The drug semaglutide, commonly known by the brand names Ozempic or Wegovy, was originally developed to help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels.

However, scientists have found that it may also help with other health problems. Clinical trials have shown that semaglutide may be effective weight lossand a whole bunch of hundreds of individuals around the globe use it for this purpose.

Evidence has also shown that the drug can help with treatment heart failure AND chronic kidney disease in people with obesity and sort 2 diabetes.

Now a study published within the journal New England Journal of Medicine suggested that semaglutide may improve knee pain in people with obesity and osteoarthritis. So what did this study show, and the way can semaglutide pain and osteoarthritis be linked?

Osteoarthritis and obesity

Osteoarthritis is a common joint disease affecting 2.1 million Australians. Most people with osteoarthritis experience pain and have difficulty performing on a regular basis activities comparable to walking. The knee is there mostly affected joint by osteoarthritis.

Being obese or obese is primary risk factor for osteoarthritis of the knee joint. The relationship between these two conditions is complex. It involves a combination of increased knee load, metabolic aspects comparable to high cholesterol and blood sugar levels and inflammation.

For example, elevated blood sugar levels increase the production of inflammatory molecules within the body, which may damage the cartilage within the knee and result in development of osteoarthritis.

Weight loss is strongly advisable to cut back pain associated with knee osteoarthritis in obese or obese people. International AND Australian guidelines They suggest that losing just 5% of your body weight may be helpful.

However, for many individuals, losing weight through food regimen and exercise alone can be difficult. One study from the UK found that people with obesity were lower than one in ten prone to lose 5% or more of their body weight every year.

Semaglutide has recently entered the market as a potential alternative path to weight loss. It comes from a class of medicine often called GLP-1 receptor agonists and works by increasing the sensation of fullness.

Semaglutide for osteoarthritis?

Justification for the above-mentioned recent research was that although we all know that weight loss improves the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, the consequences of GLP-1 receptor agonists haven’t yet been studied. So researchers set out to know what effect semaglutide might have on knee osteoarthritis pain, in addition to the effect on body weight.

They randomly assigned 407 people with obesity and moderate osteoarthritis to certainly one of two groups. One group received semaglutide once a week, while the opposite group received a placebo. Both groups were treated for 68 weeks and received advice on food regimen and physical activity. At the top of the treatment phase, researchers measured changes in knee pain, knee function, and body weight.

As expected, people taking semaglutide lost more weight than those within the placebo group. People taking semaglutide lost a mean of about 13% of their body weight, while those taking a placebo lost a mean of about 3%. More than 70% of individuals within the semaglutide group lost at the least 10% of their body weight compared with just over 9% of individuals within the placebo group.

The study found that semaglutide reduced knee pain significantly greater than placebo. Participants who took semaglutide reported an extra 14-point reduction in pain on a scale of 0–100 in comparison with the placebo group.

This is far greater than the reduction in pain for an additional patient recent research amongst people with obesity and knee osteoarthritis. This study examined the consequences of a food regimen and exercise program in comparison with an attention control (through which participants receive details about nutrition and physical activity). The results showed only a 3-point difference between the intervention group and the control group on the identical scale.

The degree of pain relief reported within the semaglutide trial can also be greater than that reported for commonly used painkillers comparable to anti-inflammatory agents, opioids AND antidepressants.

Semaglutide also improved knee function in comparison with placebo. For example, individuals who took semaglutide could walk about 42 meters further in a six-minute walk test than people taking a placebo.

How can semaglutide reduce knee pain?

It just isn’t entirely clear how semaglutide helps treat knee pain brought on by osteoarthritis. One explanation may be that when a person loses weight, there is less stress on the joints, which reduces pain.

However, recent research also suggests that semaglutide and other GLP-1 receptor agonists may have these effects anti-inflammatory properties and may even protect against cartilage wear and tear.

Although the outcomes of this new study are promising, it is just too early to think about semaglutide a “miracle drug” for knee osteoarthritis. And since this study was funded by the pharmaceutical company that produces semaglutide, it should be vital to conduct independent studies in the long run to verify the outcomes or not.

The study also used stringent criteria, excluding certain groups, comparable to people taking opioids for knee pain. One in seven Australians see their GP for knee osteoarthritis they were prescribed opioids. The majority of study participants were white (61%) and feminine (82%). This means the study may not fully reflect the typical person affected by knee osteoarthritis and obesity.

It must also be taken into consideration that semaglutide may cause a variety of unintended effects, including gastrointestinal symptoms and fatigue.

