- Stanley and other drink cups contain lead. Should you be worried?
- Rare cases of possible medically acquired Alzheimer's uncovered in recipients of discontinued medical treatment
- Robitussin cough syrups recalled due to potential contamination
- Losing weight is hard. Here are 5 things to keep in mind
|
|
|
Stanley and other drink cups contain lead. Should you be worried? |
First, Stanley cups were all over social media because so many people wanted them. Now, the oversize tumblers are back in the spotlight over fears they may contain lead. Videos on social media sites such as TikTok show people breaking out lead testing kits and trying them on their Stanley cups and other travel flasks. It's true: There is some lead sealed within the base of some brands of travel drinking cups, including the wildly popular brand Stanley. Lead is used as part of the tumbler's vacuum insulation and is covered by a stainless steel layer that protects consumers from lead exposure, according to the manufacturer, Pacific Market International. "Our manufacturing process currently employs the use of an industry standard pellet to seal the vacuum insulation at the base of our products; the sealing material includes some lead," a Stanley spokesperson said in a statement. "Once sealed, this area is covered with a durable stainless steel layer, making it inaccessible to consumers." "Rest assured that no lead is present on the surface of any Stanley product that comes into contact with the consumer nor the contents of the product," the statement said. But people on social media are nervous, considering the dangers of any exposure to lead. The toxic metal can lead to kidney problems, anemia, reproductive issues and developmental problems, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And Stanley cups are everywhere. Some caution is warranted, said Jane Houlihan, research director for Healthy Babies, Bright Futures, an alliance of nonprofits, scientists and donors with a stated mission of reducing babies' exposures to neurotoxic chemicals. "If the cup stays intact, there's likely no lead exposure risk for consumers. But if that bottom seal comes off, all bets are off," Houlihan said. "Lead is so toxic you just can't take chances with it," she said in an email. "If a company has to rely on their product remaining perfectly intact in order for it to be safe, that company has a basic material safety problem that they are passing on to their customers." If the base cap of a Stanley cup does come off and exposes the seal, which is rare, the cup is eligible for replacement under the lifetime warranty, according to a statement from Stanley. |
|
|
Sponsor Content by FinanceBuzz |
| |
Rare cases of possible medically acquired Alzheimer's uncovered in recipients of discontinued medical treatment |
Early-onset dementia symptoms in five adults may be connected to a now-discontinued human growth hormone medical treatment that they received decades ago as children, a new study suggests. The study provides the first reported evidence of medically acquired Alzheimer's disease in living people. In these cases, the patients' early-onset dementia symptoms may be the result of the possible transmission of amyloid beta protein, which is a key component of Alzheimer's disease when it forms plaques in the brain. Abnormal buildup of amyloid beta in the brain is associated with Alzheimer's, and the new study suggests that amyloid beta contamination may have a connection with the early dementia symptoms experienced by the patients in the study. The findings do not suggest that Alzheimer's disease can be contagious or spread like viral or bacterial infections, for instance, but they raise new questions about Alzheimer's and other degenerative diseases. All five adults had growth hormone deficiency as children and received pituitary growth hormones prepared in a specific way from cadavers. The pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain, and human growth hormone, or HGH, is a natural hormone the gland makes and releases, promoting growth in children. Between 1959 and 1985, these patients were among at least 1,848 people in the United Kingdom who were treated with a human growth hormone derived from a cadaver's pituitary gland, according to the study. At the time, this treatment also was used in other parts of the world, including the United States. The approach was discontinued after cases of a rare brain disorder called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease were found to be associated with the administration of contaminated human growth hormone from cadavers. Although there is no suggestion that amyloid beta can be transmitted between people in day-to-day activities, "its recognition emphasizes the need to review measures to prevent accidental transmissions via other medical and surgical procedures," the researchers wrote in the study. Experts also say the findings may inform potential therapeutic targets and strategies down the road. |
|
|
Robitussin cough syrups recalled due to potential contamination |
Some Robitussin Honey cough syrups sold nationwide are being recalled because of microbial contamination. The consumer health-care company Haleon is recalling eight lots of Robitussin Honey CF Max Day Adult and Robitussin Honey CF Max Nighttime Adult with expiration dates through 2025 and 2026. Immunocompromised people who use the products could experience "severe or life-threatening adverse events" such as fungemia — fungus in the blood — or a fungal infection, according to Haleon. In healthy people, life-threatening infections are unlikely. Haleon says it has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall. "Haleon is notifying its distributors and customers directly and has provided them with instructions for the return of all recalled products," the company said. "Consumers that have purchased the product listed should stop consumption immediately." Contact your health-care provider immediately if you or someone you know has experienced problems that may be related to these products, Haleon said. Any problems with these products can be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program. |
|
|
Losing weight is hard. Here are 5 things to keep in mind |
If you think it's hard to lose weight and keep it off, you are not alone — and you are also 100% correct. Long-term weight loss is really difficult to achieve, studies have found. Estimates vary, but it's believed that more than 80% of people who lose a substantial amount of weight regain it within five years. But failure to shed pounds is often not about lacking the willpower to make important lifestyle changes, such as eating healthier, reducing calories and increasing physical activity. The dirty little secret is that our bodies are programmed by evolution to hold on to fat. "We evolved not to lose weight intentionally," paleoanthropologist Daniel Lieberman told me recently on my podcast "Chasing Life." Lieberman, a professor and chair of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, studies why the human body looks and functions the way it does. "All animals need some fat, but humans have evolved to have exceptionally high levels of fat, even thin humans," he said. "And so we are under exceptional sort of biological pressure, always, to put it on and keep it as long as we have it, for when we need it." Lieberman suggests keeping these five things in mind: - Develop (evolutionary) perspective. Not all humans are meant to be stick figures or willowy waifs, no matter what you see on television, at the movies or on social media. "Fat is especially important for humans," Lieberman wrote in an email. "Even thin humans have between 15-25% body fat, which is three to four times more than most mammals."
