US to drop guidance to limit alcohol to one or two drinks per day
The updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which could be released as early as this month, are expected to include a brief statement encouraging Americans to drink in moderation or limit alcohol intake due to associated health risks, the sources said.
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News18
5 hours ago
- News18
Daily Olive Oil Intake May Cut Dementia Death Risk By 28 Per Cent: Study
Last Updated: A new research has found that consuming olive oil reduces the risk of dementia and it also reduces the chance of dementia-related deaths. Age-standardised dementia mortality rates have been rising over the past 20 years, despite declines in deaths from heart disease and stroke. Alzheimer's disease and other dementias claim the lives of one-third of senior citizens. Regular use of olive oil has been shown to dramatically reduce the chance of dementia-related death. According to a study published in JAMA Network Open, consuming at least seven grams of olive oil per day was linked to this lower risk, regardless of other dietary factors or genetics. This benefit appears to be unaffected by the quality of the diet as a whole, indicating that olive oil has special qualities that promote brain function. A prospective cohort research of 92,383 individuals followed for 28 years found that, regardless of their diet, consuming more than 7 g/d of olive oil was linked to a 28 per cent lower risk of dementia-related death than never or rarely consuming olive oil. These findings show that consuming more olive oil may be a way to lower the risk of dementia death. Olive Oil And Brain Function Any loss of cognitive skills that is severe enough to affect daily functioning, including memory, language, and problem-solving, is referred to as dementia. Over 55 million individuals worldwide suffer from dementia, and an estimated 10 million new cases are diagnosed each year. The study suggests that consuming more olive oil may reduce the chance of dementia-related death. A balanced diet and lifestyle can help prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to the study. The researchers examined dietary questionnaires and death data gathered from over 90,000 Americans over a three-decade period to learn more about the benefits of olive oil on brain function. During this time, 4,749 study participants died from dementia, per the Times of India. According to research, people who ate more than half a tablespoon of olive oil every day were 28 per cent less likely to die from dementia than people who seldom or never had it. They also discovered that substituting just one teaspoon of margarine and mayonnaise with the same quantity of olive oil each day was linked to an 8–14 per cent reduced risk of dementia-related death. Researcher Anne-Julie Tessier warned that the study is observational and does not establish a link between olive oil and a lower risk of dementia death. Its effects need to be confirmed by more research. Moreover, one should use olives and olive oil in moderation because they are high in calories. First Published:
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
'No one has to watch someone they love suffer...': Bill Gates sees hope in the fight against Alzheimer's, and it's deeply personal, 5 years after his father's loss
Bill Gates sees hope in the fight against Alzheimer's: It's deeply personal; 5 years after his father's loss Five years ago, Bill Gates experienced one of the most severe personal losses of his life: seeing his father, William H. Gates Sr., suffer through the heartless advance of Alzheimer's disease. In a stunning new essay on Gates Notes, the Microsoft co-founder vividly remembers, 'Watching my brilliant, loving father go downhill and disappear was a brutal experience.' That experience has since driven his dedication to fighting this ruinous condition, not only through philanthropy, but through sheer technological and scientific push. On the cutting edge of Alzheimer's research today, Bill Gates finds reasons for real hope. Following his visit to Indiana University's School of Medicine in 2024, he was invigorated by what he described as "the latest breakthrough": blood tests that could diagnose Alzheimer's years before signs of the disease show up. Combined with recently approved medications that slightly slow the march of the disease, Gates feels the world is moving closer to a day when no one will have to suffer the agony of losing a loved one. As he states, 'We are closer than ever before to a world where no one has to watch someone they love suffer from this awful disease.' Bill Gates' fight against Alzheimer's is deeply personal Alzheimer's is not only a health or numerical problem for Bill Gates—it's personal. More than 7 million Americans have Alzheimer's today, including almost 1 in 9 individuals aged 65 and older. And although treatment advances have seemed glacial, Gates's path has been a witness to love-driven perseverance. Spurred on by his father's pain and his call to action, Gates has emerged as one of the most vocal voices urging more money, improved tools, and increased urgency in Alzheimer's research. Bill Gates on Alzheimer's: 'This simple blood test could change everything' When Gates visited IU's School of Medicine, he discovered a revolution in the making for Alzheimer's care: blood tests to diagnose Alzheimer's. The tests quantify the amount and ratio of amyloid plaques and tau proteins—Alzheimer's signatures in the brain, years before full-blown symptoms emerge. Early detection : Researchers now recognise that Alzheimer's disease starts as much as 20 years before the development of clinical symptoms. Scalable screening : Rather than expensive PET scans or invasive cerebrospinal fluid analysis, a routine blood draw might become a standard part of checkups. Proactive intervention : Precocious diagnosis by blood tests might lead to treatments that halt intellectual decline before such damage to the brain is permanent. Gates calls