Medical Bulletin 10/July/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Fecal microbiota transplants improve metabolic syndrome in obese patients

A recent systematic review published in the Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice found the effect of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on microbiota engraftment in patients with metabolic syndrome. The research team led by Li Zecheng conducted an extensive search across major databases and grey literature, identifying RCTs that compared FMT from lean donors to placebo in obese/metabolic syndrome patients. All studies utilizing any form of placebo were included in the analysis. The team then calculated variations in the parameters before and after treatment, followed by comprehensive meta-analyses.

After meticulous analysis, ten studies were deemed eligible, comprising a total of 334 patients who met the inclusion criteria. They delved into clinically significant parameters associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome, assessing the association between FMT and these parameters.

Reference: Zecheng, L., Donghai, L., Runchuan, G., Yuan, Q., Qi, J., Yijia, Z., Shuaman, R., Xiaoqi, L., Yi, W., Ni, M., Yijin, Q., Liang, P., & Jun, W. (2023). Fecal microbiota transplantation in obesity metabolism: a META analysis and systematic review. In Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice (p. 110803). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2023.110803

Females with Long COVID may be at higher risk of developing hypertension

A recent study, for the first time, has shown that resting BP (blood pressure) and central arterial stiffness are greater in females with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) compared with controls. However, peripheral and cerebral vascular functions appear unaffected.

Additionally, the study did not show any relationship between PASC symptom burden and arterial stiffness, BP, or vascular function measures. The findings, published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, suggest that women with PASC could be at greater risk of developing hypertension, which appears independent of symptom burden.

Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), colloquially referred to as long COVID-19 or long COVID, is when someone recovers from acute COVID-19 but shows a cluster of symptoms for months

Reference: References: Damsara Nandadeva, Rachel J. Skow, Brandi Y. Stephens, Ann-Katrin Grotle, Stephanie Georgoudiou, Surendra Barshikar, Yaewon Seo, and Paul J. Fadel Show fewer authors, 25 APR 2023 https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00018.2023

Defective closure of diabetic foot ulcers associated with higher risk of wound recurrence

Results from a new study of diabetic foot ulcers and the risk of wound recurrence show that a new approach can help healthcare workers measure the likelihood that the wound will reopen in the future. Researchers say these findings are likely to lead to further studies aimed at decreasing amputation rates for the tens of millions of people with diabetes in the United States.

"Diabetic foot ulcers develop in diabetic patients with diabetic neuropathy, a condition which causes numbness in the foot," said Chandan Sen, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and J Stanley Battersby Chair of Surgery at IU School of Medicine. "The nerves in the skin become dysfunctional, which can cause patients to injure the affected foot without feeling it. Those untreated wounds can lead to infections, and if an infection is not treated quickly, an amputation may be necessary."

Sen is the principal investigator of the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) trial of the Diabetic Foot Consortium, which includes seven sites across the country. It's the first consortium for diabetic foot ulcers in the U.S.

Reference: Defective closure of diabetic foot ulcers associated with a higher risk of wound recurrence

https://medicaldialogues.in/diabetes-endocrinology/news/defective-closure-of-diabetic-foot-ulcers-associated-with-higher-risk-of-wound-recurrence-113620.