Category Archives: #BrownleeGlobal

Regeneron’s REGN-COV2 Antibody Cocktail

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Regeneron Pharmaceuticals REGN-COV2 Antibody Cocktail Reduced Viral Levels and Improved Symptoms in Non-Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Regeneron’s neutralizing antibody cocktail is still being studied in clinical trials as a treatment for non-hospitalized patients with milder and more moderate forms of the disease.

A vaccine can protect but cannot treat an already infected person. In contrast, laboratory-made antibodies (Y-shaped proteins that can help fight a foreign substance) can do both – protect and treat.

Regeneron is developing monoclonal antibodies for prevention and therapy of COVID-19. According to information on the company’s website, these antibodies would be injected into an infected individual; the antibodies would recognize and inactivate the coronavirus. Such a therapy would bridge the lag until the patient’s immune system was able to produce enough of its own antibodies; some patients with weak immune system may never produce antibodies to fight the virus.

“Regeneron’s antibody cocktail REGN-COV2 has shown efficacy by reducing viral load and associated symptoms in infected COVID-19 patients,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron.”

The greatest treatment benefit was in “patients who had not mounted their own effective immune response”, suggesting that REGN-COV2 could provide a therapeutic substitute for the naturally-occurring immune response.

Regeneron confirmed it provided a single, 8-gram dose of its REGN-COV2 treatment for use by the president, who was diagnosis with coronavirus.

Regeneron’s antibody cocktail is experimental and has not received emergency use approval from the FDA, but it was provided in response to a compassionate use request.

CNBC reported that a “limited number of patients” had also received the drug on that basis after speaking with Regeneron’s chief scientific officer, Dr. George Yancopoulos.

Last week, Regeneron said its REGN-COV2 treatment improved symptoms and reduced viral loads in non-hospitalized patients who have mild to moderate Covid-19. That was based on results for the first 275 trial patients. At the time, the company indicated it plans to “rapidly” discuss the early results with regulatory agencies, including the FDA.

Monoclonal antibodies are viewed by experts have viewed as a promising potential Covid-19 treatment.

Regeneron’s REGN-COV2 is an experimental shot of lab-generated antibodies that mimics how the body would mount a reaction to a foreign invader. The goal is to boost the immune system’s defenses, rather than to wait on human biology to do its job.

References:

  1. https://www.finanzen.net/nachricht/aktien/regeneron-s-regn-cov2-antibody-cocktail-reduced-viral-levels-and-improved-symptoms-in-non-hospitalized-covid-19-patients-9344010
  2. https://patch.com/us/across-america/human-antibody-has-potential-work-prevention-therapy-coronavirus
  3. https://www.finanzen.net/nachricht/aktien/regeneron-s-regn-cov2-antibody-cocktail-reduced-viral-levels-and-improved-symptoms-in-non-hospitalized-covid-19-patients-9344010
  4. https://www.regeneron.com/antibodies

Healthy Aging: Vitamin K may offer protective health benefits

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Vitamin K is an often ignored nutrient, but new research has found that low levels among older adults may increase their risk of early death. The findings were published in the June 2020 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Vitamin K benefits. It is an essential micronutrient that has been shown to improve bone strength, protect against heart disease, enhance blood sugar control, fight cancer, boost brain function and ensure healthy blood clot formation.

Researchers looked at about 4,000 adults ages 54 to 76 who were involved in three studies. Everyone was free of heart disease at the start of the analysis. The researchers categorized the people according to their blood levels of vitamin K, and compared that information with rates of heart disease and death over 13 years. The results showed no definite link between vitamin K levels and heart disease. However, people with the lowest vitamin K levels were 19% more likely to die during the study period than those whose K levels were adequate.

The exact reason for the link between low vitamin K and a higher death rate is unclear. But scientists know that vitamin K helps prevent calcium buildup in arteries, which is associated with decreased blood flow throughout the body. Other studies have shown a link between low levels of vitamin K and a higher risk of osteoarthritis; that condition can affect mobility and increase falls, which can also contribute to earlier death.

Guidelines suggest men get 120 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K per day, but more than 60% of men ages 70 and older do not consume the suggested daily quantities, according to a survey conducted by the study’s researchers.

