Fact Check: Can Drinking Lemon Ginger Tea Every Day Bid Diabetes Goodbye?

A Pinterest post claims that Drinking Lemon Ginger Tea Every Day can Bid Diabetes Goodbye. This claim is False.

Claim

In a Pinterest post, it is claimed that Drinking Lemon Ginger Tea Every Day can Bid Diabetes Goodbye. The post by Cathy Foster in the post writes that Drinking Lemon Ginger Tea Every Day has multiple health benefits. It includes making your hair long and strong, relieving inflammation and pain, Treat ovarian cysts naturally, Fight indigestion, and Improving your skin health. Among these numerous health claims, the user also claims that Drinking Lemon Ginger Tea Every Day can Bid Diabetes Goodbye. The post can be accessed here.

Fact Check

A Pinterest post claiming that Drinking Lemon Ginger Tea Every Day can Bid Diabetes Goodbye is False. Ginger lemon tea may assist in preventing and managing type 2 diabetes, but there is no evidence supporting the ingredients effectiveness for other types of diabetes. It is also important to note that diabetes is a chronic condition that cannot be cured.All the measures such as drinking lemon tea may aid a little bit in managing diabetes but cannot cure diabetes or bid it goodbye.

What are the health benefits of Lemon?

Lemon scientifically known as Citrus Lemon (L.), part of the evergreen tree family Rutaceae, is native to South Asia and is predominantly found in Northeast India. A peeled lemon contains 17 calories, whereas an unpeeled one has 22 calories. A single tablespoon of lemon juice provides 3 calories, and according to “World’s Healthiest Foods,” a quarter cup of lemon juice delivers 31% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, 3% of folate, and 2% of potassium, totaling 13 calories. Lemon is known for its wide-ranging attributes and its importance in various aspects of life, such as food, medicine, and nutrition. Lemon, along with its juice, leaf oil, citric acid, alkaloids, and other nutrients, may be used as aid for conditions like osteoporosis, insomnia, asthma, nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, acne spots, throat infections, scurvy, fever, and maintaining pH balance, among other uses.

Health Benefits Of Ginger

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has long been valued as a medicinal herb due to its health benefits. The bioactive compounds in ginger are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help modulate the immune system additionally, ginger aids in muscle relaxation. It is also recognized for its antioxidant benefits.

Tea and its consumption

Tea is widely enjoyed for its pleasant taste and reputed health benefits. While these benefits have been associated with tea for centuries, scientific research into its properties and components has been active for approximately 30 years. The positive health effects linked to tea consumption may stem from its rich concentration of bioactive compounds, particularly polyphenols. These polyphenols have been shown to have antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties; enhance the activity of detoxifying enzymes; boost immune response; and reduce platelet aggregation.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a long-term condition that arises when the pancreas produces insufficient insulin or when the body cannot use the insulin it produces efficiently. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. Hyperglycemia, or elevated blood sugar, is a common outcome of poorly managed diabetes and, over time, can result in significant damage to various body systems, particularly the nerves and blood vessels.

Types of Diabetes

There can be different types of diabetes and WHO defines the condition of diabetes is classified into four major distinct types.

Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes, results from insufficient insulin production, requiring daily insulin intake. In 2017, approximately 9 million people were affected, mainly in high-income countries. The exact cause and preventive measures remain unknown.

Type 2 diabetes affects how the body uses glucose for energy by impairing insulin function. This can lead to high blood sugar levels and, over time, can cause damage to nerves and blood vessels. It is often preventable, with risk factors including excess weight, lack of exercise, and genetics. Early detection through regular health check-ups and blood tests is crucial. Symptoms may develop slowly, often going unnoticed for years and only being diagnosed after complications arise. More than 95% of diabetes cases are type 2, once called non-insulin dependent or adult-onset diabetes, and it is now increasingly seen in children.

Another type of diabetes is Gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy and is marked by blood sugar levels higher than normal but not reaching diabetic thresholds. It increases the risk of pregnancy and delivery complications and raises the likelihood of type 2 diabetes later for both mother and child. Diagnosis is made through prenatal screening.

Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glycemia (IFG) are conditions between normal blood sugar levels and diabetes. While they raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, progression is not certain.

Can Diabetes Be Cured?

