Medical Bulletin 14/November/2025 - Video

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Number of Children with High Blood Pressure Nearly Doubled in 20 Years: Lancet Study

Imagine being told you have high blood pressure even before you've left your teenage years—a shocking reality that’s becoming increasingly common worldwide. A major new study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health reveals that the number of children and adolescents with hypertension has nearly doubled over the past two decades. The global prevalence surged from about 3.2% in 2000 to over 6.2% in 2020, now affecting an estimated 114 million young people under 19.

This dramatic rise is rooted in today’s lifestyle challenges, including soaring childhood obesity, sedentary habits, and unhealthy diets high in salt and sugar. The comprehensive meta-analysis reviewed 96 studies involving over 443,000 young individuals across 21 countries, highlighting not only diagnosed hypertension but also the prevalence of pre-hypertension, where blood pressure is elevated but not yet at clinical levels. Importantly, blood pressure tends to spike sharply during early adolescence, peaking around age 14, especially in boys. Moreover, when blood pressure measurements taken at home or via ambulatory monitoring are considered, rates of sustained hypertension climb even higher.

Obesity stands out as the strongest risk factor, with nearly 19% of obese children experiencing hypertension compared to fewer than 3% of their healthy-weight peers. Excess weight triggers insulin resistance and vascular changes, increasing workload on the heart. The study also underscores that many cases remain undetected during standard clinic visits due to "masked hypertension," where high blood pressure shows only outside clinical settings.

This growing epidemic in young populations foreshadows a future surge in adult cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Experts emphasize the urgent need for regular blood pressure screening, especially for at-risk youths, combined with lifestyle interventions promoting healthier diets, more physical activity, and reduced salt consumption. Policy actions curbing unhealthy food marketing and improving school nutrition are vital.

If addressed promptly, these measures can alter the trajectory, protecting today’s children from becoming tomorrow’s early-onset cardiac patients.

REFERENCE: Zhou, Jiali et al.; Global prevalence of hypertension among children and adolescents aged 19 years or younger: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis; The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, Volume 0, Issue 0; doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(25)00281-0

New Bacterial Therapy Shown to Eliminate Cancer Without Immune System Involvement

Scientists have developed a revolutionary cancer treatment using a unique pair of bacteria called AUN, which can destroy tumors without relying on the body’s immune system. This breakthrough, led by Professor Eijiro Miyako from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo and the University of Tsukuba, offers hope for cancer patients whose immune systems are weakened and cannot benefit from traditional immunotherapies.

The findings have been published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

The AUN therapy combines two naturally occurring bacteria: Proteus mirabilis (A-gyo), which naturally lives inside tumors, and Rhodopseudomonas palustris (UN-gyo), a photosynthetic bacterium. When injected into tumors, these bacteria work together in a carefully balanced partnership. Initially, the tumor contains about 3% A-gyo and 97% UN-gyo, but this ratio shifts dramatically to 99% A-gyo as the treatment progresses, maximizing the destruction of cancer cells.

A-gyo attacks tumors by destroying cancer cells and cutting off their blood supply. It undergoes a structural change triggered by tumor metabolites that boosts its cancer-killing power. Meanwhile, UN-gyo regulates A-gyo’s activity, preventing uncontrolled bacterial growth and reducing harmful side effects. This balance and cooperation between the two bacteria reflect the Japanese concept of "AUN," symbolizing harmony between opposites.

In tests on mice and human tumor models, AUN therapy effectively eliminated tumors even when immune function was impaired. It showed minimal side effects and avoided dangerous immune reactions common in other bacterial therapies.

The research team is advancing AUN toward clinical trials, hoping to bring this immune-independent therapy to patients within six years. This novel treatment could transform cancer care, especially for those unable to tolerate or respond to current immune-based therapies, offering a new path toward lasting tumor eradication.

REFERENCE: Seigo Iwata, Taisei Nishiyama, Matomo Sakari, Yuki Doi, Naoki Takaya, Yusuke Ogitani, Hiroshi Nagano, Keisuke Fukuchi, Eijiro Miyako. Tumour-resident oncolytic bacteria trigger potent anticancer effects through selective intratumoural thrombosis and necrosis. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2025; DOI: 10.1038/s41551-025-01459-9

Plant-Based Diet Found to Prevent and Reverse Heart Microvascular Damage in Hypertensive Rats

Scientists have discovered that a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes can both prevent and even reverse heart disease in rats with high blood pressure. The study, conducted by researchers at Georgia State University and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, focused on coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD)—a heart condition caused by damage to tiny blood vessels responsible for regulating blood flow to the heart muscle.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction occurs when tiny coronary blood vessels lose their ability to expand and contract properly, mostly due to damage from conditions like hypertension (high blood pressure). This damage impairs the delivery of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle, which leads to symptoms such as chest pain despite having no major blockages in larger arteries. The dysfunction is linked to impaired endothelial cells lining these vessels, increased inflammation, and oxidative stress.

The study fed female rats with high blood pressure either a control diet lacking plant foods or a plant-based diet composed of 28% fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes for six months. Both diets were matched in nutrients except for the antioxidant-rich plant foods. The plant-based diet mimicked a daily human meal, including foods like black beans, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, lemons, sweet potatoes, walnuts, and blueberries.

Researchers measured coronary microvascular dysfunction by assessing coronary flow reserve, a clinical indicator of microvascular health. Advanced cardiac MRI was used to visualize blood flow in heart tissues, and blood vessel cells were isolated for function tests. The results showed that the plant-based diet prevented coronary microvascular dysfunction and even reversed established coronary microvascular dysfunction, improving blood vessel function despite persistent hypertension. Antioxidants in plant foods appeared to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, restoring proper vasodilation and reducing tissue damage.

A subgroup of rats switched from the control to the plant-based diet after coronary microvascular dysfunction developed also showed significant improvement, highlighting the diet's restorative potential.

These promising findings underscore the potential of plant-based diets as a low-cost, low-risk approach to managing heart disease, especially in hypertensive patients, and pave the way for human clinical trials to further validate these benefits.

REFERENCE: Najjar, R. S., et al. (2025). Prevention and Reversal of Hypertension‐Induced Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction by a Plant‐Based Diet. Journal of the American Heart Association. doi:10.1161/jaha.125.045515. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/JAHA.125.045515