Aspirin for CRC Risk Reduction May Benefit Unhealthy People Most

 Regular aspirin use was associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) among individuals with less healthy lifestyles, according to results from a prospective cohort study.

Among healthcare workers with the unhealthiest lifestyle scores, the 10-year cumulative incidence of CRC was 2.12% for regular aspirin users versus 3.40% for non-regular aspirin users, for an absolute risk reduction (ARR) of 1.28%, reported Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues.

In contrast, those with the healthiest lifestyle scores had a 10-year cumulative incidence of CRC of 1.50% with regular aspirin use and 1.62% for non-regular use, for an ARR of 0.11%, they wrote in JAMA Oncologyopens in a new tab or window.

Thus, Chan and team calculated that 78 patients would need to be treated with aspirin to prevent one case of CRC over a 10-year period in the unhealthiest group, compared with 909 patients to prevent one case for the healthiest group.

"These results support the use of lifestyle risk factors to identify individuals who may have a more favorable risk-benefit profile for cancer prevention with aspirin," Chan and colleagues noted.

In 2016, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended the use of low-dose aspirinopens in a new tab or window for the prevention of CRC in adults ages 50 to 59. However, in 2022, the USPSTF changed courseopens in a new tab or window, omitting recommendations on the use of aspirin to prevent CRC, concluding that "the evidence is inadequate that low-dose aspirin use reduces CRC incidence or mortality."

"Consequently, identifying individuals who are more likely to benefit from aspirin is a priority," Chan and colleagues wrote.

This study included women in the Nurses' Health Study (1980-2018) and men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-2018), for a total of 107,655 participants. Mean age at baseline was 49.4 years, and the majority were white (95-97%). Of the participants, 16-17% had a family history of CRC.

A healthy lifestyle score was calculated based on BMI, alcohol intake, physical activity, diet, and smoking, with scores ranging from 0 to 5 (higher values indicated a healthier lifestyle). Regular aspirin use was defined as two or more standard tablets (325 mg) per week or six or more low-dose (81 mg) tablets per week.

During 3,038,215 person-years of follow-up, 2,544 incident cases of CRC were documented in the entire study cohort.

In the full study cohort, the 10-year cumulative CRC incidence was 1.98% among participants who regularly used aspirin compared with 2.95% among those who did not regularly use aspirin, for an ARR of 0.97%.

The multivariable-adjusted 20-year cumulative incidence of CRC among regular aspirin users was 4.05% compared with 5.56% for non-regular users, for an ARR of 1.51%.

When looking at the individual components of the healthy lifestyle score, the greatest differences in ARR with regular aspirin use versus non-regular use were seen among those with a higher BMI and smoking.

For example, the ARR was 1.19% among individuals with a BMI >25 compared with 0.56% for those with a BMI ≤25, and the ARR was 1.20% for moderate/heavy smokers versus 0.75% for never/minimal smokers.

Chan and colleagues acknowledged several limitations to their study, including the fact that the study population consisted of predominantly white healthcare professionals.

"Given that healthcare professionals observe a healthier lifestyle, we may have underestimated the outcomes associated with lifestyle factors," they wrote.

Disclosures

This study was supported by grants for the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, as well as the American Gastroenterological Association, the MGH Claflin Distinguished Scholar Award, the American Cancer Society, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation Career Development Award, and the MGH/Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute Transformative Scholars Award.

Chan reported receiving personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer, and Freenome.

Primary Source

JAMA Oncology

Source Reference: opens in a new tab or windowSikavi DR, et al "Aspirin use and incidence of colorectal cancer according to lifestyle risk" JAMA Oncol 2024; DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.2503.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/gastroenterology/coloncancer/111328

"Descent Is Starting": Stellantis' CEO Has 'Back Against The Wall' Trying To Sell Jeeps

 All of a sudden, Stellantis is having trouble selling Jeeps. And it comes at a time when SUV demand has never been greater.

