28-Year-Old Pro Basketball Player Dies, Malaria in the US, Gut inflammation, Pfizer obesity FAIL, Ozempic pill coming, 3M PFAS settlement, Hydration IV therapy, Racist BMI, Canadian COVID fibs and MORE!

June 27, 2023 3-5PM ET

Tuesday on The Robert Scott Bell Show:

28-Year-Old Pro Basketball Player Dies of Heart Attack — Less Than 2 Years After Telling Fans Pfizer Shots Led Him to Develop Vaccine-Induced Myocarditis Professional basketball player Óscar Cabrera Adames died last week at a health center in the Dominican Republic after an apparent heart attack, Fox News reported. Sports commentator Héctor Gómez first broke the news on Instagram that the 28-year-old Dominican player, who plays in the Spanish professional league, had been undergoing a stress test when he died. It is unclear, according to reports, whether the stress test — designed to examine heart functioning during physical activity — precipitated the heart attack. Cabrera Adames previously was hospitalized after collapsing on the court during a December 2021 game. At the time, he blamed his collapse on COVID-19 vaccine-induced myocarditis, posting on social media: “I got a damn Myocarditis from taking a f—ing vaccine. (I got 2 doses of Pfizer) And I knew it! Many people warned me.” Cabrera Adames wrote that he was required to get the vaccine in order to continue playing professionally. “It was compulsory or I couldn’t work. I am an international professional athlete and I am playing in Spain. I have no health problems, nothing, not hereditary, no asthma, NOTHING! I suddenly collapsed to the ground in the middle of a match and almost died. I’m still recovering and I’ve had 11 different cardiology tests done and guess? They find nothing.” He said doctors told him he could not play for at least five months until his heart inflammation went down. Research shows the effects of vaccine-induced myocarditis can last much longer than five months.

5 people contract malaria within U.S. borders — first such cases in two decades For the first time in two decades, malaria infections have been confirmed in people who did not travel outside the United States, leading federal health authorities to warn about the potential for transmission of the mosquito-born disease within the nation’s borders. Four people in Sarasota County, Fla., and one in Cameron County, Tex., were confirmed as having been infected between late May and late June through local transmission. All have gotten treatment and are recovering as health officials watch for additional cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Although the potentially fatal disease was once endemic, it was declared eliminated in the United States in 1951. About 2,000 people are diagnosed with malaria in the nation each year, but those cases have involved trips abroad. For a handful who came down with the disease in recent months, that was not the case. The risk of getting malaria in the United States “remains extremely low,” the CDC said. Still, experts said Americans should be aware of the possibility and take steps to prevent mosquito bites. Malaria is a serious disease with symptoms including fevers, headaches, chills and flu-like illness. Around the globe, more than 240 million infections happen each year — 95 percent of them in African countries. In the United States, where malaria was once a major public health threat, the CDC was created to combat the spread of the disease. Through the use of the pesticide DEET, draining of swamps and other measures, Grimberg said, those efforts were largely successful and malaria retreated as a concern.

These Are the 5 Worst Causes of Gut Inflammation, Says New Study No doubt, inflammation is a hot topic. It seems no matter where you turn within the health and wellness arena, inflammation has a seat at the table. Driven primarily from an increased understanding of the role that inflammation plays in the onset and progression of a number of diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer, countless studies are now aimed at identifying the primary risk factors and causes of inflammation. One of the predominant areas of those studies has been in the area of gut inflammation. One such study presented at the May 2023 Digestive Disease Week conference (which is hosted by several national medical societies) identified a number of risk factors that have played a contributing role in the increasing number of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cases. The three main risk factors include early exposure to antibiotics, a Western diet, and a higher socioeconomic status. As identified risk factors tied primarily to the pediatric population, we got curious: Can this study indicate any crossover to gastrointestinal conditions among adults? With the help of Dr. Simon Mathews, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University and practicing gastroenterologist, we set out to identify the worst causes of gut inflammation in the adult population and the importance of an awareness of these causes. As Dr. Mathews stated: “For better or worse, the GI tract goes from top to bottom and anything in-between can be impacted from inflammation.”

Pfizer to end development of experimental obesity pill due to elevated liver enzymes Pfizer on Monday said it would stop developing its experimental obesity and diabetes pill, lotiglipron, due to elevated liver enzymes in patients who took the drug once a day in midstage clinical studies.  Those elevated enzymes often indicate damage to cells in the liver, but the pharmaceutical giant said no patients experienced liver-related symptoms or side effects.  Shares of Pfizer closed 3.6% lower on Monday. New York-based Pfizer said it will instead focus on its other oral obesity drug, danuglipron, which is in a fully enrolled phase two clinical trial. That study found that body weight was reduced after patients with Type 2 diabetes took high-dose versions of danuglipron twice a day for 16 weeks, according to results Pfizer released last month. The company expects to finalize plans for a phase three clinical trial program on danuglipron by the end of 2023. Pfizer added that it is also developing a version of danuglipron that patients take once a day instead of twice. “We look forward to analyzing the danuglipron Phase 2 results and selecting the dose and titration schedule that will maximize the therapeutic benefit and safety and tolerability,” William Sessa, Pfizer’s chief scientific officer of internal medicine, said in a press release. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has said that an obesity pill could eventually generate $10 billion each year for the company. Lotiglipron, danuglipron and Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight loss injections Ozempic and Wegovy are part of a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists.

