Medical Bulletin 02/September/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Serious snoring treatment can also reduce nocturnal heartburn and respiratory symptoms

A treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) can also reduce night-time heartburn, coughing and wheezing according to a study published recently in ERJ Open Research. People with OSA often snore loudly, their breathing starts and stops during the night, and they may wake up several times. Not only does this cause tiredness, but it can also increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines work by blowing air through a face mask throughout the night to prevent the user’s airway from closing.

Reference: Positive airway pressure treatment affect respiratory symptoms and gastroesophageal reflux, ERJ Open Research, DOI 10.1183/23120541.00387-2023 

Early teenage male smokers risk passing on harmful epigenetic traits to future children

A new study suggests boys who smoke in their early teens risk damaging the genes of their future children, increasing their chances of developing asthma, obesity, and low lung function. Researchers from the University of Southampton and the University of Bergen in Norway investigated the epigenetic profiles of 875 people, aged 7 to 50, and the smoking behaviours of their fathers.

They found epigenetic changes at 19 sites mapped to 14 genes in the children of fathers who smoked before the age of 15. These changes in the way DNA is packaged in cells (methylation) regulate gene expression (switching them on and off) and are associated with asthma, obesity, and wheezing.

Reference: Fathers’ preconception smoking and offspring DNA methylation., Clinical Epigenetics, DOI 10.1186/s13148-023-01540-7 

Redo transcatheter aortic valve replacement effective and safe

Cedars-Sinai investigators have now shown that redo transcatheter aortic valve replacement or TAVR procedures are both safe and effective when compared with situations in which patients with similar risk profiles undergo the same procedure for the first time.

The novel findings, published in The Lancet, are significant because recent randomized clinical trials have shown that TAVR is a meaningful treatment option for both younger and lower-risk surgical patients.

At both the 30-day post-procedure mark and at one year, the team found no difference between redo TAVR or first-time TAVR in terms of death or stroke rates.

Reference: Outcomes of repeat transcatheter aortic valve replacement with balloon-expandable valves: a registry study, The Lancet, DOI 10.1016/PIIS0140-6736(23)01636-7