American College of Cardiology comments on new dietary guidelines for Americans

American College of Cardiology

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American College of Cardiology President Christopher M. Kramer, MD, FACC, issued the following statement on the release of new Dietary Guidelines for Americans by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“The ACC acknowledges and appreciates the release of new federal nutrition guidance and remains committed to helping clinicians and patients use it to support heart health,” said ACC President Christopher M. Kramer, MD, FACC.

“We welcome the inclusion of several important science-based recommendations, including a focus on eating whole fruits and vegetables; limiting added sugars, highly processed foods, saturated fats and sugary drinks; and incorporating whole grains and healthy fats from whole foods like meats, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, olives and avocados. ACC looks forward to providing additional evidence-based feedback regarding the impacts of high protein and high fat dairy products on heart health and opportunities for further research when updates to our 2019 Prevention Guideline are released later this year.

“We are closely reviewing the recommendations and encourage clinicians to discuss practical, culturally appropriate healthy eating options with their patients. Even the healthiest among us can benefit from heart‑healthy eating patterns. Adopting a healthy diet is especially helpful for people at risk for – or who already have – heart disease or related risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.”

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is a global leader dedicated to transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all. For more than 75 years, the ACC has empowered a community of over 60,000 cardiovascular professionals across more than 140 countries with cutting-edge education and advocacy, rigorous professional credentials, and trusted clinical guidance. From its world-class JACC Journals and NCDR registries to its Accreditation Services, global network of Chapters and Sections, and CardioSmart patient initiatives, the College is committed to creating a world where science, knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes. Learn more at www.ACC.org or connect on social media at @ACCinTouch.

 

Portable biosensor may enable on-site PFAS detection

La Trobe University

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A portable biosensor developed at La Trobe University may allow rapid, on-site detection of toxic “forever chemicals” in water, removing the need for samples to be sent to specialist laboratories.

The device is designed to detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of more than 15,000 synthetic chemicals used in products such as firefighting foams, food packaging and stain-resistant fabrics.

PFAS are highly persistent in the environment and have been linked to serious health risks, including cancer. Specifically, the sensing device detects PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), which is among the most regulated PFAS.

Led by PhD student Henry Bellette and Dr Saimon Moraes Silva, Director of La Trobe’s Biomedical and Environmental Sensor Technology (BEST) Research Centre, the research has been published in the journal ACS Sensors.

Bellette said current PFAS-testing methods limited how often and where water could be monitored.

“Most PFAS testing relies on expensive laboratory equipment and specialist analysis, which makes regular monitoring difficult,” he said. “This biosensor could be used on site and provides a simple yes or no result, allowing water to be screened quickly and easily.”

PFAS contamination has been identified across Australia, particularly at sites where firefighting foams were historically used, including airports, military bases and fire stations.

Dr Moraes Silva said portable screening tools would play an important role in managing long - term contamination.

“PFAS do not break down in the environment, so monitoring is an ongoing challenge,” he said. “A portable screening tool could allow more frequent testing, particularly in regional and remote areas, and help identify where more detailed laboratory analysis is needed.”

The researchers hope the technology can eventually be incorporated into a hand -held device for environmental monitoring and water screening.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c03678

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Journal

ACS Sensors

DOI

10.1021/acssensors.5c03678 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Point-of-Need PFAS Detection: A Yes/No Biosensor SolutionArticle link copied!

 

Widely used pesticide linked to more than doubled Parkinson’s risk

New UCLA study combines human, animal research to identify chlorpyrifos as potential environmental cause of brain disease

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

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A new study from UCLA Health has found that long-term residential exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos is associated with more than a 2.5-fold increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. The research, published in the journal Molecular Neurodegeneration, combines human population data with laboratory experiments showing how the pesticide damages dopamine-producing brain cells, providing biological evidence for the link.

Why it matters

Nearly one million Americans live with Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurological disorder that causes tremors, stiffness and difficulty with movement. While genetics plays a role, environmental factors like pesticide exposure are increasingly recognized as important contributors. Chlorpyrifos has been widely used in agriculture for decades. Though its residential use was banned in 2001, and agricultural use was restricted in 2021, chlorpyrifos is still used on many crops in the US and widely used in other countries. Understanding which specific pesticides increase Parkinson's risk could inform prevention strategies and help identify people who may benefit from earlier monitoring or future protective treatments.

What the study did

Researchers analyzed data from 829 people with Parkinson's disease and 824 without the condition, all part of UCLA's long-running Parkinson's Environment and Genes study. The team used California's pesticide use reports along with participants' residential and work addresses to estimate individual exposure to chlorpyrifos over time. To understand how the pesticide might cause brain damage, researchers exposed mice to aerosolized chlorpyrifos for 11 weeks using inhalation methods that mimic how humans typically encounter the chemical. They also conducted experiments in zebrafish to identify the specific biological mechanisms of damage.

