Obesity linked to substantial risk of severe course of COVID-19

Researchers at the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), the Boston Children's Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have found that obesity may associate with a substantial risk of a severe course of COVID-19.This therefore calls for more research about the relationships of obesity, disproportionate fat distribution and impaired metabolic health with the severity of COVID-19.The study has been published in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology.

The authors raise the point that most of the studies that have reported comorbidities in patients with COVID-19 did not provide data on body weight and height, which are used to estimate adipose tissue mass, by calculating the BMI. In their Comment they also briefly summarize novel research findings, deriving in part from articles which have not yet undergone peer-review, indicating that overweight and, particularly, obesity may associate with a substantial risk of a severe course of COVID-19. Importantly, these studies suggest that this risk is independent of cardiometabolic diseases and other comorbidities.

The authors then discuss possible mechanisms explaining this relationship. Among them respiratory dysfunction in obesity may result in hypoventilation-associated pneumonia and hypoxia-induced cardiac stress. Furthermore, they highlight that not only the calculation of the BMI, but also the measurement of the waist circumference and of glucose and insulin levels, which can be used to determine the presence of prediabetes and insulin resistance, may be important, as these parameters are independent determinants of cardiometabolic diseases, pneumonia and mortality.

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Hypoglycemia risk increases with the use of Tramadol for pain management

Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar affects a lot of people around the world. Hypoglycemia means that there is less sugar in your blood, which is the main source of energy for the body. Hypoglycemia can be caused due to treatment for diabetes – in order to keep the blood sugar controlled, it may fall below the normal levels.

 A recent investigation carried out by investigators has found that a common opioid, which is a prescription medicine that is known to have fewer side effects, could, in fact, increase risk of hypoglycemia.

A review conducted by FDA revealed that patients receiving tramadol were at 10 times higher risk of developing hypoglycemia that any other opioid except methadone. 

To determine the result of tramadol and how it can affect the risk of hypoglycemia in non-diabetic patients, various reports from the FDA databases were examined and it was found that people were prescribed tramadol as it has the least side effects among various opioids but in their research, they stumbled upon its adverse effect that it leads to a dangerous, unexpected hypoglycemia. 

To investigate the matter further, reports related to tramadol, codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, fentanyl, methadone, dextropropoxyphene, and tapentadol were grouped into separate groups for the analysis. SNRIs including duloxetine, venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine, and milnacipran used as monotherapy, and drugs with NMDAR activity such as minocycline, atomoxetine, ketamine, dextromethorphan, and memantine were also analyzed. 

Investigators noted the frequency of hypoglycemia reports were calculated for opioids, SNRIs, and NMDARs as a class for comparison with reports in the tramadol cohort. The investigators’ analyses revealed a significant increase in frequency of hypoglycemia reports in the tramadol cohort when compared to opioids-class (Report-Odds-Ratio (ROR) 11.36; 95% CI; (8.23, 15.66)), SNRIs-class (ROR 10.14 (7.08, 14.54), and NMDAR-class (ROR 14.57 (8.07, 26.31)).

Upon analysis, investigators found that the frequency of hypoglycemia reports was 0.10 for the codine cohort, 0.04 for fentanyl, 0.07 for hydrocodone, 0.19 for hydropmorphone, 0.04 for morphine, 0.09 for oxycodone, 0.87 for methadone, and 1.13 for tramadol. No reports were found for tapentadol, oxymorphone, or dextropropoxyphene.

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Here’s what happens to your body when you eat a burger

There isn't any doubt that burgers are tasty and people across all age groups love to have them. But we also know they are not good for our health, so much so that even occasional binging can be harmful for your health. Don't believe us? Let us tell you what exactly happens to your body after eating a burger. 

What science says...You can count on science to ruin everything. Science says that junk foods are full of calories, fat and excess sodium and having it even once can be bad for your health. For example, a single hamburger contains 500 calories, 25 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbs, 10 grams of sugar, and 1,000 milligrams of sodium, which is enough to cause havoc in your system. 

After 15 minutes of your first bite of burger, you will experience a massive surge of glucose. This triggers the release of insulin, which makes you feel hungry again in a few hours. Repeating this pattern can increase the risk of diabetes. In scientific terms, the process of taking excessive calories in one sitting puts oxidative stress on cells.

Having a meal high, which is loaded with saturated fat can be harmful to your health. When a group of healthy men were fed with food high in saturated fat, it was found that their arteries were significantly impaired and did not dilate as much. This restriction of blood flow can lead to cardiac disease later in life.

The high amount of sodium can have a negative impact on the blood vessel.

So next time you have the temptation to grab a burger, think twice! 

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Drinking very hot tea almost doubles risk of cancer

Many people start their day with a cup of tea. But those who drink it piping hot could be increasing their risk of esophageal cancer, according to a new study.

Researchers found that tea drinkers who liked their beverage to be warmer than 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) and consumed more than 700 ml of tea per day -- about two large cups -- had a 90% higher risk of esophageal cancer, when compared to those who drank less tea and at cooler temperatures.

 

"Many people enjoy drinking tea, coffee, or other hot beverages. However, according to our report, drinking very hot tea can increase the risk of esophageal cancer, and it is therefore advisable to wait until hot beverages cool down before drinking," said the study's lead author. 

 

Previous research has found a link between hot tea drinking and esophageal cancer. This study, was the first to pinpoint a specific temperature, according to the authors. 

 

Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer in the world and is often fatal, killing approximately 400,000 people every year, according to the experts. It is usually caused by repeated injury to the esophagus due to smoke, alcohol, acid reflux and -- maybe -- hot liquids.

 

The esophagus is a long tube through which swallowed food and liquids travel to reach the stomach.

