‘Game changer' Alzheimer's blood test cleared in the US
US regulators have approved the first blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease, potentially making it easier to find and treat patients with the mind-robbing disease that affects nearly 7 million Americans.
The test made by Fujirebio Diagnostics a unit of Japan's H.U. Group Holdings was cleared for people 55 years and older who exhibit signs and symptoms of the disease, the US Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.
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Sky News AU
15 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Grave national security concern': CCP member charged with smuggling highly destructive biological pathogen into the US
Two Chinese researchers, including a 'loyal member' of the Chinese Communist Party, have been charged with conspiracy and making false statements after they allegedly smuggled a dangerous biological pathogen into the United States. Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend Zunyong Liu, 34, who are both citizens of China, were charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud. Jian attempted to smuggle a fungus named Fusarium graminearum, which is considered a 'agroterrorism agent', in order to conduct research on it at the laboratory at the University of Michigan, where she works. According to the criminal complaint, officers examined Liu's bag in 2024 at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and found a "wad of tissues" which were crumpled and containing a round piece of filter paper with a series of circles drawn on it and four clear plastic baggies. The complaint said Liu initially stated he did not know what the materials were and that someone must have planted them in his bag. "After further questioning, Liu acknowledged that the materials were different strains of the pathogen Fusarium graminearum ... (and) stated that he planned to clone the different strains of Fusarium graminearum contained on the filter paper and make more samples if the experiments on the reddish plant material failed," the complaint continued. The complaint said Liu's girlfriend, Jian, had received money from the Chinese Communist Party government to conduct post-doctoral work which included "research on a particular biological pathogen that can cause devasting (sic) diseases in crops". United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. said the alleged actions by the two Chinese nationals was of the 'gravest national security concerns'. FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement the fungus causes a disease called "head blight," which attacks wheat, barley, maize, and rice, causing significant health issues in both humans and livestock. 'It is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year,' Patel wrote. Patel said Jian's boyfriend was also charged, but initially 'lied' to authorities before admitting his part in the scheme. The FBI Director said Liu, who works at a Chinese university where he conducts research on the same pathogen, wanted to work alongside Jian in Michigan. 'This case is a sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences... putting American lives and our economy at serious risk,' Patel said. 'Your FBI will continue working tirelessly to be on guard against it. Justice will be done.' Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office Cheyvoryea Gibson said the federal charges against the Chinese pair signified a 'crucial advancement' to safeguard Americans. 'These individuals exploited their access to laboratory facilities at a local university to engage in the smuggling of biological pathogens, an act that posed an imminent threat to public safety,' he said.
The Age
6 days ago
- The Age
Why 36 to 46 is the most important time of your life for your health
For many of us, our 20s are a decade of hedonism – of giving barely a passing thought to our health. It's the era where we might smoke, binge-drink and shun exercise. But new research shows that by our mid-30s, this kind of party lifestyle will take its toll. Researchers in Finland found there were relatively few consequences for heavy drinking and smoking in people's 20s, but those who continued these habits found their health begin to deteriorate at 36. Over the course of their lifetime, they were found to result in a plethora of health problems including higher rates of depression, cancer, heart disease, lung disease and early death. In fact, the decade from 36 to 46 is a pivotal one for our future wellbeing. 'What you do in that window shapes the health you'll experience in the decades to come,' says Dr Philip Borg, an NHS oncologist and founder of The Longevity Doctor, a clinic specialising in preventative medicine. Accumulative damage It's in our mid to late 30s that we stop 'getting away' with unhealthy behaviour, as the cumulative effects of our lifestyle begin to show their impact. 'Chronic diseases are caused by long-term, silent processes like inflammation, triggered by habits including poor diet, stress, drinking, smoking and lack of exercise, which can slowly damage your cells, arteries and brain, starting decades before symptoms appear,' says Borg. Loading Prior to this age, much of the damage can be undone – for instance, people who quit smoking by the age of 35 were shown in a 2022 study of half-a-million Americans to have a similar long-term mortality risk to people who have never smoked. But the rates of lung cancer caused by smoking begin to rise steadily in the 40-44 age range, steadily for women and more rapidly for men, according to Cancer Research UK.
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why 36 to 46 is the most important time of your life for your health
For many of us, our 20s are a decade of hedonism – of giving barely a passing thought to our health. It's the era where we might smoke, binge-drink and shun exercise. But new research shows that by our mid-30s, this kind of party lifestyle will take its toll. Researchers in Finland found there were relatively few consequences for heavy drinking and smoking in people's 20s, but those who continued these habits found their health begin to deteriorate at 36. Over the course of their lifetime, they were found to result in a plethora of health problems including higher rates of depression, cancer, heart disease, lung disease and early death. In fact, the decade from 36 to 46 is a pivotal one for our future wellbeing. 'What you do in that window shapes the health you'll experience in the decades to come,' says Dr Philip Borg, an NHS oncologist and founder of The Longevity Doctor, a clinic specialising in preventative medicine. Accumulative damage It's in our mid to late 30s that we stop 'getting away' with unhealthy behaviour, as the cumulative effects of our lifestyle begin to show their impact. 'Chronic diseases are caused by long-term, silent processes like inflammation, triggered by habits including poor diet, stress, drinking, smoking and lack of exercise, which can slowly damage your cells, arteries and brain, starting decades before symptoms appear,' says Borg. Loading Prior to this age, much of the damage can be undone – for instance, people who quit smoking by the age of 35 were shown in a 2022 study of half-a-million Americans to have a similar long-term mortality risk to people who have never smoked. But the rates of lung cancer caused by smoking begin to rise steadily in the 40-44 age range, steadily for women and more rapidly for men, according to Cancer Research UK.
