Tag Archives: Health & Fitness

Health

These six health rules are actually myths says doctor

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The healthy guidelines you live by might actually be ridiculous myths.

Last week, the rule that you need to get in 10,000 steps per day made news when it was reported that the number was actually a Japanese marketing ploy with little scientific basis.

It’s hardly the only health fact that’s actually a fiction, said Dr. Donald Hensrud, associate professor of medicine and nutrition at the Mayo Clinic.

“It’s important to look at what scientific evidence exists when evaluating the accuracy of these myths,” Hensrud told The Post.

Here, he walks us through six commonly accepted myths and tells us what’s really true.

Common health myths might be nothing more than fiction.
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Drinking eight glasses of water daily is crucial

Gulping down 64 ounces of pristine H2O every day isn’t as important as we’ve been led to believe. And, some people may achieve adequate hydration mostly from the foods they eat and other beverages. Coffee and even alcohol can also contribute to hydration if consumed in moderate amounts.

“There’s nothing magic about 8 glasses,” Hensrud said. “The amount of water that someone needs can vary quite a bit depending on different factors: how hot it is out, how much they exercise, and their diet.”

Hensrud says contrary to popular belief, you don’t need 8 glasses of water a day.
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Eating late at night caused weight gain

Many diets over the years have promised results by implementing a curfew on when food is consumed, but according to Hensrud what matters is what — not when — you eat.

“In general, calories are calories,” he said. He does, however, note that restricting eating to certain hours can be helpful in that it encourages you to eat less and not mindlessly snack in front of “The Late Show.”

‘Calories are calories,’ Hensrud says.
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Breakfast is the most important meal

It’s long been thought of as the VIP of meals, but there’s little to justify that position.

“The evidence is conflicting,” Hensrud said. “If people eat breakfast, then they may be less likely to overeat later in the day [but] on the other hand, there is some evidence that it may not be as good as what we’ve taught in the past.”

Hensrud said some people have found intermittent fasting and skipping breakfast works for them, and there’s no evidence that says not eating breakfast affects overall health. If you prefer to skip it and that works for you, there’s no need to change the habit.

“In general, breakfast is good, but it isn’t quite as clear as what we used to think it’s commonly believed,” he said.

Skipping your morning meal isn’t all that bad.
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Organic food is better for you

Organic food sounds like it should be better for you, but it might not make that much of a difference overall to your health.

Hensrud said that although it’s commonly believed organic foods are healthier than non-organic foods, it’s not necessarily true.

“It’s a good idea to wash fruits, vegetables [of pesticides] before eating, obviously, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of adverse health effects [if pesticides are consumed],” he said. “The bottom line is that people should eat more plant products, fruits, vegetables — whether it’s organic or not.”

Hensrud said organic foods are “definitely better for the environment,” as they have less soil, water and air pollution than foods that are grown non-organically, but it’s “more of an environmental issue rather than a health issue.”

Many may be surprised to find out organic foods aren’t necessarily healthier.
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Exercising at a particular time is most effective

Hensrud said he’s not aware of any evidence to suggest that exercising at a particular time of day or in certain weather burns more calories, adding that if it does, it’s “subtle” and other factors come into play.

“Exercising when it’s warm (depending on how warm it is) might burn a little bit more calories, but the issue there would be just being able to sustain exercise,” he said.

In general, you should exercise whenever you can fit it in your schedule.

“The best time to work out is when works for people,” he said.

Exercising is good for you – at any time of the day.
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Coffee is bad for you

Good news for caffeine drinkers: your cup of joe isn’t going to negatively affect your overall health.

“It’s one of the biggest health myths out there,” Hensrud said of java’s bad reputation. In reality, “coffee has been related to a decreased risk of type two diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, liver cancer, improved mood and decreased risk of depression, better renal function, decreased risk of possibly gout and possibly renal renal stones and gallbladder stones.”

He said there are a few negative health affects (cautioning it can sometimes be harmful pregnant women or women trying) but overall, it depends on how an individual person metabolizes caffeine — which could explain why some are more susceptible to side effects.

“The bottom line is coffee is a healthful substance,” Hensrud said. “It has a lot of antioxidants and the side effects [if experienced] are what should limit consumption, not the fear of it being bad.”

Coffee drinkers rejoice: your habit isn’t bad for you, Hensrud says.
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Do we need 10K steps a day? Shocking truth of daily goal

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Anyone who has a fitness tracker knows 10,000 steps per day is touted as the pinnacle of health.

That magical number of steps has been linked to a wide variety of health benefits, such as weight loss and lowered risks of cancer, dementia and heart disease. Walking 10,000 steps has even become a trend on TikTok, thanks to an exercise routine called the Hot Girl Walk.

But where did this number come from? The true origin may surprise you.

Hint: it doesn’t come from research or science.

Tom Yates, professor of physical activity and sedentary behavior at the UK’s University of Leicester, told the Daily Mail that “there was no evidence for it to start with.”

Shortly before the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, there was a lot of attention on fitness in Japan, and many local companies tried to profit off the hype.

A 1964 ad for the Manpo-Kei pedometer.

Yamasa invented a marketing ploy to sell a pedometer called the Manpo-Kei — which literally translates to “10,000 steps meter.” Some even believe the company chose this name simply because the Japanese character for 10,000, 万, looks similar to a walking man.

There was no actual reasoning behind the number other than that it was a round, memorable number that looks nice. The company didn’t have any scientific evidence to back it up, they just wanted to sell their product — and they unknowingly influenced the fitness industry for years to come.

Whether or not people really need to walk 10,000 steps per day to maintain a healthy lifestyle has been the subject of many studies, and it’s been proven to be a good target. However, until recently, studies have only been done on the effects of 5,000 steps and 10,000 steps — never in between.

One major study released in March debunked the 10,000-step goal, suggesting that anywhere between 6,000 and 8,000 steps a day is just enough, and anything more than 8,000 doesn’t actually count in terms of health benefits.

Whether or not people really need to walk 10,000 steps per day to maintain a healthy lifestyle has been the subject of many studies.
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Another recent study suggested that the pace at which one walks might be more important than step count. Experts in Denmark and Australia concluded that 10,000 steps per day might not be necessary if you walk quickly.

“Step count is easily understood and widely used by the public to track activity levels thanks to the growing popularity of fitness trackers and apps, but rarely do people think about the pace of their steps,” said University of Sydney professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, senior author of the study and a public health expert.

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5 heart studies allegedly manipulated data, blood thinner had healing effects

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Three medical journals recently launched independent investigations of possible data manipulation in heart studies led by Temple University researchers, Reuters has learned, adding new scrutiny to a misconduct inquiry by the university and the U.S. government.

The Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology and the Journal of Biological Chemistry is investigating five papers authored by Temple scientists, the journals told Reuters.

A third journal owned by the Journal of American College of Cardiology (JACC), last month retracted a paper by Temple researchers on its website after determining that there was evidence of data manipulation. The retracted paper had originally concluded that the widely-used blood thinner, Xarelto, could have a healing effect on hearts.

“We are committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record,” Elsevier, which owns the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology and publishes the two other journals on behalf of medical societies, said in a statement to Reuters.

Philadelphia-based Temple began its own inquiry in September 2020 at the request of the U.S. Office of Research Integrity (ORI), which oversees misconduct investigations into federally funded research, according to a lawsuit filed by one of the researchers.

According to court records, Temple University professor Abdel Karim Sabri supervised nine out of the 15 involved papers that were published between 2008 and 2020.
Temple University

The Temple investigation involves 15 papers published between 2008 and 2020 and supported by grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, according to the court records. Nine of the studies were supervised by Abdel Karim Sabri, a professor at Temple’s Cardiovascular Research Center.

His colleague Steven Houser, senior associate dean of research at Temple and former president of the American Heart Association, is listed as an author of five studies supervised by Sabri. Houser was also involved in four additional papers under scrutiny.

Houser sued in federal court last year to stop the university’s inquiry, saying Temple sought to discredit him and steal his discoveries.

Houser “has not engaged in scientific or other misconduct, has not falsified data, and has not participated in any bad acts with any other scientist or academic,” Houser’s lawyer, Christopher Ezold, said in a statement to Reuters. Houser helped review and edit the text portions of the Sabri-supervised studies and did not provide or analyze the data, Ezold said.

