Month: October 2025

Categories : AgeingTags :

New Research Reveals Longevity Gains Slowing, Life Expectancy of 100 Unlikely

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Photo by Tim Kilby on Unsplash

A new study co-authored by a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor finds that life expectancy gains made by high-income countries in the first half of the 20th century have slowed significantly, and that none of the generations born after 1939 will reach 100 years of age on average.

Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study by Héctor Pifarré i Arolas of the La Follette School of Public Affairs, José Andrade of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, and Carlo Giovanni Camarda of the Institut national d’études démographiques analysed life expectancy for 23 high-income and low-mortality countries using data from the Human Mortality Database and six different mortality forecasting methods.

“The unprecedented increase in life expectancy we achieved in the first half of the 20th century appears to be a phenomenon we are unlikely to achieve again in the foreseeable future,” according to Pifarré i Arolas. “In the absence of any major breakthroughs that significantly extend human life, life expectancy would still not match the rapid increases seen in the early 20th century even if adult survival improved twice as fast as we predict.”

From 1900 to 1938, life expectancy rose by about five and a half months with each new generation. The life expectancy for an individual born in a high-income country in 1900 was an average of 62 years. For someone born just 38 years later in similar conditions, life expectancy had jumped to 80 years on average.

For those born between 1939 and 2000, the increase slowed to roughly two and a half to three and a half months per generation, depending on the forecasting method. Mortality forecasting methods are statistical techniques that make informed predictions about future lifespans based on past and current mortality information. These models enabled the research team to estimate how life expectancy will develop under a variety of plausible future scenarios.

“We forecast that those born in 1980 will not live to be 100 on average, and none of the cohorts in our study will reach this milestone. This decline is largely due to the fact that past surges in longevity were driven by remarkable improvements in survival at very young ages,” according to corresponding author Andrade.

At the beginning of the 20th century, infant mortality fell rapidly due to medical advances and other improvements in quality of life for high-income countries. This contributed significantly to the rapid increase in life expectancy. However, infant and child mortality are now so low that the forecasted improvements in mortality in older age groups will not be enough to sustain the previous pace of longevity gains.

While mortality forecasts can never be certain as the future may unfold in unexpected ways – by way of pandemics, new medical treatments or other unforeseen societal changes – this study provides critical insight for governments looking to anticipate the needs of their healthcare systems, pension planning and social policies.

Although a population-level analysis, this research also has implications for individuals, as life expectancy influences personal decisions about saving, retirement and long-term planning. If life expectancy increases more slowly as this study shows is likely, both governments and individuals may need to recalibrate their expectations for the future.

Source: La Follette School of Public Affairs

Categories : Respiratory DiseasesTags :

Study Reveals How a Stubborn Lung Infection Evolves Inside Patients over Years

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Researchers wanted to know what allows the infection to hang on or come back, and whether it develops new tricks or resistances while living inside the lungs.

Photo by Anna Shvets

Researchers at Trinity Translational Medicine Institute (TTMI) and the Irish Mycobacterial Reference Laboratory at St James’s Hospital have uncovered how the bacterium Mycobacterium avium – a leading cause of difficult-to-treat chronic lung infections – changes and adapts inside patients over many years of illness. Their findings, published in Genome Medicine, could help doctors understand why M. avium infections come back and why antibiotics sometimes fail.

The team undertook this research to understand how M. avium manages to survive for years in people’s lungs, even during long courses of antibiotics. This bacterium causes a type of chronic lung infection that’s becoming more common around the world. By looking closely at its genetic code, the team hoped to see how it changes inside the body and why it can be so difficult to clear.

Treating M. avium lung disease is difficult – patients often need 12 months or more of several antibiotics, and treatment still fails in up to half of cases. Many patients get sick again even after therapy.

The team used whole-genome sequencing to analyse nearly 300 bacterial samples from patients in Ireland, the UK and Germany, including 20 Irish patients treated at St James’s Hospital. By reading the DNA of these bacteria over time, the scientists tracked how M. avium evolves, swaps strains and develops resistance while living in the human lung.

