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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 14, 2025 at 8:55am

How small changes in walking technique may help treat knee osteoarthritis

Gait analysis and pain measures show that subtly adjusting the angle of the foot during walking may reduce knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. This approach may also slow progression of the condition, an incurable disease in which the cartilage cushion inside a joint breaks down.

A new study explored whether changing the way patients position their feet when walking could lessen extra loading—stress on the joint during motion—and help treat the disease.

For the investigation, the scientists tested this intervention in 68 men and women with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis and then used advanced MRI scans to track how well it worked.

The results suggest that those trained to angle their feet slightly inward or outward from their natural alignment experienced slower cartilage degeneration in the inner part of their knee compared with those who were encouraged to walk more frequently without changing their foot position. A report on the study is published online in the journal The Lancet Rheumatology.

The findings also revealed that those who adjusted their foot angle reduced their pain score by 2.5 points on a 10-point scale, an effect equivalent to that of over-the-counter pain medications. By contrast, those who did not change their gait reduced their pain scores by little more than a point.

 Personalised gait retraining for medial compartment knee osteoarthritis: a randomised controlled trial, The Lancet Rheumatology (2025). DOI: 10.1016/S2665-9913(25)00151-1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 13, 2025 at 10:30am

Of particular concern is the combination of multiple environmental stressors: the multimodal exposome can magnify the detrimental effects of individual exposures.

Noise can intensify the impact of air pollutants, and heat can act as a catalyst for vascular damage caused by toxins.
The overlapping biological mechanisms range from oxidative stress and activation of the pro-inflammatory enzyme NOX-2 to endothelial dysfunction—all of which are early precursors of myocardial infarction and stroke.
The exposome concept offers a holistic framework that integrates the lifetime accumulation of environmental exposures and their biological interactions into cardiovascular risk assessment, enabling the development of more targeted preventive strategies. The researchers  stress that stricter environmental and noise protection laws, sustainable urban planning, and green infrastructure can help reduce exposure to these stressors.

Thomas Friedrich Münzel et al, A comprehensive review/expert statement on environmental risk factors of cardiovascular disease, Cardiovascular Research (2025). DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvaf119. academic.oup.com/cardiovascres … /cvr/cvaf119/8230112

Party 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 13, 2025 at 10:28am

How noise, air pollution, heat and chemicals act together to damage the cardiovascular system

Cardiovascular diseases comprise a broad range of disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels, including myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, heart failure, and arrhythmias. These conditions remain the number one cause of death worldwide.

Therefore, the demand for effective preventive strategies is substantial, and understanding the relevant risk factors is essential. Well-established contributors include obesity, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity, and an unhealthy diet.

An international research team now warns in a comprehensive review about another group of risk factors that have thus far received limited attention in current prevention strategies: environmental stressors. The authors report in Cardiovascular Research that chronic exposure to noise, fine particulate matter,  heat waves, and chemical pollutants in soil and water can exert harmful effects on the cardiovascular system.

Key findings of the current publication:

Chronic traffic noise activates stress hormone pathways, disrupts sleep, and induces hypertension and vascular inflammation.
Air pollution, fine particulate matter, particularly ultrafine particles (PM₂.₅, UFP), can penetrate deep into the lungs, enter the bloodstream, and promote oxidative stress, endothelial injury, and atherosclerosis.
Increasingly frequent heat waves place particular strain on elderly individuals and those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease. In cities, impervious surfaces and lack of greenery exacerbate "heat island" effects, increasing the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke.
Persistent chemical pollutants such as pesticides, heavy metals, and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which degrade slowly or not at all, can enter the body through food and drinking water. Early studies suggest they can enhance inflammation, impair vascular function, and elevate long-term cardiovascular risk.
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 13, 2025 at 10:24am

Autoimmune diseases linked to cancers of the digestive tract

In a comprehensive study, researchers have provided reliable evidence for a link between chronic inflammatory diseases and the development of tumors in the digestive tract. The results were recently published in eClinicalMedicine.

Using data from over 1.5 million patients from 47 studies, the researchers analyzed the association between four autoimmune diseases, most of which are acquired in childhood or younger adulthood, and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas.

The study shows that celiac disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and type 1 diabetes increase the risk of several types of cancer of the digestive tract. These include stomach and bowel cancer. In particular, the risk of small bowel cancer increases by a factor of 4.2 if celiac disease is present.

Multiple sclerosis, on the other hand, is associated with a lower risk of certain types of cancer, such as pancreatic, esophageal and rectal cancer.

These results underline the need for targeted monitoring of patients with autoimmune diseases and the development of personalized cancer prevention programs.

Julia Reizner et al, Evaluating the risk of digestive system cancer in autoimmune disease patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis focusing on bias assessment, eClinicalMedicine (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103410

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 13, 2025 at 10:16am

Microbial molecule may offer non-toxic way to restore liver and gut health

Researchers have discovered that a natural molecule made by gut bacteria can reverse liver damage and repair the gut lining after aflatoxin exposure. The treatment may offer a new, non-toxic way to prevent and treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a growing health problem.

The study revealed that 10-hydroxystearic acid (10-HSA), a compound produced by Lactobacillus bacteria, successfully restored gut-liver health in mice exposed to aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is a toxic substance made by mold commonly found in peanuts, corn and other crops. It is known to cause liver injury.

"This is the first time a single microbial molecule has been shown to repair both the liver and gut together," say the researchers. 

The gut and the liver are intricately linked. They communicate through bile acids, immunity responses and lipid metabolism—a relationship known as the gut-liver axis. When one organ is damaged, the other suffers too. In diseases like NAFLD (now also called MASLD), this connection becomes a key therapeutic target.

Aflatoxin exposure affects many people, especially in developing countries. In agricultural areas with poor food safety, this exposure is a serious public health concern. This study lays the foundation for developing a simple, safe supplement that could be life changing.

Microbial biotherapeutic metabolite alleviates liver injury by restoring hepatic lipid metabolism through PPARα across the gut-liver axis, mBio (2025). DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01718-25

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 13, 2025 at 10:11am

The findings are correlational—they do not show that stomach activity causes mental illness. But the researchers think the pattern could point to a new physiological marker of mental health that is objective, measurable, and grounded in the body's rhythms.
If stomach–brain synchronization proves to be a stable feature of mental health, it could open new diagnostic or therapeutic possibilities.

Leah Banellis et al, Stomach–brain coupling indexes a dimensional signature of mental health, Nature Mental Health (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44220-025-00468-6

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 13, 2025 at 10:09am

The stomach's neural network is more in sync with the mind during mental distress, researchers discover

Stronger coordination between the brain and the stomach's natural rhythm is linked to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stress, according to the largest study of its kind by researchers.

While most gut–brain research has focused on the lower intestine and gut bacteria, the team of researchers turned to the stomach—the body's upper digestive hub with its own network of nerves.

Scanning more than 240 participants, they found that when brain activity is more tightly synchronized with the stomach's slow electrical waves, people are more likely to report mental distress. The paper is published in the journal Nature Mental Health.

The stomach's connection to the brain may actually be too strong in people under psychological strain, say the researchers.

The stomach has its own nervous system, often called the "second brain." Its slow waves occur roughly every 20 seconds, even when we're not eating—a constant background rhythm like the heartbeat.

By combining functional MRI scans with electrogastrography, the researchers measured how closely brain activity matched these waves in each participant.

We usually assume stronger body-brain communication is a sign of health. But here, unusually strong stomach–brain coupling seems linked to greater psychological burden—perhaps a system under strain.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 13, 2025 at 9:34am

Common food thickeners—long thought to pass right through us—are actually digested

The complex structure of the cellulose derivatives is what makes them valuable as thickening agents in popular products like ketchup, salad dressing and even toothpaste. This structure is also why gut bacteria have a harder time breaking them down—and why in higher concentrations, they're even used as laxatives.

Earlier researchers assumed that these thickening agents, which are artificial derivatives of natural cellulose, just pass right through the digestive system unaltered.

It turns out those cellulose-based thickening agents found in common foods can be digested. Researchers have shown that our gut bacteria can feed on these large molecules—something thought to not be possible—thanks to enzymes that normally help us break down dietary fiber.

The new study provides a first glimpse at how these food additives are actually digested by our gut bacteria  thanks to natural polysaccharides in our diets.

This new in vitro study, however, shows that if our gut bacteria are 'primed' with natural polysaccharides—long chains of sugars found in fruits, vegetables and cereals—the cellulose derivatives can be digested. This is because the natural polysaccharides activate enzymes that are produced on bacteria cell surfaces that can also break down artificial cellulose molecules.

The findings don't challenge the fact that these compounds are safe to consume, proven by years of testing and history of use. However, the new research suggests that more work should be done to explore the physical, chemical and biological effects of the digestion of cellulose derivatives by gut bacteria.

 Deepesh Panwar et al, Artificial cellulose derivatives are metabolized by select human gut Bacteroidota upon priming with common plant β-glucans, Journal of Bacteriology (2025). DOI: 10.1128/jb.00198-25

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 13, 2025 at 8:43am

How bad are micro- and nanoplastics for our health? It depends on their concentrations and how we measure them

Detection, concentration and distribution of MNPs in the human body. Credit: Nature Reviews Bioengineering (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44222-025-00335-0

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 12, 2025 at 1:17pm

Neurodegenerative diseases: Research establishes causal link between mitochondrial dysfunction and cognitive symptoms

Mitochondria, the tiny organelles without which our bodies would be deprived of energy, are gradually revealing their mysteries. In a study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers have for the first time succeeded in establishing a causal link between mitochondrial dysfunction and the cognitive symptoms associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

Thanks to the creation of a specific and unprecedented tool, they succeeded in increasing mitochondrial activity in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases, where they observed an improvement in memory deficit symptoms. While these are only initial results, they open the door to considering mitochondria as a new therapeutic target.

The mitochondrion is a small intracellular organelle that provides the energy needed by the cell to function properly. The brain is one of the most energy-demanding organs, and neurons rely on the energy produced by mitochondria to communicate with one another. Indeed, when mitochondrial activity is impaired, neurons do not have the energy required to function correctly.

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by a progressive impairment of neuronal functions, leading to the death of brain cells. In Alzheimer's disease, for example, it has been observed that neuronal degeneration, which precedes cell death, is accompanied by impaired mitochondrial activity.

This work is the first to establish a cause-and-effect link between mitochondrial dysfunction and symptoms related to neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting that impaired mitochondrial activity could be at the origin of the onset of neuronal degeneration.

The work now continues with trying to measure the effects of continuous stimulation of mitochondrial activity to see whether it impacts the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases and, ultimately, delays neuronal loss or even prevents it if mitochondrial activity is restored.

Potentiation of mitochondrial activity by mitoDREADD-Gs reverses pharmacological and neurodegenerative impairment of cognition, Nature Neuroscience (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-025-02032-y. www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02032-y

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