Medical Bulletin 2/August/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

American College of Physicians’ updated guidance for colorectal cancer screening of asymptomatic adults

The American College of Physicians (ACP) issued updated guidance for colorectal cancer screening for asymptomatic, average-risk adults that suggests starting screening at age 50. The guidance is based on a critical review of existing clinical guidelines and evidence reviews and modeling studies used to develop those guidelines.

The goal of this ACP guidance statement is to help guide physicians on when to start and stop screening, and on the selection of type and frequency of screening tests in asymptomatic, average-risk adults.

Reference: AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS, JOURNAL Annals of Internal Medicine DOI 10.7326/M23-0779

Statin treatment initiation shows age as a substantial independent predictor of LDL-C response.

A study of more than 80,000 persons found that age is a significant independent predictor of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) response to statin treatment initiation. The initiation of low- to moderate-intensity statins was associated with a greater reduction of LDL-C in older persons than younger persons, regardless of whether the statin was prescribed for primary prevention, for secondary prevention, or among patients with diabetes.

Patient-to-patient LDL-C response varies widely in statin treatment. The reduction in LDL-C may depend on the age of the patient treated. Persons older than 75 years have been underrepresented in randomized clinical trials, which limits evidence about the effects of statin treatment in this age group. While current guidelines recommend statin use for secondary prevention in older adults, the recommendation is less strong for primary prevention.

Reference: Annals of Internal Medicine, https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-2643 

Fermented tea drink may reduce blood sugar levels in people with type-two diabetes

People with type-II diabetes who drank the fermented tea drink kombucha for four weeks had lower fasting blood glucose levels compared to when they consumed a similar-tasting placebo beverage, according to results from a clinical trial conducted by researchers at Georgetown University's School of Health, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and MedStar Health. This finding, from a pilot 12-person feasibility trial, points to the potential for a dietary intervention that could help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes and also establishes the basis for a larger trial to confirm and expand upon these results.

Kombucha is a tea fermented with bacteria and yeasts and was consumed as early as 200 B.C. in China, but it did not become popular in the U.S. until the 1990s. Its popularity has been bolstered by anecdotal claims of improved immunity and energy and reductions in food cravings and inflammation, but proof of these benefits has been limited.

Reference: Kombucha Tea as an Anti-Hyperglycemic Agent in Humans with Diabetes -A Randomized Controlled Pilot Investigation, Frontiers in Nutrition