Medical Bulletin 23/ January/ 2025
Here are the top medical news for the day:
At-Home Bladder Cancer Test: New Urine-Based Kit May Enable Early Diagnosis
The research team has developed a urine-based diagnostic kit for bladder cancer that can be conveniently used at home. This kit can accurately detect bladder cancer biomarkers without any preprocessing of urine samples. The findings are published in nature biomedical engineering.
The research team designed an innovative diagnostic kit by utilizing the principle of water and oil layering to detect bladder cancer biomarkers. Biomarker detection in urine has been challenging due to the low concentration of biomarkers and interference from impurities like hematuria. The newly developed kit overcomes these issues by employing a mechanism where a film bonded to the biomarker is broken, releasing a buoyant signal carrier that moves to the oil layer and emits a detectable signal. This design prevents interference from impurities like hematuria and amplifies the signal, enabling precise biomarker detection.
In clinical trials conducted with 80 patients and 25 healthy individuals at Korea University’s Department of Urology using a double-blind methodology, the diagnostic kit achieved a sensitivity of 88.8%. This is a significant improvement compared to the mere 20% sensitivity of existing commercial tests. Notably, while conventional methods are almost incapable of diagnosing early-stage bladder cancer, the new kit accurately detects even early-stage cases.
This diagnostic kit offers an approach for the early detection of bladder cancer through non-invasive and simple urine tests. It is expected to reduce the need for unnecessary cystoscopy, improve survival rates through early detection, and enhance patients' quality of life.
Dr. Youngdo Jeong of the Center for Advanced Biomolecular Recognition the Korea Institute of Science and Technology said, “This study demonstrates the potential for early bladder cancer diagnosis using a simple diagnostic kit, reducing the need for unnecessary cystoscopies.”
Reference: Keum, C., Yeom, H., Noh, T.I. et al. Diagnosis of early-stage bladder cancer via unprocessed urine samples at the point of care. Nat. Biomed. Eng (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-024-01298-0
Study Highlights Benefits and Risks of Popular Weight-Loss Drugs
A new study has systematically evaluated health outcomes among more than 2 million people with diabetes taking the popular weight-loss drugs, GLP-1 receptor agonists. They found widespread associations with benefits to cognitive and behavioral health, while also revealing increased risks for pancreatitis and kidney conditions, among others. The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine.
For the study, researchers analyzed de-identified medical records in a database maintained by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. They compared 175 health outcomes between veterans who took GLP-1RA drugs to treat their diabetes and those who took more traditional medications sold under brand names such as Jardiance, Glipizide and Januvia. Altogether, the dataset examined more than 2 million veterans who were treated for diabetes from 2017 to 2023. Patients included people of diverse ages, races and sexes.
GLP-1RA drugs were associated with significant benefits to neurological and behavioral health, with reduced risks of seizures and addiction to substances such as alcohol, cannabis, stimulants and opioids. People taking the weight-loss drugs also experienced decreased risks of suicidal ideation, self-harm, bulimia and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. The findings also showed a decreased risk of neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. The study also confirmed past research findings detailing the drugs’ potential to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular concerns.
But what is novel is the potential ways GLP-1RA drugs can negatively affect the pancreas and kidneys. While these adverse effects are uncommon, they can be very serious; physicians must be vigilant for signs of pancreatitis and monitor kidney function among people taking GLP-1RA medications. Kidney problems can occur without symptoms until the condition is at an advanced stage with limited treatment options.
“GLP-1RA drugs can have broad health benefits,” said Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, a clinical epidemiologist and nephrologist who treats patients at the WashU Medicine-affiliated John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital in St. Louis. “However, they are not without risks. Our findings underscore the possibility for wider applications for these medications but also highlight important risks that should be carefully monitored in people taking these drugs.”
Reference: Xie, Y., Choi, T. & Al-Aly, Z. Mapping the effectiveness and risks of GLP-1 receptor agonists. Nat Med (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03412-w
Can Watching Violent Content on TV as a Child Lead to Aggression in Teen Years?
A new study showed boys exposed to violent screen content in the preschool years were more likely to become antisocial and violent themselves a decade later, in their mid-teens
In all researchers looked at 963 girls and 982 boys born between the springs of 1997 and 1998 who were enrolled in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Parents reported the frequency of their child's exposure to violent television content at ages 3.5 and 4.5 years old. Boys and girls then self-reported on several aspects of antisocial behavior at age 15.
The researchers then conducted analyses to examine whether exposure to violent television content at ages 3.5 and 4.5 years predicted later antisocial behavior eleven years later.
At age 15, for boys only, preschool violent televiewing predicted increases in antisocial behavior. Being exposed to violent content in early childhood predicted later aggressive behaviors such as hitting or beating another person, with the intention of obtaining something, stealing, with or without any apparent reason.
Risks also included threats, insults, and gang fight involvement. The use of weapons is also among the behavioral outcomes predicted by exposure to childhood television violence in this study. No effects were found for girls, which was not surprising given that boys are generally more exposed to such content.
Linda Pagani, Professor at the Université de Montreal's School of Psychoeducation concluded, "Our study provides compelling evidence that early childhood exposure to media violence can have serious, long-lasting consequences, particularly for boys. This underscore the urgent need for public health initiatives that targets campaigns to inform parents and communities about the long-term risks and empower them to make informed choices about young children's screen content exposure."
Reference: https://nouvelles.umontreal.ca/en/article/2025/01/20/violence-on-tv-what-happens-to-children-who-watch/
How Psoriasis Affect Gut Health? Study Finds
People with the skin condition psoriasis often have invisible inflammation in the small intestine with an increased propensity for 'leaky gut', according to new research at Uppsala University. These changes in the gut could explain why psoriasis sufferers often have gastrointestinal problems and are more prone to developing Crohn's disease. The study is published in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) -- Molecular Basis of Disease.
The study involved 18 patients with psoriasis and 15 healthy controls as subjects. None of the participants had been diagnosed with gastrointestinal diseases. Samples were taken from both their small and large bowel. The researchers then studied different types of immune cells in the mucous membrane.
Normally, the intestinal mucosa act as a protective barrier that also allows nutrients and water to pass through it. In some autoimmune diseases, the intestinal barrier may function poorly. This is called having a leaky gut, and leads to bacteria and harmful substances leaking through the intestinal barrier and causing inflammation. This can also cause more widespread inflammation when these substances are spread via the bloodstream.
Half of the psoriasis patients in the study had increased intestinal barrier permeability or leaky gut. These same patients also reported more gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloating than patients with a normal intestinal barrier. They also had elevated levels of inflammatory substances in their intestines.
"Given that the psoriasis patients in our study had relatively mild skin disease and showed no visible intestinal inflammation in a gastroscopy, they had surprisingly clear changes in their small intestine compared to healthy controls. These changes could explain why psoriasis sufferers often have gastrointestinal problems, and an increased risk of developing Crohn's disease, said Maria Lampinen, researcher at Uppsala University.
Reference: https://www.uu.se/en/news/2025/2025-01-20-inflammation-may-explain-stomach-problems-in-psoriasis-sufferers
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