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Understanding Frontotemporal Dementia – which disproportionately affects Black people – through Wendy Williams’ diagnosis

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The recent news of Wendy Williams’ diagnosis with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the identical disease that actor Bruce Willis suffers from, is sending shockwaves throughout the Black community.

Williams, 59, best known for her profession as a radio and tv host, revealed her diagnosis on the Lifetime series “Where’s Wendy Williams?” a two-part documentary about her physical and mental health.

The former host of “The Wendy Williams Show” has an extended history of health problems, from cocaine addiction to cocaine-related Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism. In 2017, she passed out on set during a live Halloween taping, and in 2019, she admitted to living in a sober house after being found unconscious in her New York apartment months earlier, requiring emergency hospitalization and two blood transfusions. But for a lot of, the FTD diagnosis was a bombshell and a reminder of the impact of dementia on the Black community.

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Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) disproportionately affects the Black community in comparison with others, and the causes remain unclear. Although research into FTD in black populations has advanced significantly over the past 20 years, the complex nature of the disease makes it difficult to pinpoint a single definitive cause.

Worryingly, the incidence of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is increasing amongst black Americans over the age of 70. This is especially concerning because FTD is each early-onset and rapidly progressive, affecting a big proportion – greater than 1 / 4 – of this population who’re already living with some type of dementia, with essentially the most common being Alzheimer’s disease. According to the study, Black Americans are less more likely to receive a diagnosis in a timely manner and usually tend to see 4 or more physicians before a diagnosis is made. Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) Associate.

Moreover, in line with a 2023 study, FTD symptoms are inclined to be more severe in Black people Research on the University of PennsylvaniaBlack study participants reported higher dementia severity on the Clinical Dementia Rating Dementia Staging in comparison with white and Hispanic participants.

Frontotemporal dementia was discovered

The exact explanation for FTD just isn’t known, nevertheless it involves progressive damage to neurons within the areas of the brain liable for language production, often affecting people under the age of 65. As the disease progresses, the brain shrinks, further affecting areas that control behavior and personality.

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Although symptoms vary from individual to individual, early symptoms of FTD (which can appear as early as age 45) may include talking less, having trouble sleeping, and personality changes equivalent to lacking empathy or displaying socially inappropriate behavior equivalent to swearing or stealing . Other symptoms include:

  • Impaired judgment
  • Apathy
  • Decreased self-awareness
  • Loss of interest in normal every day activities
  • Emotional withdrawal from others
  • Loss of energy and motivation
  • Language difficulties or delays, including trouble naming objects, expressing words, understanding the meaning of words, or hesitation when speaking
  • Loss of concentration
  • Problems with planning and organization
  • Frequent mood changes
  • Excitement

Although the small print of Williams’ symptoms and her family’s observations are unknown, frontotemporal dementia often presents with subtle symptoms that might be easily missed within the early stages. This is further complicated by diagnosing FTD, which is difficult. It requires an in depth description of symptoms, family and medicine history, in addition to brain scans and blood tests. Often, FTD is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning it is simply reached after other potential causes have been ruled out.

There is currently no cure for frontotemporal dementia. However, supportive care strategies equivalent to therapy, behavior modification, and medications can assist patients adjust to their recent reality and deal with the continued mental and physical changes related to the disease. No cure has been found to stop or reverse the progression of frontotemporal dementia, but cholinesterase inhibitors (drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease), antidepressants and antipsychotics equivalent to trazadone may help relieve symptoms of agitation, aggression and insomnia in some people. People.

Living with frontotemporal dementia

Wendy Williams’ recent diagnosis has understandably led to speculation a couple of connection to her past struggles with substance abuse. However, there’s currently no evidence to suggest a link between the 2.

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Experts acknowledge the numerous challenges faced by people within the early stages of FTD, including fear, frustration and even embarrassment. One of essentially the most disturbing elements of FTD is the progressive lack of independence. While the specifics of Williams’ situation are unknown, the disease often requires a big level of care, requiring a mixture of medicines, home care, potential nursing home placement, and various therapies equivalent to speech and mental health support, which could make treatment harder. a big financial burden on her family.

Advanced planning reduces this burden and helps the patient and their family make a smooth transition into the longer term.