Currently, there is no cure for diabetes or a way to eliminate it entirely, it is possible for most people to achieve diabetes reversal. This involves effectively managing blood sugar levels to the extent that medication is no longer needed and maintaining that state through a consistent routine of healthy eating and regular exercise. 

Dr. Uzma Khan, Sr. Consultant Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, Apollo Sugar Kondapur, Hyderabad explained, “Diabetes, whether Type 1 or Type 2, is currently considered a chronic, non-curable condition. While Type 2 diabetes can sometimes be managed to the point of remission through lifestyle changes like diet, weight loss, and exercise, this does not mean it is cured. The risk of recurrence remains, and continuous management is essential. Type 1 diabetes requires lifelong insulin therapy and careful monitoring. It’s important for individuals to understand that there is no cure for diabetes, and effective, long-term management requires medical guidance, lifestyle adjustments, and regular health check-ups to prevent” complications.

Can Drinking Lemon Ginger Tea Every Day Bid Diabetes Goodbye?

Lemon, ginger and tea contain compounds that may support overall health and metabolic function. These ingredients may also be considered for Type 2 Diabetes management due to their beneficial properties; however, there is no scientific evidence supporting their combined efficacy for other types of diabetes. Diabetes is also a chronic condition that cannot be cured hence the claim by the user is False.

Research highlights the potential benefits of ginger in managing chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine demonstrated that consuming three one-gram capsules of ginger powder daily for an 8-week period benefits patients with type 2 diabetes by reducing fasting blood sugar, lowering HbA1c levels, and improving insulin resistance indices.

Similarly, Nafiseh Khandouzi et. al. in their study revealed that ginger supplementation notably lowered FBS, HbA1c, Apo B, Apo B/Apo A-I ratio, and MDA levels, while boosting Apo A-I levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. These findings suggest that ginger may serve as an effective approach for mitigating the risk of secondary chronic complications associated with diabetes.

Lemon extract is gaining attention as a potential aid in diabetes management. A randomized controlled trial published in the European Journal of Nutrition confirmed findings from earlier in vitro studies, demonstrating that reducing the pH of a meal can slow starch digestion by prematurely inhibiting salivary α-amylase. Additionally, the effect of lemon juice was found to be comparable to that of vinegar and other acidic foods. Therefore, incorporating acidic foods or beverages into starchy meals may be a straightforward and effective approach to lower their glycemic impact.

Another study by Petrus Mantur et. al. highlighted its therapeutic benefits, showing that lemon extract can help regulate blood sugar levels and promote pancreatic β cell regeneration in alloxan-induced mice. 

Tea, a globally cherished beverage, has been studied for its potential health benefits, including its role in diabetes management. A meta-analysis featured in the Journal of General Internal Medicine suggests that tea consumption could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 

Incorporating lemon ginger tea into your daily routine can offer health benefits, but it is not a cure for diabetes, which is a chronic condition requiring comprehensive management.

Responding to the claim Dr. Uzma Khan, Sr. Consultant Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, Apollo Sugar Kondapur, Hyderabad said, “Lemon ginger tea offers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, but it’s crucial to understand that diabetes is a chronic condition without a cure. Managing diabetes requires a comprehensive approach, including medication, balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and consistent blood sugar monitoring. While healthy dietary habits can support overall health, drinking lemon ginger tea daily will not ‘bid diabetes goodbye.’ Misconceptions like these can lead to poorly managed diabetes.”

Dr. Rajesh Bendre, National Technical Head, Apollo Diagnostic further added, “While lemon ginger tea can be a healthy addition to your diet due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it is important to understand that diabetes is a chronic, dysregulated lifestyle-related condition. Managing diabetes effectively involves a comprehensive approach, including proper diet, medication, regular exercise, and consistent monitoring of blood sugar levels. There is no evidence to support that only drinking lemon ginger tea daily can ‘bid diabetes goodbye.’ Relying solely on this approach may lead to poorly managed diabetes and serious health complications. The only way to work on diabetes is through maintaining weight, eating healthy diet without added sugar, and regular exercise.”

Medical Dialogues Final Take

Ginger, lemon, and tea may have potential benefits for managing type 2 diabetes, such as improving blood sugar control, enhancing lipid profiles, and supporting insulin resistance and pancreatic health, potentially reducing diabetes risk. However, there is no evidence of their impact on other types of diabetes. It is important to note that while these ingredients may aid in management, no scientific proof or medical consensus supports the claim that Drinking Lemon Ginger Tea Every Day can Bid Diabetes Goodbye, which remains an incurable chronic condition.

