Medical Bulletin 19/August/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Walkable communities are healthier for both mom and baby: Study

Pregnant women that live in walkable communities—with more sidewalks, parks and walking paths—not only engage in more physical activity but are also more likely to experience favorable birth outcomes, according to research from the University of New Hampshire. The study found that expectant mothers living in walkable counties tend to engage in more walking and exercise and have fewer issues with premature births, low birth weight, gestational diabetes, and hypertension.

Reference: Karen Conway et al, Economics & Human Biology

Blue-light filtering spectacles probably not so effective in preventing retinal damage

Spectacles that are marketed to filter out blue light probably make no difference to eye strain caused by computer use or to sleep quality, according to a review of 17 randomized controlled trials of the best available evidence so far. Nor did the review find any evidence that blue-light filtering lenses protect against damage to the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, as included studies did not evaluate this outcome.

The new review, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, was led by researchers at the University of Melbourne in collaboration with colleagues at City, University of London, and Monash University.

Reference: Blue-light filtering spectacle lenses for visual performance, sleep, and macular health in adults, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, DOI 10.1002/14651858.CD013244.pub2

Novel insights into protein-mediated motor neuron loss in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

In patients with ALS, the motor dysfunction symptoms usually appear in one part of the body, such as the limbs, and then progress to others. This further suggests that degeneration starts in one type of motor neuron and, thereafter, propagates to other motor-related neurons. Previous studies have highlighted the accumulation of TDP-43 in motor neurons as a co-occurrence with ALS.

The researchers developed ALS mouse models that primarily accumulate TDP-43 in the cortical motor neurons, spinal motor neurons, or skeletal muscles. They then examined how the TDP-43 in specific motor neurons initiates disease progression to other motor-related neurons.

Reference: TDP-43 differentially propagates to induce antero- and retrograde degeneration in the corticospinal circuits in mouse focal ALS models, Acta Neuropathologica, DOI 10.1007/s00401-023-02615-8