Leafy greens and vegetables like broccoli and cabbage are loaded with vitamin K, an important nutrient that’s been associated with improved insulin levels, a reduced risk of cancer and protection against heart disease. Vitamin K is also found in vegetable oils like soybean and canola. A cup of leafy green vegetables has more than 120 mcg, and a tablespoon of soybean oil offers 25 mcg.

References:

  1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/vitamin-k-may-offer-protective-health-benefits-in-older-age
  2. https://draxe.com/nutrition/vitamin-k-foods/

Healthy Aging: Exercise lowers risk for serious health problems

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Being Physically Active…move your body more…pursue a well-rounded exercise plan that fits your lifestyle

Hundreds of studies have shown that exercise lowers your risk for serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and certain forms of cancer. What’s more, physical exercise eases arthritis and preserves independence while trimming your waistline. Put simply, exercise helps you feel better, look great, and live a longer, more joyful and satisfying life.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines recommend exercising moderately for 150 to 300 minutes or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity — and that the higher number should be the target. Exercise strengthens your heart muscle, lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol, and burns calories. It can also enhance your mood.

Aerobic exercise can improve the way your heart and other muscles use oxygen. The right blend of exercises for you incorporates aerobic workouts (including walking), as well as stretching and strength-building / resistance exercises.

Exercise is the best investment you can make for your health.

“It is never too late to reverse how you look and feel, and develop the mindset of how you do it. Day in and day out, if you want to live longer and live better, you need a clear and basic understanding that the outcome of your journey is the sum of its steps.” Strauss Zelnick, Becoming Ageless

Researchers are learning just how exercise fights cardiovascular disease. What they know is that exercise improves the efficiency of the muscles that it puts to work, including the heart. It improves blood flow to the heart muscle and reduces the risk of abnormal pumping rhythms.

Studies have evaluated exercise and health in men and women of diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Although the details vary, the vast majority agree that regular exercise is associated with a sharp reduction in heart attacks and cardiac deaths; most cite protection in the range of 35% to 55%.

Furthermore, studies show that modest exercise, such as walking about two miles a day or burning about 1,000 calories a week, can provide enormous protection against heart disease. And exercise helps even people who don’t start exercising until later in life, as well as patients who don’t start until they suffer a heart attack. In fact, a meta-analysis of 48 trials involving nearly 9,000 cardiac patients found that exercise-based rehabilitation reduced the patients’ risk of dying from heart disease by 26%.

Aerobic exercise helps your heart and other muscles better use oxygen.

In addition, exercise lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglyceride levels while boosting HDL (“good”) cholesterol. It also reduces body fat, insulin levels, and the risk of diabetes — all cardiac risk factors. Regular exercise improves the body’s defenses against artery-blocking blood clots and quiets the vascular inflammation that fuels the fire of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is the accumulation of pockets of cholesterol-rich gunk inside the arteries, according to Harvard Health. These pockets, called plaque, can limit blood flow through arteries that nourish the heart — the coronary arteries — and other arteries throughout the body. When a plaque breaks apart, it can cause a heart attack or stroke.

A healthy lifestyle which includes exercise goes a long way to preventing cardiovascular disease. Aerobic and resistance exercise can prevent heart-harming trends, like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, before they can cause damage.

“A man is as old as his arteries.” Thomas Sydenham, English physician

A regular exercise program has a major effect on the health of your arteries. Every artery has three layers in its wall. The endothelium is the innermost of the artery’s three layers and is composed of a thin layer of endothelial cells that are in direct contact with the bloodstream. It produces nitric oxide, which helps keep the artery open and healthy. Plaques have the opposite effect.

Endothelial cells have a crucial role in vascular health, and exercise has an important effect on endothelial cells. Among other things, endothelial cells produce nitric oxide. Tiny amounts of nitric oxide produced by your endothelial cells are a boon to your circulation.

This nitric oxide has two crucial functions. It keeps the arterial lining smooth and slippery, preventing white blood cells and platelets from latching on and causing damaging inflammation and artery-blocking blood clots. In addition, it relaxes the smooth muscle cells of the artery wall’s middle layer, preventing spasms and keeping arteries open.

Invest in yourself!  Exercise is the best investment you can make for your health

Cardiovascular and chronic diseases are not inevitable as we get older. Although, more research is needed, the evidence suggests that regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease and other common chronic health problems as you age.

