Author: directorsblog

Coffee Could Be Key To Aging Gracefully

directorsblog

by: Dennis Thompson

WEDNESDAY, June 4, 2025 (HealthDay News)
A morning cup of coffee might do more than momentarily boost your energy and spirits.

Full-test java also appears to help women age more gracefully, a new study says.

Middle-aged women who regularly drank caffeinated coffee were more likely to stay mentally sharp and physically functional as they aged, researchers reported Monday at a meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.

Each extra cup was tied to a 2% to 5% increased chance of aging gracefully, results show.

“The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee — not tea or decaf — may uniquely support aging trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function,” researcher Sara Mahdavi, a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a news release.

For the study, researchers tracked more than 47,500 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study, a long-term research project that has collected data since 1984.

The team compared the women’s caffeine intake to their healthy aging, which was defined as living to 70, being free from 11 major chronic illnesses, maintaining physical function, having good mental health and exhibiting no memory or thinking difficulties.
By 2016, more than 3,700 of the women met all the requirements for being considered a person who has aged gracefully, researchers said.

In middle age, these women typically consumed about 315 milligrams of caffeine daily, roughly three small cups or one and a half large cups of coffee, researchers said.

More than 80% of that caffeine came from coffee.

Each 80 milligrams of caffeine consumed daily increased a woman’s odds for healthy aging.
Caffeine intake also increased their odds of avoiding chronic illness, remaining physically strong and keeping their wits and memory, results show.

But not all sources of caffeine were the same.
Coffee alone was associated with healthy aging, with benefits accruing up to five small cups or two and a half large cups per day.

On the other hand, caffeinated colas tended to be linked to worse aging, researchers found.

Each additional small glass of soda was associated with a 20% to 26% lower likelihood of healthy aging, results show.

Decaf coffee and tea were not significantly associated one way or the other with aging, researchers noted.

“These results, while preliminary, suggest that small, consistent habits can shape long-term health,” Mahdavi said.

“Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors such as regular exercise, a healthy diet and avoiding smoking.”

However, researchers warned that coffee should not be considered a fountain of youth.

“While this study adds to prior evidence suggesting coffee intake may be linked with healthy aging, the benefits from coffee are relatively modest compared to the impact of overall healthy lifestyle habits and warrant further investigation,” Mahdavi added.

Researchers next plan to study how the compounds contained in coffee might act to influence a person’s aging.

Mahdavi presented the findings Monday at the American Nutrition Society’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fl.

Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

Johns Hopkins Medicine has more on the health benefits of coffee.
SOURCE: American Society for Nutrition, news release, June 2, 2025
HealthDay

Improvements In Prostate Cancer Tracking Help Men Stay In Active Surveillance

directorsblog

by: Dennis Thompson

Men in “watchful waiting” mode for their low-risk prostate cancer are staying healthier longer thanks to advanced imaging and treatments designed to keep their tumor at bay, a new study says.
Advanced MRI imaging and MRI-guided biopsies are providing a much clearer view of the prostate, allowing doctors to more easily track cancer changes over time, researchers wrote in The Journal of Urology.

Meanwhile, focal therapies are curbing the progress of prostate cancer by using heat, cold and electricity to kill tumor cells on the prostate, researchers said.

This combination is allowing men to remain in active surveillance longer without surgery or radiation therapy, which can cause long-lasting side effects like impotence and incontinence, researchers said.

“This represents a major advancement in the management of prostate cancer,” senior researcher Dr. Leonard Marks, chair of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said in a news release.
“By combining MRI-guided diagnosis with selective focal therapy, we can offer men a more personalized approach,” Marks said. “This strategy not only helps avoid unnecessary procedures, but also gives us a better way to predict who will benefit from extended surveillance, potentially improving quality of life and reducing side effects without compromising safety.”

About 60% of men with low-risk prostate cancer are in active surveillance, where doctors hold off on treatment until there are signs the tumor has progressed, according to the National Cancer Institute.

These low-risk prostate cancers grow so slowly that they may never cause symptoms, and men with these tumors are more likely to die from some other cause, experts say.
However, many men are queasy with the thought of having an untreated cancer, and they wind up opting for surgery or radiation even though the chances of unpleasant and lasting side effects are high, researchers said.

To improve men’s confidence in active surveillance, researchers tested whether using MRI-guided biopsy and focal therapy could make watchful waiting safer, more effective and easier for patients to stay on longer.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from 869 men in UCLA’s active surveillance program between 2010 and 2022. All patients had an MRI-guided biopsy at the start that showed low- to medium-risk prostate cancer.

Starting in 2016, some of the men also were offered focal therapy if their cancer was slightly higher-risk or had showed signs of progressing.