A Temple spokesperson said the university is “aware of the allegations and is reviewing them.” He would not comment further or discuss interactions with medical journals. ORI also declined comment. Sabri and Houser did not respond to questions.

Several research experts said that Houser, as one of the multiple co-authors, cannot be assumed to be involved in potential misconduct. The ultimate responsibility for a study usually lies with the supervising scientist and any researcher who contributed the specific data under scrutiny.

Expression of Concern

The probes highlight concerns over potential fabrication in medical research and the federal funds supporting it. A Reuters investigation published in June found that the NIH spent hundreds of millions of dollars on heart stem cell research despite fraud allegations against several leading scientists in the field.

The Temple inquiry also reveals a lack of consensus within the scientific community over how such concerns should be communicated, to prevent potentially bad science from informing future work and funding, according to half a dozen research experts interviewed by Reuters.

Temple did not notify the medical journals that it was conducting an inquiry at the request of the U.S. government agency, the journals told Reuters. They said that they began their inquiries independently.

Xarelto’s manufacturer, the Janssen Pharmaceuticals division of Johnson & Johnson, also told Reuters the supervising researchers at Temple did not notify the company about the investigation or the retraction by the JACC journal, though two of its employees were listed as co-authors on the paper. Janssen said their contribution to the paper was not questioned in the retraction.

Senior associate dean of research at Temple University, Steven Houser, is listed as an author of five studies that were supervised by Sabri.
Temple University

In some misconduct inquiries, universities have notified scientific journals that an investigation is underway. That has allowed journals to issue an “expression of concern” about specific studies, telling readers that there may be a reason to question the results. If there is a finding of data manipulation, the journals would be expected to retract the paper.

None of the journals that published the papers under scrutiny by Temple have issued expressions of concern. They would not comment to Reuters as to why they decided not to.

“It’s murky because of a lack of resources for these investigations, there’s no standardization worldwide,” said Arthur Caplan, head of medical ethics at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine.

Other journals are not scrutinizing the Temple researchers’ work. Five papers flagged by ORI were published in the AHA journals Circulation, Circulation: Heart Failure, and Circulation Research, where Houser is a senior advisory editor.

The AHA said it had not been notified by the U.S. agency or by Temple about their inquiry, and that it does not view itself as responsible for investigating further. The AHA said it had issued a correction of data on one paper at the authors’ request. The paper was the sole study under scrutiny that listed Houser as supervising researcher.

“The American Heart Association is not a regulatory body or agency,” the AHA said in a statement to Reuters.

Federal Funding

Researchers and their institutions can be forced to return federal funding that supported work tainted by data manipulation.

Houser has received nearly $40 million in NIH funding and Sabri has received nearly $10 million since 2000, according to a Reuters analysis of NIH grants. Houser’s lawyer said that none of his NIH funding supported the papers supervised by Sabri.

The JACC journal said in its retraction of the Xarelto research that it launched its investigation after receiving a complaint from a reader. In response, the researchers issued a correction of some image data in the paper, which was supervised by Sabri and listed Houser as an author.

However, the journal said that the correction raised further concerns, prompting it to hire an unidentified outside expert to review them.

According to the retraction notice, the expert evaluation found evidence of manipulation in seven images using a technique known as Western blot, which determines concentrations of a specific protein in cells or tissues under different experimental conditions. As a result, the journal said its ethics board voted to retract the paper.

NIH, ORI, and Temple declined to comment on whether Temple would be required to return any federal funding for the work retracted by the JACC publication.

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Cancer in young adults is rising — is a ‘westernized’ lifestyle to blame?

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The cancer age gap is closing — to the detriment of younger generations.

A new study has shown that young, ordinarily healthy adults are being diagnosed with cancer at worrying rates.

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital saw that more and more people under the age of 50 are being diagnosed with cancer of the breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, liver, pancreas and more — globally — in a trend that took a sharp upward turn around the year 1990.

“From our data, we observed something called the birth cohort effect. This effect shows that each successive group of people born at a later time (e.g., decade-later) have a higher risk of developing cancer later in life, likely due to risk factors they were exposed to at a young age,” said Dr. Shuji Ogino, professor of pathology and physician-scientist at Brigham and Women’s, in a press release.

“We found that this risk is increasing with each generation,” Ogino continued. “For instance, people born in 1960 experienced higher cancer risk before they turn 50 than people born in 1950 and we predict that this risk level will continue to climb in successive generations.”

Cancer is a genetic disease — it’s caused by changes in genes that lead to cell division error and tumors. Some of these genetic changes are inherited, but the new study, published in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, focused on environmental factors that cause damage to DNA and contribute to the cancer growth.

Researchers found that there was an increase of young people with cancer.
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Cancer-causing toxins could be more rampant than people believe. There are a few well-known risks out in the world, such as high UV exposure or smoking cigarettes, while emerging research now points to second-, and even third-hand smoke — as in touching surfaces contaminated by smoke residue — as significant carcinogens, too.

When looking at the incidence of 14 types of cancers, Ogino, along with lead study author Dr. Tomotaka Ugai and their team, discovered an increasing trend of cancer presence and diagnosis prior to the age of 50.

Harmful exposures at a young age — which could point to problematic diet, lifestyle behaviors and environmental pollution — could play a vital role. Since those factors have drastically changed in the past few decades, the scientists have suggested that a “westernized” lifestyle could be a major contributor to the development of cancer.

Alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, eating highly processed foods and sleep deprivation are potential risk factors, much of which is on the rise around the world.

“Among the 14 cancer types on the rise that we studied, eight were related to the digestive system. The food we eat feeds the microorganisms in our gut,” said Ugai. “Diet directly affects microbiome composition and eventually these changes can influence disease risk and outcomes.”

While the team could not adequately analyze low- and middle-income countries due to insufficient data, Ogino and Ugai hope to continue their cancer research and work with international research groups going forward.

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Doctors misdiagnosed woman’s cancer as ‘teenage laziness.’

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This woman’s doctor allegedly shrugged off her ailments and said “laziness” was the answer — but it turns out she had cancer.  

When Courtney Nettleton, a 21-year-old from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, found herself feeling “uncontrollably” tired and sleeping 14 hours every day over the summer of 2021, she feared something was wrong. 

“I was told by doctors that it was just teenage laziness,” Nettleton told NeedtoKnow.online. But after co-workers noticed a large lump protruding out of the blonde’s neck in January 2022, a specialist uncovered the true cause of her chronic illness.   

“In February, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and doctors told me it was growing fast,” she said. “I was so devastated and worried.” 

The American Cancer Society estimated that there have been 43,800 new cases of thyroid cancer in the United States so far in 2022 — with 11,860 instances found in men and 31,940 in women.

“I knew deep down that something wasn’t right, and being told that it was just teenage laziness by the doctors was incredibly frustrating,” claimed Nettleton, who works as a senior care assistant, told Jam Press.

Doctors initially told Nettleton that her incessant sleepiness was nothing more than “teenage laziness.”
NYPost Composite

In the months before receiving her grim prognosis, Nettleton experienced a series of unusual symptoms including tiredness, breathlessness, hot flashes, unsteadiness, neck stiffness, acne and moodiness. 

But she claims her healthcare provider dismissed her complaints, trivializing them as age-related growing pains. And so, she resumed her regular routine, going to work and hanging out with friends. Nettleton’s original doctors have not yet responded to requests for comment, according to Jam Press.

Although she feared something was wrong with her body, Nettleton took her doctor’s advice and ignored her symptoms.
Jam Press/@courtneynettleton

However, at the top of the year, everything changed after colleagues pointed out the deformity in her neck and urged her to seek a second opinion. 

“My friends noticed a small lump on my neck at work and that combined with my symptoms pushed me to book a doctor’s appointment the next day,” said Nettleton. “I was given a two-week urgent referral for an ultra-sound which confirmed I had a solid tumor in my thyroid.”

After receiving her diagnosis, Nettleton underwent a series of surgeries in hopes of eradicating her cancer.
Jam Press/@courtneynettleton

She immediately began treatment a month later in March had two surgeries scheduled to remove both halves of her thyroid.  

But, unfortunately, Nettleton’s woes were far from over. 

On March 22, in between the surgeries, she claims that doctors informed her she was cancer-free. 

“After my first surgery, my doctor rang me and told me I was completely cancer-free and that I had nothing to worry about,” she recalled. 