Hence, the claim by the Pinterest User is False.

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USFDA classifies Biocon Biologics Biocon Park Site in Bengaluru as VAI

Bengaluru: Biocon has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has classified Biocon Biologics‘ facilities at Biocon Park, Bengaluru, India, as Voluntary Action Indicated (VAI).

This relates to the combined cGMP inspection and Pre-Licensing Inspection (PLI)
conducted by the agency between July 15 – 26, 2024.

The inspection scope had
included six (6) separate Biologics manufacturing units comprising of four (4) Drug
Substance and two (2) Drug Product manufacturing plants as well as five (5) Analytical
Quality Control Laboratories, four (4) Microbiology Laboratories, and two (2)
Warehouses.


“Biocon Biologics remains committed to global standards of Quality and Compliance,” the Company’s spokesperson stated.

Voluntary action indicated means objectionable conditions or practices were found, but the agency is not prepared to take or recommend any administrative or regulatory action.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that the US FDA had concluded a surveillance inspection with four observations at the Biocon’s API facility (Site 2), located at Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Read also: Biocon Biologics Bengaluru drug substance facility classified as VAI

Biocon Limited, publicly listed in 2004, is an innovation-led, global biopharmaceutical company. It has developed and commercialized novel biologics, biosimilars and complex small molecule APIs in India and several key global markets, as well as generic formulations in the US and Europe.

Read also: Biocon Biologics refinances USD 1.1 billion long term debt through USD Bonds new syndicated facility

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Panel to Investigate Alleged Slapping Incident at Sonipat Civil Hospital

Sonepat: Chaos erupted at Sonipat Civil Hospital after a Class IV employee posted in the X-ray room accused a female Deputy Civil Surgeon of physical assault. The employee alleged that the doctor slapped him, but the doctor denied the accusation, stating that the employee had acted inappropriately and had been recording videos of her.

Both of them filed a complaint against each other at the police station and also submitted a copy to the Civil Surgeon’s office. In response, Civil Surgeon Dr Jayant Ahuja has constituted a board of doctors to inquire into the incident. 

Also read- Chaos at Telangana Hospital as staff remove Patient’s Stitches over Unpaid Bill

In his complaint, the employee stated that he was working at the hospital in room 61 when the doctor and a staff nurse came to the room at around 10:15 in the morning and started abusing and misbehaving with him. Following this, he opened his mobile phone camera and started recording it. He claimed that the doctor slapped and physically assaulted him in front of staff and patients when he refused to stop recording.

Refuting the allegations, the doctor in her complaint alleged that she went to the Civil Surgeon’s office only for routine inspection as the employee was not on duty on Wednesday. As she asked him about his absence yesterday from duty, he started making videos and misbehaving with her and the staff nurse. 

When the incident became hectic and intense, the hospital authorities called the police who reached the spot immediately and prevented the situation from escalating further. 

Following the incident, all class IV employees resort to protest by boycotting their work. They left the hospital which caused major inconvenience to the patients as the OPD and X-Ray departments were shut down. 

Civil Surgeon Dr Jayant Ahuja told The Tribune, “A board has been constituted to inquire into the matter. prima facie it appeared to be some old tussle between the doctor and Class IV employees from CHC, Kharkhoda.”

Also read- Chaos at Sri Krishna Medical College: Over 30 medical students sustain injuries, 1 in ICU after lathi charge, medicos allege police brutality

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Machine Learning may Identify High-Risk Diabetic Cardiomyopathy Phenotype: Study

Researchers have found that using a machine learning-based method, it is possible to identify individuals with diabetes who are most at risk for developing heart failure due to diabetic cardiomyopathy (DbCM). DbCM is a recognized stage of subclinical myocardial abnormalities that precede clinical heart failure (HF), at which echocardiographic and cardiac biomarker abnormalities exist but symptoms of heart failure are absent. The recent study was conducted by Segar and colleagues and was published in the European Journal of Heart Failure.