They found that infection is often not caused by one single long-term strain, but by repeated reinfection with new ones, sometimes closely related to strains seen in other European countries—hinting at shared environmental sources. The bacterium acquires roughly one new genetic change per year, and most importantly, the team found that thirteen specific genes showed signs of adaptation to antibiotics, immune attack and low-oxygen stress.

Lead author Dr Aaron Walsh, researcher in the Trinity Translational Medicine Institute said:

 “Our study shows that M. avium can evolve in real time inside the lung. Understanding which genes help it survive may point us towards new treatment targets for this increasingly common and stubborn infection.”

This is the first study to use whole-genome sequencing to follow M. avium infections inside patients over many years, revealing how the germ evolves within the lungs.

Key findings from study

  1. Reinfection is common: Many patients picked up new strains over time, suggesting they were reinfected from the environment rather than suffering relapse of the same infection.
  2. International connections: Some Irish strains were genetically almost the same as ones from UK and Germany.
  3. Thirteen key genes changed under pressure: These genes help the bacterium cope with antibiotics, low oxygen, or attack by the immune system.
  4. Resistance can appear during treatment: We saw changes in a gene linked to rifampicin resistance in two patients receiving that drug.

Uniquely, in this study researchers found that thirteen genes under “positive selection” was new for M. avium.

Dr Emma Roycroft, Specialist Medical Scientist in the Irish Mycobacterial Reference Laboratory. “Some of those genes weren’t previously linked to survival of M. avium inside the body. For example, one involved in handling oxidative stress and another in forming biofilms. This has highlighted important pathways that could be targeted with new treatments. It was also striking that Irish, British and German samples were so closely related, even though the patients had never met.”

The team’s next steps are:

  • Test in the lab how those thirteen genes help the bacterium survive.
  • Use long-read sequencing to see genetic changes that short-read methods miss.
  • Study environmental samples to find where reinfections come from.
  • Expand their research to other patient groups to see if the same patterns occur.

Source: Trinity College Dublin

Categories : Mental HealthTags :

Ketamine no Benefit for Patients Hospitalised with Depression

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Researchers from Trinity College, St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, Queen’s University Belfast, Ireland, investigate use of twice-weekly ketamine infusions as an add-on treatment for inpatients with serious depression

Photo by Sydney Sims on Unsplash

Findings from a randomised and blinded clinical trial investigating repeated ketamine infusions for treating depression have revealed no extra benefit for ketamine when added onto standard care for people admitted to hospital for depression. The paper is published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

The KARMA-Dep (2) Trial involved researchers from St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, Trinity College Dublin, and Queens University Belfast, Ireland. It was sponsored by Trinity College Dublin  and led by Declan McLoughlin, Research Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin and Consultant Psychiatrist at St Patrick’s Mental Health Services.

Depression has been recognised by the World Health Organization as a leading cause of disability globally.  According to the Health Research Board’s most recent report, there were 15 631 adult admissions to psychiatric services in Ireland in 2023. Similar to previous years, depressive disorders accounted for the highest proportion (about 24%) of all admissions.

Studies show that about 30% of people with depression do not respond sufficiently well to conventional antidepressants, which mostly target monoamine neurotransmitters, for example serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline.  There is thus a need for new treatments.  One such novel treatment is the dissociative anaesthetic ketamine when given intravenously in low sub-anaesthetic doses. Ketamine works differently to other antidepressants and is believed to mediate its effects in the brain through the chemical messenger glutamate.

Single infusions of ketamine have been reported to produce rapid antidepressant effects, but these disappear within days. Nonetheless, ketamine is increasingly being adopted as an off-label treatment for depression even though the evidence to support this practice is limited. One possibility is that repeated ketamine infusions may have more sustained benefit. However, this has so far been evaluated in only a small number of trials that have used an adequate control condition to mask the obvious dissociative effects of ketamine, e.g. altered consciousness and perceptions of oneself and one’s environment. 

