Health

(PHILADELPHIA) — The Philadelphia Department of Health is tracking a measles outbreak in the city, with eight confirmed cases as of Monday.

Health officials told ABC News all confirmed cases are among non-immune individuals.

The health department said it’s actively tracking current cases and has listed several known exposure sites across the city, mostly at health care facilities and a daycare.

The first known case was identified as a patient who was admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in early December, where three other non-immune children were exposed and later tested positive for the virus, health officials said. At least three of the cases have resulted in hospitalization.

Health officials recommend anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to quarantine alone at home and stay away from other people.

Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases and can easily spread from one case to dozens of others in a contained area, said Dr. Indi Trehan, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles virus particles can remain infectious for up to two hours once airborne.

After an initial flu-like illness, patients with measles can develop, ear infections, severe diarrhea, superimposed pneumonia, or brain infection and swelling.

“It’s a ‘surface’ disease, which means that all the major exposed surfaces of your body get broken down, like your respiratory tract, GI tract and eyes,” Trehan said.

Measles infection can lead to blindness, weakness of the immune system and even rare neurologic symptoms years later in life. According to the Philadelphia Department of Health, one in five patients require hospitalization.

Individuals with measles should follow strict isolation measures, or risk spreading it to unvaccinated individuals. High-risk groups for serious illness include young children, the elderly, pregnant people and people with weakened immune systems.

The CDC recommends vaccination with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 to 15 months of age, and again at 4 to 6 years of age. There is no known treatment for measles besides supportive care and giving vitamin A to help reduce the risk of death. Experts do not recommend giving vitamin A to prevent measles.

The measles vaccine has prevented 56 million global deaths between 2000 and 2021, according to the World Health Organization. The United States declared measles an eliminated disease in 2000, but outbreaks have been increasing from unvaccinated individuals due to immigration, disrupted vaccine schedules from COVID-19 isolation regulations, and growing vaccine hesitancy since a debunked study falsely linked the MMR vaccine to autism.

The only way to prevent measles is to get the highly effective MMR vaccine, said Dr. Danielle Kerr, medical director for infection prevention at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

“We have to hear families out and respect their concerns and fears, and provide them data-driven evidence and stories that illustrate why it’s so important to be vaccinated,” Kerr said.

She recommended parents and caregivers use reputable sources to answer questions about the vaccine, such as the CDC or their pediatrician.

Trehan encouraged parents and caregivers who notice symptoms of measles in their child to call their local health care center ahead of time so the facility can prepare precautions. These symptoms include a high fever of around 103 to 105 degrees, copious congestion, red eyes, a rash that spreads head to toe and extreme irritability, according to the CDC.

“It’s on all of us to protect each other as a society, as a human family,” Trehan said.

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(NEW YORK) — For children under the age of 2, television screen time is associated with sensory differences later in toddlerhood, according to a new study.

Children who watched any television or DVDs at 12 months of age were twice as likely by 36 months to experience “atypical sensory processing” – that is, challenges in processing day-to-day sensory input – compared to others of that age. After 18 months of age, each extra hour of screen exposure was associated with around a 20% increased likelihood of sensory processing differences, according to the study, published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.

For the study, researchers analyzed 1,500 caregiver surveys regarding their child’s sensory preferences, such as sensitivity to, preference for, or avoidance of different noises, lights, and textures. The study only looked at children who watched television, not smartphones or tablets, because the survey data was gathered prior to 2014.

The study, led by researchers at Drexel University, follows previous research showing how screen time impacts the ways kids speak, hear, feel and think.

A study published last year found that screen time for 1-year-olds was associated with developmental delays in problem-solving and communication as early as ages 2 and 4.

Examples of sensory processing issues can include everything from a child feeling uncomfortable in clothes to handling bright lights or loud noises differently than others, according to the Child Mind Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on kids’ mental health and learning disorders. Sensory processing issues run the spectrum from possibly minimally affecting a child’s life to interfering with their daily function.

Sensory issues can exist on their own, but are sometimes seen with conditions like autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), according to the Institute. The Drexel study was not able to comment on the prevalence of autism, ADHD, or OCD with screen time.