these advances a "game-changer"—not only for researchers, but also for families and caregivers who have felt helpless against the advancement of the disease. Two FDA-approved drugs: A modest win with massive implications Encouraging therapy isn't confined to diagnosis. In the past few months, the US Food and Drug Administration has licensed two novel Alzheimer's medications that have been demonstrated to moderately decelerate disease exacerbation. Though not cures, these medications constitute a significant turning point—from symptom treatment to addressing core pathology. Proof of concept : These approvals demonstrate proof of the amyloid hypothesis and lead to further innovation. Strengthened pipeline : Researchers and companies are increasingly likely to invest in comparable treatments, converting optimism into economic as well as health momentum. Gates's enthusiasm is palpable: 'When combined with early diagnostics, I really am excited about the future of treating this disease.' Bill Gates warns: Alzheimer's treatment progress at risk without public funding Despite advances in science, Gates warns of an impending crisis: dwindling public funding. Over the past few months, budgets for the National Institutes of Health and connected research agencies have been trimmed, just when momentum is gaining steam. He argues: This is exactly when investment is most needed. Government grants support large-scale clinical trials and early-stage science that private philanthropy cannot support on its own. Scaling up biotech instruments such as blood tests and treatments necessitates infrastructures which only governments can develop and sustain. 'If we pull back now, all this progress could grind to a halt—and no private initiative can fill that gap,' Gates writes. Bill Gates sees a turning point: 'Alzheimer's no longer feels hopeless' Over the past few years, Alzheimer's seemed like a black hole of despair—until now. Gates spotlights some of the reasons why the tide is turning: Technological convergence : Biomarker analysis enabled by AI, cheap genomic technologies, and wearable tech are improving detection accuracy and affordability. Early diagnosis culture : Screening for Alzheimer's might soon become part of normal healthcare, along with blood pressure and cholesterol tests. Global advocacy : An expanding group of caregivers, scientists, business leaders, and foundations making a difference. Tangible progress : From tests to therapies, the gradual trickle of breakthroughs is turning into a flood, exciting scientists as well as sufferers. Gates's vision: A future free from Alzheimer's tragedy For Bill Gates, fighting Alzheimer's is not about making headlines—it's about saving families the emotional anguish he suffered personally. He dreams of a world where: Early detection technologies detect the disease years before symptoms arise. Targeted treatments halt or slow the disease, maintaining quality of life. Funding and public support fuel a massive research pipeline. In his most passionate sentence, Gates pleads: 'We are on the cusp of turning the tide against dementia.' But he also warns that urgency must be followed by action—more money, more research, more courage in science. Also read | Jeff Bezos' Indian Creek property just got a $105 million neighbour; here's who bought the 'billionaire bunker' land
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
Real risk to youth mental health is ‘addictive use,' not screen time alone, study finds
As Americans scramble to respond to rising rates of suicidal behavior among youth, many policymakers have locked in on an alarming metric: the number of hours a day that American children spend glued to a glowing screen. But a study published Wednesday in the medical journal JAMA, which followed more than 4,000 children across the country, arrived at a surprising conclusion: Longer screen time at age 10 was not associated with higher rates of suicidal behavior four years later. Instead, the authors found, the children at higher risk for suicidal behaviors were those who told researchers their use of technology had become 'addictive' — that they had trouble putting it down or felt the need to use it more and more. Some children exhibited addictive behavior even if their screen time was relatively low, they said. The researchers found addictive behavior to be very common among children — especially in their use of mobile phones, where nearly half had high addictive use. By age 14, children with high or increasing addictive behavior were two to three times as likely as other children to have thoughts of suicide or to harm themselves, the study found. 'This is the first study to identify that addictive use is important and is actually the root cause, instead of time,' said Yunyu Xiao, an assistant professor of psychiatry and population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medical College and the study's lead author. Addictive behavior may be more difficult to control during childhood, before the prefrontal cortex, which acts as a brake on impulsivity, is fully developed. Xiao said interventions should focus on the child's addictive behavior, which is typically treated with cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, rather than simply limiting access to screens. 'If there are early warnings, then for parents, it's important to seek professional help for children with such addictions,' she said. 'We do not know if just taking away their phone will help. Sometimes it can create some conflict in the family, and that is even worse.' The focus on addictive behavior has important policy implications, shifting more responsibility onto the technology companies that design devices and social media platforms, said Mitch Prinstein, chief science officer at the American Psychological Association. Policymakers can address addiction by requiring technology companies to introduce 'age-appropriate design' that limits features adolescents find difficult to resist, he said. The United Kingdom introduced a code of this kind in 2020.
