3 Barriers to Boost Immunity: How TCM Builds Inner Defences Through Vital Organs
Through antioxidant-rich foods, warming herbs that support the spleen and lungs, targeted acupressure that calms the nervous system, and restorative habits such as deep sleep and mindful movement, TCM builds a shield from within.
3 Layers of Inner Defense
Nikki Zhang Yu, a TCM practitioner and founder of Healthkey Group in New York, explains that 'zhengqi,' or vital energy, is what modern medicine refers to as immunity.
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Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Lawmakers press FDA to target knockoff weight-loss drug
Dozens of lawmakers are urging US health regulators to crack down on the booming market for knockoff weight-loss drugs amid mounting concerns over their potential safety risks. On Friday, a group of more than 80 bipartis an lawmakers asked the US Food and Drug Administration to stop counterfeit and copycat versions of GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound from flooding the market — a problem that emerged over the last year. 'We are concerned about recent reports revealing a surge in illegal and counterfeit anti-obesity medications,' they wrote in a letter to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. 'Undoubtedly, illegal counterfeit medications pose an increased risk to patient safety with sometimes fatal consequences.' The group — spearheaded by Representatives Richard Hudson of North Carolina and Herb Conaway of New Jersey — asked the agency to ramp up enforcement over illegally imported weight-loss drugs. They suggested issuing warning letters and better monitoring non-compliant online retailers and so-called compounding pharmacies that sell the medicines. The lawmakers also said the FDA should work in tandem with US Customs and Border Patrol agents to stop Chinese entities from shipping unsafe weight-loss drugs into the US. They requested an update on the FDA's efforts by July 30, given the 'urgency' of the situation. A spokesperson for the FDA said the agency will work with the US Department of Health and Human Services to provide a 'complete and thorough' response to the issues raised in the lawmakers' letter. 'Any effort to undermine America's supply of safe medicines is an issue that FDA takes seriously,' the spokesperson said. 'And we are deeply committed to strengthening the oversight of imported products at US ports of entry.' In recent years, the popularity of GLP-1 drugs has led to an explosion of copycats and counterfeits made by companies seeking to capitalize on the hype. State-licensed pharmacies were temporarily allowed to make copies of the drugs during a supply shortage, but are no longer permitted to do so after Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly & Co. boosted production. Still, some pharmacies have refused to wind down their operations while others have pivoted to selling the drugs in lower doses in order to avoid regulatory scrutiny. Counterfeit drugs are made by unregistered entities typically using illegally imported ingredients. As recently as April, there continue to be instances when counterfeit Ozempic pens covertly enter the drug supply chain undetected. Some patients are also purchasing ingredients directly from online sellers in an attempt to make the drugs themselves at home. In both cases, the medications don't go through the same rigorous approval process as brand-name drugs made by Novo and Lilly. Experts worry the lack of oversight is putting patients at risk. The FDA has said it's aware of hospitalizations potentially linked to the copycat drugs, but that adverse events are likely being underreported. 'We support the bi-partisan call for the FDA to crack down on counterfeit and illegally sold weight-loss drugs,' said a spokesperson for Hims & Hers Health Inc., one of the telehealth firms that sells compounded GLP-1s. 'We appreciate lawmakers' recognition that legitimate compounded medications dispensed by state-regulated pharmacies are not counterfeit. Patient safety must always come first.' Novo and Lilly have discouraged consumers from using compounded and counterfeit products, including suing telehealth firms that sell the copycat versions and working with border agents to seize illegal shipments. Under the Biden administration, the companies repeatedly urged the FDA to take action, but the agency mostly limited its actions to issuing consumer warnings — even as its top drug official publicly acknowledged safety concerns. Under the Trump administration, the HHS has also focused more heavily on other issues, such as banning food dyes and examining vaccine schedules. Meanwhile, lawmakers are ramping up their calls for action. State attorneys and other lawmakers have sent letters to the FDA and Federal Trade Commission advocating for greater transparency around the treatments and more scrutiny around marketing practices. Muller writes for Bloomberg.
