Daily Med Bites - 15/05/2025

Dear reader, here are the summaries of some of the latest papers from PubMed.

Financial Toxicity:

• Source: Financial toxicity is prevalent among older Indian cancer patients and significantly impacts their quality of life and psychological distress, highlighting the need for interventions to address economic burdens in geriatric oncology.

• Source: Financial toxicity significantly impacts anxiety and quality of life in brain tumor survivors, an area previously under-researched compared to other types of cancer.

• Source: Chinese cancer patients experience significant subjective financial distress, highlighting the need for targeted support and interventions to alleviate economic burdens.

• Source: Financial toxicity is a significant issue throughout the thyroid cancer care continuum, with various factors such as out-of-pocket expenses and loss of income contributing substantially to patients’ financial burden.

• Source: Financial toxicity in diabetes management is a global issue, with significant economic burden and distress across different healthcare systems, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to mitigate costs and improve patient outcomes.

• Source: Elderly oncology patients frequently visit emergency departments, primarily due to treatment-related side effects and comorbidities.

• Source: Potential drug-drug interactions are common and severe among geriatric oncology patients, with certain predictors increasing their likelihood.

• Source: Non-cancer decedents are more likely to receive sub-optimal hospice care compared to those with cancer, indicating that current hospice eligibility and practices may not adequately serve all causes of death.

• Source: Differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) between older breast cancer patients aged 70 and above based on the type of endocrine therapy (ET) they receive do seem to exist, specifically aromatase inhibitors (AI) versus tamoxifen.

• Source: Dyadic appraisal of cancer cachexia symptoms by palliative care patients and their primary caregivers significantly impacts the psychological distress and quality of life of both parties over an eight-week period.

• Source: This study identifies key factors influencing hospitalization costs for common cancers and develops a neural network model to predict these costs, offering tools to alleviate financial burdens on patients and healthcare systems.

• Source: The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment based Frailty Index effectively predicts higher in-hospital costs for older adults with hip fractures, suggesting its utility for risk-adjusting future bundled payment models.

• Source: Adolescent and young adult cancer patients are often referred late to palliative care, which is associated with higher use of intensive end-of-life measures despite their preference for a palliative approach.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus:

• Source: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) significantly increases the risk of both short-term and long-term negative health outcomes for offspring, including complications during childbirth and metabolic, cardiovascular, neurological, and other chronic diseases later in life. Effective management of GDM through lifestyle interventions and glucose control is crucial to mitigate these risks.

• Source: Glucose concentration variations in gestational diabetes adversely affect vascular endothelial cells, contributing to long-term detrimental effects on maternal and neonatal health.

• Source: Systematic review identifies existing prediction models for gestational diabetes mellitus outcomes but finds few have impacted clinical practice, highlighting need for further evaluation and improvement of these models.

• Source: Exposure to pre-existing type 1 or type 2 diabetes during pregnancy increases the risk of intellectual disability in offspring, while gestational diabetes does not show a significant association.

• Source: Higher concentrations of methylparaben in early pregnancy were associated with increased odds of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) specifically among Asian/Pacific Islander women, but not overall.

• Source: Gestational diabetes mellitus accelerates immune senescence in monocytes of offspring, as revealed by altered transcriptomic profiles at the single-cell level.

• Source: Inconsistencies in the association between preterm birth and childhood obesity highlight the need for further research on how full gestational age impacts obesity risk.

• Source: Optimal gestational weight gain for individuals with severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m²) minimizes adverse maternal and infant outcomes.

• Source: Excessive intake of saturated fats during pregnancy is associated with hypomethylation in cord blood and placenta, particularly affecting the ZFP57 gene, suggesting a link between diet and epigenetic changes in GDM. This highlights the need for targeted nutritional interventions to prevent transgenerational health issues in low-income populations.

• Source: mHealth interventions improve pregnant women’s quality of life and psychosocial health, with positive effects on pregnancy outcomes.

• Source: This study highlights the increasing global burden of congenital birth defects in children, emphasizing rising prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years, with a call to identify causes and implement preventive measures.

Maternal Mental Health:

• Source: Research on perinatal and postpartum depression and anxiety in the Middle Eastern region is limited, highlighting a need for further investigation into the burden and risk factors affecting maternal mental health in this area.

• Source: There is a significant association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and postpartum depression in low- to middle-income countries, highlighting the need for integrated maternal health strategies that address both physical and mental health.

• Source: Maternal life events are positively associated with depression in pregnant women, with anxiety and social support acting as influencing factors.

• Source: This study provides evidence on the prevalence and associated factors of major depression among pregnant women in Northern Uganda, addressing a gap in current knowledge.

• Source: Pooled prevalence of antenatal depression among HIV/AIDS-positive pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa is high, with identified risk factors including socioeconomic status and psychosocial support.

• Source: Development of anaemia during pregnancy in non-anaemic women is linked to increased maternal depressive symptoms during and after pregnancy.

• Source: Maternal health literacy and happiness significantly influence pregnancy outcomes and neonatal health, emphasizing their importance in comprehensive maternal and neonatal care.

• Source: Parents experience significant psychological distress and emotional suppression during both antenatal and postnatal periods after a perinatal death, highlighting the need for ongoing support throughout these times.

• Source: Artificial intelligence has significant potential to improve prediction, identification, diagnosis, and treatment of perinatal depression and anxiety in low- and middle-income countries, where these conditions disproportionately affect women due to resource constraints.

• Source: Limited longitudinal data exists on how infertility affects depressive symptoms throughout life, highlighting a need for more research in this area.

• Source: Brazilian women’s access to quality counseling during prenatal care is influenced by sociodemographic factors and healthcare characteristics, emphasizing disparities in support received.

• Source: Maternal childhood abuse leads to depression and harsh parenting, which in turn exacerbate children’s externalizing symptoms over time, highlighting the need for trauma-informed interventions to break intergenerational cycles of dysfunction.

• Source: mHealth clinical decision-making tools can improve maternal and perinatal health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa, supported by existing evidence.

• Source: Integrating postpartum intrauterine device (PPIUD) services into routine maternity care in low- and middle-income countries can significantly improve maternal and child health outcomes, while also advancing global development goals.

That’s enough for today, see you tomorrow!

As always, these extremely reduced summaries may be incomplete or inexact in some aspects. Make sure to always read the papers of interest.

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