
Researchers reveal the surprising ways to manage insomnia
Researchers conducted a comprehensive analysis of 22 trials involving 1,348 patients to assess the efficacy of various physical activities on sleep quality.
The study found that yoga significantly increased sleep duration and reduced wakefulness after falling asleep, while walking or jogging lessened insomnia severity.
Tai Chi was shown to improve overall sleep quality, with researchers noting these exercises' benefits include low cost, minimal side effects, and high accessibility.
The findings underscore the therapeutic potential of exercise for insomnia, making these activities well-suited for integration into healthcare programmes.
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Times
6 minutes ago
- Times
Why furious health bosses are braced for painful battle with BMA
I n the Department of Health and Social Care there is unabated fury. The collapse of a deal to avert doctors' strikes this week has led to a big shift in approach. While Wes Streeting, the health secretary, accuses the British Medical Association (BMA) of 'complete disdain for patients', many around him have concluded the body's leadership are in fact too weak to persuade their members to back a deal. They only way out, they increasingly believe, is effectively to break the union, something BMA leaders warn would be 'counterproductive', scuppering hopes of cutting waiting lists and driving doctors away from the NHS. The anger is so great because government officials working over the weekend thought they had a deal that would at least postpone the strikes. While Streeting has refused to reopen a pay settlement, he was ready to promise a range of improvements to resident doctors' working conditions that would leave them thousands of pounds better off.


Daily Mail
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Common virus that affects 124million Americans may contribute to debilitating multiple sclerosis
About one in two adults is infected with a virus that can cause cold sores, fever and blisters in the mouth. But now, researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) suggest that oral herpes, caused by herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), could also raise the risk of suffering from the life-altering condition multiple sclerosis. In a new study, scientists gene-edited mice not to produce a protein called optineurin, which plays a role in defending the body against herpes infections, and then infected the mice with the virus. The infection led to the rapid degradation of the myelin sheath, a protective coating on nerve fibers. This caused mice to suffer MS-like symptoms, such as muscle weakness, loss of movement and the ability to coordinate muscles. This mirrors the process observed in individuals with multiple sclerosis, where the myelin sheath also degrades because the immune system misfires and starts to attack the area. The scientists say their findings could indicate a link between HSV-1, which is different from the HSV-2 virus that causes genital herpes, and MS. Dr Deepak Shukla, a professor of molecular virology at UIC and the study's lead, said: 'Our findings enhance our understanding of how viruses develop and offer potential avenues for mitigating viral-induced [nerve cell] damage. 'If you are infected, then your immune system is constantly locked in battle with the virus. And if for any reason you become immunocompromised, the virus can escape and damage your brain.' Oral herpes is an extremely common condition that infects about 47 percent of adults, according to the CDC, or 124million people. The virus is spread via sexual contact, such as kissing and oral sex, and is incurable, normally lying dormant and triggering occasional flare-ups of sores on and around the mouth and lips. In cells, it is controlled by the protein optineurin, which stops an infection from spreading and protects against any potential myelin sheath damage. Scientists have previously established that one of the biggest risk factors for MS is an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a virus that has infected 95 percent of adults and which is estimated to raise the risk of MS by 30 percent. And other herpes viruses, like the ones that cause chickenpox, shingles, and human herpes virus 6, have also been linked to the onset and worsening of MS, which affects 1 million Americans. And MS is a debilitating, incurable autoimmune condition that affects the brain and spinal cord and leaves people with mobility issues, memory loss and fatigue. In earlier studies, Dr Shukla's team found that HSV-1 triggered a strong immune response in the brains of mice, causing memory problems, poor coordination, and anxiety. They also discovered that the protein optineurin helps fight the virus by slowing its growth and spread. In the latest study, researchers infected mice that could not produce the protein with the oral herpes virus in their eyes. As seen in earlier cell tests, mice without optineurin had higher infection rates after four days. The researchers also found that a protein called MLKL, or Mixed Lineage Kinase Domain-Like protein, which is made by the body during cell death, boosted HSV-1 infections in the absence of optineurin. Researchers said the protein facilitated the transportation of the virus into a cell's nucleus, speeding an infection, and optineurin controlled HSV-1 infection by triggering the deterioration of MLKL. Imaging studies revealed extensive clumping, or aggregation, of MLKL in the brains of optineurin-lacking mice, but not in control mice, in response to HSV-1 infection. Also, these clumps appeared to trigger the death of myelin-producing oligodendrocytes, or cells that create armor, or the myelin sheath, around neurons. Without the sheath, the nervous system was left vulnerable to damage. The resulting damage disrupts the communication between the brain and the rest of the body, leading to the various symptoms associated with MS, such as weakness in the legs, fatigue, coordination problems, cognitive changes, and pain. Identifying this protein offers a new target for multiple sclerosis therapies. Already, Shukla's lab has demonstrated that necrosulfonamide, which inhibits optineurin, can preserve nerve function in animal models. Studies like these provide hope for the future of MS, and bring about the potential to enable earlier intervention or a possible cure.


