Medical Bulletin 29/April/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Common treatment for brain injury not effective for some newborns: Study

A new study suggests that therapeutic hypothermia, the only evidence-based treatment for newborns born with neonatal encephalopathy (NE) at or after 36 weeks, is not effective for reducing death or moderate/severe disability in newborns born between 33 and 35 weeks, according to

Researchers examined the effectiveness of whole-body therapeutic hypothermia-a commonly used treatment to lower newborns’ body temperature and protect against the effects of moderate or severe NE-in younger newborns. NE is a brain condition experienced at or near birth, often caused by reduced oxygen to the brain. While evidence supports the use of therapeutic hypothermia for newborns born at 36 weeks or later, many clinicians use the treatment for infants at 35 weeks’ gestation or less.

Reference:

Roger G. Faix et al,PEDIATRIC ACADEMIC SOCIETIES

An hour long endoscopic procedure could eliminate need for insulin for type 2 diabetes

More than 37 million Americans have diabetes, and more than 90% of them have Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes most often develops in people over age 45, but more and more children, teens and young adults are also developing it. Glucose lowering medication can be expensive, and the injection of insulin has several side effects, including the risk of low blood sugar and weight gain.

A procedure that uses controlled electrical pulses to induce changes to the lining of the first part of the small intestine could allow patients with Type 2 diabetes to stop taking insulin and still maintain glycemic control, according to a preliminary first-in-human study that will be presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2023.

Reference:

Celine Busch et al,DIGESTIVE DISEASE WEEK

Risk of obesity-related cancers cut by more than half by bariatric surgery: Study

Bariatric surgery involves making changes to the digestive system to help a person lose weight.

Just 4% of patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery developed obesity-associated cancer in a 10-year follow up, compared to 8.9% among those who did not have a weight-loss procedure, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2023.

"The primary benefit people consider when they think about bariatric surgery is weight loss and the accompanying physical and psychological benefits, such as improved blood pressure and diabetes,” said Dr. Vibhu Chittajallu, the study’s lead author and a gastroenterology fellow at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals. “This study adds to the building evidence that the significant weight loss associated with bariatric surgery may have a protective effect against cancer formation as well.”

Reference:

Dr. Vibhu Chittajallu et al, “Bariatric surgery decreases the risk of developing cancer: a multicenter population-based study,” ,DIGESTIVE DISEASE WEEK