Author: healthadmin

A Norwegian-Swedish clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) demonstrated that rituximab, a low-cost B-cell depletion therapy, is as effective as ocrelizumab for newly diagnosed relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, known as OVERLORD-MS, is the first randomized, double-blind, head-to-head trial comparing two treatments in early MS. Patients from all over Norway and Sweden were followed for 30 months with MRI and clinical evaluation. Researchers found comparable efficacy and safety with each treatment. This study shows that highly effective MS treatments can be delivered at dramatically lower cost without compromising patient outcomes. ” Øyvind…

Growing up in a society with large disparities between rich and poor is associated with higher rates of depressive symptoms in adulthood and beyond. This effect tends to be stronger in people with a genetic predisposition to depression, suggesting that unequal economic environments may amplify biological risk. These findings were recently published in the journal psychiatry. Income inequality refers to the degree to which money is unevenly distributed across the population. High levels of this inequality are consistently associated with negative health outcomes, including increased risk of depression. Social scientists have proposed that environmental exposure during critical developmental periods in…

A multidisciplinary team at the USC Center for Personalized Brain Health (CPBH) is targeting a family of enzymes that may increase the risk of brain inflammation in people with mutations in the APOE4 gene, the most important genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, as a way to prevent the disease. Scientists led by CPBH Director Hussein Yassin, MD, have successfully identified a promising pathway to stop brain inflammation before it causes damage by activating or inhibiting enzymes. Now, the Norman and Mary Pattis Foundation is also joining the fight, donating $3 million to the Keck School of Medicine at…

Teresa is the lead writer for Morning Round, and her articles focus on gender-affirming care, reproductive health, and mental health. You can reach Theresa at signal theresagaff.97.Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with Morning Rounds, STAT’s free newsletter. Sign up here. good morning. Nothing makes me happier than the heat wave that comes in July. Tomorrow is the newsletter’s day off, and I’ll be off all next week. Let’s talk when you get back! Presidential Physical Fitness Test officially reinstated Nearly a year after President Trump signed an executive order reinstating the Presidential Physical Fitness Test,…

Across cultures and age groups, people consistently rate female faces as more attractive than male faces. A major new data analysis confirms this long-debated pattern, revealing that gender shapes our aesthetic judgments in unexpected ways. The study was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. In many sexually reproducing species, the male is the more visually striking sex, displaying traits such as extravagant tail feathers and singing elaborate melodies. These traits evolved to attract female mates, who typically select partners. Because females invest heavily in their offspring, they set up selective pressures that encourage visual ornamentation in males. Across…

A team of physicists has overcome a major hurdle in quantum computing by significantly extending the lifetime of magnons, tiny magnetic waves that can carry quantum information. Researchers have extended its lifetime from just a few hundred nanoseconds to 18 microseconds. This is almost 100 times what was previously achieved. This progress could eventually enable the development of ultra-small quantum computers the size of a dime. An international research team led by Andriy Chumak from the University of Vienna also revealed important insights. They discovered that the lifetime of a magnon is ultimately not limited by the laws of physics,…

Recent research suggests that people with higher levels of certain socially aversive personality traits, particularly narcissism and psychopathy, tend to have lower physical and psychological responses to acute stress. These findings provide evidence that these personality traits may provide a type of biological resilience in the face of high-pressure situations. This study International Journal of Psychophysiology. Psychologists use the term dark triad to describe a group of three overlapping personality traits that involve ruthlessness and a tendency to manipulate others. These three traits are narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. Narcissism involves inflated self-esteem, grandiosity, and a strong desire for control. Psychopathy…

Scientists at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) have taken a new look at Earth’s violent beginnings and found that ancient asteroid impacts may have played a key role in making Earth habitable. Their computer models suggest that repeated impacts did more than just reshape the young Earth’s surface. They also created large hydrothermal systems, hydrothermal environments that may have provided the right conditions for life to emerge. To reach these conclusions, the researchers modeled the early history of asteroid impacts on Earth. Their simulations showed that these powerful impacts disrupted the planet’s crust, creating porous underground channels that allowed water…

One study found that while a vegan diet without supplements was associated with healthier body composition and cholesterol levels, it also had a significantly higher risk of inadequate intake of important vitamins and minerals, highlighting the importance of careful dietary planning. Study: Healthier macronutrient profile but higher risk of certain micronutrient deficiencies: A cross-sectional study of vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians, and omnivores in Northeast China. Image credit: zi3000/Shutterstock.com New research published in journal nutrients Significant micronutrient deficiencies have been reported among unsupplemented vegans and vegetarians in Northeast China. Researchers compare plant-based diets in northeastern China Plant-based foods are becoming extremely popular…

The recent cancellation of a large air products, chemicals and clean energy complex in Louisiana is likely due to political hostility and public distrust, according to industry analysts looking at potential ramifications for the petrochemical industry. Air Products announced Tuesday that it has canceled a planned hydrogen production facility in Ascension Parish and an associated carbon capture project to transport and store carbon dioxide from a site beneath Lake Maurepas. Overall, the company had plans to invest $8 billion in Louisiana. Baton Rouge-based economist David Dismukes said the project has faced increasing political headwinds since it was announced in 2021,…