New research reported May 23 in the American Journal of Human Genetics has found that men whose blood samples show a loss of the Y chromosome developed Alzheimer’s as often as people who were born with genes that put them more at risk for the disease. A team of researchers from Sweden, France, Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S. has expressed hope that these findings might some day help to develop an early warning system for Alzheimer’s.

In some men the Y chromosome degenerates slowly over time, referred to as loss of Y, or LOY. Some research has indicated that this may be an early warning that an individual is susceptible to some types of cancer. According to ScienceDaily, some scientists also believe that LOY could explain why men do not live as long as women.

Medical News Today reports that in the most recent survey, the global team looked at the chromosomes of 3,200 men with an average age of 73. Around 17 percent displayed LOY in at least 10 percent of their red blood cells, found particularly in the older participants. The team found that individuals who had already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s were more likely to have LOY. In addition, LOY was more commonly found in men who smoke.

The study first author Jan Dumanski said, “Using new tools to analyze genetic variations that accumulate with age, we can help explain how sporadic diseases like cancer or Alzheimer’s manifest.” The scientists are uncertain as to why loss of Y can be linked to an increase of risk for certain diseases, but speculate it has to do with a reduction in immune system performance.

Lead author Lars Forsberg, researcher at Uppsala University in Sweden’s Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology says, “Having loss of Y is not 100 percent predictive that you will have either cancer or Alzheimer’s. But in the future, loss of Y in blood cells can become a new biomarker for disease risk and perhaps evaluation can make a difference in detecting and treating problems early.

The team plans more investigation into the effect of LOY in larger groups, and explore in more detail how that might translate into increased risk for diseases. They will also be looking at how the LOY causes cellular changes, and how it affects different types of blood cells.

The American Heart Association is warning senior citizens, who are the most common victims of heart disease, that recent study findings that reported that low sodium diets were actually unsafe are total wrong and could be dangerous. The study, published May 20 in The Lancet, reports that no one really needs a low sodium diet, and that cardiovascular risk is actually increased by not consuming enough salt.

According to Senior Journal, the AHA says the evidence linking excessive sodium and high blood pressure is indisputable, and that these conditions are associated with higher risks of stroke, heart failure and kidney disease.

President of the AHA Mark A. Creager, MD, who is also director of the Heart and Vascular Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, says, “The findings in this study are not valid, and you shouldn’t use it to inform yourself about how you’re going to eat. The large body of science clearly shows how excessive amounts of sodium in the American diet can cause high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease, stroke, and even death.”

As reported previously in World Tech Today, researchers at Population Health Research Institute of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences found that average sodium consumption is a better protection against cardiovascular disease than a low sodium diet in a global study involving 130,000 participants. They found that only those with high blood pressure really benefit from consuming less salt, and that even they should not drop sodium consumption too low. The study is published in The Lancet.

Calling the study “flawed,” AHA past president Daniel W. Jones, MD, encourages the public to continue to consume less sodium, saying that many other well-done studies support limiting daily sodium intake to 1500mg per day. According to the AHA, only those working regularly in extreme heat, or who have uncommon, specific illnesses should not reduce their sodium levels.

The U.S. government recommends consumption of no more than 2,300mg of sodium per day, and the World Health Organization recommends only 2,000. Most Americans consume more than twice the AHA recommended limit of 1,500mg.

A new study has found that the only people who benefit from a low sodium diet are those with high blood pressure (hypertension), and that for those with normal blood pressure a diet low in salt could actually be harmful. The study, conducted by researchers at the Population Health Research Institute of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, found that average sodium consumption is a better protection against cardiovascular disease than a low sodium diet.

Study lead author Andrew Mente says that salt is an essential nutrient that is needed by the body. Not getting enough sodium can cause a number of health issues, including an increased risk of stroke or heart attack. The healthiest choice for everyone is to maintain a moderate intake of sodium every day. He also said that, while it may be advisable that those with hypertension to lower their sodium intake, they should still maintain at least 3 grams per day.

