West Newsmagazine 11-29-23

32 I MATURE FOCUS I
November 29, 2023
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
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Our special section featuring issues, events,
products and services of interest to
our 50-plus readers.
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MATURE FOCUS, from page 31
lent “representatives” of the victims’ banks
or investment or brokerage firms, who tell
them their funds have been accessed by foreign
hackers and must be moved into “safe”
third-party accounts, such as with the Federal
Reserve. They are directed to transfer
money via wire transfer, cash or cryptocurrency,
sometimes in multiple transactions
and often directly to overseas recipients.
They are directed not to tell anyone
about these transactions … and if they
become suspicious, they are also contacted
by scammers posing as representatives of
the U.S. government. This part of the scam
may also include an official-looking letter
or email to calm their suspicions.
The FBI has requested that anyone in the
area who believes they have been targeted
by phantom hackers, or who may have been
a victim, contact both its local St. Louis
field office at (314) 231-4324 and the Crime
Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov), including
as much information as possible.
FBI ‘don’ts’ for
avoiding financial fraud
1. Don’t click on unsolicited computer
pop-ups, as well as links or attachments
in text messages and emails.
2. Don’t call any phone number provided
in a pop-up, text or email provided
for your “assistance.”
3. Don’t download computer software
at the request of an unknown individual.
4. Don’t let any unknown person have
control of your computer, no matter
what company they claim to represent.
5. Don’t send money via wire transfer
to foreign accounts, cryptocurrency
or gift or prepaid cards at the instruction
of someone you don’t know.
Where’s the inflammation?
Health warnings about red meat have
become common in recent years, as medical
and nutrition experts point to it as a
@WESTNEWSMAG
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
The FBI recently warned of a steep increase in “phantom hacker” scams which primarily
target seniors.
(Adobe Stock photo)
source of inflammation. In turn, many of
those experts have said, the inflammatory
effects of eating red meat can increase the
risk for many chronic illnesses, especially
cardiovascular disease.
But according to a group of Texas
researchers from Baylor University and
Texas Children’s Hospital, the link between
red meat and inflammation remains
unproven. Their recent study found that,
when adjusted for body mass index (BMI),
individual intake of unprocessed and processed
red meats (beef, pork or lamb) is not
directly associated with any inflammatory
markers. This suggests that body weight,
not the red meats themselves, may be the
driver of increased systemic inflammation,
the researchers claim.
“The role of diet, including red meat,
on inflammation and disease risk has not
been adequately studied, which can lead
to public health recommendations that
are not based on strong evidence,” said
Dr. Alexis Wood, associate professor of
pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine
and Texas Children’s.
Wood and her team analyzed cross-sectional
data including food intake and biomarker
information from about 4,000 older
adults participating in the Multi-Ethnic
Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Interestingly,
their observational study found no
link between reported red meat intake and
blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP),
a major inflammatory marker of common
diseases.
Wood said the analysis does not bear
out the conclusions of previous studies
linking red meat intake and inflammation;
and that more randomized
controlled trials are needed in which
participants would be assigned to either
consume red meat or not, over a period
of time, to directly measure any inflammatory
effects. She added that several
randomized trials have previously shown
that unprocessed lean meats can be part
of a heart-healthy diet.
“Red meat is popular, accessible and pal-
See MATURE FOCUS, page 34