December 4, 2023

No head CT required in cases with no history of head injury on falling, no amnesia of fall, no new abnormality on neurologic exam A Falls Decision Rule can determine which elderly patients presenting with a fall require computed tomography (CT) of the head, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in CMAJ, the journal...

Ceramides may play a role in differentiating bipolar disorder and major depressive disorders. Metabolomic profiling may improve the differential diagnosis of mood disorders, according to a proof-of-concept study published online Oct. 25 in JAMA Psychiatry. Jakub Tomasik, Ph.D., from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined metabolomic biomarker signatures from dried blood...

Lower sport-related concussion rates seen with use of prevention strategies, including mouth guards In a consensus statement issued by the International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport and published online Dec. 4 in Pediatrics, recommendations are presented for managing sport-related concussion among children and adolescents. Gavin A. Davis, M.B.B.S., from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in...

Those randomly assigned to receive ACE inhibitor had increased risks for stroke mortality, fatal and nonfatal hospitalized stroke versus diuretic group For patients with hypertension and at least one other coronary heart disease risk factor, cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality is similar for those receiving a thiazide-type diuretic, calcium channel blocker (CCB), or angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)...

Researchers introduced a new mutation to pluripotent stem cells, enabling their transformation to red blood cells without the need for expensive stem cell factor and erythropoietin, thus enabling large-scale RBC culture at lower costs. Numerous hematological conditions require blood frequent blood transfusions. Therefore, in recent years, researchers have explored the potential of cultured red blood...

In this study, researchers used CRISPR gene editing to map genes that play a vital role in erythropoiesis, which may be instrumental in managing aplastic anemia. The objective of this study, shared in a paper at the 65th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition, was to understand genes governing red blood cell (RBC) development. While prior...

The autophagy-associated protease Atg4a helps maintain mitochondrial quality during the development phase of red blood cells through autophagy and, thus, removal of dysfunctional mitochondria, according to a new study. The loss of this quality control results in low heme concentrations in red blood cells, even in the absence of overt iron deficiency. Maintaining mitochondrial quality...

Vivax malaria has historically been absent in sub-Saharan Africa, as the parasite cannot penetrate Duffy-negative erythroblasts. However, a new study shows that P. vivax can penetrate erythrocytes during erythropoiesis due to the transitory expression of the protein. Plasmodium vivax malaria was historically believed to be absent in sub-Saharan Africa due to the high prevalence of...

A new study found that one-third of intracerebral hemorrhage patients experience anemia and that this occurs due to continued inflammation, causing bone marrow erythropoiesis suppression. The study also demonstrated that IL-6 antagonists may benefit such patients, increasing erythropoiesis and reducing neural deficits. Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is among the leading causes of death and disability globally...