What they found

People with long-term residential chlorpyrifos exposure had more than 2.5 times the risk of developing Parkinson's disease compared to those without such exposure. Mice exposed to the pesticide developed movement problems and lost dopamine-producing neurons, the same cells that die in Parkinson's patients. The exposed mice also showed brain inflammation and abnormal accumulation of alpha-synuclein, a protein that clumps in Parkinson's disease. Zebrafish experiments revealed that chlorpyrifos damages neurons by disrupting autophagy, the cellular process that clears damaged proteins. When researchers restored this cleanup process or removed synuclein protein, the neurons were protected from damage.

What's next

The findings identify autophagy dysfunction as a potential target for developing treatments that could protect the brain from pesticide damage. Researchers note that while chlorpyrifos use has been reduced in recent years in the US, many people were exposed in the past and similar pesticides are still used widely. Future studies could examine whether other commonly used pesticides cause similar damage and whether interventions that enhance cellular cleanup processes might reduce Parkinson's risk in exposed populations. The work also suggests that people with known historical exposure to chlorpyrifos might benefit from closer neurological monitoring.

From the experts

“This study establishes chlorpyrifos as a specific environmental risk factor for Parkinson's disease, not just pesticides as a general class,” said Dr. Jeff Bronstein, professor of Neurology at UCLA Health and the study’s senior author. “By showing the biological mechanism in animal models, we've demonstrated that this association is likely causal. The discovery that autophagy dysfunction drives the neurotoxicity also points us toward potential therapeutic strategies to protect vulnerable brain cells.”

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Journal

Molecular Neurodegeneration

DOI

10.1186/s13024-025-00915-z 

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

The pesticide chlorpyrifos increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease

Libcom.orgfiles.libcom.org/files/Bookchin M. Our Synthetic Environment.pdf

Our Synthetic Environment - Libcom.org

Our Synthetic Environment. Murray Bookchin. 1962. Table of contents. Chapter 1: THE PROBLEM. Chapter 2: AGRICULTURE AND HEALTH. Chapter 3: URBAN LIFE AND HEALTH.

 

Whooping cough vaccination for pregnant women strengthens babies’ immune system

22-week shot could save lives worldwide

Radboud University Medical Center

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Vaccinating women during pregnancy leads to the transfer of antibodies to their newborns. These antibodies were detected not only in blood, but also in the nasal mucosa, the site where whooping cough bacteria enter the body. This has been shown by international research led by Radboud university medical center. ‘The fact that these antibodies reach the nasal mucosa has not been demonstrated before and highlights how effective this vaccination is’.

Since 2019, pregnant women in the Netherlands have been offered a vaccination against whooping cough (pertussis) for their unborn child, known as the 22-week shot. ‘We give this vaccine to protect babies from whooping cough right after birth. In the first weeks of life, babies are extremely vulnerable and too young to be vaccinated themselves. That’s why we vaccinate the mother during pregnancy,’ explains immunologist Dimitri Diavatopoulos of Radboudumc. Antibodies from the mother are transferred to the baby through the placenta. This study now shows that these antibodies also reach the nasal mucosa – exactly where whooping cough bacteria enter the body.

Importance of vaccination

Whooping cough is well controlled in Europe but remains a deadly disease in many parts of the world. Each year, between 200,000 and 300,000 people die from it, mostly young infants in low- and middle-income countries, where good vaccines are not always available. In the study conducted by Radboudumc and the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia, 343 mothers and their babies participated, with half of the pregnant women receiving the whooping cough vaccine. ‘Mothers who were vaccinated during pregnancy passed on antibodies through the placenta that were subsequently detected in the baby’s nasal mucosa,’ says Diavatopoulos.

Immune response differs by vaccine type

The study also shows that babies who received a whole-cell whooping cough vaccine at 8, 12, and 16 weeks developed, on average, a stronger immune response than those who received an acellular vaccine. ‘The difference is that a whole-cell vaccine contains the complete, but inactivated, whooping cough bacterium, whereas an acellular vaccine contains only a few purified components of the bacterium,’ Diavatopoulos explains. ‘Acellular vaccines usually cause fewer side effects but often also provide shorter-lasting protection. Our findings suggest that whole-cell vaccines may support longer-term immune protection’, says Janeri Fröberg, postdoctoral researcher at Radboudumc.

In Europe, the acellular vaccine has been used since 2005, while most low- and middle-income countries still use the whole-cell vaccine. The researchers emphasize that further studies are needed to determine what these results mean for clinical protection and vaccination policies in different settings.

WHO: keep the whole-cell vaccine

For the Netherlands, this study underscores the importance of the 22-week shot, which  gives babies immediate protection during their most vulnerable period. For lower-income countries, where most deaths occur, the results show that implementing whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy could save lives. And for countries that continue to use whole-cell vaccines, the findings support the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation to maintain their use, as they may provide longer lasting immunity.

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Journal

The Lancet Microbe

DOI

10.1219/24tlmicrobe0660 

Method of Research

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Mucosal immune responses to Bordetella pertussis in Gambian infants following maternal and primary vaccination: an immunological sub-study of a double-blinded, randomized, controlled, phase 4 trial

Article Publication Date

7-Jan-2026