PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  THE USE OF WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS AND MUSCLE LOSS An editorial in The Lancet highlights the critical importance of muscle mass with weight loss medications. .         A recent commentary published in  The Lancet  journal highlights the critical importance of skeletal muscle mass in medically induced weight loss, particularly with the widespread use of GLP-1 receptor agonists. These medications, celebrated for their effectiveness in treating obesity, have raised concerns regarding the potential for substantial muscle loss as part of the weight loss process. Dr. Steven Heymsfield, professor of metabolism and body composition, and Dr. M. Cristina Gonzalez, adjunct and visiting professor of metabolism-body composition, both of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, joined colleagues Dr. Carla Prado of the University of Alberta and Dr. Stuart Phillips of McMaster University in authoring The Lancet commentary, "Muscle Matters: The Effects of Medically Induced W...

  INTENSE EXERCISE MAY SUPPRESS APPETITE Women may experience the effects more than men       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 examines the effects of exercise intensity on ghrelin levels and appetite between men and women. Ghrelin is known as the "hunger hormone" and is associated with 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) fo...

  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...