Medical Bulletin 11/January/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Frequent antibiotics use may increase inflammatory bowel disease risk in 40 plus population: Study

Frequent use of antibiotics may heighten the risk of inflammatory bowel disease-Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis-among the over 40s, suggests research published online in the journal Gut.

One factor associated with IBD risk in younger people is the use of antibiotics, but it’s not clear if this association might also apply in older people. To explore this further, the researchers drew on national medical data from 2000 to 2018 for Danish citizens aged 10 upwards who hadn’t been diagnosed with IBD. They specifically wanted to know if the timing and dose of antibiotic might be important for the development of IBD, and whether this varied by IBD and antibiotic type.

Reference:

Antibiotic use as a risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease across the ages: a population-based cohort study doi 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-327845,Journal: Gut

Relatively little known hazard linked to open water swimming explored

Fluid on the lungs, or pulmonary oedema as it’s formally known, is a relatively little known hazard associated with open water swimming, warn doctors in the journal BMJ Case Reports after treating a woman with the condition. Older age, swimming long distances, cold water, and female sex are among the risk factors, as are high blood pressure and pre-existing heart disease. But it frequently occurs in those who are otherwise fit and healthy, highlight the authors.

The woman in question was in her 50s and a keen competitive long distance swimmer and triathlete. Otherwise fit and well, she was struggling to breathe and coughing up blood after taking part in an open water swimming event at night in water temperatures of around 17°C while wearing a wetsuit. Her symptoms started after swimming 300 metres. On arrival at hospital, her heartbeat was rapid, and a chest x-ray revealed pulmonary oedema. Further scans revealed that fluid had infiltrated the heart muscle, a sign of strain known as myocardial oedema. But she had no structural heart disease.

Reference:

Myocardial oedema in the setting of immersion pulmonary oedema - Cause or effect? Doi 10.1136/bcr-2022-251274,Journal: BMJ Case Reports

Novel mechanism behind osteoarthritis discovered holding new treatment potential

Researchers in the United States and Japan have discovered a new mechanism that links age-related cartilage tissue stiffening with the repression of a key protein associated with longevity. These findings enhance the understanding of mechanisms that lead to the deterioration of joints that causes osteoarthritis, according to the authors of a new study, published in Nature Communications.

In the study, researchers showed that increased stiffening of the extracellular matrix led to a decrease in a so-called “longevity protein” called Klotho (α-Klotho) in knee cartilage brought about by epigenetic changes. This Klotho decrease then damaged the cells in healthy cartilage called chondrocytes. Conversely, exposing aged chondrocytes to a softer extracellular matrix restored the knee cartilage to a more youthful state.

Reference:

Age-related matrix stiffening epigenetically regulates α-Klotho expression and compromises chondrocyte integrity,Nature Communications,doi 10.1038/s41467-022-35359-2