>> Risk of long COVID: the variant factor
>> The timing of diabetes and dementia risk
>> Surgery for pancreatic cancer: could less be more?
The Med & Mic™ 05.26.23
MED NEWS blog post from Dr. Maria ON Speaking, LLC
More Long COVID with Omicron
After an infection with omicron, about one in ten people developed symptoms of long COVID, a catchall term for the health problems that linger for months or years even after a mild case of the viral infection. In an NIH study of 10,000 people, researchers compared adults who had COVID at different points in the pandemic to people who had not been infected. About 10% of the people who came down with COVID after the study started reported long term symptoms after six months.
The researchers focused on a dozen symptoms to more clearly define long COVID. These symptoms include: 1) fatigue, 2) brain fog, 3) dizziness, 4) gastrointestinal symptoms, 5) heart palpitations, 6) sexual problems, 7) loss of smell or taste, 8) thirst, 9) chronic cough, 10) chest pain, 11) worsening symptoms after activity, 12) abnormal movements. The list is a research tool only. (Source: AP, L. Neergaard, 5.26.23)
Earlier Type Two Diabetes Linked to Dementia
Progressing from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes earlier in life is associated with a future dementia diagnosis. A prospective study following nearly 12,000 participants over 30 years tracked cognitive function and long-term blood sugar tests as part of the data collected. Those who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before age 60 were three times more likely to develop dementia. The risk was 73% higher if the diabetes diagnosis was made between age 60 and 69, and 23% higher between 70 and 79. (Source: Medical News Today, E. Watts, 5.26.23)
Minimally Invasive Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer: Safe and Valid
For early-stage pancreatic cancer, minimally invasive surgery to remove the pancreas is as safe and effective as more aggressive open surgery. In a randomized, international study of 258 patients treated with either surgical technique there was no difference in disease-free survival, overall survival, number of lymph nodes retrieved, recurrence within the abdomen, or adverse events. The less invasive approach could provide benefits such as faster recovery and decreased infection risk. Only 12% of adults diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will have operable disease. When surgery can be performed, the five year survival rate for early stage disease is 44%. (Source: MedPage Today, I. Ingram, 5.25.23)
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