Medical Bulletin 3/August/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

New type of treatment beats deadly fungus

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resources Science (CSRS) and the University of Toronto have discovered a new way to attack fungal infections. The key is to block fungi from being able to make fatty acids, the major component of fats. Resistance to anti-fungal drugs is increasing and this new approach will be particularly useful because it works in a new way and affects a broad range of fungal species.

Their approach was to first screen the structurally-diverse RIKEN natural product depository (NPDepo) against four pathogenic yeasts—three Candida and one species—which have been identified as critical human pathogens by the World Health Organization. They were looking for something that would affect all four species, which would indicate that it might be effective against a broad range of fungi.

Reference: Cell Chemical Biology,DOI 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.06.005

Irregular sleep patterns linked to harmful gut bacteria

New research has found irregular sleep patterns are associated with harmful bacteria in your gut. The study by researchers from King’s College London and ZOE, the personalised nutrition company, is the first to find multiple associations between social jet lag – the shift in your internal body clock when your sleeping patterns change between workdays and free days - and diet quality, diet habits, inflammation and gut microbiome composition in a single cohort.

In a cohort of 934 people from the ZOE PREDICT study, researchers assessed blood, stool and gut microbiome samples as well as glucose measurements in those whose sleep was irregular compared to those who had a routine sleep schedule. Researchers found that just a 90-minute difference in the timing of the midpoint of sleep – the halfway point between sleep time and wake-up time - is associated with differences in gut microbiome composition

Reference: European Journal of Nutrition, DOI 10.1007/s00394-023-03204-x

Study shows dementia more common in older adults with vision troubles

A recent study lends further weight to the idea that vision problems and dementia are linked.

In a sample of nearly 3,000 older adults who took vision tests and cognitive tests during home visits, the risk of dementia was much higher among those with eyesight problems – including those who weren’t able to see well even when they were wearing their usual eyeglasses or contact lenses.

All of the older adults in the study were over the age of 71, with an average age of 77. They had their up-close and distance vision, and their ability to see letters that didn’t contrast strongly with their background, tested by a visiting team member using a digital tablet. They also took tests of memory and thinking ability, and provided health information including any existing diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia

Reference: Objectively Measured Visual Impairment and Dementia Prevalence in Older Adults, JAMA Ophthalmology, DOI 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2023.2854