HEALTH BULLETIN

FDA warns about limits of SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a letter warning healthcare providers about the limits of serological tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
Hypertension treatment tied to lower risk for Dementia, Alzheimer’s

Antihypertensive treatment is associated with lower risk for dementia in older adults with high blood pressure, a meta-analysis in the Lancet Neurology finds.
Improved support after self-harm needed to reduce suicide risk

To reduce the high risk of suicide after hospital attendance for self-harm, improved clinical management is needed for all patients – including comprehensive assessment of the patients’ mental state, needs, and risks, as well as implementation of risk reduction strategies, including safety planning.
Nonpharmacologic therapies may be better for pa-tients with dementia and agitation/aggression

Three nonpharmacologic interventions were clinically beneficial for patients with dementia and agitation or aggression, according to a network meta-analysis in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Treating insomnia in depressed patients may also re-duce suicidal ideation

A hypnotic added to an antidepressant helped to modestly decrease observer-rated suicidal ideation, especially in patients with severe insomnia.
Three-in-one inhaler therapy can improve lung function and reduce asthma attacks

Patients with severe asthma which is not controlled with standard treatment – leaving them at risk of severe asthma attacks – could benefit from using a single inhaler combining three,
Stronger focus on nutrition could save 3.7 million lives by 2025

Health services must integrate a stronger focus on ensuring optimum nutrition at each stage of a person’s life, according to a new report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is estimated that the right investment in nutrition could save 3.7 million lives by 2025.
Plant protein linked to longer life

Greater consumption of plant-based proteins — like those found in cereals and legumes — is associated with lower mortality risk, according to an observational study in JAMA Internal Medicine.
High blood pressure and rising blood pressure are associated with smaller brain volume in later years

High blood pressure and large increases in blood pressure in midlife may be associated with brain pathologies in later life, according to an observational study of 502 people who have been tracked since their birth in 1946, published in The Lancet Neurology journal.
Artificial intelligence to assess hormonal status of breast cancer patients

A machine learning technique has been found non-inferior to the traditional immunohistochemistry in predicting molecular biomarker expression. The pathological review of tumour samples, even for common molecular biomarkers such as estrogen receptor (ER),
Diabetes increases the risk of heart failure more in women than men

Diabetes confers a greater excess risk of heart failure in women than men, according to new research in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes).
Physical activity is good for anxiety too!

A meta-analysis published in the journal Depression and Anxiety associates high levels of physical activity with 26% lower rates of new onset of anxiety disorder or symptoms.
3 easy ways to save almost 100 million lives worldwide

Expanding blood pressure treatment, reducing dietary sodium, and eliminating trans fats could dramatically decrease mortality. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide and are largely preventable through changes in modifiable
Mental disorders more common in people who live alone

Living alone is positively associated with common mental disorders, regardless of age and sex, according to a recent study published in
Children’s higher weight status often underestimated

More than half of parents underestimated their children’s classification as overweight or obese-children themselves and health professionals also share this misperception, according to new research presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Brain stimulation treatments for depression

The growing use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has increased the visibility and acceptability of nonsurgical brain stimulation approaches to depression treatment.
Positive airway pressure might reduce mortality in sleep apnoea

Positive airway pressure is associated with lower mortality in obese patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), according to findings in JAMA Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery.
Even a little bit of exercise could help

Just 10 minutes of exercise a week might be better than no physical activity in terms of mortality risk, according to a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. And very high levels of exercise are more protective.
New recommendations to accelerate progress on TB

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued new guidance to improve treatment of multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB). WHO is recommending shifting to fully oral regimens to treat people with MDR-TB.
The latest updates on blood pressure measurement

The American Heart Association has updated its 2005 statement on blood pressure (BP) measurement. Some highlights published in Hypertension are as follows:
Study shows economic burden of dengue fever

Dengue fever is a major public health concern in many parts of South-East Asia and South America and its prevalence in Africa is thought to be expanding. Researchers have now conducted an analysis of the economic burden of dengue fever in Burkina Faso, Kenya and Cambodia. Their results appear in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Gastric bypass surgery causes type 2 diabetes to go into remission

A new study published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [EASD]) has found that three quarters of individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who were treated with obesity surgery known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) experienced diabetes remission within one year of treatment.
E-cig outperform nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation

Adults who smoke conventional cigarettes are more likely to quit smoking successfully when they use electronic cigarettes rather than nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as a quit aid, according to a randomised trial results publsihed in the New England Journal of Medicine.
25% of antibiotic prescriptions could be inappropriate

At least a quarter of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions filled in 2016 may have been unnecessary, researchers conclude in The BMJ.
Having more than one chronic disease amplifies costs of diseases

Having two or more non-communicable diseases (multimorbidity) costs the country more than the sum of those individual diseases would cost, according to a new study published recently in PLOS Medicine by Tony Blakely from the University of Otago, New Zealand, and colleagues.
No value for routine vitamin D supplementation

Enthusiasm for recommending vitamin D supplementation to prevent a wide range of skeletal and extra-skeletal disorders was diminished considerably by three publications in 2018.
Weight maintenance after intentional weight loss

Many people who lose weight intentionally struggle to maintain their lower weight. In the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity, a high
New study links arsenic in drinking water and excess young adult death

A new study published in the journal Environmental International provides a detailed picture to date of the high mortality rates associated with arsenic exposure, which began with the widespread installation of tube wells throughout the Bangladesh 30-40 years ago.
Praava Health inaugurates model pharmacy

The inauguration and ribbon cutting ceremony of Praava Health’s model pharmacy took place on Thursday, December 13, 2018, in Banani, Dhaka.
Hypnotherapy could help relieve irritable bowel syndrome symptoms

Hypnotherapy might help relieve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) complaints for some patients for as long as 9 months after the end of treatment, according to study published in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology journal.