Researchers from Mass General Brigham and collaborators found that use of GLP-1 drugs to treat obesity more than doubled from 2022 to 2023 while rates of surgery dropped by one quarter. KEY TAKEAWAYS Researchers from Mass General Brigham and collaborators assessed national trends in the number of patients with obesity prescribed GLP-1 drugs and the number who underwent metabolic bariatric surgery. Researchers documented a 132.6% increase in patients prescribed GLP-1 drugs between 2022 and 2023, and a 25.6% decrease in patients undergoing bariatric ...

Climate change-related extreme weather, such as massive flooding and prolonged drought, often result in dangerous outbreaks of diarrheal diseases particularly in less developed countries, where diarrheal diseases is the third leading cause of death among young children. Now a study out Oct. 22, 2024, in Environmental Research Letters by an international team of investigators led by senior author from University of Maryland’s School of Public Health (UMD SPH) Amir Sapkota, offers a way to predict the risk of such deadly outbreaks ...

The team developed a high-throughput imaging platform to assess the influence of nearly 3,500 mutations on protein location. They found that roughly one in six disease-causing mutations led to proteins ending up in the wrong location in the cell. “Technological advances in genetic sequencing have allowed researchers to identify thousands of protein mutations that cause disease,” said Jessica Lacoste, co-lead author on the study and postdoctoral fellow at U of T’s Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research. “We are now able to ...

New light technique could revolutionise non-invasive medical diagnostics  Orbital Angular Momentum could be harnessed to improve imaging and data transmission through biological tissues Could eventually have potential to make procedures such as surgery or biopsies unnecessary. An Aston University researcher has developed a new technique using light which could revolutionise non-invasive medical diagnostics and optical communication. The research showcases how a type of light called the Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) can be harnessed to improve imaging and data transmission through skin and other biological tissues. A ...

Background and objectives Previous studies suggest that taurine supplementation may attenuate atherosclerosis by reducing lipid levels. However, energy drinks containing taurine have been shown to increase blood pressure, a key risk factor for atherosclerosis. Thus, the role of taurine in atherosclerosis remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the effect of taurine on the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Methods Plasma taurine levels were measured in 105 patients with varying degrees of coronary heart disease and in 40 healthy individuals using 1,2-13C2-taurine-based ultra-performance ...

Atlanta, GA — Oct. 23, 2024 — Researchers at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University have identified a novel type of immune cell, called the stem-like CD4 T cell, that plays a pivotal role in anti-tumor immunity. The pre-clinical findings, published in Nature, highlight the potential to activate these cells to fight tumors more effectively, offering new hope for broader treatment success, particularly in patients with cancer that is unresponsive to current immunotherapies.  Led by Haydn ...

A passage in the Norse Sverris Saga, the 800-year-old story of King Sverre Sigurdsson, describes a military raid that occurred in AD 1197, during which a body was thrown into a well at Sverresborg Castle, outside Trondheim in central Norway, likely as an attempt to poison the main water source for the local inhabitants. A new study published in the Cell Press journal iScience on October 25 describes how researchers used ancient DNA to corroborate the events of the saga and discover details about the “Well-man,” blending history and archaeology ...

About The Study: This overview identifies research gaps and methodological challenges that need to be addressed to guide intervention strategies and future policy relevant to youth and suicide risk.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Lisa H. Jaycox, PhD, email lisa.jaycox@nimh.gov. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.41499) Editor’s Note: Please see ...

About The Study: This cohort study found that postacute infection syndrome is not unique to COVID-19; it can also occur in people with other severe lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). However, compared with other LRTIs, COVID-19 appeared to impose an extra burden of neurological, cognitive, and fatigue symptoms. These findings highlight the similarities and differences between post–COVID-19 condition and postacute infection syndrome triggered by other pathogens, which will inform tailored clinical management and offer mechanistic insights into these previously overlooked syndromes.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Junqing Xie, ...

About The Study: This cross-sectional study of privately insured patients found a more than 2-fold increase in use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) as anti-obesity medications from 2022 to 2023, with a 25.6% decrease in the rate of metabolic bariatric surgery during the same period. Our results provide a national contemporaneous estimate of the decline in metabolic bariatric surgery associated with the era of GLP-1 RAs.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Thomas C. Tsai, ...

Cardiovascular disease remains a top cause of sickness and death in the U.S. and worldwide. Doctors and researchers have it especially high on their radar because it’s more modifiable and preventable than many other diseases and causes of death. Importantly, though, modification and prevention rely on early detection and mitigation of risk factors like hypertension and high cholesterol. Unfortunately, detection and mitigation are suboptimal throughout the U.S. population: Experts estimate that up to 75% of young adults who have risk factors such as hypertension and high cholesterol are unaware ...

Researchers Tomohito Amano and Shinji Tsuneyuki of the University of Tokyo with Tamio Yamazaki of CURIE (JSR-UTokyo Collaboration Hub) have developed a new machine learning model to predict the dielectric function of materials, rather than calculating from first-principles. The dielectric function measures the polarization of negative and positive charges within materials, the phenomenon underlying dielectric materials. Thus, the fast and accurate prediction of dielectric function facilitates the development of novel dielectric materials, an ingredient of many cutting-edge technologies such as 6G ...

The information environment in Finland during the coronavirus pandemic was exceptional and intense in many ways. The spread of disinformation and the number of actors involved reached unprecedented levels. The demand for accurate information was enormous, and the situation was constantly evolving. Information was disseminated through various channels. Official information played a crucial role, but at the same time, social media posed challenges in the fight against false and misleading information. Malicious bots increased significantly during the pandemic. The operation of bots – i.e. ...

