The best and worst foods for severe asthma

Some researchers believe that the consumption of processed foods and the lack of adequate fruits and vegetables in the diet could increase the risk of asthma. While there is no specific diet recommended for asthma, a nutritious one is an integral step towards preventing any recurrent or serious symptoms.

So, what should people undergoing treatment for severe asthma eat? Some studies observed that a diet containing vitamins C and E, flavonoids, magnesium, selenium, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids can diminish the risk of asthma.

Many of these nutrients can be instrumental in lowering inflammation, protecting cells from damage, and strengthening the overall immunity.

Here’s a list of fruits and vegetables that could keep the symptoms of asthma from resurfacing.

• Carrots
• Apples
• Cantaloupe
• Avocado
• Berries
• Spinach
• Pomegranates
• Tomatoes
• Kale
• Banana
• Broccoli

Foods rarely trigger an asthma attack; however, people undergoing treatment for severe asthma should be mindful about any allergic reactions and food intolerances. Items such as eggs, fish, milk, tree nuts, wheat, soy, shellfish, and peanuts are a common cause of allergies that could progress into a serious episode of asthma.

Likewise, patients should steer clear of processed foods that contain preservatives like sulfites. Typically, they are present in wine, dried fruits, bottled lemon and lime juice, shrimp, and maraschino cherries. These are used by manufacturers to keep mold at bay; however, the sulfur dioxide in them can end up irritating the lungs. So before buying any package, it should be ensured that it doesn’t contain any sulfites. Furthermore, processed foods comprising omega-6 and trans fats should be avoided as they could worsen the symptoms and even contribute to heart diseases.

Up to 70% of people suffering from asthma also have GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder), which can make asthma more challenging to manage. Apart from medications, one effective way to significantly reduce the symptoms of GERD is to get a weight loss plan in action. Losing weight can mitigate the strain on not only the stomach but also the lungs and improve one’s overall immunity. So, a low-calorie diet and daily exercise are recommended to evade severe asthma episodes. Additionally, patients should consume a moderate amount of caffeine and if possible, entirely avoid alcohol.

Before making any big changes to the daily diet or taking up any exercises, one should ensure that they consult their pulmonologist, especially if there are any allergies in the picture.

A new theory to kill cancer cells



We may be able to kill cancer by depriving it of sugar. Glucose is a sugar that your body needs to function. The neurons in your brain need it in order to do their jobs. Your brain would literally not work if you don’t have enough glucose. In fact, glucose plays a major role in managing your body’s energy. If you don’t get enough carbohydrates in your diet, your body will begin to synthesize glucose in order to make up the difference.



The bad news is that your neurons are not the only cells that love glucose. It turns out that cancer cells also have a bit of a sweet tooth and cancer’s sugar cravings can be insatiable. When you are performing an intense workout, your muscles undergo a process called glycolysis and burn through glucose quickly. Cancer cells also burn through glucose as quickly as possible. When the cancer cells don’t have glucose to burn, they supplement their diet a protein called glutamine.



After understanding cancer loves glucose and glutamine, researchers hypothesized that they may be to block the import of glucose and halt the metabolism of glutamine in order to stop cancer’s growth. In a journal called Cell Chemical Biology, the discovery of a new molecule was reported. The high-potency molecule is called glutor. It blocks glucose-transport proteins and starves the cancer cells. This is the first molecule to do this, but it is the most efficient.



In the past, molecules either been low-potency or have only blocked one type of protein. In order to properly starve cancer to get the desired results, scientists perform a two-step process. In the first step, the cancer is treated with glutor to shut down its metabolism. This stage was effective in inhibiting growth in 44 cancer lines and non-cancer lines remained unaffected by the glutor. In the next step, researchers block an enzyme for metabolizing glutamine.



The combination of glutor and this blocked enzyme successfully suppressed cancer growth. This process has an obvious appeal to the doctors and patients alike, but there are plenty of obstacles in the way of applying it. The primary block is a legal roadblock. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs that target glucose and glutamine metabolism because all previous drugs were deemed too toxic for humans. So researchers need to prove this method is safe before it can be available to the public

Cancer

Prostate cancer is the second leading type of cancer in men behind skin cancer and is one of the primary causes of death among men of all races. It is estimated that approximately twenty-seven thousand nine hundred and seventy men will die from prostate cancer in the United States alone. Despite these numbers, prostate cancer is highly treatable if it is caught during the early stages of the disease. Here are the visual signs to look out for.

Frequent Urination 

Although there are no real warning signs of early prostate cancer, frequent urination may be an indication of swelling or pressure on the prostate gland. This occurs when a tumor has formed and puts pressure on the prostate gland, resulting in the urge to urinate more often than normal, especially at night. In some cases, frequent urination is a sign that the tumor has spread beyond the prostate or may entirely encompass the gland. 

