The science behind the CUE1
Focused stimulation for Parkinson’s
This phenomenon was first described in the 19th century when Professor Jean-Martin Charcot noticed an improvement in his Parkinson’s patients after a bumpy carriage ride.”
And How Is It Diagnosed?
“Millions of Americans are thought to have M.C.I., though exact numbers are hard to pin down because experts say the condition is underdiagnosed. There are likely several reasons for that: M.C.I. can be tricky to identify during a primary care visit, when physicians typically only have 15 minutes or so with a patient. People may also be scared to disclose their concerns to a doctor, or might not even realize that they have a problem.”
Delaware is 43rd among states in the US with 38% of the population considered obese! For comparison, West Virginia is 50th with 41% obese, and Colorado ranked 1st with 25% obese.
https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/Obesity/DE
GLP-1 medications semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) are expensive treatment options for obesity, usually $1,000 or more per month (although insurers and PBM’s pay less – I’ve heard around $500 +/-) The State of Delaware is currently blaming the expense of these medications on the increase in cost of the State Employee benefit programs.
Not factored in are the savings from complications of diabetes and hypertension and the reduction in cardiovascular and orthopedic disorders (savings which may take years to show up.)
Presently, Delaware has been spending about $2.5 million a month on these drugs – total health plan spending over the first six months is about $15 million, which would equate to $30 million per year!
Delaware chose to cover the drugs last March and is now reassessing whether to make changes to its coverage policies. The State Employee Benefits Committee, which oversees Delaware’s health care plans for state workers and retirees, will be discussing this issue at upcoming meetings on Feb. 20, March 11 and 25 before making a recommendation to the State. Email the benefits committee at sebc@delaware.gov if you would like to comment.
Ethical and Health Concerns
According to a recent NPR story on Delaware Public Media, drugs like Ozempic can help weight loss, but not without ethical and health concerns.
“North Carolina shouldered the cost of the weight loss drug Wegovy for 2,800 state workers in 2021. Last year, that number shot up to 25,000 totaling $100 million.
Last Thursday, the state decided not to pay for it any longer. Celebrities and people like Elon Musk who can afford $1,000 a month for Ozempic and Wegovy can still get them. However, a nurse in North Carolina told The New York Times that finding Wegovy is like winning the lottery.
These Food and Drug Administration-approved, plant-based injectable drugs were initially developed to treat diabetes, but they also help with obesity. But demand for Ozempic and Wegovy’s weight-loss properties rose so high that diabetics had trouble finding them. There aren’t enough chemicals to keep up with the demand, creating a scarcity.”
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2024/02/05/ozempic-health-concerns-ethics
Recent evidence on benefits of weight loss on hypertension:
https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2023.11.032
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.22022
Across the United States, millions of families are confronting a seemingly impossible question: When dementia changes a relative, how much should they accommodate their new personality and desires?
Katie Engelhart, a writer for The New York Times Magazine, tells the story of one family’s experience.
“I talk to our dog; I talk to our cats. Mind you that these are not deep conversations, such as the ones I have with my wife. It turns out, however, that the presence of pets in the house can have profound effects on slowing the verbal cognitive decline in older individuals. There is one catch: you have to be living alone.”
“I believe this study underscores something that is all too real about disconnectedness in our modern culture. Loneliness and isolation are significant threats to physical and mental health. Recently, the US Surgeon General issued an advisory on the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country.1 Primary care clinicians need to be aware of this and ask patients specifically about their social networks and feelings of loneliness.”
“Reaching out to, and building connections with family, friends, and — importantly — others in our communities who are disconnected, is vitally important to health and well-being. And, in some cases, a household pet can be a big benefit. I tell this to my dog and cats all the time.”
“Sleep has a huge impact on our health. It helps our brains function, protects against heart disease and supports our immune system. And without it we would die.
Although for something so important, we aren’t formally taught how to do it right, says Rebecca Robbins, a sleep scientist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “In America, you learn about nutrition or sex ed in school, but never about sleep.”
It may be why only a third of Americans get the recommended amount of sleep each night, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
https://www.npr.org/2024/01/09/1196978496/debunking-popular-myths-about-sleep
Neuralink implants brain chip in first human
“The first human patient has received an implant from brain-chip startup Neuralink on Sunday and is recovering well, the company’s billionaire founder Elon Musk said.
“Initial results show promising neuron spike detection,” Musk said in a post on the social media platform X on Monday.
Spikes are activity by neurons, which the National Institute of Health describes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body.”
https://www.reuters.com/technology/neuralink-implants-brain-chip-first-human-musk-says-2024-01-29/
GLP-1 agents such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) are game-changers. In addition to weight loss, they may reduce neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimers dementia, due to a reduction in metabolic syndrome, reduction in vascular events and neuroprotective effects.
“GLP-1 plays important role in augmenting insulin signalling inside the brain. GLP-1 receptors, present inside the brain, are also involved in cognition, synaptic transmission in hippocampal neurons, and cell apoptosis. Overexpression of this receptor is responsible for cognition enhancement and neuroprotection, while deficiency increases the chances of seizure and neurodegeneration (81, 82). Therefore, GLP-1 receptors are considered as validated target for exploring candidates with better neuroprotection and cognition enhancing abilities (83).”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9159769/
Want to slow memory loss after 60? A multivitamin may be the answer.
A group taking a multivitamin was two years younger in memory function than a group taking a placebo, research shows
It is the third in a series of studies assessing the cognitive effects of a daily multivitamin on older adults. And a systematic review, or meta-analysis, of the three studies accompanying the most recent paper said their cumulative results were similar: The group taking a multivitamin was two years younger in memory function compared with the group taking a placebo.
And don’t forget exercising and keeping your mind busy by reading and doing puzzles. If you are retired and watching cable TV and Fox News all day, doubt balanced meals or vitamins are going to help.
CNMRI: Neurology, Sleep Medicine, MRI 