- Duration of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine persistence and factors associated with cardiac involvement in recently vaccinated patients | npj Vaccines Nature.com
- Could baseline gut microbiota predict the immune responses elicited by COVID-19 vaccines? News-Medical.Net
- Antiviral peptide prevents SARS-CoV-2 from infecting host cells Medical Xpress
- Previous infection with seasonal coronaviruses does not protect male Syrian hamsters from challenge with SARS-CoV-2 Nature.com
- Intranasal vaccine shows promise against COVID variants in hamsters News-Medical.Net
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Tag Archives: factors
State-level macro-economic factors moderate the association of low income with brain structure and mental health in U.S. children – Nature.com
- State-level macro-economic factors moderate the association of low income with brain structure and mental health in U.S. children Nature.com
- Anti-poverty programs may help reduce disparities in brain development and mental health symptoms in children National Institutes of Health (.gov)
- Larger welfare checks lead to healthier brains, study finds The Hill
- Poverty hurts young brains but social safety net may help Harvard Gazette
- Anti-poverty programs may help reduce disparities in brain development and mental health symptoms in children | National Institute on Drug Abuse National Institute on Drug Abuse
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Risk factors and vectors for SARS-CoV-2 household transmission: a prospective, longitudinal cohort study – The Lancet
- Risk factors and vectors for SARS-CoV-2 household transmission: a prospective, longitudinal cohort study The Lancet
- Metabolic dysregulation impairs lymphocyte function during severe SARS-CoV-2 infection | Communications Biology Nature.com
- Nasal SARS-CoV-2 vaccine outperforms existing vaccines in preclinical trial News-Medical.Net
- New Portable Strip-Based Test Could Enable Early Detection of COVID-19 | Weather.com The Weather Channel
- TREM2+ and interstitial-like macrophages orchestrate airway inflammation in SARS-CoV-2 infection in rhesus macaques Nature.com
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New Association Between Social Isolation and Dementia Risk Factors
Summary: Loneliness and a lack of social support contribute to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. The findings add to the growing body of evidence linking social isolation to Alzheimer’s disease.
Source: PLOS
Social lifestyle determinants, including social isolation, are associated with neurodegeneration risk factors, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Kimia Shafighi of McGill University, Canada, and colleagues.
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) is a growing public health crisis, with an annual global cost of more than $1 trillion US. There has been increasing evidence that social isolation is associated with an increased risk of ADRD, but the links between social lifestyle and other known ADRD risk factors are less well understood.
In the new work, the researchers studied data on 502,506 UK Biobank participants and 30,097 people enrolled in the Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging. Both studies had questionnaires that included questions about loneliness, frequency of social interaction and social support.
The study found a large array of associations between potentially modifiable ADRD risk factors and both loneliness and lack of social support. Individuals who smoked more, excessively drank alcohol, experienced sleep disturbances, and failed to frequently participate in light to vigorous physical activities—all known risk factors for ADRD—had greater odds of being lonely and lacking social support.
For instance, in the CLSA, increased regular participation in physical exercise with other people was associated with a 20.1% decrease in the odds of feeling lonely and 26.9% decrease in having poor social support.
Physical and mental health factors previously linked to ADRD, such as cardiovascular disease, vision or hearing impairment, diabetes and neurotic and depressive behaviors, were also associated with both subjective and objective social isolation. In the UKBB, for instance, difficulty to hear with background noise corresponded to a 29.0% increase in the odds of feeling lonely and a 9.86% increase in the odds of lacking social support.
The odds of feeling lonely and lacking social support were also 3.7 and 1.4 times greater, respectively, as a function of a participant’s score for neuroticism.
The authors conclude that social isolation, which can be modified more easily than genetic or underlying health risk factors, might be a promising target for preventive clinical action and policy interventions.
The authors add, “Given the uncertain impact of social distancing measures imposed by COVID-19, our findings underscore the importance of investigating the multiscale effect of social isolation to inform public health interventions for ADRD.”
About this Alzheimer’s disease research news
Author: Press Office
Source: PLOS
Contact: Press Office – PLOS
Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: Open access.
“Social isolation is linked to classical risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias” by Kimia Shafighi et al. PLOS ONE
Abstract
See also
Social isolation is linked to classical risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is a major public health burden–compounding over upcoming years due to longevity. Recently, clinical evidence hinted at the experience of social isolation in expediting dementia onset.
In 502,506 UK Biobank participants and 30,097 participants from the Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging, we revisited traditional risk factors for developing dementia in the context of loneliness and lacking social support.
Across these measures of subjective and objective social deprivation, we have identified strong links between individuals’ social capital and various indicators of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias risk, which replicated across both population cohorts.
The quality and quantity of daily social encounters had deep connections with key aetiopathological factors, which represent 1) personal habits and lifestyle factors, 2) physical health, 3) mental health, and 4) societal and external factors.
Our population-scale assessment suggest that social lifestyle determinants are linked to most neurodegeneration risk factors, highlighting them as promising targets for preventive clinical action.
Yandex ‘leak’ reveals 1,922 search ranking factors
A former employee allegedly leaked a Yandex source code repository, part of which contained more than 1,900 factors the search engines uses for ranking search results.
Why we care. This leak has revealed 1,922 ranking factors Yandex used in its search algorithm, at least as of July 2022. Perhaps Martin MacDonald put it best on Twitter today: “The Yandex hack is probably the most interesting thing to have happened in SEO in years.”
Yandex is not Google. If you plan to read the full list of Yandex ranking factors, remember that Yandex is not Google. If you see a ranking factor listed by Yandex, that doesn’t mean Google gives that signal that same amount of weight. In fact, Google may not use all of the 1,922 factors listed.
That said, a lof of these ranking factors may be quite similar. So reviewing this document may provide some useful insights to better help you understand how search engines, such as Google, work from a technological standpoint.
The bigger picture. The code appeared as a Torrent on a popular hacking forum, as reported by Bleeping Computer:
…the leaker posted a magnet link that they claim are ‘Yandex git sources’ consisting of 44.7 GB of files stolen from the company in July 2022. These code repositories allegedly contain all of the company’s source code besides anti-spam rules.
Yandex calls it a leak. Because the code appeared on a popular hacking forum, it was first thought that Yandex was hacked. Yandex has denied this, and provided the following statement:
“Yandex was not hacked. Our security service found code fragments from an internal repository in the public domain, but the content differs from the current version of the repository used in Yandex services.
A repository is a tool for storing and working with code. Code is used in this way internally by most companies.
Repositories are needed to work with code and are not intended for the storage of personal user data. We are conducting an internal investigation into the reasons for the release of source code fragments to the public, but we do not see any threat to user data or platform performance.”
Dig deeper. You can find more coverage of the leak on Techmeme.
Yandex ranking factors list. MacDonald shared the full list of 1,922 factors here on Web Marketing School. I highly recommend downloading it, as I fully expect Yandex will try to scrub this information from the internet. There is also a translated version on Dropbox.
Alex Buraks also has an ongoing Twitter thread analyzing the various ranking factors. Many are what you’d expect to see – PageRank, text relevancy, content age and freshness, lots of end-user behavior factors, host reliability and many link-related factors (e.g., age, relevancy, etc.)
Some of the ranking factors SEOs are finding surprising: number of unique visitors, percent of organic traffic and average domain ranking across queries.
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About the author
Danny Goodwin is Managing Editor of Search Engine Land & SMX. In addition to writing daily about SEO, PPC, and more for Search Engine Land, Goodwin also manages Search Engine Land’s roster of subject-matter experts. He also helps program our conference series, SMX – Search Marketing Expo.
Prior to joining Search Engine Land, Goodwin was Executive Editor at Search Engine Journal, where he led editorial initiatives for the brand. He also was an editor at Search Engine Watch. He has spoken at many major search conferences and virtual events, and has been sourced for his expertise by a wide range of publications and podcasts.
Gardening and the exercise it involves reduce disease risk factors: study
Though research on gardening abounds, the researchers wrote that they were able to find only three other studies that tested gardening’s effects on disease risk factors by assigning participants randomly to groups who did and didn’t garden, then comparing their health.
In this case, the researchers ran a study at 37 community gardens in Denver and Aurora, Colo. After raising awareness of the program in a variety of neighborhoods, they recruited those on the waiting lists for the study. All 291 participants were adults and had not gardened within the last two years. More than half were from low-income households.
The group assigned to garden was provided with a garden plot, seeds, seedlings and an introduction to gardening course. Those assigned to the non-gardening group were offered the same deal during the next gardening season. Participants were all given health surveys that looked at such factors as body weight, waist circumference, physical activity and diet.
During the study, researchers found, those who gardened ate more fruit and vegetables than their counterparts, increasing their consumption by about 1.13 servings per day. They consumed 1.4 grams more fiber a day than the control group, and increased their fiber intake by 7 percent over the course of the program. They were slightly more active, too, increasing their moderate to vigorous physical activity during the study period. Gardeners also reported less stress and anxiety than their non-gardening counterparts.