KARMA-Dep 2 is an investigator-led trial, sponsored by Trinity College Dublin and  funded by the Health Research Board. The randomised trial was developed to assess antidepressant efficacy, safety, cost-effectiveness, and quality of life during and after serial ketamine infusions when compared to a psychoactive comparison drug midazolam. Trial participants were randomised to receive up to eight infusions of either ketamine or midazolam, given over four weeks, in addition to all other aspects of usual inpatient care. 

 The trial findings revealed that:

  • There was no significant difference between the ketamine and midazolam groups at the end of the treatment course on the trial’s primary outcome, which was an objective measurement of depression. This was assessed with the commonly used Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).
  • There was no significant difference between the two groups at the end of the treatment course on a subjective, patient-rated, scale for depression.  This was assessed with the commonly used Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms, Self-Report scale (QIDS-SR-16). 
  • No significant differences were found between the ketamine and midazolam groups on secondary outcomes for cognitive, economic or quality-of-life outcomes. 
  • Despite best efforts to keep the trial patients and researchers blinded about the randomised treatment, the vast majority of patients and raters correctly guessed the treatment allocation. This could lead to enhanced placebo effects.

Speaking about the impact of the findings, Declan McLoughlin, Research Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin and Consultant Psychiatrist at St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, said:

“Our initial hypothesis was that repeated ketamine infusions for people hospitalised with depression would improve mood outcomes. However, we found this not to be the case. Under rigorous clinical trial conditions, adjunctive ketamine provided no additional benefit to routine inpatient care during the initial treatment phase or the six-month follow-up period. Previous estimates of ketamine’s antidepressant efficacy may have been overstated, highlighting the need for recalibrated expectations in clinical practice.” 

Lead author of the study, Dr Ana Jelovac, Trinity College Dublin, said:

“Our trial highlights the importance of reporting the success, or lack thereof, of blinding in clinical trials. Especially in clinical trials of therapies where maintaining the blind is difficult, e.g. ketamine, psychedelics, brain stimulation therapies. Such problems can lead to enhanced placebo effects and skewed trial results that can over-inflate real treatment effects.”.

Source: Trinity College Dublin

Categories : Obstetrics & Gynaecology Substance UseTags :

Study Explores How Prenatal Cannabis Exposure May Affect Foetal Brain Development

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Source: Pixabay CC0

Researchers at UTHealth Houston are examining the biological effects of prenatal cannabis exposure and its potential impact on foetal brain development. Supported by a $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the study aims to improve screening tools, public health guidance, and prenatal care strategies for pregnant people who use cannabis.

Led by Laura Goetzl, MD, MPH, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, the five-year grant will fund the study, “Foetal neuronal extracellular vesicle biomarkers of in-utero effects of maternal cannabinoid use and human foetal brain development and neurobehavioral outcomes.”

“In recent years, cannabis use among pregnant women has increased, either recreationally or to help relieve nausea and vomiting during pregnancy,” Goetzl said. “Despite this rise, the effects on a baby’s brain are not well understood. Our hope through this research is that we can better identify risk factors and help health care providers give expecting mothers the best possible guidance.

The study will explore early biological signs, or biomarkers, to show how cannabis exposure influences a baby’s developing brain.

“During pregnancy, small bubbles called neuronal extracellular vesicles travel from the foetus into the mother’s bloodstream,” Goetzl said. “Through studying these small particles, we hope to gain valuable insight into foetal brain development without invasive testing.”

In collaboration with the University of Colorado, the research study will focus on how prenatal cannabis exposure may influence brain growth and neurobehavioral outcomes in children, including their potential for developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism later in life.

The project is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under award number R01DA060319.

Source: UTHealth Houston

Categories : Lab Tests and Imaging Skeletal SystemTags :

When a Limp Isn’t Just a Sprain in Adolescents

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A timely X-ray can save young hips

Frog leg lateral view of the hips. Widening of the growth plate (physis) with blurring and irregularity of the femoral neck (metaphysis). Inferior offset of the head in relation to the neck (early slip).

Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE) is the most common adolescent hip disorder. It occurs when the ball at the top of the thigh bone (femoral head) slips off the neck of the bone through the growth plate (physis). A bit like an ice cream sliding off a cone… Dr Ryno du Plessis, a renowned orthopaedic and joint replacement surgeon in the Western Cape, talks about what it is and why it is often misdiagnosed.

SCFE usually happens during growth spurts in children aged 9 to 16 years and is more common in boys and in children with obesity, endocrine disorders, or other risk factors.

Why is this problem often missed?

AP view of the hips. ‘Melting ice cream sign’: Femoral head (epiphysis) slipping off the femoral neck (metaphysis) though the growth plate (physis) like an ice cream melting from the cone.

Despite its frequency, SCFE is routinely misdiagnosed or diagnosed late – unfortunately, sometimes months after symptoms start. Studies show that over 50% of SCFE cases are not diagnosed at the first medical visit.

Here’s why:

  • Pain felt in the knee or thigh: Physicians often focus on the wrong joint and the hip is never X-rayed
  • Labeled as a groin strain: Adolescents in sports may be diagnosed with muscle strains or ‘growing pains’
  • Symptoms develop gradually: Children may limp without severe pain, leading to delayed concern
  • Physiotherapy prescribed early: Instead of imaging – patients are referred to physio – delaying diagnosis
  • Lack of hip-specific X-rays: It requires a frog-leg lateral X-ray.

Why does delay matter?

The longer the slip is left untreated, the more serious the outcome. Every week or month of delay increases the severity of the deformity, often silently.

Late diagnosis risks:

  • More severe deformity
  • Loss of bloody supply to the femoral head. This is known as avascular necrosis and can lead to pain, limited movement and eventually, hip collapse and osteoarthritis
  • Early-onset hip arthritis
  • Complex surgery

Children diagnosed early often need just one screw to stabilise the hip. Those who are diagnosed late may face major reconstructive surgery, longer recovery, and reduced hip function for life.

Red flags for parents, teachers and coaches

If you notice any of the following signs in a child or teen – especially those who are overweight – take it seriously and ask for a hip X-ray:

  • Limping for more than a week
  • Complaints of pain in the knee, thigh, groin, or buttock
  • Walking with the foot turned outwards
  • Stiffness or loss of motion in the hip
  • Sudden inability to walk or stand after a minor stumble (may indicate an unstable SCFE)

Radiology – diagnostic challenges

Dr Jaco Greyling, a radiologist from SCP Radiology, says SCFE diagnoses can be delayed due to several factors, including

  • Hip X-rays not ordered by the initial healthcare provider (eg, GP or physiotherapist)
  • Only a single anterior-posterior pelvis projection is performed, whereas a frog-leg lateral view must also be specifically requested by the referring physician. Radiologists should ensure the child returns for this view if it was not initially ordered
  • Findings in the pre-slip phase are subtle and may be missed, even by experienced radiologists

He says, ’the recommended imaging is an anterior-posterior pelvic view which shows malalignment and widening of the growth plate and a frog-leg lateral view, the most sensitive for detecting early or subtle slips.’

‘Key radiological signs,’ says Dr Greyling are:

  • Widening of the growth plate
  • Loss of height of the femoral head
  • Loss of alignment of the anatomical lines that intersect with the femoral head
  • ‘Melting ice cream sign’ slipping off the femoral neck at the growth plate (epiphysis).

Follow-up recommendations:

Dr Greyling suggests repeat imaging within two weeks if symptoms persist, and an early referral to a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon and an MRI for patients with risk factors and ongoing pain.

Who’s at risk?

