Day: May 13, 2025

Categories : Cardiovascular DiseaseTags : Leave a comment

Lack of Sleep can Increase the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Even a few nights with insufficient sleep promote molecular mechanisms linked to a greater risk of heart problems. This has been shown in a new study in which the researchers investigated how sleep deprivation affects biomarkers (in this case, proteins) associated with cardiovascular disease. The Uppsala University-led study is published in the journal Biomarker Research.

“Unfortunately, nearly half of all Swedes regularly experience disturbed sleep, and this is particularly common among shift workers. That is why we wanted to try to identify mechanisms that affect how lack of sleep can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Ultimately, the purpose was to identify opportunities to address these problems,” says Jonathan Cedernaes, physician and docent at Uppsala University, who led the study.

A chronic lack of sleep is a growing public health problem and in large population studies it has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and atrial fibrillation. Heart health is influenced by several lifestyle factors, including sleep, diet and exercise. In order to separate out the effects of sleep, a number of conditions were controlled in the laboratory environment such as diet and physical activity.

How the study was conducted

The authors studied 16 healthy young men of normal weight. They all had healthy sleep habits. The participants spent time in a sleep laboratory where their meals and activity levels were strictly controlled in two sessions. In one session, participants got a normal amount of sleep for three consecutive nights, while during the other session, they got only about four hours of sleep each night. During both sessions, morning and evening blood samples were taken, and following high-intensity exercise lasting 30 minutes.

Inflammatory proteins increased after sleep loss

The researchers measured the levels of around 90 proteins in the blood and were able to see that the levels of many of these that are associated with increased inflammation rose when the participants were sleep-deprived. Many of these proteins have already been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease such as heart failure and coronary artery disease.

“Many of the larger studies that have been done on the link between sleep deprivation and the risk of cardiovascular diseases have generally focused on slightly older individuals who already have an increased risk of such diseases. That is why it was interesting that the levels of these proteins increased in the same way in younger and previously perfectly healthy individuals after only a few nights of sleep deprivation. This means that it’s important to emphasise the importance of sleep for cardiovascular health even early in life,” says Jonathan Cedernaes.

The effects of exercise can be affected by lack of sleep

Physical exercise generated a slightly different response after lack of sleep. However, a number of key proteins increased equally, whether the person was sleep-deprived or not. Thus, proteins that can be linked to the positive effects of exercise increased, even if the person had too little sleep. The researchers have previously shown that exercise in the presence of sleep deprivation can result in a slightly increased load on the heart’s muscle cells.

“With this study, we have improved our understanding of what role the amount of sleep we get plays in cardiovascular health. It’s important to point out that studies have also shown that physical exercise can offset at least some of the negative effects that poor sleep can cause. But it’s also important to note that exercise cannot replace the essential functions of sleep,” says Jonathan Cedernaes.

Hopefully help to develop better guidelines

“Further research is needed to investigate how these effects might differ in women, older individuals, patients with heart disease, or those with different sleep patterns. Our ongoing research will hopefully help to develop better guidelines on how sleep, exercise and other lifestyle factors can be harnessed to better prevent cardiovascular diseases,” says Jonathan Cedernaes.

Source: Uppsala University

Categories : CancerTags : Leave a comment

Abdominal Ascites Fuels Immune Failure in Ovarian Cancer

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Human NK cells have large nuclei stained in blue and droplets of fat stores stained in red. Image: Dr Karen Slattery, Trinity College Dublin.

New research led by Irish scientists has uncovered how lipid-rich fluid in the abdomen, known as ascites, plays a central role in weakening the body’s immune response in advanced ovarian cancer. The findings offer new insights into immune suppression in ovarian cancer and open promising avenues for future immunotherapy approaches

Over 70% of patients with ovarian cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage, often presenting with large volumes of ascites. This ascites fluid not only supports the spread of cancer throughout the abdominal cavity but also significantly impairs the body’s immune defences.

Understanding how ascites affects the immune system is important for developing better treatments that use the immune system to fight cancer. 

In this recent study, researchers from Trinity and University College Dublin explored how ascites disrupts immune cell function, with a particular focus on natural killer (NK) cells and T cells, which are key players in the body’s ability to eliminate tumours.

By analysing the contents of ascites fluid from ovarian cancer patients, the team identified a group of fat molecules called phospholipids as key drivers of this immune dysfunction. 

Dr Karen Slattery, Research Fellow in the Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, is the first author of the research article just published in the leading international journal Science Immunology.