Stellantis' Ram pickup division has also slipped in sales rankings, and Chrysler now only produces minivans. This decline resulted in poor earnings and a 40% stock drop from March highs recently. Seven senior executives have also departed since January.

CEO Carlos Tavares, who recently secured a massive €36.5 million compensation package, has faced rapid setbacks. His strategy to protect profit margins led to higher prices for outdated products compared to competitors, resulting in lost market share and increased inventory, Bloomberg reported this week. 

Pierre-Olivier Essig, a London-based equities analyst at AIR Capital told Bloomberg: “The descent is starting and Tavares has his back against the wall. The cost cutting is exhausted and there isn’t enough innovation.”

The company is pulling out all of the stops to try and move metal, the report says. It reduced prices for the Jeep Compass and Grand Cherokee SUVs and added more features to adjust to higher interest rates. Despite this, Jeep’s US sales dropped 19% in the second quarter, the report said. 

However, Jeep will soon introduce two new electric models: the Wrangler-like Recon and the 600-horsepower Wagoneer S. But these introductions come at a time when interest in electric is starting to wane. 

On the other hand, Jeep also plans to reintroduce the Cherokee, which ceased production last year, affecting its competitiveness in the SUV market's largest segment. Meanwhile, Ford has benefited from Stellantis’ struggles, selling over 400,000 SUVs in the first half, a record for the company.

From 2019 to spring 2024, Stellantis increased prices for Jeep by about 50% and Ram by 40%, compared to the industry average of 25%, driven partly by post-pandemic supply chain issues, according to Cox data.

Erin Keating, an executive analyst at market researcher Cox Automotive told Bloomberg: “Product mix and pricing are the two big challenges they have.”

Like Jeep, Ram saw a significant decline in the first half, with US sales of its pickups dropping 20% from the previous year. Ford’s F-Series also experienced an 8% decline, while GM boosted sales of the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra.

And Stellantis has faced significant executive turnover in North America. Mark Stewart, the COO, left in January to become CEO of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Long-time Jeep and Ram executives Timothy Kuniskis and Jim Morrison retired within weeks of each other, and Jason Stoicevich resigned after two months as senior VP of US retail sales.

CEO Tavares told Bloomberg: “The transition that we are going through is immensely challenging. This is a bump. There will be other bumps. This will last for a few years — this is not a short-term turmoil — and the most resilient, the most focused, the most customer-focused, will survive.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/descent-starting-stellantis-ceo-has-his-back-against-wall-trying-sell-jeeps

Hershey Slides As CEO Warns: "Consumers Pulling Back On Discretionary Spending"

 US consumers are tightening their belts in the second half of the year as pandemic savings dry up, credit card debt maxes out, and employment growth slows. Elevated inflation and high interest rates further pressure households, leading to a shaky start to the corporate earnings season. 

One week ago, Goldman analyst Natasha de la Grense told clients, "Not a great start to earnings season in Consumer, with very few positive surprises so far. Both high-end consumption and the low-income consumer are weak."

From McDonald's to Nestle to Pepsi, major restaurants and food companies have issued softer guidance, thanks partly to a slowdown in consumption spending. 

The latest food company to warn about consumers pulling back is chocolate bar maker Hershey, whose shares fell in the premarket after reporting a second-quarter top and bottom line miss and slashing guidance for the year.

Shares were lower by about 3.5% in premarket. Shares have also been oscillating in a tight trading range for ten months. 

