Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s latest partnership hits close to home. The Saved by the Bell alum revealed that a family member is facing cancer and his wife, Catriona McGinn, has taken on a caregiving role. In a recent interview with People, he described the overwhelm that can follow a diagnosis — and why having someone else in the room can make a difference. “A lot of the times when someone’s diagnosed with an ailment, there’s a paralysis, there’s a feeling of, the world is spinning,” he said. “And sometimes it’s up to the caregiver or the other person in the room to ask questions.” Related story Why Kim Kardashian Kept Her Recent Esophagus Surgery a Secret From Fans Why He’s Talking About Biomarker Testing Gosselaar is keeping the details of his family member’s diagnosis private, but he’s speaking up about treatment options through a new partnership with AstraZeneca to raise awareness of biomarker testing. “Having seen people that I love navigate cancer, I thought it was important to join AstraZeneca in spreading the word about biomarker testing and guide people towards a more personalized treatment,” he told the outlet. According to the National Cancer Institute, biomarker testing looks for genes, proteins, and other features of a person’s cancer that may help doctors choose a treatment. Even two people with the same type of cancer can have different biomarkers, which can affect how well certain treatments work. Testing can help identify options such as targeted therapies or immunotherapies, though it won’t find a treatment match for everyone or guarantee that a matched treatment will work. “I thought it was important for people, in a time that our hearts break for these people, to understand that there’s a direction they can go in, there’s questions they can ask and open up these discussions,” he said. The Health Habit He’s Prioritizing at Home Learning more through the partnership has also made Gosselaar think about his own health. The father of four admitted that he “thought I was immortal in my 20s” and wishes he’d taken better care of his body. He’s tried plenty of wellness routines, from saunas to cold plunges, but these days, sleep is his priority. “That is my number one and then I work off of there,” he said. “It’s like a branch, if my sleep is good then I know my nutrition’s gonna be good for the day. And then I know that I can perform at my best, both mentally and physically.” At 52, he’s thinking about what he wants to keep doing in the years ahead, too. “Of course, I’d love to live as long as possible. But for me, it’s more of living a healthy life that allows me to still do the things that I’ve been doing since I was a teenager,” he added. “I don’t want my health to hold me back from living a great life.” Source link

Jennifer Lawrence is being open about what she wants after having two kids, including cosmetic surgery. In a recent interview with The Cut, the Hunger Games actress said she just wants to look put together — even when she’s not, which is nothing short of relatable. “I want to be a sexy mom,” she told the outlet. “At drop-off, I want to look like a woman that has her s— together even when I’ve just woken up and don’t have my s— together.” Related story Why Katie Thurston Is Calling Herself a “Human Jack-o’-Lantern” After Her Double Mastectomy ‘Second One, Nothing Bounced Back’ Lawrence, who shares two sons with her husband, Cooke Maroney, first talked about getting her breasts done in an October 2025 interview with The New Yorker. Her youngest was only six months old at the time, and she was planning to have the surgery that November. “Everything bounced back, pretty much, after the first one,” she said, referring to her post-pregnancy body. “Second one, nothing bounced back.” She also expected to film another nude scene the following spring, when she would be about a year postpartum. That gave her a work deadline most moms don’t have to factor into their post-baby plans. But when asked whether she’d still want the surgery if she weren’t a famous actress, she said yes. “Maybe I wouldn’t be hustling to the appointment in the same way,” she said. “But I think yes.” Now, a year later, she’s opening up about life after the surgery. ‘I Want to Be a Sexy Mom’ Lawrence also talked about launching her haircare brand, Mes, and wanting to look good without spending forever getting ready. (Honestly, same.) “I feel like if my hair looks okay, then nobody’s gonna notice anything else about my face, clothes, or body,” she told The Cut. “I also can find myself using it to hide.” If there’s one thing Lawrence has always given us, it’s transparency. Plenty of parents can relate to the chaos of the morning school run, and if breast surgery and a good hair day are what help her feel confident and put together, we’re here for it. Source link

Katie Thurston has a surprising discovery to share, and yes, it involves her breast implants. The former Bachelorette posted an Instagram video on Oct. 23 showing what happens when she shines a flashlight against her breast: It appears to glow. Naturally, she had a seasonal caption ready. “Just your human jack-o’-lantern,” she wrote, “checking in after a #doublemastectomy.” Thurston had the surgery in April as part of her treatment for stage 4 breast cancer. Related story Jennifer Lawrence Says Her Post-Baby Breast Surgery Helps Her Feel Like She ‘Has Her S— Together’ at School Drop-Off Why Are Her Implants Glowing? As a plastic surgeon explained to People, light can pass through the saline or silicone inside breast implants. That’s why Thurston’s breast appeared to glow when she held a flashlight against it — and why she’s calling herself a “human jack-o’-lantern.” Jokes aside, Thurston knew the video would get people’s attention and had something she wanted them to hear. “It’s #breastcancerawareness month, so I thought I’d grab your attention,” she wrote. “Don’t wait until you’re 40 to start paying attention to your boobs. How do they look? How do they feel? Any changes should be discussed with your medical team.” ‘I’m in This Room Today Because of Research’ Thurston has been sharing her experience since receiving her breast cancer diagnosis in February 2025. At the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Symposium & Awards Luncheon earlier this month, she recalled how quickly her plans with her now-husband, Jeff Arcuri, changed. “At a time we thought we’d be planning our wedding, trying on wedding dresses — instead I had to decide where I’d be for my care,” she said. During her speech, Thurston also announced that she currently has “no evidence of disease.” “When I was first diagnosed as stage four, I thought it was going to be the end of my life. I had no idea what kind of options I was going to have, or how long I was going to live,” she said. “I’m in this room today because of research.” Source link

Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad’s latest update is a small glimpse of love in the middle of a very difficult stretch. In a joint Instagram post shared Oct. 25, the couple cuddled up for two hospital selfies. In one photo, Jaouad, wrapped in a blanket, rested her chin on her husband’s shoulder; in another, she kissed his cheek. “The kids doing alright today, and still madly in love,” they wrote. The post comes nearly a month after The New York Times best-selling author and journalist announced that she needs a third bone marrow transplant. Treatments that had been keeping her leukemia “at bay,” she explained, were “no longer doing the trick.” Related story Why Brandi Glanville Is Having Her ‘Face Taken Off’ to Treat a Suspected Parasite ‘I Have a Great Deal of Hope’ Jaouad shared the news via Instagram on Sept. 28. “I’ve known another bone marrow transplant might be in my future. I was hoping the future was less in a hurry,” she wrote. Jaouad’s leukemia diagnosis came at 22, just as she was starting her life after college. Now 38, she’s already undergone two bone marrow transplants. “I have brilliant doctors I trust with my life,” she wrote in the accompanying Substack post. “I have Jon, and my family, and the kind of friends who show up carrying games and flowers and inappropriate jokes. I have four dogs, two peacocks and fourteen chickens. I have a plan, and I have a great deal of hope.” Then she added, “I am also scared.” Looking for Another Breakthrough Jaouad has been open about how much medical research has already changed her treatment options. “I’ve lived with leukemia for most of my adult life, long enough to watch the horizon of what is possible draw closer,” she wrote. Some treatments she’s received didn’t exist when she was first diagnosed, while others once sounded experimental. She and her family are also raising money to establish the Suleika Jaouad Fund for Leukemia & Stem Cell Transplant Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The fund will support work led by her doctors, Eytan Stein and Sergio Giralt, on difficult-to-treat leukemias and more effective bone marrow transplants. Although their latest photo doesn’t offer a medical update, it does show how she and Batiste, who married in 2022, are spending this time together. For now, they’re making time for a kiss and a little humor in a hospital room — and we’re wishing them more moments like this as treatment continues. Source link

In today’s digital age, social media is filled with health and lifestyle information. For many women, the sheer volume of online information can make it difficult to tell what’s accurate, what’s opinion, and what truly applies to their own lives. Social media content creator and Organon partner Gianna Christine has seen how quickly health information can spread online—and why it’s important to separate personal experience from medical guidance. For her, choosing a treatment comes from discussing questions with a healthcare professional to understand your options. Related story Why the Birth Control Talk Deserves a Spot on Every Back-to-School Checklist Gianna Christine How has building a career online and creating content shaped the way you view health information on social media? Gianna Christine: Building my career on social media has made me hyperaware of the difference between the “highlight reel” and real life. On platforms like Instagram, people see a curated version of me, but on Snapchat, where I share more of my day-to-day life, my audience is interested in my advice. That’s taught me that there’s a responsibility that comes with that trust. When sharing your own experiences and what works for you, it’s important to understand that health decisions are personal, and what works for one person may not be right for another. I’m always clear about that with my followers and suggest women find a doctor they trust to speak to. Has your relationship with social media changed as you’ve gotten older? Gianna: Absolutely. I think when you’re younger, it’s easy to assume that if something is popular online, it must be true. I even experienced this myself, as I almost ruled out certain birth control options entirely because of stories I’d heard on social media. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become much more intentional about where I get my information. I always talk with my own healthcare professional if I have any questions or concerns and tell others to do the same. There’s so much health information available online today that it can feel overwhelming for many women. How do you sort through it all and prepare for conversations with your healthcare professional, and what would you tell other women trying to do the same? Gianna: It can definitely feel like information is everywhere, and not all of it may be easy to sort through or understand. What’s worked for me is not trying to become an expert, but showing up prepared. Before an appointment, I write down the questions I want to ask my doctor, such as, “What are all my options?” (not just the one a friend mentioned or the one that’s trending), and “What are the potential side effects I need to know about?” Appointments can go by quickly, so being prepared makes it easier to have a productive conversation and make informed decisions. My biggest advice to other women is to use social media to hear different experiences and feel less alone, but bring your questions and what you’ve heard to your healthcare professional so they can help put it in context for what makes sense for you. You often talk about independence and building a life that aligns with your goals and priorities. How has that mindset influenced the way you approach adulthood and the choices you’ve made about birth control? Gianna: Right now, I’m focused on my career, my friendships, and enjoying this chapter of life. Living in New York has given me the opportunity to invest in myself and pursue goals that are important to me. I’ve realized adulthood isn’t about following someone else’s timeline; it’s about making choices that align with your values and priorities. That mindset has influenced every aspect of how I live my life, including how I approached birth control. My journey with birth control started when I was much younger. I initially tried birth control pills but didn’t want an option I had to take every day. When I spoke with my healthcare professional about other options, she walked me through what was available to me and answered my questions. Ultimately, I chose NEXPLANON® (etonogestrel implant) 68 mg Radiopaque because my doctor and I determined it was right for me. While I may be on NEXPLANON, it’s important for each person to understand their contraception options, how they work, and the Important Safety Information before making a decision with their healthcare professional. NEXPLANON is a long-acting prescription birth control for the prevention of pregnancy in women of reproductive potential for up to 5 years* and is over 99% effective.† *NEXPLANON must be removed by the end of the fifth year.† Less than 1 pregnancy per 100 women who used NEXPLANON for one year. Important Safety Information Don’t use NEXPLANON if you’re pregnant or may be pregnant; have or had blood clots or certain cancers; or have liver disease, liver tumor, or unexplained vaginal bleeding. Immediately after the implant is placed, you and your healthcare provider should feel for it. If at any time you can’t feel the implant, contact your healthcare provider right away and use a non-hormonal birth control method (such as condoms). Removal of the implant may be difficult or impossible if it isn’t where it should be. While uncommon, ectopic pregnancy (occurring outside the womb) can occur, which can cause serious internal bleeding, infertility, and even death. You’re likely to experience changes to your period. NEXPLANON may raise the chance of serious blood clots, which can cause heart attack, stroke, or death, especially if you smoke or have other risk factors. For more information, please see more Important Safety Information below, and click here to read the Prescribing Information, including the Boxed Warning, and the Patient Information, and talk to your healthcare professional. NEXPLANON works by releasing a steady, low dose of the progestin hormone etonogestrel to prevent pregnancy by: Stopping ovulation by preventing your ovaries from releasing an egg Thickening cervical mucus to make it harder for sperm to reach an egg if one were released Changing the uterine

Brandi Glanville’s latest health update sounds frightening, even in her own words. On a recent episode of her Brandi Unfiltered podcast, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum told her co-host, James Maas, that her doctor is “taking my face off on Friday and going to do an exploratory surgery to kind of do a power wash under my skin.” The reality star says she hopes that the exploratory surgery will help explain the strange symptoms she’s been dealing with for the last few years. Related story Jon Bon Jovi Opens Up About His 4-Year ‘Hell’ Recovering From Major Vocal Surgery What Has Glanville Said About Surgery? Glanville said her doctors identified “two definite spots, like either fungal balls or something alive” — she believes the latter. “I think it’s alive personally ‘cause it moves when it wants,” she said. When Maas asked whether the surgeon would be able to