Surface protein study highlights a potential link between dental caries and renal lesions
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Mumbai: Indoco Remedies Limited, a fully integrated, research
based pharma company has announced a strategic
collaboration between Indoco Remedies and Clarity Pharma, UK.
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Indore: Dr
Sanjay Dixit has stepped down from his position as the Dean of MGM Medical College, passing on the leadership to Dr Ashok Yadav, a renowned doctor from MY Hospital. This change in leadership marks a significant transition for the institution, which has experienced tremendous growth
and transformation under Dr Dixit’s leadership.
Dr Sanjay Dixit’s tenure has
been nothing less than incredible. Over the past 37 years, he dedicated much of his life to improving healthcare services in the region, leaving an indelible mark on the institution and the medical community. He had many
achievements, including completing Super Specialty Hospital and the
redevelopment of MTH Hospital. Dr. Dixit’s leadership was particularly pivotal
during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Dixit took over as the
dean of MGM Medical College in 2020. Dr. Dixit is an accomplished expert in
Community Medicine/Public Health. He served as the head of the
Department of Community Medicine Department at MGM Medical College before
serving as the Dean of the Medical College in Ratlam where he was appointed in
2017.
Dr Ashok Yadav has
taken over as the Dean of MGM Medical College on Sunday, reports Free Press Journal. Dr Ashok Yadav served as the
Professor and Head of the Department of Transfusion Medicine (I.H.B.T) and
Director of the State of Art Model Blood Bank at M.G.M Medical College and
Associated Hospitals, bringing over 20 years of teaching and working experience
in the field of transfusion medicine. He specialises in General Medicine and
has contributed significantly to the academic community with more than 30
national and international journal publications, earning two gold medals for
his national paper publications.
Under his leadership, the
department established five NMC-recognized MD seats, the first of its kind in
Madhya Pradesh in 2020, and has been at the forefront of blood donation
initiatives, collecting the highest number of donations in the state for over five
years. The Model Blood Bank, equipped with a Blood Mobile Bus provided by
NACO/MPSACS, organises around 160 voluntary blood donation camps annually and
has upgraded to a State of Art Model Blood Centre, collecting over 50,000 units
per year.
Dr Yadav has pioneered
the introduction of several advanced modalities in transfusion medicine,
including a bone marrow transplant unit, NAT testing facility, blood
irradiation unit, plasmapheresis, plateletpheresis, and a fully equipped
six-bedded therapeutic procedural inpatient unit. He has also successfully
organized TRANSMEDCON 2022 in Indore and has extensive experience conducting
theory and practical examinations in MPMSU for over 18 years, showcasing his
exceptional administrative and communication skills in managing academic,
administrative, and professional activities.
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China: Recent research published in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity suggests that lower levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3) may heighten the risk of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).
In a study examining T2DM patients, those with DPN had significantly lower FT3 levels than those without the condition. Furthermore, reduced FT3 levels were independently associated with impaired conduction of motor and sensory fibers, particularly in the ulnar and tibial nerves.
Yang Chen, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of China, and colleagues aimed to investigate the potential involvement of free triiodothyronine, a key bioactive compound found in thyroid hormones (THs) in the pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
For this purpose, the researchers recruited 121 patients with T2DM, who were then divided into a control group and a DPN group. Clinical parameters were collected for each participant, and nerve conduction velocity was assessed using neurophysiological techniques. To analyze the relationship between FT3 concentrations and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, the researchers employed correlation and regression analyses.
The investigation led to the following findings:
According to the authors, the study is the first to establish a connection between FT3 levels and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), specifically regarding nerve fiber damage in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It identifies lower FT3 concentrations as a risk factor for DPN in T2DM patients without diagnosed thyroid diseases (other than thyroid nodules). Furthermore, reduced FT3 levels may influence peripheral neuropathy, particularly the motor and sensory conduction velocities of the ulnar nerve and the motor conduction velocity of the tibial nerve in euthyroid T2DM patients.
“The study also highlights the potential interactive effects of FT3 and DPN in this population, urging further research to define appropriate reference ranges for thyroid hormones, including FT3, in the context of DPN,” they concluded.
Reference:
Chen Y, Sun L, Chen M, Zhang H, Song B, Wang H, Jiang A, Zhang L, Li S, Wang J, Wang W, Zhang H. Lower Free Triiodothyronine is a Risk Factor of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2024;17:4407-4415
https://doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S489204
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Denmark: A recent nationwide registry study has revealed alarming findings regarding cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in individuals before their diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The results, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, highlighted that those who later developed T2D experienced a significantly higher incidence of cardiovascular events—twice as many—compared to those without diabetes, beginning as early as 30 years before their T2D diagnosis.
The relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and an increased risk of CVD is well-established. Still, the timeline for when CVD events begin to occur relative to T2DM diagnosis has remained unclear. In this context, Christine Gyldenkerne, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, and colleagues sought to explore the incidence of CVD events up to 30 years before and 5 years after a T2DM diagnosis, comparing individuals diagnosed with the disease to matched individuals from the general population. This study aimed to clarify how far in advance the elevated risk for cardiovascular issues emerges in those who eventually develop T2DM.
For this purpose, the researchers conducted a combined case-control and cohort study, which included all individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Denmark between 2010 and 2015, alongside age- and sex-matched comparisons from the general population. Cardiovascular disease was defined as either myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke.
To assess the prevalence of CVD over 30 years before the diagnosis of T2DM, conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs). For the incidence of CVD in the five years following T2DM diagnosis, Cox proportional hazard regression models were applied to compute hazard ratios (HRs).
The study findings are as follows:
“The findings showed that individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus experienced twice the number of cardiovascular disease events compared to matched individuals, beginning as far back as 30 years before their T2DM diagnosis. This suggests that preventive strategies could be implemented much earlier in individuals at risk for T2DM,” the researchers concluded.
Reference:
Gyldenkerne C, Kahlert J, Thrane PG, et al. 2-fold more cardiovascular disease events decades before type 2 diabetes diagnosis: a nationwide registry study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2024;84:2251-2259.
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USA: A recent study from the Framingham Offspring Study has revealed a significant association between insulin resistance (IR), radiographic lung abnormalities, and the incidence of lung disease.
The research published in Diabetes Care found that insulin resistance is associated with radiographic lung abnormalities and an increased risk of incident lung disease. These findings suggest a potential link between metabolic dysfunction and lung health, emphasizing the need for deeper phenotyping to understand better the mechanisms driving IR-associated lung injury.
Insulin resistance has been suggested as a potential risk factor for lung disease, though objective evidence remains limited. To address this gap, Tianshi David Wu, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, and colleagues investigated the relationship between longitudinal IR levels, radiographic imaging findings, and examiner-confirmed incident lung disease within the Framingham Offspring Study cohort.
For this purpose, the researchers analyzed data from participants without baseline lung disease, who underwent repeated measurements of fasting insulin and glucose levels over an average of 13.6 years. From these measurements, time-weighted average HOMA-IR values were calculated. Each participant then received a cardiac-gated whole-lung computed tomography (CT) scan, which was evaluated for emphysema, interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs), and quantitative airway features.
A study examiner identified incident lung disease. To estimate the relationship between HOMA-IR and these outcomes, researchers used models adjusted for factors such as demographics, BMI, and lifetime smoking history.
The following were the key findings of the study:
The findings also stress the broader implications of managing insulin resistance. Early detection and intervention could not only improve metabolic outcomes but also potentially reduce the risk of lung disease. As rates of metabolic disorders continue to climb, these insights could guide strategies to improve systemic and lung health.
“The Framingham Offspring Study sheds light on a previously underexplored link between insulin resistance and lung disease. The evidence underscores the importance of continued research to uncover the mechanisms of IR-associated lung injury and develop targeted interventions to mitigate its impact on respiratory health,” the researchers concluded.
Reference: Sarath Raju, Paula Sierra, Vickram Tejwani, Kristen A. Staggers, Meredith McCormack, Dennis T. Villareal, Ivan O. Rosas, Nicola A. Hanania, Tianshi David Wu; Association of Insulin Resistance With Radiographic Lung Abnormalities and Incident Lung Disease: The Framingham Offspring Study. Diabetes Care 2024; dc241754. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc24-1754
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Researchers have reported better long-term results of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) than of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and multivessel disease, especially in the high-risk subgroups. A recent study was conducted by Elmir O. and colleagues which was published in the European Heart Journal.
The participants were NSTEMI patients treated with multivessel disease from January 2005 and June 2022. Of the 57,097 participants, 42,190 (73.9%) were subjected to PCI, and 14,907 (26.1%) were given CABG. All-cause mortality was evaluated as the first and secondary endpoint and included outcomes such as MI, stroke, new revascularization, and heart failure. Controlling confounding variables used multilevel logistic regression and instrumental variable methods in the analysis.