- Fat equals evolutionary success. Fat actually helps us survive and thrive. "We evolved to store a lot of fat — a source of stored energy — because of our energetically expensive bodies and life history," Lieberman said. "That fat helps fuel our big brains and our high cost of reproduction all while staying physically active." Even so, "we never evolved to store a lot of belly fat, which can lead to health problems," Lieberman pointed out. "So having a lot of fat around the middle is a sign to do something."
- Small fluctuations are normal. Don't worry if your weight goes up and down a few pounds over short periods of time. "Much of that variation is due to water," Lieberman said. "For most of human history people regularly cycled through times when they took in more energy than they used and stored the surplus as fat and then drew on those fat reserves during lean times when they used more energy than they consumed."
- The deck really is stacked against you. If you find it hard to lose weight, don't blame yourself. "Humans evolved to store plenty of fat when possible and then use it when needed," Lieberman said. "But we never evolved to voluntarily consume less energy than we used — that is, diet."
- Dieting vs. exercise. If you're wondering which is more important for weight loss — exercise or dieting — the answer is both, but for different reasons. "You can lose more weight by dieting than exercising," Lieberman said. "But exercise helps prevent gaining or regaining weight, plus it has many, many other benefits for both mental and physical health."
|
|
|
| Tart cherry juice, magnesium and soda water: Experts say there is some science behind a social media sensation for better sleep. Can a "sleepy girl mocktail" make all the difference for a restful night? Experts weigh in. |
|
| There are more than 100,000 people on the US organ transplant waiting list, and an average of 17 die every day while waiting for an organ. Even if everyone who wanted to donate gave their organs, fewer than 1% of them meet the requirements and specifications that make their organs and tissues usable. I recently had a chance to visit eGenesis' research farm. The biotech company is hoping to alleviate the organ shortage gap with the help of pigs that have been genetically edited so their organs can be more compatible with humans. The pigs I visited are being used for research, including primate transplants. Because these animals may be used for transplants, it was of the utmost importance that they stay as free of pathogens as possible. To even enter the farm, I had to shower and change into company-provided clothes — including socks and underwear. It was even more than I normally do to prepare for surgery. Although the idea of using pigs for human organ transplants may seem foreign, it isn't a stretch. For many years, insulin from pigs was used to treat diabetes. We've been using pig valves to replace human heart valves since the 1960s. In fact, pigs are a good match for humans because their organs are of similar size. We also know how to raise pigs, and they have sizeable litters, making them a source that can be quickly scaled. There have been just two pig-to-human heart transplants in history — both in the past two years. In both cases, the patients lived about 40 days after their procedures. That may not seem long, but as eGenesis CEO Dr. Mike Curtis reminded me, the first human heart transplant recipient lived only 18 days after transplant. There are still many questions about this technology and the ethics surrounding it, including how much we as humans should be manipulating another species' genome and if we should be using animals in this way at all. But it is remarkable to be in a place where we can look to the future with a solution that could save so many people's lives. |
|
|
| New drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro are billed as a revolutionary new approach for losing weight. But are these actually miracle drugs? Dr. Sanjay Gupta turns to Yale School of Medicine assistant professor Dr. Jorge Moreno to explain the science behind these medications – from the benefits to the risks to the unknowns. Plus, what anyone who's interested in taking these drugs should know. |
|
|
CNN Health's The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows up in your inbox every Tuesday.
Did a friend forward you this newsletter? Sign yourself up! Want to easily manage your newsletter subscriptions? Create your account. |
|
|
| You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for The Results are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or sign up to manage your CNN account | |
® © 2024 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved.
1050 Techwood Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment