health $wellness blog

USA: A recent article published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports results from the clinic subcohort of the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial and meta-analysis of 3 cognitive studies within COSMOS. The results from the latest report confirmed consistent and statistically significant benefits of a daily multivitamin versus placebo for both memory and global cognition.  By 2060, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly one in four Americans will be in an age bracket at elevated risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease unless interventions can help preserve cognitive function before deficits begin. COSMOS is a large-scale, nationwide, randomized trial rigorously testing cocoa extract and multivitamin supplements directed by researchers at Mass General Brigham. Two previously published studies of cognition in COSMOS suggested a positive effect of a daily multivitamin. COSMOS researchers now ...

Italy: A recent study exploring the relationship between severe psoriasis and coronary microvascular dysfunction has provided further evidence of higher cardiovascular (CV) risk in patients with severe psoriasis.  The study, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology , published by Elsevier, is the largest to date that explored this relationship.  Psoriasis is a chronic systemic immune-mediated inflammatory disease that affects 1-3% of the global population. In this study, a total of 503 patients with psoriasis, and without clinical cardiovascular disease, underwent transthoracic Doppler echocardiography to evaluate coronary microcirculation. Investigators uncovered a high prevalence of coronary microvascular dysfunction in more than 30% of asymptomatic patients within the study population. Lead investigator Stefano Piaserico, MD, PhD, Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, explained, "Previous studies have shown that patients with sever...

USA: A recent study published in the  Journal of Investigative Dermatology has revealed the role of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in activating atopic dermatitis (AD), or eczema.  The work by researchers from North Carolina State University could lead to more effective treatments for the condition. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a skin condition characterized by itching, irritated and thickened skin at the site of the irritation. The brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a peptide, or short chain of amino acids, that is elevated in patients with AD. “BNP is expressed in sensory neurons, the neurons responsible for conveying sensation to the brain via the spinal cord,” says Santosh Mishra, associate professor of molecular biomedical sciences at NC State and corresponding author of the work. “We know from previous work that BNP helps translate the sensation of itch from the skin to the brain. In this work we wanted to see if BNP was involved in activating AD.” In a chemically in...

Longer polymerization time tied to better long-term restoration retention in non-carious cervical lesions suggests a new study published in the Journal of Dentistry. A study was done to evaluate the effect of prolonged (P) polymerization time of a universal adhesive system applied in etch-and-rinse (ER) or self-etch (SE) strategies on the clinical performance of restorations in non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs), after 36 months of clinical service. A total of 140 restorations were randomly placed in 35 subjects according to the polymerization time groups: ER (10 s); ER-P (40 s); SE (10 s); and SE-P (40 s) at 1,200 mW/cm2. Composite resin was placed incrementally. The restorations were evaluated immediately and after 6, 12, 18, and 36 months using the FDI criteria. Data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier survival test for retention loss, and the Kruskal-Wallis’ test for secondary outcomes (α = 0.05). Results: After 36 months, 19 restorations were lost: ER 6, ER-P 2, SE 9, SE-P 2...

Previous studies have mentioned an association between Exposure to PPIs and an increased risk of kidney stones among GERD patients. Hypomagnesemia and hypocitraturia associated with PPI exposure may lead to the risk of kidney stones. Original research published in BMJ Open has concluded that the prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) increases the likelihood of developing and experiencing the recurrence of kidney stones. The present cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between PPI use and the risk of kidney stones in US adults, which had been suggested by previous research to be connected to changes in urine mineral levels. The study included 27075 individuals. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, non-linear analysis, logistic regression analysis and subgroup analysis estimated the relationship. Key findings of the study are: There was a significant association between PPI use and kidney stones with OR 1.31. There was a 4% increase in the ...

Cutaneous warts are frequently difficult to treat successfully, with high rates of recurrence and infrequent complete removal. The human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes warts, is one of many DNA viruses that topical cidofovir, an antiviral drug, has been shown to be effective against in a recent study. The outcomes were published in Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. The purpose of the study was to evaluate safety and effectiveness of cidofovir in the treatment of non-genital warts. The existing literature was thoroughly reviewed by the researchers, who searched the PubMed and Google Scholar databases for pertinent case studies and reports. The comprehensive analysis included 13 case reports, five case series, six retrospective chart reviews, and one clinical study, comprising a total of 603 patients. Among these patients, 212 were treated with topical cidofovir, which led to the clearance of warts in an impressive 55.2% of cases. Even more encouraging, no recurrence of lesions was...

A new study published in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN showed that insufficient vitamin D levels elevate the risk of retinopathy in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Moreover, in instances of vitamin D deficiency, retinopathy may progress to the proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) type. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) diagnosis involves identifying clinical signs of abnormal retinal vascularity. Clinically, DR manifests in two stages: non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to impaired insulin secretion and function, leading to suboptimal glycemic control and an increased risk of DR development and progression.  Thereby, this study investigated the links between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of DR progression in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This case-control study involved 201 participants with DR as cases and 201 individuals with T2DM without DR as controls. Demographic varia...