Medical Bulletin 08/July/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

AI finds a way to check heart functions

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have unveiled an innovative use of AI that classifies cardiac functions and pinpoints valvular heart disease with unprecedented accuracy, demonstrating continued progress in merging the fields of medicine and technology to advance patient care.

Chest radiographs, or chest X-Rays, are performed in many hospitals and very little time is required to conduct them, making them highly accessible and reproducible. Accordingly, the research team led by Dr. Daiju Ueda, from the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at the Graduate School of Medicine of Osaka Metropolitan University, reckoned that if cardiac function and disease could be determined from chest radiographs, this test could serve as a supplement to echocardiography.

Reference: Artificial Intelligence-based Model to Classify Cardiac Functions from Chest Radiographs: Multi-institutional Model Development and Validation Study, The Lancet Digital Health, DOI 10.1016/S2589-7500(23)00107-3 

Lack of 6 particular foods linked to higher cardiovascular disease and deaths 

A study led by McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences researchers at the Population Research Health Institute (PHRI) has found that not eating enough of six key foods in combination is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults.

Consuming fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish and whole-fat dairy products is key to lowering the risk of CVD, including heart attacks and strokes. The study also found that a healthy diet can be achieved in various ways, such as including moderate amounts of whole grains or unprocessed meats.

The Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological or PURE Healthy Diet Score recommends an average daily intake of Fruits at two to three servings; vegetables at two to three servings; nuts at one serving; and dairy at two servings. The score also includes three to four weekly servings of legumes and two to three weekly servings of fish. Possible substitutes included whole grains at one serving daily, and unprocessed red meat or poultry at one serving daily.

Reference: Diet quality and risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in 244,597 people from 80 countries: four prospective cohort and two case-control studies, European Heart Journal

Children with mitochondrial disorders show weaker immune response to viral infections 

In a new study, National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers found that altered B cell function in children with mitochondrial disorders led to a weaker and less diverse antibody response to viral infections. While mitochondrial disorders are known to affect organs such as the heart, liver, and brain, less is known about how they affect the immune system.

Using a genomic technique called single-cell RNA sequencing, which analyzes gene activity in different cell types, researchers studied immune cells found in the blood. These cells include different types of white blood cells that help the body fight infections. During stressful conditions, these cells produce a microRNA called mir4485. MicroRNAs are small strings of RNA that help control when and where genes are turned on and off. mir4485 controls cellular pathways that help cells survive.

Reference: Primary oxidative phosphorylation defects lead to perturbations in the human B cell repertoire, Frontiers in Immunology, DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1142634