She said: “We found that these lipids interfere with NK cell metabolism and suppress their ability to kill cancer cells. Crucially, we also discovered that blocking the uptake of these phospholipids into NK cells using a specific receptor blocker can restore their anti-tumour activity, which offers a compelling new target for therapeutic intervention.” 

“This work adds a critical piece to the puzzle of why ovarian cancer is so aggressive and has such poor outcomes. While the immune system is naturally equipped to detect and destroy cancer cells, this function is switched off in many individuals with ovarian cancer, and we now know that this is in part due to the fat-rich environment created by ascites.” 

Prof Lydia Lynch, formerly based in Trinity and now in Princeton University, is the senior author of the research article. She said: “This study marks a significant advancement in ovarian cancer research, identifying a new mechanism underpinning immune failure and laying the foundation for new therapies that could restore immune function in these patients. By targeting the fat-induced suppression of immune cells, future treatments could empower the body’s own immune defences to fight back and in doing so, improve outcomes for ovarian cancer patients.”

Source: Trinity College Dublin

Categories : Neurodegenerative DiseasesTags : Leave a comment

HIV Drugs May Offer ‘Substantial’ Alzheimer’s Protection

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Neurons in the brain of an Alzheimer’s patient, with plaques caused by tau proteins. Credit: NIH

UVA Health scientists are calling for clinical trials testing the potential of HIV drugs called NRTIs to prevent Alzheimer’s disease after discovering that patients taking the drugs are substantially less likely to develop the memory-robbing condition.

The researchers, led by UVA’s Jayakrishna Ambati, MD, previously identified a possible mechanism by which the drugs could prevent Alzheimer’s. That promising finding prompted them to analyse two of the nation’s largest health insurance databases to evaluate Alzheimer’s risk among patients prescribed the medications. In one, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s decreased 6% every year the patients were taking the drugs. In the other, the annual decrease was 13%.

“It’s estimated that over 10 million people around the world develop Alzheimer’s disease annually,” said Ambati, founding director of UVA’s Center for Advanced Vision Science and the DuPont Guerry III Professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Ophthalmology. “Our results suggest that taking these drugs could prevent approximately 1 million new cases of Alzheimer’s disease every year.”

NRTIs restrain inflammasomes

NRTIs, or nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, are used to prevent the HIV virus from replicating inside the body. But Ambati and his team previously determined that the drugs can also prevent the activation of inflammasomes, important agents of our immune system. These proteins have been implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, so Ambati and his colleagues wanted to see if patients taking the inflammasome-blocking drugs were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

To do that, they reviewed 24 years of patient data contained in the U.S. Veterans Health Administration Database – made up heavily of men – and 14 years of data in the MarketScan database of commercially insured patients, which offers a broader representation of the population. They looked for patients who were at least 50 years old and were taking medications for either HIV or hepatitis B, another disease treated with NRTIs. They excluded patients with a previous Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

In total, the researchers identified more than 270 000 patients who met the study criteria and then analysed how many went on to develop Alzheimer’s. Even after adjusting for factors that might cloud the results, such as whether patients had pre-existing medical conditions, the researchers determined that the reduction in risk among patients on NRTIs was “significant and substantial,” they report in a new scientific paper.

The researchers note that patients taking other types of HIV medications did not show the same reduction in Alzheimer’s risk as those on NRTIs. Based on that, they say that NRTIs warrant clinical testing to determine their ability to ward off Alzheimer’s. 

If successful, the benefits could be tremendous, as Alzheimer’s rates are climbing dramatically. Nearly 7 million Americans are living with the disease today, but that number is expected to climb to 13 million by 2050. Further, the estimated annual cost of care for Alzheimer’s and other dementias could rise from $360 billion to almost $1 trillion, the Alzheimer’s Association reports.

“We have also developed a new inflammasome-blocking drug called K9, which is a safer and more effective version of NRTIs,” Ambati said. “This drug is already in clinical trials for other diseases, and we plan to also test K9 in Alzheimer’s disease.”

Source: University of Virginia Health

Categories : General Interest HIVTags : Leave a comment

Girl Effect in the Youth Drive at VUT to Close the HIV Treatment Gap

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Image caption, left to right: Dr Lisa Mulenga, Country Director of Girl Effect and Gauteng MEC for Health, Ms. Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, engaging with a student at VUT.

Johannesburg, 13 May25: Girl Effect South Africa, a non-profit organisation, joined the Department of Health, South African National Aids Council, Higher Health, and other partners at the ‘Close the Gap Higher Education’ event which took place on Friday, 9 May, at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT). The campaign aims to connect young people with essential health services, encourage HIV testing and treatment, and help close the country’s significant treatment gap.

With young people making up a large proportion of the estimated 5.7 million South Africans living with HIV but not on antiretroviral therapy (ART), the campaign focuses on improving access to youth-friendly healthcare on campuses and in communities. The VUT activation is part of a national strategy to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, which aims to ensure that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those are on treatment, and 95% of those on treatment achieve viral suppression.

Girl Effect brings its experience in youth-centred communication, behaviour change, and media to help break down stigma and promote informed, confident decision-making among young people. Its focus is especially on adolescent girls and young women, who remain at higher risk of HIV infection and are often underserved by the health system.

Through its flagship programme, Jik’iZinto, Girl Effect connects young women with transformative health education and digital engagement, empowering them to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.

Over 1 687 students accessed HIV counselling, testing, ART initiation and contraceptive services at the event and 38 700 female and male condoms where distributed amongst the young people. The young people were educated on oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily pill that significantly reduces the risk of contracting HIV. Young people were also encouraged to conduct screenings for STIs, TB, and chronic diseases. Additionally, students actively participated in youth dialogues and peer-to-peer health education.

“Too often, young people face barriers, whether social, structural or emotional, that prevent them from seeking the healthcare they need,” said Dr Lisa Mulenga, Country Director of Girl Effect South Africa. “At Girl Effect, we work to remove those barriers by creating platforms where young people can access accurate information, engage with relatable content, and feel supported in making decisions about their health.”

Dr Mulenga, a public health and health systems expert with over two decades of experience, leads Girl Effect’s national strategy and programme delivery. The organisation collaborates with government departments, civil society and local partners to strengthen health messaging and improve access to services for underserved groups.

Gauteng MEC for Health, Ms. Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, engaged with stakeholders during the event, culminating in a pledge signing ceremony. This event demonstrated the health department’s commitment to collaborative efforts in addressing health challenges and promoting meaningful partnerships.

The ‘Close the Gap Higher Education ’ campaign aligns with the National Strategic Plan on HIV, TB and STIs (2023 – 2028), which calls for improved service integration, greater community outreach, and targeted youth interventions. In addition to healthcare services, the VUT activation featured student-led dialogues, physical wellness activities, live performances, and keynote addresses from key decision-makers.

The campaign is being delivered in partnership with Shout It Now, Soul City, LoveLife, Aids Healthcare Foundation, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and various youth organisations. The goal is not only to increase uptake of services but to change the way young people experience healthcare, making it accessible, welcoming, and relevant to their lives.

Categories : VaccinesTags : Leave a comment

Needle-free Influenza Vaccines with Broad Protection

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Photo by CDC on Unsplash

A research team led by the University of Hong Kong have achieved an award-winning breakthrough in developing broadly protective, live-attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV). These innovative LAIV platforms offer the potential to develop universal influenza vaccines that induce a more robust immune response against various virus subtypes, including both human and avian strains. Since they induce mucosal immune responses, they can also be administered nasally.

Current seasonal influenza vaccines protect primarily against three selected strains and require annual updates. Their efficacy can significantly decline if the circulating viruses do not match the strains chosen each year for each hemisphere. Moreover, these vaccines fail to guard against human infections caused by animal influenza viruses, such as avian strains, which pose a potential global pandemic threat. The World Health Organization (WHO) has underscored the urgent need for a new generation of universal influenza vaccines.

The research team developed two innovative approaches to create next-generation LAIVs. The first strategy involved engineering a human influenza virus with then gene for α-Gal, which is already targeted by human antibodies. Vaccine-infected cells then express α-Gal on their surfaces and boost vaccine-induced immune responses, including antibody-mediated cytotoxicity, opsonisation and phagocytosis.

The research data showed that the vaccine is attenuated in mouse models. Vaccinated mice showed strong innate and adaptive immune responses, including antibody and T-cell responses. These immune responses conferred broad protection against various influenza A virus subtypes, including human H1N1 and H3N2, and avian H5N1 strains.

The second approach to developing next-generation LAIVs involved introducing hundreds of silent mutations to a human influenza virus, shifting its codon usage from that of a human influenza virus to that of an avian influenza virus-like pattern. This shift resulted in the attenuation of the virus in mammalian cells, making it safe for use as an LAIV.

