TOP MEDICAL NEWS 29/JULY/2022

People with sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy sleep behaviors could develop fatty liver disease, according to new research published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

"People with poor nighttime sleep and prolonged daytime napping have the highest risk for developing fatty liver disease," said Yan Liu, Ph.D., of the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health and Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. "Our study found a moderate improvement in sleep quality was related to a 29% reduction in the risk for fatty liver disease."

Ref:

Yan Liu et. al, Sleep Factors in Relation to Metabolic-Dysfunction Associated Fatty Liver Disease in Middle-Aged and Elderly Chinese, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism,28-JUL-2022

2. The joy of Thinking about thinking

People consistently underestimate how much they would enjoy spending time alone with their own thoughts, without anything to distract them, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

The research was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.

In a series of six experiments with a total of 259 participants, the researchers compared people's predictions of how much they would enjoy simply sitting and thinking with their actual experience of doing so. In the first experiment, they asked people to predict how much they would enjoy sitting alone with their thoughts for 20 minutes, without being allowed to do anything distracting such as reading, walking around, or looking at a smartphone. Afterward, participants reported how much they had enjoyed it.

Ref:

Aya Hatano et. al, "Thinking About Thinking: People Underestimate How Enjoyable and Engaging Just Waiting Is," Journal of Experimental Psychology,28-Jul-2022.

3. Impaired ketogenesis which ties metabolism to T cell dysfunction in COVID-19

At least that is what the results of the current study suggest. "We found that patients with influenza infections produce ketone bodies in considerable quantities," explains Prof. Dr. Christoph Wilhelm from the Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology at the University Hospital Bonn, who is also a member of the Immunosensation2 Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn. "In contrast, we saw hardly any increase in Covid-19 patients, at least in those with a moderate or severe course."

In addition, it was striking that those infected with the coronavirus had lower levels of inflammatory messengers in their blood. This was particularly true for interferon-gamma.

The researchers also saw similar effects in another important group of immune cells, the killer T cells. Apparently, the ketone bodies promote the function of mitochondria, metabolic powerhouses fueling the immune cells. This not only ensures improved energy production but also provides molecules that are needed for interferon production.

Ref:

Fotios Karagiannis et al.: Impaired ketogenesis ties metabolism to T cell dysfunction in COVID-19. Nature; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05128-8

4. How Rapid loss of smell may predict dementia and smaller brain areas linked to Alzheimer's

Researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine have discovered another reason to appreciate our sniffers. Not only can a decline in a person's sense of smell over time predict their loss of cognitive function, but it can also foretell structural changes in regions of the brain important in Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

The findings, based on a longitudinal study of 515 older adults published July 2 in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, could lead to the development of smell-test screening to detect cognitive impairment earlier in patients.

It's estimated more than 6 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, which is characterized by memory loss and other symptoms, such as mood changes and trouble completing everyday tasks. There is no cure for Alzheimer's, but some medications can temporarily slow its symptoms.

Ref:

Rachel Pacyna et. al, Rapid olfactory decline during aging predicts dementia and GMV loss in AD brain regions, Alzheimer s & Dementia, DOI: 28-Jul-2022,10.1002/alz.12717