Medical Bulletin 24/November/2022
Researchers from UC San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Health Care System have found that veterans with PTSD had an 8% increased risk of death if they had COVID and a 9% increased risk of hospitalization, compared with patients with the virus and without a psychiatric diagnosis, adjusting for age, sex, race and co-occurring medical conditions.
Those with psychosis were found to have a 58% increased risk of death and a 66% increased risk of hospitalization, relative to those without psychiatric diagnoses.
Reference:
Flavonols are a type of flavonoid, a group of phytochemicals found in plant pigments known for its beneficial effects on health. People who eat or drink more foods with antioxidant flavonols, which are found in several fruits and vegetables as well as tea and wine, may have a slower rate of memory decline, according to a study published in the online issue of Neurology.
The study involved 961 people with an average age of 81 without dementia. They filled out a questionnaire each year on how often they ate certain foods. The people were divided into five equal groups based on the amount of flavonols they had in their diet. While the average amount of flavonol intake in US adults is about 16 to 20 milligrams (mg) per day, the study population had an average dietary intake of total flavonols of approximately 10 mg per day. The lowest group had an intake of about 5 mg per day and the highest group consumed an average of 15 mg per day; which is equivalent to about one cup of dark leafy greens.
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The World Health Organization recommends waiting six months after miscarriage or abortion before becoming pregnant again to avoid complications in the next pregnancy, yet evidence for this is scarce. Gizachew Tessema of the Curtin School of Population Health, Australia, and colleagues conducted a cohort study with a total of 49,058 births following miscarriage and 23,707 births following abortion in Norway between 2008-2016. They looked at six adverse outcomes: preterm birth, spontaneous preterm birth, small for gestational age, large for gestational age, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.
However a recent study suggests that, contrary to current advice, women could attempt pregnancy after a previous miscarriage or induced abortion without elevated perinatal risks and reassures those who want to try again sooner than guidelines recommend.
Reference:
Tessema GA, Håberg SE, Pereira G, Regan AK, Dunne J, Magnus MC (2022) Interpregnancy interval and adverse pregnancy outcomes among pregnancies following miscarriages or induced abortions in Norway (2008–2016): A cohort study. PLoS Med 19(11): e1004129. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004129
Shingles found to be associated with heightened risk for stroke, heart attack: Study
Shingles often causes a painful rash and can occur anywhere on the head or body. Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person has chickenpox, the virus stays in their body for the rest of their life. Years and even decades later, the virus may reactivate as shingles.
A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital, demonstrated that shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is associated with an almost 30% higher long-term risk of a major cardiovascular event such a stroke or heart attack. Their results are published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Reference:
Sharon G. Curhan et al. "Herpes Zoster and Long‐Term Risk of Cardiovascular Disease" Journal of the American Heart Association DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.122.027451
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