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Can We Prevent Muscle Loss While Taking GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs?

GLP-1 medications like Zepbound have changed the way we treat obesity. But as more people lose significant amounts of weight, another question has emerged:

What happens to your muscle?

It's normal to lose some lean mass—including muscle—during weight loss. But researchers are now asking whether preserving more muscle could improve long-term health, particularly as we age.

In this episode, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Richard Pratley, lead author of a new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating whether an investigational antibody called apitegromab can help preserve lean mass in people taking tirzepatide (Zepbound).

Together they discuss:

• Why people lose lean mass during weight loss

• What "lean mass" actually means—and why it matters

• Why muscle preservation has become one of the biggest new questions in obesity medicine

• How apitegromab works by blocking myostatin—a protein that acts like a brake on muscle growth

• The results of the study and how much lean mass participants preserved

• Why preserving lean mass doesn't automatically mean preserving strength

• Whether concerns about muscle loss on GLP-1 medications have become exaggerated

• The importance of resistance training and adequate protein during weight loss

• Whether future obesity treatment will focus less on body weight and more on body composition

• The bigger question: Are we entering an era where one medication leads to another—or is there a better path???

This conversation explores one of the most interesting—and practical—questions in obesity research today: Can we lose fat without sacrificing too much muscle?

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Can using your smartphone on the toilet increase your risk of hemorrhoids?

In this episode of WTF Health News, Dr. Eeks explores one of the strangest health headlines of the year—and yes, it's based on a real scientific study.

Researchers found that adults who reported using smartphones while sitting on the toilet had a 46% higher likelihood of hemorrhoids compared with people who didn't bring their phones to the bathroom. But does that mean your phone causes hemorrhoids?

Not exactly.

Dr. Eeks breaks down what the study found. 

Topics discussed include:

•  Can smartphone use increase the risk of hemorrhoids? 
•  Why prolonged toilet sitting may matter more than straining 
•  The surprising study linking phones and hemorrhoids 
•  Why smartphone apps may distort our perception of time 
•  The difference between correlation and causation 
•  How technology quietly changes everyday human behavior 

If you've ever found yourself scrolling on the toilet for "just a minute"...this episode might make you think twice.

Source: Smartphone use on the toilet and the risk of hemorrhoids, Plos 0ne, 2025. 

About WTF Health News

WTF Health News is a recurring series within Causes or Cures, where Dr. Eeks breaks down strange, surprising, and occasionally ridiculous health headlines with evidence, context, and a healthy dose of dry humor.

Work with me? Perhaps we are a good match. 

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Many people living with migraines say they can "feel a storm coming" before an attack. But is there scientific evidence that environmental exposures can influence migraine risk?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Professor Gal Ifergane, neurologist and headache specialist, about his research on migraines and the environment. The conversation explores how air pollution, heat, solar radiation, and weather conditions may help lower the threshold for migraine attacks in people who are already susceptible.

Professor Ifergane explains why migraine is often considered a threshold disorder, where genetics, biology, and environmental exposures may all interact to influence when an attack occurs.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Can air pollution trigger migraines?
• Are weather-related migraines real?
• Can heat, sunlight, or solar radiation increase migraine risk?
• How researchers study environmental migraine triggers
• Why some people may be more sensitive to environmental exposures than others
• What these findings could mean for migraine prevention

If you've ever wondered whether your surroundings—not just your brain—could influence migraine attacks, this episode explores what the current science says.

About Professor Gal Ifergane:

Professor Gal Ifergane is a neurologist, headache specialist, and clinical researcher who serves as Head of the Neurology Department and Chair of the Brain Medicine Division at Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, Israel. He is also a faculty member at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

His research focuses on migraine, headache disorders, stroke, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the effects of environmental exposures on neurological health. His work examines how factors such as air pollution, heat, and weather conditions may influence migraine risk and severity, with the goal of improving prevention and treatment for people living with migraine and other neurological disorders.

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Can migraines be triggered by what's happening in the environment around us?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Professor Gal Ifergane about his research examining the relationship between migraines and environmental exposures, including air pollution, heat, solar radiation, and weather conditions.

Many people with migraines report being able to "feel a storm coming" before an attack. But is there scientific evidence that environmental factors can influence migraine risk?

Professor Ifergane discusses findings suggesting that environmental conditions may help lower the threshold for migraine attacks in people who are already susceptible. The conversation explores the concept of migraine as a threshold disorder, where both biological predisposition and environmental triggers may interact to influence when an attack occurs.

