Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
Bloomberg: Mysterious Diabetes Type With 25 Million Cases Gets A Name
Almost two decades after David Phillips noticed a disturbing trend of young, lean people who were under-nourished as children showing up at clinics in northern Ethiopia with diabetes, the unusual form of the disease is finally getting a name. Type 5 diabetes affects about 25 million people, mostly in poorer countries, and has been neglected and under-researched, a group of experts wrote in The Lancet Global Health on Thursday, calling for the development of diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines. (Kew, 9/18)
ScienceDaily: Millions Have Diabetes Without Knowing It
A sweeping global study reveals that nearly half of people with diabetes don’t even know they have it, with young adults being the most overlooked. While most diagnosed patients receive treatment, less than half achieve proper blood sugar control, leaving only about one in five with well-managed diabetes. (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 9/15)
ScienceDaily: New Drug Could Be First To Stop Deadly Fatty Liver Disease
Scientists at UC San Diego have identified a new drug, ION224, that could transform the treatment of MASH, a dangerous form of fatty liver disease tied to obesity and diabetes. By blocking a key liver enzyme, the drug reduces fat and inflammation, halting the root causes of liver damage. In a year-long clinical trial, patients showed major improvements without serious side effects, offering hope to millions affected worldwide. (University of California - San Diego, 9/16)
MedPage Today: Potentially Groundbreaking CAR-T Product Shows Early Promise In Lupus
Five patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in China have been treated with a potentially groundbreaking form of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, researchers reported, with encouraging results after 3 months. Their approach differs from previous applications of CAR T-cell therapy in autoimmune diseases, in which patients' T cells are harvested and transformed ex vivo to destroy B cells and thereby "reset" the immune system. (Gever, 9/17)
MedPage Today: Brain Shunt Improves Walking In Normal-Pressure Hydrocephalus
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunting improved walking speed, gait, and balance in older adults with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus, the PENS trial showed. At 3 months, gait velocity increased in patients randomized to an open-shunt valve setting of a noninvasively adjustable shunt, and did not change in the placebo valve group ... according to Mark Luciano, MD, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and co-authors. (George, 9/17)
MedPage Today: Noninvasive Retinal Scans Can Flag Silent Heart Disease
Noninvasive retinal scans may flag underlying subclinical coronary atherosclerosis, according to a retrospective study in healthy Korean volunteers. (Lou, 9/17)
