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Millions of years ago, humans lost the ability to produce vitamin C, a mystery that has puzzled scientists for decades. Now, new research suggests this evolutionary change may have protected our ancestors. Dallas (tca/dpa) – Millions of years ago, our ancestors lost the ability to make vitamin C. It’s long been unclear why. But Dallas researchers may have uncovered an explanation — and it involves parasitic infections. At the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern, researchers infected mice that couldn’t make vitamin C with schistosomes, parasitic worms that cause a disease called schistosomiasis. In those vitamin C-deficient mice, the worms struggled to produce eggs, and the mice were spared from the disease, which is triggered by the eggs. These findings , published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , offer clues about how a host’s biology may have evolved to protect itself against the worms and potentially other parasites, saidDr. Norman Beatty , an associate professor of medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine . Beatty was not involved in the study. The study also sheds light on schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease infectingover 200 million people worldwide , with nearly 800 million people at risk for infection. “This is just the tip of the iceberg for this infection,” Beatty said. “Probably there’s still more to look at. There may be other essential biological processes or molecules that schistosomes need as well.” Lost to evolution Vitamin C is a micronutrientessential for many bodily functions . It helps produce collagen, the protein that supports healthy skin, tendons and blood vessels. It also supports the immune system, helps neutralize cell-damaging molecules called free radicals and plays a role in making neurotransmitters that allow nerves to communicate. Most animals can make their own vitamin C. But in mammals and primates that lost that ability, scientists have viewed it as an evolutionary change that didn’t significantly affect survival.Some theories suggest vitamin C–rich fruits and other plants being abundant meant that biological production of the nutrient became unnecessary. Others propose a virus may have disabled the gene for the vitamin C–producing enzyme. Michalis Agathocleous , an assistant professor at the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute , became interested in vitamin C nearly a decade ago while studying how it affects stem cells. In 2017,he and colleagues reported that vitamin C inside blood-forming stem cells helps keep them from turning cancerous, thereby protecting against leukemia, a cancer of the blood. If vitamin C stops cancer in its tracks, and being deficient in it cancause scurvy — the disease long associated with sailors — the idea that our ancestors simply lost the ability to make it seemed strange. Agathocleous kept coming back to the same question: Why would evolution abandon this important nutrient? Stop the eggs He got a clue in a neighboring lab at UT Southwestern. When that lab’s researchers added vitamin C to Petri dishes containing female schistosomes, the worms laid eggs normally. Without it, egg production faltered.That finding echoed a1944 experiment in guinea pigs , which can’t make vitamin C. When guinea pigs were infected with schistosomes and fed a diet lacking vitamin C, the females produced malformed eggs, Agathocleous said. Seeing his colleagues’ results, Agathocleous set out to test how vitamin C deficiency might shape schistosomiasis. People become infected when the parasites’ larvae penetrate the skin, typically after contact with contaminated freshwater. Inside the body, the larvae migrate to the liver, mature into adults and eventually begin laying eggs. “The key thing here is that the eggs are the cause of the pathology,” said Agathocleous. “The schistosomes live in the circulation. In humans, they live for decades, they keep laying eggs and, of course, the eggs are shed, causing transmission.” Because mice can make their own vitamin C, Agathocleous and his colleagues used engineered mice that couldn’t do so. Theyinfected both engineered and normal mice with schistosomes. The normal mice developed signs of schistosomiasis, including enlarged livers and spleens and granulomas — clusters of immune cells that form in organs such as the liver as the body tries to wall off the eggs. The vitamin C–deprived mice, however, showed far less of that disease damage, although they did develop scurvy. To see whether they could separate the benefit from the harm,the researchers tested whether administering small, intermittent doses of vitamin C offered protection. It did: When the engineered mice received vitamin C before infection and for the first few weeks afterward, their livers were not enlarged and their spleens grew far less than those of normal mice. Better still, they didn’t develop scurvy. So what was driving the effect? The researchers found that vitamin C appears to be crucial for the development of the female schistosome’s vitellarium, a reproductive organ that works alongside the ovaries to produce eggs. Without vitamin C, the vitellarium didn’t develop properly, eggs were malformed and the vitamin C–deficient mice shed few to no eggs in their feces — cutting off a key route for the parasite’s transmission. Further research Agathocleous said the findings suggest a benefit to vitamin C deficiency, explaining why the vitamin C-making gene was lost. But he cautioned that the research doesn’t prove that it evolved specifically as a defense against