Difficulty Urinating 

Difficulty urinating may be caused when the prostate gland grows large enough to press against the urethra, making it harder for urine to be comfortably evacuated from the body. This is known as a condition called benign prostate hyperplasia. However, a man may also experience difficulty urinating when a tumor is pressing against the urethra. Other symptoms may include a burning sensation or pain while urinating or during ejaculation. A doctor should be notified at the first sign of these symptoms to rule out prostate cancer. 

The diagnosis of prostate cancer is something no man wants to hear from his doctor. If there is a chance the disease will occur, there are proactive measures men can take to lower the odds. If a diagnosis has already been confirmed, options exist to help fight the disease and ease symptoms to improve the quality of life for the patient. The choices, whether natural or traditional medicinal methods are determined by each patient and his in-depth discussion with his doctor. Explore the best possible options for beating prostate cancer now. 

Interrupted Urine Flow 

Along with difficulty urinating, a man with prostate cancer may experience an interrupted urine flow that starts and often stops before the bladder feels empty. This may be caused by a tumor growth pressing on the urethra. Enlargement or inflammation of the prostate gland are also symptoms of prostate cancer and may cause an interrupted urine stream. A frequently interrupted urine stream may be an indication of a tumor and should be discussed with a doctor. 

Blood 

The presence of blood in the semen or urine may be a sign of prostate cancer. It is important to seek medical treatment to rule out other conditions as blood in the urine may be related to a urinary tract infection or kidney disease. Cancer may block the urethra tube, resulting in painful inflammation and bleeding of the prostate gland. Blood in the urine is usually a sign of advanced cancer and needs to be looked after immediately. 

Enlarged Prostate 

Although a man’s prostate will naturally grow as he ages, abnormally large growth advancements may be a sign of cancer. Several tests can be performed by a medical doctor to determine if cancer is present. A digital rectal exam involves a medical professional using an index finger to check the gland for abnormalities. An enlarged gland will feel smooth and firm while cancer will feel hard and lumpy. An ultrasound may also be done to determine the health of the prostate gland. 

Burning Or Pain When Urinating 

When a tumor presses on and constricts the urethra, it may inhibit the flow of urine which can cause the patient to feel a burning sensation or pain when urinating along with other symptoms related to urination. 

Those at risk of prostate cancer include those who have a family history of the disease, consume a diet high in saturated fat, have high testosterone levels, genome changes, or a condition known as prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). The American Cancer Society recommends that men begin getting tested for prostate cancer when they reach the age of fifty. 

Urges To Urinate At Night 

One of the symptoms of prostate cancer is for the patient to have more frequent urges to urinate during the night. This is also a symptom of the prostate is enlarged, which begins to happen as men age. However, this symptom may be confused with many other illnesses classified under the medical term, nocturia, which is the need to urinate excessively at night. 

Some other causes of nocturia include infections, an overactive bladder, anxiety, edema, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, and neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease or Multiple sclerosis (MS). Nocturia can also be common amongst patients with organ failure. 

If there are extreme urges to urinate at night, speak to a licensed physician.

Gilead Sciences will begin human trials for an inhaled version of its antiviral drug remdesivir in August, the biotech company said Monday.

Remdesivir, which was granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration to treat patients hospitalized with Covid-19, is administered intravenously. The company told investors in April that it was looking to develop easier-to-administer versions of the drug, including an inhaled version. The drug can’t be administered in pill form because its chemical makeup would impact the liver, the company noted.

Gilead said it will administer the drug through a nebulizer, a delivery device that can turn liquid medicines into mist.

An inhaled version “could potentially allow for easier administration outside the hospital, at earlier stages of disease,” Gilead Chairman and CEO Daniel O’Day said in an open letter Monday. “That could have significant implications in helping to stem the tide of the pandemic.”

Gilead will screen healthy volunteers for the early-stage trial and hope to begin studies in patients with Covid-19 in August.

The company said it will also conduct trials using intravenous infusions in outpatient settings such as infusion centers and nursing homes. It is also exploring whether it can improve patient outcomes by combining remdesivir with other therapies.

“Our best hope of beating Covid-19 is with a set of tools at our disposal: complementary therapeutics, effective vaccines and widespread testing,” O’Day said. “Having already seen that science can deliver answers, we can be hopeful of continued progress. Gilead will do all it can to help drive that progress by exploring the full potential of remdesivir.”

There are no FDA-approved drugs to treat Covid-19, which has infected nearly 9 million people worldwide and killed at least 468,589, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

Remdesivir was granted a EUA by the FDA in May. Hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump, had also been granted a EUA for the coronavirus, but the designation was revoked after the FDA found it was unlikely to be effective.

