Medical Bulletin 13/January/2022

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Simple blood test promising for early screening of common and dangerous pregnancy complications

The three conditions that are pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and a liver condition called intrahepatic cholestasis are dangerous; early diagnosis and treatment is key to preventing poor outcomes and lifelong consequences. Their causes are not fully understood, and nor is their connection to the gut microbiome, which is affected by pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions.

Scientists at Ningbo University, China have identified biomarkers that could provide an early warning system for three common and dangerous pregnancy complications: pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and a liver condition called intrahepatic cholestasis. A team led by Dr Siqian Chen at the Affiliated Hospital of Medical School decided to investigate whether specific changes in the microbiome - detected using levels of short-chain fatty acids, metabolites which are produced following the fermentation of microbiota - could be used as biomarkers for pregnancy complications.

Reference:

Dr Rongrong Xuan et al,Expression and clinical significance of short-chain fatty acids in pregnancy complications,Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology,doi 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1071029

Alzheimer's disease onset could be delayed just by doing six minutes of high-intensity exercise: Study

The specialised protein named brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to form new connections and pathways) and the survival of neurons. Animal studies have shown that increasing the availability of BDNF encourages the formation and storage of memories, enhances learning and overall boosts cognitive performance. These key roles and its apparent neuroprotective qualities have led to the interest in BDNF for ageing research.

Six minutes of high-intensity exercise could extend the lifespan of a healthy brain and delay the onset of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. New research published in The Journal of Physiology shows that a short but intense bout of cycling increases the production of a specialised protein that is essential for brain formation, learning and memory, and could protect the brain from age-related cognitive decline. This insight on exercise is part of the drive to develop accessible, equitable and affordable non-pharmacological approaches that anyone can adopt to promote healthy ageing.

Reference:

Travis Gibbons et al,Fasting for 20 h does not affect exercise-induced increases in circulating BDNF in humans,The Journal of Physiology,doi 10.1113/JP283582

Study finds most long covid effects to resolve within an year after mild infection

Long covid is defined as symptoms persisting or new symptoms appearing more than four weeks after initial infection. In March 2022, an estimated 1.5 million people in the UK (2.4% of the population) reported long covid symptoms, mainly fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of smell, loss of taste, and difficulty concentrating.

But the clinical effects of long covid one year after mild infection and their association with age, sex, covid-19 variants, and vaccination status are still unclear.

To address this, researchers compared the health of uninfected individuals with those who had recovered from mild covid-19 for a year after infection.

Most symptoms or conditions that develop after mild covid-19 infection linger for several months but return to normal within a year, finds a large study from Israel published by The BMJ.

Reference:

Long covid outcomes at one year after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection: nationwide cohort study doi: 10.1136/ bmj-2022-072529,The BMJ