Background and objectives Depression can lead to poor outcomes during antiretroviral therapy, and current evidence suggests high rates of depression among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV), especially in low-and middle-income countries. This study was designed to investigate the sociodemographic factors associated with depression among PLHIV on antiretroviral therapy in a Nigerian cosmopolitan city. Methods A hospital-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 592 consenting, ...

Background and Aims Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is crucial for improving survival in patients with chronic hepatitis. The GALAD algorithm combines gender (biological sex), age, α-fetoprotein (AFP), Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP (AFP-L3), and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) for HCC detection. Similarly, the GAAD algorithm incorporates gender (biological sex), age, AFP, and PIVKA-II. This study aimed to assess the clinical utility of AFP-L3 in the GALAD algorithm and its potential synergies with ultrasound. We compared the clinical performance of GALAD with GAAD; AFP; AFP-L3; and PIVKA-II, with ...

Background and Aims Data regarding risk factors and long-term outcomes of U.S. patients with biopsy-proven metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are limited. This study aimed to investigate the role of clinical and histologic risk factors on long-term outcomes in patients with MASLD. Methods A retrospective cohort study of 451 adults with biopsy-proven MASLD was conducted at a U.S. academic hospital from 2012 to 2020. An experienced pathologist evaluated the index liver biopsy. Patients with a prior liver transplant or alternative etiologies of chronic liver disease were excluded. The duration ...

Water is synonymous with life, but the dynamic, multifaceted interaction that brings H2O molecules together – the hydrogen bond – remains mysterious. Hydrogen bonds result when hydrogen and oxygen atoms between water molecules interact, sharing electronic charge in the process. This charge-sharing is a key feature of the three-dimensional ‘H-bond’ network that gives liquid water its unique properties, but quantum phenomena at the heart of such networks have thus far been understood only through theoretical simulations. Now, researchers led by Sylvie Roke, head of the Laboratory for Fundamental BioPhotonics in EPFL’s School of Engineering, ...

Subtle temperature differences at the ocean surface allow more carbon dioxide (CO₂) to be absorbed, new research shows. Scientists studied the “ocean skin” – a sliver less than 2 mm deep at the ocean surface that is fractionally cooler than the rest. Theoretical and lab work have suggested this temperature difference should increase the amount of CO₂ absorbed by the ocean – but this had never been successfully observed at sea before. The new study – led by researchers from the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall – used precision measurements to confirm that the ...

URBANA, Ill. — Invasive silver carp have been spreading throughout the Mississippi River Basin since their introduction a half-century ago. Yet, try as they might, the fish have not advanced beyond a particular stretch of the Illinois River north of Kankakee. Research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows the fish are likely avoiding contaminants from the Chicago Area Waterway, which flows south before petering out around Kankakee.  A new study, published today in Scientific Reports, shows silver carp change their behavior and metabolism when introduced to water from the Illinois River north of Kankakee, representing Chicago-area water. “When animals ...

Imagine trying to settle into a new home while constantly being attacked. That’s what the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa faces when it infects the lungs, and it can’t both spread and protect itself from antibiotics at the same time. Nonetheless, it’s one of the top culprits in hospital-acquired infections and it’s notorious for causing long-lasting, antibiotic-resistant infections, causing damage especially in people with lung diseases like cystic fibrosis, COPD, or bronchiectasis. To survive tough conditions, P. aeruginosa forms colonies ...

University of Oxford researchers have made a significant step towards realising miniature, soft batteries for use in a variety of biomedical applications, including the defibrillation and pacing of heart tissues. The work has been published today in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering. The development of tiny smart devices, smaller than a few cubic millimeters, demands equally small power sources. For minimally invasive biomedical devices that interact with biological tissues, these power sources must be fabricated from soft materials. Ideally, these should ...

FINDINGS UCLA scientists have identified the protein GPNMB as a critical regulator in the heart’s healing process after a heart attack. Using animal models, they demonstrate that bone marrow-derived immune cells called macrophages secrete GPNMB, which binds to the receptor GPR39, promoting heart repair. These findings offer a new understanding of how the heart heals itself and could lead to new treatments aimed at improving heart function and preventing the progression to heart failure. BACKGROUND Every 40 seconds, ...

News coverage of the 2024 election season has often centered on how partisan division has affected our politics. But a new analysis shows that political polarization also poses significant health risks—by obstructing the implementation of legislation and policies aimed at keeping Americans healthy, by discouraging individual action to address health needs, such as getting a flu shot, and by boosting the spread of misinformation that can reduce trust in health professionals.  “Compared to other high-income countries, the United States has a disadvantage when it comes to the health of its citizens,” ...

**EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL OCT. 25 AT 5 A.M. ET** A newly described stage of a lymph node-like structure seen in liver tumors after presurgical immunotherapy may be vital to successfully treating patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.  The study, published Oct. 25 in Nature Immunology, provides new information about lymph node-like structures called tertiary lymphoid structures. These structures, which are highly organized ...

The human body, filled with muscles and moving parts, is far from indestructible. Injuries are common, especially where tendons and bones connect. In Japan, rotator cuff tears affect approximately 1 in 4 people over age 50, and reports state that even after surgery, about 20% of cases result in re-tears. To combat this, new healing methods to bolster current clinical practices are needed. Graduate student Katsumasa Nakazawa, Associate Professor Hiromitsu Toyoda, and then Professor Hiroaki Nakamura at Osaka Metropolitan University’s ...