‘Transgender' Kids Usually Grow Up Gay
The practice of pediatric gender medicine began as an attempt to engineer homosexual adolescents medically into straight adults. If left alone, almost all gender-distressed children grow up to be gay, not adults who reject their natural sex.
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Ozempic Alternative Ditches The Needle And One Major Side Effect
A drug that can be taken orally could soon rival the likes of Ozempic for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to a new study. Although its efficacy hasn't yet been tested in humans, the compound could bypass some of the harmful side-effects associated with similar drugs. Unlike the famous family of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, this new candidate targets the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR). Drugs that do this aren't new: salbutamol (sold as Ventolin among other brand names) is widely prescribed for use in short stints to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Clenbuterol is also prescribed for asthma in some countries, though it's better known as a performance-enhancing drug, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency for its anabolic effects. For more than a decade, scientists have been trying to find a way to harness the benefits of β2AR agonists, without setting off their harmful effects. They can stimulate skeletal muscle glucose uptake and burn fat, mimicking the effects of exercise – but they have been considered too risky for treating diabetes or obesity, because of their tendency to wreak havoc on the heart. Related: The body's β2-adrenergic receptors are coupled with G proteins, and when activated for long periods (by β2AR drugs, for instance), the G proteins set off a chain reaction which leads to cardiovascular problems. "That would lead to heart rate increases, systolic blood pressure increases, and, eventually, that over-sustained exposure would lead to increases in heart weight and cardiac hypertrophy," molecular biologist Shane Wright, from Karolinska Institute in Sweden, told Mar de Miguel of Bioworld. But a campaign led by scientists from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm University, and the biotech company Atrogi AB has revealed a series of β2AR agonist molecules that can side-step the slippery slope triggered by the G proteins. By activating only specific pathways, one of these – dubbed 'compound 15' – seems less likely to cause those concerning side effects, though we won't know for sure until further clinical trials are carried out. Unlike GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic, compound 15 doesn't suppress appetite or lead to muscle loss, which means it may be safer in that regard too. It's also much more user-friendly, as a drug that can be swallowed rather than injected. "The goal was to try to target this other action that this receptor has expressed in the skeletal muscle, not in the heart, where it is mediating glucose uptake as a very beneficial outlet for lowering blood glucose levels," Wright said. So far, the newly-designed drug has been tested in lab-grown cells, male mice, rats, beagles, and phase 1 clinical trials (which only test for safety, not efficacy) in healthy and type 2 diabetic men. "Lead candidates of the chemical series increased glucose tolerance in preclinical models of diabetes and obesity with little or no increase in contractile force, cardiac lesions, and cardiac hypertrophy," the authors report. They also reversed muscle atrophy induced by GLP-1 drugs. "Clinical evaluation demonstrated that our lead candidate was orally bioavailable and safe in both healthy volunteers and type 2 diabetics, underlining its therapeutic potential." Many more tests – and a catchier name – will be needed before compound 15 or its relatives are made available as an alternative to GLP-1 drugs. Phase 2 clinical trials are underway to see if the enhanced muscle growth, balanced glucose levels, and insulin sensitivity seen in animal tests hold up in human bodies. "A well-tolerated GRK2-biased agonist offers significant therapeutic potential beyond type 2 diabetes and obesity… like muscular dystrophy and sarcopenia," the authors add. The research was published in Cell. A Simple Change To Your Evening Routine Could Help You Exercise More 'Sky-High' Levels of Alzheimer's Protein Found in Newborns Alzheimer's Might Not Actually Be a Brain Disease, Says Expert
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There's a Critical Thing We Can All Do to Hold Alzheimer's Symptoms at Bay
Deep sleep could forestall the declines in brain health that can eventually lead to Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia. In their study of 62 older, cognitively healthy adults, researchers from the University of California (UC) Berkeley, Stanford University, and UC Irvine in the US found individuals with brain changes associated with Alzheimer's performed better on memory function tests as they got more deep sleep. This was irrespective of education and physical activity, two factors along with social connection known to contribute to cognitive resilience in older age. Those with similar Alzheimer's-linked changes who failed to get as much deep sleep didn't fare quite as well on the same tests. By comparison, sleep made little difference to those individuals with few deposits. Taken together, the results, which were published in May 2023, imply having a generous amount of solid shut-eye could help support the decline in memory that sets in as dementia begins to take hold. Watch the following video for a summary of the study: "Think of deep sleep almost like a life raft that keeps memory afloat, rather than memory getting dragged down by the weight of Alzheimer's disease pathology," said University of California (UC) Berkeley neuroscientist Matthew Walker. "This is especially exciting because we can do something about it. There are ways we can improve sleep, even in older adults." The study echoes previous research which has found a build-up of amyloid-beta proteins in the brains of people with disrupted sleep. But poor sleep is both a risk factor for and a symptom of Alzheimer's disease, making it tricky to tease apart cause and effect. Likewise, clumpy amyloid-beta proteins might only be a sign of Alzheimer's disease, not its root cause. Related: Even so, levels of amyloid-beta proteins are commonly used as a marker of Alzheimer's disease, as research suggests they – and another protein called tau – can start clogging up brain cells decades before symptoms of the disease arise. Past research from Walker's group found significant levels of amyloid-beta aggregating in the brains of older adults can disrupt deep sleep – also known as non-rapid eye movement slow wave sleep – and impair memory function. But some folk appear to stave off the decline that comes with Alzheimer's disease, even when levels of amyloid-beta proteins are relatively high. To find out why, Walker and colleagues monitored participants' brain waves as they slept, and then asked them to complete a memory test the next day. Among those whose brain scans revealed similarly high levels of beta-amyloid deposits, getting a good night's sleep seemed to make a critical difference in cognitive function. This effect was only seen when the researchers looked specifically at non-rapid eye movement slow wave sleep, and not at other sleep wave frequencies or sleep stages. Longer-term studies in older adults are needed to test whether increasing deep sleep over a number of years can actually help preserve a person's cognitive function in that time, even as levels of amyloid-beta increase. This research adds to scores of studies suggesting that sleep could be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, one that could potentially forestall molecular changes by giving the brain time to clean up waste products that accumulate during the day. It also points to sleep quality being important. "With a certain level of brain pathology, you're not destined for cognitive symptoms or memory issues," UC Berkeley neuroscientist and lead author Zsófia Zavecz said of the study findings in 2023. Although people may display molecular changes indicating a progression toward Alzheimer's disease, Zavecz says their findings suggest lifestyle factors can help buffer against those effects. "One of those factors is sleep and, specifically, deep sleep," she said. The study, though small, also hints at why getting good sleep naturally might be a better option than taking sleeping pills to get some shut-eye. Other research shows users of sleeping pills appear to have lower levels of amyloid proteins in their cerebrospinal fluid, which washes the brain clean at night. But these medications come with side effects; they may also lull people into shallow bouts of sleep rather than deep sleep phases. Instead, to set yourself up for a good night's sleep, Zavecz suggests cutting out coffee late in the day, doing some exercise, avoiding screen time, and taking a hot shower before bed. While you snooze, rest assured scientists are working hard to figure out the knotty problems of Alzheimer's disease, which affects millions of people worldwide. The study has been published in BMC Medicine. A version of this article was first published in May 2023. Ozempic Alternative Ditches The Needle And One Major Side Effect A Simple Change To Your Evening Routine Could Help You Exercise More 'Sky-High' Levels of Alzheimer's Protein Found in Newborns
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BMI Is an Awful Predictor of Early Death. We've Had a Better Option For Decades.
The 'go-to' way many clinicians measure healthy weight may be deeply flawed, according to new research. A population study from the University of Florida (UF) has found that BMI, or body mass index, is not the best option for predicting future health risks associated with weight – not by a long shot. Another method, which directly measures body fat and has been around for decades, has now put BMI to shame. It's called a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). In a nationally representative analysis, those with high body fat levels, as measured by BIA, faced a 262 percent increased risk of death from heart disease compared to those with lower levels. Related: Meanwhile, BMI scores, which simply compare a person's weight to their height, failed to turn up any significant association with mortality. "Let's face it, the magnitude of risk this study shows is enormous," cardiologist Andrew Freeman, who was not involved in the study, told CNN's Sandee LaMotte. "It's scary to think that we may have been using a surrogate – BMI – that may not have been all that accurate over the years." BMI has long been used as a standard measure of obesity, endorsed by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Heart Association (AHA), and many more. In recent years, however, researchers around the world have begun to question BMI measurements, which do not consider body build, age, gender, sex, race, or ethnicity differences. Some medical organizations have even advised doctors to deemphasize the use of BMI. Health services researcher, Arch Mainous, and his colleagues at UF have now proposed a much-needed alternative, and it takes less than a minute to carry out. BIA is a direct measurement of body fat using a portable, inexpensive device. The contraption works by sending a weak electric current into body tissue to determine muscle and fat composition. The technology has been commercially available since the 1980s, but only recently have modern fitness trackers and smartwatches begun to incorporate BIA sensors. While these measurements are not perfect and are subject to variability, UF's nationally representative study suggests that this 25-year-old technology is more accurate as a health indicator than BMI. Over the course of 15 years, researchers found that adults who had high body fat, as measured by BIA, were 78 percent more likely to die of any cause than those with lower body fat levels. By contrast, higher BMI levels did not reveal any significant relationship with all-cause mortality. "This study is a game-changer," says lead author Mainous. "This is the ultimate Coke versus Pepsi test. And BMI failed." Sure, BMI is simple and easy to compute, but it comes with some serious limitations. People who are muscular, for instance, can sometimes be deemed overweight or obese. And on the flip side, those who have a normal BMI but elevated body fat percentages may be unaware that they may face added health risks, such as metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes. Mainous and colleagues argue that BIA is a more accurate alternative, and the devices that measure it are inexpensive and compact enough to become a regular feature of medical clinics. The UF team predicts that if their results are validated in larger and more diverse cohorts, "it is likely that measuring body fat percentage with BIA will become a standard of care". "These data will drive better discussions in the doctor's office as well as public health initiatives with the goal of improving the health of all," the researchers conclude. The study was published in the Annals of Family Medicine. There's a Critical Thing We Can All Do to Hold Alzheimer's Symptoms at Bay Ozempic Alternative Ditches The Needle And One Major Side Effect A Simple Change To Your Evening Routine Could Help You Exercise More
