Online Promotion of “Brain Health” Supplements

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 489-492
Author(s):  
Brittany R. Block ◽  
Sarah G. Albanese ◽  
Anne L. Hume
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Dietary Supplements ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Huperzine A ◽  
Insufficient Evidence ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Memory Improvement ◽  
The Media ◽  
Minimal Evidence

Objective: To identify the dietary supplements most commonly promoted online for brain health and to compare their major ingredients over 18 months. Mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease are increasing globally with few effective treatments available. Dietary supplements are widely promoted in the media and online for brain health and memory improvement despite minimal evidence of an actual effect. Methods: Incognito mode on Google Chrome was used to conduct four separate searches using the terms: memory supplement, brain health supplement, Alzheimer’s supplement, and dementia supplement. The four separate searches for products were conducted through CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, GNC, Amazon, Yahoo, and Google. For each website, the top 10 supplement products and their ingredients were documented in August 2017 and again in January 2019. Results: Of the four terms used, “memory supplement” and “brain health supplement” provided the most results. The most common products were Prevagen®, Procera®, and Neuro Health®. Amazon had the most repeated products in 2017 and 2019, while Google and CVS had the least. Focus Factor® appeared 11 times in 2019 compared with once in 2017. At both time points, the most commonly promoted products were proprietary blends of Ginkgo biloba, vitamins, particularly vitamin B12 and folic acid, huperzine-A, Bacopa monnieri, and phosphatidylserine. Conclusions: Though the 2017 and 2019 datasets showed diverse products, the primary ingredients were similar. These supplements have insufficient evidence of efficacy and are expensive. Health professionals must be knowledgeable about dietary supplements for brain health to appropriately counsel individuals.

scholarly journals Studying from the Sofa. Contribution to the HoGe conference 2018 „Digital learning and teaching“ / Studieren vom Sofa aus.Beitrag zur HoGe–Tagung 2018 „Digitales Lernen und Lehren“

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-102
Author(s):  
Eva Maria Beck ◽  
Christine Bluemke ◽  
Wibke Holweg ◽  
Theda Borde
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Competence Development ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Pilot Phase ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Online Study ◽  
Interprofessional Cooperation ◽  
The Media ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Study Format

Abstract A new bachelor course of study started at 01.10.2018. It‘s an online offer for competence development in interprofessional cooperation. The target group are professionally experienced health professionals from therapy and care. By the end of July 2020, the extra-occupational study format, the media didactic online-based concept and the contents will be tested and evaluated. The continuing development of technology-supported learning/teaching scenarios will be incorporated into the further development of the online study ofering, as will the evaluation results from the pilot phase of the course.

scholarly journals A Public Health Issue: Dietary Supplements Promoted for Brain Health and Cognitive Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Crawford ◽  
Courtney Boyd ◽  
Bharathi Avula ◽  
Yan-Hong Wang ◽  
Ikhlas A. Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Dietary Supplements ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Health Issue ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Brain Health

scholarly journals 712. Activity of Exebacase (CF-301) Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Biofilms on Orthopedic Kirschner Wires

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S320-S320
Author(s):  
Melissa J Karau ◽  
Suzannah Schmidt-Malan ◽  
Jayawant Mandrekar ◽  
Dario Lehoux ◽  
Raymond Schuch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Bactericidal Activity ◽  
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Kirschner Wires ◽  
Carrier Solution ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Peptidoglycan Cell Wall ◽  
The Media ◽  
K Wires

Abstract Background Orthopedic foreign body-associated infection can be difficult to treat due to the formation of biofilms protecting microorganisms from both antimicrobials and the immune system. Exebacase (EXE) is a phage-derived lysin which acts as a direct lytic agent by hydrolyzing the peptidoglycan cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus. In this study, the activity of EXE was evaluated in comparison to daptomycin against MRSA biofilms on orthopedic Kirschner wires (K-wires). Methods MRSA strain IDRL-6169 was studied; it has a MIC of 0.5 µg/mL for both daptomycin (DAP) and EXE. Biofilms were formed in 1 mL of 106 cfu/mL tryptic soy broth on 0.5x0.1 mm threaded stainless steel K-wires for 10 hours, after which the wires were removed from the media and placed into 0.04 mL of either DAP or EXE at 0 (vehicle only), 0.098, 0.98, or 9.8 mg/mL. DAP+EXE was also tested, each at 0.098 mg/mL. Bacteria were quantified after 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 hours of incubation at 37ºC. Testing was performed in triplicate. Results were reported as log10 cfu/K-wire reduction relative to vehicle alone. A 3-log10 cfu/K-wire reduction was considered bactericidal. P-values were calculated using Kruskal–Wallis. Results The bacterial burden of vehicle alone ranged from 5.49- to 6.33-log10 cfu/K-wire at all time points. Bacterial reductions for each treatment compared with carrier solution are shown in the table. DAP showed no bactericidal activity. EXE showed bactericidal activity at all concentrations at all time points studied except 0.098 mg/mL at 8 hours. There was no significant difference between EXE at 0.098 and 0.98 mg/mL at any time point but EXE at 9.8 mg/mL did show superiority over the lower concentrations. DAP+EXE 0.098 mg/mL was bactericidal at all time points. Conclusion EXE showed a rapid effect against MRSA biofilms on orthopedic K-wires apparent within the first 2 hours of exposure and was more active than daptomycin alone at the same concentrations. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