1,199 participants in diabetes without cardiovascular disease who also did not have causes of cardiomyopathy were included from the cohort of Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC). Unsupervised hierarchical approach of clustering stratified individuals based on 25 echocardiographic parameters as well as markers of cardiac biomarkers: neurohormonal markers of stress and markers of myocardial injury. Cluster analysis produced three phenogroups that were differentiated with one labeled as high risk for HF, given that it is associated with an increased rate of HF events at the 5-year follow-up. The data were used to train a DeepNN classifier, which was validated subsequently in two cohorts: the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) cohort of n=802 and the EHR cohort from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center of n=5071.

• Clustering analysis identified three phenogroups among diabetic patients. Phenogroup-3, consisting of 27% of the ARIC cohort, had a significantly higher 5-year HF incidence rate of 12.1% compared with Phenogroups 1 and 2, which had HF incidence rates of 3.1% and 4.6%, respectively. This high-risk phenotype was associated with higher NT-proBNP levels, increased left ventricular mass, larger left atrial size, and poorer diastolic function-all important markers of heightened HF risk.

• The DeepNN classifier had excellent predictive capability and identified 16% of high-risk DbCM cases in the CHS cohort and 29% in the UT Southwestern EHR cohort. Of great interest, the incidence of HF was significantly increased among the high-risk DbCM phenotype individuals identified by the classifier, with hazard ratios of 1.61 (95% CI 1.18–2.19) in the CHS cohort and 1.34 (95% CI 1.08–1.65) in the UT Southwestern EHR cohort.

This study has shown the potential of machine learning-based approaches to identify individuals with diabetes as having a high-risk DbCM phenotype, an opportunity for targeted HF prevention strategies. Researchers believe that predictive models in clinical practice will manage and mitigate the risk of HF in diabetic patients by earlier and more aggressive intervention strategies.

Reference:

Segar, M. W., Usman, M. S., Patel, K. V., Khan, M. S., Butler, J., Manjunath, L., Lam, C. S. P., Verma, S., Willett, D., Kao, D., Januzzi, J. L., & Pandey, A. (2024). Development and validation of a machine learning‐based approach to identify high‐risk diabetic cardiomyopathy phenotype. European Journal of Heart Failure. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.3443

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Sitagliptin Improves Glycemic Control and Protect Kidneys in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes, New Study Finds

Egypt: A recent randomized controlled trial has demonstrated that sitagliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor, significantly improves glycemic control and shows promise in managing early-stage diabetic nephropathy among adolescents with type 1 diabetes. The study utilized the advanced MiniMed 780G hybrid closed-loop (AHCL) system to optimize insulin delivery and improve diabetes management.

“Sitagliptin, when used as an add-on therapy to the advanced hybrid closed-loop (AHCL) system, demonstrated a reno-protective effect for individuals with type 1 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy. Additionally, it improved time in range, reduced glycemic variability, and did so without compromising safety,” the researchers wrote in Diabetologia Journal. 

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibition has beneficial effects on various metabolic indicators in diabetes. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), expressed in multiple organs, including the kidneys, is cleaved and inactivated by the DPP-4 enzyme. Given this context, Nancy S. Elbarbary, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, and colleagues conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of sitagliptin as an add-on therapy to the advanced hybrid closed-loop (AHCL) system in adolescents with type 1 diabetes and nephropathy.

For this purpose, the researchers conducted an open-label, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial at the Pediatric Diabetes Clinic at Ain Shams University in Egypt. The study involved 46 adolescents, with a mean age of 14.13 ± 2.43 years, who had been using the MiniMed 780G system for at least six months before the study. Participants had an HbA1c of ≤69 mmol/mol (8.5%) and exhibited diabetic nephropathy characterized by microalbuminuria. They were randomly assigned to two groups (n=23 each). The intervention group received oral sitagliptin at a dose of 50 mg for three months, while the control group continued using the AHCL system without sitagliptin.

The primary outcome measure was the change in the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) after three months of sitagliptin administration, with the key secondary outcome being the change in SDF-1 levels from baseline following treatment.