About a quarter of the men wound up undergoing focal therapy, which uses cold gases, lasers, ultrasound or electric shocks to kill off cancer cells.

MRI was highly accurate in identifying cancers that qualified for active surveillance, correctly predicting stable tumors in 90% to 95% of men with low-risk cancer and 70% of men with medium-risk cancer, results show.

In fact, the MRI was so accurate that there was a reduced need for repeat biopsies, researchers said.

Results also showed a decline in men leaving active surveillance due to anxiety, which could reflect growing confidence in MRI-based monitoring, researchers said.

“Although the numbers for the focal therapy group are small and the follow up was relatively brief, the near-term advantage of focal therapy in avoiding surgery or radiation is clear,” Marks said.

“This study offers some of the strongest evidence yet that active surveillance, when guided by modern imaging and minimally invasive treatments like focal therapy, can safely be expanded to more patients,” he concluded.

However, researchers said these techniques should be further tested in larger studies involving more hospitals.

More information

The Cleveland Clinic has more on focal therapy for prostate cancer.

SOURCE: UCLA, news release, May 8, 2025
Health Day

Antibiotics Might Increase Risk of Childhood Asthma, Allergies

directorsblog

by: Dennis Thompson
WEDNESDAY, April 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Overuse of antibiotics might increase kids’ risk of developing asthma and allergies, by disrupting their gut bacteria during a crucial stage of child development, a new study says.

Exposure to antibiotics prior to age 2 is associated with a 24% increased risk of asthma and 33% increased risk of food allergies in later childhood, researchers reported recently in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

“Antibiotics play a critical role in combatting bacterial infections, but physicians should be judicious when prescribing antibiotics to children under 2, as frequent use may affect long-term health outcomes,” lead researcher Dr. Daniel Horton of the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research said in a news release.

For the study, researchers tracked the health of more than 1 million children in the U.K., comparing early antibiotic treatment to their later risk of allergies and asthma.

Previous research has suggested that early and repeated antibiotic use can disrupt the development of health gut bacteria as a child ages, researchers said in background notes. This, in turn, can influence their risk of allergic conditions.

Tracking the children through age 12, researchers found they were at higher risk of asthma and food allergies if they’d been exposed to antibiotics as babies.

Babies given antibiotics also had a 6% increased risk of seasonal allergies, researchers said.

“Antibiotics are important and sometimes life-saving medicines, but not all infections in young kids need to be treated with antibiotics,” Horton said. “Parents should continue to consult with their children’s doctors on the best course of care.”

However, researchers found no consistent impact from antibiotic use on the risk of autoimmune diseases like celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease, or on developmental conditions like ADHD or autism.

More information
Nemours Children’s Health has more on antibiotic overuse and children.

SOURCE: Rutgers University, news release, April 16, 2025

Health Day

Brisk Walking Lowers Risk of Heart Rhythm Disorders

directorsblog
By Dennis Thompson

WEDNESDAY, April 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Long brisk walks might lower a person’s risk for heart rhythm problems, a new study says.

Folks who stride faster than 4 miles per hour have a 43% lower risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm, compared with those who amble at a pace of less than 3 miles an hour, researchers reported April 15 in the journal Heart.

The time spent walking also influenced risk, with people who spent more time at an average or brisk pace enjoying a 27% lower risk of heart rhythm problems, researchers said.

“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.”

For the study, researchers used data gathered as part of the UK Biobank health study on nearly 421,000 people, including nearly 82,000 who wore an accelerometer to track their walking pace.

Overall, about 41% of people had a brisk walking pace, 53% an average walking pace and slightly more than 6% a slow pace.

Results show that a brisk or average pace reduced the risk of any heart rhythm problem by 43% and 35%, respectively.

People with a brisk or average pace also had a 46% and 38% lower risk of atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm condition that greatly increases the risk of stroke, results show.

Researchers estimate that about 36% of the link between walking pace and heart rhythm problems is influenced by inflammation and metabolism.

That jibes with previous research, which found that brisk walking can lower obesity, help improve blood sugar control, prevent diabetes and reduce high blood pressure, researchers said.

“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.”

More information Harvard Medical School has more on walking for exercise.

SOURCE: BMJ, news release, April 15, 2025

Health Day

National Nutrition Month May Be Over, But Your Healthy Habits Shouldn’t Be!

directorsblog

March’s National Nutrition Month may be done, but the focus on good nutrition shouldn’t end. Think of it as a kick-starter for lasting healthy eating and activity habits.

Maybe you tried a new recipe featuring more vegetables, paid closer attention to food labels, or even set a goal to drink more water. These are all positive steps, and the momentum you’ve built shouldn’t stop now!

