Howard G. Smith, MD, AM
PENTA Medical Network
+1-617-488-9699
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Roundup 1st Week, October, 2026
WILL CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTS PROTECT YOUR BONES?
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd7AJeGR6c5/
Millions of older Americans take calcium and vitamin D supplements to protect their bones. But a new review in The BMJ suggests that these supplements may not provide meaningful protection against fractures and height loss.
Pharmacologsts at Canada’s McGill University and the University of Montreal analyzed 69 randomized controlled trials involving more than 153,000 adults. The aggregate data determined that there is little to no meaningful reduction in fractures with calcium supplements, vitamin D supplements, or the two taken together. The same pattern was seen for hip fractures and falls.
These findings do not apply to everyone. Those with osteoporosis, certain medical conditions, or nutritional deficiencies, likely have different needs. Any decision to start, stop, or change the supplements you are taking should be discussed with your medical team.
The researchers do suggest that greater attention be paid to strategies that have proven benefits including resistance and balance exercises. Then too, the best way to reduce the risks of falls is to identify and eliminate household fall hazards. These include eliminating throw rugs, keeping walking paths clear, installing handrails on stairs and grab bars in the bathroom, and improving lighting.
References On My Website.
#Calcium #VitaminD #BoneHealth #FracturePrevention #HealthyAging
Calcium, VitaminD, BoneHealth, FracturePrevention, HealthyAging
https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2025-088050
CHRONIC STRESS EATS AWAY AT YOUR HEART
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd7A2YTv7EJ/
Chronic stress may be doing more than making you feel worn out. A new study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology suggests they stress quietly changes the structure of your heart years before any cardiovascular disease becomes apparent.
Researchers from the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences and Imperial College London analyzed data from nearly 480,000 adults in the UK Biobank. They found that people with the highest levels of a blood marker of stress-induced chronic inflammation have a 43% higher risk of heart attack and stroke than those with the lowest levels.
This enhanced inflammation is also associated with thicker heart walls, smaller heart chambers, diminished filling of the heart with less blood pumped. All these changes develop silently over many years.
The researchers find that stress-related inflammation is also associated with smoking, excess body fat, and an adverse socioeconomic status.
While highly suggestive, this study does not prove that stress alone causes heart attacks or that preventing and treating inflammation will prevent them. More clinical trials are needed to determine whether stress and inflammation reduction treatments can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#ChronicStress #Inflammation #HeartHealth #HeartAttack #StrokePrevention
ChronicStress, Inflammation, HeartHealth, HeartAttack, StrokePrevention
https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurjpc/zwag435/8802224
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260920222354.htm
STOPPING GLP-1 DRUGS MAY RAISE HEART DISEASE RISKS
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd7Bd1HOPkj/
One in every 9 Americans now take GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound leading to control of type 2 diabetes, weight loss, and cardiovascular benefits New research published in the British Medical Journal suggests that stopping these medications causes some of these cardiovascular benefits to diminish.
Epdemiologists at St. Louis’ Washington University School of Medicine analyzed more than 333,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes and followed them for three years. Compared with people who continued the GLP-1 medications, those who stopped experienced an increasing risk over time of major cardiovascular events including heart attack, stroke or death. After six months of the meds, there is a 4% higher risk. After one year off therapy, the increase s about 14%, and after two years it reaches 22%.
The researchers emphasize that this was an observational target-trial emulation study. Like so many studies, it shows an association but not proof that stopping the drugs directly causes heart attacks or strokes.
The study does not mean that everyone taking a GLP-1 drug must remain on it indefinitely. Decisions about stopping, restarting or changing treatment should be made with an individual’s medical team. The study does suggest that those stopping the GLP-1s should be monitored for the onset of cardiovascular issues.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#GLP1 #Ozempic #HeartHealth #CardiovascularHealth #Diabetes
GLP1, Ozempic, HeartHealth, CardiovascularHealth, Diabetes
https://bmjmedicine.bmj.com/content/5/1/e002150
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260920222414.htm
A NON-SURGICAL APPROACH FOR ARTHRITIC KNEE PAIN RELIEF
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd7CKabBc-S/
Could a minimally invasive procedure provide relief from knee arthritis without replacing the joint? A novel treatment called genicular artery embolization, or GAE, is emerging as a possible option for some people with painful knee osteoarthritis.
