Medical Bulletin 26/August/2023

The eight subscales covered: 1) how long it takes to walk to shops, restaurants, banks, pharmacies, work, transport stops, and parks; 2) perceived ease of walking to shops and transport stops; 3) the distance between intersections 4) infrastructure for walking/cycling 5) aesthetics 6) safety from traffic 7) safety from crime and 8) community satisfaction.

Reference: Dr. Mengya Li et al, European Society of Cardiology

Study finds mutations in blood stem cells can exacerbate colon cancer

Researchers at the University of Florida College of Medicine have discovered how common age-related changes in the blood system can make certain colon cancers grow faster.

As we age, the hematopoietic stem cells that reside in the bone marrow and give rise to all of the body’s different blood cells gradually acquire mutations in their DNA. Most of these mutations have no effect, but some can enhance a particular stem cell’s ability to survive and proliferate, resulting in large numbers of blood cells that carry the same mutation.

This phenomenon, known as clonal hematopoiesis, is seen in 10–20% of elderly people and is associated with an increased risk of developing blood cancers. But clonal hematopoiesis is even more frequently seen in patients with many other types of cancer outside of the blood system and is associated with faster tumor progression and shorter survival times.

Reference: Feng et al. 2023. J. Exp. Med. https://rupress.org/jem/article-lookup/doi/10.1084/jem.20230011?PR