PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  INTENSE EXERCISE: APPETITE SUPPRESSION       A vigorous workout does more to suppress hunger levels in healthy adults than does moderate exercise, and females may be especially susceptible to this response, according to a small study published in the  Journal of the Endocrine Society. The study investigates the impact of exercise intensity on ghrelin levels and appetite in men and women. Ghrelin is commonly referred to as the "hunger hormone" and is linked to perceptions of hunger. "We found that high intensity exercise suppressed ghrelin levels more than moderate intensity exercise," said lead author Kara Anderson, Ph.D., of the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, Va. "In addition, we found that individuals felt 'less hungry' after high intensity exercise compared to moderate intensity exercise." Ghrelin circulates in acylated (AG) and deacylated (DAG) forms, which are known to affect appetite....

  SEMAGLUTIDE MAY REDUCE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RISKS         Researchers at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine have found that, when compared to seven other anti-diabetic drugs, semaglutide, a popular diabetes and weight-loss drug, may lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. According to the Alzheimer's Association, nearly 7 million Americans 65 and older are living with the disease, and there are more deaths from Alzheimer's than breast and prostate cancer combined. The study, published today in the journal  Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association,  suggests T2D patients taking semaglutide had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. These results were consistent across different subgroups, including obesity status, gender, and age. Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide r...

  EXPANDING ACCESS TO WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS COULD SAVE THOUSANDS OF LIVES         Expanding access to new, highly effective weight-loss medications could prevent more than 40,000 deaths a year in the United States, according to a new study by Yale School of Public Health and the University of Florida researchers . The findings highlight the critical need to remove existing barriers that are hindering people's access to effective weight loss treatments and impeding public health efforts to address the national obesity crisis, the researchers said. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 74% of Americans are considered overweight, with about 43% of those individuals considered obese. Obesity's widespread impact on health is well-documented. It exacerbates conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. Yet, despite its severe consequences, the development and deployment of highly effective treatments for...

  CANNABIS USE CHANGES BRAIN STRUCTURE IN TEENS         Cannabis use may lead to thinning of the cerebral cortex in adolescents, according to a recent study led by Graciela Piñeyro and Tomáš Paus, researchers at CHU Sainte-Justine and professors at the Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine. A collaborative effort between two research laboratories with complementary approaches, the study demonstrates that THC -- or tetrahydrocannabinol, an active substance in cannabis -- causes shrinkage of the dendritic arborization, neurons' "network of antennae" whose role is critical for communication between neurons. This results in the atrophy of some areas of the cerebral cortex -- lousy news at an age when the brain is maturing. "If we take the analogy of the brain as a computer, the neurons would be the central processor, receiving all information via the synapses through the dendritic network," explains Tomáš Paus, who is also a professor of psychiatry and neurosci...

  BIOLOGICAL AGE INDICATED WITH THIS SIMPLE EXERCISE    According to new Mayo Clinic research, standing on one leg for a long time is a more telltale measure of aging than changes in strength or gait. The study appeared in the journal  PLOS ONE . Good balance, muscle strength, and an efficient gait contribute to people's independence and well-being as they age. Understanding how these factors change and at what rate can help clinicians develop programs to ensure healthy aging. Individually, people can train their balance without special equipment and work on maintaining it over time. In this study, 40 healthy, independent people over 50 underwent walking, balance, grip strength, and knee strength tests. Half of the participants were under 65, and the other half were 65 or older. In the balance tests, participants stood on force plates in different situations: on both feet with eyes open and  closed, on the non-dominant , and on the dominant leg. In the one-legge...

  ALCOHOL'S IMPACT ON THE HEART :         New research is evaluating the negative effects of alcohol on the body and health with ever greater scrutiny. This should not surprise us, as alcohol is one of the most potent cell toxins that exist. In a recent study, doctors at LMU University Hospital took mobile ECG monitors along to parties of young people with one principal aim: to drink and be merry. Yet the science produced by the MunichBREW II study made for sobering reading. It revealed that binge drinking can have a concerning effect on the hearts even of healthy young people in surprisingly many cases, including the development of clinically relevant arrhythmia. The study results have just been published in the  European Heart Journal . The team from the Department of Cardiology at LMU University Hospital launched the MunichBREW I study at Munich Oktoberfest in 2015. Back then, the doctors, led by Professor Stefan Brunner and PD Dr. Moritz Sinner, studied...