Blood test can reveal mild concussions
In 2015, Will Smith starred in “Concussion,” which told the true story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic neuropathologist who discovered that former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster had suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Years later, one study showed that 99 percent of symptomatic NFL players’ autopsied brains revealed CTE.
Then in 2017 Dr. Omalu warned: “I’ve always said that every child who plays football has a 100 percent risk of exposure to brain damage. ”
So it’s good news that a breakthrough blood test, called the Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator, can quickly (currently in four hours, soon to be two) identify two blood proteins that determine if a person has a concussion. The Food and Drug Administration says the test can correctly predict a CT scan’s findings of intracranial lesions 97.5 percent of the time and should significantly reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from scans while saving millions of dollars annually.
Although approved only for adults, one day soon it may help parents be ever more vigilant about protecting their children from the accumulated damage caused by sports-related brain injuries — which skyrocketed 200 percent from 2001 to 2012.
To lose weight, eat slowly
When Luke (Paul Newman) downed 50 hardboiled eggs in 60 minutes in “Cool Hand Luke,” he set the bar for cinematic lessons on eating too much too fast. By egg 32, a fellow prisoner says Luke’s stomach is bloated, “Just like a ripe watermelon that’s about to bust itself open.” And there’s science to back up that bloated claim.
A study published in the BMJ reveals that cramming food in your mouth at a fast clip is associated with obesity and a larger waist circumference. Over six years, out of more than 59,000 people with Type 2 diabetes, researchers found that only 22 percent of slow eaters were obese, while 45 percent of fast eaters were. And slow eaters had a lower body mass index and smaller waist circumference.
Are you a speedy eater? Try taking 30 or more minutes to get through every meal. Eat with a friend or family member, and take time to make conversation. Skip drive-thru breakfasts. Step away from your desk at lunch. Drink water between bites. You’ll give your “I’m full” hormone (leptin) time to signal that you’ve had enough, reducing your intake. You’ll notice that you’re enjoying the flavors of food more, too.
Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare.com.