schistosomes. Since that genetic change happened millions of years ago, the evolutionary pressures behind it can’t be tested directly. But if vitamin C deficiency can blunt schistosomiasis, Agathocleousand his colleagues want to know whether it can do the same for other parasitic infections. “It could turn out to be that this is very specific to schistosomes, or it could turn out to be that multiple parasites need vitamin C from their host,” Agathocleous said. “We just don’t know at this stage, but it’s a great question, and what we’re really interested in addressing.” Limiting vitamin C in the diet of someone infected with schistosomes wouldn’t be the best or safest treatment, said Beatty of the University of Florida . But the findings point to new clinical avenues to explore, such as therapies that block the parasite’s ability to take up vitamin C from its host. Schistosomiasis is typically treated with the antiparasitic drugpraziquantel , but some people don’t tolerate it well, Beatty said. “We always need to have multiple approaches to treatments for infections, because not everyone responds like we would like them to.” The following information is not intended for publication tca dpa coh

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London (PA Media/dpa) – A diet rich in vegetables and probiotics could help slow the growth of low-risk prostate cancer, a new study suggests. Researchers found that specially designed supplements and probiotics appeared to slow progression of an indicator of prostate cancer in the blood. Academics said that the link between the gut and the prostate, known as the “gut-prostate axis”, is increasingly being recognised as they set out to investigate whether increasing the level of “phytochemical-rich foods and Lactobacillus probiotics” would have an effect on prostate cancer. They developed a supplement made from broccoli, turmeric, pomegranate, green tea, ginger and cranberry and a specially designed probiotic. Some 212 men with low-risk prostate cancer were recruited to the study. Half the men were given the supplement and a placebo, also known as a dummy drug. The other half were given the supplement and the probiotic. Researchers, led by a team from the University of Bedfordshire along with experts from Cambridge University Hospitals and Bedford Hospital, then measured prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in blood. The PSA test can indicate prostate conditions including prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate. Working with scientists from California in the US, and Perth in Australia, they found that the rate of PSA progression slowed significantly in both groups of men taking part in the trial. But the rate of change was “significantly greater” among the group who got the supplement and the probiotic. Meanwhile, researchers also used MRI scans to measure disease progression during the four-month study. They found among that those who had the supplement and placebo, 82% had “stable disease” while 18% saw their disease progressed. Among those who had the supplement and the probiotic, 85.5% of men had stable disease, 6.7% “exhibited disease regression” and 7.8% saw their disease progress. Writing in the European Urology Oncology journal, the authors said they found a “significant slowing of progression in PSA” following dietary changes among men with low-risk prostate cancer. They said that their study is also the first to show “additional intervention” of the probiotic “significantly reduced PSA progression as well as serum markers of inflammation further”. The authors said that the finding is “clinically relevant” because men will often use PSA changes as a factor in indicating whether or not they want to remain having “active surveillance” or whether they have treatment or surgery. “Currently about 60% of men, with lower-risk disease, initially opt for active surveillance, but alarmingly over 50% opt out within five years,” the authors said. “As fewer than 5% of men in this prognostic group are likely to die from their disease, a successful dietary intervention, which helps men remain on active surveillance, could help avoid treatment-related toxicities in a large majority who might otherwise be over-treated.” They point out that a quarter of men in the study also reported improvements of urinary symptoms. But they stressed that the study period was only four months so called for longer-term studies to confirm the findings. “This study adds to the growing evidence that men managed with surveillance can empower themselves through lifestyle changes that could influence prostate cancer progression and improve their symptoms,” the authors conclude. “In addition to modifiable factors such as exercise, smoking, and omega-3–rich diets, this study suggests that boosting dietary phytochemicals and probiotics could also help.” First author of the study, Professor Robert Thomas, from the University of Bedfordshire and consultant clinical oncologist, said: “This study shows, for the first time, that improving the balance of bacteria in the gut can slow prostate cancer activity while also improving important aspects of men’s health such as urinary symptoms, inflammation and physical strength. “What is particularly reassuring is that the changes we saw in PSA were supported by changes on MRI scans, which is very unusual and unique in nutritional research. “This was a carefully designed clinical trial carried out under medical supervision and, while the results are encouraging, longer follow-up is planned to assess whether these supplements will lead to less men needing major interventions such as surgery or radiotherapy.” Dr Jeffrey Aldous, senior lecturer in exercise physiology at the University of Bedfordshire, added: “This research helps us understand how targeted dietary strategies may influence the gut microbiome in ways that appear to benefit both cancer-related markers and overall wellbeing. “Improvements in strength, inflammation and daily symptoms are particularly important for quality of life, and I hope our findings can support and improve the lives of those living with prostate cancer.” The following information is not intended for publication pa dpa coh

