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Chemotherapy doesn't just kill cancer cells. It also affects the microbes in the digestive tract. Researchers have discovered that some gut bacteria can reduce the side effects of these potent treatments, and that one family of cancer drugs may actually boost these protective bacteria. The phenomenon could help physicians to predict the severity of a patient's side effects, and it points the way to supplements that could help those whose guts aren't sufficiently protecting them. Turnbaugh's team found colorectal cancer patients taking a class of chemotherapy drugs known as fluoropyrimidines had less diverse microbiomes in their digestive systems. But the...

Researchers found that vitamin K2 supplementation reduces the frequency, intensity, and duration of nocturnal leg cramps (NLCs) in older individuals. Approximately 50% to 60% of adults experience NLCs (sometimes referred to as a Charley horse) in their lifetime. There are no medical treatments without a substantial list of unpleasant side effects. The multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial enrolled 199 individuals aged 65 years and older (mean age 72.3) who experienced two or more documented episodes of NLCs during a two-week screening period. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either vitamin K2 (menaquinone 7), 180 μg,...

Covid-19 struck Beth Green just in time for Christmas, upending her annual holiday gatherings. She planned on hosting her extended family at her Derry Township home on Dec. 23. She was especially excited because it’s difficult to get two of her adult sons together with their hectic schedules. Green, an administrator at a long-term care facility, said her covid symptoms weren’t serious. She went ahead with altered plans to host. She wore an N95 mask. She told family to attend at their own risk. Some did. Some didn’t.

Most seniors may suffer from some degree of vitamin D deficiency, according to a study from researchers at University of California at Davis and Rutgers University. For the study the researchers surveyed 400 men and women with an average age of 76 in either good health or with mild cognitive impairment. They found that nearly all of the participants showed low levels of vitamin D with 26 percent displaying a deficiency and 35 percent show what they classified as insufficiency. "This work, and that of others, suggests that there is enough evidence to recommend that people in their 60s and...

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University may be one step closer to eradicating debilitating heart diseases in humans, particularly those caused by excessive buildup of cholesterol.