Dr. Karen Heffler, an associate psychiatry professor at Drexel University and lead author of the new study on screen time, said she became interested in research on the impact of screen time on young children after her own son was diagnosed with autism.

“I’m very interested in any potential factors that could help other families whose children are diagnosed with autism,” Heffler told ABC News, adding that this study adds data about screen time for very young children, especially those under one year of age. Prior studies have mostly focused on children older than a year.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) currently recommends against any screen time for children under the age of 2, excluding live video chats, like FaceTime with family members. The AAP further recommends a 1-hour per day time limit on screen time for children ages 2 to 5.

Research shows, however, that the majority of children under the age of 5 are watching more screen time than is recommended, due in part to the increasing prevalence of mobile devices as well as digital accessibility, content targeted to children, and increases in screen-time use during COVID-19.

Takeaways for parents on screen time and young kids

While experts agree that limiting screen time is generally better for brain development, they caution against concluding that the screen time itself is leading to sensory differences.

Dr. Emily Myers, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital, told ABC News that while non-interactive screen time does decrease opportunities for children to learn self-regulation skills and connection to their physical environment, there are cases where children might use screens more to self-regulate, because of pre-existing sensory differences.

She also said that home and family environments matter, too, and that screen time can sometimes be a proxy for something else going on in the home that might affect development.

The study out of Drexel University associated screen time only with sensory differences, and not necessarily with conditions like ADHD or autism, although past studies have shown that children with these conditions tend to also experience sensory differences.

However, although some specific sensory changes at 18 and 24 months of age can be associated with developing autism, it’s difficult to predict if sensory differences will positively or negatively impact that child’s lived experience, according to Dr. Jade Cobern, a pediatrician and neonatal hospitalist at Johns Hopkins.

“If the sensory differences are getting in the way of them meaningfully engaging in the world or they are distressing to a point that it becomes a problem, that’s when we start to worry about some of the negative impacts of these sensory differences,” Cobern said.

When she counsels parents on decreasing screen time, Myers said she acknowledges the modern ubiquitousness of screens, even for adults, saying, “It’s very difficult to unplug a specific age population when everyone around them has screens on all the time.”

Prior studies have identified lack of affordable alternative activities, parental fatigue, and burnout as barriers to decreasing screen time for children, and note that parents can often experience guilt when regulating screen time for their child.

In her practice, Myers recommends a more holistic approach to identifying possible barriers to decreasing screen time, such as assessing whether a family’s basic housing, food, and safety needs are being met. She said she also spends a lot of time on helping families promote relationships with their child, as well as problem-solving with them.

“I haven’t seen a lot of families actually have a lot of success with decreasing screen time,” Myers said. “Usually there’s some other really significant contextual factors which are interfering and need to be addressed, in addition to screen time.”

Cobern also recommends tailoring approaches to the specific family and patient, and collaboratively brainstorming accessible ways to decrease non-interactive screen time and increase healthy developmental activities, such as reading, playing with objects, and socializing with other children, even if those activities might entail screens.

“Everyone has to be realistic when we’re talking about how parents can support their children’s development,” Cobern said, adding of research like the Drexel study, “It’s not to shame screentime exposure because the reality is we live in a world where screens are part of our daily lives.”

She continued, “It really is inevitable that most kids will see some screen time even early in life, but it is something I encourage families to be mindful of.”

Angela Y. Zhang, MD (she/hers), is a pediatric resident at University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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(NEW YORK) — The American Red Cross said Monday it is experiencing an emergency blood shortage.

According to the humanitarian organization, it is seeing the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years.

Hospitals are currently receiving blood products — including whole blood, red blood cells, plasma and platelets — faster than donations are coming in, the Red Cross said in a release.

This means the Red Cross, which says it supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood donations, has had to limit distributions of some of the most transfused blood types to hospitals.

Dr. Eric Gehrie, a medical director at the American Red Cross, said that when hospitals don’t have a full blood bank, patients who need transfusions may have delays, surgeries may be rescheduled and it may result in more of a struggle for patients with rare blood types to find donors that match.

“There is more need for blood at hospitals than we are able to provide at current donation levels and this is an issue that is really … a long-term problem,” he told ABC News.