In April, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases released results from its study showing a modest benefit for patients who took remdesivir. It showed Covid-19 patients who took the drug usually recovered after 11 days, four days faster than those who didn’t take the drug.

The company has said it can produce “several million” rounds of its antiviral drug next year to help patients fight the coronavirus.

We got a medical doctor to talk about 5 popular vaginal myths

There are many misconceptions about the vagina. To correct some of the numerous falsehoods, we got a doctor Kunle Abiona of R-Jolad plus to educate us on the subject.

Here’s how he feels about certain vagina clichés:

(1) she’s wide because she’s a hoe. Dr. Kunle says this is not true. According to him, the vagina expands. When a woman is aroused and wet but it never stays permanently stretched. He also noted that there is nothing like a loose vagina. It all depends on how a man perceives it and how his penis feels in it. 

(2) the first determines the size. Some people say the size of the first penis that goes into a vagina determines the size of the vagina will take permanently. The doctor rebuts this. According to him, the penis cannot stretch a vagina permanently because it is an elastic organ. 

(3) too small for pleasure. Some men say things like “her vagina is too small for my penis”. Dr. Kunle's response to this is that a vagina can accommodate any penis irrespective of size “ a vagina can stretch to accommodate a baby’s head which is bigger than any penis” Dr. Kunle said. 

(4) she’s tight because she doesn’t sleep around “vagina tightness doesn’t have to do with the number of men a woman has been with” Dr. Kunle said. 

(5) vaginal discharge is abnormal. Though there are some kinds of vaginal discharge that one needs to worry about. Dr. Kunle says the healthy vagina discharge are very normal and the quantity varies from woman to woman

Scientists hail dexamethasone as ‘major breakthrough’ in treating coronavirus

Published Tue, Jun 16 20208:56 AM EDTUpdated Tue, Jun 16 20205:06 PM EDT

Dexamethasone, a cheap and widely used steroid, has become the first drug shown to be able to save lives among Covid-19 patients in what scientists hailed as a “major breakthrough”.


Results of trials announced on Tuesday showed dexamethasone, which is used to reduce inflammation in other diseases, reduced death rates by around a third among the most severely ill Covid-19 patients admitted to hospital.

The results suggest the drug should immediately become standard care in patients with severe cases of the pandemic disease, said the researchers who led the trials.


“This is a result that shows that if patients who have Covid-19 and are on ventilators or are on oxygen are given dexamethasone, it will save lives, and it will do so at a remarkably low cost,” said Martin Landray, an Oxford University professor co-leading the trial, known as the RECOVERY trial.

“It’s going to be very hard for any drug really to replace this, given that for less than 50 pounds ($63.26), you can treat eight patients and save a life,” he told reporters in an online briefing.


His co-lead investigator, Peter Horby, said dexamethasone was “the only drug that’s so far shown to reduce mortality - and it reduces it significantly.”


“It is a major breakthrough,” he said. “Dexamethasone is inexpensive, on the shelf, and can be used immediately to save lives worldwide.”

There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus which has killed more than 431,000 globally.

Saving ‘countless lives’

The RECOVERY trial compared outcomes of around 2,100 patients who were randomly assigned to get the steroid, with those of around 4,300 patients who did not get it.

The results suggest that one death would be prevented by treatment with dexamethasone among every eight ventilated Covid-19 patients, Landray said, and one death would be prevented among every 25 Covid-19 patients that received the drug and are on oxygen.

Among patients with Covid-19 who did not require respiratory support, there was no benefit from treatment with dexamethasone.

“The survival benefit is clear and large in those patients who are sick enough to require oxygen treatment, so dexamethasone should now become standard of care in these patients,” Horby said.

” Nick Cammack, an expert on Covid-19 at the Wellcome Trust global health charity, said the findings would “transform the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on lives and economies across the world”.

“Countless lives will be saved globally,” he said in a statement responding to the results.

The RECOVERY trial was launched in April as a randomised clinical trial to test a range of potential treatments for Covid-19, including low-dose dexamethasone and the malaria drug hydoxycholoroquine.

The hydroxychloroquine arm was halted earlier this month after Horby and Landray said results showed it was “useless” at treating Covid-19 patients.

Global cases of infection with the novel coronavirus have reached over 8 million, according to a Reuters tally, and more than 434,000 people have died after contracting the virus, the first case of which was reported in China in early January, 2020.

WHO welcomes preliminary results about dexamethasone use in treating critically ill COVID-19 patients

16 June 2020

News release

The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes the initial clinical trial results from the United Kingdom (UK) that show dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, can be lifesaving for patients who are critically ill with COVID-19. For patients on ventilators, the treatment was shown to reduce mortality by about one third, and for patients requiring only oxygen, mortality was cut by about one fifth, according to preliminary findings shared with WHO.

