June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. If we are what we eat, what happens when you’re equal measure sugar-free coffee creamer and chicken salad (asking for a friend)? Short answer: You may want to rethink your diet. And while you’re thinking, add in some ingredients that can help boost your brain health. Eating plans such as the MIND and DASH diets incorporate anti-inflammatory foods such as leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts and olive oil that have positive effects and may even help slow aging in the brain. One recent study of mostly women found participants who followed the DASH diet were associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline and better cognitive function (thinking, learning, remembering) compared to people who didn’t follow the diet. When it comes to brain-boosting ingredients, produce is usually queen. Studies show foods rich in flavonols — a group of plant-based compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties — can help improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Keeping your brain as healthy as possible is especially important for women because women are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and worse cognitive aging compared to men. Here are 5 foods to incorporate into your eating plan to help keep your brain sharp. 1. Fatty fish iStock.com/tbralnina There are plenty of fish in the sea, but salmon, sardines, anchovies, mackerel and herring are among the best for brain health. These under-the-sea snacks are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, namely docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), that your brain needs to build and repair brain cells among other important functions. Consuming omega-3 fatty acids also can help protect memory and support cognitive thinking. One study of mostly women found participants who ate fatty fish at least twice a week had a lower risk of developing brain changes linked to dementia compared to the group who didn’t eat the fish. Feed your brain: 8 ounces per week — about the size of two decks of cards lying next to each other 2. Blueberries iStock.com/Maksym Narodenko Blueberries are the Super Woman of the fruit universe when it comes to protecting against neurological decline. Their super power comes from their blue pigment — a flavonoid called anthocyanin — which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Research shows consuming blueberries can improve the speed of brain processing, protect memory and improve brain function among other benefits. And you can pair these little blue beauties with other berries for a brain boost. One study found women who consumed two or more servings of blueberries and strawberries a week delayed memory decline by up to 2.5 years. Feed your brain: 1/2 cup to 1 cup per a day 3. Avocados iStock.com/Volodymyr Rozumii Did you know that Audrey II — the plant from Little Shop of Horrors — is a cross between a Venus flytrap and an avocado? Well, it all makes sense considering avocados feed your brain with monounsaturated fats — the “good” fats — and antioxidants like lutein that can help improve blood flow and have a positive effect on memory. One study found people who consumed avocados showed significantly better immediate and delayed recall and overall cognition compared to the group who didn’t eat avocados. Pass the guacamole! Feed your brain: About half of an avocado a day 4. Walnuts iStock.com/Oleh Muslimov Sometimes you feel like a nut, and when it comes to brain health, that nut should be a walnut. Fun fact: Walnuts are the only nuts that have significant amounts of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) — an omega-3 fatty acid essential for protecting brain health. Walnuts also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that fight oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain. Studies show adding a daily dose of walnuts can boost memory and delay age-related cognitive decline among other brain benefits. Bonus: The antioxidant effects of walnuts can reduce the risk of other health conditions like cardiovascular disease that are risk factors for Alzheimer’s. Feed your brain: About 1/4 to 1/2 cup (7 to 14 whole walnuts a day) 5. Dark chocolate iStock.com/SherSor We didn’t forget about all the sweet tooths out there. Or, rather, Mother Nature didn’t. Dark chocolate is packed with cocoa flavanols that improve cerebral blood flow and protect against damage to brain cells. One study of midlife adults found that the group who ate five pieces of 72% dark chocolate a day for a month showed improved executive functioning such as problem-solving and focus, memory and increased gray matter volume, which is associated with memory and an important indicator of good brain function. The sweet group also reported less fatigue than the group who did not eat dark chocolate. It’s important to note that all dark chocolate is not the same. You want dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao to get the brain-boosting benefits and the higher the percentage, the more flavanols and antioxidants it has. Feed your brain: About one to three squares of dark chocolate up to six times a week — bonus brain points for dark chocolate with walnuts. From Your Site Articles Related Articles Around the Web Source link

Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . “ data-action=”subscribe”> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Key takeaways: CMS will use newly defined criteria to qualify noninvasive biomarker CRC screening tests for coverage. Concerns remain that evidence for thresholds may be retrofitted to current test performance. CMS established a new national framework setting performance thresholds to qualify noninvasive, biomarker-based colorectal cancer screening options — including FDA-approved stool- and blood-based tests — for coverage. “The CMS coverage decision provides benchmarks for novel noninvasive tests to meet and exceed to gain coverage, and learn from the experience of currently approved tests,” Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH, Robert M. and Mary H. Glickman Professor of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told Healio. “It also allows newer test makers to understand the current performance standards and where improvements are needed.” ColoSense (Geneoscopy), the first FDA-approved multitarget stool RNA test for CRC, is also the first test added to CMS’s national screening policy under the new standards. Though CRC is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and the fourth-leading cause in women, 1 in 3 eligible U.S. adults are not up to date on screening, a study in Preventing Chronic Disease found. CMS’s decision to cover ColoSense expands the range of screening tools available to patients reluctant to undergo colonoscopy or traditional stool-based testing, adding an option that removes a common barrier to adherence, the need for patients to handle the stool sample. Under the new decision, CMS will cover noninvasive biomarker-based CRC screening tests — that meet performance standards — every 3 years for adults aged 45 to 85 years at average risk. To qualify for coverage, blood- and stool-based tests must be FDA-approved, processed in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-approved lab and meet one of two performance criteria: have a sensitivity greater than or equal to 90% and a specificity greater than or equal to 87%, or a sensitivity greater than or equal to 79% and specificity greater than or equal to 90% in CRC detection compared with colonoscopy, the current standard. Shaukat acknowledged that the new performance thresholds are an improvement over past requirements — CMS used to require a sensitivity of 74% for blood-based tests — but said it is unclear what evidence the new criteria are based on. She expressed concern that the “criteria feel retrofitted to existing performance of stool and blood tests.” “The criteria are missing mention of advanced precursor lesion sensitivity or sensitivity for stage I to II CRC, important measures of any test performance for CRC screening,” she continued. Blood-based biomarker tests underperform other screening options in early detection, missing 1 in 3 early-stage cases of CRC, according to ACG. CMS coverage criteria also stipulates that patients must not have CRC symptoms to qualify for a biomarker-based test, and must be informed about the test’s performance, as well as the need for a follow-up colonoscopy if test results are positive. In a recent statement on updated CRC screening guidance from the American Cancer Society, ACG voiced concern that clinicians may not have the time to inform patients of the performance limitations of each screening test during visits. For more information: Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH, is an ACG trustee and director of outcomes research in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She can be reached at gastroenterology@healio.com. Published by: Sources/Disclosures Source: Press Release References: Disclosures: Shaukat reports consulting roles with Freenome, Geneoscopy and Universal Diagnostics. Ask a clinical question and tap into Healio AI’s knowledge base. PubMed, enrolling/recruiting trials, guidelines Clinical Guidance, Healio CME, FDA news Healio’s exclusive daily news coverage of clinical data Learn more Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . “ data-action=”subscribe”> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Source link

Living with a progressive, painful condition is a challenge, to say the least. I have learned that if I try to focus on other aspects of my life instead of my health, it helps me better emotionally handle the life I have been given. Don’t get me wrong—I do what needs to be done to help maintain the best quality of life possible, including eating foods and taking medications I can metabolize, doing my core exercises, getting in movement through walking or modified swimming, and filling my days with activities that provide purpose and meaning. But when a large storm is on the horizon, the change of pressure in the atmosphere begins to affect me and reminds me that I am handicapped, even though I am trying not to let that fact define my life. It is heartbreaking to have that intense reminder that my body is far from normal. The change in pressure from an impending storm increases inflammation in my body, which causes headaches, fatigue, and increased pain. Storms also bring added reminders of the  struggles that disability can cause in everyday life. Snow on the ground means not being able to walk outside until a path is cleared, or I face a higher risk of having my legs and feet sublux, or of dislocating my hips. Rain, wind, and mud make it harder to get around, too. Slipping, sliding, or falling can create more damage to the body. I know that so many with chronic conditions can relate to this frustration that comes up during storms. To hang on during these changes that are out of our control, what we all need to do is focus on what we can control. Try to eat foods you know you can metabolize. Try to move despite the added discomfort the atmospheric pressure causes. Try to continue with the activities you’re able to take on, even though you feel that added fatigue. When bad weather makes us wish for those sunny, calmer days that allow us to better function with our conditions, may we find the inner strength to remind ourselves of this: We may be disabled, but we are also fighters who will work to find a way to endure these obstacles until the sun peeks out again. May life be kind to you… —by Ellen Lenox Smith Source link

