Just attended inflammation and basic immunology talk that wasn’t --but have take homes for you How to put out the fire
Plus Salt, New Drug of Abuse, and What to do on a cruise ship
5 14 2026 MichaelfRoizen.substack.com BLOG:
1. Memory and Salt Use a modified sodium/Potassium substitute
2. OneOhioFoundation and long term issues –damn a new drug of abuse is sneaking into Ohio and many other states
3. Just attended inflammation and basic immunology talk that wasn’t --but have take homes for you How to put out the fire
4. Cannabis and the brain
5. Cancer cures -- bring down the cost
6. Cruise ship viruses: what do you do--- N-95 mask; packaged food only; get off
7. Influenced: Half of U.S. adults under 50 get health and wellness information from influencers or podcasters, o they
1. Guys, Too much Sodium from Salt Causes Brain Inflammation and is Assaulting Your Memory? How to change to potassium based salt and and reduce your risk of dementia and mobility issues
“Wisdom lies in taking everything with good humor and a grain of salt,” said the Spanish-American writer George Santayana. (https://saltsup.com/blogs/salt-stories/salt-quotes ). He was right. It’s smart to cultivate good humor and to be aware of your salt intake. Good humor can alleviate stress and laughing improves oxygen intake (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456). And the recommended maximum daily Chronic Disease Risk Reduction Intake (CDDRI) for grains of salt is around one teaspoon, containing 2,300mg of sodium. [1] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium/ and https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/salty-diet- linked-to-narrowed-arteries-in-the-heart-and-neck?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WR20230714-Cholesterol&utm_id=5564524&dlv-emuid=0c308587-d2be-46ab-9cf4-a6b8de257867&dlv-mlid=5564524 and https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/sodium-your-diet#:~:text=However%2C%20most%20Americans%20eat%20too,1%20teaspoon%20of%20table%20salt
American men down a third to two-thirds of an ounce of sodium a day—substantially more (more than 7 times) more than the recommended 0.08 ounce or 1 teaspoon of table salt (it’s 40% sodium) www.cdc.gov/salt/about/index.html. Women average less (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/ pii/S0197458026000242?via%3Dihub)
That is why a study in Neurobiology of Agingfound that salt-happy men have more problems than women do with blood pressure and episodic memory, aka the ability to remember where you parked the car, as well as recalling experiences from the distant past in the right sequence.
For six years, researchers tracked the salt intake and ran multiple cognition tests with 1,200 participants; 41% were men. When they saw the results, they speculated that OTT salt intake increased men’s brain inflammation, damaged blood vessels and reduced blood flow to the brain, impeding their memory. But listen up—this doesn’t get women off the hook. Excess salt assaults their brain and heart health too.
And the average American takes in 3,400mg of sodium daily (some of you get a lot more!) Why do folks consume so much? Because highly-processed, prepackaged foods, snacks, and condiments are loaded with salt. One slice of pizza (really 1/8th of the pie) can contain half the recommended CDRRI. (https://newsroom.heart.org/file?fid=50ddc37a29371a28e000004b#:~:text=This%20is%20the%20American%20Heart,poultry%2C%20soup%2C%20and%20sandwiches.&text=Please%20see%20AHA%2FASA%20Multimedia%20Materials%20Usage%20Policy.
[1] https://www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/high-salt-diet-associated-with-hardened-arteries-in-people-with-normal-blood-pressure#:~:text=Sophia%20Antipolis%2C%2031%20March%202023,the%20European%20Society%20of%20Cardiology.
and https://academic.oup.com/ehjopen/article/3/2/oead024/7093096?)
That sodium takes a toll on your cardiovascular and immune systems, and your healthy longevity.
Sodium is packed into snacks and processed and fast foods, including processed meats, canned soups, pretzels, chips, frozen meals and pizzas, and prepared sauces and salad dressings. The solution for everyone is to opt for natural fruits and vegetables and cook at home. (Subs, burgers and fries at fast food outlets can assault you with 75% to 200% of the recommended daily sodium intake in one serving! (https://www.thetakeout.com/1726696/saltiest-sandwiches-find-fast-food-chains/)
Data indicate there are very significant personal and public health benefits to increasing the potassium to salt ratio in America’s convenience and fast food, and maybe all your foods.
