Category Archives: Mental Health

At FitnessHealth101, we often report on studies that show promise for experimental medications. Unfortunately for some of these drugs, additional trials often show that they weren’t as safe or effective as the initial studies suggested. This particular scenario just occurred with an experimental Alzheimer’s drug undergoing studies by Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer Inc. The two companies have now scrapped their research plans for this drug, called bapineuzumab, which was initially deemed useful for individuals with mild or moderate Alzheimer’s. Although the drug may be studied later in various forms, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson have decided to cancel two pending studies, including two additional late-stage Bapineuzumab clinical trials as well as follow-up studies, that would’ve examined the drug in its intravenous form.

While the direct health benefits of meditation may be difficult to analyze, some research suggests that the practice can help with conditions as varied as allergies, binge eating, heart disease, substance abuse, high blood pressure and asthma. Meditation is also thought to have positive effects on mental health. For example, older adults who regularly meditate may feel less lonely and have better overall health than those who don’t, according to a recent study into how meditation reduces loneliness. In the study, healthy adults were separated into two groups, one of which participated in a mindfulness program lasting eight weeks and one of which did not. The adults who participated in the program experienced positive changes in genes associated with inflammation, and reported lesser levels of loneliness in comparison to adults in the control group.