Monthly Archives: September 2024

[ad_1] Chronic inflammation is the hidden enemy behind serious, life-shortening health problems like diabetes and heart disease (1). In severe cases, this inflammation can contribute to autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes, lupus, arthritis, or inflammatory bowel disease (2). Even if you lead a healthy lifestyle, factors like stress, alcohol consumption, and not sleeping enough can cause it to lurk in your body with little to no symptoms (3, 4, 5). At-home inflammation tests claim to catch inflammation before it can cause disease—but do they deliver on their promise? These tests are popular for people who want to tackle hidden inflammation before it can get out of control. The idea is simple: prick your finger, send off your blood sample, and get information about the biomarkers linked to inflammation. But before you shell out for an at-home test, it’s important to know that while they may offer a glimpse into your body’s inflammatory state, the reality is more complicated. About the Experts Raj Dasgupta, M.D., is a board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine, pulmonology, critical care, and sleep medicine. He is also an advisor for the National Council on Aging. Amy Myers, M.D., is a functional medicine physician. She specializes in treating autoimmune conditions. What an At-Home Inflammation Test Tells You Inflammation tests read your levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (6). Your liver pumps out this protein when inflammatory cells called cytokines flood your bloodstream (1). Your immune system releases cytokines when it detects a threat, like a virus or injury. If your CRP levels are low, that means your immune system isn’t trying to defeat an invader or swarm an injury. But if levels are high, and you’re not injured or recovering from illness, something more serious could be going on.  While a CRP reading alone isn’t enough information for a doctor to diagnose a condition that chronic inflammation may have caused, it can be a small clue to a bigger puzzle. “High CRP levels usually prompt further investigation to determine the underlying condition,” functional medicine physician Amy Myers, M.D., says. Some at-home inflammation tests also check for vitamin D (7). Research shows that low vitamin D can bump up CRP and contribute to chronic inflammation. Not having enough vitamin D is common—as many as 40 percent of adults in the United States have vitamin D deficiency (8).  How it works You don’t need an Rx script to buy an at-home inflammation test. You can order one online or pick one up at a drugstore.  Several companies sell at-home inflammation tests, and most work in a similar way: First, you prick your finger to collect a small blood sample. Then, you mail it to a lab that measures the C-reactive protein levels in your blood. A few weeks later, you get your results.  Your CRP results can tell you how much inflammation is present in your body (9): Less than 0.3 mg/dL (normal): No major inflammation is present. 0.3 to 1.0 mg/dL (slightly elevated): There is some inflammation, but nothing concerning. Injury, obesity, pregnancy, depression, diabetes, common cold, or cigarette smoking can all elevate your levels. Making certain lifestyle tweaks can bring down your levels. 1.0 to 10.0 mg/dL (moderate elevation): This elevation is frequently seen in systemic inflammation from autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. If you see this level pop up on your test, definitely talk to your doctor about your results.  More than 10.0 mg/dL (marked elevation): Ultra-high inflammation is linked to major, life-threatening injury or infection. You would expect to see this level in someone who is in the ICU, not on an at-home test. Are At-Home Inflammation Tests Reliable? Physician Raj Dasgupta, M.D., gives it to us straight: At-home inflammation tests are riddled with flaws.  Here’s the thing about at-home inflammation tests: They pick up on all types of inflammation, but not all inflammation is harmful. Your immune system uses inflammation to respond to injuries, allergies, or infections. Swelling after you twist your ankle during a jog is a pain (literally), but it’s a necessary part of the healing process (10). This type of inflammation is temporary and doesn’t cause long-term damage to your body.  Chronic inflammation, however, is like a forest fire. It’s hard to extinguish, and if left unchecked, it can cause long-term damage.  “These tests can’t tell the difference between short-term and long-term inflammation,” he explains. The main marker the test measures is CRP, which is present in both acute and chronic inflammation. In other words, the test can’t tell if the inflammation in your body is from weightlifting that day or from an underlying autoimmune condition.  “These tests can sometimes give false results, either missing inflammation that’s actually there or indicating inflammation when there isn’t any,” Dasgupta says.  He generally doesn’t recommend ordering an at-home inflammation test unless your doctor says otherwise. Who may benefit from a test? While both Myers and Dasgupta advise against at-home inflammation tests, they see value in more advanced inflammation tests ordered by your doctor. Beyond just CRP, they measure biomarkers—like autoantibodies, cytokines, and chemokines—that can provide crucial insights into more serious conditions. “CRP testing can be useful for deciding if preventive treatment is needed for people who have a moderate risk of a heart attack,” Dasgupta explains. If an at-home test shows high CRP levels, it could encourage you to go to the doctor for further testing or prompt you to make lifestyle changes, such as cutting back on red meat and alcohol. However, Dasgupta says the latest evidence suggests CRP testing—whether at-home or in-clinic—doesn’t always offer valuable information to doctors. High blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and a family history of heart disease are all known drivers of chronic inflammation (11). And your doctor will already address all of this with you at your annual checkup. “The CRP test is not needed as a regular test for everyone,” Dasgupta says. If your doctor thinks you might have an autoimmune condition, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis (12), they may order

[ad_1] McLaren heeft meer duidelijkheid verschaft over het opleggen van teamorders. Kopman Lando Norris kan WK-leider Max Verstappen nog inhalen en Oscar Piastri gaat hem daar als tweede coureur desgevraagd bij helpen. Toch moet het vooral vanuit Norris zelf komen. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Two cowboys let tourists ride their horses [ad_2] View Reddit by onahighhorse – View Source

[ad_1] A KFC advertisement featuring Port Adelaide AFL stars has been removed from the internet after claims the video was racist – but not everyone is taking offence. KFC is a shorts sponsor for Port Adelaide, who play Hawthorn in a sudden-death final at Adelaide Oval on Friday night. The fast food chain also sponsors the Hawks, along with Collingwood and Richmond. The axed advertisement is a new addition to the ‘Fried Night Footy’ series it has run across both the AFL and NRL in Australia for several years. In this version, Port Adelaide star Aliir Aliir points to a bucket of KFC product as fellow Power stars Miles Bergman, Ebony O’Dea and Ashleigh Saint advance on him in a corridor. He then runs away to indicate he does not want to share the chicken as his clubmates pursue him while the Friday Night Football jingle plays.  The video only lasts five seconds and was posted on social media on Thursday before disappearing on Friday. A thumbnail of the original ad remains on TikTok, but clicking on the link leads to a message reading ‘video currently unavailable’. Port Adelaide player Aliir Aliir is featured in the now-deleted KFC advertisement Port players Miles Bergman, Ebony O’Dea and Ashleigh Saint then appear, wanting some of the chicken Aliir Aliir is carryin, but he is in no mood to share TikTok user manliketats called out the video as racist because of US stereotypes involving fried chicken and African-American people It was online long enough for some people to have ripped the video, though, including a TikTok user called manliketats who is an Australian with a Zimbabwean mother. ‘KFC, KFC, KFC, to say I am disappointed is an understatement,’ he says in a reaction video. ‘To say I am disgusted is just an understatement. Did you guys forget what year it is? ‘We’re in 2024. These types of stuff can’t run. We’re no longer in 2003. ‘It doesn’t matter how true this video may be, we’re in 2024 and everybody is going to have an issue with this.’  Aliir Aliir was born in Kenya to South Sudanese parents who had fled the Sudanese civil war and moved to Australia when he was just eight years old. The stereotype linking fried chicken with black people comes from racist history in the United States.  Racist caricatures and depictions in media, such as minstrel shows and early films, exaggerated and mocked African American culture, often using food as a tool to demean and dehumanise.  Footy fans were divided, with some calling the video racist and others saying it was harmless This led to some footy fans calling out KFC for using Aliir Aliir in the now-deleted ad. ‘The racism on kfc smh,’ one commenter posted.  ‘Nah they did that s**t on purpose,’ another wrote. ‘I can see how black people would be offended,’ added another.  However, the vast majority of footy fans defended both Aliir Aliir and KFC, saying the ad is not offensive in any way. ‘I reckon it’s more racist to not let Aliir Aliir make sponsorship money just because he’s black,’ one footy fan commented on the TikTok reaction video. ‘It’s Australia this stereotype only applies to Americans,’ added another. ‘I can see how black people would be offended, but look at it like this…maybe he genuinely loves KFC and wanted their sponsorship and now he loses a sponsor,’ suggested another. ‘Mate Aliir has been a target of racism before ya I’m pretty sure if he didn’t want to do it because it’s racist he wouldn’t have done it,’ posted another commenter. Aliir Aliir has been used in KFC promotions before with no backlash, with this advertisement still live on the Port Adelaide X page Aliir Aliir will play a crucial role for Port Adelaide in its elimination final against Hawthorn on Friday night KFC Australia has been contacted for comment.  It is not the first time that Aliir Aliir has been involved in a KFC promotion. He was featured in the Ultimate Footy Bucket List competition that ran in June, with footy fans able to win a year’s supply of KFC and the chance to meet the Power star. He was pictured smiling in the promotion, which attracted no backlash. Port Adelaide will play the Hawthorn Hawks at Adelaide Oval on Friday night with a chance to reach the preliminary final on the line. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Reuters Apple has been ordered to pay Ireland €13bn (£11bn; $14bn) in unpaid taxes by Europe’s top court, putting an end to an eight-year row. The European Commission accused Ireland of giving Apple illegal tax advantages in 2016, but Ireland has consistently argued against the need for the tax to be paid. The Irish government said it would respect the ruling. Apple said it was disappointed with the decision and accused the European Commission of “trying to retroactively change the rules”. A separate European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling on Tuesday also brought a long-running case with Google to a close, with the company ordered to pay a €2.4bn (£2bn) fine for market dominance abuse. The EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager praised both judgements. “Today is a huge win for European citizens and tax justice,” she said. Back and forth In the Apple case, the ECJ said: “The Court of Justice gives final judgment in the matter and confirms the European Commission’s 2016 decision: Ireland granted Apple unlawful aid which Ireland is required to recover.” The ruling puts an end to a lengthy back and forth legal process. The original decision covered the period from 1991 to 2014, and related to the way in which profits generated by two Apple subsidiaries based in Ireland were treated for tax purposes. Those tax arrangements were deemed to be illegal because other companies were not able to obtain the same advantages. That ruling came at a time when the Commission was attempting to clamp down on multinational giants it believed were using creative financial arrangements to reduce their tax bills. It was overturned by the lower court of the ECJ in 2020 following an appeal by Ireland. However, that verdict has now been set aside by the higher court, which said it contained legal errors. Apple said in a statement: “This case has never been about how much tax we pay, but which government we are required to pay it to. We always pay all the taxes we owe wherever we operate and there has never been a special deal. “The European Commission is trying to retroactively change the rules and ignore that, as required by international tax law, our income was already subject to taxes in the US. “We are disappointed with today’s decision as previously the General Court reviewed the facts and categorically annulled this case,” Apple added. The bad news for Apple comes a day after the tech giant released its new iPhone 16 range. Why does Ireland not want the money? The ECJ ruling means Ireland will have to recover the lost taxes from Apple – something Dublin has spent years of legal wrangling trying to avoid. The Irish government has argued that Apple should not have to repay the back taxes, deeming that its loss was worth it to make the country an attractive home for large companies. Ireland, which has one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the EU, is Apple’s base for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Although corporation tax rates for businesses are set nationally, and are not subject to the EU’s jurisdiction, the trade bloc does have extensive powers to regulate state aid and in this case, it argued that by applying very low tax rates to Apple, Ireland was granting