Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / Brain Health, GLP-1 Drugs, and Flu Strain in Ottawa

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Brain Health, GLP-1 Drugs, and Flu Strain in Ottawa · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

• 0:00
  Welcome to Morning Medical with Dr.
• 0:02
  Chow, where we explore the latest in medical and health news from around the globe.
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  I'm Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow, your host and guide on this journey through the fascinating world of health
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  and wellness.
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  Today, we're diving into the final day of the 5-Day Brain Health Challenge, and it's all
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  about taking proactive steps to protect both your mind and body.
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  The Brain Health Challenge has been an exciting journey, encouraging participants to engage in
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  activities that boost cognitive function and overall well-being.
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  Today, we're focusing on making doctor appointments that might seem a bit
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  unconventional but are crucial for maintaining brain health.
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  One of the most important steps you can take is getting your blood pressure checked.
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  High blood pressure, often referred to as the 'silent killer,' can cause significant damage
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  to your brain over time.
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  It increases the risk of stroke and dementia by damaging brain cells and stressing the artery
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  walls.
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  Dr.
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  Shyam Prabhakaran, chair of neurology at the University of Chicago, emphasizes how vital it
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  is to manage blood pressure, especially during midlife.
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  Hypertension doesn't usually present symptoms until it has already caused damage, making
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  regular monitoring essential.
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  If your readings are higher than 120 over 80, it's time to take action.
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  Addressing high blood pressure can be as simple as lifestyle changes or medication, but knowing
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  your numbers is the first step.
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  Beyond blood pressure, there are other aspects of physical health that can influence brain
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  health.
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  Scheduling regular eye exams and hearing tests is important, as vision and hearing loss have
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  been linked to an increased risk of dementia.
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  These sensory losses can lead to cognitive decline as they reduce the brain's stimulation
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  and contribute to social withdrawal.
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  Oral health is another key factor.
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  Research indicates that regular flossing can lower the risk of stroke due to reduced
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  inflammation and the removal of bacteria linked to gum disease, which is associated with
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  Alzheimer's disease.
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  Also, if you're over fifty, getting a shingles vaccine could offer protection against
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  dementia, with studies suggesting it reduces the risk by up to twenty percent.
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  To conclude this challenge, it's time to take action by scheduling these important
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  appointments.
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  Whether it's a blood pressure reading, an eye exam, a dental cleaning, a shingles vaccine, or
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  a hearing test, each step is a stride toward better cognitive health.
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  Remember, these appointments benefit both your brain and body, setting you on the path to a
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  sharper, more resilient mind.
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  Today, we're diving into an intriguing study that sheds light on the journey of weight
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  management, particularly focusing on the use of GLP-1 drugs.
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  These drugs, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, have gained popularity for their
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  effectiveness in aiding weight loss.
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  However, a recent review published in the British Medical Journal has highlighted a
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  challenge that many face after discontinuing these medications: weight regain.
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  The study analyzed data from 63 trials involving over 9,000 individuals, revealing
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  that those who stopped taking GLP-1 drugs typically regained weight at a rate of 0.8
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  kilograms per month, with many returning to their baseline weight within 18 to 20 months.
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  This is a significant finding, as it underscores the temporary nature of the weight
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  loss benefits provided by these medications.
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  Dr.
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  Hertzel Gerstein, a professor of medicine and endocrinologist at McMaster University, pointed
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  out that this outcome is not unexpected.
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  The drugs work by inducing a feeling of fullness and slowing down the passage of food
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  through the gastrointestinal tract.
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  When the medication is stopped, these effects cease, and the individual's previous eating
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  environment remains unchanged.
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  The study also compared the results with those from behavioral weight management programs,
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  which rely on counseling, diet, and exercise.
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  Participants in these programs also regained weight after stopping, but at a slower rate of
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  0.2 kilograms per month.
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  This suggests that while GLP-1 drugs may offer more significant initial weight loss, the
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  long-term sustainability of weight management might be more challenging.
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  There's an important aspect to consider regarding the additional benefits of GLP-1
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  drugs.
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  Beyond weight loss, these medications have been shown to improve cardiovascular health.
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  However, the study found that these benefits also diminish once the medication is
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  discontinued.
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  Markers of cardiovascular health, such as cholesterol and blood pressure, often returned
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  to baseline levels after stopping the medication.
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  Dr.
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  Jennifer Lake from the University of Toronto’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy emphasizes that
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  these drugs do not alter the body’s physiology permanently.
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  The weight loss and health benefits are contingent on the continued use of the
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  medication.
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  Therefore, for many, these drugs may need to be considered as a chronic treatment rather than a
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  short-term solution.
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  Professor Dana Small from McGill University highlights the broader issue of the 'food
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  environment,' which remains unchanged when medications are stopped.
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  This environment, characterized by the availability of ultra-processed foods, plays a
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  significant role in the obesity epidemic.
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  Until there's a change in this environment, the challenge of maintaining weight loss after
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  stopping medications will persist.
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  In conclusion, while GLP-1 drugs can be a powerful tool in the fight against obesity,
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  they are not a cure-all.
