An experimental drug might help people with uncontrolled high blood pressure, according to early clinical trial results. People taking lorundrostat experienced twice the decline in their systolic blood pressure than people taking a placebo, researchers reported recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. Systolic, the top number of a blood pressure reading, refers to the pressure within blood vessels during a heartbeat. “While blood pressure readings remained elevated at the end of this Phase II trial in some participants treated with lorundrostat, we find these results promising because almost all participants involved in the study were not able to sufficiently lower their blood pressure with medication before,” principal investigator Dr. Michael Wilkinson, an associate professor with the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine, said in a news release. Lorundrostat works by inhibiting the synthesis of the hormone aldosterone, which has been recognized as a driver of persistent high blood pressure, researchers said in background notes. “We were specifically studying a new approach to addressing imbalanced aldosterone, which is an often underrecognized cause for treatment-resistant hypertension,” said Wilkinson. For the clinical trial, researchers recruited 285 patients who had high blood pressure despite taking two to five blood pressure medications. High blood pressure or hypertension is defined as a systolic pressure of 130 or higher, or a diastolic pressure (the lower number) of 80 or…  read on >  read on >

An experimental drug might help people with uncontrolled high blood pressure, according to early clinical trial results. People taking lorundrostat experienced twice the decline in their systolic blood pressure than people taking a placebo, researchers reported recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. Systolic, the top number of a blood pressure reading, refers to the pressure within blood vessels during a heartbeat. “While blood pressure readings remained elevated at the end of this Phase II trial in some participants treated with lorundrostat, we find these results promising because almost all participants involved in the study were not able to sufficiently lower their blood pressure with medication before,” principal investigator Dr. Michael Wilkinson, an associate professor with the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine, said in a news release. Lorundrostat works by inhibiting the synthesis of the hormone aldosterone, which has been recognized as a driver of persistent high blood pressure, researchers said in background notes. “We were specifically studying a new approach to addressing imbalanced aldosterone, which is an often underrecognized cause for treatment-resistant hypertension,” said Wilkinson. For the clinical trial, researchers recruited 285 patients who had high blood pressure despite taking two to five blood pressure medications. High blood pressure or hypertension is defined as a systolic pressure of 130 or higher, or a diastolic pressure (the lower number) of 80 or…  read on >  read on >

Dr. Marty Makary had just finished his last surgery at Johns Hopkins when he stepped into one of the most powerful roles in American public health. Now, as the new commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), he’s wasting no time charting a new course for the agency. In an exclusive interview with physician and writer Dr. Jeremy Faust on Substack, Makary opened up about his first weeks on the job, his vision for the future, and why he believes the FDA doesn’t need a full overhaul to deliver faster and more trustworthy guidance and oversight. “There will not be a reorganization,” Makary said in the interview. Instead, he wants to focus on simple reforms, like removing synthetic dyes from the food supply, using more modern technology and keeping science independent from industry. Makary also shared concerns about how long it takes new medications to come to market. He questioned outdated systems that slow the approval of medical artificial intelligence (AI) and allow for lower inspection standards for foreign drug makers. “My belief is that the FDA can modernize if we challenge deeply held assumptions and traditional ways of doing things,” Makary explained. “To do so, we have to uphold two fundamental guiding principles — gold standard science and common sense.” The new commissioner also said, “To be clear, no scientists or inspectors…  read on >  read on >

The push to remove artificial colors from U.S. foods is gaining speed, but making the change won’t be easy — or quick. Last week, U.S. health officials directed food companies to voluntarily phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes by the end of 2026.  U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called these dyes “poisonous compounds” that could harm children’s health and development, according to The Associated Press. This move follows mounting public pressure that resulted in a ban on the dye Red 3, which has been linked to cancer risks in lab animals. Artificial dyes are common in such foods as cereals, candy and sports drinks. At Sensient Technologies, one of the world’s largest dyemakers, scientists are working hard to find natural alternatives.  At its St. Louis color factory, food scientist Abby Tampow spent an afternoon trying to match a synthetic red used in bottled raspberry vinaigrette to a mix of carrot juice and beta-carotene. “Most of our customers have decided that this is finally the time when they’re going to make that switch to a natural color,” Dave Gebhardt, Sensient’s senior technical director, told AP. But the shift will be a challenge. Natural colors are harder to make, less stable under heat and light and cost about 10 times more than synthetic versions.  “It’s not like there’s 150 million pounds of beet juice sitting around…  read on >  read on >

The push to remove artificial colors from U.S. foods is gaining speed, but making the change won’t be easy — or quick. Last week, U.S. health officials directed food companies to voluntarily phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes by the end of 2026. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called these dyes “poisonous compounds” that could harm children’s health and development, according to the Associated Press. This move follows mounting public pressure that resulted in a ban on the dye Red 3, which has been linked to cancer risks in lab animals. Artificial dyes are common in such foods as cereals, candy and sports drinks. At Sensient Technologies, one of the world’s largest dyemakers, scientists are working hard to find natural alternatives. At its St. Louis color factory, food scientist Abby Tampow spent an afternoon trying to match a synthetic red used in bottled raspberry vinaigrette to a mix of carrot juice and beta-carotene. “Most of our customers have decided that this is finally the time when they’re going to make that switch to a natural color,” Dave Gebhardt, Sensient’s senior technical director, told the AP. But the shift will be a challenge. Natural colors are harder to make, less stable under heat and light and cost about 10 times more than synthetic versions. “It’s not like there’s 150 million pounds of beet juice sitting…  read on >  read on >

