SMC Spain

Twenty-three per cent of the world's population over the age of 69 will be living with acute heat exposure by 2050, compared to 14 per cent in 2020, according to a study published in Nature Communications. The research highlights southern Europe, parts of North and South America, Southeast Asia and all of Australia as areas of ‘increasing stress’, where higher heat exposure overlaps with an increasingly ageing population. The effects will be most severe in Asia and Africa, according to the study. 

An international group of researchers analyzed multiple data sets with current measurements and historical reconstructions. Their research concludes that, in the extratropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere (including Europe), the summer of 2023 was the warmest in 2,000 years. The authors published the results in the journal Nature. 

A review article published in Patterns claims that many artificial intelligences have already learned to cheat humans, even those trained to be honest. They cite as an example Meta's CICERO model, which wins by playing dirty Diplomacy. The researchers describe potential risks in problems related to security, fraud and election rigging, and call on governments to urgently develop strict regulations. 

A new Cochrane review has found that taking zinc may help reduce the duration of cold symptoms by about two days, although the authors point out that the evidence is inconclusive and that possible benefits need to be weighed against side effects. 

People who eat more ultra-processed foods have a "slightly higher" mortality rate, according to an analysis published in The BMJ. The study analysed data from more than 110,000 people followed up for over 30 years in the United States. The correlation between ultra-processed food intake and all-cause mortality was strongest for the meat, poultry and seafood group. 

Genetic forms of Alzheimer's are considered to be those in which certain variants of a gene inevitably lead to the disease over time. Until now, only rare alterations in three genes were considered as such. A group of researchers led by the Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona has proposed a new, much more frequent form. After analysing data from more than three thousand donated brains and clinical data from more than ten thousand patients, they found that almost all people who carry two copies of the ApoE4 variant in the ApoE gene, which was previously only considered a risk factor, also end up developing the disease.They publish the results in the journal Nature Medicine.  

Hurler syndrome is a rare and very serious disease caused by an enzyme deficiency, which results in a wide variety of signs and symptoms. Treatment with bone marrow transplantation helps to alleviate some of them, but has little effect on skeletal disorders. Now, a phase I/II trial has tested an autologous transplant of blood stem cells corrected by gene therapy in eight patients. The results, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, suggest that the treatment is more effective and could also improve these types of disorders. 

Nirsevimab substantially reduced hospitalizations of babies from late September to late December 2023 in Galicia, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. This monoclonal antibody is administered to babies to prevent lower respiratory tract illness caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In Galicia, over 9 out of 10 babies received nirsevimab, which, according to the research, reduced the risk of hospitalizations for RSV-related respiratory illness by over 80%.

The Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) has announced that the anti-obesity drug Wegovy (semaglutide) will be available, with a doctor’s prescription, starting from May. It is the same active ingredient as Ozempic, but for patients without diabetes.

Teenagers who are frequent users of electronic cigarettes have more uranium and lead in their urine than occasional users, according to a study. Those who use sweet flavored products also have higher uranium levels in their urine than those who use mint flavors. The study, published in the journal Tobacco Control, analyses data from a representative sample of adolescents aged 13 to 17 in the United States, which includes 200 exclusive users of these e-cigarettes.