Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy_f7hvRw2w/

One in every 8 new mothers experience postpartum depression.  The number is surging with a 7-fold increase over a 15 year period.  The FDA has now approved the oral neuronsteroid drug zuranolone, branded by Sage Therapeutics/Biogen as Zurzuvae.  This drug is a synthetic version of the naturally occurring allopregnanolone that stimulates the brain’s GABA-A receptors leading to a calming and antidepressant effect.  Phase 3 clinical trials have demonstrated that this oral drug works to effectively ease depression within 3 days whereas conventional therapy requires injections and may take weeks to become effective.  The downside: the drug passes into breast milk precluding breast-feeding until studies show that zuranolone is safe for newborns.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-oral-treatment-postpartum-depression

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/postpartum-depression-pill-zurzuvae-zuranolone

https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/features/maternal-depression/index.html

#postpartum #depression #zuranolone #Zurzuvae #breastfeeding

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy_ezVeR_Fr/

For those with an extreme fear of needles, Swiss researchers have developed an alternative means of introducing large molecule drugs into the circulation.  Based on the suction cups on the tentacles of an octopus, the device consists of a reservoir of drug attached to a suction device that is placed in the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek.  The suction holds the device in place and stretches the oral lining sufficiently to permit entry of the drug molecules into the tissues.  The trick was to create a device that would produce enough suction to remain in place and deliver drug without damaging the delicate inner cheek linings.  Very clever.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abq1887

https://www.medgadget.com/2023/10/suction-cup-delivers-drugs-through-cheek.html

#suctioncup #octopus #needles #drugdelivery #needlephobia

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy_dyL1RlWX/

Ovarian cancer is the 3rd most common cancer in women’s reproductive organs and it usually goes undetected until it becomes untreatable and deadly.  University of Southern California researchers have now developed a liquid biopsy called OvaPrint capable of pinpointing high-grade serous ovarian cancer with an overall accuracy of 91%, a positive predictive value of 95% and a negative predictive value of 88%.  The test differentiates circulating DNA from aggressive ovarian cancer from the DNA with benign origins.  The test isn’t perfect, but it is an exciting first step toward developing reliable screening for one of the most dangerous cancers that befall women.

https://aacrjournals.org/clincancerres/article/doi/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-1197/729529/OvaPrintT-a-cell-free-DNA-methylation-liquid

https://tinyurl.com/3yccp5bv

#ovariancancer #liquidbiopsy #ovaprint #usc #cfDNA 

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy_cuY_RkOG/

Having peanut allergic children ingest powdered peanuts over a one year period allowed nearly 75% of them to safely tolerate a substantial amount of peanut protein when given as a challenge.  Just published in the New England Journal of Medicine is a phase 3, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of 98 peanut allergic kids 1 to 4 years of age.  Only 2% of the children undergoing desensitization with the peanut powder suffered a serious or severe allergic reaction, and all were successfully treated.

This oral immunotherapy is not a cure for peanut allergies.  It is intended only to avoid or reduce the risk of a severe or life-threatening allergic reaction should an individual accidently ingest peanut allergen.  The peanut powder used in this study is already FDA approved for treatment of children 4 to 17 years of age.  This study suggests that it may be safely used in younger children above the age of 12 months.

https://evidence.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/EVIDoa2300145

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peanut-allergy/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20376181

#peanut #allergy #immunotherapy #desensitization #anaphylaxis #peanutpowder

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy_a_RsRs4G/

Regular aerobic exercise significantly improves erectile dysfunction or ED.  This the the conclusion of Baylor College of Medicine researchers who performed a meta-analysis of 11 studies looking at this intervention.  The studies compared 636 men who regularly exercised to 511 control couch potatoes.  The men’s mean age was 55 years and all members of the group suffered from mild to moderate ED.  The exercise sessions typically took place over 30 to 60 minutes 3 to 5 days a week.  Erectile dysfunction was quantitated using the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction.

The analysis showed that this type of aerobic exercise drove a 12% overall improvement in ED for the entire group.  The best news is that exercise was most beneficial for those with the  most serious ED problems.  The ED scores improved a whopping 20% for those with severe dysfunction versus 14% for those with moderate problems and 10% for those with mild ED.

How does exercise compare with drug therapy like Viagra, Cialis, or testosterone supplements?  Viagra and Cialis drive ED improvements between 16 and 33% while testosterone drives only an 8% gain.  Clearly, the drugs to work, but they can be costly and they have other side effects.

The study authors suggest mechanisms for this effect of regular aerobic exercise on ED including improvement in blood circulation, weight reduction, the generation of nitric oxide, an increase in testosterone, and reduction of inflammation.  Whatever the reasons, the HARD fact is that it works, and it give you guys out there more good reasons to engage in STIFF exercise as often as possible.

https://academic.oup.com/jsm/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jsxmed/qdad130/7301709

#ed #erectiledysfunction #exercise #aerobics

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy_Z4foRS98/

Highly processed fast food contains elevated levels of fat, sugar, and protein.   Consuming these goodies during teen years seems to drive the development of the atypical breast tissue hyperplasia associated with later breast cancer. Medical University of South Carolina pathology researchers studied this phenomenon in a pre-clinical mouse model.

