News
Malaria Drug Struggles to Protect Children Under 5
United States: Malaria transmitted through the use of mosquitoes is lethal; over 600,000 individuals pass on every year, most of them below age five.
Now, there are reports suggesting that it is developing resistance to artemisinin, which is the most common drug being used in attempts to extend these young lives, as reported by HealthDay.
Artemisinin Resistance Detected in Severe Malaria Cases
“This is the first study from Africa showing that children with malaria and clear signs of severe disease are experiencing at least partial resistance to artemisinin,” said study co-author Dr. Chandy John, who directs Indiana University’s Ryan White Center for Infectious Diseases and Global Health, in Indianapolis.
“It’s also the first study showing a high rate of African children with severe malaria experiencing a subsequent malaria episode with the same strain within 28 days of standard treatment with artesunate, a derivative of artemisinin, and an artemisinin combination therapy [ACT],” John added.
The researchers said in the meeting news release that the artemisinin therapies that began two decades ago have transformed malaria treatment.
History of Artemisinin as a Malaria Breakthrough
A microscopic parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, had become immune to normal drugs, while artemisinin provided a prompt solution to the disease.
Resistance Genes Linked to Southeast Asian Strains Found
However, by 2008, there were indications that P. falciparum was also developing resistance to the new drug. Partial resistance was evident in Cambodia, and by 2013, the complete ineffectiveness of the drug artemisinin on affected patients was noticed.
A partial resistance to artemisinin was detected in the new study in 11 of a sample of 100 Ugandan children who received treatment, according to John et al. Many of the time, it also took much longer to achieve the treatment duration required to ‘wash’ children off the parasite.
The children were between 6 Months and 12 years, and all were admitted with what was termed as ‘Complicated malaria’. This is malaria with features of possible severe manifestation such as anemia or meningitis.
Also, nine under-five children with malaria reportedly cured by chloroquine were re-infected within a month of treatment, and ten more children in a similar age bracket with a similar malaria diagnosis reportedly cured by artemisinin also relapsed, implying that, indeed, artemisinin was not efficient in eradicating the parasite out of the body.
All of the children did get well in the end. However, tests in the laboratory showed that 10 of the samples had P. falciparum that possessed resistance genes similar to those shown in resistant strains from Southeast Asia, the investigators added.
This is the first time that the researchers have observed the two in African children with severe malaria, the team said.
Combination Therapies Also Show Limited Effectiveness
Lumefantrine was also administered to many of the children as with a second-class antimalarial that is not artemisinin-based. However, 68% of the children who have received the two-drug combination therapy experienced a relapse of their disease, and this raises the possibility that the malaria parasite is also becoming resistant to lumefantrine, as reported by HealthDay.
“The fact that we started seeing evidence of drug resistance before we even started specifically looking for it is a troubling sign,” John noted. “We were further surprised that, after we turned our focus to resistance, we also ended up finding patients who had recurrence after we thought they had been cured.”
News
FDA Approves Self-Injectable Vyvgart Hytrulo for gMG and CIDP

United States: The U.S. FDA has approved Vyvgart Hytrulo’s (efgartigimod alfa and hyaluronidase-qvfc) self-administered form for treating adult gMG patients who carry anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies and adult CIDP patients, as reported by HealthDay.
Fast and Easy Subcutaneous Injection
The Vyvgart Hytrulo prefilled syringe now functions as an approved subcutaneous device that needs 20 to 30 seconds during patient, caregiver, or healthcare professional administration.
Testing between the Vyvgart Hytrulo prefilled syringe, and the Vyvgart Hytrulo vial led to the approval of this product by the FDA. The human factors validation studies demonstrated that both gMG or CIDP patients, along with their caregivers, could execute acceptable prefilled syringe preparation and administration of Vyvgart Hytrulo safely and effectively, as reported by HealthDay.
$ARGX
— BiopharmIQ by Amp (@BiopharmIQ) April 11, 2025
📣 FDA approves prefilled syringe (PFS) version of VYVGART Hytrulo
💉 self-injection in adult patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) & chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
👉 VYVGART is the first-in-class FcRn blocker for these conditions… https://t.co/n0YuQN3qiJ pic.twitter.com/FcQhcZYVbN
Designed for Independence and Flexibility
“Today’s FDA approval provides a new self-injection option across both approved indications in the U.S. that is designed for patients who seek more independence with their treatment,” Luc Truyen, M.D., Ph.D., the chief medical officer at argenx, said in a statement. “Whether patients prefer to receive their treatment in a physician’s office, at home, or while traveling, they can experience treatment on their own terms and continue to benefit from Vyvgart Hytrulo’s favorable safety profile and strong efficacy.”
News
Quick Walking May Prevent Heart Rhythm Issues

