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  • David Bowie’s 15 Favorite Songs Revealed in Unearthed Document

    David Bowie’s 15 Favorite Songs Revealed in Unearthed Document

    In just two days, the David Bowie Center will open at the V&A East Storehouse in London, giving the public access to a vast archive of 90,000 items from the singer’s life and career. One of the more intriguing artifacts is a list of Bowie’s 15 favorite songs from a document entitled “Memo for radio show — list of favourite records.”

    The list contains some unsurprising picks like Roxy Music’s “Mother of Pearl,” Sonic Youth’s “Tom Violence,” and Jeff Beck’s “Beck’s Bolero.” There are also songs he covered throughout his long career, including the Beatles’ “Across the Universe,” Ronnie Spector’s “Try Some, Buy Some,” and Legendary Stardust Cowboy’s “I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship. (The first song appeared on 1975’s Young Americans, the second on 2003’s Reality, and the third on 2002’s Heathen.)

    There are also 1950s obscurities he likely remembered from childhood, including Alan Freed and His Rock ’N’ Roll Band’s “Right Now Right Now” and Little Richard’s “True Fine Mama.” The list also touches on jazz numbers like Charlie Mingus’ “Ecclusiastics” and “Miles Davis’ “Some Day My Prince Will Come.”

    The final batch of songs are eclectic tunes from multiple eras, including the Hollywood Argyles’ “Sho Know a Lot About Love,” Edgar Froese’s “Epsilon in Malaysian Pale,” and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.”

    When the public gains access to the David Bowie Center, many more tantalizing documents like his are likely to surface. And this week, the 12-disc box set David Bowie 6. I Can’t Give Everything Away (2002 to 2016) arrives. It documents the final 14 years of Bowie’s career, and is packed with unheard material along with recordings from his final live appearances in 2005 and 2006.

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    Here is the complete listing of Bowie’s 15 favorite songs:

    Ralph Vaughan Williams – “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis”
    Richard Strauss – “Four Last Songs”
    Alan Freed and His Rock ’N’ Roll Band – “Right Now Right Now”
    Little Richard – “True Fine Mama”
    The Hollywood Argyles – “Sho Know a Lot About Love”
    Miles Davis – “Some Day My Prince Will Come”
    Charles Mingus – “Ecclusiastics”
    Jeff Beck – “Beck’s Bolero”
    Legendary Stardust Cowboy – “I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship”
    The Beatles – “Across the Universe”
    Ronnie Spector – “Try Some, Buy Some”
    Roxy Music – “Mother of Pearl”
    Edgar Froese – “Epsilon in Malaysian Pale”
    The Walker Brothers – “The Electrician”
    Sonic Youth – “Tom Violence”

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  • RAB26 identified as a critical regulator of prostate cancer aggressiveness

    RAB26 identified as a critical regulator of prostate cancer aggressiveness

    Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignant tumors in men worldwide. While early detection has improved patient outcomes, effective therapies for advanced disease remain limited. Identifying the molecular drivers of PCa growth and metastasis is therefore essential to developing new treatment strategies that can overcome resistance to standard therapies.

    In a recent study published in Genes & Diseases, researchers from Chongqing Medical University, revealed the pivotal role of RAB26-a regulator of cell signaling and trafficking-in prostate cancer progression.

    Using single-cell RNA sequencing data (GSE141445), researchers found that RAB26 is mainly expressed in luminal and basal/intermediate prostate cancer cells. Elevated RAB26 expression was significantly correlated with advanced pathological stage, higher Gleason score, and poor patient prognosis. Subsequent analyses showed that RAB26 promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion of PCa cells, inhibits apoptosis, and enhances stemness and sphere formation of prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs).

    Transcriptome sequencing analysis indicated that RAB26 drives the metastatic potential of PCa by promoting epithelial–mesenchymal transition through cascades of MAPK/ERK pathways. The team also discovered that RAB26 facilitates the nuclear localization of TWIST1, a key EMT transcription factor, while TWIST1 in turn increases RAB26 expression – creating a positive feedback loop that accelerates cancer progression. Furthermore, the findings were validated in vivo, where RAB26 knockdown significantly reduced tumor size, stemness markers, and lung metastases.

    Taken together, these findings identify RAB26 as a critical regulator of prostate cancer aggressiveness. The study underscores its potential both as a prognostic biomarker and as a molecular target for the development of novel therapies aimed at combating advanced and drug-resistant prostate cancer.