The study revealed the following findings:

  • Data from all participants were analyzed, revealing no significant differences in baseline clinical and laboratory characteristics, as well as AHCL system settings, between the groups.
  • Serum SDF-1 levels were notably higher in all individuals with type 1 diabetes compared to healthy controls.
  • After three months of treatment, sitagliptin led to a significant reduction in SDF-1 levels, decreasing from 3.58 ± 0.73 to 1.99 ± 0.76 ng/ml, alongside an improvement in the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), which changed from 7.27 ± 2.41 to 1.32 ± 0.31 mg/mmol.
  • Sitagliptin was associated with reduced postprandial glucose levels, lower sensor glucose readings, a decrease in the coefficient of variation, and a reduced total daily insulin dose.
  • Time in range (3.9–10.0 mmol/l or 70–180 mg/dl) and the insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio increased significantly.
  • Sitagliptin was safe and well-tolerated, with no instances of severe hypoglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis reported.

The findings showed that DPP-4 inhibitor sitagliptin, administered at a dose of 50 mg orally daily for three months, is a safe add-on therapy to the AHCL system for adolescents with type 1 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy. Sitagliptin improved blood glucose levels and TIR while simultaneously reducing glycemic variability, insulin dosage, urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), and SDF-1 levels, resulting in a reno-protective effect among participants.

“However, further studies with extended follow-up periods are necessary to confirm these results, assess the full efficacy and safety profiles of sitagliptin, and investigate its long-term effects on kidney disease progression and other diabetes-related complications. Additionally, exploring whether sitagliptin improves diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetes through SDF-1 or alternative mechanisms presents an intriguing area for future research,” the researchers concluded.

Reference:

Elbarbary, N.S., Ismail, E.A., El-Hamamsy, M.H. et al. The DPP-4 inhibitor sitagliptin improves glycaemic control and early-stage diabetic nephropathy in adolescents with type 1 diabetes using the MiniMed 780G advanced hybrid closed-loop system: a randomised controlled trial. Diabetologia (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-024-06265-7

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WHO Identifies 17 Top Priority Pathogens for New Vaccine Development

A new study by the World Health Organization (WHO) lists 17 bacteria, viruses and parasites that regularly cause disease as top priorities for new vaccine development.
The study is the first global effort to systematically prioritize endemic pathogens based on their regional and global health impact.
It reconfirms longstanding priorities for vaccine research and development (R&D), including for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis – three diseases that collectively cause nearly 2.5 million deaths each year. Attention is also given to pathogens such as Group A streptococcus, which causes severe infections and contributes to 280,000 deaths from rheumatic heart disease, mainly in lower-income countries.
Another new priority is Klebsiella pneumoniae a bacteria that was associated with 790,000 deaths in 2019 and is responsible for 40 per cent of neonatal deaths due to blood infection in low-income countries. The new study supports the goal of ensuring that everyone, everywhere, can benefit from vaccines that provide protection against serious diseases. It aims to shift the focus in vaccine development away from commercial returns towards regional and global health needs, said WHO’s Dr. Mateusz Hasso-Agopsowicz, who works in vaccine research.
To carry out the study, WHO asked international and regional experts what they think is important when prioritizing pathogens for vaccines R&D. Criteria included deaths, disease and socioeconomic impact, or antimicrobial resistance. Analysis of those preferences, combined with regional data for each pathogen, resulted in top 10 priority pathogens for each of WHO’s six regions globally. The regional lists were then consolidated to form the global list, resulting in the 17 priority endemic pathogens for which new vaccines are urgently needed. To advance vaccine R&D, WHO has categorized each pathogen based on the stage of vaccine development and the technical challenges involved in creating effective vaccines.
Reference: https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1156521

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Study Finds Pathophysiological Similarities Between Preeclampsia and COVID-19