Ozempic As A Pill: Drug Makers Race For Cheaper Weight Loss Drugs (Without The Shots) On Sunday, Novo Nordisk presented findings from a new phase three trial that focused on oral semaglutide tablets. The study, published in the Lancet, lasted 68 weeks and followed 667 participants. 85% of the participants who took the semaglutide tablet lost at least 5% of their body weight compared to just 26% of those who took the placebo. On average, participants who took semaglutide saw a loss of about 15% of their body weight, around six times more than the placebo. BIG NUMBER 69.9%. That’s how many Americans are either obese or overweight, according to data from the Harvard School of Public Health. RYBELSUS Rybelsus is manufactured by Novo Nordisk (which also makes Ozempic) and is a once-daily oral version of semaglutide. The drug was FDA approved in 2019 for type two diabetes management and became the first GLP-1 receptor drug to gain approval for type two diabetics. In a late-stage study released Monday, the manufacturer released the results from a 68-week trial with 667 adults who are either obese or overweight with one or more comorbidity. On average, participants lost 15.1% of their body weight after 68 weeks compared to 2.4% of body weight from those on the placebo. The results are similar to those from a Wegovy study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Hour 2

3M Offers $10.3 Billion to Settle PFAS Contamination Suit — But It Could Cost ‘Many Times’ That to Clean Up Public Water Supplies PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) chemicals seemed like a good idea at first. As Teflon, they made pots easier to clean starting in the 1940s. They made jackets waterproof and carpets stain-resistant. Food wrappers, firefighting foam and even makeup seemed better with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Then tests started detecting PFAS in people’s blood. Today, PFAS are pervasive in soil, dust and drinking water around the world. Studies suggest they’re in 98% of Americans’ bodies, where they’ve been associated with health problems including thyroid disease, liver damage and kidney and testicular cancer. There are now over 9,000 types of PFAS. They’re often referred to as “forever chemicals” because the same properties that make them so useful also ensure they don’t break down in nature. Facing lawsuits over PFAS contamination, the industrial giant 3M, which has made PFAS for many uses for decades, announced a $10.3 billion settlement with public water suppliers on June 22, to help pay for testing and treatment. The company admits no liability in the settlement, which requires court approval. Cleanup could cost many times that amount. But how do you capture and destroy a forever chemical? Biochemist A. Daniel Jones and soil scientist Hui Li work on PFAS solutions at Michigan State University and explained the promising techniques being tested today.

Hydration nation: Clients clamor for IV therapy on demand even though it’s not FDA-approved For an increasing number of people, “getting more fluids” has taken on new meaning as IV hydration bars and clinics pop up across the country and “clients” book time at these locations. At spa-like clinics, patrons can receive intravenous (IV) fluids on demand, even when such hydration is not specifically recommended or prescribed by their doctor. The IV drips can contain saline solutions or a blend of vitamins or electrolytes designed to counter the dehydration that can result from overexertion, flu-like symptoms or lack of fluids. People often seek IV fluid treatment for relief of hangovers, jet lag and nausea. They do so for aesthetic reasons, too — such as improving the appearance of their skin, according to health professionals who work at these hydration stations. She added that IV hydration “is good for the skin, and supports organs and muscles.” ‘Spa-like feel’ The IV fluid hydration center is set up with a “spa-like” feel, as the person sits in a recliner in a relaxing environment, Lopez explained. A licensed nurse or paramedic administers the IV into an arm vein using a sterile technique. The hydration session typically lasts about 30 to 50 minutes, said Lopez. “When dehydrated, a person’s electrolytes are off, and they can experience altered mental status, fatigue or constipation,” Stephanie Lopez, a registered nurse who works at IV Bars in North Carolina, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

American Medical Association Deems Body Mass Index Measure ‘Racist’ Body mass index (BMI) categorization is a “racist” measuring system, according to the American Medical Association (AMA), who called for using “alternative measures” to diagnose obesity instead. In a press release from last week, the AMA announced its decision to adopt a new policy to clarify the role of BMI — a simple metric comparing height and weight for the purpose of inferring one’s total body fat — as a measure in medicine. The AMA Council on Science and Public Health report, where the new policy is detailed, evaluates the “problematic history” with BMI — which has been widely used since the early 1970s — as it explores “alternatives.” According to the announcement, the report also outlines the “harms and benefits of using BMI,” which it deems an “imperfect way to measure body fat in multiple groups given that it does not account for differences across race/ethnic groups, sexes, genders, and age-span.” In light of the findings, the new policy supports the AMA in “educating physicians on the issues with BMI and alternative measures for diagnosing obesity,” it states, adding that the AMA “recognizes issues with using BMI as a measurement due to its historical harm, its use for racist exclusion, and because BMI is based primarily on data collected from previous generations of non-Hispanic white populations.”

Fed gov’t study showed Canadians hid COVID-19 vaccination status According to an internal memo from the Privy Council Office, Canadians concealed their vaccination status when questioned by federal pollsters. Researchers attributed this behaviour to the “social desirability” of claiming full compliance with public health orders, especially during a period when unvaccinated individuals faced restrictions on public services and the risk of potential job losses. The Privy Council memo from March 2022 was made public through Access to Information. According to Blacklock’s Reporter, federal pollsters discovered 68% of Canadians reported receiving a booster shot, while the department of Health figures indicated the actual rate was 55%. “There are a few possible reasons for the discrepancy between the survey results and official figures for booster uptake,” said the memo Considerations on the Discrepancy Between Booster Dose Uptake. Reasons included “social desirability, where respondents tend to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favourably by others,” said the memo. “Some respondents may be counting ‘intention to be vaccinated’ or having an appointment as having been vaccinated,” wrote researchers. The memo added that “the most institutionally mistrustful are less likely to participate in surveys and they are the least likely to be vaccinated.”

Remember Friends, The Power to Heal is Yours!