Medical Bulletin 16/January/2024

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Loss of cells in pancreas in the elderly may cause age-related diabetes

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have studied pancreatic islet cell loss in people with no previous pancreatic problems. They identified key trends in the types of cells lost due to islet cell loss in different age groups and sexes, findings published in Digestive and Liver Disease that pancreatic islet cell loss (ICL) in the elderly population was largely due to insulin-producing beta cell loss. This may be the cause of age-related diabetes and help inform new preventative treatments.

A closer look reveals an interesting internal structure, with islets of cells known as islets of Langerhans, after their discoverer, containing the hormone-producing (endocrine) cells. They make a small proportion of all the cells in the pancreas, approximately 1%, making any changes to their morphology or state a potential driver for health problems.

Reference: Loss of cells in pancreas in the elderly may cause age-related diabetes; Digestive and Liver Disease, DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2023.11.031

Incontinence could point to future disability

If you are one of the 30% to 50% of women experiencing urinary incontinence, new research suggests that it could turn into a bigger health issue.

Having more frequent urinary incontinence and leakage amounts is associated with higher odds of disability, according to RUSH researchers in a study published in the January issue of Menopause.

“Often symptoms from urinary incontinence are ignored until they become bothersome or limit physical or social activities,” said Sheila Dugan, MD, chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at RUSH. “Because this study suggests that urinary incontinence is associated with disability, exploring treatment options in the early stages may help decrease this outcome in midlife women.”

Reference: Incontinence could point to future disability; Menopause

Male gender expression in schools is associated with substance abuse later in life

A new study led by researchers at the University of Chicago found that changes in male gender expression from adolescence to young adulthood align closely with the gender norms present in individuals’ school environments, and that these trajectories are associated with subsequent patterns of substance abuse.

Amidst a growing consensus among social science researchers that separates gender from biological sex, gender has come to be defined as a constellation of expected behaviors, attributes, preferences and beliefs typically associated with a specific gender identity. Prior research shows that traditional models of male gender identity, constructed over time through sociocultural processes and interactions, can be a risk factor for unhealthy behaviors.

With that background, the UChicago researchers set out to explore how sociocultural pressures around male gender in particular might evolve in relation to environmental factors, and how that change could impact a person's long-term health in specific ways.

Reference: Male gender expression in schools is associated with substance abuse later in life; Journal of Adolescent Health, DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.11.018