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According to new research, a simple blood test that detects a protein associated with Alzheimer’s could help older adults predict cognitive decline up to 10 years before symptoms are visible.
The Harvard research presented in London at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference and published simultaneously in The Journal of the American Medical Association could change how doctors evaluate dementia risk and prepare patients for the disease.
Researchers say that by measuring the blood biomarker p-tau217 which measures the accumulation of harmful proteins in the mind, doctors may be able soon to determine the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, much as they do with cholesterol tests when estimating heart disease risks.
ALZHEIMER BLOOD TEST MAY BE ABLE TO PREDICT Symptoms YEARS ADVANCE BUT EXPERTS WARN CAUTION
Researchers tracked 2,700 adults with a cognitively sound age of 70 on average for up to 10 years.
Researchers found that individuals without symptoms who had very high levels p-tau217 were at a 78% risk of cognitive impairment in 10 years and one-third chance to develop it within 5 years. The risk was 45% for those who had moderately high levels over the course of a decade.
The ptau217 is a form of modified tau that forms tangles within the brain. It is also associated with memory problems. According to researchers, the blood test revealed information that was beyond standard brain scans or genetic testing.
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The study was led by Rachel Buckley who is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. She said that the results provide the most clear evidence to date showing dementia can be diagnosed years before symptoms begin.
In a release, she stated that “Once these blood tests are verified, they could be used as a recruitment tool for clinical trials to treat cognitive decline and dementia.”
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Buckley said that these tests would be useful in the future when treatment is approved early on the disease’s process. They could also help with monitoring and decision-making for the patient and their family.
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Researchers cautioned that the researchers warned p-tau217 alone cannot predict an individual’s future. Age, genetics and kidney function, as well as racial and ethnic background, can all influence the biomarker level and dementia risk.
To perfect the risk estimations, it was emphasized that longer studies with more diverse groups are needed.
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Maria Carrillo said future treatments should target the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, before symptoms like memory loss begin to appear.
She told Fox News Digital that identifying people at higher risk could change the way we treat, diagnose and possibly prevent dementia.

City health officials announced Friday that a person died from the Upper East Side Legionnaires disease outbreak. This is the first reported death in an epidemic cluster which has sickened more than a dozen people.
According to the Health Department of the City, at least 67 individuals have been hospitalized with Legionnaires disease as a result of the outbreak. The city officials said that they will not reveal any details about the deceased person, due to the privacy of the individual.
Alister Martin, the Health Commissioner said: “My condolences go out to their families.”
Legionnaires’ disease is an acute form of pneumonia that can be caused by Legionella bacteria. These bacteria grow in water systems within buildings and are spread by the mist produced by cooling towers. Health officials say it can be deadly, but that antibiotics are effective if caught in time.
Health Department ordered that 76 buildings within the area be cleaned and disinfected. All have now confirmed completion of the task, according to the agency. Guggenheim Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art are two of the many buildings that had cooling systems with positive bacteria tests.
The source of this outbreak is still being investigated.
Martin advised anyone with flu-like symptoms, such as fever or chills or muscle pain or cough, to get medical attention immediately.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin who represents Upper East Side called the death “heartbreaking”. She said that the loved ones of the deceased were on her mind.
She said, “As the outbreak impacts our community we need to remain vigilant about our neighbor’s health and safety.”

Anyone would be frightened by this nightmare.
Doctors had no other choice than to stitch the lid of a British woman’s right eye shut after an infected parasite intruded into its cornea. They were desperate to try and save her vision.
Emma Marsden has now opened up to the public about her innocent mistake, which led to the horrific ordeal. She hopes that by sharing this story, others can avoid the same tragedy.
Marsden fell in February while cleaning horse stables and landed headfirst into a wheelbarrow full of dirt and water.
The 47-year old woman washed her face and hands, removing dirt and mud, but didn’t take off her lenses until the evening.
This seemingly innocent decision could trigger a chain of devastating events.
Marsden began to experience a stinging sensation in her right eye four days after she fell. Her vision began to deteriorate as the pain became “excruciating”.
When initial testing was negative, the doctors sent her home to receive prescription eye drops.
The pain was unbearable for the next few days.
According to The Sun, she described her eye as “excruciatingly red and painful.” The pain I felt when light struck my eye was so intense that I could not open my eyes.
