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New Research Reveals TikTok Physician-Influencers Hold Significant Sway Over Gen Z's Health Perceptions

New Research Reveals TikTok Physician-Influencers Hold Significant Sway Over Gen Z's Health Perceptions

A new study from Virginia Commonwealth University, co-authored by Suzanne Makarem, Ph.D., and published in the Journal of Consumer Affairs, indicates that young adults following physician-influencers on TikTok perceive them as more accessible, credible, and altruistic than their personal doctors. This perception holds true even when these physician-influencers are promoting products. A key finding is that followers often do not verify the medical credentials of these influencers. Makarem, an associate professor of marketing, notes that while young consumers are typically discerning about commercial intent from social media influencers, the presence of a physician changes this dynamic. The study analyzed 330 TikTok videos from 11 U.S.-based, licensed medical doctors with substantial reach and interviewed 26 Gen Z participants who actively follow these influencers. The research highlights that medical attire, such as lab coats and stethoscopes, significantly enhances perceived credibility, even when the cont...

Dietitians Recommend Anti-Inflammatory Snacks for Liver Health

Dietitians Recommend Anti-Inflammatory Snacks for Liver Health

Dietitians are highlighting specific snacks that can support liver health and reduce inflammation, a key factor in conditions like metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), also known as fatty liver disease. Lisa Andrews, M.Ed., RD, LD, emphasizes that nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, and cashews, provide monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, and antioxidants that help reduce inflammation. Another recommended snack is grapefruit, which contains anti-inflammatory antioxidants like naringin and naringenin. However, Andrews advises caution with grapefruit due to potential interactions with certain medications, including statins, blood pressure medications, anti-anxiety medications, and antihistamines. Oranges are also noted for their hesperidin content, a flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These dietary recommendations aim to combat inflammation, which, if unaddressed, can lead to scarring or cirrhosis of the liver.

Postpartum GLP-1 Prescriptions Surge Nearly 24-Fold Among Privately Insured New Mothers, Raising Safety Concerns

Postpartum GLP-1 Prescriptions Surge Nearly 24-Fold Among Privately Insured New Mothers, Raising Safety Concerns

A recent study published in JAMA reveals a significant increase in GLP-1 medication prescriptions among privately insured new mothers in the United States. The share of women initiating GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic or Zepbound, within six months of delivery rose from 0.08% in the first half of 2018 to 1.9% in the first quarter of 2025, marking a nearly 24-fold increase. This analysis, led by Sih-Ting Cai of the Schaeffer Center and co-authors from Indiana University, reviewed insurance claims covering over one million births. The steepest rise was observed in women with type 2 diabetes, with prescriptions climbing from 2.3% to 16.9% by early 2025. Women with a history of gestational diabetes also saw an increase from 0.4% to 2.7%, while those with diagnosed obesity or overweight experienced the fastest relative growth, from 0.4% to 3.9%. The study notes that most women started these medications at least three months postpartum, and patients are advised to discontinue GLP-1 drugs during pregnancy.

NHLBI Mandates Justification for Animal Use in Research Grant Applications by 2027

NHLBI Mandates Justification for Animal Use in Research Grant Applications by 2027

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) will require all grant applications submitted from January 2027 onwards to include an explicit justification for the use of animal models. This justification, to be placed in the application's Abstract section, must explain why animal models are necessary and why alternative methods are inferior. This new requirement aligns with the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) broader initiative to accelerate efforts in replacing, reducing, and refining animal use in research through New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). The NIH's Unified Strategy, announced earlier this year, aims to prioritize human-based research, particularly for chronic health issues affecting Americans, while reducing reliance on animal models. The NHLBI supports this strategy and encourages the development and use of NAMs in heart, lung, blood, and sleep research, citing examples like 3D 'valve-like assembloids' from human stem cells and lung iPSCs resources.