In addition to donor numbers dropping overall, Gehrie said that since the COVID-19 pandemic began in January 2020, there has been a reduction of 300,000 blood donors.

“To put the numbers in perspective, we need an additional 8,000 donations every week in January in order to meet current hospital need,” he said.

The Red Cross said it experienced a 7,000-unit shortfall between Christmas and New Year’s Day and challenges including respiratory virus season and winter weather could lead to more donation drives being canceled.

Gehrie said there are several factors are behind the decline in blood donations over the years including the pandemic, which led to many people staying at home and working remotely, making it challenging to host blood drives.

“In the past, the American Red Cross worked with a lot of businesses and schools who would host blood drives on site and where it was possible for a lot of people to donate blood,” he said. “As the way that we learn and work has changed, it’s been harder and harder to attract as many donors to a employer- or school-related blood drive.”

Additionally, he said donors are sometimes deferred for reasons including iron levels, hemoglobin levels or travel restrictions. Those donors may not realize they may be able to donate at a future time, he added.

This is not the first the Red Cross has alerted the public to the diminishing blood supply.

In January 2022, during the omicron wave of the pandemic, the Red Cross said the U.S. was seeing “a national blood crisis” due to a drop in donations and donation drives.

Additionally, in September 2023, the Red Cross said the national blood supply had dropped to “critically low levels” due to summer travel and storms such has Hurricane Idalia disrupting donation collection.

According to the Red Cross, only 3% of age-eligible people, or about 6.8 million Americans, donate blood every year.

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration dropped all restrictions related to sexually active gay and bisexual men donating blood, moving to a new blood donation risk assessment tool that is the same for every donor regardless of how they identify.

Public health experts and gay rights activists have said the new policy could help make blood donation more inclusive and reach new donors at a time when the blood supply is low.

 

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(NEW YORK) — Respiratory illness activity is elevated or increasing across most areas of the country, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Some 38 states plus New York City are experiencing “high or very high” levels of respiratory illness activity, according to the CDC. Of those states, 21 are experiencing “very high” activity. Last week, 31 states were experiencing “high or very high” activity.

Respiratory illness activity is defined as people going to the doctor with symptoms, including fever and a cough and/or sore throat, from any respiratory disease including flu, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the common cold.

“A steady increase in respiratory illnesses is a common annual trend, typically fueled by holiday gatherings and travel,” says ABC News contributor John Brownstein, Ph.D. “This year is no exception. With January and February often marking the peak of such illnesses, it’s crucial to exercise heightened vigilance now.”

Flu hospitalizations also continue to increase, rising 35% in the most recent week. The CDC estimates that there have been at least 10 million illnesses, 110,000 hospitalizations, and 6,500 deaths from flu so far this season. Adults over 65 have the highest rates of flu hospitalizations.

CDC modeling estimates that flu infections are growing or likely growing in 47 states and territories.

COVID-19 hospitalizations also have increased for eight consecutive weeks, rising 20% in the most recent week but so far remaining lower than the same time last year. Adults over 65 have the highest rates of COVID-19 hospitalizations.

CDC modeling further estimates that COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 42 states and territories.

RSV activity remains elevated in many areas of the country, though decreases have been observed in some areas. Infants under 4 years of age have the highest rates of RSV hospitalizations.

Adults over 65 and American Indian/Alaska Natives, as well as and Asians/Pacific Islanders, have the highest rates of death due to COVID-19, flu and RSV, though COVID-19 remains the main driver of all viral respiratory deaths in those groups.

Health officials recommend that everyone get an updated flu and COVID-19 vaccine, as well as RSV vaccines, if eligible. It’s best to get vaccinated a soon as possible, since it often takes up to two weeks after being vaccinated to reach full protection, according to the CDC.

The federal government maintains a national database of vaccine locations at vaccines.gov. You can also call 800-232-0233. For RSV vaccines, the CDC recommends talking to your doctor or health care provider.

“My advice is to prioritize health safety measures like staying home when sick, get vaccinated if you haven’t already, and practice good hygiene to prevent the spread of illnesses,” Brownstein tells ABC News.

