Research Highlights in 2024

Interim results from a large, ongoing study shows that genomic newborn screening identifies treatable conditions that would be missed by standard tests.

According to a large international study, Internet use among adults 50 or more years of age correlates with reduced depressive symptoms, increased life satisfaction and improved self-reported health.

A large-scale genomic analysis reveals associations between body mass index and certain driver mutations in various cancer types, particularly lung adenocarcinoma.

Post-war rationing in the UK in 1953 facilitated a natural experiment that now reveals that restricting sugar intake in early life reduces the risk of diabetes and hypertension.

Two studies reveal high transmissibility and lethality of the viral isolate in animal models, and hint at potential drug susceptibility — but further analysis and ongoing surveillance of infections will be critical for public health.

The twentieth century saw unprecedented rises in life expectancy in high-income countries, but data suggest that this trend will not continue in the current century without radical interventions to slow biological aging.

In British South Asian women, a culturally adapted and community-informed cognitive behavioral therapy intervention led to higher early recovery rates than the usual treatment.

A large study failed to show a reduction in gastric cancer incidence or mortality when Helicobacter pylori screening was added to standard colon cancer screening.

In the NIAGARA trial, the addition of perioperative durvalumab to standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer improved event-free and overall survival, marking a new treatment option for this condition.

A study of over 2,000 people shows that interacting with a large language model reduced belief in conspiracy theories — including some related to COVID-19 — by providing tailored, one-on-one interactions and compelling evidence.

Daily injection with the weight-loss drug liraglutide was more effective than placebo (both combined with lifestyle interventions) at reducing weight in children 6–12 years of age with obesity.

Plozasiran reduced triglyceride levels by 80% and lowered the risk of pancreatitis in patients with persistent chylomicronemia, with or without a genetic diagnosis.

In people undergoing medical abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy, those who took the first dose of misoprostol at home were less likely to require overnight hospitalization.

Analysis of data related to the Ukraine famine of 1932–1933 shows that in utero exposure to famine increases the risk of adult type 2 diabetes by more than twofold.

A large causal analysis based on a natural experiment suggests that gaming improves psychological well-being, but these benefits tapered off after more than 3 hours of gaming per day.

Researchers developed an AI-enabled, battery-operated tool that can be operated by clinicians with no sonography experience — and that measures gestational age as accurately as high-specification ultrasound.

In a digital-only study, people were more likely to take a home test if prompted to do so on the basis of self-reported symptoms rather than by wearable sensor data, with implications for public health responses and pandemic planning.

Risankizumab outperformed ustekinumab for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s disease in patients refractory to anti-TNF therapy.

A large randomized controlled trial with cisgender women highlights the challenges of adherence to a daily oral preexposure prophylaxis regimen and demonstrates that twice-yearly injection of lenacapavir can maintain effective HIV prevention levels over 6 months.

A longitudinal imaging study finds that psilocybin ‘desynchronizes’ the human brain, dissolving network connections linked to our sense of space, time and self — which could explain the therapeutic effects of this psychedelic.