Medical Bulletin 25/February/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day: 

Oral empagliflozin provided safe glycemic control in children with type 2 diabetes: Phase 3 trial findings

Researchers led by pediatric endocrinologists at Joslin Diabetes Center recently completed a phase 3 clinical trial that assessed the efficacy and safety of two different classes of oral agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in young people aged 10-17 years. One of the largest studies of children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes to date, the trial demonstrated that one of the two anti-diabetic therapeutics - both of which have already been proven safe and efficacious in adults - provided clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements in glycemic control in young people, while the other did not. The findings, which appeared in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, represent a new treatment option for young people with type 2 diabetes and also underscore the differences in disease progression between young people and adults with type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body does not produce enough of the hormone that regulates blood sugar, called insulin, while cells in the muscle, fat and digestive system simultaneously become less sensitive to it, absorbing less sugar from the blood stream. The condition results in high blood sugar levels, which over time can cause damage to the heart, nerves, eyes, and kidneys, as well as delay wound healing and diminish cognitive function. Controlling blood sugar, or glycemic levels, through medication is critical to staving off these many complications.

Reference:

Lori M. Laffel et al,The Lancet,doi 10.1016/S2213-8587(22)00387-4.

Air pollution exposure linked to Parkinson’s risk: Study

According to a preliminary study released February 23, 2023, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting being held in person in Boston and live online from April 22-27, 2023, living in areas of the United States with higher levels of air pollution is associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease,

The study looked at fine particulate matter, PM2.5, which is less than 2.5 microns in diameter. Fine particles come from motor vehicle exhaust, the burning of fuels by power plants and other industries and forest and grass fires.

Reference:

Brittany Krzyzanowski, et al, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting being held in person in Boston and live online from April 22-27, 2023.

Head injuries may heighten chances for developing brain cancer

Gliomas are brain tumours that often arise in neural stem cells. Researchers from the UCL Cancer Institute have provided important molecular understanding of how injury may contribute to the development of a relatively rare but often aggressive form of brain tumour called a glioma.

Previous studies have suggested a possible link between head injury and increased rates of brain tumours, but the evidence is inconclusive. The UCL team have now identified a possible mechanism to explain this link, implicating genetic mutations acting in concert with brain tissue inflammation to change the behaviour of cells, making them more likely to become cancerous. Although this study was largely carried out in mice, it suggests that it would be important to explore the relevance of these findings to human gliomas.

Reference:

Professor Simona Parrinello et al,Injury primes mutation bearing astrocytes for dedifferentiation in later life,Current Biology. 

Preeclampsia risk doubled in Technology-assisted pregnancies

Assisted reproductive technologies encompass all interventions that involve in vitro handling of extracted eggs, sperm or embryos for the purpose of pregnancy, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination and other techniques. Technology assisted pregnancies, achieved through assisted reproductive technologies, can either be traditional (in which the person carrying the pregnancy has a genetic connection to the embryo) or gestational surrogacy (no genetic connection to embryo). The proportion of pregnancies involving assisted reproductive technologies has doubled in the U.S. over the past two decades.

People who became pregnant using assisted reproductive technologies were found to be over twice as likely to develop preeclampsia than those with traditional pregnancies, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session Together With the World Congress of Cardiology.

Reference:

Ahmad Mustafa et al,AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY,MEETING: American College of Cardiology’s 72nd Annual Scientific Session Together With World Heart Federation’s World Congress of Cardiology