A follow-up visit in March revealed the true culprit: an infection called acanthamoeba Keratitis. This rare, but potentially dangerous condition can cause vision loss.
This condition is caused by a microorganism called Acanthamoeba, which invades the cornea (the clear dome-shaped layer on the outer surface of the eye).
Marsden explained, “It consumes your cornea, your eyes and your nerves.” The doctors were shocked at the speed of its eating.
Acanthamoeba is found in the tap water, so doctors told Marsden that she probably picked up her infection while washing her face. Acanthamoeba is found in soil, dust, lakes, rivers, oceans and swimming pools.
Contact lens users are at a higher risk of developing acanthamoeba Keratitis. According to Cleveland Clinic, the infection is very rare. There are only about 1,500 cases per year in the US.
She said, “I have had three children and I can say that giving birth was a breeze compared with this pain.” “I couldn’t leave the room or go anywhere for 3 1/2 weeks.
Doctors were forced to stitch her eyelid closed after they discovered that the parasite perforated the cornea of the woman, creating a large hole on the eye’s surface.
Marsden was told that she would eventually require a corneal graft, but the doctors will have to wait for several years due to her infection.
She said, “I’d be happy to have an eye removed if I was still in two years’ time and had no life or could do nothing.” It’s not a good situation but I am still alive. It’s a bad situation, but I am still here. I can walk and see through one eye. I also can hear. “It will improve over time.”
Marsden now undergoes weekly monitoring at the hospital and is required to take six eyedrops every two hours.
Her message is to all contact lens wearers to adhere to proper hygienic practices in order to prevent a fate similar to hers.
Marsden stated, “I continue to wear my contacts in my left-eye because I didn’t know how to properly care for them and what to avoid.”
About 45 million Americans wear contact lenses. Experts say that when used properly, they are a great alternative to spectacles.
Poor hygiene and improper handling can lead to serious eye complications such as acanthamoeba corneal ulcers or conjunctivitis.
These infections are often caused by harmful microbes entering the eyes. This can be due to incorrect cleaning or lens storage, to using lenses that have expired or to exposing contact lenses to water.
The risk of infection can be increased by sleeping in contact lenses. According to the CDC, those who sleep with their contacts are up to 8 times more likely than others to get an infection.
Marsden warned, “Be careful what you look at.” You are a bit naive until you have experienced this, or met someone who has.

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Recent research suggests that weight loss caused by GLP-1 may help improve relationships between women and their employment.
Rebecca Diamond is a professor at Harvard University, Boston. She published independent research which found a link between weight loss medications and changes in social and economic outcomes for women.
Diamond used Understanding America Study (a survey panel from the University of Southern California) to compare the women who had started GLP-1s to lose weight with those who were interested but hadn’t yet begun.
DR OZ LINKS OBESITY WITH CHRONIC DISEASE URGE AND SAYS THAT GLP-1S CAN JUMPSTART BETTER HEALTH
Before treatment, the comparison took into account body mass, health status, income, employment and partnership status, as well as general well-being.
Women are more likely than men to take GLP-1s, so the study concentrated on them. The study excluded those who take GLP-1s for diabetes because their usage is driven more by medical conditions than weight loss.
According to a study, women who lost weight successfully with GLP-1 medication experienced changes in several aspects of their lives, such as employment, marriage, and cohabitation.
After 18 months, marriage and cohabitation increased 29% among single women.
Researchers find that divorcees and widows share similar traits in mental health.
After the same period of time, the job prospects of women who had not been employed when the study began increased by 27 percent. However, those who had already been employed showed no clear progress.
Diamond says that the findings show that part of “the female obesity penalty” is due to how women are judged in new relationships or new jobs.
These findings were commented upon by Dr. Peter Balazs MD, an expert in hormones and weight loss from New York City and New Jersey.
Balazs told Fox News Digital that the effects were only seen in ‘new-match’ situations such as dating or job interviews, not existing relationships or jobs. This says more about social biases than about the medications themselves.
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Balazs says that his patients report being more confident, “visible”, and “visible” following weight loss. This could lead to better networking and interview performances.
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He continued, “Weight-loss (often) increases confidence which leads to new opportunities in business and relationships.” Weight loss also has hormonal effects, which can lead to a profound psychological and metabolic relief.
In a Fox News Digital interview, Dr. Krishna Vyas of Blechman Plastic Surgery, New York said that after significant GLP-1-induced weight loss, many patients “reengage with life” and seek body contouring or breast lifts.