Though the gains were modest, researchers said that they are the types of small changes recommended by experts as a way to prevent the risk of chronic diseases. Smoking, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle all contribute to that risk.
“These findings provide concrete evidence that community gardening could play an important role in preventing cancer, chronic diseases and mental health disorders,” said Jill Litt, a professor of environmental health at the University of Colorado, Boulder and the paper’s senior author, in a news release.
The researchers, who received funding from the American Cancer Society, said it’s worth looking further into community gardening as a potential health intervention in urban areas.
Stomach cancer risk factors may include soup-based dishes containing noodles and dumplings
Sodium is among the biggest risk factors for gastric cancer as it damaged the stomach lining and causes lesions. In fact, populations who consume higher amounts of salt have been closely studied for their cancer burden. Some of this research has highlighted a potential association between specific soup-based dishes and a higher incidence of the disease.
In 2012, a Korean study published in the journal Nutrients assessed the link between different soup-based dishes and the incidence of stomach cancer.
The researchers pointed out that a great number of studies assessing these dishes – which contribute high levels of sodium to the diet – and their results are inconsistent.
For their research, a total of 440 cases and 485 controls were recruited to determine how meals containing noodles, dumplings, soups, and stews affected cancer risk.
“In our results, a high intake of noodles and dumplings was associated with a significantly increased incidence of gastric cancer,” they wrote.
READ MORE: Woman, 48, hit with bowel cancer after suffering from ‘gnawing’ pain
The main culprit in these dishes is salt, but another key component is refined carbohydrates, also known as simple or processed carbs, which have essentially been stripped of their nutrients.
Evidence linking carbohydrates to the development of cancer in humans is limited, but epidemiological studies have linked starch intake to two forms of cancer.
“Frequent consumption of starch has been associated with a high incidence of gastric cancer in one case-control study and oesophageal cancer in another,” explains the National Library of Medicine.
It adds: “However, the evidence is insufficient to permit any firm conclusions to be drawn.”
DON’T MISS:
The NHS explains: “Starchy foods – such as potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and cereals – should make up just over a third of the food you eat, as shown by Eatwell Guide.
“Where you can, choose wholegrain varieties, and eat potatoes with their skin on for more fibre.”
Healthy starches provide a good source of energy as they contain fibre, calcium iron and B vitamins.
Certain varieties of starch such as resistant starch – found in bananas and oatmeal – may even protect against the development of cancer in some cases.
READ MORE: ‘Young’ woman, 35, hit with bowel cancer after ‘on and off’ symptoms
In people with Lynch syndrome – a rare genetic that hikes the risk of cancer – resistant starch may lower the risk of gastrointestinal cancers by almost 50 percent.
One key feature of this starch is that it is not digested by the small intestine but instead ferments in the large intestine.
In doing so, it helps feed beneficial gut bacteria by acting in a similar fashion to dietary fibre in the digestive system.
Professor John Mathers, professor of Human Nutrition at Newcastle University said, who was involved in the study, said: “We found that resistant starch may reduce cancer development by changing the chain of the bacterial metabolism of bile acids and reduce those types of bile aids that damage our DNA and eventually cause cancer.”
Conversely, other starches like simple carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and other sugar units, causing spikes in blood sugar.
In early research published in the journal of Gastric Cancer, researchers set out to assess the role of different food groups as well as broader eating patterns, categorised as “starchy”, “healthy” and “mixed”.
Their analysis of different food groups showed increased risks of gastric cancer for rice, salted meat, stewed meat, white bread, potatoes and tubers.
“All three dietary patterns, generated by factors analysis, were significantly associated with gastric carcinoma risk,” wrote the study leaders.
They added: “Whereas the starchy factors were directly associated with gastric cancer, the healthy and mixed patterns were strongly protective.”
The 12 lifestyle factors which raise risk of dementia REVEALED
Hundreds of thousands of dementia cases could be stopped if people took more steps to prevent it, new data suggests.
Regular hearing checks, seven hours of sleep a night and more exercise are among 12 lifestyle factors that could slash a person’s chances of dementia by up to 40 per cent.
But only a third of Brits know that there are things they can do to help keep dementia at bay, according to new data from Alzheimer’s Research UK.
And just one in 50 people are doing everything they can to ward off the disease, a survey found.
