News &amp; Updates

Butylphthalide, a novel medication that contains a compound found in celery, appears to help with functional recovery in patients with ischaemic stroke, as shown in a study presented at ISC 2023.

22 Feb 2023

Cannabis use among expectant mums compromises pregnancy

Pregnant women may do well to avoid cannabis, with cannabis use in early pregnancy leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes, as reported in a study presented at Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) 43rd Annual Pregnancy Meeting.

Antithrombotic agents avert death in acute upper GI bleeding

Use of antithrombotic agents (ATs) provides a protective benefit against death in patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB), suggests a study, noting that low-dose aspirin is responsible for such protective effect.

Which ART delivers better HIV viral suppression in pregnant women?

Pregnant women living with HIV are more likely to achieve viral suppression when treated with dual-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) in combination with integrase (INSTI) inhibitors compared to protease (PI) inhibitors at delivery, suggests a recent study presented at the 43rd Annual Pregnancy Meeting of the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM 2023).

Alcohol intake tied to lower H. pylori infection risk, with caveat

A recent meta-analysis has revealed a decreased risk of Helicobacter pylori infection among alcohol drinkers as compared with nondrinkers, with wine and mixed types of alcohol showing greater infection reduction than beer.

22 Feb 2023

Midlife obesity tied to increased prefrailty/frailty risk later in life

Using data from the ongoing population-based Tromsø study, baseline obesity was found to be associated with an increased risk of prefrailty/frailty in later years.

22 Feb 2023

Can oxytocin be discontinued during active labour?

Discontinuing oxytocin during the active stage of labour appears safe, according to the STOPOXY trial presented at SMFM 2023.

Preserved foods up death risk in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

A dietary pattern consisting of preserved vegetables, pickled vegetables, and salted meat appears to increase the risk of mortality among patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), reveals a recent study. In contrast, fish and shrimp intake may offer a protective benefit.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy tied to fatty, salty diet

21 Feb 2023 by

Women who adhere to a diet rich in sodium, dairy, and saturated fats are at increased risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), according to a study presented at the 43rd Annual Pregnancy Meeting of the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM 2023).

21 Feb 2023

Pharmacotherapy plus behavioural therapy ease PTSD, alcohol use severity

The combination of alcohol-targeted pharmacotherapies and trauma-focused behavioural therapies results in early and sustained improvements in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder, suggest the results of a recent study.