The ratio of potassium to sodium in the American diet has decreased from over 10 to less than one: http://www.fasebj.org/content/28/1_ Supplement/ 384.7 Rhodes D, Parker E, Goldman J. Sodium to potassium ratio and food choices of U.S. adults. FASEB Journal 2014 ;28 (1) Supplement 384.7.. This ratio is recent as humans have been “trained” for millions of years on diets that have a K/Na ratio larger than ten (http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/2/341.) To quote: “Taken together, the addition of manufactured salt to the food supply and the displacement of traditional potassium-rich foods by foods introduced during the Neolithic and Industrial periods caused a 400% decline in the potassium intake while simultaneously initiating a 400% increase in sodium ingestion.” (Cordain L, Eaton SB, Sebastian A et al. Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century. Am J Clin Nutr 2005; 81(2): 341-354).
A modest increase in the K/Na ratio of the nation’s diet in Finland from 1972 to 2002 is considered a very important contributor to a 75% to 80% decline in age-adjusted death rates due to stroke and heart disease and a substantial increase in life expectancy (5 to 6 years) during that period.
In data in 2024 from a study in a low-income Southern population, (JAMA NetwOpen. 2024;7(3):e243802.doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.3802) sodium intake above the recommended threshold (in that study, 2300 mg a day) accounted for 10, 13, and 30 percent of total Cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure and heart failure deaths, respectively.
Further, Jablonski KL Racine ML, Geolfos CJ et al. found that dietary sodium restriction reverses vascular endothelial dysfunction in middle-aged/older adults with moderately elevated systolic blood pressure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013; 61(3): 335-343. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2012.09.010
The results of that 2021 published large randomized controlled trial (RCT) of over 20,000 people for 5 years in rural China in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), showed that the use of a salt substitute with a very modest Na/K ratio showed a 39% lower cardiovascular disease incidence, a 70% lower heart failure incidence, and a 50% lower cerebrovascular disease incidence and all deaths with a small reduction in the Na/K ratio. https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2105675.
The solution: Just as you wouldn’t marry someone who was trying to kill you everyday, you shouldn’t eat food that does that. Master Executive Chef in Wellness at the Cleveland Clinic Jim Perko taught me how to make food that was awesomely tasty and was great for the body—he showed how to make it sweet without sugar, moist without saturated fat, etc. (I teach along with Michael CrupainMD and Master Chef Silvestori such a course in Puglia, Italia every November –sit is a great fun weak--see AwaitingTable.com)
The Take Home:
So how can you help protect your cardiovascular system and enjoy the perk-up-flavors power of salt? Enjoy a diet free of prepared foods; instead chose one loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables and omega-3-rich fish, cooked at home. Then a few grains of sodium salt especially when mixed with potassium salt sprinkled on your food should give you no worries—unless your doctor tells you to avoid either sodium or potassium salts because of high blood pressure, osteoporosis, or kidney disease.
But does cooking with substituting potassium for sodium taste as great—our early tests say yes
1.How to reduce your added salt intake?
Ditch overly-salted foods, such as chips, canned soups, and frozen meals . Many canned soups can dish up a third of your daily RDI in one cup!
At home and when eating out, shake herbs and spices on your foods, use hot sauces, and emphasize fresh, vivid flavors in place of over-processed ones. When cooking you can use a little salt—just don’t over do it. The American Heart Association says for healthy adults 1500mg of sodium a day is a good target.
2.Potassium is a mineral that occurs naturally in our bodies. It is mainly found in foods that we all consider healthy, like fruits (bananas, apricots), vegetables, legumes, and nuts. Potassium is a very important mineral that is found in high concentration in all our cells. It’s needed for proper cell functioning, enabling, for example, muscle cells and nerve cells to properly contract and fire. A commonly used potassium salt is “potassium chloride.” Regular table salt, on the other hand, is “sodium chloride.”
Given potassium chloride has a bitter taste, mixed salts are available, containing a mix of potassium chloride and sodium chloride (regular salt).
For example, LoSalt (not sponsored) contains 66% potassium chloride, and 33% sodium chloride (regular salt).
Benefit:
Based on a plethora of outcome data it is clear that increasing your potassium to sodium ratio in your diet from 0.7 to 1.7 makes your ActualAge about 2.4 years younger and to 2.7 ratio about 4.5 years younger at age 55 directly and more by reducing your blood pressure.
2..New Opioid Alert: A dangerous new class of opioids, orphines, is surfacing in the Midwest/South, reported to be 10 times more potent than fentanyl.
I’m treasurer of the OneOhioRecovery Foundation –a 501C3 independent of the state that the state and wise attorney general Yost and Governor DeWine set up to avoid the Tobacco settlement funds debacle so I’m very interested in long term use disorders of new and old drugs; thus this story makes me think this foundation needs a long life:
--Public health officials and law enforcement agencies have issued urgent warnings regarding a subclass of synthetic opioids known as orphine analogues, including substances like cychlorphine, which are reported to be significantly more potent than fentanyl.