peel back her face to examine the spots, Glanville replied, “And he just cuts it out.” Earlier this month, she said doctors planned to examine her eustachian tubes, sinuses, and gums. “They’re going to go in and hopefully put a balloon in my eustachian tubes and clear that out so that everything can drain,” she said at the time. She’s also described hearing and feeling a rattling sensation near her jawline. The changes have left her worried about her health, not just her appearance. “I’m afraid for my health. Like, I don’t know what’s making me sick,” she said. ‘Super Excited’ — and ‘Scared to Death’ Glanville began experiencing symptoms years ago in her face, cheek, and jaw. “Then it went over my head, back in my neck. Now it’s down my spine,” she told Maas. She’s “super excited” to finally get some answers, but “scared to death.” She added, “I’ve never had facial surgery.” There’s the cost to consider, too. She said she would owe $5,000 on top of whatever insurance covered, and friends have started a GoFundMe to help with treatment expenses. After years of symptoms and medical appointments, paying for another procedure adds one more worry. “It’s only been four years,” she said of the ordeal. For now, she’s hoping the surgery will bring answers — and some relief after a long wait. Source link

A sugar in red meat? That’s probably not what comes to mind when you think about steak. But preliminary research linked a little-known sugar called Neu5Gc to a 63% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. In the observational study, presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Milan and covered by ScienceDaily on Oct. 18, researchers tracked the diets and health of nearly 90,000 French adults for about seven years. What Is Neu5Gc? Neu5Gc stands for N-glycolylneuraminic acid, a sugar molecule most mammals (except for humans) naturally produce. An ancient mutation in the CMAH gene left us unable to make it ourselves, but we can still absorb it when we eat foods from animals that do. That includes beef and lamb, which are particularly rich sources, as well as dairy products, which contain smaller amounts. Related story Octavia Spencer Found Out She Had Type 2 Diabetes at a Routine Physical in Her 30s, and Here’s What She Changed For this study, researchers looked at Neu5Gc from meat and dairy separately to see whether its source made a difference in diabetes risk. What Did the Study Find? The researchers analyzed data from 89,953 adults in NutriNet-Santé, a French study that follows people’s diets, lifestyles, and health over time. Participants were 42 years old on average, and 79% were women. None had type 2 diabetes or cancer when they joined, but over a median follow-up of 7.2 years, 966 developed type 2 diabetes. Researchers divided participants into five groups based on how much Neu5Gc they got from meat. Compared with those consuming the least, the highest group had a 63% higher diabetes risk, and the second-highest had a 41% higher risk. Neither middle group showed a statistically significant increase. That doesn’t mean 63% of people in the highest group developed diabetes. Their risk was higher compared with people consuming the least. How much red meat does that translate to on a plate? The median daily amounts were: Men in the highest group: 97 grams (3.4 ounces), or 136 grams (4.8 ounces) including processed meat. Women in the highest group: 73 grams (2.6 ounces), or 96 grams (3.4 ounces) including processed meat. People in the lowest group: Men ate 5 grams (0.2 ounces); women ate none. These were typical amounts within each group, not a guide to how much red meat someone can eat without increasing their risk. The findings were also different for dairy. Getting more Neu5Gc from dairy products wasn’t associated with higher diabetes risk, possibly because cow’s milk contains much less of the sugar. Across all sources, the highest group had 37% higher risk, mainly driven by meat. “Our findings support chronic inflammation as a specific mechanism linking red meat consumption with T2D, partly beyond the amount of red meat a person eats and partly independent of body fat,” lead author Dr. Leopold Fezeu of Université Sorbonne Paris Nord said in the study release. How Was Intake Measured? Participants recorded everything they ate and drank over three separate 24-hour periods. Researchers used a validated food database to estimate daily Neu5Gc from meat versus dairy. Red meat included beef, lamb, pork, rabbit, goat, and game. They tracked processed meats, such as bacon, sausages, and cured meats, separately. What Could Explain the Link? Neu5Gc can become part of our tissues, but our immune system may still recognize it as foreign. Dr. Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, compares the proposed response to a smoke alarm that keeps going off. “One false alarm does no harm. When it beeps meal after meal, year after year, the body lives in a state of low-grade alert,” she tells SheKnows. “Researchers call this xenosialitis: inflammation triggered by a foreign sugar sitting in our own tissues.” Researchers have linked this response to heart disease and cancer. They suspect it could also make the body less responsive to insulin and put extra stress on the cells that produce it, but that explanation is still a hypothesis. “We have not yet shown in people that Neu5Gc inflames the pancreas or other insulin-sensitive tissues directly,” says Dr. Kahleova. Other factors could contribute, too: Age, sex, activity, diet, smoking, and existing conditions didn’t fully explain the link. Accounting for body mass index (BMI) weakened the association, though it remained statistically significant. Developing obesity explained an estimated 13% of the association. Would swapping beef or lamb for poultry or plant proteins help? This study didn’t test that. Researchers plan to measure anti-Neu5Gc antibodies and examine interactions with heme iron, a form of iron in meat. There’s no peer-reviewed paper yet; the authors say their estimates could change, and researchers don’t know how much Neu5Gc it takes to trigger an immune response. Until the full study is published and other researchers can weigh in, these findings are best seen as a reason to keep watching the research, not a reason to panic. If you’re worried about your own diabetes risk or how much red meat you eat, talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian. Source link

Around 3,000 steps a day, roughly half an hour of moderate-paced walking, was associated with slower Alzheimer’s-related brain changes in a Harvard study of older adults with elevated amyloid, an early brain sign of the disease. If 10,000 steps feels like one more thing you’re supposed to squeeze into an already full day, that’s encouraging news. In an article published by The Conversation on Oct. 19, 2026, Eef Hogervorst, a professor of biological psychology at Loughborough University, explains the Harvard findings and points to a larger UK study that also linked fewer daily steps to lower dementia risk. Related story 10 Best Protein Shakes for Women, According to Editors and Experts What Did the Harvard Study Find? The paper, “Physical activity as a modifiable risk factor in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease,” was published November 3, 2025, in Nature Medicine. Researchers followed 296 Harvard Aging Brain Study participants ages 50 to 90 who had no memory or thinking impairment at enrollment. Participants wore pedometers for a week and completed annual assessments of their thinking and everyday functioning for up to 14 years. PET brain scans, repeated in some participants, tracked amyloid-beta and tau — two proteins that build up in Alzheimer’s disease. Among people with elevated amyloid, those taking 3,001–5,000 daily steps showed slower tau buildup and slower cognitive decline than inactive participants. Higher activity was also linked to slower declines in everyday functioning. In the moderate and highest activity groups, researchers estimated roughly half as much cognitive decline over nine years as in inactive participants. The team included senior author Dr. Jasmeer Chhatwal, a Mass General Brigham neurologist, and lead author Dr. Wai-Ying Wendy Yau, a cognitive neurologist. Why Does 3,000 Steps Matter? You don’t have to make 10,000 steps your starting goal. The Harvard findings were encouraging at much lower activity levels, though 3,000 isn’t a magic number. The first category above “inactive” covered 3,001–5,000 daily steps. “3,000 steps is not a proven ‘minimum dose’ for preventing tau accumulation,” Dr. Jay Luthar, a Harvard Medical School instructor and founder of Lutanen Health, tells SheKnows. For context, researchers used about 2,800 and 8,700 daily steps to represent lower and higher activity levels in their models. Around 3,000 steps is roughly half an hour of moderate-paced walking. Hogervorst also highlights a larger 2022 UK study that followed 78,430 people for seven years using wrist-worn activity trackers. Around 3,800 daily steps were associated with 25% lower dementia risk, rising to about 50% at 9,800 steps. “Lifestyle changes may slow the emergence of cognitive symptoms if we act early,” senior author Dr. Jasmeer Chhatwal, a Mass General Brigham neurologist, said in the study release. Where Was the Step-Count Sweet Spot? You may not need to keep chasing a higher number. The association leveled off at 5,001–7,500 daily steps. For people with elevated amyloid, the researchers’ estimates suggested: Walking 3,001–5,000 steps a day was linked to reaching a measure of cognitive impairment about three years later than in inactive participants. At 5,001–7,500 steps a day, that estimated difference grew to about seven years. Above 7,500 daily steps, results were similar rather than continuing to improve. These were estimates from the researchers’ models, not guaranteed extra years without symptoms. People who took fewer steps also had faster declines in memory, thinking, and everyday functioning. Among those who walked more, the slower tau buildup helped explain why their thinking skills held up better. “We were able to clarify that the association with cognitive decline was not explained by differences in amyloid accumulation,” first author Dr. Wai-Ying Wendy Yau, a cognitive neurologist, told Newsweek. The distinction is that activity was linked to slower tau buildup, not reduced amyloid accumulation. The study was relatively small, participants were mostly white and highly educated, and researchers couldn’t account for every health or lifestyle difference. Early Alzheimer’s changes may also make people less active, so the relationship could partly work in the other direction. How Can You Make More Steps Doable? Start by seeing where you are now. Use your phone or a pedometer to track your usual steps for a few days. If you spend much