Medical Bulletin 22/September/2022

New research in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica suggests that stress may affect a woman's fecundability, or her probability of achieving a pregnancy within a menstrual cycle.

The study assessed allostatic load, which refers to the cumulative "wear and tear" of chronic stress and life events, in 444 women who were trying to become pregnant. Women with higher allostatic load scores-based on nine indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar, cortisol, noradrenaline, and cholesterol-were less likely to become pregnant within a year. For example, the women with an allostatic load score of 5-6 would have a 59% reduction of fecundability compared with those with scores of 0.

Reference:

Bei Wang et al, JOURNAL Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica DOI 10.1111/aogs.14443

New research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggests that the time people go to bed and the amount of time they sleep may affect their risk of developing dementia.

In the study of 1,982 older adults in China who were free of dementia at the start of the study, 97 participants were diagnosed with dementia during an average follow-up of 3.7 years. Risk of dementia was 69% higher in those who slept for more than 8 hours (versus 7-8 hours) and 2-times higher for those who went to bed before 9 PM (versus 10 PM or later).

Reference:

Chinese older adults: A cohort study,Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Nightmares in middle age linked to dementia risk People who experience frequent bad dreams in middle age are more likely to be diagnosed with dementia later in life, according to research at the University of Birmingham.

In the study,the team examined data from three community-based cohorts in the USA. These included more than 600 adult men and women aged between 35 and 64; and 2,600 adults aged 79 and older. All the participants were dementia-free at the start of the study and followed up for an average of nine years for the younger group and five years for the older participants.

Reference:

Dr Abidemi Otaiku et al,Distressing dreams, cognitive decline, and risk of dementia: A prospective study of three population-based cohorts,EClinicalMedicine

DOI 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101640

As people with HIV age, their risk of heart attack increases far more if they also have untreated hepatitis C virus, even if their HIV is treated, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Since the introduction of antiretroviral therapies to treat HIV in the late 1990s, the lifespan of people with HIV has increased dramatically. However, even with treatment, studies have found the heart disease risk among people with HIV is at least 50% higher than people without HIV.

This new study evaluated if people with HIV who also have hepatitis C–a viral liver infection –have a higher risk of heart attack.

Reference:

Raynell Lang et al,Evaluating the Cardiovascular Risk in an Aging Population of People With HIV: The Impact of Hepatitis C Virus Coinfection,Journal of the American Heart Association DOI 10.1161/JAHA.122.026473