It’s the Friday of a holiday week, and maybe that means you’re winding down to reset for the new year, or perhaps you’re squeezing in more family-filled festivities. Whatever’s on the schedule, we hope you are taking care of yourself, too. In that spirit of self-care, we bring you the health edition of the Best of Nice News 2024 series, including the lowdown on “cozy cardio” and Alzheimer’s prevention tips from a neurologist. Both stories, though covering very different topics, share a similar sentiment: Little steps over time can go a long way.
Health
40% of Alzheimer’s Cases Are Preventable: How You Can Reduce Your Risk — Exclusive
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Previous research has shown that nearly 40% of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia cases may be preventable or delayed. And last year, a team of U.K. researchers published a world-first study identifying risk factors that specifically apply to young-onset, or early-onset, dementia cases, meaning those diagnosed in people under age 65. Some of the 15 factors are genetic, but others, like vitamin D deficiency, are modifiable and within individuals’ power to change. There are also some, such as lower formal education and lower socioeconomic status, that could inform public health policies. Back in February, Nice News chatted with neurologist Richard Isaacson, an Alzheimer’s expert who was not involved in this study, to learn more about what the research results mean for preventing Alzheimer’s at any age. The gist? It’s never too late to work on reducing your risk. Isaacson, who serves as a health advisor for the Alzheimer’s organization Hilarity for Charity, said people should feel “empowered” by the study’s findings. “When it comes to early-onset or young-onset, people used to say, ‘There’s nothing you can do, it’s genetic.’ But the real clincher here is that this study shows that there is something [you can do] — anyone, at any age, can take control of their brain health today.” Read some of his tips.
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Have You Heard of Cozy Cardio? All About the Latest Fitness Trend
LIUDMILA CHERNETSKA/ ISTOCK
Cozy cardio is probably Nice News’ favorite fitness trend of 2024. The concept went viral on social media thanks to a content creator named Hope Zuckerbrow. She began posting videos of her early morning workouts in 2022, and they quickly took off. It’s easy to see why. Cozy cardio rejects the idea that exercise has to be vigorous and intense. It involves walking on the treadmill in sweatpants (or even pajamas), lighting a candle, making a cup of tea, putting on your favorite comfort show or movie, and doing whatever else allows you to slow down and simply enjoy the movement. “I get so many messages from men and women — so many people — saying something along the lines of ‘thank you so much for kind of flipping my mindset on what I thought exercise is supposed to be,’” Zuckerbrow told the Associated Press. “This feels so doable.” It’s an intriguing idea from the perspective of habit forming, especially for those who struggle to incorporate a regular exercise routine into their daily lives. “[Cozy cardio] fits in with a lot of what we know about how to get people to actually maintain behavior change,” said psychology professor Catherine Sanderson. Check out some other examples of cozy workouts so you can hop on the trend.
Health
At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening Device Awarded Milestone Designation From FDA
Teal Health
Nice News first covered Teal Health, a startup backed by Serena Williams that developed an at-home cervical cancer screening wand, in April. And around a month later, the wand was granted Breakthrough Device status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The status was awarded following promising mid-point data from the Teal Wand’s first, nationwide clinical trial, and puts it on track for priority approval once the company submits its final results for review. “The speed of our study shows that if you design for and engage with women to advance women’s health, you’ll be met with resounding enthusiasm from this group that has been overlooked and under researched for far too long,” Teal Health CEO and co-founder Kara Egan said in a statement shared with Nice News. “This study and Breakthrough designation is an important moment for women’s health.” Learn more about how it works, why it’s needed, and how you can join the waitlist to get the device.
Health
US Sees Sudden, “Unprecedented” Drop in Opioid Overdose Deaths
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In Vermont, there was a 22% decline in drug deaths in 2024, as of September. In King County, Washington, the first half of the year saw a 15% drop. Ohio? Thirty-one percent fewer overdose deaths. And Missouri had a 34% decrease in the second quarter. Those places have all been hotspots in the opioid epidemic, and the sudden, swift declines seen this year could indicate a national street drug death drop of around 15% — higher than the CDC’s recent estimate of 10.6%, a rate already being celebrated as a win. That’s according to Nabarun Dasgupta, an expert at the University of North Carolina. He released an analysis of the “unprecedented” numbers, which could correspond to 20,000 fewer deaths in 2024. “This is exciting,” Dr. Nora Volkow, head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told NPR. “This looks real. This looks very, very real.” It’s not just researchers who are seeing the trend: The people working to fight the epidemic on the ground are noticing changes, too. “A year ago when overdose deaths continued to rise, I was really struggling with hope,” said Brad Finegood, who directs the overdose crisis response in Seattle. He added: “Today, I have so much hope.”
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