Medical Bulletin 2/January/2024

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Cataract surgery significantly improves cognition among elderly with mild cognitive impairment

A recent study published in Acta Ophthalmologica investigated the impact of cataract surgery on cognitive function, particularly in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. The conclusion drawn from this investigation implies a significant association between cataract surgery and increased cognitive test scores in older patients with MCI. The study was conducted by Yuto Yoshida and colleagues.

In a prospective observational study focusing on individuals aged 75 and older, researchers investigated the impact of cataract surgery on cognitive function, particularly in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. The study, conducted between 2019 and 2021, examined changes in cognitive assessments before and 3 months after cataract surgery using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and MMSE for the visually impaired (MMSE-blind).

Reference: Yuto Yoshida, Koichi Ono, Shinichiro Sekimoto, Reiko Umeya, Yoshimune Hiratsuka. Impact of cataract surgery on cognitive impairment in older people. Acta Ophthalmologica. 2023;00:1–10. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aos.16607

High frequency of adding salt to food increases risk of incident CKD

In a groundbreaking study researchers from the U.S.A reported the effect of adding salt to foods on chronic kidney disease. They found that increased addition of salt to foods, reported by self, lead to an increased risk of chronic kidney disease in general population.

The study results were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

The frequency with which individuals report adding salt to their food may indicate their enduring preference for salty tastes. High salt intake has been linked to a heightened risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, it is currently unclear whether self-reported salt addition to foods correlates with an elevated risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hence researchers from New Orleans and Boston conducted a cohort study to prospectively examine the association of self-reported frequency of adding salt to foods with incident CKD risk in a general population of adults.

Reference: Tang R, Kou M, Wang X, et al. Self-Reported Frequency of Adding Salt to Food and Risk of Incident Chronic Kidney Disease. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(12):e2349930. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.49930

Study suggests link between Vitamin D and insulin resistance in children

New research sheds light on the potential association between vitamin D levels and insulin resistance in children, particularly among ethnic minority populations. The study, a cross-sectional analysis involving 4650 primary school children aged 9–10 years in the UK, predominantly from South Asian, black African Caribbean, and white European backgrounds, examined the relationship between circulating vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) concentrations and markers of insulin resistance.

This study was published in the Journal Of Epidemiology & Community Health by Angela Donin and colleagues. The study revealed that lower levels of circulating vitamin D were observed, particularly among girls and children from South Asian and black African Caribbean ethnicities. After adjusting for age, sex, month, ethnic group, and school, researchers noted an inverse relationship between circulating vitamin D levels and markers of insulin resistance:

Reference: Donin, A., Nightingale, C. M., Sattar, N., Fraser, W. D., Owen, C. G., Cook, D. G., & Whincup, P. H. Cross-sectional study of the associations between circulating vitamin D concentrations and insulin resistance in children aged 9–10 years of South Asian, black African Caribbean and white European origins. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, jech-2023-220626,2023. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2023-220626