Medical News Today
an hour ago
- Medical News Today
What happens when you stop using Wegovy?
Weight regain and increased appetite are common after stopping Wegovy (semaglutide). Understanding the effects of stopping treatment is important to manage long-term weight loss expectations. Your doctor can help you stop Wegovy while still maintaining your weight management goals. Wegovy (semaglutide) is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist used for weight loss and weight management and to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events. Stopping Wegovy, especially suddenly, can affect your body and weight management reading to learn what happens when you stop Wegovy to stop WegovyWegovy is meant to be a long-term medication for certain people with obesity or overweight. If you need to stop taking the medication for any reason, be sure to talk with your doctor about how to safely stop your treatment. You should not stop taking Wegovy suddenly, or 'cold turkey.'Your doctor can provide guidance on stopping Wegovy to help reduce the risk of certain effects. They can also adjust your diet and exercise regimen and help monitor your progress after stopping treatment. Following a personalized plan can help maintain the progress you achieved with effects of stopping WegovyStopping Wegovy treatment can have different effects. This is because GLP-1 levels will decrease after stopping the medication. And your GLP-1 levels will return to what's normal for your is a hormone that's involved in several processes, including blood sugar and insulin regulation, management of appetite and satiety, and protective cardiovascular effects. The active ingredient in Wegovy, semaglutide, mimics the effects of GLP-1, which promotes weight loss and reduced appetite, among other effects.»Learn more about how Wegovy regainIf you've lost weight with Wegovy, stopping treatment may cause weight regain. This is sometimes called 'Ozempic rebound'. (Ozempic contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient as Wegovy, but it comes in smaller doses and is approved for different uses. Unlike Wegovy, Ozempic is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] for weight loss or weight management.)In a 2021 clinical trial, adults with overweight or obesity who used Wegovy for 20 weeks and then switched to a placebo (a treatment with no active drug) had a weight increase of nearly 7%. This was in comparison to adults who continued Wegovy treatment after 20 weeks and lost nearly 8% of their weight over the next 48 weeks of in a 2022 clinical trial, adults who stopped taking Wegovy after 68 weeks of Wegovy treatment regained two-thirds of the weight they lost within a year of stopping to these effects, Wegovy is typically taken long-term to maintain weight loss or weight management. If you have concerns about weight regain after stopping Wegovy, talk with your doctor. They can help determine the best course of action for of cardiovascular benefits and increased blood sugarStopping treatment with Wegovy may affect your risk of experiencing major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or stroke. For people taking Wegovy to reduce the risk of these events, the risk may return to original levels when Wegovy treatment was shown in a 2022 clinical trial, in which most cardiovascular benefits that adults experienced with Wegovy went back to baseline after stopping treatment for 1 year. (Here, baseline refers to the original level of cardiovascular risk before Wegovy treatment began.)If you stop treatment with Wegovy, you may experience the following cardiovascular symptoms: increased blood pressureincreased cholesterol levelsirregular heartbeatnausea and vomitingheadacheschest paindizzinessdifficulty breathingnosebleedsbuzzing in the earsvision changesconfusionanxietyAlso in the same study, prediabetes returned in some people who used Wegovy for 68 weeks and then stopped treatment. So if you have high blood sugar levels and stop using Wegovy, symptoms of your high blood sugar levels may return. These may include:weaknessfatigueblurry visionsweatinggum bleeding or skin infections that keep coming backslow wound healingDue to these effects, your doctor will likely suggest other ways to manage your risk of cardiovascular problems and high blood sugar levels. They may recommend taking certain other medications or other lifestyle withdrawal symptomsWithdrawal refers to experiencing side effects after you stop taking a substance that your body has become dependent on. Wegovy hasn't been specifically reported to cause dependence or withdrawal. (With dependence, your body needs a substance in order to function as usual.) However, people who stop Wegovy may experience certain symptoms due to their GLP-1 levels going back to normal. These symptoms may include:increased appetitereduced feeling of fullness changes in moodchanges in energy levels If you have concerns about these symptoms, talk with your doctor. They can recommend ways to manage them effectively while transitioning off Wegovy the weight off after stopping WegovyAfter stopping Wegovy, it's important to have a plan in place to help prevent weight gain or continue your weight management efforts. This can also help your overall health. Ways to help prevent weight gain include: maintaining a balanced diet with nutrient-dense foodssticking with your exercise routine or adjusting it based on your doctor's recommendationsstaying hydrated with water or low calorie beveragesgetting enough sleep managing stress levels monitoring your weight periodicallyYou can work with your doctor to develop a plan to keep the weight off after stopping Wegovy. Preliminary research has also shown that people taking semaglutide maintained weight loss by tapering (slowly lowering) their dosage before completely stopping treatment. So to help prevent weight regain, your doctor may slowly lower your Wegovy dosage before stopping the what happens when you stop using Wegovy is important to help prevent weight gain, continue long-term weight management efforts, and maintain cardiovascular health. By working closely with your doctor and adopting certain lifestyle habits, it's possible to safely and effectively stop Wegovy Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.