Credits: Canva
An experimental treatment happens to be the solution to delay Alzheimer's symptoms in some people. These people are the ones who are genetically destined to get the disease in their 40s or 50s. These new findings form ongoing research has now been caught up in Trump administration funding delas. The early results of the study has been published on Wednesday and the participants too are worried that politics could cut their access to a possible lifeline.
One of the participants had said, "It is still a study but it has given me an extension to my life that I never banked on having." The participant is named Jake Henrichs, form New York City, who is 50 years old. He is one of them to be treated in that study for more than a decade now and has remained symptom-free despite inheriting an Alzheimer's-causing gene that had killed his father and brother around the same age.
Two drugs which can modestly slow down early-stage Alzheimer's are sold in the United States. These drugs clear the brain of one of its hallmarks, a sticky gunk-like part called the amyloid. However, there have not been any hints that removing amyloid far earlier, way many years before the first symptoms appear, may postpone the disease.
The research is led by Washington University in St Louis, which involved families that passed down rare gene mutation as participants. This meant it was almost guaranteed that they will develop symptoms at the same age their affected relatives did.
The new findings is based on a subset of 22 participants who received amyloid-removing drugs the longest, on average eight years. Long-term amyloid removal cut in half their risk of symptom onset. The study is published in the journal Lancet Neurology.
Washington University's Dr Randall Bateman, who directs the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Network of studies involving families with these rare genes says, "What we want to determine over the next five years is how strong is the protection. Will they ever get the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease if we keep treating them?”
The researchers before though did not know what exactly caused Alzheimer's which affects nearly 7 million Americans, most of them in their later life. However, it is clear that these silent changes occur in the brain at least two decades before the first symptom shows up. The big contributor. At some point amyloid buildup can trigger a protein named tau that then starts to kill neurons, which can lead to cognitive decline.
Researchers are now thus studying the Tau-fighting drugs and are looking into other factors, like inflammation, brain's immune cells and certain virus.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) has expanded its focus as researchers have found more reasons for Alzheimer's. In 2013, the NIH's National Institute on Aging funded 14 trials of possible Alzheimer's drugs over a third targeting amyloid. By last fall, there were 68 drugs and 18% of them target amyloid. However, there are scientists too who think that amyloid is not everything and their is way more in the brain tissue, immune cells, and more which can be studied.
Credits: PBS
President Donald Trump, 79, appeared noticeably sweaty during an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, sparking concern and speculation about his health. The interview, filmed at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on Friday, drew attention online, including from pro-Democratic influencer Harry Sisson, 23, whom Trump had previously targeted on his Truth Social account with an AI video depicting him being drenched during a “No Kings” protest.
Sisson reacted strongly to the president’s Sunday interview appearance: “He looks absolutely awful. He’s incoherent, rambling, and looks like he’s dripping in sweat. This man is not well!” His comments prompted many others on social media to weigh in.
Harry Sisson, one of Trump’s most vocal critics, noted on X that the president “looks absolutely awful.” Sisson added, “He’s incoherent, rambling, and looks like he’s dripping in sweat. This man is not well!”
Other online users quickly speculated that something may be off with the president, who has faced persistent rumors about dementia in recent months. One wrote: “DJT actually looks like he has been sedated. The eyes are blank. He’s on so much medication to keep him going in addition to having dementia.”
Another user suggested that Trump may have suffered a stroke and is “easily losing it,” urging the public to “pray for him.”
When Trump returned to public appearances after his break in August, he was photographed with a bruised hand coated in makeup. The White House explained the mark as the result of “constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.”
During an event on September 11 commemorating the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, some observers raised concerns about Trump’s drooping facial expression, leading to online speculation about a potential stroke. Last month, Trump addressed his health publicly, mentioning he had received an MRI scan, which he described as “perfect.”
“I had an MRI, and it came back perfect,” he stated, as per CNN, giving no additional details. This comment came amid repeated questions to the White House about images showing the 79-year-old president’s swollen ankles and a bruised hand covered in makeup. It was also disclosed that he has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.
Former White House physician Jeffrey Kuhlman questioned the timing and results of Trump’s medical visit to Walter Reed Military Medical Center. The president was also pictured gripping the handrail tightly while descending Air Force One during a trip to Japan, fueling further concerns about his health during the five-day Asia trip.
Previously, Trump joked about needing caution on stairs during a speech at the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary, admitting he might “fall walking up or down a flight of stairs one day” but claiming he remains a better “physical specimen” than his predecessor, Joe Biden.
The United States has a long history of presidents concealing health issues. President Woodrow Wilson experienced multiple strokes during his time in office, while Franklin D. Roosevelt fell ill during his third term, with his personal physician continuing to describe his condition as “satisfactory.”
Credits: Biospace
The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s drug division abruptly stepped down on Sunday after federal authorities began investigating “serious concerns” about his personal conduct, according to an agency spokesperson. Dr. George Tidmarsh, who took over the position in July, was placed on administrative leave Friday after officials in the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of General Counsel were alerted to the matter, said HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard in an email statement. Tidmarsh submitted his resignation two days later.
“Secretary Kennedy expects the highest level of integrity from all officials under his leadership and remains fully committed to transparency,” Hilliard said.
