Medical Bulletin 14/December/2022

High levels of lipoprotein(a), a type of "bad" cholesterol, may be associated with an 18-20% higher risk of cardiovascular disease among people who have hypertension, however, CVD risk was not higher among those without hypertension, according to new research published in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

Reference:

Rishi Rikhi et al,Association of Lp(a) (Lipoprotein[a]) and hypertension in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: The MESA, Hypertension,

DOI:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.122.20189

Late-breaking research results for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is a kind of blood and bone marrow malignancy. Blood cells are generated in the spongy tissue inside the bones. Acute lymphocytic leukemia gets its name from the fact that it advances quickly and produces immature blood cells rather than mature ones.

Current treatments for newly-diagnosed ALL frequently lead to remission. Still, unfortunately, relapses often occur in patients, leading to poor survival rates even in those with no measurable residual disease (MRD) after induction chemotherapy. An MRD test looks for any cancer cells that were not killed by cancer treatments.

Reference:

DR. MARK LITZOW et al, ECOG-ACRIN CANCER RESEARCH GROUP American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition

Subcutaneous fat is protective against brain inflammation in females, study finds

Males of essentially any age have a greater propensity to deposit fat around the major organs in their abdominal cavity, called visceral adiposity, which is known to be far more inflammatory. And, before females reach menopause, males are considered at much higher risk for inflammation-related problems from heart attack to stroke.

Females' propensity to deposit more fat in places like their hips, buttocks and the backs of their arms, so-called subcutaneous fat, is protective against brain inflammation, which can result in problems like dementia and stroke, at least until menopause, scientists report.

Reference:

Alexis M. Stranahan et al, Sex Differences in Adipose Tissue Distribution Determine Susceptibility to Neuroinflammation in Mice With Dietary Obesity,JOURNAL

Diabetes

Low-carb diet as compared to a low-fat diet may help patients with diabetes achieve better weight loss and glucose control in short term

A randomized controlled trial of more than 100 persons with type 2 diabetes found that a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, calorie unrestricted diet helped patients achieve better weight loss and glucose control over a 6-month intervention compared to a high-carb, low-fat diet. The changes were not sustained 3 months after the intervention, suggesting a need for long-term dietary changes to maintain meaningful health benefits. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

More than 480 million people worldwide are affected by type 2 diabetes. More than half of persons with diabetes also have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can progress to cirrhosis and impair liver function. Prior studies suggest that weight loss improves both diabetes control and NAFLD and restriction of carbohydrate intake improves the control of blood sugar levels.

Reference:

Aleksander Krag et al, AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS, JOURNAL, Annals of Internal Medicine, DOI 10.7326/M22-1787