of the day sitting, work gradually toward around 3,000 daily steps, with 5,000–7,500 as a possible longer-term goal. You don’t have to get them all in one walk — the study measured total daily steps. Luthar suggests five minutes after breakfast and another five after lunch, then building from there. “Consistency over months and years is more valuable than an ambitious target that someone abandons after a week,” he tells SheKnows. When you can, take your walk outside or invite someone to join you. Hogervorst notes that daylight and social connection may also benefit sleep, mood, and brain health, and there are plenty more ways to reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s and dementia — start here. The encouraging takeaway is that a little walking may go a long way. Around 3,000 daily steps (roughly half an hour at a moderate pace) showed promise, and the strongest association leveled off at 5,001–7,500. A half-hour walk could be a manageable starting point — and those steps don’t all have to happen at once. Source link

A seven-day fasting study is making the rounds again, but before you rethink breakfast, there’s some context worth knowing. ScienceDaily ran the story again on October 5, 2026, after publishing coverage on May 17. Both cover research first released in Nature Metabolism on March 1, 2024. The small study followed 12 healthy volunteers through a closely monitored, seven-day water-only fast. Researchers found that participants started using more stored fat within the first few days. Around day three, they also detected more widespread changes in blood proteins linked to organs throughout the body. Here’s what researchers found during that week, and why the timing matters. Related story Don’t Let Anyone Tell You Diet Soda Is Slowing Down Your Weight Loss Journey What Did the Seven-Day Fasting Study Measure? Researchers from Queen Mary University of London’s Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI) and the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences monitored five women and seven men daily. Participants drank water but ate nothing for seven whole days. The paper, “Systemic proteome adaptions to 7-day complete caloric restriction in humans,” looked at how the body responded. Unlike intermittent fasting, which usually limits when you eat, this study involved seven days with no food at all. What Happens During the First Three Days of Fasting? Within the first two to three days, participants began relying more on stored fat for energy instead of glucose, or sugar. Researchers also measured roughly 3,000 proteins in their blood before, daily during, and after the fast. This approach, called proteomics, let them follow changes that wouldn’t show up on a scale. “For the first time, we’re able to see what’s happening on a molecular level across the body when we fast,” Claudia Langenberg, director of Queen Mary’s Institute, said in a press release. Burning stored fat was an early response to going without food. After about three days, researchers also detected changes in blood proteins linked to all major organs. What Changed After Three Days of Fasting? About one-third of the proteins measured changed significantly during the fast, with a similar overall pattern across participants. Researchers grouped the changes into nine response patterns based on when protein levels rose or fell. “Our results provide evidence for the health benefits of fasting beyond weight loss, but these were only visible after three days of total caloric restriction,” Langenberg said in the press release. The study measured molecular changes and predicted their possible effects. It didn’t show that participants became healthier after three days. What Did Researchers Find Beyond Weight Loss? Participants lost an average of about 12.6 pounds, including both fat and lean mass. Three days after they started eating again, most of the lost lean mass had returned. Their body fat was still below its starting level. Some findings couldn’t be explained by weight loss alone. Researchers saw changes in proteins in the extracellular matrix, the material that surrounds and supports cells. One example was tenascin-R, a brain-specific protein involved in the support structure around nerve cells. The team used genetic data from large population studies to predict how some of these changes might affect health. The results pointed to both potential benefits and risks, giving researchers specific leads to investigate next. The longer-term hope is to develop treatments that reproduce some of fasting’s effects without requiring people to stop eating for days. Co-lead researcher Maik Pietzner said this could be especially useful for patients whose poor health makes fasting unsuitable. The team also hopes to find alternatives for people unable to follow fasting-mimicking diets, such as ketogenic diets. These findings have not established an FDA-approved treatment. For now, the clearest finding is the timing. These 12 closely monitored volunteers began using more stored fat within two to three days. Around 72 hours, blood tests also showed a coordinated response involving major organs throughout the body. The next step is to find out what those changes mean for health and whether any benefits can be achieved without a prolonged fast. Source link

