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Sunflower Month’s Hope that Lasts: The Baby who Inspired a Donor

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Photo by William Fortunato on Pexels

A chance encounter in a hospital waiting area led to a remarkable full-circle moment when a South African stem cell donor unknowingly saved the life of the very child who inspired her to join the registry.

In October 2022, Petro was walking into a hospital in Centurion for a routine check-up when she stopped to speak to a grandmother sitting near the entrance with a baby on her lap. The little girl, just a few months old, was receiving treatment for leukaemia. Petro went in for her appointment, went home, and could not stop thinking about her.

“That was quite a powerful meeting, realising that this was a really sick baby, and that her life depended on having a life-saving stem cell transplant,” she recalls. Within days, she had ordered a swab kit and joined the South African stem cell registry.

The little girl was Lydia.

Her family had first noticed something was wrong after noticing a yellow cast on her skin in a photograph taken with her older brother, something that nobody had registered in the day-to-day. At four months old, Lydia was diagnosed with Infant Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and admitted to hospital the same day. Long blocks of chemotherapy followed, along with recurring infections her weakened immune system could no longer fight, and a week in intensive care with pneumonia.

“When Lydia was diagnosed, our whole world changed,” her mother, Estelle, remembers.

Her medical team had been clear from the start that a stem cell transplant offered the best chance of survival. Towards the end of 2022, the family received the news they had been hoping for: a donor match had been identified. Shortly before the scheduled transplant, the planned donation was unable to proceed.

“This broke my heart,” Estelle shares. “It felt like we were back at the beginning again, and that was painful.”

The search resumed with no guarantee it would end differently. Only 30% of patients needing a transplant find a compatible donor within their own family. For Lydia, that meant her chances depended on an unrelated donor somewhere in the world whose tissue type matched hers.

When the call came, Petro was nearing 50 and half expected to be told she no longer qualified. “I was actually quite happy and honoured, because I knew this is it,” she explains. “I knew there was a patient on the other side who really needed this as a life-saving measure.”

She describes the donation process as straightforward. “It was nothing more than a blood donation times two, basically. It’s a few hours out of your day.” 

Lydia was admitted for her transplant in February and spent nearly seven weeks in isolation with her mother. Gradually, signs of recovery emerged. She began eating again. She started to put on weight.

Months later, once the confidentiality period had lapsed, Petro joined a WhatsApp call with Lydia’s family. She began telling them why she had registered: the hospital in Centurion, the baby, and the grandmother at the entrance. As she spoke, she noticed the family starting to smile. The grandmother was on the call too.

“Lydia’s mother told me that they were that patient, they were that family,” she says. “I was absolutely flabbergasted. What are the odds of that happening?”

Her own family took it just as hard. “My mother cries every time we talk about Lydia,” Petro adds. “She remembers seeing her at the hospital when she was so tiny.”

Lydia is now four years old. She has caught up on developmental milestones she had missed and has not been readmitted since the transplant. “She will always have a special place in my heart,” Petro says. “She’s got her whole life in front of her.”

The cost behind every match 

None of it happens without a swab kit, and a swab kit is not free. Signing up costs the person registering nothing, but every entry carries a cost, most of it in the laboratory tissue typing that turns two cheek swabs into a searchable set of markers. This year, Sunflower Month is being marked under the theme Hope That Lasts, with every financial contribution helping to fund another registration through the laboratory and onto the registry, where a searching medical team can find it.

Held each September, the initiative dates back to 1999 and the founding of The Sunflower Fund, after two young South Africans, Darren Serebro and Chris Corlett, were diagnosed with leukaemia. Corlett painted a picture during treatment and called it Sunflowers of Hope. Following their passing, a vision to grow the registry so patients would have a better chance of finding a match. More than two decades later, Lydia became one of those patients, diagnosed with the same illness.

South Africans between the ages of 17 and 55 who are in good health can register as stem cell donors at no cost.

Petro has one message for anyone weighing it up. “Take that responsibility seriously and really commit. You can mean the difference between life and death for a patient.”

Palesa Mokomele, Head of Community Engagement and Communications at DKMS Africa, says the gap between a willing volunteer and a usable match is a financial one. “Every contribution puts another swab through the laboratory and another name on the registry. If you are eligible, order a kit. If you are not, fund one. And say something about it to the people you know, because Petro only registered because a stranger at a hospital told her what was happening. This year’s theme is a reminder that something you do today can make a difference years from now, perhaps for someone you have never even met.”

Categories : Surgeries & ProceduresTags : Leave a comment

Underweight Patients Face 92% Increased Mortality Risk After Emergency General Surgery

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Researchers analysing data from more than 334 000 patients find that underweight patients face the highest risk of death

Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash

Underweight patients are more likely to die after emergency general surgery than patients who are normal weight or overweight, and patients who are both frail and underweight face an even higher risk of death and other adverse clinical outcomes, according to new research findings. The study drew on the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) database, which covers more than 334 000 adults who had emergency general surgery between 2019 and 2024. 

