Medical Bulletin 09/December/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Young age at first menstrual cycle linked to heightened diabetes risk in mid-life

Starting menstrual cycles at a young age—before the age of 13—is linked to a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes in mid-life, finds US research published online in the open access journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

And it also seems to be associated with an increased risk of having a stroke before the age of 65 in those with the disease, particularly those who started having periods before the age of 10 or younger, the findings indicate.

Diabetes and its complications are on the rise among young and middle aged US adults, while the age at which women start having periods is falling worldwide, note the researchers.

Reference: Young age at first menstrual cycle linked to heightened diabetes risk in mid-life; BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health, DOI:10.1136/bmjnph-2023-000632

Twice daily electrical stimulation may boost mental processes in Alzheimer’s disease

Twice daily non-invasive electrical stimulation of the brain may boost mental processes (cognitive function) in people with Alzheimer’s disease, suggest the results of a small clinical trial published online in the open access journal General Psychiatry.

The technology, known as transcranial direct current stimulation, or tDCS for short, may help to fire up the brain’s plasticity, enabling ‘rewiring’ through the formation of new neural networks, the findings suggest.

Reference: Twice daily electrical stimulation may boost mental processes in Alzheimer’s disease; BMJ General Psychiatry; DOI:10.1136/gpsych-2023-101166

Depression, constipation, and urinary tract infections may precede MS diagnosis

In some diseases, the underlying processes can start years before a diagnosis is made. A new study finds that people who later develop multiple sclerosis (MS) are more likely to have conditions like depression, constipation and urinary tract infections five years before their MS diagnosis than people who do not develop MS. The study, which is published in the December 5, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, also found that sexual problems and bladder infections, or cystitis, are more likely in people who later develop MS.

Reference: Depression, constipation, and urinary tract infections may precede MS diagnosis; AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY