GASTROENTEROLOGY

The year 2022 was notable for substantial research progress related to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The first single-cell and spatial transcriptomic atlases of PDAC were reported, a mechanism for how Schwann cells promote perineural invasion was explored, and, finally, the role of exercise in abrogating immunosuppression was shown.

Advancements in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Research: Insights from 2022 Studies on Single-Cell Transcriptomics, Perineural Invasion, and Exercise-induced Immunosuppression

ENDO-DIABETOLOGY

RCT finds modest blood pressure benefits with Transcendental Meditation, but no significant improvements in other metabolic markers.

Transcendental Meditation and Cardiometabolic Health: RCT Findings

A randomised controlled trial in Australian university staff found that Transcendental Meditation (TM) produced a small reduction in diastolic blood pressure but did not significantly improve other cardiometabolic markers, including glucose, insulin resistance and lipids. Burnout may influence heart rate variability responses, highlighting the need for larger trials to establish the potential cardiovascular benefits of meditation.

Meta-analysis finds cardiovascular benefits of incretin therapies are not significantly associated with trial-level weight loss.

Incretin Therapies Reduce Cardiovascular Risk: Meta-Analysis Findings

A meta-analysis of 16 randomised trials involving 97,199 participants found that incretin mimetic therapies significantly reduced major cardiovascular events, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke and heart failure hospitalisation. However, trial-level weight loss was not significantly associated with the magnitude of cardiovascular risk reduction, suggesting that weight loss alone may not explain these benefits.

NEUROLOGY

Traumatic memory reactivation was associated with sustained improvement in distressing dreams among patients with severe PTSD.

Trauma-Related Dreams Improve Following Memory Reactivation in Severe PTSD

An exploratory analysis of a randomised controlled trial involving 66 patients with PTSD found that distressing trauma-related dreams improved substantially following traumatic memory reactivation procedures, with benefits maintained for up to 3 months. The improvement was particularly pronounced in patients with severe PTSD. Adding propranolol offered no significant benefit over placebo, highlighting the need for further controlled studies.

DENTISTRY

PRF did not significantly improve new bone formation after maxillary sinus augmentation using DFDBA.

PRF and Bone Formation After Maxillary Sinus Augmentation: RCT Findings

A randomised split-mouth clinical trial found that adding platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) to demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA) did not significantly increase new bone formation following maxillary sinus augmentation. However, the PRF-treated sites showed a lower connective tissue proportion. All definitively restored implants remained functional during the 1-year prosthetic follow-up.

PEDIATRICS

Uruguay study finds no significant association between WHO 24-hour movement guideline adherence and preschool development.

WHO 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and Child Development: Uruguay Study

A cross-sectional study involving 1,508 children aged 12–59 months in Uruguay found that only 21.3% met all three WHO 24-hour movement guidelines for physical activity, screen time and sleep. However, adherence was not significantly associated with developmental outcomes across multiple domains, highlighting the need to investigate how contextual and measurement factors influence these relationships.

Online parenting discussions reveal reliance on peer advice and challenges in communicating evidence-based infant safe sleep guidance.

Infant Safe Sleep Practices: Insights from Online Parenting Discussions

A qualitative study examining 119 posts and 525 responses across Reddit, Mumsnet and Netmums found that parents frequently rely on peer advice and personal experiences when discussing infant sleep. Practical caregiving challenges and emotional needs often compete with evidence-based safe sleep recommendations, highlighting opportunities to strengthen digital health communication and promote safer infant sleep practices.

NACT was associated with shorter surgical times but more minor wound complications in oral cancer reconstruction.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Free-Flap Reconstruction in Oral Cancer

A retrospective study of 86 patients with advanced oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma found that neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with shorter operative and flap ischemic times during free-flap reconstruction. However, minor wound complications were more frequent among patients receiving chemotherapy, while overall complication rates and flap salvage outcomes remained comparable between groups.

CARDIOLOGY

A prospective study found that exercise-induced right atrial stiffness was independently associated with mortality in precapillary pulmonary hypertension, offering additional prognostic information beyond resting measurements.