 

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(NEW YORK) — A variant that has been circulating in the U.S. for the last couple of months currently makes up a majority of COVID-19 cases in the United States.

JN.1, a descendant of BA.2.86 — which is itself an offshoot of the omicron variant — now makes up an estimated 61.6% of cases in the country, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is up from the estimated 3.3% of cases the variant made up in mid-November, CDC data shows.

The Northeast is the region of the U.S. with the highest prevalence, making up an estimated 74.9% of COVID-19 cases, according to the CDC.

Last month, the World Health Organization listed JN.1 as a “variant of interest,” meaning it contains changes that may result in increased spread or reduced efficacy of treatments or vaccine but is not as serious as a “variant of concern.”

This comes as COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to increase across the U.S., rising for the eighth consecutive week to levels not seen since January 2023.

JN.1 has an additional mutation in its spike protein compared to its parent, BA.2.86, according to the CDC. The spike protein is what the virus uses to attach to and infect cells.

The CDC says this suggests that either the variant is more transmissible or better at evading the immune system than other variants that are circulating.

“It does seem to be more transmissible because it’s rising up the charts, not only in terms of the majority of cases right now, but the rate of increase is really dizzying,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News.

He pointed that out that the U.S. being able to track JN.1 is sign that public health systems are successfully identifying new variants and following variant spread.

“To me, anyway, the U.S. lagged many countries early on in the pandemic, but right now, I think by tracking where JN.1 is going — not only as a country but in regions — really gives me confidence that, as we move along in the pandemic, we are able to hopefully identify new variants, the programs in airports, wastewater. They are all going to work together,” he said.

Public health experts said there is no evidence JN.1 has different symptoms or causes more severe illness and that it’s normal for the virus to mutate, causing new variants to emerge.

Additionally, existing tests, vaccines and treatments are still expected to work, experts say.

In an update on Friday, the CDC said that COVID test positivity levels in wastewater samples are higher than this time later year.

Chin-Hong said data from Singapore and from other countries, where JN.1 was predominant earlier, shows it does not seem to be causing a higher proportion of people to be hospitalized.

“But like with other variants that are more transmissible, the more people that get infected, even if a smaller percentage of them go to the hospital, it’s going to numerically mean a lot,” he said.

He explained that this is why it’s important to get the updated vaccine. As of Friday, only 19.4% of adults ages 18 and older have received the updated vaccine, CDC data shows.

“We know that immunity wanes the fastest in those who are older and those who are immunocompromised,” Chin-Hong said. “And for people who didn’t get [COVID] in the summer, they might say, ‘Well, look, I did all these things. I didn’t get it.’ It may not be true for JN.1. Enough time has elapsed since many [people] got a shot.”

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(NEW YORK) — If you have a friend who suggests grabbing dinner at 5 p.m., or a co-worker who you see eating her first meal at noon, she is probably doing the latest wellness trend: Intermittent fasting.

The idea of fasting is, of course, thousands of years old but the idea of fasting for a certain time period every day has more recently become a buzzy wellness trend.

The good news, according to experts, is that this is one nutrition trend that is safe and effective.

“It’s nice when something is popular and actually safe,” said Robin Foroutan, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the Morrison Center in New York City and a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Here are 10 questions answered about intermittent fasting (IF).

1. What is IF?

Intermittent fasting is simply limiting the times during which you eat.

The eating patterns in fasting range from alternate day fasting — where you fast for 24 hours and then eat normally the next 24 hours — to a plan like the 5:2 diet where you fast for two days of the week and eat normally the other five days.

The buzziest type of fasting today, and the most practical for most people, is the version of intermittent fasting, or time-restricted feeding, where you eat typically only in an eight-hour time period.

This version of IF just pushes your first meal to later in the day and your last meal to earlier in the evening.

2. How do I get started?

You can do it tomorrow. One benefit of intermittent fasting is you do not have to go out and buy 5 pounds of kale or grass-fed beef and cook elaborate recipes.

You can begin this way of eating with your current diet. The only way to start is to figure out the eating window of time that will work for you and give it a try.

3. Are there specific hours for IF?

Foroutan recommends establishing an eating window from around 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. to around 6 or 7 at night.

