A wave of fresh data is reshaping how we think about heart disease, obesity and diabetes. In teens, the STEP‑TEENS analysis shows that a 2.4 mg dose of semaglutide not only trims weight but also boosts insulin sensitivity and cuts cardiometabolic risk—especially for those shedding more than 20 % of their body weight. Meanwhile, researchers warn that the benefits of metabolic weight‑loss surgery go beyond the scale; long‑term cardiovascular safety signals are emerging, urging clinicians to monitor patients closely after the procedure. China has just unveiled its "Top 10 Cardiovascular Research for 2025," highlighting breakthroughs from novel drug combos to lifestyle‑driven risk reduction. A Lancet sub‑analysis adds weight to the mantra “BMI < 25 is protective,” showing that non‑diabetic overweight adults who achieve this target—through diet, exercise or powerful agents like tirzepatide—experience a marked drop in 10‑year ASCVD risk. In sports medicine, a EUR‑HEART‑J study flips the script: training duration, not intensity, drives healthy heart remodeling, making low‑intensity, longer‑duration workouts the new gold standard. Nutritionists also spotlight blueberries and blue honeysuckle, whose anthocyanins work together to shield the heart. Finally, a 30‑year cross‑ethnic follow‑up confirms that reversing pre‑diabetes slashes future cardiovascular events, reinforcing early intervention. Late‑breaking trials presented in Beijing—including the SirPAD sirolimus‑coated balloon for peripheral artery disease and several IVUS‑guided PCI studies—promise fresh therapeutic options for high‑risk patients.
Read moreResearchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences have announced a breakthrough in treating a tough form of lung cancer. In a study published in the prestigious journal *Lancet* (impact factor ≈ 89), they found that patients with non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who carry both an EGFR mutation and a MET gene amplification responded well to a combination of two oral medicines: savolitinib and osimertinib. The phase‑III trial, called SACHI, compared this dual‑target therapy against standard chemotherapy in advanced cases. Results showed a clear extension of progression‑free survival—the time patients lived without the disease getting worse—while side effects remained manageable. Importantly, the regimen offers an all‑oral alternative, sparing patients the discomfort of intravenous chemotherapy. For patients whose cancer has progressed after earlier EGFR‑targeted treatments, this combination could become a new standard of care, addressing a common resistance mechanism. The researchers emphasize that the findings are based on an interim analysis, but the data are encouraging enough to suggest a viable, less invasive option for a biomarker‑selected group of lung‑cancer patients.
Read moreChina’s biotech scene has hit a historic milestone. On Jan. 23, the National Medical Products Administration approved Livzevtamab, the world’s first antibody‑based medicine for viral hepatitis and the first therapy for hepatitis D ever approved in the country. The drug was created by biotech firm Hua Hui An Jian, building on a 2012 discovery by Li Wenhui’s team at the Beijing Institute of Life Sciences that identified the liver‑cell receptor (NTCP) used by hepatitis B and its “satellite” virus, hepatitis D, to enter cells. By designing an antibody that locks onto the virus’s key, Livzevtamab blocks infection at its source. In clinical trials involving patients co‑infected with hepatitis B and D—who face double the risk of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death—the drug showed impressive results: after 48 weeks, more than 44 % met comprehensive efficacy criteria, viral suppression reached 60 %, ALT liver‑enzyme levels normalized in 70 %, and liver stiffness improved markedly. Experts say this offers a lifeline to a group that previously had no curative options. The approval marks a major step toward the ultimate goal of curing hepatitis B, with further trials already underway.
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