it an unfair subsidy. The latest decision is a colossal victory for the European Commission in its attempts to stop big companies bending the rules. The Irish government said the issue in the Apple case was “now of historical relevance only” and said the process of transferring assets to Ireland would now begin. Tove Maria Ryding from the European Network on Debt and Development, an association of trade unions and non-governmental organisations, welcomed the ECJ’s decision but stressed “our tax problem is more than just one rotten apple”. She said the case addressed tax matters dating back over 20 years and was “a perfect illustration of the chaotic corporate tax system we have”. “What we urgently need is a fundamental reform that can give us a tax system that is fair, effective, transparent and predictable,” she said. An expensive day for tech giants Europe’s top court has also ruled that Google must pay a €2.4bn fine for abusing the market dominance of its shopping comparison service. The tech giant had been appealing against the fine, which was originally levied by the European Commission in 2017. Google said it was disappointed with the ruling, and pointed out it had made changes in 2017 to comply with the Commission’s decision. At the time it was the largest penalty the Commission had ever levied – though a year later it issued Google with an even bigger fine of €4.3bn over claims it used Android software to unfairly promote its own apps. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Jakarta, Indonesia – AIA in Indonesia has recently launched its latest ‘Rethink Healthy’ campaign, which aims to change how common folks view health and make it a bigger part of their daily lives by offering a new definition of health, encouraging more people to live healthier lives through enjoyable and easily integrated daily activities. The ‘Rethink Healthy’ initiative from AIA seeks to advance a new, more relevant, and inclusive notion of health for all. It promotes a more sustainable and all-encompassing approach to health and emphasizes routine tasks that, when completed consciously, can enhance health in a more comprehensive and doable way. The new campaign places a strong emphasis on the idea of “Berbeda-beda tapi sehat juga (different, but healthy too),” which suggests that everyone has a different definition and approach to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Everyone may find their own method to reach their health goals with the support of easy-to-integrate simple activities like walking, singing, resting, taking public transit, and spending time in nature. Kathryn Parapak, chief marketing officer at AIA Indonesia, said, “Everyone has a unique way of taking care of their health. Through ‘Rethink Healthy’, we want to show that healthy living can be achieved with multi-dimensional activities. The important thing is to find activities that suit each person’s lifestyle and preferences. We believe that by providing space for individuals to explore and tailor healthy activities to their needs, they will be more motivated to achieve their health goals.” She added, “With simple and diverse daily activities, we hope that this campaign will involve more people in Indonesia to jointly realise a healthier, longer, better life. This campaign is also carried out in various AIA Group markets and is expected to contribute to AIA’s One Billion ambition to engage one billion people in healthier lives by 2030.” As part of this local campaign rollout, AIA will also host a ‘Sing A Thon’ to bring the idea to life, inviting everyone to join in on group singing and karaoke. The purpose of the activity is to demonstrate that singing has advantages for both physical and mental health in addition to being enjoyable. The public is welcome to attend the ‘Sing A Thon’, which is scheduled for the end of 2024.  Meanwhile, Dion Wiyoko, an AIA vitality ambassador, commented, “As someone who has a busy schedule, with this ‘Rethink Healthy’ I am rethinking my health and my family and I have found a new way to maintain a healthy lifestyle through AIA Vitality which helps me to maintain my health in a simple way even by walking. I became aware that these small, consistent steps can bring great benefits and changes to my health.” [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Een heel nieuw dorp uit de grond stampen blijkt nog niet zo eenvoudig. In het Groene Hart moet het gebeuren. Maar doordat Rijkswaterstaat en het waterschap een rechtszaak hebben aangespannen loopt de bouw flinke vertraging op. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] The Mars Volta singer states: “Just watch” Scientologists will hand out pamphlets at Linkin Park shows [ad_2] View Reddit by AsparagusBig7232 – View Source