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AI becomes a matchmaker for medications
Oura ring drops 2 new features, walking for a better brain, and compression socks.
Issue 10 | June 7, 2024
Hi Livelongers,
It’s the first week of June, and summer is around the corner (although I like thinking that ‘unofficial’ summer starts after Memorial Day).
In this issue we highlight exercise, with a recent study showing that exercise (specifically high-intensity functional training) combined with intermittent fasting may be a more effective way for women to achieve weight loss and better metabolic health than either alone.
The week is June 3. In today’s email:
Exercise can make cancer treatment more effective.
What else can exercise do? Ward off dementia…by a lot.
AI is personalizing antidepressant treatment recommendations.
Oura Ring can improve your heart health with 2 new features.
And more…
We love to hear from our community. Please share your feedback, stories, questions, testimonials, ideas and more with us at [email protected].
5 tips for exercising to promote brain health
Exercise may seem like a self-evident way to stay physically healthy, but Wendy Suzuki, a neuroscientist at New York University, was shocked to learn its brain benefits.
It might just be the most important thing that you can do for a “big, fat, and fluffy brain” (AKA a healthy brain 🧠), she said during a recent podcast. Listen here.
Exercise can profoundly affect memory, mood, and the ability to use your brain at its most optimal level, so I’ve compiled a list of exercise principles that Suzuki says can have a huge impact on brain health.
Let [email protected] know what kind of exercise you do.
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Exercise can improve cancer treatment effectiveness
What is the story?
Exercise may improve the effectiveness of certain cancer treatments, according to results from a study conducted by investigators with the Universities of Birmingham and Bath.
This study looked at the impact of exercise on the efficacy of rituximab, an antibody therapy treatment, in patients with blood cancer.
What’s the science:
Patients (n=20) with blood cancer (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) who did not receive treatment were asked to cycle for 30 minutes at moderate-to-vigorous intensity.
Following exercises, researchers collected hourly blood samples to see how anti-cancer immune cells defended against cancer cells on their own or with rituximab.
What are the findings?
Exercise boosted anti-cancer immune cells by 254%.
Rituximab made anti-cancer immune cells 2x more effective at eradicating cancer cells.
Exercise allowed 67% more cancer cells to enter the bloodstream, meaning the cancer was easier to detect.
Big picture?
Exercise can boost efficacy of certain treatments and possibly have implications post-treatment.
Since exercise brings cancer out of ‘hiding’ and into the bloodstream, having patients exercise before taking blood samples could be used as a way to monitor their condition or disease recurrence, says first author Harrison Collier-Bain, University of Bath.
Seasonal produce recommendations: June
Every fruit or vegetable has a natural growing season, but modern storage and transportation methods make it possible (and convenient) to have whatever produce you want, whenever you want it, and have any type of produce from across the globe. But eating locally-sourced food—picked during its actual growing season—might be healthier, since it takes less time for produce to go from the ground to your mouth. This means eating more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
June produce recommendations:
Asparagus
Artichokes
Avocados
Cucumbers
Kale
Tomatoes
Apricots
Blackberries
Blueberries
Strawberries
Researchers use AI to curate individualized antidepressant recommendations
What’s the story?
Researchers with George Mason University created a website that uses artificial intelligence to pair patients with the best antidepressant for their specific needs.
The website is called MeAgainMeds.com. It uses patient medical history to curate evidence-based recommendations for providers and patients.
What is the science?
The team analyzed millions of patients and antidepressant use.
Afterwards, they created 16,770 subgroups based on different types of medical histories.
Finally, they created a site that uses AI to match patients with an antidepressant based on the outcomes of patients with a similar medical history, said researcher Farrokh Alemi, professor of health informatics at the College of Public Health at GMU.
Big picture:
A recent study shows that monthly antidepressant prescriptions for young adults (aged between 12 and 25 years) increased nearly 67% between 2016 and 2022. With the ongoing mental health crisis still increasing demand, researchers believe this site can be an effective tool for the masses.
Help grow the Livelong community!
If you can, please share this newsletter with others so that we can continue to give you fresh, actionable, and evidence-based information that supports your health and wellbeing. Thank you for helping to spread the longevity movement!
In other news
Financial stress is heavily linked with developing worse biological health in the future, according to a study published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity. Read more.
Oura ring has 2 new heart health features in its armamentarium, Cardiovascular Age (CVA) and Cardio Capacity, which can help patients to monitor their heart health and promote healthspan. Read more.
Scientists developed a visual tool to evaluate how much a food has been processed. Read more.
Heat does help sore muscles to recover faster, with experts suggesting it is most effective if used for a long time and right after a workout. Read more.
Between 2017 and 2022, PTSD diagnoses skyrocketed among college students (3.4% versus 7.5%), which was likely caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.
Travel with Livelong
Summer travels? Put on compression socks!
Written by Brad Inman, Founder, Livelong
On a recent 15-hour flight, I reluctantly slipped into my compression socks.
They are difficult to get on, hot, uncomfortable, and throw off my wardrobe,🤓 But most experts agree it's the healthy thing to do when flying long distances. Compression socks squeeze your legs to increase the pressure in the tissues beneath your skin.
A Cleveland Clinic report lays out the benefits:
Increases blood flow in the legs.
Reduces leg and ankle swelling.
Prevents blood pooling in the veins of your legs.
Reduces the risk of blood clots.
Improves lymphatic drainage.
Reduces general pain and discomfort.
There are two types of compression socks: graduated and anti-embolism stockings (your doctor can advise on which type suits you), and they come in two lengths—knee-high and thigh-high. Full compression tights are the new fashion statement.
Coming next Tuesday…
Special interview with Dr. Robert Lufkin, an adjunct clinical professor at USC School of Medicine and author of the new bestseller Lies I Taught in Medical School: And the Truths That Can Save Your Life
About Livelong
Longevity science can feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland at times—it is a rabbit hole of intrigue, but laden with misinformation: where one magic pill claims to make you bigger, another makes you smaller. Our goal at Livelong is to provide you with credible and actionable information about health and longevity so you can live a longer and healthier life and guide you toward making insightful decisions that support you during your health and longevity journey.
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