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Beijing (dpa) – A free-floating planet drifting through space is being closely followed by scientists who are managing to find out more about its mass and direction. Scientists have known about this and other rogue bodies for some time but only lately have had the means to determine their mass or distance accurately. This planet has been spotted from two locations simultaneously by a team led by Subo Dong from Beijing University. They used telescopes on Earth plus an observatory in space to win new findings about the object. The team of astronomers says the planet probably formed in a so-called protoplanetary disc – just like a normal planet – and not in isolation in space. "Dynamic processes later ejected it from its region of origin, turning it into a free-floating object," says the team writing in the journal Science. Satellite and telescopes on Earth enable the solution Free-floating planets were first discovered in 2000, says Gavin Coleman of Queen Mary University of London. But observing them is extremely difficult as they are far away from light sources and do not orbit a star. They are so far away that they can only be detected when they happen to pass in front of a background star and deflect its light with their mass. That works like a magnifying glass and astronomers call the effect "gravitational microlensing." But this phenomenon does not normally allow for an accurate determination of distance and mass. Dong's team overcame this problem by combining the Gaia satellite, located about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, with several ground-based telescopes. Using the small time difference between the light from the background star reaching Earth and the space telescope, plus other data, the team was able to calculate the planet's properties. Mass of Saturn and 10,000 light years away The planet has approximately the mass of Saturn and is around 10,000 light years away, say the scientists. Smaller rogue planets probably form like other planets in a planetary system and are later ejected, they say. But larger free objects could form directly in molecular clouds, similar to small stars. So far, thousands of planets orbiting stars have been discovered outside our solar system – but there are only a few known rogue planets, Coleman says. This could change with NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (NGRST), an infrared space telescope scheduled to launch in 2027. Researchers are not yet sure whether the newly discovered planet is actually floating wholly through space or whether it is in a very wide orbit around a star. The planet does not yet have a name, but is identified by the somewhat cumbersome number KMT-2024-BLG-0792/OGLE-2024-BLG-0516. The following information is not intended for publication dpa hu waw xxde arw coh

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Trees produce antibodies against harmful fungi. But bark beetles absorb these antibodies and use them to their own advantage. And yet trees appear to have found alternative means of pest control. Berlin (dpa) – Bark beetles can destroy spruce forests by converting the trees' defences into even more toxic substances, scientists recently discovered. But a special fungus can help the trees circumvent this insidious and deadly toxic cycle, according to a team led by Ruo Sun and Jonathan Gershenzon from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology. The team's analysis shows that spruce trees produce compounds called phenolic glycosides to defend themselves. However, bark beetles convert these compounds into more potent antimicrobial substances that protect the beetles from pathogens. The protective compounds are concentrated in the layer of bark colonized by bark beetles, in a layer that primarily transports sugar from the tree's leaves to its roots. One of the best-known bark beetles is the European spruce bark beetle, known as Ips typographus in Latin, which mostly infests spruce trees and causes immense damage. The beetle absorbs the spruce's defence substances and converts them into even stronger pesticides against pathogens, says the team writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). "We did not expect that the beetles would be able to convert the spruce's defences into even more toxic derivatives in such a targeted way," says lead author Ruo Sun. Most trials unsuccessful so far The team probed the effect of the beetle's defences on the fungus Beauveria bassiana, which attacks beetles and other insects. The fungus is often used as a biological control agent and alternative to conventional insecticides. It has also been investigated for its potential to combat bark beetle infestations. But most field trials have been unsuccessful. The team isolated two fungi that killed beetles in the feeding tunnels of infested trees and in labs and found both are strains of Beauveria bassiana. Some fungal strains can infect bark beetles "Although this fungus has not been very effective in controlling bark beetles in the