  • Children aged 9-16 years
  • Boys are at greater risk than girls
  • BMI in the overweight/obese range
  • Family history of hip disorders
  • Endocrine disorders: Hypothyroidism, growth hormone treatment, kidney disease

Treatment

Early SCFE is usually treated with in-situ fixation using one or two screws. The goal is to stabilise the rounded end of a long bone to prevent further slippage.

In cases where both hips are at risk (especially in young or overweight patients), pinning of the opposite hip as well is sometimes recommended to prevent it from occurring.

Severe or late cases have a high risk of AVN, which is the death of bone tissue caused by a disruption in its blood supply, leading to pain, stiffness, and potential bone collapse or joint destruction over time and permanent disability.

The take-home message

SCFE is treatable and preventable if recognised early.

If a child has an unexplained limp, especially with thigh or knee pain, don’t assume it’s just a strain. Ask the doctor directly: “Could this be SCFE? Should we get hip X-rays done?”

One simple question. One X-ray. It could save a child’s hip.


Categories : Lab Tests and Imaging NeurologyTags :

New Brain Imaging Technique Can Detect Early Frontotemporal Dementia

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Photo by Anna Shvets

A new international study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet demonstrates that it is possible to detect subtle changes in the brain and identify early signs of hereditary frontotemporal dementia using advanced brain imaging techniques. The study has recently been published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, is a neurodegenerative disease that often affects people in middle age and is a common cause of dementia before the age of 65. The disease is particularly difficult to diagnose in its early stages, as the earliest symptoms are behavioural changes and may resemble primary psychiatric disease and symptoms later on can resemble conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. In about a third of cases, frontotemporal dementia is hereditary, making families with known mutations an important resource for research.

New type of MRI technique

In the current study, researchers from Karolinska Institutet, together with an international research network, examined the brain’s microstructure in over 700 individuals – both carriers of FTD mutations and control subjects. The researchers used a new type of MRI technique that measures how water molecules spread within the grey matter of the brain, where greater diffusion indicates microstructural damage to brain tissue. In this way, the technique can reveal early damage in the cerebral cortex before the brain begins to shrink, known as brain atrophy, or cognitive problems arise.

The results revealed that the new method is more sensitive than the established imaging technique that measures the thickness of the cerebral cortex. Among individuals with a mutation in the C9orf72 gene, the researchers could detect changes in the brain even before any clinical symptoms appeared. For mutations in the MAPT gene, changes were observed at mild symptom stages, whereas for carriers of GRN mutations, alterations emerged only at more advanced stages.

Identifying individuals at risk

“Our findings show that changes in the brain’s microstructure can be detected before visible brain atrophy, and these changes are closely linked to how the disease develops,” explains corresponding author Elena Rodriguez-Vieitez, researcher at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet.

“This could be valuable for identifying individuals at risk and for evaluating new therapies in clinical trials.”

The researchers also followed the participants over time and showed that a greater spread of water molecules in brain tissue at the start of the study was linked to a faster decline in behaviour and cognitive ability. This was true for all three mutation types.

“Our results suggest that measurements of the brain’s microstructure could become an important tool for identifying individuals at risk of frontotemporal dementia and for monitoring disease progression in clinical trials,” says Caroline Graff, professor at the same department and last author of the study.

Source: Karolinska Institutet

Categories : Paediatrics Respiratory DiseasesTags :

Combination Inhaler Cuts Asthma Attacks in Children by Nearly Half

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Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels

Findings from a trial comparing the real-world effectiveness of asthma inhalers could reshape how children with asthma are treated.

In the first randomised controlled trial to investigate the use of a 2-in-1 inhaler as the sole reliever therapy for children aged 5 to 15, an international team found the combined treatment to be more effective than salbutamol, the current standard for asthma symptom relief in children, with no additional safety concerns.

The results show that using a single 2-in-1 anti-inflammatory reliever inhaler – which combines the inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) budesonide and the fast-acting bronchodilator formoterol – reduced children’s asthma attacks by an average of 45%, compared to the widely-used salbutamol inhaler.

Asthma attacks in children may be life-threatening and reducing their frequency and severity is a public health priority.