There is a few concern that semaglutide may reduce muscle mass AND bone densitythough we’re still learning more about it.

Moreover, access to it may be difficult.

I actually have osteoarthritis of the knee, what should I do?

Osteoarthritis is a disease brought on by many aspects and it’s important to treat it multi-faceted approach manage it. Weight loss is a very important element for people who find themselves obese or obese, but so are other elements of self-control. This may include physical activity, pacing strategies, and other positive lifestyle changes comparable to improved sleep, healthy eating, and so forth.

This weekend was filled with many fashion moments price remembering. First up, Cynthia Erivo wore Robert Coin to the movie premiere in Los Angeles. Additionally, Kelly Rowland rocked the Baby2Baby gala stage at Georges Chakra. For the identical event, Naomi Osaka wore an exquisite Louis Vuitton look. At the MTV EMA gala, Tyla wore an archival Roberto Cavalli outfit.

It is price noting that the Phoebe Philo brand received a separate space in Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills. Anna Wintour then chosen Marc Jacobs as the primary-ever guest editor at . Finally, Tyla wore an exclusive Roberto Cavalli outfit to the MTV EMA gala, which was much talked about on the Internet.

Continue scrolling below to learn more in regards to the weekend’s fashion moments.

Neiman Marcus opens a special space for Phoebe Philo in Beverly Hills

Phoebe Philo has been on our radar all yr. Her latest? According to , Neiman Marcus’ Beverly Hills retail location has opened a dedicated space for the brand, which debuted on Friday. Located on the second floor of the shop, the space offers select ready-to-wear items, accessories, handbags and shoes.

“Phoebe Philo’s distinct vision and execution is evident in every aspect of the brand,” said Lana Todorovich, chief merchandising officer at Neiman Marcus. “We are pleased to offer our unique platform for her work and make her modern, intuitive and timeless designs available to our clients.”

This expansion follows the opening of a brief location at Bergdorf Goodman in April, in addition to the launch of a everlasting store-in-store in New York City in September.

Tyla is wearing Roberto Cavalli

To attend the MTV EMAs, Tyla wore a dress previously related to icon Aaliyah, who years ago wore this yellow gown to the 2000 MTV VMAs. Notably, rapper Eve wore the identical dress that Tyla wore in 2000. The archival dress was blue with fur detailing and was worn with knee-high black strappy sandals. This look is credited to stylist Ron Hartleben. The exquisite jewels also expressed the artist’s opinion: they consisted of small diamond hoop earrings, a single bracelet and a necklace with a Jacob & Co. watch.

Cynthia Erivo in Louis Vuitton

Cyntia Erivo appeared in Los Angeles on the premiere of her latest film titled Erivo and her stylist Jason Bolden committed to a methodical approach to dressing, adding quite a lot of greens, capes and more. For the occasion, Erivo wore a custom green latex dress and fur scarf designed by Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton. The dress was matched with a silver choker with an emerald on the within, created by jewelry designer Roberto Coin.

Kelly Rowland carries Georges’ chakra

Singer Kelly Rowland appeared on the annual Baby2Baby gala in a dress from Georges Chakra’s fall/winter 2024 collection. The star swayed not only on the green carpet, but additionally on stage, where she performed alongside considered one of her most famous duet partners, Nelly. They worked to make the evening as memorable as possible. Rowland opted for a low-cut black dress with gold fabric underneath and a mock neck.

Naomi Osaka in Louis Vuitton

Tennis champion Naomi Osaka was also present on the Baby2Baby gala in Los Angeles. For the scandal, Osaka wore a Louis Vuitton fall/winter 2024 creation. The set she wore consisted of a knitted top designed to be worn with a sleeveless dress with a feathered bottom. The black and white fabric set elegantly fell down the underside of the dress. Osaka was designed by Sue Choi.

Marc Jacobs is the primary guest editor in the USA

longtime editor-in-chief Anna Wintour approached designer Marc Jacobs earlier this yr, offering him the chance to take charge of the magazine’s December 2024 issue. This is monumental since it’s the primary time a guest editor has taken over a publication. Jacobs brought something fresh to existing publications, offering his unique style and bending traditional norms in publishing. Jacobs selected Kaia Gerber as its cover star, dressing the model in doll-like outfits and fanciful poses and shapes from considered one of its latest collections.

According to , Wintour and Jacobs worked together on the difficulty.

