Could a rectal pill give quick HIV prevention? Plus, regular laxative use linked to dementia risk, and more health news

Could a quick-dissolving pill placed in the rectum prove to be an effective and safe “on-demand” way to prevent HIV infection among sexually active men and women?

It might, new research indicates.

The experimental form of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is designed to be placed directly into either the rectum or the vagina. In the new study, conducted among 21 men and women, it delivered high levels of protective antiretroviral drugs for up to three days following a single insertion in the rectum, with negligible side effects. Previous research has already tested inserting the pill into the vagina.

Still, the finding is preliminary. And importantly, investigators have not yet run tests to see if the delivery method actually prevents HIV infection in people.

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Even mild COVID might change your brain

People who are experiencing anxiety and depression months after a mild case of COVID-19 may have changes affecting the structure and function of their brains, Brazilian researchers report.

“There is still much to learn about long COVID, which includes a wide range of health problems, including anxiety and depression, months after infection,” said Dr. Clarissa Yasuda of the University of Campinas in São Paulo.

“Our findings are concerning, as even people with a mild case of COVID-19 are showing changes in their brains months later. More studies are needed to hopefully identify treatments to prevent any long-term effects on people’s quality of life,” she added.

To understand this, the researchers studied 254 people who had a mild COVID-19 infection. On average, the patients were 41 years old and had COVID-19 three months earlier.

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Could your smartwatch interfere with your pacemaker?

If you’re one of the millions of people with a pacemaker or an implantable defibrillator to help control abnormal heart rhythms, certain health-tracking devices may do more harm than good.

Smartwatches, rings or scales that emit electrical currents can interfere with these lifesaving implantable heart devices, causing them to malfunction, a new study suggests.

“While the electrical current applied to the body by the gadget is imperceptible by the patients, our work indicates it might be sufficient to confuse pacemakers, implantable cardiac defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices,” said study author Benjamin Sanchez Terrones. He is an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Utah.

At issue are wearable smartwatches, at-home smart scales, and smart rings that use bioimpedance, a sensing technology that emits a very slight electrical current into the body.

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Regular use of laxatives linked to dementia risk

Regular use of laxatives, especially use of multiple laxative types, is associated with an increased risk for all-cause dementia, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in Neurology.

Zhirong Yang, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shenzhen, and colleagues conducted a prospective cohort study involving U.K. Biobank participants aged 40 to 69 years with no history of dementia. The association between regular use of laxatives, defined as self-reported use in most days of the week for the last four weeks, and incidence of dementia was examined.

Of the 502,229 participants, 18,235 (3.6 percent) reported regular laxative use. The researchers found that 1.3 percent of participants with regular use of laxatives and 0.4 percent of those with no regular use developed all-cause dementia during a mean follow-up of 9.8 years.

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The nutritional difference between milk and "milk"

Not all milks are created equally when it comes to nutrients.

Reading the label can clue you in to what you’re getting out of the beverage, whether it be plant-based or dairy, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Nutritional content can vary between different plant-based products, the FDA said in a recent news release. Many don’t have the same amount of calcium, vitamin D or other nutrients as dairy milk.

The only plant-based beverage that contains a similar enough nutrient content that it can be included in the dairy group in the federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans is fortified soy milk.

“The nutrients you get from plant-based milk alternatives can depend on which plant source is used, the processing methods and added ingredients, so check the label carefully,” said Susan Mayne, director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA.

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Anxious? Depressed? Some self-care tips to help

A lot of people are dealing with anxiety, depression or just general unhappiness.

Worry, sadness, restlessness, irritability and trouble sleeping are just a few symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Therapy and medications can help. But some simple self-care ideas can lift a person’s mood and add a sense of peace and joy to everyday life.

“Fortunately, there are things that people can do on their own, either in place of a professional mental health professional or while waiting in line to see someone either virtually or in person,” said James Maddux, professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology and senior scholar in the Center of the Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

All of these techniques can help people dealing with the stress and emotional traumas of life to be happier, Maddux said.

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FDA approves first home test for both COVID and flu

A new at-home test will help people struggling with upper respiratory symptoms figure out whether they have COVID-19 or the flu.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Lucira under an emergency use authorization (EUA) on Friday.

“Today’s authorization of the first OTC [over-the-counter] test that can detect influenza A and B, along with SARS-CoV-2, is a major milestone in bringing greater consumer access to diagnostic tests that can be performed entirely at home,” Dr. Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in an agency news release. “The FDA strongly supports innovation in test development, and we are eager to continue advancing greater access to at-home infectious disease testing to best support public health needs.”

Those who have symptoms of a respiratory tract infection can collect a sample from their noses using a nasal swab and then swirling that in a vial of test solution.

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