Medical Bulletin 23/March/2023
Overview
Here are the top medical news for the day:
Children with autism far less likely to have vision screening despite high risk of serious eye disorders
Young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are much less likely to receive vision screening than their peers, despite high risk for serious eye disorders, according to a study by Nemours Children’s Health published in Pediatrics.
The study found that only 36.5% of children with autism spectrum disorder had completed vision screenings at well visits, substantially less than the 59.5% rate for children without autism spectrum disorder. Moreover, among children with autism spectrum disorder, the screening rate for Black children was considerably lower than that for White children and for children classified as multiracial.
Early childhood is crucial for vision development, and early detection and treatment of eye problems can prevent long-term vision loss. The research team examined data from 63,829 well visits of children ages 3 to 5, across a primary care network encompassing Delaware, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Reference:
Children with autism far less likely to have vision screening despite high risk of serious eye disorders, JOURNAL PEDIATRICS
Obesity risk may pass from mothers to daughters
Obesity is a common, serious and costly disease affecting nearly half of the adults and 20 percent of children in the United States. People with obesity are at higher risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, heart issues, and many other conditions.
Women with obesity may share risk for the disease with their daughters, but not their sons, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
The researchers measured body fat and muscle in 240 children (9 years old or younger) and their parents in early childhood. They used this data to determine whether the body mass index (BMI)-a screening tool for overweight and obesity-and the amount of body fat and muscle in the child was related to that of their parents.
For more details, check out the link given below:
Obesity Risk May Pass From Mothers To Daughters Not Sons
Step forward in gene therapy to treat cause of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes
People with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy are born with normal hearts but begin to develop an irregular heartbeat in their 20s or 30s. These arrhythmias can raise the heart rate to dangerous levels and explain why some individuals with the condition experience sudden cardiac arrest during exercise.
Scientists have corrected abnormal heart rhythms in mice by restoring healthy levels of a protein that heart cells need to establish connections with one another. That protein, GJA1-20k, is underproduced in people with a genetic condition called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes under the age of 35.
The finding, reported in the journal Circulation Research, suggests a new strategy for treating the abnormal heart rhythms caused by arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. The results may also have implications for treating dangerous arrhythmias associated with more common conditions, such as those that can develop soon after a heart attack.
Reference:
Step forward in gene therapy to treat cause of sudden cardiac arrest in athlete; Circulation Research; DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.122.322294
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