Additionally, the mutant virus replicated perfectly in chicken eggs, which is crucial for current effective vaccine manufacturing processes. With this approach, the viral protein expression of the LAIV remained identical to the original wild-type virus, providing a robust immune response against the viruses. The research team successfully generated several attenuated viruses with different human influenza virus backbones, including H1N1 and H3N2.

The development of these two award-winning LAIVs represents a significant advancement in the quest for broadly protective and efficient influenza vaccines. This new generation of LAIVs can both protect humans from seasonal influenza viruses and address the threat posed by emerging viruses, like avian influenza viruses.

“The advantages of LAIVs lie in their intranasal administration, which has been shown to induce mucosal immune responses along the respiratory tract, providing additional protection against infection,” highlighted Professor Leo Poon Lit-man, Chair Professor of Public Health Virology and Head of the Division of Public Health Laboratory Sciences, School of Public Health, HKUMed. “This needle-free delivery method alleviates the fear of vaccination, particularly in young children, so it will help mitigate vaccine hesitancy.”

Source: The University of Hong Kong

Categories : Ethics and Law IT in HealthcareTags : Leave a comment

The Evolution of AI in Patient Consent is a Data-Driven Future

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Henry Adams, Country Manager, InterSystems South Africa

One area undergoing significant evolution in the healthcare industry is the process of obtaining patient consent. It is a topic that is highly controversial but absolutely necessary and one that must evolve if we are to bring patient care into the 21st century.

Traditionally, patient consent has involved detailed discussions between healthcare providers and patients, ensuring that individuals are fully informed before agreeing to medical procedures or participation in research. However, as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent, the mechanisms and ethics surrounding patient consent are being re-examined.

The current state of patient consent

Informed consent is a cornerstone of ethical medical practice, granting patients autonomy over their healthcare decisions. This process typically requires clear communication about the nature of the procedure, potential risks and benefits, and any alternative options.

In the context of AI, particularly with the use of big data and machine learning algorithms, the consent process becomes more complex. Patients must understand not only how their data will be used but also the implications of AI-driven analyses, which may not be entirely transparent.

The rise of dynamic consent models

To address these complexities, the concept of dynamic consent has emerged. Dynamic consent utilises digital platforms to facilitate ongoing, interactive communication between patients and healthcare providers.

This approach allows patients to modify their consent preferences in real-time, reflecting changes in their health status or personal views. Such models aim to enhance patient engagement and trust, providing a more nuanced and flexible framework for consent in the digital age.

AI has the potential to revolutionise the consent process by personalising and simplifying information delivery. Intelligent systems can tailor consent documents to individual patients, highlighting the most pertinent information and using language that aligns with the patient’s comprehension level. In addition, AI-powered chatbots can engage in real-time dialogues, answering patient questions and clarifying uncertainties, enhancing understanding and facilitating informed decision-making.

Data privacy, ethical and security considerations

The integration of AI into patient consent processes necessitates an increased attention to data privacy and security. As AI systems require access to vast amounts of personal health data, robust additional safeguards must be in place to protect against unauthorized access and breaches. Ensuring that AI algorithms operate transparently and that patients are aware of how their data is being used is critical to maintaining trust in the healthcare system, and AI in particular.

While AI can augment the consent process, the ethical implications of its use must be carefully considered. The potential for AI to inadvertently introduce biases or operate without full transparency poses challenges to informed consent. Therefore, human oversight remains indispensable.

Healthcare professionals must work alongside AI systems, the “human in the loop”, to ensure that the technology serves as a tool to enhance, rather than replace, the human touch in patient interactions.

The next 5-10 years

Over the next decade, AI will become increasingly integrated into patient consent processes. Experts predict advancements in natural language processing and machine learning will lead to more sophisticated and user-friendly consent platforms. However, the centrality of human judgment in medical decision-making is unlikely to diminish. AI can provide valuable support, but the nuanced understanding and empathy of healthcare professionals will remain vital.

So, as we take all of this into account, the evolution of AI in patient consent processes offers promising avenues for enhancing patient autonomy and streamlining healthcare operations. By leveraging AI responsibly, healthcare institutions can create more personalised, efficient, and secure consent experiences.

Nonetheless, it is imperative to balance technological innovation with ethical considerations, ensuring that human judgment continues to play a pivotal role in medical decision-making. As we navigate this new world, a collaborative approach that integrates AI capabilities with human expertise will be essential in shaping the future of patient consent. And for healthcare in South Africa, this is going to have to start with education.