English Junio es el Mes de Concientización de la Disfagia. La esofagitis eosinofílica (EEo) es un trastorno que causa una inflamación crónica del esófago. Esta inflamación produce síntomas tales como dificultad para tragar, dolor de pecho e impactación alimentaria (cuando comida se atora en el esófago). Si bien no hay una cura para la EEo, hay tratamientos efectivos para controlar los síntomas y monitorear ese trastorno. Sin tratamiento, la EEo comúnmente empeora. La EEo se está volviendo más frecuente y puede afectar a personas de cualquier edad. Hablamos con Evan S. Dellon, M.D., MPH, gastroenterólogo, profesor de medicina y asistente de cátedra de epidemiología de la Universidad de Carolina del Norte en Chapel Hill, para entender más sobre los síntomas de la EEo, sobre cómo obtener ayuda y sobre las opciones terapéuticas. ¿Qué síntomas de la EEo deberían motivarte a acudir a una consulta médica? Para adultos y adolescentes, el síntoma más común es dificultad para tragar o que se atoren alimentos. Es importante indicar que no es normal que alimentos bajen lentamente o se atoren. Muchas personas que en algún momento reciben el diagnóstico de EEo no prestan atención a este síntoma inicialmente. Podrían simplemente evitar ciertos alimentos o masticar más cuidadosamente hasta que haya un problema importante. No esperes a que eso pase. Deberías someterte a examinaciones si alimentos bajan muy lentamente o si tienes dificultad para tragar. Otros síntomas gastrointestinales (GI), tales como molestias en el pecho o acidez, también se asocian a la EEo. Otros trastornos médicos pueden hacer que los alimentos bajen lentamente o que se atoren. Cuando estos síntomas ocurren junto con asma, eccema o alergias alimentarias, es más posible que sea una señal de EEo. Los niños con EEo tienen otros síntomas completamente diferentes. Podría ser dolor abdominal, vómito, desarrollo deficiente, no hacer transiciones a alimentos con otras consistencias o evitar ciertos alimentos. Muchos trastornos GI pediátricos pueden causar esos síntomas. Pero también podrían ser señales de EEo, especialmente si un niño tiene también eccema, asma o alergias alimentarias. Si tienes EEo, ¿por qué es tan importante que te diagnostiquen? Pensamos que la EEo generalmente empieza como una inflamación alérgica. Con el tiempo, si no se trata, esa inflamación puede producir tejido cicatricial. Entonces el esófago puede volverse estrecho y rígido, lo cual causa más síntomas y complicaciones tales como impactación alimentaria. La impactación alimentaria puede generar una perforación o ruptura del esófago, un problema muy grave. No ocurre frecuentemente, pero debe tomarse en cuenta. Los niños que padecen este trastorno en forma grave podrían tener malnutrición. También hay una afectación en la calidad de vida. Cualquier cosa que afecte tu alimentación tendrá un efecto en los eventos sociales, las reuniones familiares, los eventos laborales y los viajes y puede causar ansiedad en una forma significativa. Los síntomas, el impacto en la calidad de vida y las posibles complicaciones son buenas razones para someterse a examinaciones. ¿Cómo te diagnostican la EEo? El proceso de diagnóstico se hace con una endoscopía para examinar el esófago. No tenemos pruebas de sangre ni otros métodos para diagnosticar la EEo. La endoscopía es un procedimiento con sedación. Una cámara con iluminación se inserta en la boca hasta el esófago y el estómago. Tratamos de detectar señales típicas de la EEo. El esófago puede parecer inflamado. Puede estar cubierto con manchas blancas, lo cual es una señal de inflamación. Puede haber tejido cicatricial en forma anular o estrechamiento. Enviamos una biopsia a un patólogo que examina las células de la alergia, es decir los eosinófilos. Si hay suficientes eosinófilos, y eliminamos la posibilidad de que otras cosas los causen, entonces podemos diagnosticar una EEo formalmente. ¿Por qué es importante recibir atención continuamente si tienes EEo? La EEo es un trastorno crónico que debe controlarse a largo plazo. Si personas reciben un diagnóstico pero no un tratamiento, muchas podrían desarrollar muchas complicaciones graves con el tiempo. Es importante contar con un equipo médico y seguir el tratamiento puntualmente. La gravedad de este trastorno varía. El equipo médico personalizará el tratamiento para la situación de cada persona. Alguien que fue a una sala de emergencia con una impactación, por ejemplo, deberá tener mucho más seguimiento que una persona con síntomas leves. La atención continua es diferente para cada persona, pero es muy importante tenerla para evitar brotes y problemas que empeoren cada vez más. ¿Qué tipos de proveedores de atención médica deberían ser parte de tu equipo médico si tienes EEo? Algunas personas recibirán servicios de seguimiento de doctores GI principalmente. Algunas personas darán seguimiento con alergólogos principalmente. Algunas personas darán seguimiento con ambos tipos de doctores en una forma multidisciplinaria. Niños también podrían requerir terapeutas de alimentación y otros proveedores de varias especializaciones. Trabajamos frecuentemente con dietistas y nutricionistas. ¿Cómo se controla la EEo? Hay dos categorías terapéuticas principales: Restricción alimentaria y medicamentos. Pensamos que la EEo es un trastorno desencadenado por ciertos alimentos para la mayoría de pacientes. A diferencia de una alergia alimentaria típica, con una reacción inmediata, este es un trastorno en el cual comer ciertos alimentos durante un período largo de tiempo desencadena inflamación. Actualmente las pruebas de alergias no son realmente precisas para la EEo, por lo que es un poco difícil. Pero conocemos la mayoría de desencadenantes alimentarios más frecuentes: los lácteos, el trigo, los huevos, la soya, los frutos secos y los mariscos. La restricción alimentaria puede usarse para identificar desencadenantes alimentarios y eliminarlos de la dieta. Es una buena opción, pero realmente depende de cada paciente. Medicamentos antiácidos tales como el omeprazol (Prilosec) o el lansoprazol (Prevacid) suelen ser los primeros medicamentos que probamos. Aproximadamente del 30 al 40% de personas podrían reaccionar bien a estos medicamentos simples. También hay un corticosteroide tópico. Ahora contamos con un medicamento aprobado, la suspensión oral de budesónida (Eohilia), específicamente formulada para adherirse al esófago. Puede ser eficaz para el 50 al 60% de las personas, o más. Otra opción es dupilumab (Dupixent), un medicamento sistémico. Es una inyección semanal que bloquea algunos de