Smoking Cessation Linked to Reversal of Biological Aging, Study Finds

Smoking Cessation Linked to Reversal of Biological Aging, Study Finds

A new study published in the journal GeroScience indicates that quitting smoking can substantially reverse the biological aging caused by cigarettes. Researchers analyzed nationally representative data from 1,911 U.S. adults aged 50 to 84, participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2002. The study, led by Yeonju Kim and Habyeong Kang of Hanyang University in Seoul, focused on DNA methylation measurements, which are chemical modifications on DNA that serve as epigenetic aging clocks. These clocks estimate biological age based on methylation patterns. The findings consistently showed that current smokers had the highest epigenetic age acceleration. Crucially, former smokers exhibited a dose-response relationship: the longer they had abstained from smoking, the lower their epigenetic age acceleration. This pattern was observed across six different generations of aging clocks, with the strongest effects seen in GrimAge2 and DunedinPoAm, which are closely lin...

Strength Training Crucial for Post-Menopausal Women to Combat Muscle and Bone Loss

Strength Training Crucial for Post-Menopausal Women to Combat Muscle and Bone Loss

Strength Training Crucial for Post-Menopausal Women to Combat Muscle and Bone Loss

No plague cases detected in Siberia, Russia says, and locals play down scare

No plague cases detected in Siberia, Russia says, and locals play down scare

SHELEKHOV, Russia, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.

NIH Awards Wake Forest University School of Medicine $22.5 Million for Alzheimer's Research

NIH Awards Wake Forest University School of Medicine $22.5 Million for Alzheimer's Research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has granted Wake Forest University School of Medicine $22.5 million to continue the work of its Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) for another five years. This marks the center's second renewal, celebrating a decade of contributions to Alzheimer's research. The ADRC, one of 37 such centers in a national network, focuses on understanding how common health conditions and lifestyle factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, contribute to the risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Suzanne Craft, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine and founding director of the center, emphasized the goal of helping people maintain healthy brains as they age by identifying risk factors and early changes. The center supports over 160 grants aimed at new approaches to diagnosing, preventing, and treating Alzheimer's. It also provides data and biological samples from more than 1,000 participants to researchers ...

Post-Menopausal Women Advised to Adopt Weight-Bearing and Strength Routines for Bone Health

Post-Menopausal Women Advised to Adopt Weight-Bearing and Strength Routines for Bone Health

Post-Menopausal Women Advised to Adopt Weight-Bearing and Strength Routines for Bone Health

Inflammation Linked to Less Healthy Food Choices in Individuals with Obesity, Study Finds

Inflammation Linked to Less Healthy Food Choices in Individuals with Obesity, Study Finds

Research by neuroscientist Judith Scholing of the Donders Institute at Radboud University indicates that mild inflammation, common in severely overweight individuals, can lead to a reduced willingness to exert effort for food, often resulting in choices of easier, less healthy options. The study, published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, involved 150 severely overweight female participants, half with inflammation and half without. Participants were asked to choose between foods requiring varying levels of effort to obtain. The findings showed that those with inflammation were less likely to opt for options demanding more effort, regardless of whether the food was healthy or unhealthy. A follow-up experiment demonstrated a causal link: participants with inflammation given anti-inflammatory medication were more willing to exert effort for food.

Mayo Clinic Seeks Leading Scientist for Neuroscience Research in Florida

Mayo Clinic Seeks Leading Scientist for Neuroscience Research in Florida

Mayo Clinic's Department of Neuroscience is actively recruiting a distinguished scientist to establish a robust research program focused on neurodegenerative and related diseases at its Florida site in Jacksonville. The ideal candidate, holding a PhD, MD/PhD, or MD, is expected to possess an exceptional track record in innovative scientific discovery with a strong translational component. This includes expertise in biomarker discoveries, novel therapeutic approaches such as RNA and cellular therapies, and the utilization of human data, biospecimens, and model systems to accelerate the development of disease-modifying therapies and cures. The scientist will integrate efforts across various disciplines, including Neuroscience, Neurology, Artificial Intelligence, and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, to leverage large-scale human datasets and biospecimens. The role emphasizes uncovering key disease mechanisms and driving predictive and therapeutic advancements by combining expertise in human disease biology,...

Suspected plague death sparks outbreak concerns. Should we be worried?

Suspected plague death sparks outbreak concerns. Should we be worried?

Do Americans need to be worried about their safety after the suspected plague death in Russia? Here's what an infectious disease expert told us.