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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Statins almost halve the risk of death in patients critically ill with sepsis
Taking statins can improve the chances of surviving sepsis by 40 per cent, a trial has found. Sepsis can occur when the body's immune system overreacts to an infection and attacks its own organs. It is notoriously difficult to spot because the telltale symptoms, such as a fever and muscle pain, can be easily mistaken for signs of a common cold or other infection. Statins lower cholesterol to prevent heart attacks and strokes and are taken by around 5 million adults in the UK. But experts say they have other benefits, including reducing inflammation and fighting bacteria that can ultimately lead to sepsis. The study compared survival rates of sepsis patients given statins and those who were not during a hospital stay. It found the pills reduced the risk of death for those critically ill with the condition by 39 per cent. The study compared survival rates of sepsis patients given statins and those who were not during a hospital stay. It found the pills reduced the risk of death for those critically ill with the condition by 39 per cent (file image) In intensive care, 14.3 per cent of 6,000 sepsis patients given statins died within 28 days, compared with 23.4 per cent of 6,000 patients who were not. For those no longer in a critical condition, 11 per cent given statins died compared to 19 per cent who were not. Dr Caifeng Li, of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in China and the study's author said: 'These results suggest that statins may provide a protective effect and improve clinical outcomes for patients with sepsis.' Researchers believe the drugs may help with sepsis by helping to combat bacteria directly, reducing the toll infection takes on the body. Earlier this year another study found the pills could also slash dementia risk – even in patients who don't have high cholesterol. The sepsis study, published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, was based on data from thousands of patients at an Israeli hospital over a decade. Dr Ron Daniels, founder and chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: 'This study supports calls for a large, multi-country, randomised control trial. 'Anything which might reduce the burden of a condition which claims one in five lives worldwide needs to be rigorously explored.' Sepsis is known as the 'silent killer'. For every hour of delay in treatment, a patient's chance of dying increases 8 per cent. If caught early, it can be treated with antibiotics and fluids. Symptoms include slurred speech or confusion, shivering or muscle pain, passing no urine in a day, severe breathlessness and mottled or discoloured skin. Blood test to spot Alzheimer's early A Blood test for Alzheimer's can accurately detect the disease early, a study suggests. The test was 95 per cent accurate in identifying people with memory problems. It also scored 82 per cent for specificity, which means it was highly accurate in ruling out people without dementia. The study, published in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia, found proteins amyloid beta 42/40 and p-tau217 in blood plasma can be examined to diagnose the condition. The study was carried out on more than 500 people in an outpatient memory clinic. The blood test has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration regulator in the US.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
China's driverless lorries hope to expand
They rumble down the highway between Beijing and Tianjin port: big lorries, loaded up and fully able to navigate there is a safety driver in the seat, as per government regulations, but these lorries don't require them, and many analysts say it won't take long before they are "safety driver" Huo Kangtian, 32, first takes his hands off the wheel, and lets the lorry drive itself, it is somehow impressive and disconcerting in equal the initial stages of the journey, he is in full control. Then - at a certain point - he hits a few buttons, and the powerful, heavy machine is driving itself, moving at speed along a public road to Tianjin."Of course, I felt a bit scared the first time I drove an autonomous truck," says Mr Huo. "But, after spending a lot of time observing and testing these machines, I think they are actually pretty good and safe."As the lorry veers off the freeway and up a ramp towards the toll gates, the machine is still driving itself. On the other side of the tollgate, Mr Huo again presses a few buttons, and he is back in charge."My job as a safety driver is to act as the last line of defence. For example, in the case of an emergency, I would have to take back control of the vehicle immediately to ensure everyone's safety," he terms of the upsides for a driver, he says that switching to autonomous mode can help combat stress and fatigue, as well as freeing up hands and feet for other tasks. He says it doesn't make his job boring, but rather more asked if he is worried that this technology may one day render his job obsolete, he says he doesn't know too much about the diplomatic answer. Pony AI's fleet of driverless lorries, currently operating on these test routes, is only the start of what is to come, the company's vice-president Li Hengyu tells the BBC."In the future, with driverless operations, our transportation efficiency will definitely be greatly improved," he says. "For example, labour costs will be reduced but, more importantly, we can deal better with harsh environments and long hours driving."What this all boils down