Here's a snapshot of the second quarter earnings results (courtesy of Bloomberg): 

Adjusted EPS $1.27 vs. $2.01 y/y, estimate $1.44 (Bloomberg Consensus)

Net sales $2.07 billion, -17% y/y, estimate $2.31 billion

• North America confectionery net sales $1.58 billion, -21% y/y, estimate $1.79 billion

• North America salty snacks net sales $289.9 million, +6.4% y/y, estimate $279.1 million

• International net sales $204.8 million, -8.9% y/y, estimate $227 million

Net sales at organic constant FX -16.8% vs. +5% y/y, estimate -7.52%

• North America confectionery sales at constant FX -20.7% vs. +4.8% y/y, estimate -10%

• North America salty snacks sales at constant FX +6.4% vs. +6.3% y/y, estimate +3.98%

• International net sales at organic constant FX -10.4% vs. +6.2% y/y, estimate +2.28%

Adjusted gross profit $895.2 million, -20% y/y, estimate $959.9 million

Adjusted gross margin 43.2% vs. 45.2% y/y, estimate 41.7%

Organic volume/mix -18%

• North America confectionery -22%

• North America salty snacks +9%

• International -16%

Hershey also lowered its 2024 guidance and expects net sales to slide 2%, compared with a previous outlook of 2% to 3% growth. The company expects a reported earnings per share drop of 1% to 3%, compared to its earlier outlook of flat earnings per share. On an adjusted basis, Hershey expects earnings per share to be "down slightly" from flat. 

"Today's operating environment remains dynamic with consumers pulling back on discretionary spending," Hershey Company President and Chief Executive Officer Michele Buck wrote in a statement, adding, "Our business has been impacted by these trends." 

Add Hershey to the growing list of restaurants and food companies warning about a consumer slowdown.  

Goldman analysts have told clients to short low-income and mid-income consumer stocks. It's only a matter of time before analysts start targeting upper-income consumer stocks.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/hershey-slides-ceo-warns-consumers-pulling-back-discretionary-spending

Bone Biologics short interest last week

 Bone Biologics Co. (NASDAQ:BBLG) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,300 shares, a growth of 562.5% from the June 30th total of 800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 835,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days. Currently, 1.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

https://www.defenseworld.net/2024/07/26/short-interest-in-bone-biologics-co-nasdaqbblg-grows-by-562-5.html

Harris faces calls to address mass incarceration, drop prosecutor vs. criminal line

 More than 160 leaders directly impacted by incarceration and criminalization have sent a letter to Vice President Harris calling on her to create a campaign platform that addresses mass incarceration.

The Hill received an exclusive look at the letter to the likely Democratic nominee, which calls on Harris to reject harmful language around the criminal justice system, including the narrative that this year’s match-up between her and former President Trump is between “a “tough-on-crime” prosecutor and a “criminal.”’

Such language, the leaders state, is harmful to both Harris’s campaign and those impacted by the criminal justice system.

“First, we believe you have been and will be a criminal justice reform leader. And, also, words like ‘criminal’ and ‘felon’ paint with a broad brush that stains more than 70 million Americans with criminal records including the 1 in 3 Black men who have felony convictions,” the letter reads.

Signatories of the letter include Norris Henderson, co-founder and steering committee member of the Formerly Incarcerated Convicted People and Families Movement; DeAnna Hoskins, president and CEO of JustLeadershipUSA, an organization dedicated to criminal justice reform; and members of the National Council for Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls.

Though the total number of people incarcerated has dropped significantly since the 2008 peak of almost 2.4 million people, according to FWD, a bipartisan political organization focused on reforming the criminal justice and immigration systems. Mass incarceration and the subsequent consequences disproportionately affect Black and brown Americans. 

The national incarceration rate of Black Americans is six times the rate of white people, according to the Prison Policy Initiative.

Before joining the Senate, Harris was an attorney general and a prosecutor. She has leaned into this history since announcing her bid for the presidency last week. 

“Before I was elected as vice president, before I was elected as United States senator, I was the elected attorney general, as I’ve mentioned, of California. And before that, I was a courtroom prosecutor,” Harris at a campaign event in Wilmington, Del., the day after President Biden announced he was dropping out and endorsed her. 

“In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds — predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So, hear me when I say: I know Donald Trump’s type.”