Regular hearing checks, seven hours of sleep a night and more exercise are among 12 lifestyle factors that could slash a person’s chances of dementia by up to 40 per cent
Experts suggested simple steps – such as hearing tests in our 30s and 40s – could help drive down dementia rates and have called for brain health to become a greater part of the NHS Health Check.
The charity is launching an online survey for people to see how they score on modifiable risk factors, and what they can do now to boost their chances of avoiding it in future.
Around 900,000 people in the UK and 7million in the US have dementia, an umbrella term used for several brain diseases that affect memory, thinking and cognition.
In 2020, the Lancet Commission concluded up to 40 per cent of cases could be prevented or delayed by targeting 12 modifiable risk factors, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, physical inactivity, excess alcohol intake and smoking.
With cases set to soar by 75 per cent by 2050, a poll of more than 2,000 found just two per cent of the public are taking the necessary steps to cut risks as much as possible.
Hearing loss, for example, has been linked to five modifiable risk factors – including social isolation, depression, physical inactivity/obesity and brain injuries from falls.
Previous research found hearing aid users had a 50 per cent lower risk of mild cognitive than those who did not use them, while another showed they could reduce progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia by 27 per cent.
Yet stigmas associated with hearing aids and difficulties accessing them mean most people who need them, still do not use them.
The latest survey found while 35 per cent of people said they have had concerns about their hearing, six in ten (59 per cent) reported they had done nothing about it.
Dr Sarah Bauermeister, senior scientist at Dementia Platforms UK, said hearing checks should become normalised and ‘more accessible, more affordable, and can more easily be used by those that have hearing impairment’.
‘Regular hearing checks at all population levels is very important and this is across the lifespan so that it’s normalised to have a hearing check whether you’re 30 or 40.
‘And then if we normalise hearing checks, it will normalise the wearing of a hearing aid, and the stigma will then be reduced about wearing a hearing aid.’
Fewer than a third (31 per cent) of the public said they get the recommended seven hours of quality sleep a night – the recommended amount for good brain health.
And over a third of people report that they are failing to challenge their brain regularly, with 32 per cent only managing to do this occasionally, and 4 per cent seldom doing it.
Scientists hope that by raising awareness of risk factors – which change as we age – people can take steps to reduce their chances of getting the disease.
Professor Jonathan Schott, chief medical officer for Alzheimer’s Research UK, said the disease had become people’s ‘biggest fear’ over ageing.
Increasing numbers of people are undergoing genetic testing, he said, which accounts for the remaining 60 per cent of cases.
Yet greater public awareness of lifestyle tweaks could reduce cases by tens of thousands a year, he suggests.
He said: ‘Dementia is now the most feared consequence of ageing and so people are wanting to know what they do about their risk.
‘People are coming to us people are going off and getting their genetics done, which of course they can’t change, and then asking about what they can do about modifying risk.
‘The fact that many of the risk factors that were mentioning – blood pressure, smoking and so forth are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and cancer, we can harness this as part of the public health message.
‘It’s empowering to individuals to know that there are things that they can do and this is why this the tool has been developed.’
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological disorders
A GLOBAL CONCERN
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders (those affecting the brain) which impact memory, thinking and behaviour.
There are many types of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
Some people may have a combination of different types of dementia.
Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience dementia in their own unique way.
Dementia is a global concern but it is most often seen in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live into very old age.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?
The Alzheimer’s Society reports there are more than 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK today. This is projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 per cent of those diagnosed.
In the US, it’s estimated there are 5.5 million Alzheimer’s sufferers. A similar percentage rise is expected in the coming years.
As a person’s age increases, so does the risk of them developing dementia.
Rates of diagnosis are improving but many people with dementia are thought to still be undiagnosed.
IS THERE A CURE?
Currently there is no cure for dementia.
But new drugs can slow down its progression and the earlier it is spotted, the more effective treatments can be.
Source: Alzheimer’s Society
Researchers Uncover Factors Linked to Optimal Aging
A new study aimed to uncover the key factors that contribute to successful or optimal aging by following more than 7,000 middle-aged and older Canadians for approximately three years. The researchers found that maintaining excellent health and avoiding disabling cognitive, physical, or emotional problems was more likely among those who were female, married, physically active, not obese, had higher incomes, had never smoked, and did not have insomnia, heart disease, or arthritis.
Findings underline the importance of a strength-based rather than a deficit-based focus on aging and older adults.
What are the keys to “successful” or optimal aging? A new study followed more than 7,000 middle-aged and older Canadians for approximately three years to identify the factors linked to well-being as we age.