The 2-in-1 budesonide-formoterol inhaler is widely recommended as the preferred reliever treatment for adults, but children are still usually prescribed salbutamol.

Researchers say the findings, published in The Lancet, provide the evidence needed to bring children’s global asthma guidelines into line with adults’, which could benefit millions of children around the world with mild-to-moderate asthma.

The CARE study (Children’s Anti-inflammatory REliever) was designed and led by the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ), in collaboration with Imperial College London, University of Otago Wellington, Starship Children’s Hospital, and the University of Auckland. It recruited 360 children across New Zealand who were then randomly assigned to receive either budesonide-formoterol or salbutamol for on-demand symptom relief.

The trial lasted a year and the budesonide-formoterol reliever resulted in a lower rate of asthma attacks than salbutamol reliever, with rates of 0.23 versus 0.41 per participant per year. This means that for every 100 children with mild asthma who are switched from salbutamol to a 2-in-1 budesonide-formoterol inhaler, there would be 18 fewer asthma attacks per year. Importantly, the study also confirmed the safety of the combined-inhaler approach, with no significant differences in children’s growth, lung function, or asthma control between the two groups.

Dr Lee Hatter, lead author of the study and Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the MRINZ, said: “This is a key step in addressing the evidence gap that exists between asthma management in adults and children. For the first time, we have demonstrated that the budesonide-formoterol 2-in-1 inhaler, used as needed for symptom relief, can significantly reduce asthma attacks in children with mild asthma. This evidence-based treatment could lead to improved asthma outcomes for children worldwide.”

Professor Richard Beasley, Director of MRINZ and senior author of the study, said: “Implementing these findings could be transformative for asthma management on a global scale. The evidence that budesonide-formoterol is more effective than salbutamol in preventing asthma attacks in children with mild asthma has the potential to redefine the global standard of asthma management.”

The burden of asthma in the estimated 113 million children and adolescents with asthma worldwide is substantial. The latest study builds on previous studies in adults led by MRINZ researchers which shaped international asthma treatment guidelines. These findings contributed to the recommended use of the 2-in-1 ICS–formoterol reliever inhaler as the preferred reliever treatment for adults with asthma around the world.

The incorporation of findings from the CARE study into global asthma treatment strategies could help reduce disparities in care and ensure that more children access effective, evidence-based treatments.

The researchers say that global health organisations have long advocated for child-targeted asthma interventions, and their findings provide crucial evidence to support those efforts.

However, the authors acknowledge some limitations of the clinical trial. It was undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which stringent public health measures and fewer circulating respiratory viruses contributed to the lower than predicted rate of severe asthma attacks. The authors also acknowledge the challenges with the identification of asthma attacks in children, and the potential bias with the lack of blinding of the randomised treatments. They say though that the study’s findings are generalisable to clinical practice due to its pragmatic, real-world design.

Professor Andrew Bush, from Imperial College London, senior respiratory paediatrician and co-author of the CARE study, said: “Having an asthma attack can be very scary for children and their parents. I’m so pleased that we’ve been able to prove that an inhaler that significantly reduces attacks – already a game-changer for adults – is safe for children with mild asthma too. We believe this will transform asthma care worldwide and are excited to be building on this work with the CARE UK study.”

Professor Helen Reddel, Chair of the Science Committee of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), commented on the global significance of the study, saying that it fills a critically important gap for asthma management globally. Professor Reddel said: “Asthma attacks have a profound impact on children’s physical, social and emotional development and their prevention is a high priority for asthma care. It is in childhood, too, that lifelong habits are established, particularly reliance on traditional medications like salbutamol that only relieve symptoms and don’t prevent asthma attacks.”

Professor Bob Hancox, Medical Director of the New Zealand Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, said: “This is a very important study for children with mild asthma. We have known for some time that 2-in-1 budesonide/formoterol inhalers are better than the traditional reliever treatment in adults, but this had not been tested in children. This research shows that this 2-in-1 inhaler is effective and safe for children as young as 5. This information will help to reduce the burden of asthma for many children, and both they and their families will breathe easier because of it.”

