Medical Bulletin 25/May/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Diets low in carbohydrate improve blood pressure, blood sugar levels and weight control compared to diets that only target hypertension

Adults with hypertension, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes, and who are overweight or obese, are at an increased risk of serious health complications. However, experts disagree about which dietary patterns and support strategies should be recommended. Researchers randomized 94 adults with the aforementioned conditions, using a 2 x 2 diet-by-support factorial design, comparing a very low-carbohydrate (VLC) or ketogenic diet versus a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Additionally, they compared results with and without extra support activities, such as mindful eating, positive emotion regulation, social support and cooking education.

Using intent-to-treat analyses, 1the VLC diet led to greater improvement in estimated mean systolic blood pressure, greater improvement in glycosylated hemoglobin and greater improvement in weight, compared to the DASH diet. The addition of extra support did not have a statistically significant effect on outcomes.

Reference:

Laura R. Saslow, PhD, et al, Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

New stroke drug offers safe neuroprotection

A promising new stroke drug that temporarily inhibits a key protein in the brain without causing lasting harm may significantly change the future treatment of cerebral and global ischemia, according to a new study by scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

“We are one step closer to a new stroke therapy. Our research shows that the potential negative side effects were not manifested, while the neuroprotective effects were significant.”said K. Ulrich Bayer, a senior author of the study.

Reference:

Short-term CaMKII inhibition with tatCN19o does not erase pre-formed memory in mice and is neuroprotective in pigs, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO ANSCHUTZ MEDICAL CAMPUS, Journal of Biological Chemistry

Biomarkers may help in treatment of acute kidney injury

Hospital inpatients who develop an acute kidney injury (AKI) generally fare poorly after being discharged, and have few options for effective treatment. A UW Medicine-led study published recently in American Journal of Kidney Diseases suggests that new tests might improve this narrative.

Hospital inpatients who develop an acute kidney injury (AKI) generally fare poorly after being discharged, and have few options for effective treatment. In their paper, the investigators proposed a way to classify subpopulations of AKI patients with the aim of identifying therapies specific patient populations.

Reference:

Integrated Analysis of Blood and Urine Biomarkers to Identify Acute Kidney Injury Subphenotypes and Associations With Long-term Outcomes,American Journal of Kidney Diseases, DOI 10.1053/j.ajkd.2023.01.449, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272638623005814?dgcid=author