Maternal Use Of Acetaminophen During Pregnancy May Be Associated With Overweight In Girls, Study Indicates

Girls born to mothers who frequently used acetaminophen while pregnant may be more likely to be overweight at age 11 years compared with girls whose mothers did not use acetaminophen while pregnant,” researchers concluded after evaluating “acetaminophen use for the mothers of 30,127 children aged seven years and 24,934 children aged 11 years during pregnancy.” The study authors concluded, “Acetaminophen is a possible obesogen that should be evaluated for its potential to promote weight gain.” The findings were published online in the journal Obesity. https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/diabetes/news/online/%7B6714e5e7-9e4d-496f-abf9-3217cb91b85a%7D/maternal-acetaminophen-use-during-pregnancy-tied-to-excess-weight-in-girls

Another Reason to Love Chocolate?

A new study by researchers at the University of Illinois suggests that three of the phenolic compounds in cocoa bean shells have powerful effects on the fat and immune cells in mice, potentially reversing the chronic inflammation and insulin resistance associated with obesity. Similar to batteries within cells that burn fat and glucose to generate energy, mitochondria can become damaged when high levels of fat, glucose and inflammation occur in the body, de Mejia said. When the scientists treated adipocytes with the aqueous extract or the three phenolic compounds individually, damaged mitochondria in the cells were repaired and less fat accumulated in the adipocytes, blocking inflammation and restoring the cells' insulin sensitivity, Rebollo-Hernanz said. https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/another-reason-to-love-chocolate-320922?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=73914729&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Pg3OaauZc5xCkDUT_UikCjSnEWryENtKW_If3vQCsBHIll4Sgj9rs-YDvyzW84RGScREub-5MpggwZsERa7-VQOW0Vg&_hsmi=73914729

Metformin May Blunt Health Benefits Of Exercise, Study Indicates

“The diabetes drug metformin, sometimes taken to slow aging, may blunt the health benefits of exercise,” research indicated. The findings of the 53-older adult study were published earlier this year in the journal Aging Cell. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/19/well/move/an-anti-aging-pill-think-twice.html

Sleeping With Artificial Light at Night Associated With Weight Gain in Women

The results varied with the level of artificial light at night exposure. For example, using a small nightlight was not associated with weight gain, whereas women who slept with a light or television on were 17% more likely to have gained 5 kilograms, approximately 11 pounds, or more over the follow-up period. The association with having light coming from outside the room was more modest. https://www.technologynetworks.com/diagnostics/news/sleeping-with-artificial-light-at-night-associated-with-weight-gain-in-women-320840?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=73826443&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9hh2dHuXDh3sTpZAkamg7OKBrjRQSeSjPdLXnSZLgZZdz_5VQEFn7g2RZ5lIyyT_R-9nGh_vOT2sou74id_DDY7y8L1w&_hsmi=73826443

Obesity Rate Among Preschool Children Declining, CDC Report Finds

reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published new data showing preschool children who receive “government food aid are reaching healthier body mass indexes...signaling a steady decline in obesity rates.” The data show “obesity rates dropped to about 14% in 2016...down from 16% in 2010.” The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, also show all “racial and ethnic groups recorded a statistically significant decline in obesity.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/06/18/childhood-obesity-rates-down-us-preschoolers-study/1494257001/

Cancer-sniffing Dogs Detect Lung Cancer With 97% Accuracy

https://www.technologynetworks.com/cancer-research/news/cancer-sniffing-dogs-detect-lung-cancer-with-97-accuracy-320744?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=73782566&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9b0KhbX7SR2wtPIZ88goJ69vbvj2E_cXvy6A3UXRYgfuQzFreHO1VH51pT9tWEK3y-2x0bv_hAyknqOlUA7NioicuZtA&_hsmi=73782566

Diabetic Amputations Rising, CDC Data Show

reports that as “America’s epidemic of obesity continues, Type 2 diabetes has become so common that it’s easy to forget how serious a disease it is”; but “even for people who have witnessed its ravages in family members, there’s something about an amputation that really brings home how insidiously destructive diabetes is.” Although amputation rates “among people with diabetes in the United States dropped for about 15 years, but recent reports issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlight a disturbing trend: Amputation rates have been rising in people under 65 with diabetes since 2009.” The trend, data show, “was particularly strong for so-called minor amputations of toes and feet, which rose by 62 percent between 2009 and 2015.” However, “major amputations – those done above or just below the knee – were also up by 29 percent.” https://www.inquirer.com/health/amputation-increasing-diabetes-surgery-insulin-20190616.html