More research is required

The path to unraveling the complexities of FTD may result in earlier diagnosis and increased research efforts, with a selected concentrate on increasing participation from the Black community. While increased participation from the Black community is critical to advancing FTD research and developing higher treatments, a concerted effort is required to make sure equitable access to research opportunities and health care resources.


 

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com

Health and Wellness

Four ways to get out of bed in the morning – and defeat Groggread

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If you are feeling like “Waking up is the most difficult thing I do all day” Then you will not be alone. The experience was defined as “sleep inertia” and although that is a traditional part of sleep sensations, it could be frustrating Wake up, feeling drained.

A big part of the research on sleep inertia focuses on reducing the risk of performance impairment, and we have now not yet found clear empirical evidence to support the use of one single reactive antihypertensive agent.

The most promising evidence concerns use of caffeine: It has been shown that before a brief nap of lower than half-hour, it has been shown to reduce the effects of sleep inertia. Although this is useful, if you have got to get better after resting during the day, returning to bed on a nap immediately after waking up isn’t practical for many of us.

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Here are some more practical suggestions that you could use to aid you get out of bed.

Get alarm clock

If you are trying to get out of bed in the morning, the very first thing you need to ask about is where your smartphone is? Do you retain him next to the bed as an alarm clock? Make an old -fashioned alarm clock with a priority.

The mere presence of the phone is close to you when sleep reduces the quality of sleep – whether it is nearby, it’s too difficult to resist. This isn’t only through destructive notifications (exercising it in silence isn’t adequate). Having a phone next to you, because a dream could cause anxiety and emotional anxiety stimulation. Only knowing that he’ll keep you at the level of vigilance, which isn’t conducive to falling right into a deep sleep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-W0U76JG4K

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Holding the phone away from the room has an extra profit: it’s less likely that you’ll check it first. There are many reasons to avoid this habit, one of the most convincing centers around the problem of micro-tailing dopamine, before we get sufficient motivation to get out of bed.

Dopamine plays a central role in Motivation and hunger. Evaluates the peak and troughs all the time, dopamine declines are functional because we feel discomfort that drives us to search for relief. Think that men and women in the cave need motivation to leave the safety of the cave to find food, water or partner. Leaving the cave was a high risk, and pushing our discomfort with dopamine drops could be crucial to raise and go out.

We forget how much our brain still works in these ancient ways. People still depend on the same system to get out of bed. When we reach for the smartphone, we met with a fast, size of a bite Dopamine hits – Notifications, beautiful people, likes, modern information. These micro-stimulas can mock natural immersion in dopamin, celebrating the discomfort that we want to motivate us to move. Instead of experiencing the growth of the drive, we feel artificially satisfied, making it easier to curl under warm covers.

Don’t hit the nap

You have devices from the bedroom – but now you have got to work in your relationship with the alarm clock. Do not hit the nap.

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The nap hit increases the likelihood that back into the deep phase of sleep and causes regular sleep interference and unwanted sleep transitions. All these Increase the impact of sleep inertia and reduce vigor.

If you actually try to avoid a seductive nap button Available alarm clocks This normally involves wheels that may come out of your range. Some movement that may aid you get out of bed as a bonus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8J16T914HG

Or take into consideration obtaining an alarm clock that opens the curtains to let in the morning light. The short exposure of brilliant light has been shown Vigilance and energy

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Do you remember when your parents pulled off bed covers?

Everyone who had older siblings or parent or guardian involved in pulling them out of bed once you were an adolescent will experience when the lid pulled off the bed as the last ROW to move you. It turns out that this method could have some wisdom.

Limb cooling Immediately after waking up, it’s a promising way to speed up Recovery from the sleep of the INERITA. And while we’re an old skool, if all the pieces else fails, Wash your face.

Maybe you have got to stay in bed?

Most importantly, possibly you’re just drained and you have got to stay in bed. This isn’t an ethical failure or the fall of your will. You could need more rest.

If you’re someone who is actually deprived of sleep or lives with a disease that sets energy or a life event that takes all of your resources, you might have to make room for stay in bed. Critical disabled scholar Ellen Samuels writes about “Crip Time”. Sometimes illness or disability change our relationship with time and we must go at a special pace. Samuels and other scholars are desirous about the paradox of needs Slow down to sustain.

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Sometimes the problem is to wait that we force our minds and bodies to unrealistic results of competence and performance – and sometimes it should have to be fantastic in order not to get out of bed.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Health and Wellness

We have to talk about Viola Davis weapons

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Mike Marsland/Wireimage

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That’s all. Never more fun.

Never again tokens and sweets, Lord. It’s time to throw snacks and get into the gym, because Viola Davis once more serves a serious arm inspiration and we feel motivated. You will too.

The 59-year-old Oscar winner, who turns 60 in August (Come Leo Twin!), Ws. The red carpet for the London premiere of his latest film in a black two -piece band that put her hands and looked amazing. Trapezia, deltoid, trice and biceps muscles were Poppin, identical to her smile.

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We have to talk about Viola Davis weapons
London, England – April 1: Viola Davis and Julius Tennon attend Photocall for “G20” at Trafalgar Square on April 1, 2025 in London, England. (Photo Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images)

Stroke has at all times been functional and wonderful. But she looked like her strongest role, in a project that allowed her to accept a “muscular and thicker” body that she once regretted was gible and thin while playing General Nanisca.

“Suddenly with this role, my muscles, my arms, my thick legs, my hard voice was perfect. I felt unanimous. I celebrated it physically in every respect,” she said PEOPLE In 2022.

If you follow Davis, you already know he doesn’t play within the gym. He often works along with his husband, Julius Tennon, who’s 71 years old (but can never be said). In one clip, which she had previously made available this yr, integrated lots of arm movements, including the chest press, Tricep EXTensions and hitting the small weights of the dumbbell during a session along with her man.

“Just keep up with my 71 -year old love !!!!” She wrote as a signature of the clip. “I say seriously … and I feel good.”

Tennon is an incredible training partner for her because they’re consistently using themselves. They have been married for over 25 years. She shared a movie by which he got it on their home gym after a double replacing his knee with the signature “My child training like boss !!!”

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She also said that age is nothing, however the number when it comes to health and condition. Her trainings should not a joke, because her commitment in motion increased only as she aged, evading and tilting type 2 diabetes, which was common in her family. She once said Prevention That he works “really, really hard”, in his mind, tougher than most 20 years.

“I take many boards, many steps, many exercises with a medical ball like 15 to 20 pounds. I run. I have a peloton bike. I have a Boflex machine. What am I not doing?” She said the publication.

Everything pays off, because Davis still appears on every red carpet, looks healthy and comfortable. We love to see it. Where are these dumbbells?

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This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

The woman’s body rejects the kidney of pigs, returns to dialysis

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kidney, pig, transplant,Towana Looney


A girl from Alabama returns to dialysis after receiving a breakthrough relief of the pig, which her body later rejected.

When the Stepped Looney finished the operation in November, she was considered a breakthrough medical feat for alternative organ transplants. The procedure took place at NYU Langone Health Center in New York, where Dr. Robert Montgomery surgically placed a genetically modified kidney in Looney.

Looney lived with the organs in it for months, so long as her body began to reject this role. However, doctors assured that the problem didn’t result from the origin of the organs. Instead, Looney had to reduce the consumption of anti -rejection drugs after obtaining an infection.

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AccoRing to NPR, doctors still think their time for the success of the organ. Dr. Montgomery also thanked Looney for her courage and contribution to medical progress.

“Genetically kidney engineering, Looney pigeons worked well for over four months and for the first time in nine years was able to enjoy life without dialysis,” explained Dr. Montgomery in a press release.

He added: “The willingness to an unknown undertaking to help solve the national crisis of organs deficiency will affect her rather more. We have fun her great courage and sacrifice. She lived with a pig kidney longer than some other man in history, and the field learned an amazing matter from her. Her contribution and promise genetically genetically engineer engineering.

While Looney was able to skip dialysis And get better your return time, it now also has the longest swine organs transplant in the world. She also expressed gratitude for participating in medical history.

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“For the first time since 2016 I hung out with family and friends without planning dialysis treatment.

Looney’s relative success will pave the way for future and current receivers of pig organs. Considering the shortage of donations available in the United States, from over 100,000 patients currently sitting on waiting lists, the implementation of alternative methods could cause more saved life. The world’s first recipient of the pig kidney transplant, Richard Slayman, died in May last 12 months, two months after surgery.

While questions on safety and bioethical fears of pig organs transplants remain, Looney’s journey proves the potential of these procedures for future trial operations.

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(Tagstranslathe) organs transplant

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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