Health
Biden cognitive health concerns: What did Kamala Harris know? Experts warn of denial dangers
A majority of voters believe that Vice President Kamala Harris knew about — and covered up — President Biden’s reported cognitive health issues.
That’s according to a YouGov/Times of London poll that surveyed 1,170 registered voters on July 22 and July 23.
Among those who believe Biden’s health issues were kept under wraps, 92% said they think the vice president was well aware of the situation.
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Overall, 68% of respondents believe Biden’s decline was on Harris’ radar.
“There’s no way for me to know what went through Kamala’s head or what her experience has been dealing with Joe Biden,” Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and author based in New York City, told Fox News Digital.
Many voters believe that Vice President Kamala Harris knew about President Joe Biden’s reported cognitive health issues. (Getty Images)
“Perhaps seeing him on a regular basis made it difficult for her to pick up on any changes,” said Alpert, who has not treated Biden.
“Of course, this is just speculation, and we do not know of any formal diagnosis.”
Judy Gaman, CEO of Executive Medicine of Texas, a luxury medical services provider in Southlake, previously spoke with Fox News Digital about the failure of those around Biden to seek help for the president.
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“Either they are in denial and have watched this take place over a period of time, so they are less sensitive to the contrast, or they are fully aware but can’t bear the thought of what happens to the family (on many levels) if Joe is no longer president,” said Gaman, who also has never treated the current commander-in-chief.
Biden health concerns
Although there’s long been debate about potential signs of cognitive decline, the issue came to the forefront after the June 27 presidential debate, when Biden sparked concerns with his sometimes incoherent speech and unclear train of thought on national live television.
The president, who is 81, has also appeared to “freeze” on stage during public appearances on more than one occasion.
A new survey found that among those who believe any potential issues with Joe Biden’s health have been kept quiet, 92% say they think the vice president was well aware of the situation. (Getty Images)
In mid-July, Biden tested positive for COVID-19, and was said to experience upper respiratory symptoms that included “rhinorhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general malaise,” according to a statement on the White House’s website.
On July 23, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s personal physician, released a letter stating that Biden’s symptoms had resolved and that he would “continue to be monitored for any recurrence of illness.”
68% of poll respondents believe Biden’s decline was on Harris’ radar.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has stated that Biden has seen a neurologist multiple times as part of routine health exams, but that he is not being treated for any neurological disorders.
Dangers of denial
Outside the political arena, it is common for family members and loved ones to avoid facing signs of cognitive decline and potential dementia, experts say.
“Ask any family who has dealt with Alzheimer’s, dementia or Parkinson’s, and they will tell you that what we are seeing play out [here] is classic with most families who face this,” said Gaman, whose own mother struggled with Alzheimer’s disease.
Signs of potential cognitive issues came to the forefront after the June 27 presidential debate, when the president sparked concern with his sometimes incoherent speech and an unclear train of thought. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
“His story just happens to be playing out on the big stage,” Gaman added. “Remember, everyone rallying around Biden and covering up the truth has something personal to gain by him continuing to hold office.”
In some cases, Alpert noted, signs may be genuinely missed.
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“Generally speaking, family members who see their loved one on a regular basis don’t always pick up on the cognitive decline as perceptively as those who might just see someone on occasion,” he said.
“For example, someone seeing Grandma once a year during the holiday season is more likely to pick up on a decline than if they were seeing her monthly.”
“If family members and close associates are in denial about a loved one’s cognitive decline, it can delay diagnosis and treatment.”
That’s because cognitive decline is usually gradual in the beginning, he noted.
“Early signs might be subtle and perhaps mistaken as normal aging or stress.”
In other cases, the person experiencing the decline may find ways to adapt and develop strategies to compensate for the cognitive difficulties, according to Alpert, which can make the symptoms less obvious to close family and friends.
“Although in the short term it might be easier to look the other way, ultimately denial leads to more stress for the loved ones as the condition worsens,” a psychologist said. (iStock)
Experts agree that a denial of someone’s cognitive decline doesn’t do the person any favors.
“If family members and close associates are in denial about a loved one’s cognitive decline, it can delay diagnosis and treatment of the person,” Alpert warned.
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“Dismissing an obvious issue as ‘just a bad day’ or saying ‘everyone forgets from time to time’ doesn’t help the person, and will only slow access to resources and proper management of the condition,” he added.
Delaying treatment can also pose safety risks, experts agree.
“Although in the short term it might be easier to look the other way, ultimately denial leads to more stress for the loved one as the condition worsens,” Alpert said.
“Sometimes, getting a proper medical diagnosis provides the clinical validation necessary for the patient to actually feel understood.”
Delaying treatment can also pose safety risks to the person experiencing cognitive decline, experts agree. (iStock)
In Alpert’s practice, he said he sometimes has patients who experience a host of symptoms, but don’t know exactly what is going on.
“Once I confirm the diagnosis, they feel a bit relieved to know that their symptoms are real and part of a medical or psychological disorder, and not just made up,” he said.
In Biden’s case, denial of a possible cognitive disorder isn’t just dangerous for the president, but also for the country as a whole, experts say.
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If Biden is experiencing cognitive decline, failure to get him the medical attention he needs could be putting his health in danger, according to Gaman.
“From the standpoint of the country, we need to address this as a health crisis and not a political crisis,” she said.
President Biden boards Air Force One as he departs Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, on July 23, 2024, his first public appearance after announcing his exit from the presidential race. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Gaman also noted that if Biden does have one of these conditions, he may not understand the need to ask for help.
“This is a prime opportunity to increase funding for research, raise awareness and encourage others dealing with this to come out of denial.”
We need to “encourage others dealing with this to come out of denial.”
Gaman noted that she is not claiming to diagnose the president, but rather asking that the country open up the discussion on neurodegenerative disease, “especially since it’s on the rise.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign requesting comment but did not receive a response.
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In response to earlier outreach from Fox News Digital, the White House press office said that “health was not a factor” in Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
“He looks forward to finishing his term and delivering more historic results for the American people,” the White House said in its statement.
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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