to is saving money, says industry expert Yang Ruigang, a technology professor from Shanghai Jiaotong University, who has extensive experience working on driverless technology in both China and the US."Anything that can reduce operating costs is something a company would like to have, so it's fairly easy to justify the investment in having a fully autonomous, driverless truck," he tells the short, he says, the goal is simple: "Reduce the driver cost close to zero." However, significant hurdles remain before lorries will be allowed to drive themselves on roads around the world - not the least of which is public China, self-driving technology suffered a major setback following an accident which killed three university students after their vehicle had been in "auto pilot" Intelligence Unit analyst Chim Lee says the Chinese public still has quite a way to go before it is won over."We know that recent accidents involving passenger cars have caused a huge uproar in China. So, for driverless trucks – even though they tend to be more specific to certain locations for the time being – the public's image of them is going to be absolutely critical for policy makers, and for the market as well, compared to passenger vehicles."Professor Yang agrees that lorry drivers are unlikely to lose their jobs in large numbers just yet."We have to discuss the context. Open environment? Probably not. High speed? Definitely no. But, if it is a low-speed situation, like with the last mile delivery trucks, it's here already." In Eastern China's Anhui Province, hundreds of driverless delivery vans navigate their way through the suburban streets of Hefei - a city with an official population of eight million - as human-driven scooters and cars whizz around was once one of country's poorest cities, but these days its government wants it to be known as a place of the future, prepared to give new technology a Huang, president of autonomous vehicle company, says they discovered a market niche where driverless delivery vans could send parcels from big distribution hubs run by courier companies to local neighbourhood stations. At that point, scooter drivers take over, dropping off the packages to people's front doors."We're allowing couriers to stay within community areas to do pickup and drop off while the autonomous vans handle the repetitive, longer-distance trips. This boosts the entire system's efficiency," he tells has also been talking to other countries, and the company says the quickest uptake of its vehicles will be in Australia later this year, when a supermarket chain will start using their driverless delivery in China, they say they're now running more than 500 vans with road access in over 50 Hefei remains the most from Rino, the city has also now given permission for other driverless delivery van companies to Huang says this is due to a combination of factors."Encouragement came from the government, followed by local experimentation, the gaining of experience, the refinement of regulations and eventually allowing a broad implementation."And you can see them on the roads, changing lanes, indicating before they turn, pulling up at red lights and avoiding other the courier companies, the numbers tell the story. According to Rino's regional director for Anhui Province, Zhang Qichen, deliveries are not only faster, but companies can hire three autonomous electric delivery vans which will run for days without needing a charge for the same cost as one says she has been blown away by the pace of change in her industry and adds that she would not be surprised if heavy, long-haul lorries are routinely driving themselves on roads in certain circumstances within five Yang agrees. "Heavy trucks running along a highway unrestricted, at least five years away."When asked if it could really happen so soon, he responds: "I'm pretty sure it will happen. In fact, I'm confident that it will happen."Industry insiders say that the most immediate applications for driverless lorries – apart from in enclosed industrial zones likes open-cut mines or ports – are probably in remote, harsh terrain with extreme environmental conditions, especially along vast stretches and in a largely straight technical challenges do remain lorries need better cameras to track well ahead into distance to detect hazards much further down the road, in the same way a person can; more tricky roads may also need to have extra sensors placed along the route; other hurdles could include breakdowns in extreme weather or sudden, unexpected dangers emerging amidst very busy top of all this, the technology – when it comes to heavy lorries – is still not cheap. What's more, these vehicles are right now modified old style lorries rather than self-driving vehicles straight off the production wants to be a champion of new tech, but it also has to be careful, not only because of the potential for deadly accidents but also because of how Chinese people might view this shift."This is not just about fulfilling regulations. It is not just about building a public image," says Chim Lee. "But that, over time, the public will see the benefit of this technology, see how it will reduce their costs for buying things, or look at it as a way of imagining that society is improving, rather than viewing this as technology which is potentially destroying, causing car accidents or removing employment opportunities."Professor Yang sees another problem. "We humans can tolerate another human driver making mistakes but our tolerance for autonomous trucks is much much lower. Machines are not supposed to make mistakes. So, we have to make sure that the system is extremely reliable."
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Statins slash death from terrifying 'hidden' condition that kills 48,000 a year by 40 per cent, new study finds
Taking statins can improve the chances of surviving 'hidden' killer sepsis by 40 per cent, a major new trial has found. Sepsis can occur when the body's immune system—which usually helps to fight infection—overreacts to an infection and attacks its own organs. It is notoriously difficult to spot as the telltale symptoms, such as a fever and muscle pain, can be easily mistaken for signs of a common cold or other infection. Statins are cholesterol-busting drugs that prevent heart attacks and strokes and are taken by around 5million adults in the UK. Experts have said they also have other benefits, including reducing inflammation and fighting bacteria that can ultimately lead to sepsis. The latest study compared survival rates of sepsis patients who were given statins, and those who didn't, during a hospital stay. It found the cholesterol-busting pills reduced risk of death for those with the life-threatening condition by 39 per cent. In the intensive care unit, 14.3 per cent of 6,000 sepsis patients who were given statins died within 28 days, compared with 23.4 per cent of 6,000 patients who were not. It also helped survival rates for those no longer in a critical condition—11 per cent of sepsis patients in this group given statins died compared to 19 per cent who were not. Meanwhile, those who were prescribed statins had a slightly longer stay in hospital than those who didn't—an average of 10 days compared to eight. Dr Caifeng Li, of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in China and the study's author said: 'These results strongly suggest that statins may provide a protective effect and improve clinical outcomes for patients with sepsis.' The research team have called for larger trials to confirm their findings—which was based on a data from thousands of patients at a hospital in Israel over a decade. In response UK sepsis experts said that 'anything which might reduce the burden of a condition which claims one in five lives worldwide needs to be rigorously explored.' Dr Ron Daniels, founder and chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, added: 'It has been known for some time that the anti-inflammatory properties of statins confer a survival benefit on those who take them if they develop sepsis. 'Whilst previous studies have failed to show a similar survival benefit in treating people with sepsis with statins, this new study supports calls for a large, multi-country, randomised control trial. 'Anything which might reduce the burden of a condition which claims one in five lives worldwide needs to be rigorously explored.' The study is the latest to find statins, one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the UK, could have other health benefits beyond controlling cholesterol. Earlier this year researchers found taking the pills, which cost mere pennies a tablet, could also slash dementia risk—even in patients who don't have high cholesterol. Sepsis, known as the 'silent killer', strikes with frightening speed and, for every hour of delay, a patient's chance of dying increases 8 per cent. If caught early enough, it can be easily treated with intravenous antibiotics and fluids, but these must be given as soon as sepsis is suspected. The early symptoms of sepsis can be easily confused with more mild conditions, meaning it can be difficult to diagnose. A high temperature, chills and shivering, a fast heartbeat and rapid breathing are also indicators. A patient can rapidly deteriorate if sepsis is missed early on, so quick diagnosis and treatment is vital–yet this rarely happens. In the early stages, sepsis can be mistaken for a chest infection, flu or upset stomach. It is most common and dangerous in older adults, pregnant women, children younger than one, people with chronic conditions or those who have weakened immune systems. The six potential signs of the deadly condition can be identified by the acronym 'SEPSIS'. Slurred speech or confusion, Extreme shivering or muscle pain, Passing no urine in a day, Severe breathlessness, and Skin that's mottled or discoloured. Anyone who develops any of these symptoms should seek medical help urgently—and ask doctors: 'Could this be sepsis?'