If you experience childhood trauma, you might be more likely to use substances resembling alcohol, tobacco AND other medicines Later. But what does the evidence say about vaporizers?

Our new study was the primary to examine the links between childhood trauma and vaping habits among Australian teenagers. Those who had a traumatic experience before age 12 were more likely to have tried vaping, vaped repeatedly, or intended to achieve this in the long run.

Despite bans on the import and sale of vaporizers containing nicotine, labeling gaps meant they were still easily accessible. A study of 423 vaporizers confiscated from New South Wales retailers in 2022 found that 98.8% contained nicotine.

While quitting nicotine is a challenge for most individuals, our research suggests that young individuals who have experienced trauma may face additional challenges and wish tailored support.

Trauma and substance use

For individuals who experience trauma early in life, the results can go far beyond the event itself. Trauma is a form psychological harm brought on by experiences that pose a serious threat to your life or the lifetime of others. These may include emotional, physical and sexual abuse or exposure to natural disasters and serious accidents.

Research links childhood trauma to negativity physical AND sanity results. This covers it higher rates substance use and addiction.

The reasons for this are complex and should involve numerous aspects, including social and environmental influences. For example, young individuals who have experienced trauma are more likely be exposed to using psychoactive substances by people around them.

But trauma also affects brain development, which can impact whether we’re more likely to use substances.

Traumatic experiences can lead to greater ones impulsiveness AND dangerous behavior. Trauma can also disrupt the way in which you take care of stress, lift our response to future stressors.

Self-medicating is dangerous for the developing brain

This is more often experienced by individuals who experienced trauma in childhood difficulty identifying, understanding and expressing emotions (so-called alexithymia). This is why we regularly speak about substance use as self-medication – a way to cope with emotional pain and stress.

However, self-medication is particularly problematic for young people. An adolescent’s brain is still developing, so it is more susceptible to the harmful effects of external aspects nicotine, alcohol and other medications.

Young people develop into addicted to nicotine faster than adults – and stronger cravings may make it harder for them to quit.

We found a link between early trauma and teenage vaping

A handful of studies I discovered consistent links between childhood trauma and vaping. But tests focused mainly on adults fairly than asking teenagers about vape use. It was only one study about trauma and vaping in Australia and involved adult women.

But we all know there are young people in Australia exposed to vaporizers early – and that the variety of teenagers who vape is growing.

Our new study examined self-report surveys of two,234 Year 7 and eight students from 33 schools in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, collected as a part of the study Health4Life study. The surveys assessed history of trauma at age 12 and vaping use three years later.

We found that individuals who experienced a traumatic experience at age 12 were more likely to say at age 15 that that they had tried vaping (64%), vaped repeatedly (63%), or intended to vape in the long run (44%).

Challenges of quitting smoking

Our new findings show a good younger group of Australians are prone to vaping and nicotine addiction. Many people may already be addicted.

Nicotine is there highly addictive and quitting smoking often takes multiple attempts due to difficult withdrawal symptoms. People often require a mix of behavioral support – resembling counseling – and pharmacological support, which can include nicotine alternative therapy or therapeutic vaporizers.

Current guidelines for primary care physicians emphasize the shortage of research on supporting teenagers in quitting smoking. The available evidence is based on studies conducted in adults or on smoking.

New federal laws we now have made therapeutic vaporizers – used to treat nicotine addiction – available on prescription to people under 18 years of age. However, this is subject to state and territory laws.

Other challenges

A history of trauma may increase the challenges of quitting smoking.

We know family AND social support are strong protective aspects for young people – for instance, when in search of help quit smoking.

However, this support is less likely to be available to children who’ve experienced violence and abuse given: more than likely the perpetrators they’re their circle of relatives.

Childhood trauma can also lead to a scarcity of trust in health care professionals.

In addition to GPs and counsellors, young people exposed to early trauma are likely to need specialist psychological support to develop healthier coping strategies.

What young people need

We need a mix of universal and targeted prevention strategies.

In 2022-23, we now have developed a universal school prevention program, the so-called OurFutures vaping program. It is currently being evaluated with over 5,000 students in New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland, and refined in response to student and teacher feedback.

We also need strategies that recognize childhood trauma as a risk factor for vaping and give attention to harm reduction. We must do more to reduce childhood trauma evidence-based methods break cycles of abuse.

Consistent AND culturally secure These methods can help discover young individuals with trauma early and supply them with access to comprehensive support trauma-informed care.

Not all young people exposed to trauma will experience negative effects, but many will – and Australia must be higher prepared to respond.