Iris on health and longevity · June 25th

(MedPage Today) -- Prenatal exposure to acid-suppressive drugs did not have a clear association with the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in childhood, a South Korean cohort study suggested. While prenatal exposure to acid-suppressive...

(MedPage Today) -- At the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, long-term follow-up from the KEYNOTE-522 trial reinforced the survival benefit of pembrolizumab (Keytruda)-based therapy in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer...

(MedPage Today) -- Topline data showed that a single dose of an investigational LSD-based pill (DT120) met primary and key secondary endpoints in a phase III trial of adults with major depressive disorder, developer Definium Therapeutics said...

(MedPage Today) -- Following the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) meeting, MedPage Today convened three leaders in neuro-oncology and brain tumor imaging for a virtual roundtable discussion on the evolving role of advanced MRI in brain...

The FDA’s decision rests on a randomized phase III trial that added palbociclib to the standard trastuzumab‑plus‑endocrine‑therapy backbone for people with hormone‑receptor‑positive, HER2‑positive breast cancer. The study showed a modest but statistically significant extension of progression‑free survival—about a few months longer on average—compared with trastuzumab and endocrine therapy alone.

Because the trial was controlled and fairly large, the evidence is stronger than a single‑center or observational report, though the absolute benefit isn’t dramatic. Safety data mirrored what we already know about palbiciclib: neutropenia and fatigue were the most common side effects, but they were generally manageable with dose adjustments.

The approval is limited to first‑line maintenance use, meaning it’s intended after initial chemotherapy has cleared the bulk of disease. It’s not a blanket recommendation for every HER2‑positive case, just for those whose tumors also express hormone receptors and who can tolerate a CDK4/6 inhibitor.

If you or someone you know fits that profile, it’s worth discussing the modest gain in time without progression against the added pill burden and potential blood‑count drops. The conversation should weigh personal priorities, side‑effect tolerance, and the fact that the benefit, while real, is relatively small.

A phase III non‑inferiority trial compared a six‑month regimen to the usual longer course for pulmonary rifampicin‑resistant TB. They enrolled 402 patients and measured how many achieved treatment success without relapse. By the end of follow‑up, the cure rate in the six‑month arm was essentially the same as in the standard arm, and safety profiles were comparable.

Because the shorter schedule didn’t fall short on efficacy, it suggests we could treat these infections in half the time without sacrificing outcomes. That could mean fewer clinic visits, lower costs, and better adherence for patients.

The study still leaves some questions—like how the regimen performs in real‑world settings and whether it works equally well for all sub‑groups—but the evidence is solid enough to consider the six‑month option as a viable alternative to the longer protocol.

South African NGOs are sounding the alarm because the U.S. is pulling back its HIV aid, and the first people to feel the squeeze are adolescent girls and women. The funding cut comes from the Trump administration’s decision to shrink the PEPFAR budget that has underpinned most of the country’s testing, treatment and prevention services for years.

Those groups say the reduction will shrink clinic capacity, delay antiretroviral roll‑outs and make it harder to reach young women who are already at higher risk. Without the money, they expect a rise in new infections and a setback in the gains made against AIDS‑related deaths.

They’re urging the South African government and other donors to step in quickly, otherwise the safety net that kept many people on treatment could fray. It’s a reminder that even modest funding shifts can ripple through vulnerable communities.

A systematic review of 28 randomized trials and a handful of observational studies looked at the most common IVF add‑ons—things like embryo‑glue, time‑lapse imaging, and pre‑implantation genetic testing. The data showed that most of these interventions didn’t improve live‑birth rates, and any benefit that did appear was modest at best.

The researchers also ran a small pilot where couples used an evidence‑based website that broke down the numbers in plain language. After browsing, participants reported feeling more confident about declining treatments that lacked solid proof.

In short, the bulk of add‑ons aren’t backed by strong evidence, and tools that clearly present the research can help patients make choices that match their own priorities.

Researchers at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services used a projection model that extends recent spending trends and demographic shifts to estimate future costs.

Their best estimate puts total U.S. health expenditures at $8.97 trillion by 2034, roughly a 30 percent rise from today.

The same model suggests the share of the population with health insurance will inch down each year, a modest but steady decline.

If those numbers hold, average per‑person spending will keep climbing, and policymakers will face a tighter gap between cost growth and coverage.

(MedPage Today) -- NEW YORK CITY -- It was increasingly clear that clinical trials alone won't tell the full story of how transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) performs in the real world, according to midterm studies presented here....