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
China's First Foreign-Owned Hospital Seeks More Medical Tourists
A Singapore hospital operator wants more international patients to seek treatment at its new medical center in China, as foreign healthcare providers eye medical tourism as a new growth area in the world's second-largest economy. Perennial Holdings Pte 's $139 million hospital opened earlier this year in the northern city of Tianjin, and is the first fully foreign-owned medical facility in the mainland. The hospital aims to derive 30% of its revenue during its first year of operation from patients visiting from Russia to the Middle East and Southeast Asia — hoping China will become an emerging destination for medical tourism that can compete with established regional rivals Singapore, Thailand and Japan.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
China Weighs Ordering Hundreds of Airbus Jets in Major Deal
(Bloomberg) -- China is considering placing an order for hundreds of Airbus SE aircraft as soon as next month, when European leaders visit Beijing to celebrate the countries' long-term ties, according to people familiar with the matter. Where the Wild Children's Museums Are Billionaire Steve Cohen Wants NY to Expand Taxpayer-Backed Ferry The Global Struggle to Build Safer Cars At London's New Design Museum, Visitors Get Hands-On Access LA City Council Passes Budget That Trims Police, Fire Spending Deliberations are underway with Chinese airlines about the size of a potential order, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing confidential matters. A deal could involve about 300 planes and include both narrowbody and widebody models, they said, with one person saying the order could range between 200 and as many as 500 aircraft. Negotiations are fluid and could fall apart or take longer to reach a conclusion, the people said. Airbus declined to comment. Representatives for the Civil Aviation Administration of China didn't respond to a faxed request for comment. The European planemaker rose as much as 4.1% in Paris trading. Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc, which makes engines for Airbus widebody aircraft, rose as much as 0.7% in London. Airbus has steadily increased its share of sales to China, helped by a final assembly line in Tianjin for its popular A320 family aircraft. A deal of the magnitude being discussed would help cement the European planemaker's dominance in one of the world's top aviation markets. For its US rival Boeing Co., doing business in China has become more difficult as the company gets caught up in President Donald Trump's trade war with Beijing. On Wednesday, Trump said in a social media post that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was very tough to make a deal with, raising doubts about the two largest economies reconciling their trade interests. A high-profile deal with Airbus would allow Xi to send a message to Trump over trade. French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany are among leaders that may visit Beijing in July to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union. Their countries are the two biggest shareholders in Airbus. China and the US are at loggerheads over trade rules that Trump is determined to reset during his second presidential term. Should the two sides resolve their differences, Boeing could potentially win big — the US planemaker is America's biggest exporter and a jet sale was featured in a US-UK trade deal in May. The close links between politics and plane purchases were highlighted last month when Trump visited the Middle East and helped bring home major deals, including an order from Qatar Airways for as many as 210 Boeing jets that ranks as the largest by value for the US manufacturer. In China, however, Boeing has been penalized. In April, authorities in Beijing told airlines to stop taking deliveries of Boeing jets. Trade tensions and the crises that befell the 737 Max model date back years, and have helped to give Airbus the upper hand in what was once a carefully balanced market between the two manufacturers. Widebodies would be a significant portion of a new Airbus order, the people said, with one person saying the A330neo, the planemaker's smaller twin-aisle model, could win some sales. The number of widebody jets in backlog for China's state-run and privately operated carriers has dwindled, as Boeing has traditionally sold more in the market. Should the order run to 500 planes it would rank as one of the biggest ever and certainly the largest for China, eclipsing a deal for about 300 single-aisle Airbus jets made in 2022 that was then worth around $37 billion. Air India Ltd. inked a purchase for 470 Airbus and Boeing planes back in 2023 and another Indian airline, IndiGo, placed a record-breaking order with Airbus in mid 2023 for 500 narrowbody aircraft. Boeing hasn't won a major order from China since at least 2017 due to the trade tensions and self-inflicted issues. In 2019, China became the first nation to ground the 737 Max following two deadly crashes. Trade disputes with the Biden and first Trump administrations also helped tilt Chinese orders toward Airbus. Then in January 2024, Boeing suffered a quality crisis when a door plug blew out mid-flight, forcing Boeing to slow output and denting its reputation among the flying public. Any deal would likely be carried out through China's state-run aircraft procurement body, which typically negotiates on behalf of the country's airlines. --With assistance from Zheng Wu. (Updates with market reaction in fourth paragraph.) 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