References:

  1. https://www.harvardhealthonlinelearning.com/courses/starting-to-exercise
  2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/supplements-vs-exercise-for-heart-disease-and-cancer
  3. https://www.veteranshealthlibrary.va.gov/HealthyLiving/Active/Benefits/142,82041_VA

Your Credit Score and How it Works

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It is important for consumers to understand how your credit score works.  Since, not understanding how credit scores work can actually hurt your credit score.  Your credit score can affect your financial future and you need a good credit score to get the lowest interest rates on future loans.

Stack of credit cards and dollars.

Most consumers understand that bankruptcy or foreclosure is going to negatively impact their credit score for seven years, but there are plenty of other small mistakes a consumer can make that can turn a good score of 750 or higher into a mediocre 680.

One mistake people make is thinking that carrying a monthly balance on your credit card statements helps improve your credit score.  The truth is that you can build a great credit score without carrying a balance and paying interest on your purchases, according to consumer advocate Clark Howard.

The smart and responsible way to use credit cards is to have a budgeted amount that will go on your credit card each month and pay your bill in full each month.  Clark Howard also recommends that consumers do not charge more than 30% of your available credit card balance.  Preferably, keep it below 10% if you want to boost your credit score quickly.

According to Clark Howard, your payment history makes up 35% of your FICO score and it is important to understand this fact when bills are due.  Consequently, you can attain a good credit score by paying your bills on time and keeping a low credit card balance.

References:

  1. Howard, Clark, Big mistake can hurt credit score, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October, 1, 2020, pg. D1
  2. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/7-small-mistakes-that-will-hurt-your-credit-score.html

Age-related muscle loss | Harvard Men’s Health Watch

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After age 30, men begin to lose as much as 3% to 5% of muscle mass per decade, according to WebMD.com. Most men will lose about 30% of their muscle mass during their lifetimes. Less muscle means greater weakness and less mobility, both of which may increase your risk of falls and fractures.

A 2015 report from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research found that people with sarcopenia, age-related muscle loss, had 2.3 times the risk of having a low-trauma fracture from a fall, such as a broken hip, collarbone, leg, arm, or wrist.

“Older men can increase muscle mass lost as a consequence of aging,” says Dr. Thomas W. Storer, director of the exercise physiology and physical function lab at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “It takes work, dedication, and a plan, but it is never too late to rebuild muscle and maintain it.”

Increasing strength and endurance

One possible contributor to sarcopenia, age-related muscle loss, is the natural decline of testosterone, the hormone that stimulates protein synthesis and muscle growth. Think of testosterone as the fuel for your muscle-building fire.

The FDA has not approved taking testosterone supplements to build muscle mass in men due to their side effects.

The best means to build muscle mass, no matter your age, is progressive resistance training (PRT), says Dr. Storer. With PRT, you gradually amp up your workout volume—weight, reps, and sets—as your strength and endurance improve. This constant challenging builds muscle and keeps you away from plateaus where you stop making gains. To gain more muscle mass, older men need a structured and detailed PRT program, says Dr. Storer.

Set up a detailed progressive resistance strength training workouts

You should do strength-training that works all major muscle groups—legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms—at least two days a week.  Strength training can involve lifting weights, using resistance bands, or exercises like push-ups and sit-ups, in which your body weight furnishes the resistance.

A typical training program might include

  • 8 to 10 exercises that target all the major muscle groups
  • sets of 12 to 15 reps, performed at an effort of about 5 to 7 on a 10-point scale
  • two or three workouts per week.

After you have established a routine, the way to progress is to add a second and then a third set of the exercises. Another way is to decrease the number of reps per set and increase the weight or resistance to the point where you are able to complete at least eight reps, but no more than 12.

Increasing muscle power

Building muscle is not all about strength, says Dr. Storer. You also need power. “Muscle power, how fast and efficiently you move, is more connected to the activities of daily living and physical function than muscular strength,” he says.

A good way to improve overall muscle power is with your legs, since they are most responsible for mobility. “Doing quicker movements against resistance, like one’s own body weight, can be an effective means of developing power,” says Dr. Storer.

For instance, when rising from a seated position, try to do it quickly. When climbing stairs, hold the handrail and push off a step as fast as possible. “It does not have to be every step—begin with one to three steps—but this teaches your muscles to use strength in a more effective way.”

References:

  1. https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/guide/sarcopenia-with-aging
  2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/preserve-your-muscle-mass

Vitamin D might make sense

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recommends getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, and avoiding or alleviating stress as the three most potent ways to keep your immune system strong. 