Source: Imperial College London

Categories : Diet and Nutrition Ethics and LawTags :

Retracted: Widely-reported Trial on Apple Cider Vinegar and Weight Loss

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Journalists and others should no longer reference or use the study findings in future reporting

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

BMJ Group has retracted research suggesting that small daily quantities of apple cider vinegar might help people who are overweight or obese to lose weight.

The small clinical trial was published in the open access journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health in March 2024 and its findings press released. The study findings generated widespread international attention at the time, and continue to be frequently referred to in media coverage.

The retraction was prompted by concerns raised about the quality of the work, including the approach to statistical analysis of the data; implausible statistical values; the reliability of the raw data; inadequate reporting of methods; and lack of prospective trial registration, which breaches BMJ Group’s editorial policy.

Initially, concerns were raised in critiques of the study, some of which were published as letters in the journal. But after review by BMJ Group’s content integrity team, the study was referred to statistical experts to evaluate its reliability.  This included attempts to replicate the results and examine the authenticity of the underlying data supplied by the authors.

It wasn’t possible for the statisticians to replicate the results and multiple analytical errors were identified. There were also irregularities in the data set, and their report, which is appended to the retraction notice, concluded that the data collected from each participant would require further independent scrutiny.

The authors said that the identified errors were honest mistakes, but they agree with the decision to retract the study.

Dr Helen Macdonald, Publication Ethics and Content Integrity Editor at BMJ Group, said: “Tempting though it is to alert readers to an ostensibly simple and apparently helpful weight loss aid, at present the results of the study are unreliable, and journalists and others should no longer reference or use the results of this study in any future reporting.”

She added: “This retraction reflects our strategic and proactive approach to investigating concerns raised about the content we publish. We act where necessary in the interests of openness and the importance of correcting the scientific record.

“While we deal with allegations as swiftly as possible, it’s very important that due process is followed. Investigations are often complex. This one involved detailed scrutiny of data and correspondence with researchers, institutions, and other experts, for example. Reaching a sound and fair and final decision can therefore take several months.”

Commenting on the decision to publish the study despite the lack of trial registration, Professor Martin Kohlmeier, editor in chief of BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health, explained: “In hindsight, this was the wrong decision to make. But the authors come from a scientific environment that is underrepresented in nutritional research and the journal aims to prioritise high quality evidence, which usually comes from clinical trials.

“These are relatively unusual in nutritional research as they can be challenging to undertake because of the numbers of participants and time needed to obtain meaningful results.”

Source: The BMJ Group

Categories : Exercise GenderTags :

Gender Equality Universally Linked to Physical Capacity

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

Fitness amongst young adults varies widely from one country to another, and is strongly associated with both socioeconomic development and gender equality, a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science reports. The results indicate that levels of development and gender equality in a society can affect differences in physical capacity and therefore public health in general.

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is an important factor of health and life-expectancy. For this present study, researchers systematically reviewed data from 95 studies in 24 countries involving a total of over 119 000 adult participants.  

CRF is measured by what is known as the VO2peak, which is the highest oxygen uptake a body achieves during physical exertion.  

The group, which included researchers from KI and Shanghai University of Sport, studied correlations between CRF, the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Gender Inequality Index (GII).  

HDI is a measure of societal parameters like education, income and life-expectancy, while GII reflects differences between women and men in terms of health, education and labour. 

Clear correlation in women 

The results show that people in countries with a higher HDI were, on average, fitter, a correlation that was particularly salient amongst women, where young women in countries with a medium HDI had a higher VO2peak than women in countries with a low HDI (31.2 versus 28.5mL/kg/min). However, a further HDI increase from medium to high gave only small improvements. 

“Our results suggest that societal structures impact greatly on people’s access to exercise and thus their fitness levels,” says the study’s lead author Nicolas Pillon, researcher at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, KI. 