Exercise Right Atrial Stiffness Predicts Mortality in Pulmonary Hypertension

A prospective observational study involving 68 participants, including 42 with precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH), investigated the prognostic significance of right atrial (RA) stiffness during exercise. Patients with higher exercise-induced RA stiffness demonstrated impaired cardiac output reserve and greater evidence of venous congestion despite comparable resting right ventricular function and cardiac index. Importantly, elevated exercise RA stiffness was independently associated with mortality (adjusted HR 4.37; 95% CI 1.20–15.96). A model combining RA conduit strain and right ventricular functional reserve identified patients with high RA stiffness with an AUC of 0.90. These findings suggest that exercise-based right atrial assessment may provide additional prognostic information beyond conventional resting measurements.

A nationwide study of 236,910 patients found that declining kidney function before HFpEF onset was associated with increased cardiovascular mortality and heart failure hospitalization.

Kidney Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Risk in HFpEF

A large US multicenter cohort study found that reduced kidney function before the onset of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) was associated with progressively higher cardiovascular mortality and heart failure hospitalization. The findings highlight antecedent kidney dysfunction as an important marker for identifying high-risk HFpEF patients.

PSYCHIATRY

A longitudinal study involving 5,318 female adolescents explored how menarche and breast development relate to ADHD traits and mental health difficulties.

Puberty, Menarche and ADHD Traits in Adolescent Girls

A longitudinal study of 5,318 female adolescents found that post-menarche status and advanced breast development were associated with higher ADHD trait expression in the following year. Pubertal development may also strengthen the relationship between ADHD traits and subsequent externalising difficulties.

A study of 300 preschool children found that maladaptive child emotion regulation may mediate the association between parental emotional difficulties and behavioural problems.

Parental Emotion Regulation and Behavioural Problems in Preschool Children

A study involving 300 preschool children in Iran found that parental emotion regulation difficulties were indirectly associated with children's behavioural problems through maladaptive emotion regulation in children. Similar associations were observed in both maternal and paternal models.

A newly developed Persian aphasia quality-of-life questionnaire demonstrated good validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability in people with post-stroke aphasia.

QOLSA-P: A Validated Quality-of-Life Tool for Persian-Speaking People With Aphasia

Researchers developed and validated the Quality-of-Life Questionnaire for Stroke-Induced Aphasia in Persian (QOLSA-P), incorporating culturally appropriate content and pictographic support. Both the 36-item and 16-item versions demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties for assessing quality of life in Persian-speaking individuals with aphasia.

A mini-review examines the tissue-specific roles of miR-29a in metabolic regulation, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, including its biomarker and therapeutic potential.

MicroRNA-29a in Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes

A mini-review explores the context-dependent role of microRNA-29a (miR-29a) in glucose and lipid metabolism across skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, liver and pancreatic β-cells. The review highlights its involvement in oxidative metabolism, inflammation, mitochondrial adaptation and interorgan communication, while discussing its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target.

A retrospective study of 15 adults found that Dynamic Voice CT provided additional anatomical information and influenced surgical planning in complex dysphonia cases.

Dynamic Voice CT for Evaluating Complex Dysphonia and Glottic Abnormalities

A retrospective study found that Dynamic Voice Computed Tomography (DVCT) provided clinically relevant anatomical information beyond videostroboscopy in adults with complex voice disorders. The imaging findings influenced surgical decision-making, helping confirm surgical candidacy, modify planned procedures and avoid unnecessary surgery.

A randomized controlled trial found that intratympanic sodium thiosulfate gel may help preserve high-frequency hearing during cisplatin chemotherapy, with manageable adverse effects.

Intratympanic Sodium Thiosulfate for Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss

A randomized controlled trial evaluated intratympanic sodium thiosulfate (STS) gel for preventing cisplatin-induced hearing loss in adults with head and neck cancer. Although STS did not significantly reduce overall ototoxicity incidence, treated ears showed smaller hearing threshold shifts at several high and extended-high frequencies.

The war on pancreatic can...

The war on pancreatic cancer: progress and promise