scholarly journals Folic Acid in Prenatal Supplements: Labeled Amounts Compared to Recommendations (P11-024-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Saldanha ◽  
Johanna Dwyer ◽  
Nancy Potischman ◽  
Karen Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Dietary Supplements ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Health Claim ◽  
Dietary Folate ◽  
The Us

Abstract Objectives Most prenatal supplements available in the US contain synthetic folic acid. We compared the labeled amounts of folic acid in prenatal supplements with: 1) the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 360 mcg and Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) of 1000 mcg for pregnant women established by National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) and expressed as synthetic folic acid from supplements and fortified foods; 2) current population-based Daily Values (DV) used for labeling dietary supplements and established by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA); 3) FDA criteria for making a neural tube defects health claim on prenatal supplement labels; and 4) 2009/2016 recommendations for the prevention of neural tube defects by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In 2016, the FDA revised its DV to 600 mcg DFE folate (360 mcg folic acid) to reflect amounts consistent with the RDAs. This new DV is lower than the pre-2016 DV of 800 mcg from food and supplement sources and the 800 mcg level to make a health claim. Methods We reviewed the synthetic folic acid content as declared on prenatal supplement labels sold with and without a prescription, using data in the Dietary Supplements Label Database (DSLD) (website: https://dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/) and DailyMed (website: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/index.cfm). Results The many recommendations for folate versus folic acid are often unclear (e.g., Dietary Folate Equivalents vs. mcg folic acid). Amounts ≥ 800 mcg folic acid per serving, the prior DV, were present on 99% of 79 prescription and 91% of 121 nonprescription labels reviewed. 94% of the prescription and 16% of nonprescription prenatal supplements were labeled at 1000 mcg per serving, and none (0%) of the prescription and 74% of the nonprescription were labeled at 800 mcg. These labeled amounts (from supplements alone) were higher than the USPSTF recommended daily intake of 400 to 800 mcg and the current DV and RDA values. Conclusions The DV, UL, the criterion for making a health claim on prenatal supplement labels, the USPSTF recommendations, and the units used for expressing folate and folic acid recommendations need to be harmonized and clarified. Funding Sources Office of Dietary Supplements, NIH.

scholarly journals The awareness of amblyopia among parents in Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 251584141986810
Author(s):  
Ali M. Alsaqr ◽  
Ali M. Masmali
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Previous Knowledge ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Common Cause ◽  
The Media ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Eye Clinic

Purpose: Amblyopia is the most common cause of unilateral visual impairment. This study investigated parents’ awareness of amblyopia in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional population study. The survey consisted of two main sections; the first section contained 13 general background questions, and the second section (10 questions) focused on awareness of amblyopia, routine vision checks and how to raise awareness of amblyopia in the community. The survey was distributed to respondents using email and social media. Results: The responses of 1649 families were received. Respondents’ age range was from 22–62 years (mean ± standard deviation = 33.6 ± 8.7 years). Most respondents had no previous knowledge of amblyopia (1155 participants, 70%), and 313 participants (19%) had no idea if their children had amblyopia. In total, 990 participants (60%) did not visit the eye clinic with their children for a routine eye exam. A total of 495 parents (30%), who were aware of amblyopia, knew of it mainly from eye clinic visits and from Internet websites. A total of 140 respondents reported that their children had amblyopia; 58.3% of those children underwent routine eye examinations once a year, and the rest underwent routine eye examinations twice a year. Conclusion: The results clearly showed a lack of amblyopia awareness among the Saudi community. This lack of awareness can lead to visual impairment among children. More efficient efforts are urgently needed from health professionals, education centres, the media and social organizations to promote awareness of amblyopia.

scholarly journals Is it Friday yet? Mothers talking about sex online

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behaviour ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Uk

Inspired by the media furore over ‘penis beaker gate’ (October 2013), this article investigates the discussion of sex on the UK parenting website Mumsnet. It asks why there was such shock at finding mothers discussing sexual matters online, what types of discussion related to sex can actually be found on Mumsnet and why women use Mumsnet to discuss these matters. It suggests that the Internet in general offers a new place for women to discuss and discover their sexuality and that Mumsnet in particular offers an interactive and anonymous forum for women whose needs in this area are not met by the mainstream media. On Mumsnet women seek advice and support from others in similar situations, attempt to establish ‘norms’ relating to sexual behaviour, and supplement information given by health professionals.

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