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The Update

The Update is a monthly digest of all that is interesting, exciting and new in the world of medicine and medical science, presented in a curated and convenient package.

1. Researchers Discover A New Mechanism for How Sleep Reduces Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Plaque from the aorta of a mouse that experienced normal sleep (left) and compared to one that experienced fragmented sleep. McAlpine et al, 2019/Nature.
 
  • Harvard Medical School researchers based at Massachusetts General Hospital report that sleep regulates haematopoiesis and protects against atherosclerosis in mice
  • The publication in Nature, describes the mechanism by which insufficient sleep increases production of inflammatory white blood cells known to be major contributors to atherosclerosis.
  • Further experiments revealed that the sleep-deprived mice had a nearly twofold increase in the production of stem cells in the bone marrow that give rise to white blood cells. Hypocretin, a hormone produced in the hypothalamus and known to have a role in the regulation of sleep, was found to play an unexpected role in controlling white blood cell production.
  • The findings show that mice subjected to sleep fragmentation produce more Ly-6Chigh monocytes, develop larger atherosclerotic lesions and produce less hypocretin.
  • These results identify a neuro-immune axis that links sleep to haematopoiesis and atherosclerosis.
Read More
Reading the full article helps you further understand the methodology of the paper and its implications.

2. Five Things I Wish I’d Known Before My Chronic Illness

Credit: Mark Pernice
TL;DR
  • In this article, Tessa Miller describes in painful detail her experience with chronic illness, after being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease seven years back.
  • "There’s no conversation about that foggy space between the common cold and terminal cancer, where illness won’t go away but won’t kill you, so none of us know what “chronic illness” means until we’re thrown into being sick forever."
  • "Chronic illness patients not only face painful physical symptoms, but also mental ones that linger even when the disease is well controlled. 'For many people, there are financial uncertainties of paying for medical care.' Plus, there’s anxiety over loss of autonomy and control, said said Matt Lundquist, a psychotherapist in New York."
  • "Chronic illness also increases the risk of depression, Mr. Chafetz said, citing a 2007 World Health Organization survey that found a higher likelihood of depressive episodes among those with chronic health conditions than without. A therapist should be considered a crucial part of your care team, just as important as a gastroenterologist or cardiologist. "
Read more
Read the full article to get a first-person account of the life of many of your future patients, and some of your loved ones.

3. Association of Obesity With Risk of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Among Women

A micrograph of colon cancer cells. Overall, those born in 1990 have double the risk of developing colon cancer and four times the risk of getting rectal cancer compared to those born around 1950.  Getty Images
TL;DR
  • Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality among individuals younger than 50 years (early-onset CRC) are increasing. The reasons for such increases are largely unknown, although the increasing prevalence of obesity may be partially responsible.
  • Overall, those born in 1990 have double the risk of developing colon cancer and four times the risk of getting rectal cancer compared to those born around 1950. That’s why, in response to the alarming trend, the ACS in 2018 lowered the recommended age for routine colorectal cancer screening to 45 from 50.
  • In a prospective cohort study of 85 256 women, those with obesity (body mass index ≥30) had a nearly doubled risk of early-onset colorectal cancer compared with women with a body mass index of 18.5 to 22.9.
  • The findings suggest that obesity is associated with an increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer; further investigations are needed to identify whether this association is causal.
Read more
Reading the full article helps you further understand the methodology of the paper and its implications.
Recent RAKMHSU Publications
In this paper, co-authored by Dr. Manal Sami, Dean of Student Affairs and Professor of Pathology, it was found that the addition of glutamine to liraglutide regimen (a glucagon like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor agonist) enhances the glycemic control and may have utility in clinical settings.
Copyright © 2019 RAK Medical & Health Sciences University, All rights reserved.

For comments and corrections, please contact the author:
Zaki Emad
- Science & Technology Officer, Student Council
zaki.15901071@rakmhsu.ac.ae | +971502707545

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PO Box. 11172, RAK, UAE
 






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Committee on Science & Technology · RAK, UAE · RAK, · United Arab Emirates

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