He states that “it is much more healthy living than giving yourself supplements of anything”.

Recently, when responding to a question, Dr. Fauci told the actress Jennifer Garner that he takes two supplements: vitamin D and vitamin C.

Fauci states consistently that the best ways to control the pandemic are: good hand hygiene, mask-wearing, and social distancing.

Vitamin D might make sense.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in a few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. It is also produced when ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. It comes in two main forms, D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). Both forms are well absorbed in the small intestine.

Yet, regarding vitamin D, “there is good evidence that if you have a low vitamin D level, you have more of a propensity to get infected”, Dr. Fauci commented.

Several scientific studies have concluded that being deficient in vitamin D can put you at greater risk of infection, and it appears anecdotally that finding has held true again during the coronavirus pandemic.

“There is good evidence that if you have a low vitamin D level, that you have more of a propensity to get infected when there are infections around,” Fauci said. “Those data are pretty good data.”

In addition to reducing inflammation in the body, vitamin D also helps our bodies absorb calcium, keeping bones healthy and strong, so it’s good for people of all ages and races to make sure they’re getting enough.

Sources of Vitamin D

Few foods naturally contain vitamin D. The flesh of fatty fish (such as trout, salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best sources.

References:

  1. https://www.msn.com/en-us/Health/wellness/forget-vitamins-fauci-says-the-3-best-things-to-keep-your-immune-system-working-optimally-cost-nothing/ar-BB199xsP?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=overlayclose
  2. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

Kevin O’Leary: Financial Freedom

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Dividends have produced forty percent (40%) of market returns.

The Ten Steps to Financial Freedom, according to Kevin O’Leary, Chairman of O’Shares ETF, and better know as “Mr. Wonderful”,  are::

  1. Get committed to a plan. Start by coming up with a clear “why”. Know your purpose and incentives for wanting to achieve financial freedom.
  2. Know your numbers. You must create a budget.
  3. Cost planning. Live within your means. Think twice before spending. Cut cost in order to save 10% to 15% of every paycheck.
  4. Go to war against debt and never surrender. Debt is the opposite of passive income; it erodes your asset base while you sleep. Don’t indulge your inner spending.
  5. Income plan. Focus on increasing income more than decreasing spending. Earning more is key. Before you spend, save. Invest surplus cash before you spend. Purchase assets that pay cash flow like dividend stocks, bonds or rental real estate.
  6. Emergency planning. Your the CEO of the business of your own life. Have cash reserve of three to six months of essential expenses. Remember, your psychology is always working against you and achieving financial freedom.
  7. If it matters, measure it. Know your expenses and income. Keep track of everything to ensure you can course correct if something goes wrong.
  8. Tax planning. Think about how much money you can save with simple tax planning. Use traditional IRA or Roth IRA. Also, consider donating to charities.
  9. Financial advisor. Hire a financial coach to help manage your money.
  10. Freedom formula. Freedom is when you have enough passive income generated from your assets to cover your essential expenses.

https://youtu.be/HsUQoEOu_bE

5 ways to win your financial marathon | Regions Private Wealth Management

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Sponsored content from Regions Private Wealth Management
Jan 31, 2017, 4:41pm EST

By making a regular habit of saving and monitoring progress toward your financial goals, you can build stamina to reach the finish line and bask in the glow of a race well-run.

Whether preparing for your first marathon or your fourteenth, you know that you can’t finish the race without preparation and discipline. With 26.2 miles to cover, it’s most certainly not a quick sprint. The same can be said for financial goals.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re establishing relatively short-term goals, such as paying down credit card debt by year-end, or taking a longer view and planning for a first home, child’s college education or retirement, Regions Bank has some healthy financial habits that can move you closer to the finish line.

1. Create a plan

Going from couch potato to long-distance runner won’t happen overnight. Just as you’d need to plan a training regimen and determine milestones before tackling a long race, you’ll need to do some research and planning to figure out how to best reach your financial target.

Maybe your goal is to buy a first home, so start with some research to determine exactly what dollar amount you’ll need and when. Online savings calculators can provide details on how much you need to set aside each month to reach your goal. Once armed with that information, develop a budget around that goal and track your spending to be sure you stay on course.