past, we found strains of this fungus that had naturally infected and killed bark beetles. So we wanted to investigate more closely how they were able to successfully infect and kill the beetles," says Sun. The fungal strains were able to convert the beetles' defence mechanism in two steps, thereby detoxifying it. The resulting products – methyl glucoside derivatives – are harmless to the fungus. "The successful infection of bark beetles with Beauveria bassiana is due to a highly specific detoxification pathway of the fungus," Sun says. "We have shown how a bark beetle can use a tree's defence substances to defend itself against its own enemies. However, because one of the enemies, the ascomycete fungus Beauveria bassiana, has developed the ability to detoxify these antimicrobial defences, it can successfully infect the bark beetle and thus help the tree in fighting bark beetles," says study leader Gershenzon. "Now that we know which strains of the fungus tolerate the bark beetle's antimicrobial phenolic compounds, we can use these strains to better combat bark beetles," says Sun. Investigations of B. bassiana strains showed that they often vary in their effectiveness against bark beetles, which could be due to strain-specific differences in the rate of toxin destruction, the study found. The team suggests searching for further strains. "Our results provide a biochemical basis for the use of B. bassiana to combat bark beetle infestation in spruce and other conifers," says the team, adding further research is still needed. The following information is not intended for publication dpa hu mda xxde arw coh

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Washington (dpa) – Aspartame is an artificial sweetener commonly found in products like chewing gum, soft drinks and tabletop sweeteners, but new research on mice suggests that even small amounts may harm heart and brain health over time. In the study, researchers in Spain added low doses of aspartame to the diets of male mice for a few days every two weeks for one year. The amount given was equal to about one-sixth of the daily intake considered safe for humans by the World Health Organization. The researchers noted that mice that consumed aspartame lost more weight than those that did not, ending the study with 10-20% less body fat. However, they also showed signs of possible heart and brain problems. The researchers found that the hearts of these mice did not pump as efficiently and showed small structural changes, suggesting added stress on the heart. Changes were also seen in how the brain used glucose. They noted that glucose use increased at the start, but by the end of the study, it dropped sharply, which could affect brain function. Aspartame is a chemical compound made by joining two amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Though aspartame has long been considered to increase the risk of cancer, no scientific evidence has been found to support this. However, a September study of almost 13,000 people linked aspartame and other sweeteners with waning cognition, particularly among diabetes patients. The test mice in the latest study also performed worse in memory and learning tests. They moved more slowly and took longer to complete maze tasks, pointing to mild cognitive decline. "Until the neurological sequelae of aspartame are better understood, children and adolescents should probably avoid aspartame as far as possible, especially as a regular component of the diet," the authors of the latest study say. The researchers said these brain changes were relatively mild compared with earlier studies where mice consumed aspartame daily or for shorter periods. They added that more research is needed to find out whether similar effects could occur in humans. "These findings suggest that aspartame at permitted doses can compromise the function of major organs, and so it would be advisable to reassess the safety limits for humans," the study concluded. The following information is not intended for publication dpa afx yyfx n1

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Berlin (dpa) – Angina pectoris, often shortened to angina, is chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood flow to the heart and most commonly – but not always – a symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD). The term derives from Latin and Greek, and means "strangling in the chest." CAD is a narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, which supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart, due to a buildup of plaque in and on the artery walls. The reduced blood/oxygen flow can cause chest pain. Here are four facts about angina: Fact 1: Discomfort can even spread to your teeth An angina episode is often described as pressure, heaviness or tightness in the chest. Health experts say the pain or discomfort can radiate into your left shoulder, arms, and sometimes your upper abdomen, back, neck and even teeth. It typically lasts about two to five minutes and is then known as stable angina. Fact 2: Episodes at rest are a medical emergency While stable angina is typically triggered by stress or exertion – such as exercise, climbing stairs or other physical activity – and is relieved by rest or medications, unstable angina is unpredictable. It occurs at rest or with little exertion and lasts longer. A medical emergency, it can lead to a heart attack. Fact 3: Medications can help stop an angina episode If you experience an angina episode, you should rest. Medications, principally nitrates, can help as well. The most common nitrate used is nitroglycerin, also known as glyceryl trinitrate (GTN). Within one to three minutes, it relaxes and widens your blood vessels, helping blood reach your heart. If your doctor has prescribed nitrates, the German Heart Foundation (DHS) advises that you always have them with you in the event of chest pain. To use a GTN spray, you spray a dose under your tongue, the SGW says. You can spray up to three doses but should wait 30 seconds between them. A GTN tablet should be placed under your tongue and allowed to dissolve. Possible side effects of these medications include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and facial redness. The DHS warns that they interact with PDE5 inhibitors used to treat erectile dysfunction, possibly causing a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Fact 4: The pain doesn't go away? It may be a heart attack If the chest pain doesn't go away with rest or angina medications after five to 10 minutes, or is much stronger than usual, doctors advise that you call your local emergency number. You may be having a heart attack. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn rid yyzz n1 nhr ob

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There were never more options available for those taking part in Dry January. Fans of nonalcoholic beers say you may just consider embracing sobriety throughout the year. Orlando, Florida (tca/dpa) – At the start of 2025, a study by The Beer Institute revealed that 60% of Americans saw nonalcoholic beer as a viable alternative for long-term moderation. But what about just for one month? For many of us, Dry January has begun, though people do it for different reasons. Some see the 30 days as a dependency test to determine just how reliant they are on alcohol to relax. Others link it to their overall new-year health and/or weight loss plans. There are participants who view it as a reset following the weeks of decadent holiday consumption and those who might be dipping a toe into the idea of permanent sobriety without drawing too much attention from their peer group. Truth is, drinking overall — that’s all 12 months — is down. According to an August 2025 Gallup Poll, Americans’ alcohol consumption is at record lows. Gallup has tracked the nation’s drinking behaviors since 1939 . In speaking with local hospitality professionals, that tracks. And though many pin itmostly on the reduced alcohol habits of Gen Z , their interest in fewer, orotherintoxicants (primarily marijuana, now recreationally legal in nearly half the country), wouldn’t be the fuel firing the growth segment for nonalcoholic beer. “I think there are a number of reasons why it’s more popular,” says Jason Campbell , executive chef of Team Market Group , who, alongside colleague Nick Grecco , oversees 10 different venues in the company’s portfolio. “[In Florida], medical marijuana’s growing in use, but I also think people are being a little more responsible.” There’s nonalcoholic beer on most of the Team Market Group menus, he says, though there’s a bit more interest in places like Primrose Lanes (where bowling and burgers make beer a popular third B) andNuri’s Tavern , where tavern pizza and beer go hand-in-hand. “During Dry January that goes up,” says Campbell, whose brands include Stella Artois 0.0 and Heineken 0.0. Over at theVineyard Wine Company in Lake Mary , bartender Big Rick says they stock several NA options, and they’ve steadily grown in popularity. “I purchase O’Doul’s, Michelob ULTRA Zero and Peroni [Nastro Azzuro] 0.0% with regularity,” he says. Sometimes, he notes, people drinking regular beer will switch over the course of an evening. “We have people who want to enjoy themselves, but not take it overboard,” he explains. “They’ll drink a Mexican lager that we carry and then move over to a nonalcoholic beer so that way they can hang out at the bar a little while longer, snack with their friends, enjoy a good night out and be able to drive back home safely.” It should be noted that not all nonalcoholic beer is zero-alcohol. And that can be confusing. U.S. regulations allow up to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) to use the “nonalcoholic” designation. Those with lower percentages, as mentioned above, will note it on labels and cans. As Rick suggests, lagers like Corona do a fine job of mimicking the crisp, light body of the real thing. A wedge of lime on the bottle completes the picture, and there’s psychology involved, say the pros, that helps Dry January participants feel more like it’s just a regular night out. “I think that’s why brands like Liquid Death (canned water) really took off,” Rick theorizes. “You can grab a can, drink it like it’s nothing and people don’t think anything about it.” Last year, during my own Dry January run, I’ll admit that holding that bottle made a difference. I tried several nonalcoholic beers, including Stella Artois, Heineken 0.0, Bitburger 0.0, a German brand, and others. My favorite of the lot was Samuel Adams’ Just the Haze IPA, the ABV of which clocks in under 0.5%. Recently, though, I dabbled in the wares of Athletic Brewing Company , the nation’s largest, dedicated nonalcoholic brewer. This is a sentence I never thought I’d write. Less because of my interest in sampling, more because I’d never imagined such a thing: a brewer creating an entire line in a range of flavors — from autumn browns to tropical sours — all below 0.5. “They’re fantastic products,” says Rick. “They even do cocktail-inspired brews. Paloma and Moscow “Mule” are among them. My foray into Athletic’s Run Wild IPA will have me searching for others to sample as the month moves on, just in case I find myself craving the “normalcy” of happy hour. One hospitality pro, a hotel bartender, noted a recent moment during a convention when a patron asked her to pour a nonalcoholic beer into a glass for him. “He still wanted to hang out and network, but didn’t want to drink anymore,” she explained. “Without the label, he blended in.” Campbell says there’s a lot to that, and he’s happy that his and other places offer it. “It’s a safe haven,” he says. “Because sobriety is a thing, even if it’s not Dry January. [Abstention] is a challenge for a lot of people and nonalcoholic beer could be a stepping stone toward larger sobriety.” Bar sales can be down in some places, but Campbell reports that food often goes up. “If people are holding back on drinking, they might get another plate on the table.” The following information is not intended for publication dpa tca arw