There is no set definition of the hours of intermittent fasting, according to Foroutan.

There is also no research yet that confirms that eating within a period of 10 hours, for example, is better than eating within a 12-hour time frame, so you can make the plan work for you.

4. Is the advice I’ve always heard to start the day with breakfast wrong?

No. Both pieces of nutritional advice — to fast and to eat breakfast soon after waking up — can be right because each individual is so different.

“There is no one right way. There is no one right diet for everyone,” Foroutan said. “You do have to listen to your body cues.”

If you are trying intermittent fasting and waking up ravenously hungry, Foroutan recommends shifting your fasting hours forward and eating your first meal earlier.

5. Does it matter what time I stop eating?

Yes. You should stop eating at least two hours before you go to bed, according to Foroutan.

“The early dinner seems to be the most important according to the research,” she said. “Finishing eating at an earlier time is the most beneficial.”

6. Do I need to change my diet, too?

Only if you want to lose weight, according to Dr. Jason Fung, founder of the Intensive Dietary Management (IDM) Coaching Program.

“If you want to maximize fasting, you should really stick to a whole, non-processed foods diet,” he said. “But even if you eat exactly the same thing but eat in a concentrated period of time, research shows there are still benefits, that your insulin levels are lower and your insulin resistance is lower.”

He added, “And when you eat in a concentrated period of time, you tend to eat less overall.”

7. What if my stomach starts growling while I’m fasting?

In general, the advice is to keep going with your fast, but listen to your body.

“You are going to get hungry because you’re used to eating three times a day,” Fung said. “But the hunger doesn’t continue to rise. If you don’t eat, then the hunger hormone, ghrelin, goes back down to baseline.”

People who are intermittent fasting should stay well hydrated. In addition to water, coffee, green tea and bone broth may be options to consume during fasting hours, depending on the guidelines you’ve set.

Listen to your body and keep in mind that the goal of intermittent fasting is to feel better, not worse, Foroutan said.

“If you are dragging through the day with headaches and you’re hungry and you’re distracted and can’t think, you’re probably not doing it right or this plan isn’t for you,” she said. “You should be feeling better in the short term, too.”

8. What are the health benefits of intermittent fasting?

Research shows that, overall, intermittent fasting helps decrease cholesterol, decrease insulin in the blood, results in some weight loss and reduces inflammatory markers.

However, more studies are needed to determine whether intermittent fasting improves actual diseases like heart disease and diabetes, experts say.

In healthy, normal weight, overweight or obese adults, there is little evidence that intermittent fasting regimens are harmful physically or mentally. It appears that almost any intermittent fasting regimen can result in some weight loss, but more studies are needed to determine whether this weight loss is sustainable, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

Foroutan said she has seen first-hand in her practice intermittent fasting improve things like digestion, gas, bloating and even sleep.

9. What is happening in my body when I fast?

When you fast, you are allowing your body to use up its stored food energy and cleaning out excess fat and sugar, according to Fung.

“You store food energy when you’re eating and you burn food energy when you’re fasting and it should be a normal cycle,” he said. “You don’t have to keep shoving a muffin in your mouth every two hours to stay alive. Your body is able to handle it.”

10. Is there anyone who should not do it?

Yes, children, people who are underweight or malnourished and people who have a history of eating disorders should not do intermittent fasting, experts say.

People with Type 1 diabetes and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are also cautioned against intermittent fasting, and should only do so with medical guidance.

Editor’s note: This piece was originally published on June 28, 2018.

 

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(NEW YORK) — While Dry January — giving up alcohol for the month of January — has been shown to have benefits like better sleep and increased energy, giving up drinks could also help you live longer and look younger, research shows.

“Everyone will feel better [after] a month of alcohol-free. Everyone,” said Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News chief medical correspondent and a board-certified physician in OB-GYN and obesity medicine, who has participated in Dry January for the past seven years.

Here are three things to know about how replacing a cocktail with a non-alcoholic alternative, even for a month, can help you live longer, feel better and potentially make you look younger.

1. Alcohol use is related to age-related diseases

There are a number of negative health effects of alcohol consumption, particularly when done in excess or binge drinking.