Scientific American
10 hours ago
- Scientific American
Organs Age in Waves Accelerating at 50 Years Old
It is a warning that middle-aged people have long offered the young: ageing is not a smooth process. Now, an exhaustive analysis of how proteins change over time in different organs backs up that idea, finding that people experience an inflection point at around 50 years old, after which ageing seems to accelerate. The study, published 25 July in Cell, also suggests that some tissues — especially blood vessels — age faster than others, and it identifies molecules that can hasten the march of time. The findings add to mounting evidence that ageing is not linear, but is instead pockmarked by periods of rapid change. Even so, larger studies are needed before scientists can label the age of 50 as a crisis point, says Maja Olecka, who studies ageing at the Leibniz Institute on Aging — Fritz Lipmann Institute in Jena, Germany, and was not involved in the study. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. 'There are these waves of age-related changes,' she says. 'But it is still difficult to make a general conclusion about the timing of the inflection points.' Showing their age Previous work has shown that different organs can age at different rates. To further unpick this, Guanghui Liu, who studies regenerative medicine at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, and his colleagues, collected tissue samples from 76 people of Chinese ancestry aged 14 to 68 who had died from accidental brain injury. The samples came from organs representing eight of the body's systems, including the cardiovascular, immune and digestive systems. The researchers then created a compendium of the proteins found in each of the samples. They found age-related increases in the expression of 48 disease-associated proteins, and saw early changes at around age 30 in the adrenal gland, which is responsible for producing various hormones. This tracks well with previous data, says Michael Snyder, a geneticist at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California. 'It fits the idea that your hormonal and metabolic control are a big deal,' he says. 'That is where some of the most profound shifts occur as people age.' Between the ages of 45 and 55 came a turning point marked by large changes in protein levels. The most dramatic shift was found in the aorta, the body's main artery, which carries oxygenated blood out of the heart. The team tracked down one protein produced in the aorta that, when administered to mice, triggers signs of accelerated ageing. Liu speculates that blood vessels act as a conduit, carrying molecules that promote ageing to remote destinations throughout the body. The study is an important addition to others that have analysed molecules circulating in the blood, rather than tissue samples taken from individual organs, as a way to monitor age-related changes, says Snyder. 'We're like a car,' he says. 'Some parts wear out faster.' Knowing which parts are prone to wear and tear can help researchers to develop ways to intervene to promote healthy ageing, he says. Halfway to 100 Last year, Snyder and his colleagues found ageing inflection points around the ages of 44 and 60. Other studies have found accelerated ageing at different times, including at around 80 years old, which was beyond the scope of the current study, says Olecka. Discrepancies with other studies can emerge from their use of different kinds of samples, populations and analytical approaches, says Liu. As data build over time, key molecular pathways involved in ageing will probably converge across studies, he adds. These data will accumulate rapidly, says Olecka, because researchers are increasingly incorporating detailed time series in their studies, rather than simply comparing 'young' with 'old'. And those results could help researchers to interpret these periods of rapid change. 'Currently, we do not understand what triggers this transition point,' she says. 'It's a really intriguing emerging field.'
San Francisco Chronicle
13 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Southern China hit by outbreak of mosquito-borne infection chikungunya
China is experiencing an outbreak of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne infection, with thousands of cases reported in the south. Chikungunya fever cases jumped to 4,014 on Friday, representing a rapid rise in numbers since authorities started tracking cases two weeks ago, according to public records released by health departments in districts in Foshan. The city in China's southern province Guangdong has been heavily impacted by the surge in infections. The chikungunya outbreak remains 'quite severe,' Sun Yang, deputy director of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a news conference on Wednesday in Foshan. Chikungunya is spread to people by the bites of infected mosquitoes. It causes fever and severe joint pain, but deaths are rare, according to the World Health Organization. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has issued various advisories on how to prevent chikungunya fever and dengue fever, a similar disease also spread by mosquitoes. Physical protection barriers, such as screen doors, mosquito nets for beds and mosquito repellent on exposed skin, was recommended. It said that the epidemic was 'imported' without specifying from where. The Chinese agency also called for people who have symptoms like fever, rash and joint pain to see a doctor. Shunde district in Foshan, where 90% of the cases are located, is famous for its Cantonese food, and sees many visitors each year. Patients who tested positive for chikungunya fever stayed in hospital beds covered by mosquito nets, according to photos shown on state-run broadcaster CCTV. Local media reports said on Thursday that local authorities had almost doubled the number of mosquito-proof isolation beds to 7,220 to meet the growing demand. Authorities in Guangdong are urging residents to make sure there's no standing water in their homes, such as in flowerpots, coffee machines or spare bottles. The Health Commission in Foshan stated on Thursday that a fine of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,400) could be applied if violations are found. The Beijing CDC said on Tuesday that the city occasionally experiences imported cases of chikungunya fever. There are two chikungunya vaccines that have received regulatory approvals in several countries and/or have been recommended for use in populations at risk, but the vaccines are neither widely available nor in widespread use, according to WHO.
