Healthy Soch
India
healthysoch
New Delhi, June 17, 2026:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Itvisma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-brve) for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in adults and children aged 2 years and older with a confirmed SMN1 gene mutation.
Itvisma is an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector–based gene therapy designed to deliver a functional copy of the SMN1 gene, targeting the underlying cause of the disease. The approval provides a new treatment option for eligible patients with this rare, progressive neuromuscular disorder.
A large study finds that adult obesity significantly raises the risk of severe infections and accounts for nearly 1 in 10 infection-related deaths worldwide.
A major study published in The Lancet has found that adult obesity significantly increases the risk of severe infections and contributes substantially to infection-related deaths globally. Researchers analysed pooled data from the Finnish Public Sector Study, the Health and Social Support Study in Finland, and the UK Biobank, covering more than 547,000 adults with over a decade of follow-up.
The findings revealed a clear dose–response relationship: individuals with class III obesity had nearly three times the risk of infection-related hospitalization or death compared to those with a healthy weight. Elevated risks were observed across viral and bacterial infections, with particularly strong associations for skin and soft tissue infections and COVID-19. The link persisted even after adjusting for lifestyle, socioeconomic, and medical factors.
Global modelling using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that 10.8% of infection-related deaths in 2023 approximately 0.6 million deaths were attributable to adult obesity.
While observational in nature, the study underscores obesity as a major, yet modifiable, risk factor for severe infectious disease outcomes worldwide.