They found that those who were female, married, physically active, and not obese and those who had never smoked, had higher incomes, and who did not have insomnia, heart disease or arthritis, were more likely to maintain excellent health across the study period and less likely to develop disabling cognitive, physical, or emotional problems.
As a baseline, the researchers selected participants who were in excellent health at the start of the approximately three-year period of study. This included the absence of memory problems or chronic disabling pain, freedom from any serious mental illness and absence of physical disabilities that limit daily activities — as well as the presence of adequate social support and high levels of happiness and life satisfaction.
“We were surprised and delighted to learn that more than 70% of our sample maintained their excellent state of health across the study period,” says the first author, Mabel Ho, a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) and the Institute of Life Course and Aging. “Our findings underline the importance of a strength-based rather than a deficit-based focus on aging and older adults. The media and research tend to ignore the positive and just focus on the problems.”
There was considerable variation in the prevalence of successful aging based on the respondents’ age at the beginning of the study. Three quarters of the respondents who were aged 55 to 64 at the start of the study period maintained excellent health throughout the study. Among those aged 80 and older, approximately half remained in excellent health.
“It is remarkable that half of those aged 80 and older maintained this extremely high bar of cognitive, physical, and emotional well-being across the three years of the study. This is wonderful news for older adults and their families who may anticipate that precipitous decline is inevitable for those aged 80 and older,” says Mabel Ho. “By understanding factors associated with successful aging, we can work with older adults, families, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to create an environment that supports a vibrant and healthy later life.”
Older adults who were obese were less likely to maintain good health in later life. Compared to older adults who were obese, those who had a normal weight were 24% more likely to age optimally.
“Our findings are in keeping with other studies which have found that obesity was related to a range of physical symptoms and cognitive problems and that physical activity also plays a key role in optimal aging,” says co-author David Burnes, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto’s FIFSW and a Canada Research Chair in Older Adult Mistreatment Prevention. “These findings highlight the importance of maintaining an appropriate weight and engaging in an active lifestyle throughout the life course”.
Income was also an important factor. Only about half of those below the poverty line aged optimally compared to three-quarters of those living above the poverty line.
“Although our study does not provide information on why low income is important, it is possible that inadequate income causes stress and also restricts healthy choices such as optimal nutrition. Future research is needed to further explore this relationship,” says senior author Esme Fuller-Thomson, Director of the Institute for Life Course & Aging and Professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.
Lifestyle factors are associated with optimal health in later life. Older adults who never smoked were 46% more likely to maintain an excellent state of health compared to current smokers. Previous studies showed that quitting smoking in later life could improve survival statistics, pulmonary function, and quality of life; lower rates of coronary events, and reduce respiratory symptoms. The study found that former smokers did as well as those who had never smoked, underscoring that it is never too late to quit.
The study also found that engaging in physical activity was important in maintaining good health in later life. Older adults who engaged in moderate to strenuous physical activity were 35% to 45% more likely to age well, respectively.
The findings indicated that respondents who never or rarely experienced sleep problems at baseline were 29% more likely to maintain excellent health across the study.
“Clearly, good sleep is an important factor as we age. Sleep problems undermine cognitive, mental, and physical health. There is strong evidence that an intervention called cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is very helpful for people living with insomnia,” says Esme Fuller-Thomson.
The study was recently published online, in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. It uses longitudinal data from the baseline wave (2011-2015) and the first follow-up wave (2015-2018) of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) to examine factors associated with optimal aging the first two waves. In the CLSA, there were 7,651 respondents who were aged 60 years or older at wave 2 who were in optimal health during the baseline wave of data collection. The sample was restricted to those who were in excellent health at baseline, which was only 45% of the respondents.
Reference: “Successful Aging among Immigrant and Canadian-Born Older Adults: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)” by Mabel Ho, Eleanor Pullenayegum, David Burnes and Esme Fuller-Thomson, 13 October 2022, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013199
Dementia risk factors may include fatty liver disease warns study
The researchers noted that this opened interesting perspectives, offering a potential therapeutic target.
Doctor Hadjihambi added: “This research emphasises that cutting down the amount of sugar and fat in our diets is not only important for tackling obesity, but also for protecting the liver to maintain brain health and minimising the risk of developing conditions like depression and dementia during ageing, when our brains become even more fragile.”
The findings reinforce previous research published in the journal Neurology which suggests NAFLD could double the risk of dementia.
The research proposed that the link between NAFLD and dementia was likely driven by vascular damage to the brain, as well as inadequate blood flow.