But the letter argues Harris can hold Trump accountable for his conduct and the impact of his actions and policy proposals without the “outdated fear-mongering” rhetoric that “dehumanizes us and opens the door to the ridicule and slander that has long plagued us since the Black Codes.”

“Shouting ‘felon!’ without acknowledging the injustices taking place daily in courts, prisons, and jails depresses the tremendous electoral potential of engaging with the tens of millions of us who have criminal convictions and the even greater number of American voters who love us,” the letter states. 

The letter’s signatories acknowledge that in 2019, Harris was the first candidate to agree to attend the criminal justice reform presidential town hall held inside a shuttered prison. 

“You spoke directly to the millions of us on both sides of the prison walls who have been personally impacted by mass incarceration about your plans to prioritize safety and justice for our families,” the letter states. 

Leaders added that they hope Harris will create a criminal justice reform platform, as there is “nothing less than freedom on the line.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4805546-letter-vice-president-harris-incarceration/

Vance hits Biden over ‘sweetheart deal’ with 9/11 terrorists

 Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) criticized the Biden administration over the plea deal it struck with three prisoners accused of helping to plan the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“Just today, I heard that the Biden-Harris Department of Justice cut a deal with al Qaeda terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to avoid the death penalty. It was reported today,” Vance, former President Trump’s running mate for president, told the crowd Wednesday during a campaign rally in Glendale, Ariz. “Now as someone who enlisted in the Marines to serve after 9/11, that is ridiculous but it’s not surprising.”

“Now just think about the point that we’ve gotten to. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris have weaponized the Department of Justice to go after their political opponents but they’re cutting a sweetheart deal with 9/11 terrorists,” he continued. “We need a president who kills terrorists, not negotiates with them.”

The agreement was reached between Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak bin Attash and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al-Hawsawi on Wednesday, the Defense Department announced in a release.

The three of them were charged jointly, along with Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Ramzi Bin al Shibh in 2008 and again in 2012 for their alleged roles in the attacks on 9/11. Nearly 3,000 people were killed after the terrorist group al Qaeda hijacked two planes and crashed them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.

The Pentagon did not provide further information about the details of the deal. The New York Times reported that the three of them will receive a life sentence, but that the possibility of the death penalty is off the table.

The reported plea deal received criticism from other Republicans as well, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

“The Biden-Harris Administration has done the unthinkable: they’ve agreed to a plea deal with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the September 11th attacks, and two of his accomplices,” Johnson wrote in a post on social media platform X.

McConnell echoed the sentiment, calling the decision “cowardice.”

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s cowardice in the face of terror is a national disgrace,” he wrote on X. “The plea deal with terrorists, including those behind the 9/11 attacks, is a revolting abdication of the government’s responsibility to defend America and provide justice.”

National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said in a statement to The Hill on Thursday that the White House had no involvement in the plea deal. 

“The White House learned yesterday that the Convening Authority for Military Commissions made the independent decision to enter into pretrial agreements, negotiated by military prosecutors, with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other 9/11 defendants.  The President and the White House played no role in this process.  The President has directed his team to consult as appropriate with officials and lawyers at the Department of Defense on this matter,” Savett said.

“President Biden has maintained an unwavering focus on terrorism since taking office, and he has directed the U.S. government to take action to protect the American people from terrorism time and again as we continue to work both unilaterally and with our partners to disrupt and degrade terrorist networks around the world,” he continued. 

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4805465-jd-vance-joe-biden-administration-september-11-plea-deal/

Harris’ green-energy policies would destroy PA economy, hurt every American

 Ever since America’s first oil well was drilled in Titusville in 1859, Pennsylvania has been a pioneer in our nation’s development of energy production.

Today, the industry provides nearly half a million Keystone State jobs, contributing more than $75 billion to the state economy.

With Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascension as the presumptive Democratic nominee, all the progress and hope hang in the balance.