    Source:

    Journal reference:

    Wang, H., et al. (2025). RAB26 promotes prostate cancer progression via the MAPK/ERK-TWIST1 signaling axis. Genes & Diseases. doi.org/10.1016/j.gendis.2025.101689

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  • India lose 4-1 to China in Super 4

    India lose 4-1 to China in Super 4

    The Indian hockey team lost 4-1 against the People’s Republic of China in their second Super 4s match at the Women’s Asia Cup 2025 in the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Hockey Field in Hangzhou on Thursday.

    Mumtaz Khan (38′) was the only goal-scorer for India, ninth in the women’s hockey rankings, while Zou Meirong (4′, 56′), Chen Yang (31′) and Tan Jinzhuang (47′) scored for world No. 4 China.

    It was a lively first quarter with both sides attacking the circles and creating good opportunities but it was China who secured the opening goal early on.

    In the fourth minute, India did well to make a good save but the ball went to Zou Meirong on the rebound, allowing her to tap it into the empty net.

    India, on the other hand, weren’t clinical enough in front of goal and won their first penalty corner in the 10th minute but couldn’t make it past the Chinese rushers.

    The second quarter too saw plenty of end-to-end action but neither side could find the net. In the last five minutes of the first half, India increased the tempo of the game as they applied constant pressure on the Chinese defence and controlled possession in search of a goal.

    In the 27th minute, India won another penalty corner but that too didn’t amount to a goal as they headed back into the break a goal behind.

    In the very first minute of the third quarter, China increased their lead after India gave away the ball in their own circle to an unmarked Chen Yang, who scored with a simple finish.

    In the 38th minute, Mumtaz Khan scored an incredible field goal for India to reduce the deficit.

    Lalremsiami passed the ball to Mumtaz Khan at the edge of the circle from where she launched a powerful back-handed shot from distance to score India’s only goal.

    Moments later, Zou Meirong took a shot from close range on goal but India’s Bichu Devi showcased great reflexes to make a save and maintain the scoreline.

    China started the final quarter strong, adding another goal to their tally. They won a penalty corner in the 47th minute which was converted by Tan Jinzhuang off a deflection from a defender’s stick.

    They scored their last goal of the match in the 56th minute courtesy of another field goal from Zou Meirong to seal the fixture and progress into the final of the Women’s Asia Cup.

    India will next play defending champions Japan on September 13 in their third Super 4s match. They will be looking for a win to secure a spot in the final, where they would once again clash with hosts China.

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  • Malaika Mihambo on jumping with purpose: “I want to be remembered for who I am, not just my medals”

    Malaika Mihambo on jumping with purpose: “I want to be remembered for who I am, not just my medals”

    Turning Olympic pain into life purpose

    Indeed, for Mihambo it’s never over…until the last jump. The long jump queen fought hard to stay in contention, and it paid off.

    “I know how it is to have people in my life who give everything for me and who make my life like a top priority for them, my family, my mother but also in sports you’re never alone, it’s a team. I have my coach for example, my management, and I know they really see the person in me. I also never stopped believing in myself, and I think that is what made the silver possible.”

    “I tried to remind myself that I can go through pain and if I survive, I will have more clarity and more power.”

    The consistency of the Heidelberg native will again be put to the test at the World Championships, where she starts as the world leader (according to the World Athletics September 2025 world rankings) ahead of the reigning Olympic gold medallist Tara Davis-Woodhall.

    Although a third gold medal would be inspiring, Mihambo’s leaps transcend competition accolades. She is more motivated by the opportunity to showcase her unwavering spirit and perseverance on a bigger stage.

    “I’m quite sure that this will be a good year as well,” said Mihambo, whose 7.07m jump in Karlsruhe has her lying second behind her American rival Davis-Woodhall, who qualified for Tokyo with 7.12m.

    “I want to be in a mindset where I’m independent of results, medals and performances, fame… Maybe this is something special about me, that I’m not focusing on winning that much. Because I’ve learned so much in those 31 years, I’m on Earth. I learned that there’s much more to the world or to life than just focusing on the materials and the things right in front of you.”

    Mihambo’s passion for making an impact and leaving a legacy is closely linked to her sports-focused foundation, which helps families and children get into track and field.

    “I have this idea that if we ignite some fires of passion for sports, for social engagement, for fair play, tolerance, peace of mind among the children, we can build up a society that’s focussed more on values that you cannot count.”

