Medical Bulletin 14/October/2025 - Video

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Could Skin Conditions Be Early Markers of Mental Health Risk?

Scientists have found that individuals with mental health conditions who also experience skin disorders may face a higher risk of poor psychiatric outcomes, including depression and suicidal thoughts. The findings, presented at the ECNP meeting in Amsterdam, could help improve early identification of vulnerable patients and allow for more personalized psychiatric care.

The study examined 481 people undergoing their first episode of psychosis — a condition marked by symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and a break from reality.

On testing, 14.5% were found to have dermatological symptoms (24% female, 9.8% male) such as rash, itching, photosensitivity, etc. All patients were given 4 weeks treatment with an antipsychotic and then checked for a range of mental health parameters.

Lead researcher, Dr Joaquín Galvañ (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid) said:

“After 4 weeks of follow-up, patients with a first episode of psychosis presenting with skin conditions experienced higher levels of depression and risk of suicide. We found that just 7% of the patients without the initial skin conditions had suicidal thoughts or attempts, in contrast, around 25% of the patients with initil skin conditions had suicidal thoughts or attempts. Initial skin conditions are also linked to greater depression and poorer well-being at follow-up.

This discovery suggests that the presence of skin conditions indicates that these patients are more at risk for worse outcomes than patients who do not have skin conditions after a first episode of psychosis”.

The researchers note that, if confirmed, this finding has the potential to act as an advance marker for mental health risk, similar to the way, a blood test might indicate a greater risk of cancer or heart disease.

The brain and the skin both derive from the same embryonic origin – the ectoderm – prompting the researchers to investigate the relation between the skin and mental health.

Reference: https://www.ecnp.eu/congress2025/

2 Common Drugs May Show Dual Benefit in Fatty Liver and Heart Disease

A new study published in Pharmacological Research suggests that two existing medications — pemafibrate and telmisartan, may offer an effective and safer treatment option for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as fatty liver disease. Conducted by researchers at the University of Barcelona, the findings highlight a promising drug repurposing strategy that could help manage both liver fat buildup and cardiovascular risk, especially during the early, asymptomatic stages of the disease.

MASLD is now the most prevalent liver disorder globally, affecting around one in three adults. It occurs when excess fat accumulates in liver cells, increasing the risk of liver damage and cardiovascular mortality. The researchers explored whether combining pemafibrate, a lipid-lowering drug approved in Japan, and telmisartan, an antihypertensive commonly prescribed worldwide, could offer dual protection.

Using a rat model and zebrafish larvae, the team evaluated the drugs' ability to reduce liver fat accumulation. The study showed that the combined treatment reversed liver fat buildup caused by a high-fat, high-fructose diet. Notably, using half doses of both drugs proved as effective as full doses of either, pointing to potential synergy and reduced toxicity.

Each drug appeared to work through distinct biological pathways. Telmisartan, in particular, was found to restore normal levels of the PCK1 protein, which diverts metabolites away from lipid synthesis and toward glucose production. "This increase in PCK1 diverts the flux of metabolites from lipid synthesis to glucose synthesis. This increase in glucose production could be negative if the glucose were exported and accumulated in the blood, as it could lead to diabetes, but we have noticed that this is not the case," Marta Alegret, a professor at the University of Barcelona's Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences.

Although clinical application is still distant, this research offers a compelling case for further human studies.

References: Roger Bentanachs, Patricia Ramírez-Carrasco, Bianca Braster, Anastasia Emmanouilidou, Endrina Mujica, Maite Rodrigo-Calvo, Cristina Rodríguez, Núria Roglans, Marcel den Hoed, Juan C. Laguna, Marta Alegret. Telmisartan reverses hepatic steatosis via PCK1 upregulation: A novel PPAR-independent mechanism in experimental models of MASLD. Pharmacological Research, 2025; 218: 107860 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2025.107860

WHO Issues New Guidelines on Undernutrition and Tuberculosis

The World Health Organization’s newly released module in the consolidated TB guidelines, underscores the critical role of nutrition in TB outcomes and prevention.

Undernutrition has long been a silent but powerful driver of the global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic. It increases susceptibility to TB disease, worsens treatment outcomes, and contributes to preventable deaths. Recognizing this, the WHO’s latest guidance elevates nutritional care to a core element of people centred TB services under its End TB Strategy.

The updated recommendations call for universal nutritional assessment and counselling for people with TB and their household contacts, acknowledging that many individuals in TB exposed households may also suffer from undernutrition. They also advocate for targeted nutritional interventions to optimize clinical outcomes in TB patients with undernutrition, regardless of age, pregnancy status, drug resistance, or severity of malnutrition. A particularly novel recommendation is to provide food assistance to household contacts of TB patients in food insecure settings, drawing evidence from the Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial.

“Tuberculosis thrives on inequality, with undernutrition as a major driver,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections. “To end TB, we must address undernutrition and food insecurity as part of a comprehensive, household centred response. Integrating nutrition into comprehensive TB care is essential to breaking the cycle of disease and poverty, and constitutes a critical step towards a world free of TB.”

Implementation of the new guidance will demand cross sector collaboration. To aid this, WHO plans to release an operational handbook to guide countries on stakeholder engagement, coordination, and practical steps to embed food and nutrition interventions into national TB programs.

Reference: https://www.who.int/news/item/08-10-2025-who-releases-new-guidelines-on-tuberculosis-and-undernutrition