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FDA Redefines “Healthy” for Better Consumer Choices 

United States: The FDA is adopting a brand-new regulation that will adjust what it means for a food item to be labeled as ‘healthy’ for the first time in 30 years; this move squares with contemporary scientific findings intended to assist consumers to make better food choices.  

A Major Update  

The “healthy” claim “can empower consumers” and assist the consumers in defining a healthy diet within the recommended guidelines set, the agency added, as reported by The Hills. 

“It’s critical for the future of our country that food be a vehicle for wellness. Improving access to nutrition information is an important public health effort the FDA can undertake to help people build healthy eating patterns,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement.  

For the final rule, they base foods labeled as healthy to contain at least a given quantity from at least one of the major food groups, including fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein. For the first time, the food also can not exceed certain levels of saturated fat, sodium, or added sugar.  

What’s New in the “Healthy” Definition? 

Examples include nuts and seeds, salmon and other high-fat fish, olive oil, and even water that has been fortified, which were not acceptable to make the “healthy” claim before.  

FDA Redefines "Healthy" for Better Consumer Choices.
FDA Redefines “Healthy” for Better Consumer Choices.

Excluding Unhealthy Foods 

It will alter the retail meanings to pull foods such as sugary cereals, sweetened yogurts, white bread, and some granola bars out of the ‘healthy’ category.  

The FDA stated that it is an optional program and there is no specific label that companies must employ. 

“Food labeling can be a powerful tool for change,” FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones said in a statement. “Food labeling, like ‘healthy,’ may help foster a healthier food supply if manufacturers choose to reformulate their products to meet the new definition.”  

The FDA noted that diet-related chronic diseases are the leading killers and disabling conditions in the US and result in America having the lowest life expectancy of all large high-income countries.   

FDA Redefines "Healthy" for Better Consumer Choices. Credit | The New York Times
FDA Redefines “Healthy” for Better Consumer Choices. Credit | The New York Times

New Leadership and Regulatory Changes Ahead 

Jones said in a briefing to the press that the FDA always monitors the food supply and will arrest enforcement on firms not meeting new requirements as soon as the rule kicks in.   

The change comes as President-elect Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has criticized the food industry for killing children with highly processed foods. That is why, if nominated and approved, regulating the industry is expected to become one of Kennedy’s priorities along with his Make America Healthy Again plan.  

This is news; Jones said Kennedy’s comments appear to be in sync with the agency’s nutritional targets, like sodium initiatives and the new ‘healthy’ guidelines, as reported by The Hills. 

“But until new leadership gives us their new policy direction, it is premature to say exactly how well these activities will align with their goals,” he said. 

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FDA Approves Self-Injectable Vyvgart Hytrulo for gMG and CIDP 

FDA Approves Self-Injectable Vyvgart Hytrulo for gMG and CIDP 

United States: The U.S. FDA has approved Vyvgart Hytrulo’s (efgartigimod alfa and hyaluronidase-qvfc) self-administered form for treating adult gMG patients who carry anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies and adult CIDP patients, as reported by HealthDay. 

Fast and Easy Subcutaneous Injection 

The Vyvgart Hytrulo prefilled syringe now functions as an approved subcutaneous device that needs 20 to 30 seconds during patient, caregiver, or healthcare professional administration.  

Testing between the Vyvgart Hytrulo prefilled syringe, and the Vyvgart Hytrulo vial led to the approval of this product by the FDA. The human factors validation studies demonstrated that both gMG or CIDP patients, along with their caregivers, could execute acceptable prefilled syringe preparation and administration of Vyvgart Hytrulo safely and effectively, as reported by HealthDay. 

Designed for Independence and Flexibility 

“Today’s FDA approval provides a new self-injection option across both approved indications in the U.S. that is designed for patients who seek more independence with their treatment,” Luc Truyen, M.D., Ph.D., the chief medical officer at argenx, said in a statement. “Whether patients prefer to receive their treatment in a physician’s office, at home, or while traveling, they can experience treatment on their own terms and continue to benefit from Vyvgart Hytrulo’s favorable safety profile and strong efficacy.” 

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Quick Walking May Prevent Heart Rhythm Issues 

Quick Walking May Prevent Heart Rhythm Issues 

United States: A new research finds that individuals who walk vigorously for long periods reduce their chances of developing heart rhythm abnormalities. 