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Berlin (dpa) – Decongestant nasal sprays can save you from a restless night when a cold clogs up your nose, but pharmacists warn this aid can be a slippery slope. The leaflet that comes with it will – if you read it – tell you that a decongestant spray should not be used for longer than seven days in a row. Pharmacist Alexander Schmitz advises even more caution. He said anyone with a blocked nose should give it up after four to five days and use a moisturising seawater-based spray instead. The reason is that the nasal mucosa quickly adapts to decongestant active ingredients, which cause the blood vessels in the lining to constrict. "At some point you can't breathe without the spray, so you have to make sure you always have it with you," says Schmitz. The pharmacist said he repeatedly encounters people who have developed a nasal spray dependency. Coming off it can be hard, he says. "After all, everyone wants to be able to breathe." Using a nasal spray after your cold has gone also has other unwanted effects. Over time, decongestant sprays dry out the nasal mucosa. "This not only risks bleeding, but also greater susceptibility to infection, because pathogens can penetrate more easily," Schmitz explains. Important protective functions of the nose then work only to a limited extent. How to wean the nasal lining off decongestant sprays? The classic tip is to switch first to a children’s version, which contains less active ingredient. Once the nose has adjusted to the lower dose, the next step is to switch to a seawater nasal spray that contains no active ingredient at all. This plan does not always work. "Many have had this adaptation for years. Then those are steps that are too big," said Schmitz. In that case he advised seeking help at a pharmacy. "We can dilute the nasal spray. Then you wean yourself off in really tiny steps until you eventually reach 0.0%, that is the seawater nasal spray." How long this takes depends on the person. Unlike with decongestant sprays, seawater sprays don't bring the risk of the nasal lining becoming dependent, since these simply have a moisturising effect. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn rid yyzz n1 lue sw coh

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Berlin (dpa)  – It's often preventable, and yet around one in every five people will die from it. Sepsis, sometimes called blood poisoning, is one of the most frequent causes of death worldwide and happens when the body’s immune system has an extreme response to an infection. Often it occurs during a bacterial infection, but it could also develop during some other infection like Covid-19 or from any virus, parasite or fungus. The body’s immune response begins to attack its own organs, which when left untreated, can be fatal. In the race to help the patient, every hour counts, so it is all the more important to know the signs in order to act quickly. Health experts have come up with four simple steps to help you avoid missing sepsis symptoms during severe infections, in yourself or others: Feel your head: Is thinking difficult? Confusion and disorientation can be warning signs. Feel your chest: Is breathing impaired? Breathlessness, shortness of breath or rapid breathing are critical signs. Feel your heart: Is your pulse racing? A racing heart or low blood pressure are also signs. Feel your body: Do you feel desperately ill? Unexplained severe pain or an extreme state of illness should raise the alarm. Sepsis is a life-threatening emergency. If one or more of these symptoms occur alongside an existing infection, you should immediately call an ambulance. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn lue yyzz n1 neb coh

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Colorectal cancer used to be considered a cancer of older age. Not anymore. Patients in their teens and early 20s still aren’t the norm, exactly, but are becoming more common. Exercise, diet and screening are among the ways that can help. Dallas, Texas (tca/dpa) – Dr. Bethany Malone has treated a lot of colorectal cancer patients. The youngest, not counting those with genetic conditions, was 19 years old. Colorectal cancer used to be considered a cancer of older age. Not anymore. Patients in their teens and early 20s still aren’t the norm, exactly, but are becoming more common. “I have not gone a year in practice without taking a colon cancer out of someone in their 20s,” Malone said. Malone is a colon and rectal surgeon and the associate program director for the general surgery residency at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. Her experience in North Texas reflects a worldwide trend. Colorectal cancer — which includes cancer of the colon and of the rectum — is considered early onset when