The benefit was only seen in patients seriously ill with COVID-19, and was not observed in patients with milder disease. 

“This is the first treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19 requiring oxygen or ventilator support,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This is great news and I congratulate the Government of the UK, the University of Oxford, and the many hospitals and patients in the UK who have contributed to this lifesaving scientific breakthrough.”

Dexamethasone is a steroid that has been used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation in a range of conditions, including inflammatory disorders and certain cancers. It has been listed on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines since 1977 in multiple formulations, and is currently off-patent and affordably available in most countries.

The researchers shared initial insights about the results of the trial with WHO, and we are looking forward to the full data analysis in the coming days. WHO will coordinate a meta-analysis to increase our overall understanding of this intervention. WHO clinical guidance will be updated to reflect how and when the drug should be used in COVID-19.

Today’s news builds off the WHO Research & Development Blueprint meeting, which took place in Geneva in mid-February to accelerate health technologies for COVID-19, where further research into the use of steroids was highlighted as a priority. The findings reinforce the importance of large randomized control trials that produce actionable evidence. WHO will continue to work together with all partners to further develop lifesaving therapeutics and vaccines to tackle COVID-19 including under the umbrella of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator. 

5 hóa chất hàng đầu có thể gây tổn thương não.

Danh sách hóa chất gây tổn thương đến não trong 7 năm qua đã tăng lên gấp đôi về chuẩn mực. những hóa chất này có trong thực phẩm, chúng ta ăn, nước chúng ta uống, và không khí chúng ta thở. điều khiến cho tình trạng này đáng sợ hơn đó là đối tượng dễ bị tổn thương nhất lại là các bào thai và trẻ nhỏ.

Nào, Chúng ta hãy xem 5 loại hóa chất hàng đầu nảy có khả năng gây ra những tổn thương nghiêm trọng nào cho não. Fluoride làm giảm trị số IQ, vả lảm giảm trí nhớ ở trẻ. Kết quả phân tích tổng hợp dữ liệu từ 27 công trình nghiên cứu tở nhiều trung tâm, đã cho thấy việc tiếp xúc với những hàm lượng cao chất fluoride có trong nước uống khiến trị số IQ trung bình giảm đi mất 7 điểm.

Kim loại nặng như chì và thủy ngân cũng tàn phá não bộ của chúng ta. chất chì gây cản trở chất dẫn truyền thần kinh quan trọng trong mô não gây tổn thương não và hệ thần kinh. Do tình trạng này, khi trẻ đã tiếp xúc với chất chì sẽ bị giảm trí thông minh, có biểu hiện khó khăn trong cách hành xử và cũng như trong quá trình học tập. Việc tiếp xúc với chất chì ở bất kỳ hàm lượng nào đều không an toàn cả. Ngược lại, nếu chỉ tiếp xúc với một lượng nhỏ chất thủy ngân thì không sao, nhưng nếu quá nhiều thì cũng có thể gây ra vấn đề

Sự phát triển của não trẻ sẽ ngưng lại do các diếu tố điều hòa chức năng hoạt động của não. Hiện tượng này cũng sẽ ngăn chặn sự phân chia tế bào, có nghĩa là sẽ có ít tế bào thần kinh hơn và hỗ trợ cho các tế bào sản sinh ra trong mô não. 

Thủy ngân có trong hầu hết các loại hải sản, nhưng bạn cũng không nên quá lo lắng. nghiên cứu cho thấy việc ăn cá ở hầu hết mọi người không gây ra mối lo về vấn đề sức khỏe, mặc dù vậy nếu như trong máu trẻ còn trong bụng mẹ và trẻ nhỏ có một lượng cao chất methyl mercury thì có thể gây tổn hại đến quá trình phát triển cửa hệ thống thần kinh và làm giảm năng lực tự duy và học tập của trẻ.

Còn loại Thuốc trừ sâu phosphate hữu cơ lại gây ra những di tật về cấu trúc ở não. Chúng là nguyên nhân gây ra một số bệnh lý liên quan đến sự phát triển của tế bào thần kinh và chúng có thể tồn tại trong cơ thể đến năm trẻ lên 7 tuổi. những loại hóa chất này thường được dùng trong nông nghiệp, sân golf, và các biện pháp diệt muỗi.

Ngày nay các loại thuốc diệt côn trùng này đã bị cấm sử dụng ở nhiều nơi trên thế giới. nhưng chúng vẫn dang được sử dụng ở nhiều nước có thu nhập thấp hơn. Thuốc trừ sâu phosphate hữu cơ mới đây cũng được biết có liên quan đến bệnh Alhzeimer nữa.