But, after enjoying a brief period of relief, Nettleton was told that she still had cancer, and that the cancerous cells had spread to other areas of her body. 

Nettleton has undergone surgery, and is anxiously awaiting the results of the procedures.
Jam Press/@courtneynettleton

“My consultant rang me just three days after this to tell me that cancer cells were found in lymph channels and blood vessels within my thyroid and that I would need further surgery and radioiodine,” she said. 

“I was so upset when I found out I still had cancer,” Nettleton said. “I had to tell my family and friends that I wasn’t cancer-free and that I had more treatment to go.”

She’s since undergone two more surgical procedures, which have left her feeling “weak” and “anxious.”

“The first surgery made me very poorly and I was bed bound and the radioiodine made me feel very weak, and I had to be isolated in a room which was really lonely,” she recalled. 

“I will find out the results in roughly around six weeks to see whether this has been successful or not,” added Nettleton, who’s leaning on her friends and family for support during her post-op recovery.  

Nettleton is now raising funds for cancer research and support in her country.
Jam Press/@courtneynettleton

“The wait is sickening, I have the constant reassurance from [Macmillan Cancer Trust] and my social worker and even though my cancer is very curable there’s always that worry that it could spread elsewhere,” she continued. “I suffer from severe anxiety so I am constantly worried.”

She also finds comfort in working, and is thankful for the love she continues to receive from coworkers.  

“Work has been very supportive throughout the whole entire journey and has constantly supported me,” said Nettleton, who’s set to participate in a charity skydiving event to raise awareness and funds for Macmillan Cancer Trust and the Teenage Cancer Trust. 

She’s also launched a GoFundMe to crowdsource money for the cause.

“Although I feel very let down by doctors, the staff at Macmillan, my consultant and Leeds St James’s hospital have been absolutely amazing throughout my journey,” Nettleton said gushingly. 

And she’s now imploring others to always advocate for themselves. 

“Everyone knows their own bodies more than anybody else,” she said. “It is so important to trust your gut and follow your instinct — you have to stand up for yourself when you know something isn’t right.”

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The secret to weight loss could be in the brain: study

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The secret to weight loss could be in the brain.

Researchers have uncovered newly identified sensory neurons that ferry messages from fat tissue to the brain, according to Science Daily.

“The discovery of these neurons suggests for the first time that your brain is actively surveying your fat, rather than just passively receiving messages about it,” said Li Ye, Ph.D., the Abide-Vividion Chair in Chemistry and Chemical Biology and associate professor of neuroscience at Scripps Research, who was the co-senior author of a new study.

“The implications of this finding are profound.”

The study, which was published in Nature, has found that messages to fat tissues can be streamlined by the brain, finding it can directly send messages to fat tissue and influence the body’s metabolic processes rather than responding to hormonal signals in the blood.

The research found a new pathway between the brain and fat cells.
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Led by a team from Scripps Research Institute, co-senior authors Ye and Ardem Patapoutian developed two new methods to look into the relationship between sensory neurons and fat tissue.

First, they used an imaging approach called HYBRiD that turned mouse tissues transparent and allowed them to track the paths of neurons through fat, or adipose tissue.

To see how neurons in adipose tissue worked, researchers used a second new technique, which they named ROOT, for “retrograde vector optimized for organ tracing.” This allowed them to selectively destroy small parts of sensory neurons in the adipose tissue to observe what happened.

Through this, researchers discovered that nearly half of these neurons didn’t connect to the sympathetic nervous system — the network of nerves that helps your body mobilize its “fight-or-flight” response — but instead, Science Daily reported, to the dorsal root ganglia — “an area of the brain where all sensory neurons originate,” which are responsible for firing and sending off signals to the rest of the nervous system about the information they have received.

Researchers used two new methods to track the neuron pathway from the brain to fat tissue.
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When sensory neuron communication was silenced, the sympathetic nervous system began converting the white fat cells into brown fat, which can then burn calories through a process called thermogenesis and speeds up the body’s fat-burning processes.

Before the study, researchers believed the nerves in fat belonged mostly to the sympathetic nervous system and switched on fat-burning pathways when the body was stressed or when exercising.

Now, they speculate two opposing nerve signals may work together with the sympathetic nervous system to switch the fat-burning processes on while the sensory neuron pathway turns the process off.

“This tells us that there’s not just a one-size-fits-all instruction that brain sends adipose tissue,” explained Ye. “It’s more nuanced than that; these two types of neurons are acting like a gas pedal and a brake for burning fat.”

In mammals, adipose tissue stores energy in the form of fat cells and releases those stores when the body needs energy, also controlling hormones and signaling molecules related to hunger and metabolism. Energy storage and signaling are often mixed up in diseases like diabetes, fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis and obesity.

“The team doesn’t yet know exactly what messages the sensory neurons convey to the brain from adipose tissue, only that the connections and communications are key for keeping fat healthy,” explained Science Daily.

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Study reveals who is at higher risk for AFib

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New research has found women are at a shockingly higher risk for developing atrial fibrillation than men are — flipping conventional beliefs that males were more susceptible.

Researchers from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai are reporting in the journal JAMA Cardiology that women, when height is accounted for, have a 50% higher risk of developing the abnormal heart rhythm disturbance over men, according to Science Daily.

“This is the first study to show an actual flip in the risk of atrial fibrillation,” said Dr. Christine Albert, a senior study author who chairs the Department of Cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute.

AFib is the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm and could lead to a stroke or heart failure if not properly treated. When a woman suffers from AFib, she is more likely to experience one of those two severe outcomes instead of men, according to the outlet.

New research shows women are especially susceptible to AFib.
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New research shows women have a higher risk for a specific heart condition.
Universal Images Group via Getty

Albert’s findings are based on a nationwide heart rhythm trial called VITAL where a quarter-million people had been studied.

According to the doctor, “In this population of 25,000 individuals without prior heart disease, after adjusting for differences in height, women were at higher risk for developing AF than their male counterparts — upward of 50%.”

Albert has also found that the taller an individual is, the more at risk they become.

“Our study, however, surprisingly suggests that if a man and a woman have the same height, the woman would be more likely to develop AFib,” Albert said. “Now the question has changed: Instead of why are women protected, now we must seek to understand why women are at a higher risk.”

Patients are commonly treated with blood thinners for AFib, but could also opt for heart surgery. However, women “are less likely to undergo invasive treatments for AFib such as ablation,” Science Daily reported.

Ablation is a procedure that “uses heat or cold energy to create tiny scars” that help to “restore a typical heartbeat,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

A new study on AFib reveals surprising facts about the condition, especially for women.
Getty Images/iStockphoto

By 2030, more than 12.1 million Americans are going to come down with the condition, according to the publication. Albert pontificates that this is due to a general increase in the population.

“With incidence on the rise, it’s more imperative than ever to be offering preventive strategies and early diagnostic interventions to all patients,” Albert said.

She advises the best preventive measures for AFib include keeping a healthy weight, routine exercise, keeping tabs on blood pressure and limiting one’s drinking.

“These lifestyle modifications are important to those at risk for atrial fibrillation, but also important modifications all women can consider to prevent other heart-related conditions,” said Dr. Noel Bairey Merz, director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center in the Smidt Heart Institute.

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Phones cause wrinkles, ‘detrimental effects’ from blue light

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Staring at your phone is causing you more than eye strain, it’s giving you wrinkles.

Dermatologists have long understood that ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun damage the appearance and overall health of the skin — but the harmful effects of blue light emitted by LED screens, such as on smartphones, televisions computers and other gadgets, are still being revealed.

But a new study found that whether outside on a sunny day or inside in front of a screen, light is aging us — and the damage is far worse than previously thought.

The latest findings released Wednesday have indicated that “excessive exposure to blue light … may have detrimental effects on a wide range of cells in our body, from skin and fat cells, to sensory neurons,” Oregon State University scientist Jadwiga Giebultowicz said of the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging.

“Our study suggests that avoidance of excessive blue light exposure may be a good anti-aging strategy,” Giebultowicz added.

Unfortunately, researchers noted, “humans in advanced societies are exposed to blue light through LED lighting” — from phones, computers, TVs and ambient lighting — “during most of their waking hours.”

