Categories : GeneticsTags :

Single Gene-editing Therapy Slashes Symptoms of Hereditary Disorder by 95%

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A group of patients with a hereditary angioedema disorder have had their lives transformed by a single treatment of a breakthrough gene-editing therapy, according to the lead researcher of the trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The patients from New Zealand, the Netherlands and the UK have hereditary angioedema, a genetic disorder characterised by severe, painful and unpredictable swelling attacks. These interfere with daily life and can affect airways and prove fatal.

Now researchers from the University of Auckland, Amsterdam University Medical Center and Cambridge University Hospitals have successfully treated more than ten patients with the CRISPR/Cas9 therapy, with interim results just published in a leading journal.

“It looks as if the single-dose treatment will provide a permanent cure for my hereditary angioedema patients’ very disabling symptoms,” says principal investigator Dr Hilary Longhurst, who is both a clinical immunologist at Auckland Hospital Te Toku Tumai and an honorary associate professor at the University of Auckland.

“Plus, of course, there is huge potential for development of similar CRISPR/Cas9 treatments for other genetic disorders.”

Globally, it is estimated one in 50 000 people have hereditary angioedema, however, because it is rare, it is often not correctly diagnosed.

In the Phase 1 study, there were no serious or lasting side-effects from the single infusion, which took place over two to four hours under clinical supervision from late 2021 and onwards.

The investigational therapy, called NTLA-2002, utilises in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 technology to target the KLKB1 gene, which is responsible for producing plasma prekallikrein.

By editing this gene, the therapy reduces the levels of total plasma kallikrein, effectively preventing angioedema (swelling) attacks. The trial demonstrated dose-dependent reduction in total plasma kallikrein protein with reductions of up to 95% achieved. A mean reduction of 95% in angioedema attacks was observed across all patients through to the latest follow-up.

The patients from the initial study will be followed up for a further 15 years to continue to assess long-term safety and efficacy.

A larger and more robust, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase two trial is under way and a Phase 3 trial is planned to start in the second half of 2024.

Dr Danny Cohn, from the Department of Vascular Medicine at the Amsterdam University Medical Center says these promising results are a step forward for this group of patients.

“We’ve never been closer to the ultimate treatment goal of normalising hereditary angioedema patients’ lives and offering total control of the disease,” says Dr Cohn.

Dr Padmalal Gurugama, consultant in clinical immunology and allergy at Cambridge University Hospitals, UK says the gene editing therapy has the potential to significantly improve patients’ lives.

“Hereditary angioedema can cause patients severe swellings and intense pain which can be life-threatening as well as restricting normal activities, such as going to work or school.

“Because it is often misdiagnosed, many patients undergo unnecessary treatments and invasive procedures.”

The therapy affects only the patient and is not passed onto their children, who still have an even chance of inheriting the disorder.

The studies have been funded by US company Intellia Therapeutics, which chose New Zealand to lead the research as, at that time (late 2021) it had relatively fewer COVID cases than other countries.

So far, the only approved CRISPR therapy, CASGEVY, is for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.

However, CASGEVY is an ex vivo CRISPR therapy, where the cells are taken from the patient and edited outside of the body and then reinfused, whereas NTLA-2002 is an in vivo CRISPR therapy, where the targeted gene editing occurs directly within the body.

CRISPR technologies are being used to develop treatment for a wide range of diseases, such as genetic disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Source: University of Auckland

Categories : Mental HealthTags :

Higher Than Expected Levels of Psychosis Spectrum Symptoms among Youth

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A new study published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging has found evidence that Psychosis Spectrum Symptoms (PSS) are often present in youth accessing mental health services.

From a profile of the initial 417 youth aged 11–24 participating in the study, 50% were shown to meet the threshold for Psychosis Spectrum Symptoms, a number that study co-lead Associate Professor Kristin Cleverley says was higher than expected, meaning there is a large number of children with these symptoms accessing mental health services.

Cleverley, of the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing Cleverley, says that what is novel about this study is that researchers are assessing early indicators that might predict whether someone is more at risk of developing Psychosis Spectrum Disorder, and examine whether there is a point at which earlier intervention for that youth could be more effective.

“Traditionally, early psychosis care starts when there is a serious presentation of psychotic symptoms, which usually occurs in the late teen years,” says Cleverley. “The current approach to identifying children at risk of developing a psychotic disorder is only about five percent effective, but with this study we can start to assess certain patterns or changes in function that can signal if an earlier intervention may be beneficial.”

Psychosis Spectrum Disorder can be extremely disabling, and is linked to cognitive impairment, long-term disability, and higher rates of death by suicide than other mental illnesses. Even without a diagnosis of psychosis, Psychosis Spectrum Symptoms can severely affect youth.

This study is one of three projects being led as part of the Toronto Adolescent and Youth (TAY) Cohort Study that is set to follow 1500 youth over the course of five years. The goal of the cohort study is to better understand the populations of youth seeking mental health treatment, how their mental health symptoms and functioning change over time, and whether early predictors of psychosis spectrum disorder can be determined.

This study was co-designed with patient and caregivers in addition to involving extensive engagement from clinicians. A novel aspect of the TAY Cohort Study is youth are given access to a patient-facing dashboard of their research results that is also integrated into their clinical record.

“We wanted to ensure that the study was embedded in the clinical program so that research assessments could be immediately utilised within clinical practice, including supporting decisions about interventions or services,” says Cleverley.

This longitudinal study will include a follow-up every six months, and will provide researchers access to information about whether symptoms in these youth become chronic or episodic, and whether these changes are related to developmental milestones or environmental stressors, or changes to mental health services.

“Our goal with this research is really to characterise this population better so that we can identify new strategies that will complement existing strategies for early identification of youth at risk of psychosis,” says Cleverley. “It also creates an important opportunity for graduate students and researchers to develop sub-studies for this sample that will enable further research to improve youth mental health outcomes.”

Source: University of Toronto

Categories : Genetics PaediatricsTags :

Gene Identified for Rare Disorder Involving Extra Fingers and Toes

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A rare disorder which causes babies to be born with extra fingers and toes and a range of birth defects has been identified in new research published in the American Journal of Human Genetics. The disorder, which has not yet been named, is caused by a genetic mutation in a gene called MAX.

As well as extra digits – polydactyly — it leads to a range of symptoms relating to ongoing brain growth, such as autism. The research marks the first time this genetic link has been identified. It has also found a molecule that could potentially be used to treat some of the neurological symptoms and prevent any worsening of their condition. However, more research is needed to test this molecule before it can be used as a treatment.

Co-led by the University of Leeds, the study focuses on three individuals with a rare combination of physical traits, namely polydactyly, and a much larger than average head circumference – known as macrocephaly.

The individuals share some other characteristics, including delayed development of their eyes which results in problems with their vision early in life.

The researchers compared the DNA of these individuals and found they all carried the shared genetic mutation causing their birth defects.

The latest research was co-led by Dr James Poulter from the University of Leeds; Dr Pierre Lavigne at Université de Sherbrooke in Québec and Professor Helen Firth at Cambridge University.

As with many rare disorders, the disorder currently has no treatments – but in this case, the researchers identified one already undergoing clinical trials which might reverse some of the mutation’s effects.

The study team has highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary research into rare diseases in giving understanding and hope of a treatment to families who often face many years of uncertainty about their child’s condition and prognosis.

The researchers now plan to look for additional patients with mutations in MAX to better understand the disorder and investigate whether the potential treatment improves the symptoms caused by the mutation.

Source: University of Leeds

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease Diseases, Syndromes and ConditionsTags :

SGLT-2 Inhibitor Use Associated with Decreased Risk of Kidney Stones

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Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of kidney stones, but some forms of treatment for this condition may also have the benefit of lowering risk of kidney stones. In a study led by investigators from Mass General Brigham, researchers found that there was an association between the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and a lower risk of developing kidney stones. Their findings are reported in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Rates of kidney stones are on the rise in the United States and around the world. Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of kidney stones, but some forms of treatment for this condition may also have the benefit of lowering risk of kidney stones.

The study included data from three nationwide databases of patients with type 2 diabetes who were seen in routine clinical practice.

The team analysed information from 716,406 adults with type 2 diabetes who had started taking an SGLT2 inhibitor or two other classes of diabetes medications known as GLP1 receptor agonists or dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors.

Patients who began taking SGLT2 inhibitors had a 30% lower risk of developing kidney stones than those taking GLP1 agonists and about a 25% lower risk than those taking DPP4 inhibitors.

The findings were consistent across sex, race/ethnicity, history of chronic kidney disease and obesity.

“Our findings could help inform clinical decision making for patients with diabetes who are at risk for developing kidney stones,” said corresponding author Julie Paik, MD, ScD, MPH, of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics and the Division of Renal (Kidney) Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Source: Mass General Brigham

Materials provided by Mass General Brigham. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

  1. Julie M. Paik, Helen Tesfaye, Gary C. Curhan, Heidi Zakoul, Deborah J. Wexler, Elisabetta Patorno. Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors and Nephrolithiasis Risk in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2024; DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.7660
Categories : Paediatrics Respiratory DiseasesTags :

Appeasing the Wheezing: Determinants and Outcomes of Respiratory Disease in Childhood

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Asthma and cystic fibrosis are diseases which affect the lungs of children and adults. Previous research has shown that genetic and environmental factors during pregnancy and early childhood can contribute to the way children and young adults are affected by these lung diseases.

In her thesis, Emma Caffrey Osvald, PhD student at Karolinska Institutet looked for new factors that may influence the development and outcomes of asthma and cystic fibrosis. In the four included studies, Emma used data from a clinical cohort and national health and demographic registers and a quality register on individuals born in Sweden to shed light on potential factors which impact the course of asthma and cystic fibrosis. Her findings should be useful when creating clinical guidelines and policies for the prevention and management of respiratory disease in children and young adults.

What are the most important results in your thesis?

“In my first study, we show that mothers with asthma have an increased likelihood of having a child with asthma and that higher lung function in pregnancy is associated with a decreased likelihood of having a child with asthma. However, asthma or lung function in the mother does not impact childhood growth. In the second study, we see that parental social standing (socioeconomic status, measured as parents’ education and income) is associated with the onset of asthma in childhood. By comparing the social standing and onset of asthma among first cousins we see that parental education may be directly linked to the onset of asthma. In the third study, we also show that there is a connection between having asthma in childhood or young adulthood and death between 1 to 25 years of age. The likelihood of death between 1 to 25 years of age is higher if the person also has a life-limiting disease but not altered by the parents social standing at the child’s birth. In the final study, we see some association between low parental social standing and severe disease and lung function decline among persons with cystic fibrosis, however low parental social standing does not impact growth. So we found that there are factors in the parents (including during the pregnancy and social standing) which impacts the onset of asthma. Asthma increases the risk of mortality between 1 to 25 years and low parental social standing is shown to be associated with severe disease and lung function decline in persons with cystic fibrosis.”

Why did you become interested in this topic?

“I have wanted to learn more about epidemiology ever since my ex-job project as a medical student and these PhD projects have allowed me, as a paediatric pulmonologist, to explore the factors which influence onset and outcomes for children and young adults with respiratory disease. Asthma and CF are two chronic diseases which we meet as part of our routine clinical practice and for me it has been really interesting to avail of both clinical data and national register data and a variety of statistical methods to further our understanding of these diseases.“

What do you think should be done in future research?

“Areas which will interest me in my future research continues to be the determinants and outcomes of respiratory disease in childhood. For me, the future of register-based research lies in the combining of clinical data with register data. There is more to explore in regards to risk factors for acute respiratory disease such as severe pneumonia and empyema, but also the outcomes for persons with asthma and CF, such as presence of comorbidity or educational attainment.”

Doctoral thesis: Appeasing the wheezing: determinants and outcomes of respiratory disease in childhood.

Source: Karolinska Institutet

Categories : Cardiovascular DiseaseTags :

Genetic Risks for ACE Inhibitor-induced Angioedema Identified

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Angioedema is a rare but potentially life-threatening adverse reaction to ACE inhibitors. In a joint analysis of eight European study collectives, researchers for the first time conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) with more than 1000 affected individuals, identifying a total of three risk loci in the genome. These included a new locus that had not previously been associated with the risk of ACE inhibitor-induced angioedema. The results of the study have now been published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are effective antihypertensive drugs. They block the formation of the hormone angiotensin II, which plays a central role in the development of hypertension.

On the other hand, these drugs increase the concentration of the vasoactive signalling substance bradykinin. Among other things, this can lead to acute swelling of the skin or mucous membranes.

Such swellings are generally not life-threatening – but if they affect the tongue, throat or larynx, angioedema can be life-threatening for the patient due to the potential risk of suffocation.

Research to date suggests that susceptibility to such drug-induced angioedema is influenced by hereditary as well as lifestyle and environmental factors. This led researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn and the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) to investigate potential genetic involvement.

“However, the understanding of the underlying biological processes, ie the pathophysiology, and thus the individual risk assessment is still limited. The identification of the responsible genes will provide completely new insights here,” says Prof Markus Nöthen at the University of Bonn.

Which biological processes play a role in ACE inhibitor-induced angioedema?

Based on data from eight European study collectives, the team from Bonn, together with cooperation partners, conducted the first GWAS with more than 1000 patients with ACE inhibitor-induced angioedema.

They identified a total of three loci in the genome that are associated with the risk of ACE inhibitor-induced angioedema.

“While two of the loci have already been described in previous studies, our study was the first to demonstrate a significant association for a new locus on chromosome 20,” explains corresponding author Prof.

Andreas Forstner from the Institute of Human Genetics at the UKB and the University of Bonn and at the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1) at the Research Center Jülich.

“Through further bioinformatic analyses, we were able to identify several candidate genes at the three risk loci indicating that genetic changes in the bradykinin, coagulation and fibrinolysis signalling play a role in the development of this type of angioedema,” adds first author Carina Mathey, doctoral student at the Institute of Human Genetics at the UKB and the University of Bonn.

Source: Universitatsklinikum Bonn

Categories : Ethics and Law PaediatricsTags :

Murder-accused Paediatric Surgeon Advised that Procedures Were Unnecessary

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A state witness in the trial of murder accused Dr Peter Beale has testified that colleagues advised him against a procedure which led to the death of a three year old patient.

Paediatric surgeon Beale is charged with three counts of murder, as a result of deaths from unnecessary surgeries over 2012 to 2019. He is also charged with two counts of fraud. He was first arrested in 2019, with his trial date postponed multiple times and only getting underway this week Monday in Johannesburg. His co-accused, anaesthetist Dr Abdulhay Munshi, was shot dead in 2020. As a result of the case, some have voiced concerns over what could lead to criminalisation over deaths resulting from unavoidable errors and systemic failures.

Two of the three deaths stemmed from laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication, a complex and costly procedure that is usually used to treat GERD by tightening the junction of the oesophagus and stomach.

According to the indictment, Beale is accused of “unlawfully and intentionally” causing the deaths of a three-year-old boy in 2012, a 21-month-old girl in 2016 and a 10-year-old boy in 2019 after he had operated on the children.

The state contends that Beale performed these unnecessary procedures as he needed money to recover from heavy financial losses incurred in a failed investment in the 1990s.

News24 reports that, based on a rectal biopsy, Beale believed that the three year old boy had Hirschsprung’s Disease, requiring surgical intervention. As reported in Beeld, Beale said in his plea explanation that he “misread” the patient’s biopsy results and did not deliberately misrepresent the biopsy results to the parents.

The parents sought a second opinion, the state alleges, and the second doctor was hesitant about carrying out the procedure. Beale was able to convince the other doctor that the procedure was necessary based on the biopsy results. Beale also explained in his plea deal that there was a variant of the disease, and the treatment was the same. His counsel, Advocate Ian Greene, also pointed out that the pathologist testified at a disciplinary hearing that the biopsy did not exclude the variant even if it did not exclude Hirschsprung’s Disease.

According to News24, a state witness, who is another paediatric surgeon who remains anonymous at the court’s order, stated that Beale had tried to recruit him to a Ponzi scheme. The scheme had a joining fee of R1 million.

The witness, who had know Beale since 1996, said that in 2009, the accused had also confided in him at a conference that he had suffered significant losses in an investment. The witness was also on the committee at the Healthcare Practitioners’ Council of South Africa disciplinary hearing over the three-year-old’s death. Beale has since been struck from the HPCSA.

The South African Medical Association released a statement urging that, while tragic, the case highlights laws that criminalise and punish individuals instead of taking into account the various organisational failings that can lead to patient deaths and can in no way prevent “unavoidable errors”.

Note: this article has been updated to correct the number of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication procedures and to add more information about the Hirschsprung’s Disease diagnosis.

Categories : NeurologyTags :

The Neural Circuits that Manage the Balancing Act of Hydration

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The human brain regulates water and salt appetite to maintain proper hydration. A new study published in Cell Reports reveals how the brain’s centre for digestive signals has two distinct neuronal populations that regulate either salt or water intake.

Previous studies suggested that water or salt ingestion quickly suppresses thirst and salt appetite before the digestive system absorbs the ingested substances, indicating the presence of sensing and feedback mechanisms in digestive organs that help real-time thirst and salt appetite modulation in response to drinking and feeding. Unfortunately, despite extensive research on this subject, the details of these underlying mechanisms remained elusive.

To shed light on this matter, a research team from Japan has recently conducted an in-depth study on the parabrachial nucleus (PBN), the brain’s relay centre for ingestion signals coming from digestive organs.

The researchers conducted a series of in vivo experiments using genetically engineered mice.

They introduced optogenetic (and chemogenetic) modifications and in vivo calcium imaging techniques into these mice, enabling them to visualise and control the activation or inhibition of specific neurons in the lateral PBN (LPBN) using light (and chemicals). During the experiments, the researchers offered the mice, either in regular or water- or salt-depleted conditions, water and/or salt water, and monitored neural activities along with the corresponding drinking behaviours.

In this way, the team identified two distinct subpopulations of cholecystokinin mRNA-positive neurons in the LPBN, which underwent activation during water and salt intake.

The neuronal population that responds to water intake projects from the LPBN to the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO), whereas the one that responds to salt intake projects to the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST). Interestingly, if the researchers artificially activated these neuronal populations through optogenetic (genetic control using light) experiments, the mice drank substantially less water and ingested less salt, even if they were previously water- or salt-deprived.

Similarly, when the researchers chemically inhibited these neurons, the mice consumed more water and salt than usual.

Therefore, these neuronal populations in the LPBN are involved in feedback mechanisms that reduce thirst and salt appetite upon water or salt ingestion, possibly helping prevent excessive water or salt intake.

These results, alongside their previous neurological studies, also reveal that MnPO and vBNST are the control centres for thirst and salt appetite, integrating promotion and suppression signals from several other brain regions.

“Understanding brain mechanisms controlling water and salt intake behaviours is not only a significant discovery in the fields of neuroscience and physiology, but also contributes valuable insights to understand the mechanisms underlying diseases induced by excessive water and salt intake, such as water intoxication, polydipsia, and salt-sensitive hypertension,” remarks first author, Assistant Professor Takashi Matsuda from Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Source: Tokyo Institute of Technology

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease Environmental EffectsTags :

Radon Gas: Ubiquitous, Carcinogenic – and Possible Stroke Risk

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A new study has found that exposure to radon, the second leading cause of lung cancer, is also linked to an increased risk of stroke. The study, which examined exposures in middle age to older female participants, found an increased risk of stroke among those exposed to high and even moderate concentrations of the gas compared to those exposed to the lowest concentrations. The study is published in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced in certain rocks and soils which contain uranium or radium. In South Africa, some areas such as in the Western Cape have higher concentrations of radon due to underlying granite geology. It is also a concern near gold mine dumps, which have higher levels of uranium.

The gas can make its way into homes through cracks in basement walls and floors, construction joints and gaps around pipes.

“Radon is an indoor air pollutant that can only be detected through testing that measures concentrations of the gas in homes,” said study author Eric A. Whitsel, MD, MPH, of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

“Our research found an increased risk of stroke among participants exposed to radon above – and as many as two picocuries per litre (pCi/L) below – concentrations that usually trigger Environmental Protection Agency recommendations to install a home radon mitigation system.”

The study involved 158 910 female participants with an average age of 63 who did not have stroke at the start of the study.

They were followed for an average of 13 years. During the study, there were 6979 strokes among participants.

To determine radon exposures, researchers linked participants’ home addresses to radon concentration data from the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA recommends that average indoor radon concentrations do not exceed four picocuries per liter (pCi/L). For concentrations this high, the EPA recommends installing a radon mitigation system to lower radon levels in the home.

Participants were divided into three groups. The highest group had homes in areas where average radon concentrations were more than four pCi/L. The middle group lived in areas with average concentrations between two and four pCi/L. The lowest group lived in areas with average concentrations of less than two pCi/L.

In the group with the highest radon exposures, there were 349 strokes per 100 000 person-years compared to 343 strokes in the middle group and 333 strokes in group with the lowest exposure.

Person-years represent both the number of people in the study and the amount of time each person spends in the study.

After adjusting for factors such as smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure, researchers found participants in the highest group had a 14% increased risk of stroke compared to those in the lowest group.

Those in the middle group had a 6% increased risk.

“It’s important to note that we found an increased stroke risk among those exposed to radon concentrations as much as two pCi/L below the current lung cancer-based threshold for recommending radon mitigation,” said Whitsel.

“More studies are needed to confirm our findings. Confirmation would present an opportunity to improve public health by addressing an emerging risk factor for stroke.”

A limitation of the study was that it included only female participants who were middle age or older and primarily white, so the results may not be the same for other populations.

Source: American Academy of Neurology

Categories : Gastrointestinal Surgeries & ProceduresTags :

No Difference in Short-term Complications for Obesity Surgeries

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Sleeve gastrectomy. Credit: Scientific Animations CC4.0

The two most common obesity surgeries, gastric bypass and gastric sleeve, have few short-term complications and show no significant differences, according to study findings published in the journal JAMA Network Open. These are the first results of a multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing obesity surgeries conducted by the University of Gothenburg.

Patients undergoing obesity surgery will normally have a BMI of at least 40, or 35 if they also have other serious medical conditions related to obesity.

The most common procedures are gastric bypass, where a large part of the stomach and part of the small intestine are bypassed, and gastric sleeve, where a large part of the stomach is surgically removed.

The aim of the current study was to compare the short-term risks of the different procedures.

The study is the largest of its kind. 1735 adult patients planned for surgery in Norway and Sweden between 2015 and 2022 agreed to participate, and they were randomly assigned to either gastric bypass or gastric sleeve.

Relatively few complications

Surgical time was longer for gastric bypass, averaging 68 minutes compared to 47 minutes for gastric sleeve, but hospitalisation after surgery was one day regardless of method.

The follow-ups also gave equivalent results for the two methods.

At 30 days after surgery, both groups had relatively few complications such as haemorrhage, leakage, blood clots and infections.

No deaths occurred during the follow-up period of a total of 90 days.

“For both surgical procedures, the risk of complications is very low, especially from an international perspective, and there is no statistically significant or clinically relevant difference between the groups,” says Suzanne Hedberg, first author of the study.

Many stakeholders and many opinions

“Many people have had surgery, or are on waiting lists for surgery, and there are lots of discussions and opinions about the different methods. What the study shows is that patients and doctors can now choose their surgical method without considering short-term surgical risks,” she says.

Suzanne Hedberg defended her thesis in surgery at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg in April 2023, and is a consultant at Sahlgrenska University Hospital.

The study, included in her thesis, is the first publication with results from BEST (Bypass Equipoise Sleeve Trial), a Scandinavian registry-based randomised controlled multicentre study comparing the two methods of obesity surgery.

The main outcome of the trial which analyses the risk of complications and weight progression over 5 years, is expected to be completed in 2028.

“For the ongoing studies, we are off to a good start with equivalent groups, laying a good foundation for further comparisons of more long-term results,” concludes Suzanne Hedberg.

Source: University of Gothenburg