United States: A new research finds that individuals who walk vigorously for long periods reduce their chances of developing heart rhythm abnormalities.
Faster Walking, Healthier Heart
The research in the Heart journal revealed that individuals walking over 4 miles per hour had a decreased chance of 43% developing heart rhythm abnormalities compared to walkers moving less than 3 miles per hour, as reported by HealthDay.
According to researchers, the duration of movement together with average or brisk pace walking worked to decrease heart rhythm issues by 27%.
Duration and Pace Matter
“These new findings reinforce the promotion of faster walking pace in physical activity recommendations,” concluded the research team led by Jill Pell, chair of public health with the University of Glasgow in the U.K. “Walking at a brisk pace may have a role in … prevention of cardiac arrhythmias.”
New research led by Professor Jill Pell of @UofGMVLS @UofGSHW finds brisk walking may reduce risk of heart rhythm abnormalities by up to 43%.
— University of Glasgow (@UofGlasgow) April 16, 2025
The study has been published in @bmj_latest @Heart_BMJ journal.
Read more: https://t.co/fLAKQ2CQRI pic.twitter.com/deHrbiPMNQ
Inside the Research
Study data originated from the UK Biobank health study, which encompassed 421,000 participants, with accelerometer-wearers representing 82,000 individuals who tracked their walking pace.
A brisk walking pace existed in 41% of study participants, whereas an average walking pace occurred in 53%, and a slow pace was observed in less than 6%.
The study results revealed that walking swiftly reduced heart rhythm issues by 43% or walking moderately reduced them by 35%.
Atrial Fibrillation Risk Also Drops
Analysis of data from UK Biobank demonstrates that brisk or average-paced walkers experienced a 46% and 38% decrease in atrial fibrillation risk rates, which elevates stroke risks, as reported by HealthDay.

The connection between heart rhythm problems and walking pace appears to be shaped by 36% through inflammation alongside metabolic factors, according to expert estimation.
What’s Behind the Benefits?
Research from the past supports these findings because brisk walking leads to lower obesity levels and better blood sugar control, in addition to preventing diabetes and lowering high blood pressure, according to scientists.
“This study is the first to explore the pathways underpinning the association between walking pace and arrhythmias and to provide evidence that metabolic and inflammatory factors may have a role,” researchers concluded. “Walking faster decreased the risk of obesity and inflammation, which, in turn, reduced the risk of arrhythmia.”
News
Smart Shirt Technology Monitors Heart Health in Real Time

United States: The “smart shirt” coupled with an electrocardiogram (ECG) device enables researchers to detect people with elevated cardiovascular risks, according to recent study findings.
The wearable shirt measures heart rate recovery after workouts, so it tracks how long it takes for the heart to stabilize, as reported by HealthDay.
“The heart’s response to exercise provides us with an early indicator of changes in health, in particular cardiovascular function and mortality,” senior researcher Manuel Hernandez, a professor of biomedical and translational sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said in a news release.
How It Works: Tracking the Heart’s Response to Exercise
Researchers employed smart shirts developed by Carré Technologies based in Quebec for their investigation. Continuous heart performance measures are collected using sensors attached to the smart shirt that record heart rate and electrical cardiac activity.
Study Participants Show Promising Insights
The research team selected 38 participants from 20 to 76 years old to complete treadmill walking exercises. The seven participants underwent medical examinations, which revealed high blood pressure as their diagnosis.
A “smart shirt” equipped with an ECG can help predict folks who are at higher risk of heart disease, a new study says. #news #healthnews #health https://t.co/owL1gUTtMi
— HealthDay News (@HealthDayTweets) April 15, 2025
Sounds from the laboratory tests enabled researchers to establish risk prediction systems for targeting heart disease in individuals.
Researchers declared the investigation kickstarts the development of heart health risk understanding for individuals.
“We want to use it to provide us with some greater insight in terms of our underlying cardiovascular function,” Hernandez said. “And we want to make something that’s clinically actionable.”
According to a co-author, wearable technology should give physicians access to a wealth of helpful data.
A Game-Changer for Rural and Remote Healthcare
“One would like to have a whole bunch of data from wearables, and then that data is transmitted to a doctor’s office, and the doctor can interpret it,” said co-researcher Richard Sowers, a professor of industrial & enterprise systems engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
🦉Researchers used a “smart shirt” to track how fast the heart calms down after exercise. Slower recovery can signal heart problems like heart failure or diabetes. The system sorts people into risk groups. #wearables #heart #healthtech #cardiology pic.twitter.com/CAN87PJdL7
— aponia_analytics (@AponiaAnalytics) April 14, 2025
Based on Sowers’ statement in the news release, these wearable devices would benefit most people who live in rural areas and places where medical resources are scarce.
Future investigations plan to extend study participant numbers and monitor their progress longitudinally, according to researchers.
Research groups investigate various applications of the “smart shirt” technology.
Global Use Cases Emerging
During the European Association of Urology conference a month ago, scientists from Italy introduced a new tracking system using smart shirts to monitor the vital signs of patients after hospital discharge, as reported by HealthDay.
“Our patients found the T-shirt easy to use, and over 90% reported it allowed them to feel safe and cared for while recuperating at home,” lead researcher Dr. Antonio Pastore, an associate professor of urology at Sapienza University of Rome in Italy, said in a news release.
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