Three years after the most lethal period of the COVID-19 pandemic, a review of the scientific literature published in the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology emphasizes the pathophysiological similarities between preeclampsia and COVID-19.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, above all before vaccines were available, an alarm was sounded regarding a possible correlation between severe cases of COVID-19 in pregnant women and preeclampsia. It can entail dangerous complications for mother and baby. Preeclampsia was more frequent in pregnant women infected by SARS-CoV-2 and was associated with a heightened risk of complications and death.
The protocols for treating the two conditions are different. In the case of preeclampsia, the pregnancy must be interrupted and the baby delivered as soon as possible by cesarean section, whereas in a woman with COVID-19 the pregnancy can proceed, with clinical support until the infection improves.
The study was conducted by researchers at the State University of Campinas in São Paulo state, Brazil, and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas (USA). The similarities highlighted in the article include shared pathways involving the renin-angiotensin system and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the receptor to which SARS-CoV-2 binds to infect human cells.
“The two conditions do indeed have many similarities. Both severe COVID-19 and preeclampsia can involve multiple organ dysfunction and high blood pressure. There are also similarities in the mechanism, as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 plays a key role in regulating blood pressure. It’s possible therefore that COVID-19 heightens the risk of preeclampsia, as suggested by several studies that point to a higher frequency of preeclampsia in COVID-19 patients,” Maria Laura Costa do Nascimento, last author of the review article and a professor of obstetrics at UNICAMP.
The rise in maternal mortality during the pandemic cannot be blamed on the rise in cases of preeclampsia. “This is due to lack of both epidemiological surveillance findings and a proper diagnosis of the condition,” Nascimento said. “What we can say, based on a multicenter study we conducted during the pandemic with data from 16 maternity hospitals across Brazil, is that the risk of death or severe disease increases when both conditions are present. Moreover, our review of the literature shows that the prevalence of preeclampsia rises among COVID-19 patients.”
Reference: Nobrega, G. M., Jones, B. R., Mysorekar, I. U., & Costa, M. L. (2024). Preeclampsia in the Context of COVID‐19: Mechanisms, Pathophysiology, and Clinical Outcomes. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, 92(2), e13915.

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Submerged reconstructive approach significantly enhances clinical outcomes of surgical treatment of periimplantitis suggests study

The submerged reconstructive approach significantly enhances clinical outcomes of surgical treatment of periimplantitis suggests a study published in the International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implants.

A study was done to complete a reanalysis study of two similarly designed prospective controlled studies exploring prognostic factors associated with the surgical outcomes of reconstructive treatment of peri-implantitis. Materials and Methods: Individual patient data of both studies were gathered. The initial study employed a submerged healing approach via primary wound closure with implant suprastructure removal and complete coverage of grafted sites. The second study employed a nonsubmerged healing protocol in which healing abutments were kept in place and the implants were not fully submerged.

Both studies measured all prognostic factors at similar time points throughout 1 year and included clinical defect fill (DF) and radiographic defect fill (RDF), reduction of pocket depth (PDR), and bleeding on probing (BoP). Multilevel regression was used for statistical assessment of outcomes relative to the impact of site, local, surgical, and patient-related variables. Results: Overall, 59 implants (30 submerged and 29 nonsubmerged) were treated. Statistically significant higher DF (on average 0.9 mm higher), RDF (1.7 mm), and PDR (1.3 mm) were observed when a submerged reconstructive approach was performed, whereas BoP reduction was similar.

After controlling for treatment (submerged/ nonsubmerged), there were no other significant associations with patient-related (age, sex, smoking, prior periodontitis etc), or implant-related (previous prosthesis type, arch, keratinized tissue width [KTW], etc) factors. Within the study’s limitations, we conclude that a submerged reconstructive approach for surgical management of peri-implantitis leads to significantly enhanced clinical and radiographic outcomes when compared to a nonsubmerged approach.

Reference:

Wen SC, Sabri H, Dastouri E, Huang WX, Barootchi S, Wang HL. Submerged vs Nonsubmerged Reconstructive Approach for Surgical Treatment of Peri-implantitis: Reanalysis of Two Prospective Clinical Studies. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants. 2024 Aug 29;39(4):526-536. doi: 10.11607/jomi.10560. PMID: 37939242.

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Interstitial lung disease highly prevalent in late-stage systemic sclerosis patients: Study

A new study published in the journal of Arthritis & Rheumatology showed that interstitial lung disease (ILD) can occur in people with late-stage systemic sclerosis (SSc). Systemic sclerosis is a clinically diverse illness marked by intricate interactions between fibrosis, vasculopathy, and immunity. The skin, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, kidneys, and heart are among the organ systems that are impacted by this. Up to 60% of the mortality linked to SSc is caused by the two most prevalent pulmonary manifestations of the illness, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

ILD in patients with SSc is usually characterized by bilateral, ground-glass opacities, lower-lobe predominant reticulations, and occasionally honeycombing when seen on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Because mild ILD patients may not exhibit any symptoms in the early stages of the illness, they might not have pulmonary function tests or diagnostic radiography done until they start to express symptoms like dyspnea upon exercise and a persistent cough. On late presentations of ILD, nothing is clear. Thus, the team led by Sabrina Hoa carried out this investigation to describe the incidence, risk factors, and consequences of late-onset SSc-ILD.

