Medical Bulletin 4/May/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Study shows nocebo effect may influence the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine

People's negative expectations and general attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine are significantly correlated with the occurrence and intensity of its most common side effects such as fatigue, muscle pain, headache and injection site pain.

This is suggested by a study published in the Psychological Science journal and led by scientists from the University of Bologna, who investigated how adverse effects reported after vaccination can be influenced by the nocebo effect, the opposite of the placebo effect.

A team of scientists from the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences at the University of Bologna, in collaboration with a number of international research laboratories, decided to investigate whether and to what extent fear, expectations and beliefs about the vaccine have an effect on the occurrence and severity of possible adverse effects. This is referred to as the 'nocebo effect', a phenomenon that occurs as a consequence of negative expectations and beliefs, which can activate or reinforce possible side effects.

Reference:

No(cebo) Vax: COVID-19 Vaccine Beliefs Are Important Determinants of Both Occurrence and Perceived Severity of Common Vaccines’ Adverse Effects,Psychological Science, DOI 10.1177/09567976231163875

New potential target for treating vascular disease identified

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) activation plays a crucial role in the development of multiple vascular diseases. In a novel study in The American Journal of Pathology, published by Elsevier, researchers found that when fragile-X related protein-1 (FXR1) is absent, VSMC proliferate more slowly, become senescent, and scar tissue (neointima) development is reduced. Therefore, drugs targeting FXR1 may treat vascular proliferative diseases.

To extend their understanding of the impact of the absence of FXR1, investigators performed RNA-sequencing on FXR1-depleted human VSMCs. Their results suggest that FXR1 appears to stabilize a group of transcripts involved in control of the cell cycle, most of which are associated with proliferation and cell division. In addition, they noted an increase in beta galactosidase and gamma H2AX, molecules indicative of cell senescence.

Reference:

Genetic Deletion of FXR1 Reduces Intimal Hyperplasia and Induces Senescence in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells, American Journal Of Pathology, DOI 10.1016/j.ajpath.2023.01.006

Low-fat diets prolong life in middle-aged and older adults: Study

Short-terms clinical trials have demonstrated the health benefits of low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) and low-fat diets (LFDs) for weight loss and heart protection. Now a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine looks at the effects of these diets on mortality in middle-aged and older adults.

In the study of 371,159 individuals aged 50 to 71 years, 165,698 deaths occurred over a median follow-up of 23.5 years.

Reference:

Low-carbohydrate diets, low-fat diets, and mortality in middle-aged and older people: a prospective cohort study,Journal of Internal Medicine, DOI 10.1111/joim.13639

Long term beta blocker use to curb further heart attack risk questioned in recent study

The accepted clinical practice of using beta blockers over the long term to curb the risk of further heart attacks or death doesn’t seem to be warranted in patients who don’t have heart failure, suggests a large study published in the journal Heart.

The researchers found no difference in these risks between patients taking beta blockers more than a year after their heart attack and those who weren’t on these drugs.

To strengthen the evidence base, the researchers drew on 43,618 adults who had had a heart attack between 2005 and 2016 that required hospital treatment, and whose details had been entered into the national Swedish register for coronary heart disease.

Reference:

Association of beta-blockers beyond 1 year after myocardial infarction and cardiovascular outcomes,Heart, DOI 10.1136/heartjnl-2022-322115