Beyond the risk of accidents and injury when under the influence of alcohol, it is a risk factor for diseases including several cancers — such as breast and gastrointestinal cancers — liver disease, stroke, heart disease, and mood and memory problems, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many of which can lead to premature death and early aging.

“Alcohol’s negative impact ripples across communities, affecting our bodies and minds, burdening our health care systems and leaving a trail of shattered lives,” Dr. Michael Caldwell, chief medical officer of Dry January USA, the U.S. branch of Alcohol Change UK — the charity that launched the Dry January movement a decade ago — told ABC News.

Studies do show some of these negative health effects can improve as alcohol consumption is reduced, which can help people live longer lives.

A 2018 study published in the British Medical Journal found that among nearly 100 participants abstaining from alcohol for a month, and 50 who did not, moderate-heavy drinkers who abstained had improved health markers including lower insulin resistance, weight, blood pressure and certain cancer-related biological markers.

2. Alcohol can worsen skin conditions

Alcohol use is also related to skin health.

A 2019 study of over 3,000 women ages 18 to 75 found that heavy alcohol use, defined as eight or more drinks per week, was associated with under-eye puffiness, increased upper facial lines, blood vessels and the loss of volume in the face.

Alcohol is dehydrating, which can decrease the skin’s elasticity and cause it to have a dry appearance.

Studies have shown that alcohol use can also worsen skin conditions, including psoriasis, an inflammatory disease that visibly damages skin.

3. Alcohol is linked to biological aging

Beyond diseases and visible signs of aging, alcohol consumption is also associated with biological aging.

A large 2022 study published in Nature analyzed nearly 250,000 biological samples in the United Kingdom and found that higher alcohol consumption resulted in shorter telomer length, a potential biological marker of aging that can contribute to more age-related diseases.

While studies specifically looking at anti-aging effects of alcohol cessation are lacking, some evidence has shown negative health effects can be improved as alcohol use is reduced, which can help people live longer lives.

As mentioned previously, the 2018 study published in the British Medical Journal found that among nearly 100 participants abstaining from alcohol for a month, and 50 who did not, moderate-heavy drinkers who abstained had improved health markers including lower insulin resistance, weight, blood pressure and certain cancer-related biological markers.

Doctors also say what is known about the negative health effects of alcohol use can be used to understand how cutting back could slow age-related diseases, visible signs of aging, and prevent people from mental health declines with age.

“Consumption dehydrates our skin and increases inflammation, which promotes premature aging,” Caldwell said, adding that reducing alcohol intake may mean “your mental health will improve, you will be more present with increased clarity of thought and you will have more meaningful relationships.”

How to get started reducing alcohol use

For anyone deciding to participate in Dry January or looking to simply cut back on their alcohol consumption, Ashton recommends telling friends you’re participating, which helps provide accountability.

Ashton also recommends marking successful days off on a calendar to track progress, and trying mocktails or other non-alcoholic beverages, especially if triggering social situations cannot be avoided.

There are also mobile apps, such as Try Dry, run by Alcohol Change UK, that can provide similar tracking and accountability reaching the Dry January goal.

“Even for a short period of time, you will gain much more than you realize by reducing and eliminating alcohol use from your life,” Caldwell said.

Ashton warned that the Dry January movement is not meant to be a tool for people struggling with alcohol addiction.

“I can’t emphasize this enough,” she said. “This is not for abstinence and sobriety reasons, but if you cut try to cut down and you are struggling, please seek professional help.”

If you are concerned about yourself or a loved one, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMSA) confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). For information and resources about alcohol-related problems and health, visit the website of the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) HERE.

Dr. Jade A Cobern, M.D., MPH, is a board-certified pediatrician specializing in general preventive medicine and is a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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(NEW YORK) — In a small group of veterans diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury, treatment with a psychedelic drug, ibogaine was associated with improvements in daily function and mental health symptoms, a new study out of Stanford found.

“This could be one of the first treatments for traumatic brain injury,” said Dr. Nolan Williams, associate professor of psychiatry at Stanford, and principal study investigator. “I think it’s a moment of hope for veterans and folks with permanent neurological injury.”

The Federal Drug Administration classifies ibogaine as a Schedule I drug, citing “high abuse potential” and “no accepted medical use.” To receive the one-time dose, 30 Special Ops veterans traveled to a treatment site in Mexico where ibogaine use is unregulated.

The veterans received ibogaine under medical supervision while engaging in complementary activities including breathwork and yoga. Researchers found that both a few days and one month after the dose of ibogaine, the veterans reported improvement in cognitive abilities, in areas like daily life activities and interpersonal relationships, and in PTSD, anxiety, and depression symptoms.

Ibogaine is the psychoactive component of the iboga plant, which grows in Gabon and other countries of western equatorial Africa, and is used by local Bwiti religious practices for its hallucinogenic properties.

Mental and medical therapy currently exist for conditions like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder, but they work differently for everyone and for some are not enough, leading some to pursue unapproved therapies like ibogaine.

Although other hallucinogens, such as psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and MDMA, have been researched for varying psychiatric conditions, with increasingly promising results, ibogaine is still in the very early stages of this research. The drug’s side effects, including the risk of inducing a potentially fatal abnormal heart rhythm, may pose a challenge for future studies. The hallucinogenic properties of the drug could also be a risk for some patients. “Hallucinations for most people are brief and formative, but occasionally it could lead to significant psychological stress and poor outcomes,” said Dr. Lewis Nelson, chair of emergency medicine and chief of the Division of Medical Toxicology at Rutgers.

Researchers are not sure why ibogaine might help these different disorders, but some theorize that it acts on receptors implicated in addiction. Some experts say the hallucinogenic properties of ibogaine might allow participants to process their past experiences and emerge with new perspectives. “It’s a really complex drug that’s working across a lot of different systems,” said Williams. “That’s what makes it so powerful and so complicated to understand.”

While this study adds to growing literature around ibogaine therapy, Williams cautions against being too hopeful about ibogaine being a cure-all, especially since the medication was administered internationally with other complementary therapies. Nelson agreed, pointing to similar effects for other hallucinogens like psilocybin and MDMA. “This drug gives me a great experience and now I’m done with the drug and I feel great,” said Nelson. “Did the drug do it or did the experience do it?”

Questioning how future research would help balance benefits and risks of ibogaine, “What’s an acceptable death rate? I guess a little bit of that depends on how efficacious it is,” Nelson said.

For Williams and Nelson, these uncertainties emphasize the need for more trials in the United States. Controlled, supervised administration of the treatment could help remove some of the confounding factors, and reverse abnormal heart rhythms if they start. Future research trials would need many more participants to show efficacy and safety, and more rigorous evaluation for the cardiac side effects, said Nelson.

The road to ibogaine as a widely available therapy remains long and uncertain. There are already concerns about ethical and safe sourcing of the natural compound, and its applicability to structurally marginalized populations, as research pools for psychedelics remain predominantly white.

For now, Stanford researchers are gathering one-year follow-up data on the same veterans, while other studies are underway internationally, and some states discuss changing policy and increasing research funding to facilitate studying ibogaine.

“These are really tough diseases, so I love the fact that we’re looking at alternative treatments,” said Nelson. “We nibble around the edges and we struggle, and there’s not a lot of great therapies. I just think we have to be honest with ourselves about how good and safe the treatment is before we go out there and unleash it on the community writ large.”

Angela Y. Zhang, MD (she/hers), is a pediatric resident at University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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(NEW YORK) — The final food recall of 2023 could still be in some people’s fridges or freezers, so it’s time to check on any raw ground beef you may have on hand to ensure 2024 starts off with safe, healthy meals.

Valley Meats, LLC, has recalled approximately 6,768 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Dec. 31.

“The problem was discovered when the establishment notified FSIS that samples of ground beef products submitted to a third-party laboratory for microbiological analysis tested positive for E. coli O157:H7,” the agency wrote.

The items recalled by the Coal Valley, Illinois-based manufacturer were produced Dec. 22, 2023, and shipped to distributors in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Michigan for further distribution to restaurants.

The products subject to this recall bear an establishment number EST. 5712, marked inside the USDA inspection label.

