Medical Bulletin 16/November/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Transfusing more blood may benefit MI patients with anemia

A large percentage of patients had suffered a previous heart attack, heart failure, diabetes or kidney disease. The average age of participants was 72, with 45 percent being women.

The MINT trial evaluated two transfusion strategies in more than 3,500 enrolled participants at 144 hospitals in six countries. Half of the participants in the study were given more blood to keep their blood count greater than 10 grams per deciliter (g/dL), considered a liberal transfusion strategy. Half didn’t receive blood unless their blood count was less than eight g/dL, the restrictive transfusion strategy. All patients in the study had a heart attack and anemia, meaning they had a hemoglobin blood count of less than 10 g/dL. A normal blood count is 12 to 13 g/dL.

Reference: Jeffrey L. Carson, Maria Mori Brooks, Paul C. Hébert, Shaun G. Goodman, Marnie Bertolet, Simone A. Glynn, Bernard R. Chaitman, Tabassome Simon, Renato D. Lopes, Andrew M. Goldsweig, Andrew P. DeFilippis, J. Dawn Abbott, Restrictive or Liberal Transfusion Strategy in Myocardial Infarction and Anemia, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2307983.

Adolescents with Atopic Dermatitis experience Greater Burden of bullying

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a skin condition characterized by recurrent eczematous lesions and intense pruritus. Such patients often experience physical and emotional limitations. This chronic inflammatory condition impacts personal and professional fulfillment.

A recent study published in JAMA Dermatology mentioned that Adolescents who have atopic dermatitis experience greater prevalence and frequency of bullying compared to those without the condition.

Adolescents with skin diseases have reported appearance-based bullying. With greater frequency, this is associated with depression, suicidality, and poor quality of life. In the present study, researchers hypothesized that AD would be associated with increased prevalence and frequency of bullying experiences.

Reference: Cheng A, Wan J, Chen SC, Yeung H. Atopic Dermatitis and Bullying Among US Adolescents. JAMA Dermatol. Published online October 25, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2023.4138

Fibromyalgia or wide spread pain may increase suicide risk

A recent study delved into the contentious issue of mortality risk among patients with fibromyalgia research. Conducted by scrutinizing seven cohort studies and encompassing 152,933 individuals this analysis spanned over the years 2001 to 2020.

Researchers have found in the new study that fibromyalgia or widespread pain was not associated with all-cause mortality. However, it is worth noting that there may be a potential correlation between individuals with fibromyalgia or widespread pain and a higher likelihood of suicide.

The critical findings of this analysis were published in International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.

Reference: Wang, H., Li, X., Wang, X., Chen, M., Wen, C., He, Z., & Huang, L. (2023). Fibromyalgia and risk of all‐cause, specific mortality: A meta‐analysis of observational studies. In International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/1756-185x.14905