Should Harris become president, her policies and vision could make the first four dismal years of the Biden-Harris energy agenda pale in comparison.

A quick check of the tape reveals a slew of concerns.

Running for president in 2019, Harris declared, “There’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking.”

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a proven drilling technology used for extracting oil, natural gas, geothermal energ, or water from deep underground.

It is a cornerstone of Pennsylvania’s economy, especially in the Marcellus Shale region, supporting approximately 123,000 jobs, providing livelihoods for families across the state.

President Biden’s pause on liquified-natural-gas exports this year sent ripples of concern through Pennsylvania’s natural-gas sector.

The White House announcement went out of its way to say this was a Biden-Harris administration decision, not Biden’s alone.

The move not only jeopardized jobs but undermined the economic stability of communities dependent on natural gas in my state and across the country.

Criticism of the decision didn’t come just from opponents of the Biden administration.

Both of Pennsylvania’s Democratic senators, John Fetterman and Bob Casey Jr., voiced their disagreement with the Biden-Harris LNG-export pause.

After Biden’s ill-fated debate with Donald Trump, Fetterman emerged as one of the preident’s staunchest defenders, while Casey votes with Biden 99% of the time.

Even Gov. Josh Shapiro, rumored as a possible Harris running mate, raised concerns about the pause. Their willingness to criticize speaks volumes about the policy’s misguided nature.

A fracking ban would lead to the loss of thousands of jobs, devastating communities that rely on the industry.

The economic impact would be severe, but the repercussions would not stop there.

Energy prices would inevitably rise, placing an additional burden on families already struggling with inflation.

Higher energy costs affect everyone, but they hit low- and middle-income households the hardest, especially when two-thirds of Americans report living paycheck to paycheck, per a MarketWatch analysis.

Harris wouldn’t just stop there.

In 2019, she emerged as a champion of the so-called Green New Deal, an extreme policy that calls for America to become entirely reliant on so-called “green” energy by 2050.

The initiative’s chief supporter, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), has acknowledged the price tag would be as much as $10 trillion, which is ironically the same astronomical number Harris’ 2020 climate plan clocked in at.

The Green New Deal would end production of all traditional forms of energy and the jobs it produces.

For those out of work, Harris has called for “an ability to transition.”

Hardly reassuring.

As national Democrats have drifted further away from commonsense energy policies, they’ve been losing voters.

The advantage of registered Democrats has withered down to just 4% in the state.

Compare this with the 12% advantage as recently as 2008.

The number of registered independents is also growing, another indication Pennsylvanians want leaders with a more moderate stance.

Harris’ policies are not just bad for Pennsylvania energy — they’re a hard sell for Pennsylvania votes. 

That’s why the Harris campaign announced a sudden change of heart, claiming Harris no longer plans to ban fracking.

Such a major policy reversal should come from the candidate herself, and not an anonymous campaign official. It’s safe to say the Harris campaign hopes we Pennsylvanians are gullible.

Pennsylvania’s energy industry is not just about jobs and prices; it’s also about energy independence.

The ability to produce and export natural gas strengthens the United States’ position in global energy markets and reduces dependence on foreign oil.

This independence is crucial for national security and economic stability, both of which are undermined by Biden-Harris policies that target natural-gas production and exportation.

Imagine how much worse it would get under a President Harris.

My family has called Pennsylvania home for more than a century.

I want to see my state prosper and its next generation have the same opportunities I did.

That won’t be possible if the next president interferes with our ability to remain the second-largest energy producer in America.

In November, we need an energy-policy shake-up, not a bolstering of the status quo.

Here’s hoping we get what we deserve.

Joseph Pitts, a Republican, represented Pennsylvania in the US House of Representatives from 1997 to 2017, serving as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and chairing its Subcommittee on Health. 

https://nypost.com/2024/07/31/us-news/kamala-harris-green-energy-policies-would-destroy-pennsylvanias-economy-and-hurt-every-american/