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  • Piers Morgan launches new attack on Prince Harry after King Charles reunion

    Piers Morgan launches new attack on Prince Harry after King Charles reunion

    Prince Harry to blame for monarchy’s decline, claims Piers Morgan

    Piers Morgan launched another scathing attack on Prince Harry following his recent reunion with King Charles.

    During ITV’s This Morning, the journalist blamed the Duke of Sussex for the decline of monarchy.

    He said Harry has hurt the Royal family while trying to control how people see him while discussing about the monarchy’s falling popularity.

    Piers said Harry and Meghan Markle have played a big part in the declining popularity of the monarchy by speaking badly about the royals while living in California.

    “They (Harry and Meghan) spent five years enriching themselves in California for trashing their family. You can’t get away from that,” he said.

    On his UK visit, Piers said, “My thing is you can’t have your cake and eat it. What he wants to do is cherry pick certain things that make him look good.”

    Piers added that Harry’s recent visit to the UK for charity work seems like an attempt to improve his image, but he can’t “have his cake and eat it too.”

    “The most intrusive person into royal privacy ever has been Prince Harry – with his book and with his Netflix series,” said Piers. 


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  • NASA’s Webb Spots Blowtorch of Gas on Milky Way’s Outskirts

    NASA’s Webb Spots Blowtorch of Gas on Milky Way’s Outskirts

    NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured a jaw-dropping sight: a massive jet of glowing gas blasting out from a newborn star like a fiery blowtorch. This stellar eruption stretches 8 light-years across, which is twice the distance between our Sun and Alpha Centauri, our closest neighboring star system.

    The jet, located in the Sharpless 2-284 nebula, is rare in both size and power. Racing through space at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour, it looks uncannily like a double-bladed lightsaber straight out of Star Wars.

    At the heart of this spectacle is a protostar, a baby star still forming, about ten times heavier than our Sun, sitting 15,000 light-years away on the edge of the Milky Way. It’s a galactic birth announcement, written in plasma and speed.

    Lead author Yu Cheng of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan said, “The Webb discovery was serendipitous. We didn’t really know there was a massive star with this kind of super-jet out there before the observation. Such a spectacular outflow of molecular hydrogen from a massive star is rare in other regions of our galaxy.”

    When a star is being born, it doesn’t arrive quietly; it shoots out blazing jets of plasma in opposite directions, like cosmic fireworks. These highly focused outflows, called protostellar jets, are nature’s way of saying, ‘A new star is here!’.

    As gas falls into the star, some of it gets blasted out along the star’s spin axis, likely guided by magnetic fields. These jets are narrow and powerful, and they help scientists understand the star’s growth, energy, and environment.

    Most of the jets we’ve seen come from low-mass stars, but each one offers clues about how stars form and evolve. By studying their shape, speed, and lifespan, researchers can fine-tune models of stellar birth.

    Co-author Jonathan Tan of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden said, “I was really surprised at the order, symmetry, and size of the jet when we first looked at it.”

    Scientists found that the jet’s scale grows with the mass of the star powering it. In other words, the bigger the baby star, the more dramatic its plasma outburst.

    Captured in stunning infrared detail, the jet shows a filamentary structure, a sign that it’s crashing into clouds of interstellar dust and gas. This collision creates knots, bow shocks, and linear chains, like ripples from a cosmic splash.

    At the far ends of the jet, stretching in opposite directions, lie clues to the star’s past. These tips act like timestamps, preserving the history of the star’s formation as it grew and evolved.

    “Originally, the material was close to the star, but over 100,000 years, the tips were propagating out, and then the stuff behind is a younger outflow,” said Tan.

    The proto-cluster hosting the massive jet in Sh2-284 sits far out on the fringes of the Milky Way, nearly twice as far from the galactic center as our Sun. It’s a quiet, remote region where hundreds of stars are still forming, like cosmic seedlings in a sparse field.

    Because it’s so far out, this region has low metallicity, meaning its stars contain very few elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. That’s typical of the early universe, before generations of stars enriched space with metals through supernovae and stellar winds.

    In this way, Sh2-284 acts as a local time capsule, giving scientists a rare glimpse into how stars may have formed in the universe’s youth.