The researcher estimates that 13,750 new cases of esophageal cancer will be diagnosed in men and 3,900 new cases in women in the United States in 2019. 

 

The team of researchers followed 50,045 people, aged between 40 and 75, for an average of 10 years. Between 2004 and 2017, the researchers detected 317 new cases of esophageal cancer. 

 

The study said more research was needed on why exactly drinking very hot tea is associated with the higher risk of esophageal cancer.

 

A professor of pharmacoepidemiology said that it was the heat that was the issue rather than the type of beverage. 

 

"In fact, it is probably anything hot: Microwaved jam has been known to cause esophageal injury. It is possible that the trauma leads to cell changes and hence to cancer," he said ( he wasn't involved in the study).

 

In the United States and Europe, tea is rarely consumed at temperatures above 65 degrees Celsius (149 degrees Fahrenheit) -- but in places like Russia, Iran, Turkey and South America, it is common to drink tea that hot or even hotter.

 

"If you go to the Middle East or to Russia, they drink it out of a samovar that's constantly under heat," said the president of the Tea Association of the USA. "It's very, very hot."

 

A senior research associate  said that hot drinks were an established risk factor for esophageal cancer.

 

"It doesn't take a scientist to appreciate that repeated irritation of any body surface increases your risk of cancer. Sunburn gives us skin cancer, smoking gives us lung cancer, and many foods and drinks contribute to risk of gastrointestinal cancers," he told.

 

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Heart disease greater in people living near oil & gas wells

People living near areas with oil and gas exploration sites could be at more risk of developing cardiovascular disease, say researchers. The pilot study found that those who lived in these areas showed early signs of CVD, including higher blood pressure, changes in the stiffness of blood vessels, and markers of inflammation.

"We are not sure whether the responsible factor is noise or emissions from the well pads or something else, but we did observe that with more intense oil and gas activity around a person's home, cardiovascular disease indicator levels increased," said a researcher.

For the study, the team measured indicators of CVD among nearly 100 men and women. These participants did not smoke tobacco or marijuana and had no history of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or chronic inflammatory disease like asthma or arthritis. 

Also, the participants did not have jobs that exposed them to dust, fumes, solvents or oil or gas development activities. While behavioural and genetic factors contribute to the burden of CVD, exposure to environmental stressors, such as air pollution, noise and psychosocial stress also contribute to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

One increasingly common source of these stressors is extraction of oil and gas in residential areas, which includes fracking, horizontal drilling, and micro-seismic imaging, the researchers said.

In addition, previous studies have shown that short and long-term exposure to the kind of particulate matter emitted from oil and gas operations may be associated with increases in CVD and death.

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Light pollution at night may up insomnia risk in elderly

Increased exposure to artificial or outdoor light, referred to as light pollution, at night can significantly raise the risk of developing insomnia in older adults, say researchers.

The study, showed a strong correlation between increased levels of night-time lighting and the number of prescriptions for hypnotic drugs also known as sleeping pills.

In addition, older adults exposed to higher levels of outdoor light pollution at night were more likely to use hypnotic drugs for longer periods or receive higher doses daily.

“This study observed a significant association between the intensity of outdoor, artificial, night-time lighting and the prevalence of insomnia as indicated by hypnotic agent prescriptions for older adults,” said the Prof.

“Our results support the data that outdoor, artificial, night-time light could be linked to sleep deprivation among those inside the house,” he added.

According to the doctors, insomnia can involve struggling to fall asleep, having trouble maintaining sleep, or waking up too early.
A variety of environmental factors including excessive noise or light and extreme temperatures will disrupt the sleep of most individuals.

Light pollution has emerged as a novel environmental factor linked to human health. Studies have also showed that artificial night-time lighting, whether indoor or outdoor, induces disruption of circadian rhythms, potentially leading to metabolic and chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, obesity and depression.

For the study, the team included 52,027 adults aged 60 years or older among which about 60 per cent of the participants were female.

The Prof. added that while public health officials seem to be less concerned with light pollution than with other environmental pollutants, this study strengthens the potential link between light pollution and adverse health consequences.

More studies and public policy initiatives are needed to define and minimise the adverse effects of light pollution on human health, the researchers noted.

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Air pollution exposure linked to breast cancer

Women working near busy roads are at high risk of developing breast cancer, due to traffic-related air pollution, researchers have warned.

The team, analysed the case of a woman who developed breast cancer after spending 20 years working as a border guard at the busiest commercial border crossing in North America.

The woman was one of, at least, five other border guards who developed breast cancer within 30 months of each other and, at another nearby crossing, a cluster of seven other cases was noted.

According to the researcher, the findings “infer a causal relationship” between breast cancer and very high exposures to traffic-related air pollution containing mammary carcinogens. A link between night-shift work and cancer was also identified.

“This new research indicates the role of traffic-related air pollution in contributing to the increasing incidence of breast cancer in the general population,” the researcher said.

The group of women all developed a cancer believed to have been caused by exhaust fumes in what researchers have branded a ‘new occupational disease’.

 There is a one in 10,000 chance the cases were a coincidence, the study published in the journal New Solutions said, because the cancers were all so similar and close together.

A review of previous research confirmed that BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes — which try to stop tumours growing — can be “silenced” by exposures to dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – both found in exhaust fumes.

BRCA2 gets rapidly degraded in the presence of aldehydes – also components of exhaust fumes.

“There is much more research to be undertaken,” the researcher said. “But we now have plausible mechanisms for inferring how the BRCA1/2 tumour suppressors in this highly-exposed border guard became dysfunctional and likely contributed to the ongoing epidemic of sporadic, early onset, premenopausal breast cancer among her colleagues.

 “With this new knowledge, industry and government can plan for new designs for industrial and commercial facilities to cut down on the occupational exposures to traffic-related air pollution,” the researcher said.

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