“Just follow an overall healthy diet, and don’t be concerned about sodium,” said Mente, adding that if you eat your vegetables and fruits, don’t smoke, exercise, and minimize processed foods “you’ll be fine.”

The study, which was published Friday in the medical journal The Lancet, involved more than 130,000 people from around the world. It specifically looked at the relationship between heart disease, stroke, death and sodium intake, and how that relationship differs in people with high blood pressure when compared to those with normal blood pressure. The researchers found that low sodium intake is associated with more serious health events than occur with people who have an average intake of salt, whether or not they have high blood pressure.

According to Mente, previous research proposing the benefits of a low sodium diet was based on assumptions about how sodium levels and blood pressure were related. He said that research drew the conclusion that, since lower blood pressure and lower sodium are related, that automatically translated into a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, which Mente says is incorrect.

The new study measured actual health evens such as strokes, heart attacks and deaths. Previous studies have looked strictly at blood pressure and then drawn overall health conclusions from that data.

Over the past 5 years there have been numerous studies that cautioned about the risks of low sodium diets. Mente said that “it appears that low sodium truly is harmful and we need to be cautious before recommending low levels for the entire population.”

Illinois health officials have issued an alert after a case of measles was diagnosed in a visitor from outside the U.S. The infected person is the relative of a Northern Illinois University student who graduated the weekend of May 13-15. The relative attended graduation, a welcome reception for the College of Business, shopped at Walmart and Panda Express, and stayed in the Holmes Student Center hotel.

According to Illinois Department of Public Health Director (IDPH) Dr. Nirav D. Shah, measles is a highly contagious disease that can be transmitted to people with no immunity “simply by being in the same room with someone who has the disease.”

This is the first case of measles diagnosed in northern Illinois. The virus can be transmitted through sneezes and coughs from an infected person, as well as through direct contact with nose and tissue secretions. Common symptoms include face and neck rashes that spread to the rest of the body. The rash may also be accompanied by runny nose, cough, high fever and red, watery eyes. The fever typically begins on the 10th day after exposure.

People infected with measles are advised to remain home once symptoms start to appear. The IDPH says persons with measles symptoms should call their health-care provider but should not go to the doctor’s office or emergency room due to the danger of infecting others.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that there have been 10 confirmed cases of measles in 4 states between Jan. 2 and April 29. These states include Texas, Tennessee, Georgia and California. The Illinois case is not yet included in that total. There were 667 cases in the U.S. in 2014. Most people who catch the disease are unvaccinated.

The infected person has recovered and is no longer contagious, according to Shah.

It may be because more women are becoming infected as time goes by. Or it may be that the system for reporting cases has changed. Whatever the reason, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Friday that the number of pregnant women in the U.S. who have the Zika virus has more than tripled, rising from 48 to 157.

No one has yet been reported to have contracted the Zika infection from a mosquito bite that occurred in the U.S. All known cases have occurred when the victim traveled to a country where Zika is widespread, or contracted it sexually from a male partner who has been to one of those areas. The CDC says they do not know under which scenario each individual was infected. CDC doctors say there is not enough data to determine the chances of a pregnant women infected with the Zika virus giving birth to a baby with defects such as microcephaly.

Earlier this week the CDC reported 48 pregnant women in the U.S. with Zika. The jump to 157 includes women who are infected but have no symptoms, a condition that can still cause devastating consequences for the fetus. Additionally, 122 pregnant women with Zika were found in U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico.

The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern earlier Friday that the same strain of the virus that is linked to microcephaly and other types of neurological disorders and is spreading through the Americas has now spread to Cabo Verde, an African national also known as Cape Verde. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, regional director for WHO in Africa, said “The findings are of concern because it is further proof that the outbreak is spreading beyond South America and is on the doorstep of Africa.”

WHO says that this Zika strain, known as the Asian type, was likely imported from Brazil. There are over 7,500 suspected Zika cases in Cape Verde. At least three infants have been born with microcephaly, including one baby born in Boston.