Health
Superbugs due to antibiotic resistance could kill 39 million people by 2050, large study finds
Resistance to antibiotics has led to one million worldwide deaths each year since 1990, for a total of 36 million.
It is expected to cause more than 39 million more fatalities by 2050 — three per minute.
That’s according to a large study led by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project, a partnership between the University of Oxford and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
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After analyzing 520 million health records, the researchers provided future estimates for 22 pathogens, 84 pathogen-drug combinations and 11 infectious syndromes across 204 countries and territories, according to a GRAM press release.
Resistance to antibiotics has led to one million worldwide deaths each year since 1990, for a total of 36 million. (iStock)
Findings from the study were published in The Lancet on Monday.
What is antimicrobial resistance?
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria and other types of germs become stronger than the medications given to treat them, creating so-called “superbugs.”
This can make infections difficult or impossible to treat, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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“In modern medicine, the use of antibiotics has allowed us to successfully perform organ transplants, complex surgical procedures and care for extremely preterm infants,” Jasmine Riviere Marcelin, MD, a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and infectious diseases professor at the University of Nebraska — who was not involved in the study — told Fox News Digital.
“These interventions have been successful because antibiotics have allowed us to prevent and treat infections in these critically ill patients.”
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria and other types of germs become stronger than the medications given to treat them, creating so-called “superbugs.” (iStock)
Now, antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a “significant health risk,” she warned, because they prevent the ability to treat or prevent infections.
“Not only will our advancements in medicine be at risk, but we may find ourselves back to where we were in the pre-antibiotic era, when mortality from simple skin/soft tissue infections was significant,” Marcelin added.
“We may find ourselves back to where we were in the pre-antibiotic era.”
Maureen Tierney, MD, associate dean of clinical research and public health at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, was also not involved in the study, but confirmed that it is “the most comprehensive attempt to determine the burden of antimicrobial resistance [in terms of] disability and death.”
“This was an enormous effort using all different sources of data in countries around the world to estimate the number of deaths caused by microorganisms resistant to several types of antibiotics,” she told Fox News Digital.
Marking key shifts
Since 1990, the infection that caused the biggest increase was MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus), a type of staph bacteria that has become resistant to some antibiotics.
Annual MRSA-related deaths increased from 57,200 in 1990 to 130,000 in 2021, the study found.
Despite the overall increase in AMR-related mortality, deaths among kids younger than 5 were cut in half between 1990 and 2021.
Since 1990, the infection that caused the biggest increase was MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus), a type of staph bacteria that has become resistant to some antibiotics. (iStock)
The researchers attributed this to childhood vaccination programs and wider access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene practices.
The sharpest increase was among adults 70 and older, who saw a more than 80% uptick in AMR deaths.
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“Researchers expect these trends to continue in the coming decades, with AMR deaths among children under 5 projected to halve by 2050 globally, as deaths among people 70 years and older more than double,” the press release stated.
Geographically, deaths rose the most in western sub-Saharan Africa, tropical Latin America, high-income North America, Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Combating antimicrobial resistance
Next week, global health leaders plan to meet at the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss new strategies for addressing AMR.
Potential interventions include “infection prevention and control measures, such as new vaccines and antimicrobials, and improved access to water and sanitation — as well as deeper investments across health systems in diagnostics, training and new technologies,” the release stated.
“The most important ways to decrease the incidence of antibiotic resistance are vaccination for pneumonia, influenza, COVID, measles and other diseases,” an infectious diseases expert told Fox News Digital. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images))
“The most important ways to decrease the incidence of antibiotic resistance are vaccination for pneumonia, influenza, COVID, measles and other diseases,” Tierney from Creighton University told Fox News Digital.
Tierney also calls for “antimicrobial stewardship” – which she defines as “the judicious use of antibiotics in humans, animals and farming” – as well as infection prevention practices, especially in health care facilities, and the development of new antibiotics.
“Antibiotics are a shared natural resource that we must all protect.”
While creating new drugs is one way to combat AMR, Marcelin warned that relying only on drug discovery would be “futile,” given the length of time it takes for new medications to be developed, tested and approved.
“The number of new or repurposed antibiotics in late-stage clinical development is very small, and no single antibiotic candidate claims to have activity against those bacteria resistant to all currently available drugs,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“If we can’t make new drugs easily, we can combat resistance by controlling the spread of resistant organisms, which is the principle of infection control.”
To prevent resistance, experts say that antibiotics should be prescribed and used “only when they are indicated, for the optimal duration, and at the right timing and dosing regimen.” (iStock)
To prevent resistance, Marcelin agrees that antibiotics should be prescribed and used “only when they are indicated, for the optimal duration, and at the right timing and dosing regimen.”
She added, “Antibiotics are a shared natural resource that we must all protect, so that we can continue to live in a world where we make medical advances and reduce mortality from bacterial infections.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
Fox News Digital reached out to GRAM researchers requesting comment.
Health
4 Mistakes People Make When Starting a GLP-1 That Can Stall Weight Loss—Plus How to Maximize Your Results
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With an aggressive new strain spreading across the country, this year’s flu season has been marked by record-high hospitalizations and reportedly intense symptoms.
As people look for ways to contain the spread, new research has found that a few simple factors can greatly reduce transmission.
Researchers from the University of Maryland Schools of Public Health and Engineering in College Park and the School of Medicine in Baltimore studied influenza spread by placing flu-positive college students in a hotel room with healthy middle-aged adult volunteers.
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The study, published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, is reportedly the first clinical trial investigating how the flu spreads from naturally infected people to uninfected people, according to a press release.
The participants, including 11 healthy volunteers, lived on a quarantined floor of a Baltimore-area hotel for two weeks. During that time, they simulated interactions, including having conversations, doing physical activities like yoga, and passing around objects like pens and tablets from infected people to the rest of the group.
New research has experts questioning how the flu spreads through airborne transmission. (iStock)
Researchers monitored the participant’s symptoms, performed daily nasal swabs, and collected saliva and blood samples to test for antibodies, the release stated.
The study also measured the “viral exposure” in the volunteers’ breathing air and ambient air in the activity room. The exhaled breath of the participants was measured by a machine called the Gesundheit II, invented by researcher Dr. Donald Milton and colleagues at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
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At the end of the experiment, none of the healthy individuals had become infected with the flu due to a variety of factors. This included a lack of coughing, as the infected students were holding “a lot of virus in their noses” and only small amounts were “expelled into the air,” the researchers noted.
Researchers said proper ventilation was a major factor in halting flu spread in this study. (iStock)
“Our data suggests key things that increase the likelihood of flu transmission — coughing is a major one,” Dr. Jianyu Lai, post-doctoral research scientist and the study’s lead data analyst and report writer, shared in a statement.
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The other factor was ventilation and air movement, as the air in the study room was “continually mixed rapidly by a heater and dehumidifier, and so the small amounts of virus in the air were diluted,” Lai pointed out.
The researcher added that middle-aged adults are “usually less susceptible” to influenza than younger adults.
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Most researchers assume that airborne transmission is a major factor of disease spread, according to Dr. Donald Milton, professor at SPH’s Department of Global, Environmental and Occupational Health and a global infectious disease aerobiology expert.
“At this time of year, it seems like everyone is catching the flu virus, and yet our study showed no transmission,” he said in the same press release. “What does this say about how flu spreads and how to stop outbreaks?”
There have been 81,000 flu-related hospitalizations and more than 3,000 deaths in the U.S. this year so far, data shows. (iStock)
Milton, who was reportedly among the first experts to identify how to stop the spread of COVID-19, noted that findings from these types of trials are essential to updating international infection-control guidelines.
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“Being up close, face-to-face with other people indoors where the air isn’t moving much, seems to be the most risky thing — and it’s something we all tend to do a lot,” he said.
“At this time of year, it seems like everyone is catching the flu virus, and yet our study showed no transmission.”
“Our results suggest that portable air purifiers that stir up the air, as well as clean it, could be a big help,” Milton suggested. “But if you are really close and someone is coughing, the best way to stay safe is to wear a mask, especially the N95.”
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Approximately 11 million flu illnesses and about 5,000 deaths have occurred so far in the 2025-2026 influenza season, according to CDC data. A large share of the current flu cases are caused by the new influenza A subclade K variant.
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GLP-1 has become a popular buzzword in the weight-loss community — but now some are touting “GLP-3s,” claiming they are taking obesity medications to the next level.
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medications work by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone in the body that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite.
The informal term “GLP-3” refers to a new triple-agonist drug that targets three hormones: GLP-1, GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, another naturally occurring hormone released by the gut after eating) and glucagon receptors. The most advanced example is retatrutide by Eli Lilly, according to clinical trial outcomes.
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The New England Journal of Medicine published results from a 2023 phase 2 retatrutide trial for obesity, revealing “substantial reductions in body weight” after 48 weeks of treatment.
A 12 mg once-weekly injection led to a 24.2% weight reduction, and participants continued to drop pounds after the 48-week trial period.
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medications work by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone in the body that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite. (iStock)
Side effects were reportedly similar to GLP-1 medications, most commonly including gastrointestinal complications like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Heart rate increases were noted, depending on the dose.
How it’s different
Retatrutide mimics three natural hormones found in the body, compared to GLP-1s that simulate just one hormone, according to a report by GoodRx pharmacists.
GIP and GLP-1 hormones signal the pancreas to release insulin after eating, while slowing digestion to help initiate feelings of fullness.
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These hormones target the area of the brain that regulates appetite and influences food cravings, the report noted.
The third hormone, glucagon, speeds up metabolism and helps the body break down fat cells for energy. That hormone also tells the liver to make new sugar, which is kept in check by GIP and GLP-1 activity, preventing blood sugar spikes.
Participants in the phase 3 trial saw an average weight loss of 71.8 pounds. (iStock)
“This added metabolism boost can add to and complement GIP’s and GLP-1’s actions. And that’s why it seems to provide significant weight loss,” the GoodRx website states. “If approved, retatrutide will be the first in a new class of medications.”
Eli Lilly announced results from its phase 3 trial TRIUMPH-4 in December, testing retatrutide’s effect on weight loss and other health conditions.
“We believe retatrutide could become an important option for patients with significant weight loss needs and certain complications.”
Participants with obesity and knee arthritis who took a 12-mg dose of retatrutide saw an average weight loss of 71.8 lbs (28.7%) at 68 weeks.
“For retatrutide, the findings from TRIUMPH-4 are encouraging, and with seven additional phase 3 readouts expected in 2026, we believe retatrutide could become an important option for patients with significant weight loss needs and certain complications, including knee osteoarthritis,” a Lilly spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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The drug also reduced Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scores by an average of 75.8%, marking “significant improvements” in comfort level and physical function.
More than one in eight patients reported being “completely free” from knee pain at the end of the trial, according to a press release from Lilly.
Participants with obesity and knee arthritis who took a 12-mg dose of retatrutide saw an average weight loss of 71.8 lbs (28.7%) at 68 weeks. (iStock)
Seven additional phase 3 trials for retatrutide are expected to wrap up in 2026. The drug could see FDA approval in 2027, according to GoodRx.
The Lilly spokesperson noted that there have been no studies comparing retatrutide to GLP-1 treatments due to “differences in study design and patient populations.”
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Despite limited data availability on the drug, the medication could also be applied to treat other conditions like type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, cardiovascular risk reduction and metabolic dysfunction, according to GoodRx and other experts.
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel noted that Lilly’s Zepbound and Mounjaro already target two metabolic pathways — GLP-1 and GIP — which work together to promote weight loss, reduce hunger and inflammation, improve insulin function and slow digestion.
The doctor confirmed that the new drug, with its third receptor agonist, will further decrease hunger while increasing the feeling of fullness.
More than one in eight patients reported being “completely free” from knee pain at the end of the trial. (iStock)
“The weight loss in clinical trials is even more substantial, and the most likely reason that it decreases orthopedic problems is because of the weight loss — less stress on the joints and the decreased inflammation,” Siegel added.
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The most common side effect of GLP-3s is gastrointestinal symptoms, the doctor confirmed. Rarer side effects may include pancreatitis, gallstones and heart arrhythmia.
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Philip Rabito, M.D., a specialist in endocrinology, weight loss and wellness in New York City, shared in an interview with Fox News Digital that this new class of weight-loss drugs is positioned to “approach bariatric surgery level outcomes” — although it doesn’t come without risks.
“The novel glucagon‑agonist component introduces less‑understood long‑term safety considerations, so it is imperative that patients are followed closely by healthcare professionals experienced with this class of medicines, with cautious, stepwise use, despite the impressive efficacy,” he cautioned.
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