The study also shows that higher gender equality (a lower GII) correlates with a higher level of fitness in both women and men. Again, the difference was the most notable amongst young women, who in countries with high gender equality had on average a 6.5mL/kg/min higher VO2peak than their peers in countries with low gender equality. 

“Our results underpin the importance of societal interventions and guidelines that reduce social and gender-related hindrances to physical exercise but point out that more research is needed from countries with a lower HDI, and on the obstacles facing different ethnic and socioeconomic communities,” says Barbara Ainsworth, researcher at Shanghai University of Sport and head of the study. 

Source: Karolinska Institutet

Categories : DermatologyTags :

When Hair Breaks Records: What Extraordinary Growth Reveals about Hair

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Science-backed insights and fascinating feats from the world of hair growth

Photo by Natasha Brazil on Unsplash

From a 2.26-metre Afro to hair strong enough to suspend a person mid-air, some of the world’s most jaw-dropping records remind us just how extraordinary human hair can be. While these feats may seem unbelievable, they highlight the biology behind hair’s strength, resilience, and growth potential.

“Exceptional hair growth is the result of discipline, not coincidence,” says Dr Kashmal Kalan, Medical Director at Alvi Armani South Africa. “A healthy scalp and uninterrupted growth cycles form the foundation for strong, resilient hair.”

The Biology Behind Every Strand

Hair grows in three phases: anagen (growth), catagen (transition), and telogen (rest). The anagen phase – lasting anywhere from two to seven years – largely determines how long hair can grow before naturally shedding. People who achieve exceptional lengths often have extended anagen phases, allowing their hair to keep growing far beyond the average.

While genetics set the baseline, lifestyle and environment play a powerful role in influencing growth potential. Nutrition, hormones, stress levels, and scalp health all impact the length and quality of the anagen phase. “We can’t rewrite DNA,” notes Dr Kalan, “but we can influence how genes express themselves.”

Lifestyle Matters

Healthy hair begins long before the styling stage.

  • Nutrition: Diets rich in protein, healthy fats, and vitamins support follicle strength.
  • Stress: Elevated stress hormones can shorten the growth phase and trigger shedding.
  • Sleep: Proper rest gives follicles the recovery time they need.
  • Scalp care: Gentle exfoliation, oiling, and protective styling can improve circulation and reduce breakage.

Science over hype

Despite bold marketing promises, there are no “miracle” serums that can regrow hair overnight. “Anything claiming dramatic growth in weeks is a red flag,” says Dr Kalan. Scientifically supported treatments – such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), mesotherapy, and exosome therapy – can optimise follicle function, strengthen roots, and support sustained, natural growth.

“Healthy hair growth is a process grounded in biology, not marketing,” adds Dr Kalan.

Regenerative Approaches for Natural, Lasting Results

At Alvi Armani South Africa, regenerative science is at the core of every treatment. Using advanced techniques such as Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) alongside PRP and exosome therapy, the clinic works with the body’s own biology to restore growth naturally.

“Our goal is always natural, lasting outcomes – hair that feels and looks strong, resilient, and vibrant,” concludes Dr Kalan.

From strength and endurance to sheer volume and creativity, these hair-related world records showcase just how remarkable human hair can be.

  • Most golf tees in hair: Anya Bannasch (USA) set a 2024 record with 711 golf tees in her hair – almost double her original goal.
  • Longest time suspended by hair: Leila Noone, a circus artist, hung from a single knot of her hair for over 25 minutes beneath California’s redwoods in 2025.
  • Largest afro: Jessica Martinez from New York City is attempting to break the record with an afro measuring about 36 cm high and 51 cm wide, inspiring confidence in natural hair.
  • Largest ball of human hair: “Hoss”, made entirely from donated hair, continues to grow through global contributions and features in Ripley’s Believe It or Not! exhibitions.

These feats highlight the versatility, strength, and creative expression found in something as simple – and as complex – as human hair.

For more information, visit www.alviarmani.co.za.