Topics discussed include:

• The relationship between migraines and air pollution
• Heat, sunlight, and solar radiation as potential migraine triggers
• Whether weather-related migraines are real or simply anecdotal
• How researchers study environmental exposures and migraine risk
• The concept of migraine as a threshold disorder
• Genetics versus environmental influences
• Why migraine sufferers may want to pay attention to air quality as well as weather
• What these findings may mean for people living with migraines

If you've ever wondered whether migraines are influenced by more than what's happening inside the brain, this episode explores the growing evidence that the world around us may play a role as well.

About Professor Gal Ifergane

Professor Gal Ifergane is a neurologist, headache specialist, and clinical researcher who serves as Head of the Neurology Department and Chair of the Brain Medicine Division at Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, Israel. He is also a faculty member at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

His clinical and research interests include migraines, headache disorders, stroke, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and environmental influences on neurological health. Professor Ifergane has conducted extensive research on the epidemiology of migraines and the factors that may influence migraine risk and severity, including air pollution, heat exposure, and other environmental conditions.

Through his work, he seeks to better understand how the environment interacts with the brain and how these insights can improve prevention and treatment strategies for people living with migraine and other neurological disorders.

Work with me? Perhaps we are a good match. 

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Can listening to music help protect your brain as you age?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Professor Joanne Ryan about her research on music, dementia risk, cognitive decline, and healthy aging.

Drawing on data from thousands of older adults participating in the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP), Professor Ryan discusses findings suggesting that frequent music engagement—including listening to music and playing a musical instrument—was associated with a lower risk of dementia and better cognitive outcomes over time.

The conversation explores:

• Whether listening to music can help reduce dementia risk
• How playing a musical instrument may affect brain health
• Proposed biological and cognitive mechanisms behind music's effects on the brain
• Music, memory, and why some people with dementia can still remember and perform music
• Whether certain types of music may be more beneficial than others
• The limitations of observational research and what questions still remain unanswered

If you've ever wondered whether your favorite playlist is doing more than entertaining you, this episode explores what the science currently says about music, memory, cognition, and the aging brain.

About Professor Joanne Ryan

Professor Joanne Ryan is a Principal Research Fellow and leader of the Biological Neuropsychiatry and Dementia research team at Monash University in Australia. Her research focuses on understanding the causes, prevention, and early detection of neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly dementia and depression.

Her team investigates biological, lifestyle, and environmental risk factors that influence brain health and works to identify preventive strategies that may reduce the incidence of dementia and cognitive decline. The group also studies biomarkers that may improve the timing and accuracy of diagnosis and help evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. 

Professor Ryan has published extensively on aging, cognition, dementia risk factors, mental health, and preventive approaches to healthy brain aging.

Work with me? Perhaps we are a good match. 

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A recent asthma attack in a pet store sends Dr. Eeks down a rabbit hole of thoughts about breathing, chronic illness, menstruation woes, panic versus biology, strangers helping strangers, an anxious dog that needs emotional support during human emergencies, the cost of ambulance rides, and how the day rarely goes the way you think it will.

A story, a reflection...and a reminder that her lungs oppose intensity.

DISCLAIMER: Eeks Speakeasy is part storytelling, part health discussion, and part one public health nerd failing to make sense of the world. Nothing here is health or medical advice. It's just Eeks thinking out loud. 

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Can you be genuinely happy and, even thrive,  as a single person? 

In this episode, Professor Elyakim Kislev, author of Happy Singlehood: The Rising Acceptance and Celebration of Solo Living, discusses the growing global trend toward singlehood and what the research says about happiness, loneliness, marriage, and solo living. 

We explore the difference between being alone and being lonely, why some people enter relationships out of fear of loneliness, and most importantly, what distinguishes happy singles from unhappy singles.

 Professor Kislev also discusses the concepts of social loneliness and emotional loneliness, common myths surrounding singlehood, and findings suggesting that many never-married older adults report high levels of well-being and life satisfaction. 

We also examine cultural pressures surrounding marriage and family formation, whether marriage itself improves health and happiness, how researchers study these questions, and what it really takes to build a meaningful, connected, and fulfilling life—whether you're single, married, dating, or somewhere in between.

Professor Elyakim Kislev is a faculty member in the School of Public Policy and Government at The Hebrew University and a Research Fellow at the Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace. He earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University and holds master's degrees in counseling, public policy, and sociology. A Fulbright Fellow and recipient of the Award for Outstanding Fulbright Scholars, his research focuses on singlehood, family, well-being, and social policy. He is the author of Happy Singlehood: The Rising Acceptance and Celebration of Solo Living.