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The surgeon who was also not involved with the research said, “That confidence is real in exam rooms.” This study showed that depression, loneliness, and life satisfaction did not improve despite marriage rates increasing dramatically.
The women did not feel better, despite the fact that the opportunities were opened. This suggests the change was mostly in the gatekeepers, and not with the women.
Limitations
This was not a clinical trial but an observational one, so it only showed an association and could not prove cause-and-effect. Author acknowledged that the findings were also preliminary, as the study had not been peer reviewed.
Balazs added, “Also, the fact that this study was only conducted on women introduces a second layer of bias.” I’d like to know if there would have been the same results if this study had included men, or directly compared the two.
The expert pointed out that another limitation was the fact that all the data collected from individuals is self-reported.
Researchers were unable to tell if people with new jobs earned more.
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Balazs said, “Although GLP-1 users seemed to achieve better results on paper, Balazs found that they didn’t report higher overall satisfaction with life.” This raises questions as to whether the external improvements are reflected in meaningful well-being.
Fox News Digital contacted the researcher of the study and several human resource organizations to request comment.

Trump’s top officials bring male fertility to the forefront
Washington correspondent of TOI: MAGA mavericks discover that the United States falls short on a crucial national resource. It’s not rare earth minerals or artificial intelligence. The issue is testicular strength and reproductive power, or testosterone and sperm counts. Two senior Trump officials have recently been talking about testosterone levels, declining counts of sperm and the crisis that modern masculinity is facing. This was previously the domain of awkward health classes in high school. Now, it’s a topic of national conversation. If Hegseth is to be believed, America is suffering not from inflation but from deflation–specifically of testosterone. Defense Secretary warned recently that we are creating “a generation of weakmen” and urged a return back to the warrior mentality. The Pentagon announced it would begin testing US troops 30 years and older for testosterone deficiencies and will offer TRT, testosterone replacement therapy as an alternative. Kennedy has called sperm count a “national vital sign” after claiming that the number of male sperms in teenagers today is down by about 50%. Washington sounds like it is no longer the home of the most powerful government in the world, but rather a health conference sponsored by vitamin companies and gym chains. It seems that the administration has shifted its focus from GDP to aircraft carriers, stock markets, and even the stock exchange. Soon, it may be SPM – sperms per million. Washington insiders joke that in the near future, readiness reports from the Pentagon will include information on troop numbers, ammunition stocks and testosterone levels. Nato may be quietly wondering if Article 5 covers fertility supplements. Fair enough, the machismo moaning is not without some science. Researchers continue to argue about the causes, magnitude and consequences of this decline in sperm count. Researchers have investigated environmental chemicals, obesity and smoking as well as alcohol, bad diets, stress. The majority of scientists agree that reproductive health is a subject worth studying. It is less popular to turn every podcast into an “America’s Got Testicles” audition. Trolls are at it again. One user posted a photo of parmesan labeled as “High Testosterone Blend” and joked, “Make America Grate again.” One user asked if the next White House Physical would include a blood-test or an arm wrestling contest. In a viral meme, Uncle Sam pointed at the viewer under the slogan “Your country… needs stronger swimmers”. Others imagined that the President would announce in a future State of the Union speech how “our numbers were up in every poll — even the microscopical ones.” Hegseth was shown in another meme squeezing a group of soldiers’ cojones. The comedians were not required to be prompted into tackling the issue with their proposals of a Cabinet-level Department of Testicular Affairs, an “Office of Strategic Reproduction” at White House and a daily presidential briefing with the title: “Mission Achieved… Motility Improving.” These jokes were almost written by themselves, because of the “sementic,” or rhetoric that sounds like America was preparing to host the Olympics for alpha males. The administration may be right to point out that the health of young men is declining, including in terms of obesity, physical inactivity and fertility issues. However, it’s comical when the government uses the superhero language for public-health concerns, making testosterone a slogan instead of a hormone. Hegseth, who has repeatedly spoken about the need to restore America’s warrior ethos, dives into planks while doing push-ups in order to motivate troops. Washington’s power has been measured by missiles, votes and money, but now it seems to be elevating masculinity as a concern for national security. Trump’s toughies have shown that there is no such thing as an issue too personal to be politicized. They are turning Jeffersonian values on their head, namely, life, liberty, and the pursuit of masculinity.
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