Potential Link Between Seed Oils And Breast Cancer, Study Shows
The study, conducted by Weill Cornell Medicine, showed the linoleic acid found in seed oils promoted growth of triple-negative breast cancer tumors in mice, Fortune Well reported. Also: hearing loss may impact dementia more than was previously thought; scientists don't know how to treat the increase in eating disorders; and more.
Fortune Well:
Seed Oils Show Possible Link To Cancer In New Study
A new study has linked the oils, including safflower, canola, corn, soybean, and sunflower oils, to an aggressive form of breast cancer. In the Weill Cornell Medicine study published last month in Science, researchers found that linoleic acid—the omega-6 fatty acid found in the oils—promoted growth of triple-negative breast cancer tumors in mice (though it’s important to note that the same results and treatments do not always translate to human clinical trials). (Mikhail, 4/17)
MedPage Today:
Hearing Loss May Play A Bigger Role In Dementia Than Previously Thought
Hearing loss may play a bigger role in dementia than previously thought, data from a U.S. cohort study suggested. ... The findings mean that "up to 32% of population-level dementia risk could potentially be delayed or prevented if we completely treated hearing loss, assuming there is a causal association between hearing loss and dementia," Smith told MedPage Today. (George, 4/17)
MedPage Today:
Study Questions New Proposal To Redefine Obesity
Virtually all individuals identified as having obesity based on body mass index (BMI) also had confirmed excess adiposity, according to an analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Among the 2,225 adults in the study, all under 60 years of age, 39.7% had obesity as defined only by higher BMI, while 39.1% had confirmed excess adiposity when using diagnostic criteria recently laid out by an expert commission that recommended pairing BMI with at least one other anthropometric index, or direct body fat measurement. (Monaco, 4/17)
The Wall Street Journal:
Eating Disorders Are On The Rise. Scientists Still Don’t Know How To Treat Them.
Eighteen years ago, Steve and Linda Znachko dropped their 14-year-old daughter Anna off at a private, inpatient eating disorder facility for the first time. The sign at the facility’s entrance read, “Expect a miracle.” As devout Christians with resources, they expected nothing less. This it turned out was just the beginning of what would be a long and grueling battle with anorexia. Anna spent nearly two decades cycling between therapists, treatment centers and psychiatric medications at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was a battle she ultimately lost: Anna Znachko died of anorexia in August 2024. (Andersen, 4/17)
Bloomberg:
Extreme Weather’s True Death Toll Is Becoming Clearer
From wildfires to tornados, heat waves to hurricanes, there seems barely time to process the last climate disaster before the next one is upon us. The World Meteorological Organization estimates there were 151 unprecedented extreme weather events last year alone. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency responded to a major weather-related disaster on average every four days in 2024. (Manning, 4/18)
The Hill:
New Study Shows Smartphone Usage Can Boost Mental Health
The question of when children should get smartphones and whether these devices are harmful has sparked debate for years, but new research from the University of South Florida challenges some long-held assumptions. Leading up to the study, researchers expected to find negative outcomes tied to smartphone use among children. Instead, they found the devices may not be as damaging to kids’ mental health as some believe and could, in fact, be beneficial. (Shafer, 4/17)
