Oct 19, 2026 04:08 PM
(This post was last modified: Oct 19, 2026 05:56 PM by C C.)
GLP-1 drugs linked to lower kidney failure risk in bipolar disorder
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1148246
INTRO: Mayo Clinic researchers found that GLP-1 receptor agonists, medications widely used for diabetes and weight management, were associated with a lower risk of dialysis or kidney transplantation in adults with bipolar disorder and chronic kidney disease.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, suggests that a popular class of medications may offer an added benefit by helping protect kidney health in a high-risk group.
"People with bipolar disorder have a high burden of chronic kidney disease, but few strategies have been studied specifically to protect kidney health in this population," says Balwinder Singh, M.D., a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist and senior author of the study. "Our results are encouraging, but prospective studies are needed to determine whether GLP-1 medications directly slow kidney disease progression." (MORE - no ads)
Dental floss is shedding potentially harmful chemicals
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/20...chemicals/
EXCERPTS: Some dental floss manufacturers have indeed been quietly moving away from the synthetic material PTFE, which helped their product slip smoothly between teeth. Their decisions follow studies raising concerns as well as consumer worries and state regulation of consumer products containing PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.”
PTFE — most famous for its brand name Teflon — falls under the PFAS category. Exposure to these per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds has been linked to adverse health effects that include a risk of certain cancers, reduced immune response and reproductive problems. Such risks have not been established specifically for PTFE.
Procter & Gamble is a manufacturer that recently made a switch, with senior communications director Jeffrey D. McDowell confirming by email that Oral-B Glide floss has been reformulated to remove both PTFE and PFAS.
Replacing them is a new “micro-textured fiber” made up of nylon and elastic materials. According to the company, this trademarked Pebax polymer is “used to reinforce the fiber and provide strength, durability, and handling performance.”
A 2019 study by the Silent Spring Institute, an environmental health research organization based in Massachusetts, found that women who reported using Oral-B Glide had higher levels of PFHxS in their blood compared with women who didn’t use the floss. That synthetic compound is another forever chemical.
“We also found some other relationships,” senior scientist Laurel Schaider said in an interview. Among them: higher PFAS levels in the blood of individuals who had stain-resistant textiles in their home.
[...] The American Dental Association deferred when asked what consumers should look for on floss packaging, including materials containing PTFE and PFAS. “Questions regarding the specific ingredients, materials or formulations used in individual dental products are best directed to the manufacturers,” the organization said in a statement.
Schaider, however, offered specifics. “I would certainly look for floss that is PTFE-free, and in terms of safer alternatives from a more sustainable point of view, something like a silk-based floss is more sustainable than nylon, which is a petroleum-based material,” she said.
Even if consumers have difficulty discerning chemicals in flossing products, the environmental scientist encourages people not to stop flossing... (MORE - missing details)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1148246
INTRO: Mayo Clinic researchers found that GLP-1 receptor agonists, medications widely used for diabetes and weight management, were associated with a lower risk of dialysis or kidney transplantation in adults with bipolar disorder and chronic kidney disease.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, suggests that a popular class of medications may offer an added benefit by helping protect kidney health in a high-risk group.
"People with bipolar disorder have a high burden of chronic kidney disease, but few strategies have been studied specifically to protect kidney health in this population," says Balwinder Singh, M.D., a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist and senior author of the study. "Our results are encouraging, but prospective studies are needed to determine whether GLP-1 medications directly slow kidney disease progression." (MORE - no ads)
Dental floss is shedding potentially harmful chemicals
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/20...chemicals/
EXCERPTS: Some dental floss manufacturers have indeed been quietly moving away from the synthetic material PTFE, which helped their product slip smoothly between teeth. Their decisions follow studies raising concerns as well as consumer worries and state regulation of consumer products containing PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.”
PTFE — most famous for its brand name Teflon — falls under the PFAS category. Exposure to these per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds has been linked to adverse health effects that include a risk of certain cancers, reduced immune response and reproductive problems. Such risks have not been established specifically for PTFE.
Procter & Gamble is a manufacturer that recently made a switch, with senior communications director Jeffrey D. McDowell confirming by email that Oral-B Glide floss has been reformulated to remove both PTFE and PFAS.
Replacing them is a new “micro-textured fiber” made up of nylon and elastic materials. According to the company, this trademarked Pebax polymer is “used to reinforce the fiber and provide strength, durability, and handling performance.”
A 2019 study by the Silent Spring Institute, an environmental health research organization based in Massachusetts, found that women who reported using Oral-B Glide had higher levels of PFHxS in their blood compared with women who didn’t use the floss. That synthetic compound is another forever chemical.
“We also found some other relationships,” senior scientist Laurel Schaider said in an interview. Among them: higher PFAS levels in the blood of individuals who had stain-resistant textiles in their home.
[...] The American Dental Association deferred when asked what consumers should look for on floss packaging, including materials containing PTFE and PFAS. “Questions regarding the specific ingredients, materials or formulations used in individual dental products are best directed to the manufacturers,” the organization said in a statement.
Schaider, however, offered specifics. “I would certainly look for floss that is PTFE-free, and in terms of safer alternatives from a more sustainable point of view, something like a silk-based floss is more sustainable than nylon, which is a petroleum-based material,” she said.
Even if consumers have difficulty discerning chemicals in flossing products, the environmental scientist encourages people not to stop flossing... (MORE - missing details)