Medical Bulletin 20/May/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

COVID-19 positive donor hearts may impact post-transplant survival: Study

The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges for heart transplantation since transplant centers had to continuously modify their recipient and donor management protocols as the pandemic and understanding of the virus evolved. There continues to be a lack of data around long-term outcomes of transplants from COVID-19 infected donors, especially as new virus variants emerge.

Heart transplant recipients receiving organs from active COVID-19 positive donors may have an increased risk of death at six months and one year when compared to those receiving organs from recently recovered COVID-19 patients and COVID-19 negative patients, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Reference:

Shivank Madan et al,Journal of the American College of Cardiology

Study confirms safety of distal radial artery access for cardiac catheterization

Current guidelines for patients undergoing percutaneous intervention recommend proximal radial artery or PRA access. A complication of PRA is radial artery occlusion, or a blocking of the vessel, which can compromise the access of the artery for future coronary bypass surgery, dialysis or other cardiovascular procedures.

One-year findings from the Distal versus Proximal Radial Artery Access for Cardiac Catheterization and Intervention (DIPRA) study were presented today as late-breaking clinical research at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions. The single-center, randomized-controlled trial evaluated outcomes of hand function and effectiveness of conventional proximal radial artery (PRA) access compared to distal radial artery (DRA) access for cardiac catheterization.

Reference:

Karim Al-Azizi, et al,“Distal versus Proximal Radial Artery Access for Cardiac Catheterization and Intervention: 1-year results of The DIPRA study” [Thursday, May 18, 2023, 4:30 – 5:30 PM MST, West 103, First Floor, Phoenix Convention Center]MEETING SCAI Scientific Sessions,https://scai.org/media-center/news-and-articles

Whole body cryostimulation may help treat obesity: Study

Whole-body cryotherapy is a kind of therapy where we expose ourselves to very cold temperatures for a small duration.

Whole body cryostimulation is a useful “add-on” treatment for obesity, research being presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Dublin, Ireland (17-20 May) suggests.

Levels of cholesterol and other blood fats improved twice as much in individuals living with obesity who were exposed to extreme cold for a short period of time, compared with individuals given a sham treatment.

Reference:

EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF OBESITY,MEETING European Congress on Obesity (ECO2023)