Staying #Up2Date 🚨

1: Maternal Diabetes and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Children

This systematic review and meta-analysis of 200+ studies found that children exposed to maternal diabetes were at increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.24-1.31) — including ASD (RR 1.25, 95% CI 1.24-1.31), ADHD (RR 1.30 95% CI 1.24-1.37), and intellectual disability (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.18-1.47). Pre-gestational diabetes was more strongly associated with risk than gestational diabetes (RR 1.39 [95% CI 1.24-1.44] vs RR 1.18 [95% CI 1.14-1.23]). 

2: Reducing Suicide Attempts in Outpatient Mental Health Care

A quality improvement study across 4 US health systems found that implementing the Zero Suicide (ZS) model — a menu of evidence-based suicide prevention strategies — was linked to lower suicide attempt rates in 3 of the 4. The results support wider use of the ZS model in outpatient mental health care.

3: Less ZZZs → Alzheimer’s Disease?

In a 20-year prospective cohort study of 271 adults, researchers examined links between baseline sleep patterns and brain structure on later MRI. Reduced slow wave sleep (SWS) and REM was associated with atrophy of the inferior parietal region — a brain change often seen in early Alzheimer’s. The findings suggest sleep architecture may be a modifiable risk factor for AD development. 

Pfizer’s GLP-1 Fail ❌

Why the company isn’t ready to graduate to GLP-1 drugs

What happened: Pfizer is ending its experimental daily weight loss pill after a possible drug-related liver injury. 

Why it’s interesting: The drug is called danuglipron, and the incident happened during a trial that quickly increases the pill dose over a short period. The patient didn’t experience any liver-related symptoms or side effects, and their liver enzymes quickly recovered. Instead, it’s believed that the patient’s liver enzymes were elevated, which could damage the cells in the organ. This has been an issue that other obesity drugs have been dealing with.

Pfizer’s chief scientific officer said that while the company is disappointed that it had to stop developing danuglipron, it is still committed to bringing new medications to patients.

Pfizer isn’t the only company with their hat in the ring regarding GLP-1s. Companies like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are among the others vying for the top spot. Wall Street analysts say the GLP-1 industry will be worth over $150 billion by the early 2030s. $50 billion of that total is estimated to account for oral GLP-1s, while the rest is for injections.

But: This isn’t the first time Pfizer has had a setback with danuglipron. In late 2023, the company discontinued a twice-daily pill version after a patient couldn’t tolerate it in a mid-stage study. Earlier that same year, Pfizer scrapped a different once-daily obesity pill because patients were experiencing higher liver enzyme levels during the trial. Despite the company claiming that elevated liver enzymes in people who’ve taken danuglipron are in line with approved GLP-1 drugs, investors are pessimistic about the corporation’s future with obesity drugs.

Bottom line: Pfizer was an A+ student during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it will have to perfect its GLP-1s before they can graduate to the public.

Hot Off The Press

1: 🧬 A simple spit test may be the future of prostate cancer screening. In a UK trial of 6,000+ men, a genetic saliva test outperformed PSA screening — diagnosing prostate cancer in 40% of high-risk men, more than half of which were aggressive. Researchers say it could help catch dangerous cancers earlier and cut down on unnecessary biopsies.

2: 🇺🇸 Canadian travel to the US dropped 17% in March — the lowest since COVID — nearly 865,000 fewer border crossings than last year. Travel was up this winter… until Trump took office (again). Now? Tariff threats, annexation talk — and Canadians staying home.

3: 💜 The CDC has found that 1 in 31 children has autism, an increase from 5 years ago. The jump is mainly due to a better understanding of autism, as each patient can be classified differently. RFK Jr has announced he and his team are trying to identify the root cause of autism, calling it an “epidemic.” Autism experts say he and many others are missing key factors, like people having children at an older age, better awareness, and access to diagnostic testing.

4:🚶‍♀️Exercising just once or twice a week could cut mild dementia risk by 25%, according to a long-term study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The 20-year study tracked ~10,000 adults and found “weekend warriors” fared better than even regular exercisers (who saw an 11% reduction). Researchers estimate 13% of cases could be avoided if all middle-aged adults moved just a little.

Notable Numbers 🔢

1 to 6%: the estimated infection rate after tattooing, according to a 2025 Lancet Microbe series — though most are mild.

93%: the portion of tattoo inks in a 2021 study that violated EU labeling rules. Harmful metals like nickel and chromium were found in nearly all tested samples.

1.62x: the increased risk of skin cancer among tattooed individuals in a 2025 Danish twin study — an association, not causation.

Picks

😂Laugh: at this meme about curve fitting methods!

📺 Watch: Celebrities like Katy Perry and Gayle King take flight to space for 4 minutes!

🧠 Read: Some of the smartest people war-gamed out what the near future of the word may look like, as a result of the AI revolution. Check it out.

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