GAE uses a catheter to reach tiny blood vessels around the knee and places microscopic particles that reduce blood flow to abnormal vessels associated with inflammation and pain. The outpatient procedure generally takes about one to two hours, and patients typically go home the same day.
At the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, the interventional radiologists performing this procedure reports that about 70% of patients have a drop in their pain scores by 50% or more. Some responders enjoy pain relief for two years or more.
Genicular artery embolization could eventually provide a middle ground between conservative treatment and knee replacement for selected patients with osteoarthritis. Until randomized, controlled trials with favorable results are completed, GAE is a proven substitute for knee replacement. Hopefully, it will be proven to be an excellent alternative.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#KneeArthritis #KneePain #Osteoarthritis #KneeReplacement #GAE
KneeArthritis, KneePain, Osteoarthritis, KneeReplacement, GAE
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922052030.htm
CHILDREN TAKING GLP-1 DRUGS DEVELOP NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd7Cw5lhqNX/
A new study in the journal Childhood Obesity is raising a red flag for parents and pediatricians of children and teenagers taking GLP-1 medications such as Victoza, Saxenda, Trulicity and Ozempic.
Nutritionists at Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital analyzed the health records of 2,031 children ages 10 to 17 who were taking a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Within one year of beginning one of these medications, nearly 17 percent, nearly 1 in every 6, were diagnosed with a nutritional deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency was the most common, affecting some 12 percent of the children.
This deserves attention because the teen are is a critical period for bone growth and physical development. GLP-1 drugs can reduce appetite and food intake, threatening adequate nutrition more.
The study data also reveals another problem. Nnutritional counseling was uncommon with only about 5 percent of those beginning the GLP-1s receiving counseling within the first 30 days after starting the drug and fewer than one-quarter receiving it within six months.
The Chicago nutritionists recommended initiating nutritional support when GLP-1 treatment begins rather than waiting until a deficiency occurs.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#GLP1 #ChildHealth #Nutrition #VitaminD #PediatricHealth
GLP1, ChildHealth, Nutrition, VitaminD, PediatricHealth
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21532176261486979
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260923035926.htm
A NOVEL BRAIN SCAN MAY DETECT FOOTBALL PLAYERS’ DEMENTIA, CTE, DURING LIFE
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd7DtzFxRO2/
Canadian radiologists now report a promising method for detecting chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in living people. Presently, the disorder is only reliably diagnosed at autopsy.
In a first in-human study, the investigators tested an experimental brain-imaging tracer called [18F]OXD-2314, capable of detecting the abnormal tau protein associated with CTE and other tau-related brain disorders.
The study included 10 people: seven healthy adults and three retired collision-sport athletes who were considered likely to have CTE. Their usual PET scans showed only modestly higher tracer activity in several cortical regions. But with the new tracer, tracer activity was 5 to 8 percent higher at the junction between gray and white matter, and 23 percent higher throughout white matter in the participants with suspected CTE.
This preliminary study involved only three living individuals with suspected CTE. Larger clinical studies and additional testing of tissue from patients with confirmed CTE are needed to determine whether this tracer technique will ultimately become a reliable way to identify CTE during life when behavioral modification might prevent this disease’s worst complications.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#CTE #BrainHealth #TauProtein #BrainImaging #SportsMedicine
CTE, BrainHealth, TauProtein, BrainImaging, SportsMedicine
https://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/67/supplement_1/262070
AN INJECTABLE SCAFFOLD HELPS THE BRAIN REPAIR ITSELF FOLLOWING STROKE
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd7EdV4M5AQ/
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed an experimental, injectable material that helps stroke-damaged brains grow new blood vessels, supports nerve growth, and improves post-stroke recovery. The bad news: the agent has only been tested in mice.
The treatment, detailed in the journal Cell Biomaterials, uses a porous biomaterial called MAPS, microporous annealed particle scaffolds. This agent combines with tiny biological packages called extracellular vesicles derived from the brains support cells. The resultant scaffold creates a structure inside the cavity left by a severe stroke and focuses natural repair signals where they are needed.
The investigators find that this therapy recruits immune cells which are usually associated with harmful inflammation after stroke. Under the conditions created by the scaffold, however, these white cells appear to contribute to tissue repair and new blood-vessel formation.