Thời gian tiếp cận lâu dài với chất diệt côn trùng Chlopyrifos sẽ gây ra vấn đề về trí nhớ và sự thông minh. ở người lớn, với lượng lớn sẽ gây kích quá mức đến hệ thần kinh, gây buồn nôn, chóng mặt, và lú lẫn. chất Tetrachloroethylene được dử dụng rộng rãi trong kỹ nghệ giặt khô, và trong một số sản phẩm như sơn và các chất tẩy bẩn. việc tiếp cận từ lúc còn bé với chất dung môi có trong nước uống có liên quan làm tăng nguy cơ phát sinh các bệnh lý về tâm thần kinh.

Chất Phthalate thuộc nhóm hóa chất được sử dụng trong hàng trăm loại sản phẩm từ sản phẩm làm đẹp, nước hoa và dầu gội đầu cho đến các loại hộp đựng thức ăn và bao nhựa. Phthalates có thể đi qua nhau vào trẻ chưa sanh cũng như đi vào cả sữa mẹ. trong một nghiên cứu, cho chuột còn trong bụng mẹ và trong thời gian còn bú mẹ tiếp xúc với chất này, người ta thấy chúng có số tế bào thần kinh và các vùng giao tiếp thần kinh ít hơn ở não của chuột không cho tiếp xúc với chất này.

Những hóa chất này cũng có thể phá vỡ quá trình truyền tín hiệu hormone bình thường, và não đang trong quá trình phát triển dễ gặp phải quá trình phá vỡ kích thích tố này. Việc tiếp xúc với chất Phthalates thời gian tiền sản có thể tác động xấu đến hành vi của trẻ, năng lực điều chỉnh hành động riêng của chúng và xuất độ gây ra những rối loạn về tâm thần kinh. Bởi vì não của chúng ta, và đặc biệt là não của con cái chúng ta, rất dễ bị tác động bởi những hóa chất này. điều cần nhấn mạnh lá chúng ta phải hết sức chú ý đến những gì chúng ta đang sử dụng có trong các sản phẩm mà chúng ta đang dùng hàng ngày

The Top Five chemicals that can damage your brain

The list of chemicals that damage the brain has doubled in size over the past 7 years. These chemicals are found in the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe. What makes this even scarier is that the most vulnerable to these chemicals are fetuses and children.

Let’s take a look at the top 5 chemicals that can cause serious damages to your brain. Fluoride is responsible for lowering IQ and causing dementia in children. A meta-analysis of 27 studies found that exposure to high amounts of fluoride in drinking water was associated with an average of a seven-point decline among children’s IQ scores.

Metals such lead and mercury wreak havoc on your brain. Lead interferes with an important neurotransmitter in the brain causing brain and nervous system damage. Because of this, children exposed to lead have decreased intelligence, behavioral difficulties, and experience learning problems. No level of lead exposure is considered safe. Mercury on the other hand is OK in small amounts, but too much of it can disrupt.

Brain development by blocking enzymes that regulate brain functions. It also stops cells from dividing, meaning there are fewer neurons and support cells produced in the brain. Mercury is found in most seafood, but you shouldn’t be too worried. Research shows consuming fish in most people doesn’t cause a health concern, though a high level of methyl mercury in the bloodstream unborn babies and young children can harm the developing nervous system, reducing their ability to think and learn.

Organophosphate pesticides cause structural abnormalities in the brain. They are responsible for some neurodevelopmental problems that persist up to age 7. These chemicals are often used in agriculture, on golf courses, and for mosquito control, while these pesticides are banned in many parts of the world, they are still using in many lower-income countries. Organophosphate pesticides have recently linked to Alzheimer's disease as well.

High levels of prenatal exposure to the chlorpyrifos pesticide cause issue with memory and intelligence. In adults, high levels overstimulate the nervous system, causing nausea, dizziness, and confusion. Tetrachloroethylene is widely used in dry-cleaning, and in some consumer products such as paint and spot removers. Early childhood exposure to the solvent through drinking water is associated with an increased risk of developing neurological and psychiatric problems.

Phthalates are a group of chemicals used in hundreds of products from cosmetics, perfume, and shampoos to food containers and plastic wraps. Phthalates can travel across the placenta to the unborn child as well as a pass into breast milk. In one study, rats exposed to the phthalates in the womb and during lactation had fewer neurons and synapses than those that were not exposed.

