Medical Bulletin 31/October/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Are misoprostol-only regimens effective for abortion? Study sheds light

A recent study published in JAMA has indicated that self-managed medication abortion using misoprostol alone may be more effective than previously thought. The study, which involved participants from Argentina, Nigeria, and Southeast Asia, aimed to estimate the effectiveness of medication abortion with misoprostol among individuals who were self-managing their abortions.

Reference: Jayaweera R, Egwuatu I, Nmezi S, et al. Medication Abortion Safety and Effectiveness With Misoprostol Alone. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(10):e2340042. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.40042

Adding sugar to your tea and coffee: Does it impact your health and mortality

In a world where coffee and tea are beloved beverages, sugar is often the chosen companion to sweeten the experience. But just how does adding sugar to your daily brew affect your health and, ultimately, your mortality? A recent study from the Copenhagen Male Study aimed to uncover the truth. The study, which included 2,923 men aged around 63 years showed that adding sugar to coffee or tea was not significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality or incident diabetes in a population of Danish men.

Over a remarkable 32-year follow-up period, 88.3% of the participants succumbed to various causes, with 34.5% of them reporting the addition of sugar to their daily cups of coffee and tea. The researchers then meticulously analyzed the data, considering several factors such as age, smoking status, daily alcohol intake, blood pressure, body mass index, daily consumption of coffee or tea, and socioeconomic status.

Reference: Use of sugar in coffee and tea and long-term risk of mortality in older adult Danish men: 32 years of follow-up from a prospective cohort study Roderick W. Treskes et al, Published: October 18, 2023 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292882

Does metformin help prevent weight gain in youth with bipolar disorder? Findings from recent study

A large-scale study led by researchers at the University of Cincinnati and Northwell Health has found that the drug metformin can help prevent or reduce weight gain in youth who are taking medication to treat bipolar disorder. This study is significant because medications used to treat bipolar disorder often lead to side effects, including weight gain, which can have negative consequences on the overall health of patients.

The study, conducted over two years and including 1,565 patients aged 8-19 with bipolar disorder taking second-generation antipsychotics, examined the effectiveness of metformin. This drug, typically used to treat Type 2 diabetes, is known to prevent weight gain. The findings of this study showed that metformin had a modest but significant effect on preventing and sometimes reversing weight gain in young patients with bipolar disorder.

Reference: UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI