Medical Bulletin 30/August/2022

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Lower heart failure risk by boosting physical activity

A six-year analysis of more than 94,000 adults in the U.K. Biobank with no history of heart failure at enrollment has found that engaging in moderate or vigorous physical activity may lower the risk of developing heart failure, according to new research published in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation. People whose risk factors for heart failure include having a BMI that meets the criteria for overweight or obese, high blood pressure, and elevated glucose or cholesterol, may be particularly likely to benefit from increasing their physical activity.

Data for this study was gathered between 2013-2015. Participants were an average age of 56 years at enrollment; 57% were female, and 96.6% were white adults. At the time each participant was invited, enrolled and analyzed, they had not been diagnosed with heart failure or had a heart attack. Each participant wore a wrist accelerometer for seven consecutive days, 24 hours per day, to measure the intensity and duration of physical activity. After enrollment, data was collected through linked hospital and death records.

Ref:

Naveed Sattar et al, Circulation, DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.059663

Genes involved in Crohn's disease

An international consortium of researchers has identified genetic variants in 10 genes that elevate a person's susceptibility to Crohn's disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease. These discoveries highlight the causal role of mesenchymal cells in intestinal inflammation, helping to zero in on the genetic roots of inflammatory bowel disease and providing better data with which to develop the next generation of treatments.

The malfunctioning of the glymphatic system during bacterial meningitis

Researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden show in a study on rats that the brain's tool for waste clearance, the glymphatic system, malfunctions during bacterial meningitis, causing a buildup of toxic garbage that damages brain cells. The findings are published in the journal mBio.

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Lower mortality risk among Black tea drinkers

A prospective cohort study found that drinking black tea may be associated with moderately lower mortality risk. The risk was lowest among persons drinking two or more cups of tea per day. The findings are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Ref:

Maki Inoue-Choi et al,Annals of Internal Medicine,DOI:10.7326/M22-0041