These chemicals can also disrupt normal hormone signaling, and the developing brain is susceptible to these hormone disruptions. Prenatal phthalates exposure may negatively affect children’s behavior, their ability to regulate their own actions, and the incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders. Because our brains, and especially the brains of our children, are so susceptible to these chemicals. It is imperative that we pay close attention to what we are using to create the goods we use on a daily basis

Scientists hail dexamethasone as ‘major breakthrough’ in treating coronavirus

PUBLISHED TUE, JUN 16 20208:56 AM EDTUPDATED 5 HOURS AGO

BSIP | UIG | Getty Images

Dexamethasone, a cheap and widely used steroid, has become the first drug shown to be able to save lives among Covid-19 patients in what scientists hailed as a “major breakthrough”.

Results of trials announced on Tuesday showed dexamethasone, which is used to reduce inflammation in other diseases, reduced death rates by around a third among the most severely ill Covid-19 patients admitted to hospital.

The results suggest the drug should immediately become standard care in patients with severe cases of the pandemic disease, said the researchers who led the trials.

“This is a result that shows that if patients who have Covid-19 and are on ventilators or are on oxygen are given dexamethasone, it will save lives, and it will do so at a remarkably low cost,” said Martin Landray, an Oxford University professor co-leading the trial, known as the RECOVERY trial.

“It’s going to be very hard for any drug really to replace this, given that for less than 50 pounds ($63.26), you can treat eight patients and save a life,” he told reporters in an online briefing.

His co-lead investigator, Peter Horby, said dexamethasone was “the only drug that’s so far shown to reduce mortality - and it reduces it significantly.”

“It is a major breakthrough,” he said. “Dexamethasone is inexpensive, on the shelf, and can be used immediately to save lives worldwide.”

There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus which has killed more than 431,000 globally.

Saving ‘countless lives’

The RECOVERY trial compared outcomes of around 2,100 patients who were randomly assigned to get the steroid, with those of around 4,300 patients who did not get it.

The results suggest that one death would be prevented by treatment with dexamethasone among every eight ventilated Covid-19 patients, Landray said, and one death would be prevented among every 25 Covid-19 patients that received the drug and are on oxygen.

Among patients with Covid-19 who did not require respiratory support, there was no benefit from treatment with dexamethasone.

“The survival benefit is clear and large in those patients who are sick enough to require oxygen treatment, so dexamethasone should now become standard of care in these patients,” Horby said.

Nick Cammack, a expert on Covid-19 at the Wellcome Trust global health charity, said the findings would “transform the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on lives and economies across the world”.

“Countless lives will be saved globally,” he said in a statement responding to the results.

The RECOVERY trial was launched in April as a randomised clinical trial to test a range of potential treatments for Covid-19, including low-dose dexamethasone and the malaria drug hydoxycholoroquine.

The hydroxychloroquine arm was halted earlier this month after Horby and Landray said results showed it was “useless” at treating Covid-19 patients.

Global cases of infection with the novel coronavirus have reached over 8 million, according to a Reuters tally, and more than 434,000 people have died after contracting the virus, the first case if which was reported in China in early January.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disease. In early stages, AD is characterized by the aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins in the brain,1 and worsening memory.2, 3 In the absence of disease‐modifying treatments, there is an urgent need to identify modifiable risk factors that are associated with these biomarkers, which can be targeted to prevent future AD.

In recent decades, a number of psychological risk factors for cognitive decline and AD have been identified.4 These include depression5-7 and anxiety.8-10 While these risks have generally been considered independently, the Cognitive Debt hypothesis suggests that a mechanism frequently present in these psychological risk factors—repetitive negative thinking (RNT)11—may underlie the risk associated with each factor.4

Repetitive negative thinking (also termed perseverative cognition) is a behaviorally measurable cognitive process that encompasses future‐ (worry) and past‐ (rumination) directed thoughts,12 and describes the thought process rather than its time orientation or content. It is relatively stable13 but like other traits, can also be modified through intervention.14, 15 While RNT is a comparatively new term, its components, rumination and worry, have been associated with memory and executive function in diverse populations.16-22 The behavioral evidence, we suggest, implicates RNT as a potential common pathway that contributes to increasing AD risk. RNT's relationship with neurobiological AD markers, amyloid and tau, has not yet been empirically examined; however, memory‐related worries have been associated with higher amyloid burden in individuals with subjective cognitive decline.23, 24 The current study sought to examine the relationship between (1) RNT and longitudinal cognitive change, and (2) RNT and AD pathologies using neuroimaging markers of Aβ and tau, compared to the relationships between symptoms of depression and anxiety and these markers.

23andMe finds evidence that blood type plays a role in COVID-19 

June 8, 2020 By 23andMe under 23andMe Research

Preliminary data from 23andMe’s ongoing genetic study of COVID-19 appears to lend more evidence for the importance of a person’s blood type — determined by the ABO gene — in differences in the susceptibility to the virus.

23andMe is still recruiting for its massive study, most recently seeking 10,000 participantsoutside of 23andMe who have been hospitalized and diagnosed with COVID-19. 23andMe researchers have yet to finish looking at what the genetic data indicate. 

But a first blush look at the information from the more than 750,000 participants in the study shows the following: 

• The preliminary data suggest that O blood type appears to be protective against the virus when compared to all other blood types. 
• Individuals with O blood type are between 9-18% percent less likely than individuals with other blood types to have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the data. 
• There appeared to be little differences in susceptibility among the other blood types. 
• These findings hold when adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, ethnicity, and co-morbidities.
• Although one study found the blood group O only to be protective across rhesus positive blood types, differences in rhesus factor (blood type + or -) were not significant in 23andMe data. Nor was this a factor in susceptibility or severity in cases.
• Among those exposed to the virus — healthcare and other front line workers — 23andMe found that blood type O is similarly protective, but the proportion of cases within strata is higher.

Preliminary Genetic Association

While it is still very early in the study, 23andMe’s preliminary investigation into genetics seems to support these findings. Comparing the research participants who reported that they tested positive for COVID-19 to those who tested negative, our researchers identified a variant in the ABO gene associated with a lower risk. (The single nucleotide polymorphism in the ABO gene is rs505922, a T at that location is associated with lower risk. The P-value for the association is 1.4e-8, OR = 0.88).

Both the data on blood type and the preliminary genetic findings also appear to support at least two recently published pre-print studies — one by researchers in China and the most recent one by researchers in Italy and Spain — that look at the ABO gene’s role in COVID-19. The study in China looked at susceptibility, while the Italian and Spanish study found an association with blood type and severity of the illness.  

Numerous other studies have reported that the ABO blood group plays a role in both susceptibility and severity for COVID-19 (refs: 1, 2, 3). And we know from other studies that the ABO blood group can play a direct role in other types of infections by serving as receptors, or coreceptors for microorganisms, parasites, and viruses. The preliminary findings from 23andMe’s data are also notable because of the link between COVID-19 blood clotting, and cardiovascular disease. 

Comparing Blood Types

23andMe researchers wanted to investigate this link with blood type, so we estimated the contribution to risk by comparing each blood group against each of the others. Because the differences are quite small, an extremely large sample size is needed to explore differences across groups. For 23andMe’s study, which now includes more than 750,000 individuals, we investigated the cumulative incidence of self-reported COVID-19 by blood type, hospitalization by blood type, and proportion of those infected after known exposure by blood type. 

Here is what we found.

Percent of 23andMe research participants who tested positive for COVID-19, by blood group.

Among respondents to the 23andMe COVID-19 survey, the percent of respondents reporting a positive test for COVID-19 is lowest for people who are O blood type. The percent of respondents reporting a positive test for COVID-19 was highest among those with the AB blood type. 

Those who were blood groups A, B, and AB did not statistically differ from each other (Table 1 Below). This relationship holds after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, race, ethnicity, and co-morbidities. 

Looking at Those with Higher Probability for Exposure to COVID-19

Although one study found the blood group O protective only across rhesus positive blood types, in 23andMe’s data we found that differences by self-reported rhesus factor (blood type + or -) were not significant, nor was the interaction between blood group and rhesus factor in statistical models predicting being a case, or being a hospitalized case.

To better understand the risk of acquiring the infection, we restricted the data to those with a high probability of exposure. This included professional health care workers, those with close contact with known cases, and essential workers. As you can see below, blood type O shows a similar pattern as seen above, but the proportion of cases within strata is higher, as we would expect. 

Percent reporting positive test for COVID-19 among those with a high probability of exposure (health care professionals, essential workers, and those experiencing personal contact with a diagnosed case), by blood group.

After adjustment for age, age squared, sex, race (census race categories), ethnicity (Hispanic or Latino), BMI, and a single variable indicating a vulnerability to severe infection (e.g. high-risk co-morbidity or immunocompromised) blood type O showed a protective effect against both acquiring (OR = 0.86, p < 0.0001), and being hospitalized for the infection (OR = 0.81, p = 0.05). The protective effect of acquiring the infection strengthened in models restricted to the “exposed” population (OR = 0.81, p < 0.0001). (Table 1). 

In the whole population, those with the O blood group were 9-18% less likely to test positive compared to the other groups. When looking at only exposed individuals, those with O blood group were 13-26% less likely to test positive.

Table 1. Adjusted Odds Ratios (ORs) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) estimating the effect of blood type O compared to all other blood types for the risk of infection (case v control) or hospitalization. An OR is a statistic that quantifies the strength of the association between a measurement and an outcome, while a Confidence Interval is a range of values that is likely to contain the true unknown value.

Still Recruiting

23andMe launched its COVID-19 study on April 6th, inviting customers to participate in the large-scale study looking at whether genetics could help explain the differences in severity among patients. In early May, the study was expanded to those outside of 23andMe who have experienced severe COVID-19 symptoms. The expanded study, in which 23andMe is providing 10,000 kits free of charge, aims to identify individuals who tested positive and were hospitalized for COVID-19. As part of the research, participants answer survey questions about whether they’ve experienced cold or flu-like symptoms, whether they’ve been diagnosed or treated for COVID-19, and whether they’ve been hospitalized for the illness. 

The study and recruitment are ongoing, with the hope that we can use our research platform to better understand differences in how people respond to the virus. Ultimately, we hope to publish our research findings in order to provide more insight into COVID-19 for the scientific community.

Tình trạng nhiễm Covid-19 ở trẻ trong mùa đại dịch

Trường hợp có một đứa bé sơ sinh ở Vương Quốc Anh đã dương tính với COVID-19. Các nhà nghiên cứu không biết chắc liệu đứa bé này đã bị nhiễm từ khi còn trong bụng mẹ hay chỉ sau khi chào đời. một nghiên cứu trên 9 sản phụ bị nhiễm COVID-19 ở Trung Hoa cho thấy không có đứa bé nào bị nhiễm Covid trong lúc bùng phat dịch. không thấy coronavirus trong dịch ối hay họng của các bé này, cũng không thấy cả trong sữa mẹ của những sản phụ này.

Nguy cơ truyền bệnh từ mẹ sang bào thai có vẻ như rất thấp. không có bằng chứng nào cho thấy tăng nguy cơ bị sẩy thai do nhiễm chủng coronavirus mới này. Hiện nay, Người ta vẫn còn biết rất ít về cách mà coronavirus tác động lên các sản phụ và các đứa trẻ sơ sinh. Vì thế, các sản phụ nên tuân theo các quy trình hướng dẫn về vệ sinh. Nếu như ta đã biết rằng con đường lây lan của siêu vi là qua các giọt nước bắn ra từ đường hô hấp, thì các sản phụ phải rửa tay và cân nhắc việc đeo khẩu trang để giảm thiếu đến mức thấp nhất cho trẻ tránh tiếp xúc với siêu vi trong lúc đang bú.

Hình như, các sản phụ lại không dễ bị nhiễm COVID-19 hơn người bình thường. Nói chung, sản phụ vẫn dễ lây nhiễm các chủng siêu vi gây ra bệnh đường hô hấp như siêu vi gây bệnh cúm, là do hệ miễn dịch của họ bị giảm sút trong lúc mang thai. Hai lá phổi của họ cũng bị ép lại nhiều hơn do thai phát triển kích thước mà lại cần nhiều dưỡng khí hơn. Nhưng đây không hẳn là tình trạng xảy ra  khi bị nhiểm COVID-9. Một nghiên cứu phân tích 147 phụ nữ nhiễm COVID-19 cho thấy chỉ có 8% có biểu hiện nặng trong số chỉ có 1% là nghiêm trọng, tỷ lệ này thấp hơn hẳn so với số bệnh nhân mắc Covid-19 nói chung.

Các nhà khoa học đã đưa ra nhiều lý thuyết để giải thích tại sao tình trạng nhiễm Coronavirus lại không nặng lắm ở trẻ con. Một trong số lý thuyết ấy cho rằng có một phân tử đạm trong tế bào ở người mà coronavirus bám vào đã không bị ức chế rõ ở trẻ em so với khi nhiễm vào cơ thể ở người lớn hoặc do hình dạng của phân tử đạm này ở trẻ em có lẽ trông không giống như ở người lớn. có lý thuyết lại cho rằng hầu hết phổi của trẻ còn tốt hơn ở người lớn nhiều. nên chúng chống trả lại tốt hơn và ít bị nghiêm trọng hơn

Ngoải ra, người lớn lại phải tiếp xúc với môi trường ô nhiễm nhiều hơn trong cuộc đời của mình. Họ lại mắc những bệnh nặng từ trước hoặc hệ miễn dịch của họ đã suy kém đi nhiều theo năm tháng. Điều này khiến Covid-19 trở nên nguy hiểm hơn ở nhóm người lớn tuổi, cũng có khả năng hệ miễn dịch của trẻ không cần phải "gồng" lên để chiến đấu lại siêu vi quá nhiều như hệ miễn dịch ở người lớn phải làm. Các nhà nghiên cứu thấy rằng tình trạng đáp ứng miễn dịch quá mạnh đối với siêu vi ở người lớn đã tạo ra một quá trình viêm mang tính hủy diệt trong chính các nội tạng của họ khiến quá trình này lại gây hại nhiều hơn.