Why Keep the Nutrition Focus Going?

Consistent healthy eating is key for well-being, energy, and disease prevention. It builds lasting habits that help us navigate daily life and impacts mood, sleep, immunity, and long-term health – not just weight.

How to Keep the Healthy Habits Alive:

So, how do we keep the National Nutrition Month spirit going strong? Here are a few ideas:

  • Continue Exploring New Recipes: Keep trying new healthy recipes and incorporating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your meals.
  • Stay Mindful of Your Eating: Pay attention to your hunger and fullness cues. Avoid eating mindlessly in front of the TV or while working.
  • Set Realistic, Ongoing Goals: Instead of big, overwhelming goals, set small, achievable nutrition-related goals each week or month. This could be anything from packing a healthy lunch three times a week to trying a new fruit or vegetable.
  • Plan Ahead: Take some time each week to plan your meals and snacks, making it easier to make nutritious choices when you’re busy.
  • Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: There will be days when you indulge or make less-than-ideal food choices. Don’t let this derail your efforts. Focus on the overall progress you’re making and get back on track with your next meal.
  • Stay Informed: Continue to learn about nutrition from reliable sources. Read articles, follow registered dietitians on social media, or explore reputable websites.

The Takeaway:

National Nutrition Month serves as a valuable reminder of the power of food and its impact on our health. Let’s carry the awareness forward with consistent small steps towards lasting healthy habits.

Resources for Members Impacted by California Fires and Storms

directorsblog

For our members and their families affected by the fires in the Los Angeles, California area, or the fires in parts of AR, OK, NY or Storm Damage in MO, AL, or MS, the Health Plan will: 

·         Relax plan requirements for care received through early April. 

·         For supplies and medications, the Health Plan will waive refill-too-soon limitations for members in the affected areas who cannot use the mail-order service for refills and lost or destroyed medications. 

·         High Option Teladoc coverage for members in CA: The Health Plan will expand Teladoc telehealth coverage for our High Option members by providing five virtual visits at zero cost, rather than the normal two through April 7, 2025. 

·         Members in CA who have our High Option or Consumer Driven Option can take advantage of an additional free Teladoc visit by calling 855-885-5032. Learn more at TeladocHealth.com/Disaster-Hotline through April 7, 2025. 

·         In-patient hospital stays will be paid at the in-network rate even if you are confined in an out-of-network facility.  

·         A toll-free emotional support helpline is available at 866-447-3573. This line will be open Monday – Friday from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. CST for two weeks from the date of the natural disaster. The service is free of charge and open to anyone. 

·         Another resource is Optumwellbeing.com, a public website where you can access resources to help you navigate difficult situations. The Critical Support Center section of the website includes a library of content grouped by topic (trauma, natural disasters, etc.) for you to access during a critical event. 

Our thoughts go out to all those affected. We will continue to monitor this situation closely. 

MS Patients May Benefit From Eating More Fish

directorsblog

By: Dennis Thompson

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 26, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A diet rich in fish might slow the progression of multiple sclerosis in some patients, a new study says.

The nutrients found in fish can quell inflammation and protect brain cells, and this might be of particular benefit for MS patients, researchers reported in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

MS patients who ate larger amounts of lean or oily fish had a 34% lower risk of their symptoms growing worse, researchers found.

They also had about a 45% lower risk of scoring worse on a scale that measures MS disability, the results show.

“The results underscore the potential role of diet, particularly fish consumption, as a modifiable factor that could complement existing therapeutic strategies for MS,” concluded a team led by Anna Karin Hedström, a senior research specialist with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

MS occurs when a person’s immune system attacks myelin, the protective sheath that coats nerve fibers. The damage to nerve cells causes the brain to shrink as well as symptoms like muscle weakness, stiffness, spasms, vision problems, thinking declines and pain.

For the study, researchers analyzed data for more than 2,700 Swedish MS patients who participated in a nationwide study between April 2005 and June 2015.

Upon entering the study, participants reported on many of their lifestyle habits, including their consumption of fish.

Results showed that people who ate more fish had a lower risk of their MS disability and symptoms growing worse, compared to those who ate the least.

Likewise, people who increased their fish intake following diagnosis benefitted from it.

Compared to folks who ate little fish, MS patients who bumped up fish in their diet had a 20% to 59% lower risk of disability worsening within five years after diagnosis, depending on how much more they ate.

These results held true even after accounting for other risk factors like physical activity, weight, smoking, alcohol intake, and sun exposure.

Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish are known to have brain benefits, but “the beneficial effects observed from lean fish consumption suggest that other factors may also play a significant role,” researchers said.