Aging occurs in various ways, but on a cellular level, we age when cells stop repairing and producing new healthy cells. And cells that aren’t functioning properly are more likely self destruct — which has ramifications not only in terms of appearance, but for the whole body. It’s the reason why the elderly take longer to heal, and their bones and organs begin to deteriorate.

“Our study suggests that avoidance of excessive blue light exposure may be a good anti-aging strategy,” said Oregon State University scientist Jadwiga Giebultowicz.
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The new study identified metabolites as an “essential” indicator of cell function. In their statement, Giebultowicz said the work is “the first” to show that these “signaling” chemicals, which are naturally occurring during cell metabolism, are significantly “altered” by blue light exposure. More specifically, they saw that levels of succinate, or succinic acid, in fruit flies increased under excessive blue light, while glutamate decreased.

“High levels of succinate after exposure to blue light can be compared to gas being in the pump, but not getting into the car,” Giebultowicz explained. “Another troubling discovery was that molecules responsible for communication between neurons, such as glutamate, are at the lower level after blue light exposure.”

Oregon State researchers previously demonstrated that stress-protective genes spike in fruit flies exposed to light, while those who remained in darkness lived longer. It’s also been previously declared that “too much screen use has been linked to obesity and psychological problems,” a press release noted, conditions that could lead to early death.

As for the current study, the insects make an appropriate analog for humans because we share the same signaling chemicals in cells, they said.

“Humans in advanced societies are exposed to blue light through LED lighting during most of their waking hours,” said Giebultowicz. However, the flies were subjected to “a fairly strong blue light,” more intense than what humans regularly endure. “Future research involving human cells is needed.”

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I’m allergic to gravity and spend 23 hours a day in bed

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She’s certainly not defying gravity.

A young woman who is “allergic to gravity” is speaking out about her debilitating condition, claiming she spends 23 hours a day in bed and is unable to stand upright for more than three minutes without passing out.

Lyndsi Johnson, 28, suffers from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome — a condition that creates reduced blood volume and an abnormal increase in heart rate when a person stands or sits up.

“I’m allergic to gravity,” Johnson told South West News Service in an interview about her unusual illness. “It sounds crazy but it’s true.”

“I can’t stand up for longer than three minutes without feeling faint, being sick or passing out,” the Bangor, Maine, resident further explained. “I feel much better if I’m lying down. I’m in bed all day.”

Johnson was working as an aviation diesel mechanic for the Navy in 2015 when she began experiencing symptoms of POTS.

Lyndsi Johnson, 28, suffers from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome — a condition that creates reduced blood volume and an abnormal increase in heart rate when a person stands or sits up.
Courtesy Lyndsi Johnson / SWNS
Johnson (left) worked as an aviation diesel mechanic for the Navy before she was medically discharged in 2018.
Courtesy Lyndsi Johnson / SWNS

The young recruit suffered severe back and abdominal pain, and soon began fainting on a regular basis.

“It was really scary,” Johnson recalled, saying doctors initially believed she was experiencing “anxiety.”

“I was passing out everywhere,” she stated. “I would be shopping at the supermarket and I had to sit down because I felt faint. I’ve even passed out after my dog has barked.”

The super-fit Maine resident was used to being on her feet all day before she began experiencing symptoms of POTS.
Courtesy Lyndsi Johnson / SWNS
Johnson underwent a “tilt” test to determine if she had POTS.
Courtesy Lyndsi Johnson / SWNS

In May 2018, Johnson was medically discharged from the military due to her mystery illness, but her symptoms only worsened.

By early 2022, she was unable to keep food down and was projectile vomiting on a regular basis.

“I’d throw up so much my heart would start having prolonged QT intervals and I’d be in the hospital on cardiac monitoring,” the mechanic revealed.

A cardiologist subsequently theorized that Johnson might have POTS and suggested she undergo a “tilt” test — during which the patient is secured to a table while lying down and the table is slowly tilted upright, with doctors monitoring heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen and exhaled carbon dioxide levels.

In February, she was officially diagnosed with the syndrome.

Johnson was officially diagnosed with POTS in February of this year. She spends 23 hours a day lying down in bed.
Courtesy Lyndsi Johnson / SWNS
“It’s really debilitating,” Johnson said. “I can’t do chores and [my husband] James has to cook, clean and help me shower and wash myself.”
Courtesy Lyndsi Johnson / SWNS

While there is no cure, she now takes beta blockers, which reduce her fainting to three times a day and help with her nausea.

