Medical Bulletin 07/November/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Do prediabetes and persistent tobacco use triple risk of stroke in healthy young adults

A recent study presented at the upcoming American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023 has unveiled a startling revelation: the synergy between persistent tobacco use and prediabetes significantly raises the risk of stroke in young adults who have no other cardiovascular risk factors.

The researchers delved into the National Inpatient Sample database. The focus was on over 1 million young tobacco users aged between 18 and 44, who were deemed metabolically healthy, meaning they had no known cardiovascular disease risk factors like high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, or obesity. All of them had a medical chart diagnosis confirming their status as long-term or persistent tobacco users who were nicotine-dependent and struggled to reduce their consumption.

Reference: American Heart Association

Meeting: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2023

Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy beneficial for patients with ME/CFS?

In a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers from Amsterdam UMC and King's College London, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has emerged as a promising treatment for patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). The analysis, which encompassed data from trials involving nearly 1,300 patients, demonstrated that CBT resulted in a reduction in fatigue and physical limitations, offering newfound hope to individuals living with this debilitating condition.

The researchers set out to determine which patients would benefit from CBT, and the results provided valuable insights.

Reference: Amsterdam University Medical Centers

Journal: Psychological Medicine

Can high biological age increase the risk of dementia and stroke?

A recent study conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet has uncovered a compelling association between accelerated biological aging and a heightened risk of stroke and dementia, particularly vascular dementia. While the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular conditions, and neurodegenerative disorders tends to rise with age, conventional measures have relied on chronological age – the number of years an individual has lived – to gauge a person's approximate biological age.

To delve into biological age and its connection to disease risk, the researchers leveraged data from the UK Biobank. Their study encompassed 325,000 individuals aged between 40 and 70 at the time of their initial assessment. Biological age was determined using 18 biomarkers, including indicators such as blood lipids, blood sugar, blood pressure, lung function, and BMI. Subsequently, the team explored how these biomarkers related to the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, stroke, ALS, and Parkinson's disease over a nine-year period.

Reference: “Clinical biomarker-based biological aging and future risk of neurological disorders in the UK Biobank”, Jonathan Mak, Christopher McMurran, Sara Hägg, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry , online 6 November 2023, doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2023-331917