Patients who underwent PCI were older and had a history of more prior cardiovascular events, whereas CABG patients were more likely to have diabetes, hypertension, left main or three-vessel disease, and reduced ejection fraction.
Key Findings
Mortality Risk: PCI was associated with a 67% higher risk of death compared to CABG (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.54–1.81).
Myocardial Infarction: Patients who underwent PCI had a 51% increased risk of MI (aOR 1.51; 95% CI 1.41–1.62).
Stroke: No significant difference in stroke risk was observed between PCI and CABG.
Repeat Revascularization: Patients who underwent PCI were three times more likely to require repeat revascularization (aOR 3.01; 95% CI 2.57–3.51).
Heart Failure: CABG was associated with a 15% reduced risk of heart failure (aOR 1.15; 95% CI 1.07–1.25).
Survival Benefit: CABG conferred longer survival, especially in patients under 70 years of age, or in the presence of left main disease, or with left ventricular dysfunction. This survival benefit was abated in patients with poorer survival probabilities.
Although a superior long-term outcome exists for CABG compared to PCI in patients with multivessel disease and NSTEMI, this comes at the expense of losing the survival advantage in severely ill or high-risk subjects with reduced life expectancy and thus should be used carefully in clinical practice.
Reference:
Omerovic, E., Råmunddal, T., Petursson, P., Angerås, O., Rawshani, A., Jha, S., Skoglund, K., Mohammad, M. A., Persson, J., Alfredsson, J., Hofmann, R., Jernberg, T., Fröbert, O., Jeppsson, A., Hansson, E. C., Dellgren, G., Erlinge, D., & Redfors, B. (2024). Percutaneous vs. surgical revascularization of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction with multivessel disease: the SWEDEHEART registry. European Heart Journal, ehae700. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehae700
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A study published in Frontiers in
Medicine found that acupuncture can effectively treat Meniere’s disease (MD), a
chronic inner ear disease.
Meniere’s disease (MD) is an
idiopathic chronic inner ear disease characterized by vertigo, nausea,
vomiting, hearing loss, tinnitus, or aural fullness. It affects the quality of
life due to its impact on the patients’ physical and mental health. There is a
lot of ambiguity on the etiopathogenesis and the management of MD. Despite the
efficacy of medications, additional and alternative treatment modalities are
necessary for the management of MD. Hence, researchers from the Nanjing
University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China, conducted a systematic review of
the efficacy of acupuncture treatment for MD.
The systematic review collected
data from eight databases and focused on studies evaluating the efficacy of
acupuncture on MD. Researchers used the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool to
assess the risk of bias in the randomized controlled trials. RevMan 5.4 and
Stata 16.0 software were used to conduct the meta-analysis.
Findings:
Limitations:
Despite these significant
improvements, certain limitations remained, such as inadequate blinding
procedures, inconsistent outcome measures, and variations in clinical
interventions. The variations were a selection of acupoints, acupuncture
sessions, and therapist techniques.
The study concluded that
acupuncture can effectively reduce MD and its symptoms of vertigo, tinnitus,
ear fullness, and hearing loss. However, the researchers highlighted the
necessity of rigorous and long-term studies that can address the methodological
shortcomings of the present studies. Further well-designed trials with
long-term follow-ups have to be carried out to evaluate the efficacy and safety
of acupuncture in MD.
Further reading: Efficacy and
safety of acupuncture in the treatment of Meniere’s disease: A systematic
review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Medicine. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1463821
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A large new population study of men over 45 indicates insulin resistance may be an important risk factor for the development of the world’s most common heart valve disease – aortic stenosis (AS).
Published today in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of Medicine, the findings are believed to be the first to highlight this previously unrecognised risk factor for the disease.
It is hoped that by demonstrating this link between AS and insulin resistance-when cells fail to respond effectively to insulin and the body makes more than necessary to maintain normal glucose levels – new avenues for the prevention of the disease could open.
Aortic stenosis is a debilitating heart condition. It causes a narrowing of the aortic valve, restricting blood flow out of the heart. Over time, the valve thickens and stiffens, making the heart work harder to pump blood effectively around the body. If not addressed, this can gradually cause damage that can lead to life-threatening complications, such as heart failure.
People living with AS can take years to develop symptoms, which include chest pain, tiredness, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Some may never experience symptoms, but may still be at risk of heart failure and death. Previously identified risk factors for AS include age, male sex, high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes.