However, she is still unable to live a normal life and relies on her husband, James, to be her caregiver.

“It’s really debilitating,” she said. “I can’t do chores and James has to cook, clean and help me shower and wash myself. I’ve gone weeks without brushing my teeth because it just makes me feel awful.”

Johnson is now pursuing a music business degree from the confines of her bed.
Courtesy Lyndsi Johnson / SWNS

The ex-mechanic — who used to pride herself on being super active — says the diagnosis feels like “the rug has been ripped from under my feet.”

A determined Johnson is now pursuing a music business degree from the confines of her bed, and hopes to be able to get back to work — in a job where she can work remotely and lie down.

“I’ve really had to adapt to this new life,” she declared. “I can’t do a lot of what I used to be able to, but I’ve come to terms with that now. I’m grateful for what I have.”

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Health

What parents need to know to keep children safe

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Though cases remain few, monkeypox has already hit children from New York City to Seattle and many communities in between.

Currently in the US there are just under 17,000 cases of monkeypox, mostly among adults. Though no fatalities have yet been recorded, there’s some evidence that an early strain of the virus is more likely to be severe in children under 8, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, particularly in those with immunocompromising conditions or certain skin conditions, such as eczema.

As school bells ring to call kids back to class for the fall, it’s important for parents to know everything they can about protecting their children from the painful disease.

Those potentially exposed to monkeypox should be watched closely for 21 days, and isolate away from peers and wear a mask if they begin to show symptoms.
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What does monkeypox in children look like?

The symptoms of monkeypox in kids presents in a similar way to adults, according to the CDC.

It will most likely begin with a bodily rash that may resemble the signs of an allergic reaction, chickenpox, or hand, foot, and mouth disease.

The rash quickly forms lesions, which progress over the course of two to four weeks, into blisters, pustules, then scabs. Meanwhile, patients are also likely to suffer fever, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue and headache.

The risk of children and adolescents contracting the virus remains low as the few known cases among them have been quick to treatment and quarantine. Moreover, infections in US children and teenagers have been mild so far, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

How does monkeypox spread in children?

Monkeypox spreads in children and teens the same way it does in adult: through close personal contact. For kids, this could mean hugging another, skin-to-skin, with the infectious rash; or swapping spit, such as through kissing or very close-talking, with a sick patient.

The CDC also notes the potential for the virus to spread through contaminated objects or surfaces, including clothing, towels and linens, that were used by someone with with the virus.

It’s not known whether children are more susceptible to monkeypox than adults or whether the virus will affect them in the same way.

What should you do if a child is exposed to monkeypox?

Unlike with COVID-19 and other contagions, people exposed to the virus will not necessarily have to isolate. However, during monitoring, the health department may limit their participation in activities if investigators are unable to pinpoint where or with whom exposure first occurred, or if the exposure setting presented particularly high risks. They’ll also consider the child’s age and ability to recognize or communicate symptoms and the risk to others.

Babies are advised to stay in a separate room and not have contact with parents or caregivers who are infected or may have been exposed to monkeypox. 

If your child comes in contact with someone with monkeypox, they should be watched closely for 21 days. If symptoms should arise, they should isolate away from peers and wear a mask.

On a case-by-case basis, vaccination and prophylactic antiviral treatment may be available to children who are suspected to have been exposed.

The CDC recommends that anyone — children and adults — with a known case of monkeypox should isolate until all scabs from the rash have fallen off, which could take up to 4 weeks after symptoms first started.

There’s no vaccine available for children unless they’ve been directly exposed to the virus.
MediaNews Group via Getty Images

Can children be vaccinated for monkeypox?

At the moment, most children are not eligible for monkeypox vaccine — unless they’ve been directly exposed to virus. If you suspect your child is at risk of contracting the disease while at home, school or elsewhere, contact your doctor or local health department to learn about the options available in your area.

Is monkeypox fatal to children?

So far, no deaths related to monkeypox have occurred in adults or children. However, the disease can be excruciating and continue for the better part of a month, so it’s nothing to take lightly.

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