active ingredient (liraglutide), but likely easier on your wallet. If you've been following the Ozempic craze, you might recognize the family resemblance. Liraglutide is a cousin to semaglutide, the superstar ingredient in Ozempic. While everyone's been talking about these drugs for weight loss, their original purpose was helping people manage diabetes. The timing couldn't be better. With Ozempic and similar drugs flying off the shelves faster than hotcakes, this new generic version could help keep supplies steady. It's a big deal considering more than 38 million Americans are living with Type 2 diabetes – that's more people than the entire population of Canada. Here's how it works: T...

  NEW DRUG EFFECTIVE IN TREATING MIGRAINES     A drug recently approved to prevent migraines may start working immediately, according to a study published on December 23, 2024, in the online issue of  Neurology ® , the American Academy of Neurology medical journal. The study examined the drug atogepant , a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist taken by mouth. "With many current drugs to prevent migraine, it takes time to find the right dosage for the individual and it can take weeks or even months for it to be most effective," said study author Richard B. Lipton, MD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. "Some people give up and stop taking the drugs before they reach this point. Plus, many people experience side effects with current treatments. Developing a drug that works both effectively and quickly is critical." In the study, people taking the drug-tolerant drug ...

   NEIGHBORHOOD WALKABILITY IMPACTS HEALTH         Adding strong evidence supporting "walkable" neighborhoods, an extensive national study found that the built environment can increase how much people walk. The study, published in the  American Journal of Epidemiology , examined approximately 11,000 twins to demonstrate a strong connection between place and activity. This helps control for family influences and genetic factors. The researchers found that each 1% increase in an area's "walkability" resulted in a 0.42% increase in neighborhood walking. When scaled up, that means a 55% increase in the walkability of the surrounding neighborhood would result in about 23% more walking, or about 19 minutes a week for every resident living in that area. In terms of public health, that can add up to a big difference for the highly sedentary U.S. populace, according to study lead author Glen Duncan, a Washington State University nutrition and exercise physiolog...

  Women Are Less Likely Than Men to Take Medication After a Stroke, Study Suggests By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Dec. 26, 2024 -- Female  stroke   victims are less likely than men to take drugs that could lower their odds of a second stroke. Women are 80% more likely to report that they don’t take cholesterol-lowering medications as prescribed, a new study shows. Researchers report that they are also 53% more likely to not take blood thinners that could prevent a follow-up stroke in the  Journal of the American Heart Association . Researchers said the results appear to be driven by Mexican-American women. Mexican-Americans made up 58% of the study population. “Women in general and Mexican American women in particular are more likely to be caregivers for other family members,”  Chen Chen , a postdoctoral fellow with the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said in a news release. “As a result, they may be less able to prioritize and ...