Faster Walking, Healthier Heart 

The research in the Heart journal revealed that individuals walking over 4 miles per hour had a decreased chance of 43% developing heart rhythm abnormalities compared to walkers moving less than 3 miles per hour, as reported by HealthDay. 

According to researchers, the duration of movement together with average or brisk pace walking worked to decrease heart rhythm issues by 27%. 

Duration and Pace Matter 

“These new findings reinforce the promotion of faster walking pace in physical activity recommendations,” concluded the research team led by Jill Pell, chair of public health with the University of Glasgow in the U.K. “Walking at a brisk pace may have a role in … prevention of cardiac arrhythmias.” 

Inside the Research 

Study data originated from the UK Biobank health study, which encompassed 421,000 participants, with accelerometer-wearers representing 82,000 individuals who tracked their walking pace. 

A brisk walking pace existed in 41% of study participants, whereas an average walking pace occurred in 53%, and a slow pace was observed in less than 6%. 

The study results revealed that walking swiftly reduced heart rhythm issues by 43% or walking moderately reduced them by 35%. 

Atrial Fibrillation Risk Also Drops 

Analysis of data from UK Biobank demonstrates that brisk or average-paced walkers experienced a 46% and 38% decrease in atrial fibrillation risk rates, which elevates stroke risks, as reported by HealthDay. 

Quick Walking May Prevent Heart Rhythm Issues 
Quick Walking May Prevent Heart Rhythm Issues 

The connection between heart rhythm problems and walking pace appears to be shaped by 36% through inflammation alongside metabolic factors, according to expert estimation. 

What’s Behind the Benefits? 

Research from the past supports these findings because brisk walking leads to lower obesity levels and better blood sugar control, in addition to preventing diabetes and lowering high blood pressure, according to scientists. 

“This study is the first to explore the pathways underpinning the association between walking pace and arrhythmias and to provide evidence that metabolic and inflammatory factors may have a role,” researchers concluded. “Walking faster decreased the risk of obesity and inflammation, which, in turn, reduced the risk of arrhythmia.” 

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Smart Shirt Technology Monitors Heart Health in Real Time 

Smart Shirt Technology Monitors Heart Health in Real Time 

United States: The “smart shirt” coupled with an electrocardiogram (ECG) device enables researchers to detect people with elevated cardiovascular risks, according to recent study findings. 

The wearable shirt measures heart rate recovery after workouts, so it tracks how long it takes for the heart to stabilize, as reported by HealthDay. 

“The heart’s response to exercise provides us with an early indicator of changes in health, in particular cardiovascular function and mortality,” senior researcher Manuel Hernandez, a professor of biomedical and translational sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said in a news release. 

How It Works: Tracking the Heart’s Response to Exercise 

Researchers employed smart shirts developed by Carré Technologies based in Quebec for their investigation. Continuous heart performance measures are collected using sensors attached to the smart shirt that record heart rate and electrical cardiac activity. 

Study Participants Show Promising Insights 

The research team selected 38 participants from 20 to 76 years old to complete treadmill walking exercises. The seven participants underwent medical examinations, which revealed high blood pressure as their diagnosis. 

Sounds from the laboratory tests enabled researchers to establish risk prediction systems for targeting heart disease in individuals. 

Researchers declared the investigation kickstarts the development of heart health risk understanding for individuals. 

“We want to use it to provide us with some greater insight in terms of our underlying cardiovascular function,” Hernandez said. “And we want to make something that’s clinically actionable.” 

According to a co-author, wearable technology should give physicians access to a wealth of helpful data. 

A Game-Changer for Rural and Remote Healthcare 

“One would like to have a whole bunch of data from wearables, and then that data is transmitted to a doctor’s office, and the doctor can interpret it,” said co-researcher Richard Sowers, a professor of industrial & enterprise systems engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  

Based on Sowers’ statement in the news release, these wearable devices would benefit most people who live in rural areas and places where medical resources are scarce. 

Future investigations plan to extend study participant numbers and monitor their progress longitudinally, according to researchers. 

Research groups investigate various applications of the “smart shirt” technology. 

Global Use Cases Emerging 

During the European Association of Urology conference a month ago, scientists from Italy introduced a new tracking system using smart shirts to monitor the vital signs of patients after hospital discharge, as reported by HealthDay. 

“Our patients found the T-shirt easy to use, and over 90% reported it allowed them to feel safe and cared for while recuperating at home,” lead researcher Dr. Antonio Pastore, an associate professor of urology at Sapienza University of Rome in Italy, said in a news release. 

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