Recent reports indicate these substances have been detected in the illicit drug supply in parts of the Midwest and South. They are considered extremely dangerous because even microscopic amounts can be fatal.
Regional Observations: Health alerts have been noted in several states, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Florida, and others in the region.
Appearance and Mixture: These substances often appear as off-white or gray powders but are frequently mixed into other illicit drugs or pressed into counterfeit pills that mimic prescription medications.
Detection Issues: A major concern for harm reduction is that these specific analogues may not be detected by standard fentanyl test strips.
The extreme potency of these synthetic opioids increases the risk of rapid, fatal respiratory depression.
The unpredictability of the illicit drug supply poses a severe risk to public safety. Information on local resources and addiction support can be found through state health department websites and national hotlines such as SAMHSA’s National Helpline.
TakeHome—Don’t even try illicit drugs or drugs from any place but a known registered pharmacy even once…. You could end up dead
3. Inflammation and changes in clones over time treatment why TPE works
In recent months, I had the opportunity to attend a series of fascinating lectures that provided deep insights into the genetic underpinnings of several complex medical conditions: dilated cardiomyopathy, inflammatory conditions, and rheumatoid arthritis. These sessions were not just enlightening but fundamentally transformative in how we understand the role of genetics in disease manifestation.
At the heart of these discussions was a surprising revelation: the majority of these conditions are not solely driven by dominant genes. Instead, they result from a complex interplay of a multitude of genes, each contributing to the production of proteins that perpetuate disease. For instance, in the context of dilated cardiomyopathy, the Million Veterans study highlighted the involvement of 99 additional genes beyond the dominant ones typically associated with metabolic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. These genes are responsible for secreting abnormal proteins that exacerbate the condition.
Rheumatoid arthritis presents a similar genetic complexity. Here, research has identified 75 distinct genes that produce different proteins implicated in the disease’s progression. The challenge lies in pinpointing which specific gene is the primary culprit, a task that is feasible in research settings but remains prohibitively expensive for routine clinical application. This complexity underscores the need for innovative approaches to target the proteins produced by these myriad genes.
Inflammatory conditions further illustrate this genetic intricacy. Many patients experience chronic exhaustion due to these conditions, which can be triggered by various factors, including viral infections like COVID-19. With more than 66 genes identified as contributors to inflammatory responses, the situation is akin to a genetic orchestra, each gene playing a role in the persistent activation and production of inflammatory proteins.
In addressing these conditions, therapeutic plasma exchange emerges as a promising intervention. This procedure can effectively remove the problematic proteins from the bloodstream, offering relief from chronic inflammation and its disabling consequences. However, the treatment requires regular administration to maintain its benefits, highlighting the ongoing challenge of managing chronic diseases.
Ultimately, these lectures reinforced a critical paradigm shift in our understanding of genetic contributions to disease. It is not a singular dominant gene that dictates the course of conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy or rheumatoid arthritis. Instead, a vast network of genes collectively influences disease progression, necessitating a multifaceted approach to treatment and management.
As we continue to unravel the complexities of our genetic blueprint, the potential for personalized medicine becomes increasingly attainable. By identifying and targeting the specific genetic factors at play, we can move closer to more effective, individualized treatments that address the root causes of these debilitating conditions. The journey is ongoing, but the insights gained from these lectures have illuminated a path forward, one where the intricacies of our genetic makeup are met with equally sophisticated solutions.
So, the main idea is that not just one gene is responsible. Many genes together cause these health issues by making bad proteins, and getting rid of these proteins can help people feel better.
The Take Home Here: As long -time readers of this blog know, I had 4 TPE treatments at our centers set up to treat the causes of aging and of Alzheimer’s dementia (the only therapy known in two randomized trials to not just stabilize but to reverse the cognitive disfuntions of Alzheimer’s (see Lifespan-Edge.com/research). I always believe we should be the first to test to make sure our procedures are safe.
I didn’t have any particular condition I was trying to reverse like arthritis or long COVID (it works for both in over 65% of people with those) but after the 2nd I felt half my calendar age of 80 –still do 8 months later, As we are opening a center in Cloumbia, Md, I’ll have another treatment next week. Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) is one of the three concepts needed to make us younger –get rid of your miss-signalling proteins, make our yold cells young again, and increase your ability to repair yourself by growing your own stem cells inside yourself—IMHO. So read about, and if over 50, consider TPE for yourself.
4. Cannabis Use Tied to Slower Cognitive Development.
In analysis of over 11,000 teenagers (April 20th in Neuropsychopharmacology), cannabis use, specifically the THC in cannabis, reduced memory, attention, language, and processing speed, compared to adolescents who did not use cannabis.