Weight-loss drugs like GLP-1’s have boomed in popularity over the last few years, despite the very real side effects, which range from hair to severe gastrointestinal distress. Now, a new class of medications —amylin-based weighty loss drugs — are showcasing a different path forward. A new international study found that people taking one such drug, petrelintide, lost weight while avoiding the type of digestive side effects (like nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea) that can often derail treatment for those using GLP-1s. For those of us who are interested in the benefits of a weight-loss drug but not so jazzed about the GI distress that comes with options like Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro, it’s welcome news — but the study found that amylin-based drugs may not be quite equal when it comes to the amount of weight coming off. Related story John Goodman Opens Up About Weighing Nearly 400 Pounds and the ‘Vicious Cycle’ of Drinking What are amylin-based obesity drugs, and what is petrelintide? Amylin-based obesity drugs use an analogue of a hormone, amylin, released by the pancreas alongside insulin, per Yale Medicine. Amylin regulates your blood sugar and gives you a feeling of fullness by slowing down the rate at which food leaves your stomach, which helps to suppress your appetite. The effects are similar to a GLP-1 medication, but they work via different mechanisms: amylin-based drugs use an analogue of the pancreatic hormone amylin, while GLP-1s mimic or amplify the effect of glucagon-like peptide-1, which is released by your liver. Petrelintide is a once-weekly injectable amylin analogue drug highlighted in the new study, a medication developed by Zealand Pharma in partnership with Roche. While reporting around the study highlighted how its side effects and weight loss matched up against GLP-1 drugs, the drugs haven’t been compared in a head-to-head trial. Still, we’re able to draw a few tentative conclusions from the research. What did the study find? The recent study on petrelintide, ZUPREME-1, was released in September as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 dose-finding trial (funded by Zealand Pharma, the makers of petrelintide). It was conducted at 32 sites internationally, including public hospitals and private clinics in countries like the US, Poland, and Romania, and included 485 participants with obesity, with a mean BMI of 36.7 to 37 kg/m2, and a mean body weight of about 107 kg (235 pounds). The participants’ mean age was 48. The study found that after 42 weeks on petrelintide, participants had lost about 10% of their starting weight, on average, compared to just 1.7% for those participants on the placebo. Specifically, participants on the smaller, one-milligram dose lost 8.7% of their bodyweight, versus 10.5-10.7% on the seven-milligram dose. All participants (including those on the placebo) also received counseling on weight loss through diet and at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. The weight loss is lower than what patients on GLP-1’s typically lose. Per Drugs.com, people on semaglutide (like Ozempic and Wegovy) often lose, on average, 15-19% of their bodyweight; for people on tirzepatide (like Zepbound), it’s around 20-21%. But notably, the study participants on pertrelintide lost this weight without experiencing some of the grueling side effects that often come with GLP-1s. The less significant weight loss might be the tradeoff for lighter side effects. So what were the side effects of petrelintide? The study found that petrelintide’s most common side effect was nausea, which was experience by 20% of participants on the drug (versus 6% on the placebo). Other side effects included vomiting (3% of petrelintide users) and diarrhea (7% of petrilintide users). But the researchers also found that at the maximally effective dose of pertrelintide (that seven-milligram mark), there was no vomiting reported at all — and none of the participants had to discontinue treatment due to GI side effects. “Rates of nausea with petrelintide are less than half of those observed with GLP-1 medications,” noted lead researcher Timothy Garvey, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, in an interview with HCPLive. “Rates of constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting roughly approximated those observed in placebo,” he continued. “This is a well-tolerated medication.” The side effect conversation is an important one. The gastrointestinal side effects caused by GLP-1’s lead to 41% of users to suffer in silence, self-adjust the medications, or even stop taking them altogether, according to a national survey from Oshi Health. What happens next? Petrelintide isn’t yet approved by the FDA, so it’s not available yet in the US, and these results still need to be reproduced in further trials. But the news is looking positive: in phase 2b trial results released earlier this month, 220 people with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes reported losing up to 9.5% of their bodyweight over 28 weeks, compared to 2% with placebo. The next step is to test the drug again in a Phase 3 trial. It’s also worth noting again that we don’t know how petrelintide performs in a head-to-head trial versus a GLP-1 drug — we can only compare studies of both drugs done separately. Still, if a weight-loss drug with potentially less intense side effects than a GLP-1 is piquing your interest, it’s worth keeping an eye on petrelintide and talking to your doctor if it does become available. Source link