Medical Bulletin 22/September/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Morning and afternoon workouts better for diabetes prevention shows study

A recent study published in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), highlights the relationship between the timing of physical activity and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes where the authors noted that morning and afternoon physical activities were linked to a lower risk of developing the condition The researchers from Harvard University and Harvard Medical School, along with their colleagues, investigated how morning, afternoon, and evening physical activity influences diabetes risk.

Physical activity has long been recognized as a preventive factor for type 2 diabetes, but the timing and consistency of this activity have been less explored. The study, which analyzed a cohort of 93,095 UK Biobank participants without a history of type 2 diabetes, aimed to shed light on these aspects.

Reference: Diabetologia (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-023-06001-7)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy lessens fibromyalgia pain: Study

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)—which uses structured techniques to alter distorted thoughts and negative moods—was superior to a matched education treatment in reducing the interfering effects of pain and other aspects of fibromyalgia on daily living, a recent randomized clinical trial of patients with fibromyalgia has shown.

Within the group that received CBT in the trial, which is published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, improvements were at least partly attributable to reductions in what’s known as catastrophizing, a state comprised of cognitive and emotional processes such as helplessness, rumination, and magnification of pain complaints.

Reference: Arthritis & Rheumatology, DOI 10.1002/art.42672, A Randomized, Controlled Neuroimaging Trial of Cognitive-behavioral therapy for Fibromyalgia Pain

Creatine supplements help people suffering from long Covid, finds study

Results from a recent clinical trial published in Food Science & Nutrition indicate that dietary creatine may benefit individuals experiencing post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome, also known as long COVID. The amino acid creatine is essential for muscle and brain health, and people commonly use creatine supplements to improve exercise performance and increase muscle mass.

Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), is a condition in which individuals who have recovered from acute COVID-19 continue to experience a range of persistent symptoms and health issues for weeks or even months after their initial infection. These lingering symptoms can affect various parts of the body and are often unpredictable and debilitating.

Reference: Food Science & Nutrition, DOI 10.1002/fsn3.3597, Effects of six-month creatine supplementation on patient- and clinician-reported outcomes, and tissue creatine levels in patients with post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome