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Medical Bulletin 13/ December/ 2024 - Video
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Overview
Here are the top medical news for the day:
Change in Chemotherapy Regimen Can Reduce Long Term Health Impacts in Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients
A simple change to the chemotherapy regimen for people with Hodgkin lymphoma could reduce the long-term health impacts that can result from treatment, according to researchers in Cambridge. The findings could lead to the national guidance on chemotherapy treatment for these patients being revised.
The study, published in The Lancet Oncology compares the lasting effects of two chemotherapy regimens used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma in younger adults.
Data previously collected from 1,945 patients treated with the existing chemotherapy regime (eBEACOPP) was compared to 312 patients treated with a similar regimen, called eBEACOPDac. Both treatments use combinations of drugs, and the change replaces one of these, procarbazine, with another called dacarbazine. Both chemotherapies achieved the same success in treating cancer, but comparison of data from the two groups showed that patients treated with eBEACOPDac generally experienced fewer, less severe side effects.
Patients treated with the new regimen spent less time in hospital, required fewer blood transfusions following treatment, and more patients showed signs of recovering fertility sooner. This also has the potential to reduce hospital admissions and demand for hospital appointments. Part of the study used whole genome sequencing at the Wellcome Sanger Institute to look at the effects of both treatments and showed that eBEACOPDac has a greatly reduced impact on patient genes.
Professor George Follows, Consultant Haematologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge and co-lead author on the study, said: “Our findings highlight the potential to make the short and long-term side effects of chemotherapy much kinder for Hodgkin lymphoma patients without compromising the effectiveness of treatment. By making a small change to how patients are managed, we can greatly reduce the lasting impacts that this disease, and its treatment, has on their lives giving many more patients the opportunity to go on to raise families.”
Reference: Hodgkin lymphoma therapy: minimising clinical and biological harms, Viviani, Simonetta et al.,The Lancet Oncology, Volume 0, Issue 0
Exposure to Air Pollution Contributes to Millions of Deaths in India: Lancet Study Finds
A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that long-term exposure to air pollution contributes to millions of deaths in India. The research, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, emphasises the need for stricter air quality regulations in the country.
Air pollution consisting of particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, PM2.5, can enter the lungs and bloodstream and is a major health risk in India. Researchers have now examined the link between these particles and mortality over a ten-year period. The study is based on data from 655 districts in India between 2009 and 2019.
The research analysed the relationship between changes in air pollution levels and mortality. The results show that around 3.8 million deaths over the period can be linked to air pollution levels above India's own air quality guidelines of 40 micrograms per cubic metre.
When compared to the stricter guidelines recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) - only 5 micrograms per cubic metre - the figure rises to 16.6 million deaths. That's almost 25 per cent of all mortality during the study period.
The study also highlights that the entire population of India lives in areas where PM2.5 levels exceed WHO guidelines. This means that almost 1.4 billion people are exposed year after year to air pollution that can negatively affect health. In some regions, levels of up to 119 micrograms per cubic metre were measured, significantly higher than what both the WHO and India consider safe.
Reference: ‘Estimating the effect of annual PM2-5 exposure on mortality in India: a difference-in-differences approach’, Suganthi Jaganathan, Massimo Stafoggia, Ajit Rajiva, Siddhartha Mandal, Shweta Dixit, Jeroen de Bont, Gregory A Wellenius, Kevin J Lane, Amruta Nori-Sarma, Itai Kloog, Dorairaj Prabhakaran, Poornima Prabhakaran, Joel Schwartz, Petter Ljungman, The Lancet Planetary Health, online December 11, 2024, doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00248-110
Poor Dietary Choices May Increase Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer may be fueled by the food on our plates. Researchers at the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute have uncovered a potential link between the Western diet – dominated by ultra-processed foods and unhealthy oils – and the chronic inflammation that drives tumor growth.
The researchers have already made major advancements in the understanding of colorectal cancer. The project’s first study examines how processed foods are likely hindering the body’s natural healing processes. Their findings were published in Gut.
While the molecules are difficult to detect, researchers used a highly sensitive analytical technique to identify trace amounts of lipids in 162 tumor samples from patients at Tampa General Hospital. The tumors were frozen within 30 minutes of removal and transported to the lab.
Inside the tumors, the team observed an excess number of molecules that promote inflammation and a shortage of those that help resolve it and promote healing. These findings pave the way for a new, natural approach -- resolution medicine -- which focuses on restoring balance in the patient’s diet to treat colorectal cancer more effectively.
Reference: Soundararajan R, Maurin MM, Rodriguez-Silva J, et al Integration of lipidomics with targeted, single cell, and spatial transcriptomics defines an unresolved pro-inflammatory state in colon cancer. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2024-332535
Can Good Quality Breakfast Reduce Cardiovascular Risk?
Having a quality breakfast that provides the right amount of energy to face the day, around a quarter of daily intake, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is highlighted by a study conducted by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. The study followed the progress of 383 participants in the PREDIMED-Plus project, a randomized clinical trial comparing the effects of a Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity versus dietary recommendations alone on cardiovascular disease.
This new work considered two factors. First, the energy intake from breakfast relative to the total daily intake, distinguishing between an adequate calorie intake and other levels. Second, the researchers analyzed the effects of consuming a high-quality breakfast with a proper balance of proteins, fats, fiber, and other nutrients. They found that consuming an adequate amount of energy in the morning and doing so with high-quality food contributed to reducing cardiovascular risk factors.
The study followed participants for three years. All were aged between 55 and 75 and had overweight or obesity. Various cardiovascular risk factors were evaluated, including weight, waist circumference an indicator of abdominal obesity, lipid profile cholesterol and triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and diabetes markers.
The results indicate that participants who consumed 20–30% of daily energy intake in the morning had better outcomes for several risk factors. Their body weight evolved more favorably compared to participants who consumed more or less energy at breakfast. By the end of the study, these participants had a 2–3.5% lower body mass index and a 2–4% smaller waist circumference. Adequate energy intake at breakfast was also linked to significantly lower triglyceride levels and higher HDL cholesterol levels (4–8.5% increase). Other markers showed less significant changes.
In terms of breakfast quality, the results were also positive. Participants who had a high-quality breakfast had 1.5% smaller waist circumference, 4% lower triglycerides, and 3% higher HDL cholesterol.
Reference: Pérez-Vega, K. A., Lassale, C., Zomeño, M. D., Castañer, O., Salas-Salvadó, J., Basterra-Gortari, F. J., ... & Hernáez, Á. (2024). Breakfast energy intake and dietary quality and trajectories of cardiometabolic risk factors in older adults. The Journal of nutrition, health and aging, 28(12), 100406.
Speakers
Dr. Bhumika Maikhuri
BDS, MDS
Dr Bhumika Maikhuri is a Consultant Orthodontist at Sanjeevan Hospital, Delhi. She is also working as a Correspondent and a Medical Writer at Medical Dialogues. She completed her BDS from Dr D Y patil dental college and MDS from Kalinga institute of dental sciences. Apart from dentistry, she has a strong research and scientific writing acumen. At Medical Dialogues, She focusses on medical news, dental news, dental FAQ and medical writing etc.