Medical Bulletin 17/ January/ 2025
plHere are the top medical news for the day:
Bariatric Surgery Most Effective Option for Obesity, Improves Fertility: Study Finds
A new national survey by Orlando Health finds that 56% of Americans do not know that bariatric surgery is an effective way to improve fertility.
The survey highlighted Americans' lack of knowledge of this correlation. When asked if they agree with the statement that being overweight negatively affects fertility, half (50%) responded that they either don't know or neither agree nor disagree with that statement.
Although other weight loss options, like GLP-1 medications may seem like the easier solution, the survey also revealed 64% of people either don’t know or neither agree/disagree that stopping GLP-1 injections can lead to weight gain. Alexander Ramirez, MD, FASMBS, Director of Orlando Health Weight Loss & Bariatric Institute - Bayfront says bariatric surgery is usually the more effective and longer-lasting option, as it permanently alters the digestive system, increasing the production of hormones and helping the body to ovulate.
By waiting, the body is able to recover and adjust to the changes from surgery, including digesting the right amount of nutrients. Ramirez says this transitional period helps decrease complications during pregnancy, including hypertension, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.
“My advice for anyone with obesity, and especially for those who want to have a child, is to ask
about bariatric surgery because it's the most powerful tool we have to lose weight in a healthy way and keep obesity in remission,” said Ramirez. “And that is going to increase their chances of having a successful and healthy pregnancy.
Reference: https://oh.multimedia-newsroom.com/index.php/2025/01/14/new-survey-finds-over-half-of-americans-are-unaware-that-bariatric-surgery-can-improve-fertility/
Researchers Develop Computer Models for More Targeted Antibiotics
With antibiotic resistance a growing problem, University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have developed cutting-edge computer models that could give the disease-fighting drugs a laser-like precision to target only specific bacteria in specific parts of the body. The findings are published in PLoS Biology.
The new approach would dramatically limit how often bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, reducing the chance they could become resistant to antibiotics. Further, the approach would represent a significant step forward for precision medicine.
The researchers in Papin’s lab developed sophisticated computer models of every human bacterial pathogen with sufficient genetic information available.
Researchers then analyzed all those models and identified shared traits among the bacteria. This analysis yielded the discovery that bacteria in certain parts of the body, such as the stomach, tended to share metabolic properties. Basically, where they live shapes how they function.
The shared similarities among the microbes in different locales could be the Achilles’ heel for harmful bacteria in our bodies. With further research, doctors may be able to target specific types of bacteria in specific areas, reducing the need for broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Putting their computer-modeling approach to the test, researchers have already found that they could inhibit the growth of harmful stomach bugs in lab experiments.
“Many biomedical challenges are incredibly complex, and computer models are emerging as a powerful tool for tackling such problems,” said researcher Jason Papin, PhD, of UVA’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. “We’re hopeful that these computer models of the molecular networks in bacteria will help us develop new strategies to treat infections.”
Reference: Glass, E. M., Dillard, L. R., Kolling, G. L., Warren, A. S., & Papin, J. A. (2024). Niche-specific metabolic phenotypes can be used to identify antimicrobial targets in pathogens. PLoS biology, 22(11), e3002907.
Likelihood of Fall and Related Injuries Rise with Common Medicines in People with COPD: Researchers
People with COPD experience more falls and related injuries requiring medical care when using common fall-risk increasing drugs, according to a new study. The study is published in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation.
Previous research has shown that people with COPD have a higher risk of falling due to increased frailty, impaired gait and the tripping hazard of oxygen tubing. They also commonly experience pain, anxiety, insomnia and other comorbidities, such as diabetes or hypertension. Opioids, benzodiazepines and other medications used to treat these comorbidities and symptoms can increase a person’s risk of falling and fall-related injuries.
The study examined data from a single health system linked to Washington State death certificates of adults 40 or older with COPD who died between 2014 and 2018. Of the 8,204 people, 65% were prescribed at least one fall-risk increasing drug, and 30% had a fall with injury in the two years prior to their death.
“Our study compared the number of falls in the two years prior to death in people with COPD who used fall-risk increasing drugs to those with COPD who did not use these drugs. We found that the chance of a person falling increased relative to how many fall-risk increasing drugs they used,” said Cara L. McDermott, PharmD, PhD, assistant professor in medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Care at Duke University School of Medicine and lead author of the study. “Pulmonologists and pharmacists need to collaborate with each other and with patients to develop fall prevention strategies and to increase patient safety by reducing the use of fall-risk increasing drugs and discussing other ways to mitigate fall risk.”
Reference: McDermott CL, Feemster LC, Engelberg RA, Spece LJ, Donovan LM, Curtis JR. Fall risk and medication use near end of life among adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chronic Obstr Pulm Dis. 2024; 11(6): 604-610. doi: http://doi.org/10.15326/jcopdf.2024.0551
Study Unveils How Blood Vessel Dysfunction Worsens Chronic Disease
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have uncovered how specialized cells surrounding small blood vessels, known as perivascular cells, contribute to blood vessel dysfunction in chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and fibrosis. The findings, published in Science Advances, could change how these diseases are treated.
The study used an innovative “blood vessel on-a-chip” model developed by researchers. By replicating conditions like tissue stiffening and scarring — common in aging, chronic diseases and cancer — the researchers discovered that perivascular cells drive blood vessel leakage and distortion, worsening inflammation and disease.
The findings shed light on the relationship between the extracellular matrix, blood vessel function and disease progression. Perivascular cells could become targets for therapies aimed at restoring normal vascular function and reducing the progression of various diseases such as fibrosis, diabetes and cancer.
Importantly, the research also holds promise for cancer prevention and early intervention. Early detection and treatment of changes in these cells could help stop tumors before they grow.
“Historically, endothelial cells lining blood vessels have been considered the main contributors of vascular disease,” said Luiz Bertassoni, D.D.S., Ph.D., founding director of the Knight Cancer Precision Biofabrication Hub and a professor at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and the OHSU School of Dentistry. “Our findings represent a paradigm shift, showing how perivascular cells, instead, act as important sentinels. They detect changes in tissues and coordinating vascular responses. This opens the door to entirely new treatment strategies.”
Reference: Cristiane M. Franca et al.,Perivascular cells function as key mediators of mechanical and structural changes in vascular capillaries.Sci. Adv.11,eadp3789(2025).DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adp3789
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