    Cheng said, “Massive stars, like the one found inside this cluster, have significant influences on the evolution of galaxies. Our discovery is shedding light on the formation mechanism of massive stars in low metallicity environments, so we can use this massive star as a laboratory to study what was going on in earlier cosmic history.”

    Tan said, “Webb’s new images are telling us that the formation of massive stars in such environments could proceed via a relatively stable disk around the star that is expected in theoretical models of star formation known as core accretion.”

    “Once we found a massive star launching these jets, we realized we could use the Webb observations to test theories of massive star formation. We developed new theoretical core accretion models that were fit to the data, to basically tell us what kind of star is in the center. These models imply that the star is about 10 times the mass of the Sun and is still growing and has been powering this outflow.”

    For over 30 years, astronomers have debated how massive stars form. One idea, called competitive accretion, suggests stars grow through a chaotic process, pulling in gas from all directions, causing their disks to wobble and their jets to twist.

    But new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope tell a different story. Scientists saw jets shooting out in perfectly opposite directions, like a straight arrow. That means the disk around the star stayed steady, supporting a calmer theory called core accretion, where stars grow from a stable, rotating disk.

    And there’s more: in this quiet corner of the Milky Way, where stars are still forming, researchers found another dense core that might be the next massive star in the making, spotted by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in Chile.

    Journal Reference:

    1. Yu Cheng, Jonathan C. Tan, Morten Andersen, Rubén Fedriani, Yichen Zhang, Massimo Robberto, Zhi-Yun Li, and Kei E. I. Tanaka. LZ-STAR Survey: Low-metallicity Star Formation Survey of Sh2-284. I. Ordered Massive Star Formation in the Outer Galaxy. The Astrophysical Journal. DOI 10.3847/1538-4357/addf4b

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  • ‘New’ island emerges from melting ice in Alaska

    ‘New’ island emerges from melting ice in Alaska

    A ‘new’ island has appeared in the middle of a lake in southeastern Alaska after the landmass lost contact with a melting glacier, NASA satellite images reveal.

    The landmass, named Prow Knob, is a small mountain that was formerly surrounded by the Alsek Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park. However, Alsek Glacier has been retreating for decades, slowly separating itself from Prow Knob and leaving a growing freshwater lake in its wake.

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  • ‘The Morning Show’ Season Four Won’t Address Trump’s Reelection

    ‘The Morning Show’ Season Four Won’t Address Trump’s Reelection

    When the fourth season of The Morning Show drops on Apple TV+ next week, audiences will catch up with Jennifer Aniston‘s Alex Levy and Reese Witherspoon‘s Bradley Jackson almost two years after the events of season three, with a time jump into early 2024.

    For a show that regularly hits on of-the-moment topics like the #MeToo movement and COVID-19 pandemic, viewers may expect this season to address the 2024 presidential election — but that will not be the case.

    At the show’s New York premiere on Tuesday, director and executive producer Mimi Leder told The Hollywood Reporter, “We did not touch the election — this season ends right before the election. Our show is not about elections; our show is about the world, about AI, about deepfakes, about environmental tragedies. It’s about democracy. It’s about journalists in jeopardy, journalists under threat, and our main theme this season is trust — who can you trust?”

    Showrunner Charlotte Stoudt added that with the season set in the spring of 2024 when the presidential race was still between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, “We try to go at it sideways. We don’t really have, directly, an election story, but we do touch on the idea of: Why were two older white men running for president. Why do we still need daddy?”

    There are a few moments that reference the political climate at that time, though, as then-President Biden makes a brief appearance in season four via a media clip, and is mentioned as part of a storyline involving Alex Levy, who is now steering the season three finale merger between The Morning Show‘s parent company and their rival media company to create the newly formed UBN. Big tech, AI, fringe media, employment and reproductive rights are also election-related topics tackled this year.

    Co-star Nestor Carbonell explained, “I think this season, there was less of an emphasis on the political side and more on the social implications of these things. There are politics but they’re politics within the station, less so on the political election.”

    Hannah Leder, William Jackson Harper, Nicole Beharie, Boyd Holbrook, Néstor Carbonell, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Jeremy Irons, Karen Pittman, Marion Cotillard and Jon Hamm.

    Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty Images

    On top of the already starry cast of Aniston, Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Jon Hamm, Mark Duplass and Karen Pittman, season four welcomes new additions Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, William Jackson Harper and Boyd Holbrook.

    But even with that supersized cast, Witherspoon promised “a lot more” moments between her and Aniston’s characters — after they were in largely separate storylines in season three, and left off with a cliffhanger that set them even further apart. “You’re going to see Alex and Bradley from the very beginning, almost in a little tension too. They’re maybe not as friendly as they were last season,” she teased.

    The Morning Show season four starts streaming Sept. 17 on Apple TV+.

    Neha Joy and Jackie Strause contributed to this report.

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  • First global database of wealth accumulation covering 1800–2025 now available – WID

    First global database of wealth accumulation covering 1800–2025 now available – WID

    What is WID.world? 

    For more information on WID.world and its history, click here.

    For more information on the network of researchers, click here.

    For more information on methodology, click here.

    How to read WID.world graphs? 

    Click here for help on how to navigate through WID.world menus and graphs.

    I encounter technical problems on WID.world, what should I do? 

    First, accept our apologies. Second, you should delete the cache memory of your browser (generally under “settings/history/clear cache”), then close it, and try again. If this does not solve the problem, you may want to try with a different browser. And, finally, send us an email with the description of the issue, and the details of your operative system and browsers versions. Our contact mail is in the website footer, under  the CONTACT US section.

    What distinguishes WID.world’s inequality data from the OECD, the World Bank, or other inequality data providers?

    Only few institutions provide inequality estimates and those who do so (e.g. the the OECD or the World Bank data portals) rely for the most part on household surveys. One key problem with surveys, however, is that they are based upon self-reporting and are well known to underestimate top incomes and top wealth shares. In addition, surveys only cover a limited time span and make it impossible to offer a long-term perspective on inequality trends.

    In contrast, WID.world combines national accounts and survey data with fiscal data sources. This allows us to release inequality estimates that are more reliable – from the bottom to the top of the distribution of income and wealth – and also that span over much longer periods.

    The data series provided in WID.world should however not be seen as perfect and definitive: existing series are continuously updated and improved by WID.world fellows, following new raw data releases or conceptual and methodological improvements. All the methodological followed to construct our series can be found in country-specific papers in our methodology library or in the DINA guidelines.

    Should you have further questions on the data, do not hesitate to contact us.

    What distinguishes WID.world’s national accounts data from the UN, the IMF, the World Bank, or other national accounts data providers?

    Estimates for national accounts (such as national income and national wealth) found on WID.world and on international statistical institutions databases are generally consistent, buy can vary for several reasons.

    First, we release detailed series for national wealth accounts, which usually cannot be found on other portals. Next, we include corrections for offshore wealth and offshore capital income, so that our series on foreign capital income inflows and outflows are consistent at the global level (e.g. they sum to zero), which is typically not the case in existing databases.

    Finally, reliable series for the consumption of fixed capital (capital depreciation) estimates are not readily available for a large number of countries, so we combine various sources and develop new methods to derive consistent global series.

    As a consequence, we are able to offer consistent global series on national income – i.e. GDP minus consumption of fixed capital, plus net foreign income – which do not exist elsewhere.

    WID.world uses 2011 Purchasing Power Parity round for international comparisons. It should also be noted that default monetary values for Eurozone countries are displayed in PPP Euros and are thus different from Market exchange rate Euros. A Eurozone country with high relative prices will have a lower PPP Euro average income values. Market exchange rates values can be obtained in our custom menus.

    All these methodological choices can explain slightly different values between WID.world and other data portals. They are described in the Metadata associated to each variable and in the associated methodological documents. See in particular the « Distributional National Accounts Guidelines » (there).

    In addition, it should be noted that there are specific countries such as China where there is substantial controversy about price deflators and aggregate real growth. In such cases we review all existing series and attempt to combine them in the most sensible manner. This is fully explained in the country-specific papers.

    Should you have further questions on the data, do not hesitate to contact us.

    There are already many on line economic data portals, why using WID.world? 

    Over the past decades, the increase in economic inequalities was largely driven by a rise in income and wealth accruing to the top of the distribution. However, household surveys, the data sources traditionally used to observe these dynamics, do not capture these evolution very well. They provide useful information and cover a lot of countries but do not inform adequately on income and wealth levels of the richest individuals.

    WID.world overcomes this limitation by combining different data sources: national accounts, survey data, fiscal data, and wealth rankings. By doing so, it becomes possible to track very precisely the evolution of all income or wealth levels, from the bottom to the top. The key novelty of the WID.world project is to use such data in a systematic manner, allowing comparisons between countries and over long time periods.