The participants without common ILD who were enrolled in the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group (CSRG) cohort between 2004 and 2020 were included. The HRCT was used to assess the incidence and risk variables for ILD based on the length of the illness, which was above (late) and below (early) 7 years from the first non-Raynaud presentation. Multivariable Cox models and Kaplan-Meier models were employed to compare the risk of ILD progression.

Incident ILD occurred in 199 patients (21%) of the total 969 patients over a median of 2.4 [1.2, 4.3] years. When compared to earlier SSc, the incidence rate in late SSc was lower. Male sex, myositis, diffuse subtype, anti-topoisomerase I autoantibodies, and elevated C-reactive protein levels were risk factors for incident ILD.

Arthritis and anti-RNA-polymerase III autoantibodies were more common in patients with late-onset ILD, and they were also less likely to be White. The degree of lung disease was comparable for SSc-ILD with late and early start. Also, the rates of progression for SSc-ILD with late and early onsets were comparable. Overall, the findings of this study support that ILD may manifest in in late SSc patients. The risk variables and rates of progression overlapped with earlier-onset SSc-ILD.

Source:

Hoa, S., Berger, C., Lahmek, N., Larche, M., Osman, M., Choi, M., Pope, J., Thorne, C., & Hudson, M. (2024). Characterisation of incident interstitial lung disease in late systemic sclerosis. In Arthritis & Rheumatology. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.43051

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AI imaging helps enhance early diabetic retinopathy detection and improve patient outcomes: JAMA

A recent retrospective cohort study published in the JAMA Ophthalmology highlighted the slow adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) systems for detecting diabetic retinopathy (DR) in the United States, despite their proven efficacy. The study analyzed the use of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code 92229, established in January 2021 to support reimbursement for AI-based DR screening, across a database of over 107 million patients spanning 62 healthcare organizations.

The findings revealed that, out of nearly 5 million patients with diabetes examined from January 2019 to December 2023, only 4.2% underwent any ophthalmic imaging for DR. Within this subset, the use of AI-based imaging represented just 0.09% of total screenings, with only 3,440 patients utilizing the AI code 92229 since its inception. By 2023, the frequency of AI imaging had seen only a marginal increase, from 58.0 to 58.6 instances per 100,000 diabetic patients which indicated a slow adoption.

Also, traditional imaging techniques such as optical coherence tomography (OCT, CPT code 92134) and fundus photography (CPT code 92250) were more commonly used. OCT was performed in 80.3% of patients with at least one type of ophthalmic imaging, while fundus photography was utilized in 35.0% of cases. Traditional remote imaging (CPT codes 92227 and 92228) remained minimally used, accounting for only 1.0% and 2.5% of patients, respectively.

While the overall use of remote imaging methods surged by 90.16% between 2021 and 2023, AI-based screening remained disproportionately low. The data indicated that AI-based imaging had a higher referral rate to OCT (7.74%) when compared to traditional remote imaging (5.53%) by showing its potential for more targeted and effective DR detection. However, adoption hurdles such as cost, lack of awareness, and integration issues may be limiting widespread use. More than 80% of patients receiving AI-based imaging were concentrated in the South, a region comprising only 40% of other imaging modalities. Additionally, nearly half of the patients screened with AI systems were Black, in contrast to roughly a quarter seen in other imaging methods.

Despite FDA approval for AI-based systems like LumineticsCore and EyeArt, the broader implementation will require improved support for workflow integration and collaboration between primary care providers and ophthalmologists. The programs such as the Stanford Teleophthalmology Autonomous Testing and Universal Screening initiative highlight the importance of streamlined processes and patient-centered scheduling. Overall, the study points to a need for targeted strategies to boost the uptake of AI imaging, enhance early DR detection, and improve patient outcomes through more accessible and integrated screening solutions.

Source:

Shah, S. A., Sokol, J. T., Wai, K. M., Rahimy, E., Myung, D., Mruthyunjaya, P., & Parikh, R. (2024). Use of Artificial Intelligence–Based Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy in the US. In JAMA Ophthalmology. American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.4493

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