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  They should be used in conjunction with lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise,
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  to maximize their effectiveness.
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  Patients considering these medications should be prepared for the possibility of long-term
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  use to maintain the benefits.
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  Let's delve into an intriguing piece of research that explores the fascinating
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  cognitive abilities of some dogs.
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  Just like toddlers, who can learn new words by simply overhearing conversations, certain dogs
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  have been shown to do the same.
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  This new study, published in the journal Science, highlights how some exceptionally
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  intelligent dogs can expand their vocabulary through eavesdropping.
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  The research was conducted by a team at Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, who were curious
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  if dogs that are particularly adept at learning toy names could pick up new words without
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  direct interaction.
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  The study involved ten dogs identified as 'gifted' in learning toy names.
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  These dogs were first introduced to two new toys, with their owners repeatedly saying the
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  toy names while interacting directly with them.
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  Astonishingly, eight minutes was sufficient for most of these dogs to learn the names of the
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  new toys.
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  The researchers then tested the dogs' ability to learn in a more passive setting.
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  In this 'overheard' condition, the owners included the new toy names in casual sentences
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  while handling the toys, but without directly interacting with or looking at the dogs.
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  Despite this indirect approach, seven out of the ten dogs successfully identified and
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  retrieved the new toys upon request.
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  This suggests that these gifted dogs can learn new object labels by overhearing in a manner
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  similar to young children.
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  Further experiments showed these dogs could even learn when the toys were out of sight,
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  indicating they may use social cues to understand our interactions.
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  Remarkably, the dogs remembered the toy names two weeks later, demonstrating a flexible and
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  deep understanding of human communication.
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  The study's findings suggest that the cognitive and social abilities that enable humans to
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  learn from overhearing might have evolved before language itself, allowing some dogs to
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  inherit these skills.
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  During domestication, dogs that excelled at understanding and communicating with humans
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  were more likely to reproduce, which might explain why certain dogs are so adept at
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  picking up human cues.
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  However, it's important to note that these findings do not apply to all dogs.
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  The researchers found that typical family dogs did not learn new toy names in the same way as
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  these 'Gifted Word Learner' dogs.
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  The ability to learn words by overhearing seems to be a rare talent, with most of the gifted
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  dogs being Border Collies, although a few other breeds participated as well.
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  While the study adds to our understanding of canine intelligence, it raises more questions
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  about why some dogs have this special ability.
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  Dr.
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  Shany Dror, who led the study, likened the comparison between gifted dogs and typical ones
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  to that of a bicycle and a car.
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  Both serve a similar function, but the mechanisms that drive them are quite different.
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  Now, let's turn our attention to Ottawa, where flu levels remain alarmingly high, putting
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  significant strain on the local hospitals.
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  Evidence of this flu's grip is apparent in both wastewater samples and the number of patients
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  presenting with respiratory symptoms at hospitals.
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  However, there are some encouraging signs of improvement.
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  According to the latest update from Ottawa Public Health, traces of influenza detected in
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  the city's wastewater are currently at four times the levels found during the same week in
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  2024 and 2025.
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  This is actually an improvement from last week, where levels were found to be twelve times
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  higher than in previous years.
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  It's a step in the right direction, but the situation remains critical.
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  Hospitals in Ottawa continue to see a higher proportion of patients with respiratory
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  problems than in past years.
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  This year, about seventeen percent of hospital patients have respiratory issues, compared to a
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  three-year average of about thirteen percent.
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  This figure spiked to around twenty-four percent in mid-December, illustrating the
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  intense pressure the hospitals have been under this flu season.
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  During the week beginning December 28th, more than twice as many patients were admitted to
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  hospital with flu than with COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus combined, according
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  to Ottawa Public Health.
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  While COVID-19 levels are generally considered moderate and stable, other respiratory viruses
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  like Respiratory Syncytial Virus are considered high and stable.
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  The local health-care system is struggling to keep up with this overwhelming respiratory
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  illness season.
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  The Queensway Carleton Hospital has reported being sixteen percent over capacity, with
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  twenty-nine patients in its emergency department who should be admitted but cannot be
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  due to a lack of available beds.
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  Ottawa's children's hospital, CHEO, has also expressed concerns about the current flu season
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  and continues to urge people to get vaccinated against the flu.
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  This year's flu is particularly severe, and tragically, three children between the ages of
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  five and nine have died from complications of influenza in the first half of December.
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  Health officials in Ottawa and the neighboring Eastern Ontario Health Unit emphasize the
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  importance of vaccination.
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  Besides getting vaccinated, Ottawa Public Health advises people to help halt the spread
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  of the flu by keeping their hands and common surfaces clean, covering up when they sneeze,
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  and wearing masks.
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  It's clear that this flu season is challenging for both the health-care systems and the
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  community.
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  Let's continue to support our health-care workers and follow the recommended precautions
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  to protect ourselves and those around us.
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  That's all for today's episode of Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow.
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  Thank you for joining me as we explored the latest in health news.
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  Remember, taking proactive steps in your health journey can lead to a brighter, healthier
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  future.
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  Until next time, stay well and take care.