Groups of animals were fed 3 different diets from 3 weeks of age: a diet high in so-called advanced glycation end products, AGEs, typical of fast foods; a low AGE diet; and a regular diet.  Their breast tissues were then evaluated during puberty and adulthood.

The high AGE diet, equivalent to gorging fast food, led to multiple pathological changes in the developing mammary tissues including delayed ductal elongation, increased primary branching, increased density, as well as the atypical hyperplasia that can lead to cancer.

Teen girls, particularly those with a family history of breast cancer, should be warned to moderate their consumption of fast food.  This strategy has so many benefits: weight control, improved complexions, and, now, breast disease prevention.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37803429/

#fastfood #processedfood #AGE #girls #breast #hyperplasia #density #cancer

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy_YUlFRm3W/

Toting, tooting, or banging a musical instrument while precision marching around the football field leads to a musculoskeletal injury in one of every four high school students who participate in marching bands.  In a study to be presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics annual fall meeting, 70% of the 20,335 marching band injuries treated at our nation’s emergency departments over a recent 9 year period occurred in young women.   Half of the injuries involved the lower body, mainly the ankles and knees, while 6% were traumatic brain injuries.  

Perhaps not as physically demanding as the sports for which they provide musical accompaniment, playing in a marching band is an athletic activity.  The teens who participate spend long hours practicing not only the tunes but also the on-field choreography.  The players are called upon to perform in hot uniforms during sometimes adverse weather while carrying instruments that may be heavy such as tubas or bass drums.

Many, but not all, high schools and colleges now require pre-qualification physicals as well as musical auditions.  Parents of the adolescent band members as well as the musical department staff should be ever alert and take precautions to prevent physical injuries and dehydration.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-10-band-injuries-wrong-emergency-departments.html

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26046616/

#marchingband #injuries #musculoskeletal #tbi #dehydration #athletics 

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy_XXFZRaaL/

A woman’s risk of developing depressive illness following a traumatic brain injury, a TBI, is 50% greater than a man’s.  Harvard’s Mass. General Hospital anesthesiologists report this finding at their specialty’s annual scientific meeting.  They performed a meta-analysis of 9 studies covering 691,364 persons who suffered TBI.

Their calculations show that 29.3% of the women developed serious psychological depression after TBI versus on 21.9% of men.  That represents a 48% higher risk.  The most frequent causes of this brain trauma in females turn out to be falls, partner violence, sports injuries, and concussions sustained during military service.  Contrast that with men’s TBIs which are caused by by blunt trauma with objects, motor vehicle accidents, self-harm, and assaults.

The bottom line: women sustaining head injuries should be carefully watched over time for the development of depression by their medical teams as well as by their families.

https://www.asahq.org/about-asa/newsroom/news-releases/2023/10/women-at-much-higher-risk-of-depression

#depression #tbi #trauma #braininjury #concussion #women #womenshealth #psychiatry

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy_V8SyxkfP/

Non-invasive application of high frequency electrical stimulation around a caesarian section abdominal incision reduces the need for narcotic pain med by nearly half.  This the conclusion of Ohio State University maternal-fetal investigators after their randomized, blinded clinical study of 134 c-section patients.

Those women selected for treatment underwent three 12 minute applications of pulsed, high frequency direct current transcutanously delivered to points around their incisions.  The control group received similar applications from sham devices that did not deliver any electrical stimulation.

The data indicates that these electrical stimulations reduced the amount of narcotics required to maintain post-op patient comfort by 47%.  The treated women were also 60% less likely to be discharged from the hospital with a prescription for an opioid.

The current opioid epidemic is driving medical teams to search for innovative ways to reduce the need for narcotic-based pain control.  This technique shows promise to do just that for not only c-section patients but for other patients with painful surgical incisions.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2810949

#pain #surgery #caeserean #opioid #bioelectronic #obgyn #womenshealth

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CywY62IxBsh/

Recall By: Fda; Paradise Flavors LLC

Problem:  All flavors of Paradise Flavors ice cream bars contain a collection of undeclared allergens including peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, milk, and food coloring including FD&C blue #s 1 & 2, red #s 3, 5, 6, & 40, and yellow #s 5, 6, and 8.

Sold: At multiple retail stores in Florida including those in Monroe Country, in Marathon, and between Key Largo and Key West.

Actions:  Do not consume these ice cream bars.  Return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.  For more information, contact Paradise Flavors LLC at 1-305-509-0112.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/paradise-flavors-llc-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-peanuts-tree-nuts-wheat-soy-milk-and-color

#paradise #icecream #bars #peanuts #treenuts #milk #wheat #soy #foodcoloring #allergy #recall