Tidmarsh’s resignation coincided with a lawsuit filed by a pharmaceutical company tied to one of his former business associates. The company, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, accused him of making “false and defamatory statements” while serving in his FDA role. The lawsuit claims Tidmarsh used his federal position to pursue a “personal vendetta” against Aurinia’s board chairman, Kevin Tang. Tang had previously sat on the boards of several biotech firms where Tidmarsh held executive roles, including La Jolla Pharmaceutical, and was allegedly involved in removing him from those posts.
In September, Tidmarsh questioned the safety and effectiveness of Aurinia’s lupus medication, Lupkynis, in a LinkedIn post that he later deleted. Aurinia maintains the drug is both safe and effective, citing results from two large clinical trials and its full FDA approval in 2021.
His exit comes amid a period of significant turnover within U.S. health agencies under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Earlier this year, longtime vaccine official Peter Marks was dismissed, followed by gene therapy director Nicole Verdun.
In another leadership shake-up, Dr. Vinay Prasad, head of the FDA’s vaccines and biologics division, resigned in July after facing criticism from conservative groups close to former President Donald Trump but rejoined the agency two weeks later at Kennedy’s request.
The FDA’s drug division, previously overseen by Tidmarsh, has been struggling with heavy staff losses, more than 1,000 employees have reportedly left in the past year due to layoffs or resignations. The center is the agency’s largest branch, responsible for reviewing, approving, and monitoring the safety of both prescription and over-the-counter medicines.
In September, Tidmarsh sparked widespread attention after posting publicly on LinkedIn that Aurinia’s kidney drug “had not been shown to provide a direct clinical benefit for patients.” It is highly unusual for an FDA official to single out a specific company or product on social media.
Aurinia claims that Tidmarsh’s comments caused its stock to drop by 20%, erasing more than $350 million in shareholder value. Tidmarsh later deleted the post and stated that he had shared it in a personal capacity rather than as an FDA representative.
The company’s lawsuit also alleges that Tidmarsh targeted another drug, a thyroid medication produced by American Laboratories, where Tang also serves as board chair.
Filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland, the lawsuit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a chance to “set the record straight,” according to Aurinia Pharmaceuticals.
Credits: Canva
Bacon and ham sold in the UK should carry warning labels similar to those found on cigarette packets, urging consumers to be aware that the chemicals they contain may cause bowel cancer, scientists have said. Researchers have criticised successive British governments for doing “almost nothing” to cut risks from nitrites in the ten years since these compounds were confirmed as carcinogenic.
It has been nearly a decade since the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) identified processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen, a classification given when there is strong evidence that a substance can cause cancer. This places products like bacon and ham in the same category as tobacco and asbestos.
Despite this, the UK government continues to face pressure to regulate or ban nitrite preservatives used in many processed meats. These additives help meat retain its pink colour, enhance taste, and prevent spoilage, but they are now believed to contribute to tens of thousands of cancer cases in the UK every year. Once consumed, nitrites can convert into compounds known as nitrosamines, which are powerful carcinogens capable of damaging DNA, the genetic code that directs cell growth and division.
Nitrosamines are chemical compounds that can form when certain amines react with nitrites or other nitrosating agents. They are considered probable human carcinogens because of their ability to harm DNA. Nitrosamines can occur in cured and grilled meats, drinking water, and even some medications, prompting recalls and regulatory action in the past.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a carcinogen is any substance or agent that can cause cancer by altering or damaging a cell’s DNA. Carcinogens can be natural or man-made and include physical factors such as ultraviolet radiation, chemical agents like asbestos or tobacco smoke, and biological elements such as certain viruses. While exposure increases the likelihood of developing cancer, it does not mean cancer will always occur.
Is Meat Consumption Leading to Cancer Cases in the UK?
Inside the body, nitrosamines can attach to DNA in the liver, forming DNA adducts, small chemical bonds that distort genetic structure. This damage can lead to mutations that, over time, allow abnormal cell growth and tumour formation, especially in the colon.
These compounds can also trigger internal stress by generating reactive oxygen species, unstable molecules that cause further DNA harm. This combination of oxidative stress and genetic instability is a known pathway in cancer development and progression.
Experts estimate that nitrites in processed meats have been linked to about 54,000 cases of colorectal cancer in the UK over the past decade. Since the IARC’s 2015 classification, the scientific evidence reinforcing this connection has grown even stronger. New studies continue to show a clear relationship between eating processed meat and increased bowel cancer risk. Other research has found that women who eat processed meats weekly face a higher likelihood of breast cancer compared with those who don’t.
The greatest danger comes from meats treated with nitrites. In response, the European Union has tightened its food safety standards, lowering allowable nitrite levels and promoting safer alternatives.
Food manufacturers who oppose stricter rules claim that removing nitrites could increase bacterial contamination risks. However, many scientists and food safety experts disagree, saying that with current refrigeration and hygiene standards, it is entirely possible to produce safe cured meats without nitrites.
Health advocates argue that the UK government should take stronger steps by phasing out harmful preservatives and improving product labelling to help consumers make informed decisions. They note that post-Brexit Britain now trails the EU in food safety regulations, where stricter nitrite limits are already in place.
From a public health standpoint, dietary carcinogens such as nitrites are seen as a preventable cause of cancer. Cutting exposure could help reduce the country’s overall cancer burden and ease pressure on healthcare services.
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