Insulin resistance, which often develops years before the onset of type 2 diabetes, occurs when cells fail to respond effectively to insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood glucose levels. In response, the body makes more insulin to maintain normal glucose levels – leading to elevated blood insulin levels (hyperinsulinemia).
In the current study, researchers analysed data from 10,144 Finnish men aged 45 to 73 years old, all initially free of AS, participating in the Metabolic Syndrome in Men (METSIM) Study. At the start of the study, the researchers measured several biomarkers, including those related to hyperinsulinemia and/or insulin resistance. After an average follow-up period of 10.8 years, 116 men (1.1%) were diagnosed with AS.
The team identified several biomarkers related to insulin resistance – such as fasting insulin, insulin at 30 minutes and 120 minutes, proinsulin, and serum C-peptide – that were associated with increased AS risk. These biomarkers remained significant predictors of AS, even after adjusting for other known risk factors, such as body mass index (BMI) and high blood pressure, or excluding participants with diabetes or an aortic valve malformation.
The researchers then used advanced statistical techniques to isolate key biomarker profiles, identifying two distinct patterns that indicate insulin resistance as a predictor of AS, independent of other cardiovascular risk factors, such as age, blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.
“This novel finding highlights that insulin resistance may be a significant and modifiable risk factor for AS,” says lead author Dr Johanna Kuusisto, from the Kuopio University Hospital, in Finland.
“As insulin resistance is common in Western populations, managing metabolic health could be a new approach to reduce the risk of AS and improve cardiovascular health in aging populations. Future studies are now warranted to determine whether improving insulin sensitivity through measures such as weight control and exercise can help prevent the condition.”
The major strengths of this study include its large population-based cohort and long follow-up period. However, its limitations include the sole focus on male subjects and the relatively small number of AS cases, which may limit the generalisability of the findings to other populations.
Reference:
Maija Sohlman, Raimo Jauhiainen, Biomarkers reflecting insulin resistance increase the risk of aortic stenosis in a population-based study of 10,144 Finnish men, Annals of Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2024.2419996
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Skin antisepsis with iodine povacrylex in alcohol resulted in fewer surgical-site infections than with chlorhexidine gluconate in alcohol in closed extremity fractures: study
Studies evaluating surgical-site infection have had conflicting results with respect to the use of alcohol solutions containing iodine povacrylex or chlorhexidine gluconate as skin antisepsis before surgery to repair a fractured limb (i.e., an extremity fracture).
In a cluster-randomized, crossover trial at 25 hospitals in the United States and Canada, the authors randomly assigned hospitals to use a solution of 0.7% iodine povacrylex in 74% isopropyl alcohol (iodine group) or 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% isopropyl alcohol (chlorhexidine group) as preoperative antisepsis for surgical procedures to repair extremity fractures. Every 2 months, the hospitals alternated interventions. Separate populations of patients with either open or closed fractures were enrolled and included in the analysis. The primary outcome was surgical-site infection, which included superficial incisional infection within 30 days or deep incisional or organ-space infection within 90 days. The secondary outcome was unplanned reoperation for fracture-healing complications.
The study has been published in ‘The new england journal of medicine’
Key findings of the study were:
• A total of 6785 patients with a closed fracture and 1700 patients with an open fracture were included in the trial.
• In the closed-fracture population, surgical-site infection occurred in 77 patients (2.4%) in the iodine group and in 108 patients (3.3%) in the chlorhexidine group (odds ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI],
• 0.55 to 1.00; P = 0.049).
• In the open-fracture population, surgical-site infection occurred in 54 patients (6.5%) in the iodine group and in 60 patients (7.3%) in the chlorhexidine group (odd ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.58 to 1.27; P = 0.45).
• The frequencies of unplanned reoperation, 1-year outcomes, and serious adverse events were similar in the two groups.
The authors concluded that – ‘Among patients with closed extremity fractures, skin antisepsis with iodine povacrylex in alcohol resulted in fewer surgical-site infections than antisepsis with chlorhexidine gluconate in alcohol. In patients with open fractures, the results were similar in the two groups. Nevertheless, the possibility that patients will have an allergic reaction to an ingredient in either solution means that hospitals will need to continue to stock both interventions.’
Further reading:
Skin Antisepsis before Surgical Fixation of Extremity Fractures
Sprague and Slobogean et al
N Engl J Med 2024;390:409-20.
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2307679
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