Medical Bulletin 06/August/2026 - Video

Here are the top medical news for today:

Daily Fiber Supplement Reduced Knee Arthritis Pain and Improved Muscle Strength, Study Finds

Could the secret to easing knee pain be hiding in your breakfast bowl instead of your medicine cabinet?

A simple daily prebiotic fiber supplement may help reduce knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain while improving physical function, according to a new clinical trial published in Nutrients. Researchers from the University of Nottingham found that inulin, a natural fiber found in chicory root, artichokes, and other vegetables, significantly eased pain and improved several health measures in adults with knee OA.

The six-week INSPIRE randomized controlled trial included 117 adults with knee osteoarthritis. Participants were assigned to one of four groups: inulin alone, digital physiotherapy-supported exercise, both treatments combined, or a placebo.

Results showed that both inulin and physiotherapy independently reduced knee pain. However, only participants taking inulin experienced stronger grip strength and reduced pain sensitivity, suggesting improvements in how the nervous system processes pain.

Researchers believe the benefits may begin in the gut. Inulin acts as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate, which may help regulate inflammation and pain. Participants taking inulin also had higher levels of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a gut hormone linked to pain regulation and muscle function. Higher GLP-1 levels were associated with better grip strength, hinting at a possible gut-muscle-pain connection.

The supplement also proved easier to stick with than exercise alone. Only 3.6% of participants in the inulin group dropped out of the study, compared with 21% in the physiotherapy group.

Researchers say these findings suggest that supporting gut health with a prebiotic supplement could become a safe and practical addition to osteoarthritis care. However, they emphasize that the trial was relatively small and lasted only six weeks. Larger, longer-term studies are needed to confirm the benefits and determine whether combining dietary fiber with exercise can provide even greater relief for people living with knee osteoarthritis.

REFERENCE: Afroditi Kouraki, Susan Franks, et al.; Effect of Prebiotic Supplementation With and Without Physiotherapy on Pain and Pain Sensitivity in People with Knee Osteoarthritis. Nutrients, 2026; 18 (5): 714 DOI: 10.3390/nu18050714

Study Links Type 2 Diabetes to Worse Menopause Symptoms in Women

Hot flashes stealing the spotlight? Diabetes might be making menopause even tougher than you think.

Women with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes may experience more frequent and more severe menopause symptoms than women without diabetes, according to a new study published in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.

Menopause brings hormonal changes that often trigger symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes, and fatigue. At the same time, these hormonal shifts increase the risk of developing chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes. Weight gain and increased abdominal fat during midlife can further raise diabetes risk, which currently affects an estimated 10% of the global population.

To better understand the relationship, researchers studied nearly 300 Korean women aged 40 to 64 years. Using the Midlife Women's Symptom Index, they compared menopause symptoms among women with normal blood sugar levels and those with diabetes or prediabetes across different menopause stages.

The results showed that women with diabetes consistently reported a greater number of menopause symptoms and higher symptom severity than women without diabetes. While this trend was observed during all menopause stages, the differences became statistically significant after menopause, suggesting that diabetes may have its greatest impact during the postmenopausal years.

Experts also note that previous studies have linked diabetes, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol levels with more frequent vasomotor symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats. Women experiencing severe menopause symptoms may also have a less favorable cardiovascular risk profile.

Although the study identifies an association rather than a cause-and-effect relationship, it underscores the importance of recognizing menopause as an opportunity to screen for diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers recommend larger, long-term studies to better understand how blood sugar regulation and menopause symptoms influence each other over time.

REFERENCE: You Lee Yang, Yeon Kyung Kim, YoungJoo Shin; Association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and menopausal symptoms among Korean midlife women; Menopause; DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000002883

New Chewing Gum Reduces Cancer-Causing HPV Levels by Up to 93%: Study

What if fighting cancer started with... chewing gum? Scientists say that idea may not be as far-fetched as it sounds.

Researchers have developed a bioengineered chewing gum that dramatically reduced microbes linked to head and neck cancer, offering a potential new tool to support future cancer prevention and treatment. The findings were published in Scientific Reports.

The study was led by Henry Daniell from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. His team focused on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a common cancer affecting the mouth and throat that is often diagnosed at advanced stages, making treatment more difficult.

The researchers targeted three microbes associated with the disease: human papillomavirus (HPV) and two harmful oral bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn). HPV has been strongly linked to the rising incidence of throat cancers, while Pg and Fn are associated with poorer survival in patients with recurrent or metastatic oral cancer.

The chewing gum is made from lablab beans and contains FRIL, a naturally occurring antiviral protein. When tested on oral samples from patients with HNSCC, gum extracts reduced HPV levels by 93% in saliva and 80% in oral rinse samples.

The team then enhanced the gum by adding protegrin, an antimicrobial peptide. A single dose nearly eliminated both Pg and Fn bacteria. Importantly, the treatment appeared to spare the beneficial bacteria that normally protect the mouth, unlike some cancer treatments such as radiation therapy, which can disrupt the healthy oral microbiome.

Although these findings come from laboratory testing and not human clinical trials, they highlight a promising, low-cost approach that could complement current treatments. The research team says the next step is to evaluate the chewing gum in clinical trials to determine its safety and effectiveness in people.

REFERENCE: Henry Daniell, et al.; Ex vivo HNSCC clinical studies using saliva and antiviral or antibacterial chewing gums reveal reduction in carcinogenic microbes. Scientific Reports, 2026; 16 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-39062-w