Longer and Shorter Menstrual Cycles Linked to Higher Risk of Heart Disease
Women whose period cycles were significantly longer or shorter than average were more likely to experience heart disease, heart attack, or atrial fibrillation. Period cycle was shorter than 22 days or longer than 34 days were more likely to experience cardiovascular disease events, including heart attack or atrial fibrillation, according to a new study published on May 24 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
New Pill Form of the Weight Loss Drug May Work as Well as Shots
Novo Nordisk says it will seek FDA approval for a once daily pill before the end of 2023.
The weight loss drug, already available as a weekly shot, may work just as well when given as a daily pill, according to unpublished late-stage study results from the drugmaker Novo Nordisk. The phase 3 study randomly assigned 667 adults with overweight or obesity to take either a placebo or a 50 milligram (mg) tablet containing, the active ingredient, once a day for 68 weeks. Patients lost 15.1 percent of their weight on, compared with just 2.4 percent with a placebo, the study found.
These results are comparable to those achieved with weekly drug injections, the executive vice president for development at Novo Nordisk, in a May 22 statement announcing the new study results for the tablet version of the drug.
Large Study Shows Daily Multivitamin May Slow Memory Loss
Taking a vitamin supplement can improve memory in seniors in as little as one year, regardless of the quality of their diet.
Taking a multivitamin once a day could give you a mental boost as you get older. Based on data from more than 3,500 adults ages 60 and up, researchers from Columbia University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that a daily nutritional supplement could enhance memory on average by the equivalent of about three years — meaning vitamin-takers had a memory typical of a person three years younger. After one year, participants using multivitamin supplements performed significantly better on memory tests compared with those taking a placebo “dummy” pill, according to a study published this week in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. That benefit was maintained over three years of follow-up.
Spinal Cord Stimulators for Chronic Back Pain Win FDA Approval
Trials demonstrated significant pain reductions, but some experts say bigger, longer-term studies are needed to confirm the benefits.
On May 16, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved spinal cord stimulation (SCS) devices from the pharmaceutical company Abbott to treat chronic back pain in people who have not had or are not eligible to receive back surgery, per a press release from Abbott. Approval was granted after a six-month study of 200 participants showed that spinal cord stimulation provided significant relief and improvements in pain, function, quality of life, and mental health.
Those enrolled in the trial had experienced an average of nearly 13 years of disabling chronic back pain. Participants were not eligible for corrective back operations because they were either medically frail or they had numerous degenerative changes in their spine, none of which were severe enough to qualify for corrective surgery but are nonetheless causing significant symptoms.
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