“Adolescence is a critical time for brain development, and what we’re seeing is that teens who start using cannabis aren’t improving at the same rate as their peers,” lead author Natasha Wade, PhD, and assistant professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine, said in a news release. “These differences may seem small at first, but they can add up in ways that affect learning, memory and everyday functioning.”
Over the past few decades, cannabis use and potency has increased, with an estimated 1 in 5 high schoolers using cannabis regularly . During adolescence, cannabis exposure may disrupt brain development and is associated with a significantly higher likelihood of incident psychiatric disorders and worse academic performance.
To gain a comprehensive picture of the effects of cannabis use on neurocognitive trajectories in this age group, the investigators included 11,036 teenagers (47% female) in their analysis. Teens were recruited at ages 9-10 years from 21 sites across the US and followed for over 10 years.
They were interviewed about their past-year substance use at annual follow-ups, along with a mid-year assessment. Caregivers were questioned about their child’s medicinal cannabidiol (CBD) use. The investigators combined this self-report data with toxicological testing on participants’ hair, urine, and saliva throughout the study.
Initially, teen cannabis users’ working memory performance appeared to be better than nonusers. However, as they got older, their improvement slowed relative to controls and at age 17, cannabis use was associated with worse performance (P = .0001).
At ages 9 and 10, cannabis user’s inhibitory control was superior to controls (P < .01 for both). Over time, this relationship flipped such that by ages 15-17, users’ inhibitory control was worse (P < .0001 for all ages).
The same trend over time was shown for teen cannabis users’ processing speed, oral reading, episodic memory, receptive language, verbal recall, and visuospatial performance, culminating with statistically significant worse performance at ages 15-17.
“Findings support interventions aimed at delaying cannabis initiation during early adolescence and integrating neuroscience-informed psychoeducation about cognitive development during sensitive periods,” the investigators wrote.
5. Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine: mRNA vaccines for pancreatic cancer are showing promising, long-lasting results in early trials.
Early clinical trials for personalized mRNA pancreatic cancer vaccines have demonstrated highly promising, durable results. . A Phase 1 trial conducted by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in collaboration with BioNTech and Genentech tested a personalized vaccine called autogene cevumeran. Key findings:
Long-Term Survival: In a follow-up reported in April 2026, 7 out of 8 patients who showed an immune response to the vaccine were still alive 6 years later.
Relapse Prevention: Responders had a significantly lower risk of the cancer returning compared to non-responders, many of whom saw relapses within a year.
Mechanism: The vaccine trains “killer” CD8+ T cells to recognize specific mutations in a patient’s tumor, while “helper” CD4+ T cells sustain this immune response for years.
This is really expensive but the cost to produce will radically fall—the charge to treat---- of GOD bring it down.
6. Cruise Ship Outbreak: Health officials are investigating a suspected fatal hantavirus outbreak aboard an Atlantic cruise ship.
Hantavirus causes severe respiratory illness and respiratory and renal failure. It occured aboard the MV Hondius, an expedition cruise ship operated by Oceanwide Expeditions. The vessel was traveling from Argentina to Cape Verde when the illness was detected, resulting in three fatalities and several other confirmed or suspected infections. The problem—an eight week incubation period before aymptoms.
The ship, carrying 88 passengers and 59 crew members, including 17 Americans, departed Argentina April 1 for Antarctica and remote South Atlantic islands. It has stayed at sea for days as authorities coordinate quarantine measures, testing, and medical evacuations. Early findings suggest limited person-to-person transmission—a rare development for hantavirus, which typically spreads through contact with infected rodent droppings or urine (what is hantavirus?). Officials said no rats were reported onboard, raising the possibility that a now-deceased Dutch couple was infected before boarding. Track the ship’s location here.
Hantavirus can cause severe respiratory illness and is fatal in about 35% of US cases. The Andes strain found in South America can spread between people, though rarely.No known treatment exists.
What would I do if abord a ship with any viral outbreak—don’t eat prepared food and drink; isolate; wear a N-95 mask—take it with you; get off before you get sick and work from home and isolate till the incubation period ends
Thanks for reading,
Mike Roizen MD, FACP
Where Happiness Comes From
Friendships & relationships 34%
Health18%
Romantic partner15%
Career14%
Home11%
Together, the findings suggest that life satisfaction is rarely tied to one single milestone. For some, it may come from career stability or financial breathing room. For others, it may come from family, friendships, health, love, or simply a stronger sense of perspective with age. See what age life satisfaction peaks in your state.
What stands out most is that the things people often spend years chasing are not always the things they look back on most fondly. Relationships, health, and shared experiences appear to play a central role in how Americans define a satisfying life.
From the Rosen Report a great substack that I read eagerly every edition (twice a week):