See the full details of all eight recalled products below:

• 12-pound box package containing “ANGUS GROUND BEEF PATTIES” with product code 1208PL, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, Use By date Jan. 15, 2024, and time stamps between 7:36:38 a.m. to 08:00:48 a.m.
• 16-pound box packages containing “ANGUS GROUND BEEF PATTIES” with the product code 1253PL, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, Use By date Jan. 15, 2024, and time stamps between 7:25:50 a.m. to 08:00:36 a.m.
• 28-pound box package containing “Ground Beef Patties” with product code 72287, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, Use By date Jan. 15, 2024, and time stamps between 12:44:00 p.m. to 12:54:32 p.m.
• 28-pound box packaging containing “Ground Beef Patties” with product code 72287, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, Use By date Jan. 15, 2024, and time stamp 1:02:55 p.m.
• 24-pound box packaging containing “Ground Beef Patties” with product code 72284, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, Use By date Jan. 15, 2024, and time stamps between 1:10:09 p.m. to 1:10:17 p.m.
• 13.5-pound box packaging containing “GROUND BEEF PATTIES” with product code 1103, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, Use By date Jan. 15, 2024, and time stamps between 1:41:55:55 p.m. to 1:57:53 p.m.
• 20-pound box packaging containing “GROUND BEEF” with product code 8515, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, and time stamps between 1:16:24 p.m. to 1:31:15 p.m.
• 40-pound box packaging containing “GROUND BEEF” with product code 8020VP, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, and time stamps between 1:34:54 p.m. to 2:00:49 p.m.

As of time of publication, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Distributors and customers who may have purchased these products are urged by the USDA not to use them or distribute them further.

FSIS is also “concerned that some product may be in institutional or restaurant refrigerators or freezers.” The agency urged restaurants and institutions “not to serve these products” and instead throw them away or return the ground beef to the original place of purchase.

Valley Meats did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

People can become ill one to 10 days after consumption of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria, or STEC bacteria. Symptoms of E. coli bacteria include vomiting or diarrhea (sometimes bloody) that worsens over several days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most people recover within a week; some may develop a more severe infection.

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(NEW YORK) — A Connecticut woman will be the first non-resident of Vermont to use the state’s medical aid in dying law on Thursday morning, according to local reports.

Lynda Bluestein, a 76-year-old from Bridgeport, is suffering from terminal ovarian cancer and fallopian tube cancer. The five-year survival rate for these cancers is 31%, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Currently, there are nine other states aside from Vermont — California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington — as well as the District of Columbia where medical aid in dying is legal.

Until recently, Oregon was the only state that allowed terminally ill non-residents to seek physician-assisted suicide after a ruling in 2022 that it was unconstitutional to deny medical aid in dying to those who didn’t live in Oregon.

Bluestein and a physician, Dr. Diana Barnard, sued Vermont in summer 2022 claiming its residency requirement violated Vermont’s state constitution.

“Ms. Bluestein has lived a happy and meaningful life and does not want to die,” the lawsuit reads. “Should her suffering become unbearable, however, she wishes to have the option of medical aid in dying available to her.”

She reached a settlement in March 2023 after the state waived the residency requirement for Bluestein, allowing her to access medical aid in dying in Vermont.

Shortly after, in May 2023, Vermont become the second state to remove a residency requirement from its law, permitting doctors to prescribe life-ending medication to any terminally ill patient who is aged 18 or older. The bill was signed by Gov. Phil Scott.

According to local reports, Bluestein is set to die by lethal injection at 10 a.m. ET.

In 2022, she told The Associated Press that she watched her mother die of cancer and didn’t want her children to experience the same thing.

“She said, ‘I never wanted you to see me like this,'” Bluestein said of her mother.

“I don’t want my children to see me like that, either. I’d like their last memories of me to be as strong as possible, to interact with them and not in an adult diaper curled up in a fetal position, drugged out of my mind,” she continued.

While medical aid in dying is still a point of contention for many, as of 2018, a Gallup poll found that 72% believe doctors should be able to help terminally ill patients die while a slim majority, 54%, believe it is morally acceptable.

 

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