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Today's Causes or Cures' WTF Health News with Dr. Eeks starts with olive oil and somehow ends with the microbiome.

A recent study suggests that older adults consuming more virgin olive oil may perform better on cognitive tests than those consuming more refined olive oil. Researchers also found differences in the gut microbiome because, at this point, the microbiome appears contractually obligated to show up in every health study.

Join Dr. Eeks in WTF Health News for a fun, quick, jargon-free look at what the study found, what it didn't find, and why nutrition science continues to keep us humble.

Source: For nerds and readers, here's a link to the study and to her plain-language blog. 

About WTF Health News

WTF Health News is a recurring series within Causes or Cures, where Dr. Eeks breaks down strange, surprising, and occasionally ridiculous health headlines with evidence, context, and a healthy dose of dry humor.

Work with me? Perhaps we are a good match. 

Keep Causes or Cures Ad-Free with Listener Support

You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.
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What makes you you?

Is it your memories? Your personality? Your sense of humor? Your motivation? What happens when a neurological disease changes one of those things?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with neurologist, neuroscientist, and author Dr. Masud Husain about his new book, Our Brains, Our Selves: What a Neurologist's Patients Taught Him About the Brain.

Drawing on the stories of seven patients with different neurological conditions, Dr. Husain explores how changes in the brain can profoundly affect identity, behavior, memory, motivation, humor, and our relationships with others.

We discuss pathological apathy after stroke, personality changes caused by frontotemporal dementia, memory and Alzheimer's disease, the neurological basis of humor, and how cultural and spiritual beliefs shape the way people understand illness. We also explore bigger questions about free will, responsibility, consciousness, and whether there may be aspects of human experience that lie beyond a purely biological explanation.

Dr. Husain shares what decades of caring for patients with neurological disorders have taught him about the brain—and about what it means to be human.

Dr. Masud Husain is Professor of Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oxford and a Professorial Fellow at New College, Oxford. His work spans neurology, neuroscience, psychology, and brain imaging, with a focus on understanding how the brain supports cognition in both healthy individuals and people with neurological disorders. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Brain, one of the world's leading and most influential neurology journals. Our Brains, Our Selves is his first book.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Judson Brandeis, a board-certified urologist, sexual medicine specialist, surgeon, author, and founder of BrandeisMD, about erectile dysfunction, sexual wellness, aging, intimacy, and the rapidly growing men’s penile enhancement industry.

Dr. Brandeis discusses his recent clinical research exploring whether nitric oxide boosting supplements may work synergistically with medications like Viagra to improve erectile function, as well as broader issues surrounding circulation, lifestyle, vascular health, mental health and sexual performance.

He also describes 10 things men can do right now to improve their sexual health.

The conversation explores:

• What causes erectile dysfunction (ED) and why it becomes more common with aging
• The role blood flow and nitric oxide play in erections
• How ED can sometimes signal broader cardiovascular, metabolic or psychological issues
• The difference between prescription ED drugs and supplements
• Side effects and limitations of Viagra and Cialis
• Shockwave therapy and other emerging approaches in sexual medicine
•  “Sexspan” and maintaining sexual health later in life
•   Relationship dynamics, intimacy, and communication
•   Men understanding women’s bodies and sexuality after menopause
•   The psychology and emotional impact of erectile dysfunction
•   Concerns surrounding the supplement industry and “male enhancement” products
•  The difference between FDA approved medications and dietary supplements

Dr. Brandeis also discusses his “P-Long” protocol, which he describes as a safe and effective way to increase the length, girth and function of a healthy man’s penis.

Dr. Judson Brandeis is a board-certified urologist, surgeon, medical researcher, author, and physician educator with more than 25 years of experience in urology and men’s sexual health. Over his career, he has performed thousands of surgeries, helped pioneer surgical robotics, and served as Chief of Urology at John Muir Hospital and Hill Physicians for over a decade. Dr. Brandeis attended Brown University, earned his MD from Vanderbilt University, received a Howard Hughes research award at Harvard Medical School, and completed his surgery and urology residency at UCLA. In recent years, his work has focused on men’s wellness, sexual medicine, erectile function, intimacy, and “sexspan,” with an emphasis on helping men improve quality of life, physical intimacy, and overall health as they age.

You can learn more about Dr. Brandeis and his work at:
BrandeisMD

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