Adults with peanut allergies can be safely treated using exposure therapy to increase their resistance, new clinical trial results show. More than two-thirds of participants (67%) gained the ability to tolerate at least five peanuts without an immune reaction, researchers report in the journal Allergy. This is the first trial to test exposure therapy in adults, researchers said. Such therapy is typically performed in children, whose immune systems are still evolving. Under exposure therapy, patients are given daily doses of their food allergen to build up their tolerance. “Constant fear of life-threatening reactions place(s) a huge burden on people with peanut allergy,” said senior researcher Stephen Till, a professor of allergy at King’s College London in the U.K. “The only way to manage a peanut allergy is strict avoidance and treatment of allergic reactions, including with adrenaline.” While peanut immunotherapy is known to be effective in kids, Till said in a news release that this trial provides preliminary evidence that adults can also be desensitized, which improves their quality of life. “The average tolerated dose of peanuts increased 100-fold over the course of the trial,” he said. For the clinical trial, 21 people age 18 to 40 with peanut allergy were treated with daily doses of peanut flour mixed in their food. The goal was for patients to achieve a daily dose of one gram…  read on >  read on >

Adults with peanut allergies can be safely treated using exposure therapy to increase their resistance, new clinical trial results show. More than two-thirds of participants (67%) gained the ability to tolerate at least five peanuts without an immune reaction, researchers report in the journal Allergy. This is the first trial to test exposure therapy in adults, researchers said. Such therapy is typically performed in children, whose immune systems are still evolving. Under exposure therapy, patients are given daily doses of their food allergen to build up their tolerance. “Constant fear of life-threatening reactions place(s) a huge burden on people with peanut allergy,” said senior researcher Stephen Till, a professor of allergy at King’s College London in the U.K. “The only way to manage a peanut allergy is strict avoidance and treatment of allergic reactions, including with adrenaline.” While peanut immunotherapy is known to be effective in kids, Till said in a news release that this trial provides preliminary evidence that adults can also be desensitized, which improves their quality of life. “The average tolerated dose of peanuts increased 100-fold over the course of the trial,” he said. For the clinical trial, 21 people age 18 to 40 with peanut allergy were treated with daily doses of peanut flour mixed in their food. The goal was for patients to achieve a daily dose of one gram…  read on >  read on >

The more ultra-processed food a person regularly eats, the higher their risk of an early death, a new evidence review has concluded. Each 10% increase in ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet increases their risk of early death from any cause by 3%, researchers reported today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. It’s estimated that these industrially produced foods are accountable for tens of thousands of premature deaths worldwide. The U.S. has the highest levels of ultra-processed food intake, making up more than 54% of the average American diet, researchers said. More than 124,000 early deaths due to ultra-processed food consumption occurred in the U.S. in 2017-2018, researchers estimate. “This shows that policies that disincentivize the consumption of ultra-processed are urgently needed globally, promoting traditional dietary patterns based on local fresh and minimally processed foods,” lead researcher Eduardo Nilson of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil said in a news release. Ultra-processed foods are made mostly from substances extracted from whole foods, like saturated fats, starches and added sugars. They also contain a wide variety of additives to make them more tasty, attractive and shelf-stable, including colors, emulsifiers, flavors and stabilizers. Examples include packaged baked goods, sugary cereals, ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat products and deli cold cuts. Consumption of ultra-processed foods has been associated with 32 health problems, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, some types…  read on >  read on >

The more ultra-processed food a person regularly eats, the higher their risk of an early death, a new evidence review has concluded. Each 10% increase in ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet increases their risk of early death from any cause by 3%, researchers reported today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. It’s estimated that these industrially produced foods are accountable for tens of thousands of premature deaths worldwide. The U.S. has the highest levels of ultra-processed food intake, making up more than 54% of the average American diet, researchers said. More than 124,000 early deaths due to ultra-processed food consumption occurred in the U.S. in 2017-2018, researchers estimate. “This shows that policies that disincentivize the consumption of ultra-processed are urgently needed globally, promoting traditional dietary patterns based on local fresh and minimally processed foods,” lead researcher Eduardo Nilson of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil said in a news release. Ultra-processed foods are made mostly from substances extracted from whole foods, like saturated fats, starches and added sugars. They also contain a wide variety of additives to make them more tasty, attractive and shelf-stable, including colors, emulsifiers, flavors and stabilizers. Examples include packaged baked goods, sugary cereals, ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat products and deli cold cuts. Consumption of ultra-processed foods has been associated with 32 health problems, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, some types…  read on >  read on >