Medical Bulletin 9/January/2024

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Blood flow changes in the eyes could influence visual symptoms of migraines

A recent study found changes in blood flow in the retina could explain why some migraine patients experience visual symptoms. The findings could represent a long-sought observable marker for migraines that doctors can use to aid in the clinical treatment of the condition.

The study was led by former UCLA Department of Neurology Clinical Instructor Dr. Katherine Podraza (now of the Hartford Healthcare Headache Center) and co authored by former UCLA Health research scientist Nitin Bangera, UCLA Goldberg Migraine Program clinical research coordinator Akira Feliz and UCLA Goldberg Migraine Program Director Dr. Andrew Charles of the UCLA Department of Neurology. Read the study in Headache.

Reference: Blood flow changes in the eyes could influence visual symptoms of migraines; Headache The Journal of Head and Face Pain, DOI: 10.1111/head.14654

Maternal diabetes and overweight and congenital heart defects in offspring

Maternal diabetes and overweight or obesity are known to be associated with increased risk of congenital heart defects (CHDs) in offspring, but there are no large studies analyzing outcomes associated with these factors in 1 model.

The current study in JAMA Network found that T1D was a risk factor associated with nearly all subtypes of CHD in offspring, while overweight and obesity were associated with certain types of CHD, suggesting distinct teratogenic mechanisms.

Reference: Turunen R, Pulakka A, Metsälä J, et al. Maternal Diabetes and Overweight and Congenital Heart Defects in Offspring. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(1):e2350579. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50579

Novel compound protects against infection by virus that causes COVID-19, preliminary studies show

Compounds that obstruct the "landing gear" of a range of harmful viruses can successfully protect against infection by the virus that causes COVID-19, a study published and led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists shows. Based on the findings, researchers have launched a human clinical trial of one such compound made by chemically stabilizing a key coronavirus peptide.

If the compound, called a stapled lipopeptide, proves effective as a nasal spray in the trial, it could be the basis for a new drug modality to prevent or treat COVID-19, say the authors of the study, posted online today in the journal Nature Communications. Because such compounds foil a mechanism used by many types of viruses to enter and infect cells, stapled lipopeptides may also be effective against dangerous and potentially deadly viruses such as RSV, Ebola, and Nipah, as the authors also demonstrate in their study.

Reference: Novel compound protects against infection by virus that causes COVID-19, preliminary studies show; Nature Communications