2. Create a support network

A training partner can offer motivation and support before and during a race, and it’s no different with household budgets. Spouses should work together to keep tabs on their spending and savings, as teamwork can help everyone stay on track and focused on the ultimate goal.

Even kids can play a role, such as by helping to grow a college fund. By setting aside birthday or babysitting money, children can learn about the importance — and the rewards — of sacrifice and hard work.

3. Be flexible and change things up

Training with the same workout every day can not only result in losing interest, but it can make progress stagnate. If a budget is too restrictive and resulting in frustration, then it may be time to take another look. If you’ve focused on belt-tightening, think about how you can bring in additional cash to allow for some breathing room and an occasional treat. Consider working extra shifts, selling unneeded belongings, or renting out a room or parking spot.

Once you’ve made progress, look for other ways to supplement your savings. If you’re maintaining investment portfolios to help reach your goals, periodically rebalance them to make sure they reflect changing risk environments and to free up capital to take advantage of any new opportunities.

4. Adjust for the final stretch

As a big race approaches, it’s important to maintain conditioning while being wary of regimens that could bring on an injury from which you may not have time to recover. Similarly, with savings goals, as the need becomes more immediate, your savings and investment accounts will have less time to recover from a sudden dip in value, whether it’s from a market downturn or an emergency withdrawal.

For instance, when saving for retirement while in your 20s and 30s, higher-risk investments may provide greater growth potential over time. As you near retirement, however, you’ll want to start protecting the growth achieved and consider lower-risk holdings that can help preserve value.

5. Prepare for the unexpected

Life throws us curves, and it’s not unusual for a training program to get off-track for any number of reasons. Our financial goals can also be at risk, such as from unexpected home or auto repairs, a job loss or an injury. To be able to meet these challenges head-on, prepare an emergency fund to cover expenses. Experts at Regions Bank recommend saving enough to cover three to six months of expenses. If you’re not at that level yet, consider adding this purpose to your monthly budget.

By making a regular habit of saving and monitoring progress toward your financial goals, you can build stamina to reach the finish line and bask in the glow of a race well-run.

References:

  1. https://www.regions.com/Insights/Wealth?WT.ac=VanityURL_wealthinsights
  2. https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/channels/cbiz/2017/01/5-ways-to-win-your-financial-marathon.html?page=all

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I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: ‘I served in the United States Navy.’

John F. Kennedy

Growth vs. Value

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“Empirical evidence suggests that value stocks outperform over the long term, even if growth has out performed value in recent years.” Bankrate

Recently, growth stocks, such as Microsoft, Amazon, Tesla and Apple, have handily outperformed value names. But it’s not always that way, and many seasoned investors think value will once again have its day, though they have been waiting on that day for more than a decade.

The difference between the two approaches are:

  • “Growth investors look for $100 stocks that could be worth $200 in a few years if the company continues to grow quickly. As such, the success of their investment relies on the expansion of the company and the market continuing to value growth stocks at a premium valuation, as measured by a P/E ratio maybe, in later years if the company continues to succeed.”
  • “Value investors look for $50 stocks that are actually worth $100 today, not in a few years, if the company continues its business plan. These investors are typically buying stocks that are out of favor now and therefore have a low valuation. They’re betting on the market’s opinion changing to become more favorable, pushing up the stock price.”

“Value investing is based on the premise that paying less for a set of future cash flows is associated with a higher expected return,” says Wes Crill, senior researcher at Dimensional Fund Advisors in Austin, Texas. “That’s one of the most fundamental tenets of investing.”

Growth investing and value investing differ in other key ways, too, as detailed in the table below.

Many of America’s most famous investors are value investors, including Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger and Ben Graham. Still, plenty of very wealthy individuals own growth stocks, including Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos and hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, and even Buffett has shifted his approach to become more growth “at a reasonable price” oriented as of late.

Yet, sometime in the future, and unfortunately no one can forecast when, it appears guaranteed that value will outperform growths as an investment for a long period of time.

Typical investing wisdom might say that “when the markets are greedy, growth investors win and when they are fearful, value investors win,” says Blair Silverberg, CEO of Capital, a funding company for early-stage firms based in New York City.

If you’re an individual retail investor, it is wise to stick to fundamental investing principles or otherwise consider buying a solid index fund, such as the S&P 500 that takes a lot of the risk out of investing.

References:

  1. https://www.bankrate.com/investing/growth-investing-vs-value-investing/