    For more information on what you will find (and will not find) on WID.world, click here.

    What is the meaning of the economic concepts used on WID.world? 

    We try our best to use economic concepts which are consistent with national accounting (i.e. the system used for measuring the economic activity of a nation) and that can also make sense for the general public. On each graph, users can click on the “?” icon and will find the definition of the concepts at stake.

    Users can also use our quick-search glossary to find the definition they want.

    How is WID.world funded?

    WID.world is entirely funded by public, non-profit actors and personal donations.

    For more information on our funders, click here.

    If you wish to support us, please click on the DONATE button at the bottom of the funding page.

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  • CVD Risk Prediction Tool May Help Guide Statin Therapy

    CVD Risk Prediction Tool May Help Guide Statin Therapy

    Sadiya Khan, ‘09 MD, ‘14 MSc, ’10, ’12 GME, the Magerstadt Professor of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, was lead author of the study published in JAMA Cardiology. 

    A cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction tool developed by Northwestern Medicine scientists may also be effective for identifying which patients would most benefit from statin therapy, according to a recent study published in JAMA Cardiology.  

    The CVD risk calculator, called the PREVENT (Predicting Risk of cardiovascular disease EVENTs) risk equations, could ultimately help improve clinical decision-making conversations between patients and their physicians, according to Sadiya Khan, ‘09 MD, ‘14 MSc, ’10, ’12 GME, the Magerstadt Professor of Cardiovascular Epidemiology and lead author of the study.  

    “We hope these data will help support shared decision-making for starting a statin medicine. We want to help improve the conversation between healthcare clinicians and their patients about their risk and the potential benefit of starting a medication,” said Khan, who is also an associate professor of Medical Social Sciences in the Division of Determinants of Health and of Preventive Medicine in the Division of Epidemiology.  

    In 2023, Khan and colleagues developed the American Heart Association’s PREVENT risk equations to more accurately estimate CVD risk. In doing so, they recognized a need for new risk thresholds for when to consider prescribing medications such as statins to lower a patient’s risk of CVD.  

    “This was truly the next step on the PREVENT journey. Since the current guidelines recommend the Pooled Cohort Equations (PCEs), we also wanted to show how different thresholds for PREVENT compared with the thresholds used in the prior PCE model,” Khan said.  

    In the current study, the investigators studied population-level implications for statin eligibility according to different 10-year atheroclerotic CVD risk estimates based on PREVENT and compared them with guideline-defined thresholds based on the PCE model. 

    The investigators performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (conducted between January 2011 to March 2020), which included more than 5,200 U.S. adults ages 40 to 75 years.  

    Among the participants, representing more than 133 million adults, 28.1 million were already taking statins and an additional 15.2 million were eligible for statins for secondary prevention or high-risk primary prevention due to diabetes or LDL cholesterol levels of 190 milligrams per deciliter or greater. 

    Of the remaining 70.2 million adults, the scientists found that 11.8 million would be eligible for statin therapy with a 10-year CVD risk of 5 percent or greater with PREVENT. This translated into a 10-year absolute risk reduction of more than 2 percent.  

    “A risk estimate higher than 3 to 5 percent hits the ‘sweet spot’ to identify those patients who will have the greatest benefit from starting a lipid-lowering medication. While patients at even lower risk may have some benefit, it is likely to be smaller and warrants a more personalized discussion,” Khan said.  

    Khan said the findings can help support decision-making conversations between patients and healthcare providers when deciding whether to use statins to help reduce a patient’s CVD risk. 

    “If a clinician can have a conversation with their patient explaining that there is a certain threshold after which intervention is recommended because the benefit of starting the intervention is greater than any potential harm, this is often a concept patients understand and can help make them more confident in the decision to adhere to their providers’ recommendations,” Khan said.  

    While risk prediction can often be the first step in a shared decision-making process, Khan said that it’s not always a “one-size-fits-all” situation.  

    “While absolute risk is a helpful way to decide who should be treated, it can sometimes be challenging, so next steps in our work include how best to communicate risk with individual patients,” Khan said.  

    Co-authors of the study include Xiaoning Huang, PhD, research assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology; Nilay Shah, ‘14 MD, ‘14 MPH, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology and of Preventive Medicine in the Division of Epidemiology; and John Wilkins, MD, 

    associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology and of Preventive Medicine in the Division of Epidemiology.  

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