The treated mice develop more axonal fibers and regain movement faster. By eight weeks, their performance cannot be distinguished from healthy control mice.
What is ahead before human stroke victims can benefit from this therapy? Additional safety studies and larger-animal studies followed by a series of human clinical trials.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#StrokeRecovery #BrainRepair #RegenerativeMedicine #Neuroscience #MedicalResearch
StrokeRecovery, BrainRepair, RegenerativeMedicine, Neuroscience, MedicalResearch
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260902234512.htm
MIT DEVELOPS INJECTABLE “MINI LIVERS” THAT WORK INSIDE THE BODY
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd7FRFDNdoO/
MIT bioengineers have developed injectable “mini livers” that could someday boost the function of a failing liver without the need for a liver transplant.
They combine liver cells, hepatocytes, fibroblast support cells, and tiny hydrogel microspheres. This mixture, injected into the body via a syringe, forms stable tissue grafts that attract a new blood supply and remain alive for at least eight weeks. These established organoids than produce the specialized proteins and enzymes normally made by the whole liver.
The researchers call these grafts “satellite livers.” They could potentially provide additional liver function while leaving a patient’s damaged liver in place. They could also serve as a temporary bridge while someone waits for a transplant.
Very exciting but still experimental and only tested in mice. Recipients of these liver organoids would require immunosuppressive drugs. Still to be determined and individualized is the number of grafts needed to provide adequate liver function.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#MiniLivers #LiverResearch #RegenerativeMedicine #TransplantResearch #MedicalResearch
MiniLivers, LiverResearch, RegenerativeMedicine, TransplantResearch, MedicalResearch
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260903064249.htm
ONE SUGARY DRINK A DAY MORE THAN DOUBLES YOUR RISK OF STOMACH CANCER
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd7F8tMMIo7/
A decades-long study by gastrointestinal epidemiologists at Harvard’s Mass General Hospital finds that those consuming at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day had nearly 2.5 times the risk of developing gastric, that is stomach, cancer compared with people who drank less than one sugary beverage a month.
Their study, published in GastroHep Advances, included ,more than 112 thousand adults from the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. There data also pinpointed a greater risk for women: drinking more than one sugar-sweetened beverage a day was associated with a 3-fold higher risk compared with very infrequent consumption. Gastric infection wth the H. pylori bacterium, a risk for gastric cancer, is not increased by drinking sugary beverages.
Additional investigations will be needed to determine if the sugary drinks actually cause gastric cancer or are only associated with its development. Meanwhile, as will all things, moderation is the best policy.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#SugaryDrinks #StomachCancer #CancerResearch #NutritionResearch #MedicalResearch
SugaryDrinks, StomachCancer, CancerResearch, NutritionResearch, MedicalResearch
https://www.ghadvances.org/article/S2772-5723(26)00218-9/fulltext
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260909005207.htm
WHO REALLY NEEDS A HEART CALCIUM SCAN?
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd7G6ApMcyL/
An increasingly popular cardiac test is the coronary artery calcium scan. It images calcium deposits associated with the atherosclerotc plaques and could be predictive of impending coronary artery disease and heart attacks. The questions is: Should you gave one? The answer comes from a multicenter study Northwestern University Medicine study newly published in JAMA.
Cardiologists analyzed data from 6,098 adults ages 45 to 79 included in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and followed them for 10 years. The study group was divided into 3 groups using the so-called PREVENT criteria: minimal risk, borderline risk, and intermediate risk. All received cardiac calcium CT scans.
For borderline-risk patients, the risk of cardiovascular-events varied according to the calcium score: 1.9% with a scan score of zero, compared with 14.3% with a can score of 300 or higher. For intermediate-risk patients, the cardiovascular-event risk rate was about 4.9% when the calcium score was zero, compared with about 9.9% for scores between 100 and 300, and 11.2% for scores of 300 or higher.
Bottom line: A cardiac calcium CT scan is most useful for those with a borderline risk of coronary disease. Routine scanning of people at low risk exposes them to radiation and costs without clear benefit. On the other hand, those already identified as being at high risk may not gain much additional information because treatment decisions are already crystal clear.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#HeartHealth #CalciumScore #HeartDisease #Cardiology #MedicalResearch
HeartHealth, CalciumScore, HeartDisease, Cardiology, MedicalResearch
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2853347
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260911214254.htm