Medical Bulletin 31/August/2023

Scientists have long known that caloric restriction - intentionally consuming far less calories than normal without becoming malnourished - improves health in later life and may even extend life. However, studies in mice show that caloric restriction really needs to be maintained throughout life to achieve this impact, and the health benefits disappear when a normal diet is resumed. Dr. Houseley’s new research conducted in yeast suggests an alternative to calorie restriction can lead to improved health throughout the lifecycle.

Reference: Dr Dorottya Horkai, et al, Journal PLoS Biology (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002245)

Antidepressant treatment for postnatal depression linked to improved child outcomes at age five

New research led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has found that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment for postnatal depression is associated with improvements in child behaviour up to five years after childbirth.

Researchers at King’s IoPPN, in collaboration with the University of Oslo, analysed data from over 61,000 mothers and their children recruited during pregnancy from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study. The researchers investigated how postnatal SSRI treatment modified the negative outcomes associated with postnatal depression in mothers and their children.

Reference: Long-term maternal and child outcomes following postnatal Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor treatment (Chao-Yu Liu, Eivind Ystrom, Tom A. McAdams) was published in JAMA Network Open (DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.31270).