diagnosed in people under the age of 50. While the majority of diagnoses are still among people aged 65 or older, early onset rates have been increasing worldwide,particularly in high-income countries . In a 2023 report, the American Cancer Society wrote that the trends of decreasing incidence in older people and increasing incidence in younger people are “rapidly shifting the patient population younger .” In 2020, Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman died from colon cancer at age 43. More recently, former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders choreographer Criscilla Anderson died of colon cancer at age 45. Also locally, Dallas musician Joshua Ray Walker was diagnosed with colon cancer in late 2023, at age 33. (About 10 months later, after treatment and surgery, he announced that he wascancer-free .) Here’s what medical experts say about the rising rates of colorectal cancer in younger people. Why are colorectal cancer rates rising among younger people? Medical experts say there isn’t one reason why colorectal cancer rates are rising in the below-50 age groups. But there are some contributing factors. First, it’s not because of genetics. Dr. Radhika Kainthla, a medical oncologist at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas , said that about 20% of early onset colorectal cancer patients have a genetic tie-in. That means 80% do not. “There’s a misconception a lot of times that if it’s a young person being diagnosed with cancer, it must be genetic,” Kainthla said. “But that’s not actually what we’re seeing.” All three experts who spoke with The Dallas Morning News pointed instead to a combination of environmental factors and lifestyle factors, such as diets high in red meat, diets packed with ultra-processed foods and lack of regular exercise. Malone at Texas Health Fort Worth said fiber intake especially tends to be low for Americans, which can increase the risk for colorectal cancer. Fiber does a lot of work in the gut, Malone said, including feeding a healthy microbiome and helping to flush carcinogens out of the body before they’re absorbed. Malone noted that the “lifestyle” factors are not always easily controllable. The US food system has shifted significantly toward ultra-processed foods, which tend to be low in necessary nutrients such as fiber. There are also environmental factors at play, said Dr. Emina Huang , a professor of surgery and a colorectal surgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center . For instance, living near a superfund site — which are hazardous waste sites — has been shown to increase the risk of cancer. How can I reduce my risk of colorectal cancer? Reducing the risk of colorectal cancer, the three experts said, comes down to a lot of the standard advice that medical professionals recommend for general health, too. The three experts said that folks should focus on getting regular exercise, avoiding smoking, moderating alcohol intake and eating a diet that’s low in red meat but rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber. Obesity is also a risk factor for colorectal cancer, the experts said, although Malone cautioned against focusing on weight loss alone. Restrictive diets may also end up being low in fiber, which is harmful rather than helpful for colorectal cancer risk. And, of course, patients should pay attention to their bodies and seek medical care if they notice abdominal pain or changes in their bowel movements. When should I start getting screened for colorectal cancer? Because of the rising rates of colorectal cancer among younger people, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advises regular screenings beginning at age 45. The gold standard of screening is a colonoscopy, but stool tests and scans can also be used for screening. The age 45 recommendation, however, is for patients who have a standard risk for colorectal cancer. Some people may be at higher risk due to personal or family history. People with a first-degree relative — a sibling, parent or child — diagnosed with colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps may be advised to begin screenings at a younger age. In general, medical professionals advise beginning screening when a patient is 10 years younger than their relative was at the age of diagnosis. For instance, if your father was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age 48, you should begin screenings at age 38. Patients with such a family history should start screenings no later than 40. Similarly, patients who have personal histories of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis are at higher risk of colorectal cancer, too, and should also begin screenings at an earlier age. Kainthla, at Parkland, also noted that there are other types of screenings besides colonoscopies, such as blood tests and stool tests, that may be a useful option for some patients. What are the warning signs of colorectal cancer? Medical experts are quick to point out that, for most young people, abdominal or gastrointestinal symptoms are unlikely to indicate colorectal cancer. Still, some symptoms should serve as red flags. The most common early symptoms are stomach pain that doesn’t go away, changes in bowel movements with no improvement or blood in the stool. Sometimes, these symptoms can indicate hemorrhoids or other relatively benign conditions. However, if a patient is treated for a benign condition but symptoms do not improve, that’s a sign that something more may be going on. The following information is not intended for publication dpa tca arw

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