Medical Bulletin 5/May/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Early life abuse may be linked to greater risk of adult premature death: Study

Early life abuse is a global public health issue because it substantially contributes to child death and a range of long term consequences during adulthood. However, the association of childhood or adolescent abuse with total and cause specific premature death during adulthood remains unclear.

Physical and sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence could be associated with a greater risk of adult premature death (before age 70), finds research published by The BMJ recently..

This study extends and refines the existing evidence in this area, and highlights the importance of providing trauma informed care for those who have experienced child abuse, say the researchers.

Reference:

Research: Association of early life physical and sexual abuse with premature mortality among female nurses: prospective cohort study,The BMJ, DOI 10.1136/bmj-2022-073613

No increased risk of menstrual changes after COVID-19 vaccination: Study

Many women have reported changes to their periods after a covid-19 vaccination, such as the number of days they bleed and the heaviness of the flow. A Swedish study of nearly 3 million women published by The BMJ finds no evidence of an increased risk of menstrual changes after covid-19 vaccination.

Weak and inconsistent associations were found between covid-19 vaccination and contact with healthcare for postmenopausal bleeding and were even less consistent for menstrual disturbance and premenstrual bleeding.

These findings do not provide any substantial support for a causal association between covid-19 vaccination and diagnoses related to menstrual or bleeding disorders, say the researchers.

Reference:

Association between SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and healthcare contacts for menstrual disturbance and bleeding in women before and after menopause: nationwide, register based cohort study, The BMJ, DOI 10.1136/bmj-2023-074778

Study finds severe mental illness linked to low attendance at cancer screening

New research from the University of Surrey and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) at the Department of Health and Social Care suggests that people with severe mental illness are less likely to attend cancer screening compared to those who do not have such conditions.

The study found disparity in attendance at cancer screening in people with severe mental illness, with the most pronounced disparities being observed for those diagnosed with schizophrenia, followed by those diagnosed with other psychoses and bipolar disorder.

The researchers suggested that the lower attendance at screening, seen in these populations, may be a contributing factor as to why people with severe conditions are more likely to die prematurely from cancer.

Reference:

Inequalities in cancer screening participation between adults with and without severe mental illness: results from a cross-sectional analysis of primary care data on English Screening Programmes,British Journal of Cancer, DOI 10.1038/s41416-023-02249-3

Deep sleep may mitigate Alzheimer’s memory loss: Study

Deep sleep, also known as non-REM slow-wave sleep, can act as a “cognitive reserve factor” that may increase resilience against a protein in the brain called beta-amyloid that is linked to memory loss caused by dementia.

A deep slumber might help buffer against memory loss for older adults facing a heightened burden of Alzheimer’s disease, new research from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests.

Reference:

NREM sleep as a novel protective cognitive reserve factor in the face of Alzheimer's disease pathology,BMC Medicine