Medical Bulletin 23/November/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Improved support about menstruation changes during perimenopause

The research, published in Post Reproductive Health, highlighted how as women approach the menopause, their periods may become unpredictable, heavy and cause worse premenstrual symptoms – including mood swings, breast tenderness and headaches.

The team of researchers from the UCL EGA Institute of Women’s Health and Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, interviewed 31 perimenopausal women aged between 40 and 55, who lived in the UK.

Premenstrual symptoms were also described as being more intense and lasting much longer than before. This ranged from new feelings of anxiety, to uncontrollable mood swings, and generally longer periods of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).

Reference: Perimenopausal women’s voices: how does their period at the end of reproductive life affect wellbeing? ; Post Reproductive Health, DOI: 10.1177/20533691231216162

Poor nutrition contributes to poor mental health and risk of diabetes

People with diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus) are two-to-three times more likely to have depression than people without, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Mason researchers sought to learn about the connection between nutrition, diabetes, and mental health.

According to the findings, mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and diabetes is also linked with an increased risk of developing depression and anxiety. Nutrition interventions can aid in both of these health issues.

Reference: Poor nutrition contributes to poor mental health and risk of diabetes; Nutrients

DOI: 10.3390/nu15194226

Possible early predictor of successful transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for major depression

A new study from UCLA Health researchers demonstrates that a novel treatment is effective in most patients with major depressive symptoms even after multiple failed courses of antidepressant medication. The treatment, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), may work even more rapidly than past findings have suggested, starting to alleviate symptoms as quickly as one week.

Researchers from the Neuromodulation Division of UCLA’s Semel Institute analyzed the outcomes of hundreds of patients treated at UCLA Health from 2009 to 2022 with rTMS therapy, which uses magnetic fields to effectively “rewire” the brain’s circuitry. The new study published this week in Psychiatry Research found that 54% of patients exhibited clinical response (at least a 50% improvement) in mood symptoms when examined using multiple depression rating scales.

Reference: A comparison of self- and observer-rated scales for detecting clinical improvement during repetitive transcranial stimulation (rTMS) treatment of depression; Psychiatry Research, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115608