Medical Bulletin 19/June/2025

Here are the top medical bulletins for the day:

47% of India’s Low Birthweight Babies Born in these Four States: BMJ Study Finds

Despite significant progress in reducing low birthweight cases across India over the past three decades, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and West Bengal continue to report alarmingly high numbers, reveals new research published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

Low birthweight—defined as a newborn weighing less than 2500 grams—is considered a key indicator of maternal health, nutrition, and future health outcomes for the child, including cognitive development and the risk of chronic diseases.

To assess trends over the past 30 years, researchers analyzed data from five rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), covering the period from 1992–93 to 2019–21. The study included 626,087 live births, with 440,200 (around 70%) having recorded birthweights, and 614,428 (98%) assessed by the mother for perceived birth size. The proportion of babies with recorded weights rose from 16% in 1993 to 90% in 2021, improving the data's reliability over time.

Nationally, low birthweight prevalence dropped from 26% in 1993 to 18% in 2021, with the state-level average falling from 25% to 16%. Rajasthan (48%) and Chhattisgarh (42%) had the highest prevalence in 1993, while in 2021, Punjab and Delhi led with 22%. In contrast, Mizoram consistently reported the lowest rates—6% in 1993 and 4% in 2021.

The latest NFHS data from 2019–21 estimates 4.2 million low birthweight babies in a single year, with nearly 47% born in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. Similarly, 2.5 million babies were reported to be of smaller-than-average size by their mothers, half of them in the same four states.

“Low birth weight is likely to be more prevalent among non-weighed children since weighing correlates strongly with healthcare infrastructure and being born in a health facility. Also, low socioeconomic status is linked to both lack of access to healthcare and low birth weight,” the researchers explained.

Survey Reveals Only 13% Know Testicular Cancer Hits Men Under 40

A new national survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center reveals significant gaps in public awareness around testicular cancer, a disease that affects nearly 10,000 American men annually, according to the American Cancer Society.

The findings suggest that more education is needed, especially for younger men, as only 13% of U.S. adults correctly identified that testicular cancer most commonly affects men under the age of 40. In reality, the disease is most prevalent in men between 20 and 40—precisely the group that tends to overlook the risk.

Conducted by SSRS through its Opinion Panel Omnibus platform, the survey included 1,008 respondents aged 18 and older. Data was collected via web (n=978) and phone (n=30), with results weighted to reflect the U.S. adult population.

“In my experience, a lot of men are surprised that testicular cancer is most common among young men,” said Dr. Shawn Dason, urologic oncologist at OSUCCC — James. “It's something you're just not expecting in your twenties or thirties.”

While encouragingly, 63% of respondents knew that testicular cancer is often curable if detected early, only 54% recognized the importance of monthly self-checks. Alarmingly, 65% believed screenings were primarily necessary after age 40, highlighting a disconnect between public perception and medical guidance.

Younger adults (ages 18–29 and 30–49) were more likely to recognize that testicular cancer can impact fertility. However, 18% of those aged 18–29 incorrectly believed symptoms are always painful. “Testicular cancer does not typically come with painful symptoms,” Dr. Dason explained. “That’s why routine self-exams are so important to detect any lumps or changes.”

Six in Ten with Type 2 Diabetes Have Fatty Liver: Study Finds

A new study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine reveals that nearly 60% of individuals with type 2 diabetes also have fatty liver disease, although only a small fraction show signs of more advanced liver damage.

Fatty liver disease, or metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD), is closely tied to metabolic syndrome—a cluster of conditions that disrupt normal metabolism and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and liver complications.

To obtain representative data, the researchers studied more than 300 individuals with type 2 diabetes who were undergoing routine primary healthcare diabetes checks. Using MRI scans, they found that 59% had MASLD. Liver stiffness was also assessed using ultrasound-based technology, which showed that around 7% of participants had signs of early-stage cirrhosis—less than reported in studies conducted at specialist clinics.

Obesity emerged as a key factor in disease progression. In this subgroup, 13% showed early liver scarring—compared to just 2% among those without obesity.

“It’s of great importance to find the few individuals who are at high risk of serious liver disease, because we can do a lot of good for those patients. But it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Mattias Ekstedt, senior associate professor at Linköping University and consultant in hepatology. “Hopefully, our data will help to find the high-risk individuals among all patients.”

Fortunately, fatty liver isn’t irreversible. Weight loss has been shown to significantly reduce liver fat. The study will follow participants over five years to better identify who is most at risk and to guide future screening efforts.

Reference: Balkhed W, Bergram M, Iredahl F, Holmberg M, Edin C, Carlhäll C-J, et al. Evaluating the prevalence and severity of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary care. J Intern Med. 2025;e20103.