PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

SEMAGLUTIDE IS MORE EFFECTIVE FOR WEIGHT LOSS IN WOMEN COMPARED TO MEN, BUT BOTH BENEFIT IF DIAGNOSED WITH HEART FAILURE.         Semaglutide, a medication initially developed for type 2 diabetes and obesity, significantly improves symptoms in men and women with a common type of heart failure that has had few therapeutic options. Women experienced more significant weight loss and the same symptom benefits compared with men, according to research presented today by Dr. Subodh Verma (St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto) at the American Diabetes Association's 2024 Scientific Sessions and published in the  Journal of the American College of Cardiology   ( JACC ). This secondary analysis of the STEP-HFpEF (Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with Obesity and HFpEF) program reveals that semaglutide provides benefits for men and women that do not track directly with weight loss, suggesting the drug may also have weight-loss-independent effects on the ...

  DOCTORS ARE NOT BEING TAUGHT APPROPRIATELY ABOUT NUTRITION AND WEIGHT LOSS Studies show BMI, and weight don't predict health, but medical students are still taught to tell patients to lose weight         Nutrition is a key determinant of health. However American physicians aren't receiving effective training to counsel patients on the topic, according to a new paper from University of Georgia researchers. Current medical training focuses on weight and body mass index (BMI), exacerbating anti-obesity bias and increasing the risk of eating disorders, the authors said. And it doesn't give future doctors adequate education on how to encourage healthier eating habits. "Mainstream medicine is still very focused on linking weight to health," said Kearney Gunsalus, lead author of the paper and an assistant professor at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership. "Because people with obesity and higher body weights are more likely to have healt...

  INTERNET ADDICTION IN ADOLESCENTS AND LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS :         Adolescents with an internet addiction undergo changes in the brain that could lead to additional addictive behavior and tendencies, finds a new study by UCL researchers. The findings, published in  PLOS Mental Health , reviewed 12 articles involving 237 young people aged 10-19 with a formal diagnosis of internet addiction between 2013 and 2023. Internet addiction has been defined as a person's inability to resist the urge to use the internet, negatively impacting their psychological well-being, as well as their social, academic, and professional lives. The studies used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to inspect the functional connectivity (how regions of the brain interact with each other) of participants with internet addiction, both while resting and completing a task. The effects of internet addiction were seen throughout multiple neural networks in the brains of adole...

  Two decades of studies suggest health benefits associated with plant-based diets. However, researchers caution against broad diet recommendations once the remaining knowledge gaps are filled.         According to a new review of 49 previously published papers, vegetarian and vegan diets are generally associated with better status on various medical factors linked to cardiovascular health and cancer risk and lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and death. Angelo Capodici and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal  PLOS ONE  on May 15, 2024. Prior studies have linked specific diets with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. A diet that is poor in plant products and rich in meat, refined grains, sugar, and salt is associated with a higher risk of death. Reducing the consumption of animal-based products in favor of plant-based products has been suggested to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer...

  CARDIO-EXERCISE MAY CUT DEATH AND DISEASE RATE BY AS MUCH AS 20%          Running, cycling, or swimming—if you regularly exercise, you're well on track for a long and healthy life. Groundbreaking new research from the University of South Australia finds that an increased cardio fitness level will reduce your risk of death from any cause by 11-17%. Published in  BJSM ,  the study found that for every 1-MET increase in cardiorespiratory fitness—the amount of energy used for quiet sitting—a person can reduce their risk of death by 11-17%, and specifically, their risk of heart disease by 18%. Comprising 26 systematic reviews and meta-analyses representing more than 20.9 million observations from 199 unique cohort studies, it is the first study to collate all the scientific evidence on the prospective link between cardiorespiratory fitness and health outcomes among adults. Senior author UniSA Professor Grant Tomkinson says that cardiorespiratory fitn...

  RESEARCH SHOWS STRONG LINK BETWEEN DIET AND BRAIN HEALTH New research has highlighted the profound link between dietary choices and brain health.         New research has highlighted the profound link between dietary choices and brain health. Published in  Nature , the research showed that a healthy, balanced diet was linked to superior brain health, cognitive function, and mental well-being. The study, involving researchers at the University of Warwick, sheds light on how our food preferences influence physical health and significantly impact brain health. The dietary choices of a large sample of 181,990 participants from the UK Biobank were analyzed against a range of physical evaluations, including cognitive function, blood metabolic biomarkers, brain imaging, and genetics, unveiling new insights into the relationship between nutrition and overall well-being. Each participant's food preferences were collected via an online questionnaire, which the team...

  CANNABIS USE MAY INCREASE STROKE AND HEART ATTACK RISKS An analysis of 430,000 adults in the U.S. found that using cannabis, most commonly through smoking, eating, or vaporizing it, was significantly associated with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, even after controlling for tobacco use (combustible cigarettes and other tobacco products,) and other cardiovascular risk factors, according to new research published today in the  Journal of the American Heart Association , an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. Although cannabis, or marijuana, is illegal at the federal level, 24 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized the use of recreational cannabis. Additionally, the number of people in the U.S. who use cannabis has increased significantly in recent decades, according to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Serv...