WashU Medicine researchers have developed a system to synthesize proteins that have a constantly shifting shape. The innovation creates new opportunities to understand the basis of disease and design potential medical interventions.

About the Study: Cardiology practitioners need to remain updated on rapidly evolving breast cancer therapies to care for this growing, unique patient population. The field of cardio-oncology has evolved to address the cardiovascular needs of patients and survivors.

About the Study: What is the global disease burden attributable to elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)? In 2023, high LDL-C caused 3.6 million deaths (6.0% of all deaths) and 90.7 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) (3.2% of total DALYs). Despite declines of 45.6% in age-standardized mortality rates and 39.5% in DALY rates, the absolute LDL-C–related burden increased by 38.5% from 1990 to 2023, driven by population growth and aging, with notable regional disparities shifting toward middle-sociodemographic settings. Strategic approaches to prevent, diagnose, and treat elevated LDL-C across populations globally are needed.

About the Study: What distinct latent profiles of short-term health care needs were identified among Ukrainian refugee children, aged 5 years and under, who used the health care system in Southern Poland in 2022? This cohort study identified 5 distinct health care utilization profiles among 9845 Ukrainian refugee children, ranging from low-intensity primary care to intensive hospital and emergency use, with earlier health care system entry among children requiring hospitalization for infectious diseases or emergency care for injuries. These findings suggest that refugee-hosting countries must be prepared to rapidly adapt health care resources, prioritizing emergency and inpatient care in the initial months following a crisis.

About the Study: How are randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) currently designed, conducted, and analyzed, and are there any differences between RCTs published in English and Chinese? This cross-sectional study of 400 CHM RCTs published from 1992 to 2024 identified critical methodological limitations, including unclear study hypothesis, inadequate protocol, failure to register the trial, inadequate allocation concealment, lack of a specified primary outcome and sample size estimation, suboptimal handling of missing participant data, and unsatisfactory conduct of sensitivity analysis or subgroup analysis. The design, conduct, and analysis of CHM RCTs improved over time, and were superior for RCTs published in English-language journals and in English-language journals with higher impact. These findings highlight the urgent need for government authorities, universities, and research institutions to take the initiative in improving the planning and conduct of CHM RCTs, as well as for clinicians and methodologists to collaborate in developing standardized methodological guidelines for such RCTs.

Climate change has increased childhood malaria and could continue to do so in southern and East Africa where communities are less experienced at tackling the disease, while reducing the risk in today’s hotspots as temperatures become too high for mosquitoes.