Taurine, an amino acid found in abundance in fish and seafood, could be one reason why MS patients might benefit.

“Taurine is the most abundant free amino acid in the brain,” and a dietary supply of the amino acid is required to meet the body’s needs, researchers noted.

“Taurine has diverse cellular functions, including cytoprotective actions through antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, making it a potential therapeutic agent for neurological disorders,” researchers added.

More information
The National MS Society has more on living with MS.

SOURCE: BMJ, news release, Feb. 25, 2025

Health News

Radon Exposure Linked to Increased Asthma Symptoms in Children

directorsblog
By: Dennis Thompson

THURSDAY, Feb. 20, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A radioactive gas could be contributing to asthma among schoolkids, researchers have found.

Children exposed to elevated levels of radon gas tended to have more asthma symptoms, results show.

“Residential radon has not previously been described as an environmental risk factor for asthma,” a team led by Dr. Wanda Phipatanakul, director of immunology research with Boston Children’s Hospital, concluded.

“For the first time, we demonstrate a relationship between residential radon exposure and airway inflammation and asthma symptoms among school‐aged children with asthma,” researchers wrote recently in the journal Pediatric Pulmonology.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that’s odorless and invisible, occurring to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It emanates from the breakdown of trace amounts of uranium found in soil.

Homes can fill with radon as it seeps out of soil and up through cracks and crevices, the CDC says. It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. after cigarette smoke.

For the study, researchers tracked the health of nearly 300 children with asthma attending inner-city schools.

The team compared kids’ radon exposure in their homes — estimated based on ZIP code — to their asthma symptoms.

Asthmatic kids exposed to radon tended to have more days with asthma symptom flare-ups, researchers found. They also suffered from increased airway inflammation as warm weather turned cold.

“It is known radon levels may fluctuate seasonally, with indoor levels typically higher during winter months, at a time when windows and doors are more often shut limiting natural ventilation,” researchers wrote.

The use of heaters and the compacting of cold soil during the winter also can create pressure differences that might draw more radon gas into the house, researchers added.

The risk posed by radon is akin to that from gas stoves, Dr. Joyce Yu noted in a recent review of the study published in the journal Pediatrics.

“In recent years, some local municipalities, and even New York state, have banned the use of gas stoves in new buildings to reduce indoor pollutant exposures in the homes over concerns for possible environmental impacts and health risks, such as childhood asthma,” wrote Yu, a pediatric allergy and immunology specialist with Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.

“Results from studies like this could help inform scientists, environmental advocates, and lawmakers who are investigating environmental and climate change issues and could potentially impact governmental initiatives and future legislation,” she concluded.

More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about radon gas.

SOURCES: Pediatrics, research review, Dec. 1, 2024; Pediatric Pulmonology, April 2023

APWU Health Plan Supports Members Affected by the Pacific Palisades fire

directorsblog

For our members and their families affected by the fires in the Pacific Palisades area of California , the Health Plan will:
• Relax plan requirements for care received from 1/9/25 – 2/09/25
• For supplies and medications: The Health Plan will waive “refill too soon” limitations for members in the affected areas who are unable to use the mail order service for refills, lost or destroyed medications.
• High Option Teladoc coverage: The Health Plan will expand Teladoc telehealth coverage for our High Option members by providing 5 virtual visits at zero cost, rather than the normal 2.
• In-patient hospital stays that occur during the 1/9/25-2/8/25 timeframe will be paid at the in-network rate even if you are confined in an out-of-network facility.
• A toll-free emotional-support help line is available at 866-447-3573. This line will be open Monday – Friday from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. PST for two weeks from the date of the natural disaster. The service is free of charge and open to anyone.
• Another resource is Optumwellbeing.com, a public website where you can access resources to help navigate difficult situations. The Critical Support Center section of the website includes a library of content for you to access during a critical event, grouped by topic (trauma, natural disasters, etc.).
Our thoughts go out to all those affected. We will continue to monitor this situation closely.

PSHB Inspira Financial Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Program

directorsblog

APWU Health Plan PSHB Consumer Driven Option (CDHP) members:

If you enrolled in the new lnspira Financial flexible spending account (FSA) program, you may have received a letter stating you are only eligible for a Limited Purpose FSA account that will only reimburse for dental and vision. This letter and your Inspira enrollment status is incorrect. You are eligible for a full FSA account (health, vision and dental).

USPS is currently working with Inspira to resolve this issue.


You should watch your mail and email for the updated correspondence from Inspira Financial. If you have enrollment questions, please contact lnspira Financial at 1-833-419-0305 (TTY: 711) Monday-Friday from 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. CT and Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. CT. APWU and/or the Health Plan will not be able to answer specific Inspira enrollment questions.