Medical Bulletin 17/October/2022 - Video
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Overview
Here are the top medical news for the day:
Long-term air pollution causes obesity and increased waist circumference in women
Obesity has been a major global health issue in recent decades as more people eat unhealthy diets and fail to exercise regularly. A new University of Michigan study suggests there is another factor that tips the scale in women's weight, body mass index, waist circumference and body fat which is air pollution.
Women in their late 40s and early 50s exposed long-term to air pollution-specifically, higher levels of fine particles, nitrogen dioxide and ozone-saw increases in their body size and composition measures, said Xin Wang, epidemiology research investigator at the U-M School of Public Health and the study's first author.
Ref:
Xin Wang, et al,JOURNAL Diabetes Care
Aspirin and commonly used blood thinners equally effective in preventing blood clots post bone fracture surgery: Study
Patients who have surgery to repair bone fractures typically receive a type of injectable blood thinner, low-molecular-weight heparin, to prevent life-threatening blood clots, but a new clinical trial found that over-the-counter aspirin is just as effective.
The multi-center randomized clinical trial of more than 12,000 patients at 21 trauma centers in the U.S. and Canada, is the largest-ever trial in orthopedic trauma patients.
"We expect our findings from this large-scale trial to have an important impact on clinical practice, and potentially even change the standard of care," said the study's principal investigator Robert V. O'Toole,
The study enrolled 12,211 patients with leg or arm fractures that necessitated surgery or pelvic fractures regardless of the specific treatment. Half were randomly assigned to receive 30 mg of injectable low-molecular-weight heparin twice daily. The other half received 81 mg of aspirin twice daily. The follow-up period after surgery was 90 days.
Reference:
Robert V. O'Toole et al,UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
When is dietary fiber harmful?
People who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease may soon have access to personalized dietary guidelines to keep them feeling well, thanks to new research on how dietary fiber affects the disease. The research team discovered that certain types of dietary fiber cause an inflammatory response in some patients, causing symptoms to worsen.
IBD symptoms may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stools, weight loss, late puberty, and a long-term risk of colorectal cancer. The exact cause is unknown, but some risk factors include genetics, diet, environmental factors and changes in the gut microbes.
Reference:
Heather Armstrong et al, Unfermented β-fructan fibers fuel inflammation in select inflammatory bowel disease patients, Gastroenterology, DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.09.034
Risk of Myocarditis is increased seven times with COVID-19 as compared to vaccines
The risk of developing myocarditis - or inflammation of the heart muscle - is seven times higher with a COVID-19 infection than with the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a recent study by Penn State College of Medicine scientists. Patients with myocarditis can experience chest pains, shortness of breath or an irregular heartbeat. In severe cases, the inflammation can lead to heart failure and death.
Myocarditis is one of the complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although vaccines have been shown to reduce severe COVID-19 symptoms, heart complications have been associated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccination - particularly myocarditis in teenage boys. However, the relative risk of myocarditis due to vaccines and infections had not been well characterized in large studies.
Reference:
Dr. Navya Voleti et al,Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine,DOI 10.3389/fcvm.2022.951314
Speakers
Isra Zaman
B.Sc Life Sciences, M.Sc Biotechnology, B.Ed
Isra Zaman is a Life Science graduate from Daulat Ram College, Delhi University, and a postgraduate in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a flair for writing, and her roles at Medicaldialogues include that of a Sr. content writer and a medical correspondent. Her news pieces cover recent discoveries and updates from the health and medicine sector. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.