The research will be presented at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2026 in Washington, Sept. 26-29, where thousands of surgeons will convene to advance surgical quality, patient safety, and access to care. 

“Our study shows that patients who are both underweight and frail have the worst outcomes. We also saw that frailty reduces the positive impact of the obesity paradox – the finding that patients who are overweight, but not at the extremes of obesity, tend to have better outcomes. That protective effect is lost if a patient is frail,” said lead study author Ellen Cohn, MD, MPH, a third-year general surgery resident at the University of Chicago.  

“What we take away from this study is that risk can be mitigated. We can make real-world changes to body mass index (BMI), and physical therapy can reduce frailty. What is unique about our study is that we were able to look at the impact of BMI and frailty together,” she said. 

Using the ACS NSQIP database, researchers identified all adults, age 18 and older, in the U.S. who had emergency general surgery procedures between 2019 and 2024. ACS NSQIP is the leading nationally validated, risk-adjusted, outcomes-based program to measure and improve the quality of surgical care in hospitals. More than 600 hospitals participate in the ACS NSQIP adult program, which began enrolling private sector hospitals beginning in 2004.  

The ACS NSQIP data allowed researchers to evaluate the relationship between BMI and level of frailty on outcomes including death, hospital length of stay, and readmission rates 30 days after initial admission, as well as the interaction between BMI and frailty and their combined associated risk on these outcomes. Frailty was assessed on a scale with values from one to five, with one indicating patients who had one comorbidity such as diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and five indicating patients who had five diseases and were severely frail.  

Study Results 

Among 334 278 patients included in the analysis, 37.6% were frail, more than one in three. 

After adjusting for clinical factors, underweight patients had the highest risk of death, with 92% increased odds compared with normal-weight, non-frail patients. In contrast, obese patients had lower odds of death than normal-weight patients: 43% lower at a BMI of 30.0–34.9 and 27% lower at 35.0–39.9. At a BMI of 40 or higher, there was no significant difference. 

Frailty alone was associated with 59% increased odds of death. 

Compared to patients who were normal weight and not frail, those who were both underweight and frail had the worst outcomes across all measures: 9.8% mortality, 15.8% readmission rates, an average length of stay of 8.2 days, and an 88.5% discharge-to-home rate. For comparison, non-frail patients had a discharge to home rate of 96.9% and normal weight patients 90.3%. 

Frailty reduced the protective effect of obesity on mortality. People who were both frail and obese faced 22% increased odds of death, whereas those who were obese but not frail remained 7% less likely to die after emergency general surgery. 

“While the focus of our study was on underweight and frail patients, we were surprised to find that obese patients did better,” said study co-author Justin S. Hatchimonji, MD, assistant professor of surgery in the section of trauma and acute care surgery at the University of Chicago.  

“I think recognizing the importance of not only underweight status, but also frailty, helps emergency general surgeons plan for postoperative outcomes and think about how to best manage these patients over the long term.” 

Dr. Cohn said the findings can be used to improve postoperative outcomes regardless of frailty scores.  

“Thinking about older patients, it’s important to focus on what we can affect: nutrition, making sure protein goals are met, bone health, and vitamins,” she said. “Keeping patients healthy that way can have a bigger impact on outcomes than the other comorbidities that make up the frailty score. We know that you can change underweight status and as a result get a better outcome.” 

A limitation of the study is that a large database study cannot prove cause and effect, only an association.

Source: American College of Surgeons

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UP Researchers Say SA’s Genetic Diversity is Reshaping the Future of Medicine

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Photo by Sangharsh Lohakare on Unsplash

Being part of a genetically diverse South Africa means recognising that our differences are not obstacles to be managed, but powerful lenses through which we can better understand health and disease. Professor Michael Pepper, Director of the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Pretoria, notes that South Africa is uniquely positioned to address this gap.

A patient arrives at a public clinic in Gauteng for diabetes treatment and responds well to standard medication. Her sister is treated for the same condition at a nearby facility, and despite identical diagnoses and treatments, their outcomes diverge sharply. In South Africa’s overstretched health system, such differences are common and point to a deeper issue: how biology is shaped by both genetic inheritance and experience.

South Africa’s diversity is often framed culturally and politically, but it is also biological. The population reflects some of the oldest human lineages, shaped by centuries of migration and admixture across African, European, Asian and other ancestries. This genetic variation is further shaped by unequal exposure to environmental and social factors, such as nutrition, infectious disease, pollution and access to healthcare, all of which influence health outcomes.

Much of modern biomedical knowledge is based on studies conducted in relatively genetically homogeneous populations in Europe and North America. While these have enabled major medical advances, findings do not always translate directly to South African contexts. Genetic risk variants and treatment responses observed in one population may differ in another, highlighting a gap between global knowledge and local reality.

“Our genetic diversity allows researchers to observe how the manifestation of diseases such as cancer, hypertension, diabetes and HIV is the result of multiple biological determinants, rather than a single one,” says Prof Pepper.

This has practical implications. South Africa faces a dual burden of infectious diseases like HIV and tuberculosis alongside rising non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. Many patients experience both, often compounded by socio-economic inequality. Understanding how genetics interacts with the environment (including infection) is essential for effective disease management.

At research centres such as the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, scientists are studying how genetic variation influences immune responses, cellular repair mechanisms and treatment outcomes.

“The aim is to advance precision medicine that works across diverse real-world populations, not just narrow genetic groups,” Prof Pepper says.

South Africa’s diversity also has global scientific value. Findings from its population can reveal disease mechanisms that remain hidden in more genetically uniform settings. In this way, local diversity becomes a source of international scientific insight and the common good.

Yet the impact of this research depends on inclusion. When diverse students, clinicians and researchers participate in science, the questions asked and interpretations made become more grounded in real-world contexts. This shapes not only what science discovers, but who it ultimately serves.

Why this research matters

South Africa’s healthcare system remains under strain, facing deep inequities and a growing burden of chronic disease. Yet within its population lies an underused scientific advantage: the ability to illuminate how disease truly behaves across human diversity. Recognising this does not simplify the country’s healthcare challenges, but it does offer a clearer lens through which to address them. In a system striving for equity, that perspective is not optional. It may be one of the most powerful tools we have. This research helps to address UN SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing.

This article first appeared in RE.SEARCH 15: Belonging. Read more here.

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Addiction is Linked to an Increased Risk of Suicide

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People with substance use disorder are at a significantly higher risk of both attempted suicide and death by suicide. This is shown by a study from the Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. The study also shows that the risk of suicidal behaviour is elevated among relatives of people with substance use disorder, particularly among close relatives.

In the study, the researchers analysed data from Swedish national registers covering just over 4.2 million people born in Sweden between 1958 and 1999. The participants were followed from 1973 to 2020. The researchers investigated the link between substance use disorders – that is, problematic use of alcohol or drugs – and suicidal behaviour, defined as suicide attempts or death by suicide.

Of the approximately 258 000 people who had been diagnosed with a substance use disorder, 23 per cent had at some point attempted suicide or died by suicide. The corresponding proportion among people without such a diagnosis was 1.5 per cent. The highest prevalence was seen among people with both alcohol and drug dependence, where 44 per cent had experienced a suicidal event.

After the researchers had taken into account factors such as gender, year of birth, socio-economic circumstances and other psychiatric diagnoses, a clearly elevated risk remained. People with substance use disorder had more than six times the risk of suicidal behaviour compared with those without the diagnosis. The risk was highest for those with both alcohol and drug dependence.

Relatives at risk

The researchers also investigated whether the risk runs in families. The analysis showed that people whose relatives had substance use disorders were more likely to have experienced a suicidal event themselves. The association was stronger between close relatives than between more distant relatives, suggesting that genetic factors may play a role. Shared environmental factors within the family may also be significant.

“Our findings suggest that a family history of substance use disorder is not only a risk factor for one’s own addiction problems but may also be a marker of an increased risk of suicidal behaviour,” says lead author Lotfi Khemiri, a specialist in psychiatry and researcher at Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet and Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet.

The researchers emphasise that the findings may be important for clinical practice. According to the study, healthcare professionals should be aware of the increased risk of suicide among people with substance use disorders, particularly those who also have alcohol and drug dependence or other psychiatric diagnoses.

“The study also highlights the need for further research into interventions that can prevent suicide among people with substance use disorders. Just as with other psychiatric conditions, it is important that staff who come into contact with people with substance use disorders are aware of the increased risk of suicide and know how to assess it,” says Lotfi Khemiri.

The researchers emphasise that the study is based on diagnoses recorded within specialist healthcare and therefore primarily reflects the more severe forms of substance use disorders. As the study is based on Swedish register data, it is also unclear to what extent the results can be generalised to other countries. 

See the study for details of funding and any conflicts of interest. 

Source: Karolinska Instutet

Categories : Ageing Diet and NutritionTags : Leave a comment

Dietary Patterns Linked to Favourable Ageing Biomarkers

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Photo by Gustavo Fring

Older adults who follow healthy dietary patterns have blood biomarker levels associated with more favourable biological processes relevant to ageing. This is shown in a study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal BMC Medicine. The findings may contribute to a better understanding of how dietary habits are related to the body’s ageing processes.

Researchers have long known that diet plays an important role in health later in life, but the biological mechanisms underlying these associations are not yet fully understood. In the current study, researchers cross-sectionally investigated how different dietary patterns are associated with a broad range of blood biomarkers reflecting metabolism, inflammation, vascular health and neurodegenerative processes related to ageing.

The study included 1,769 people aged 60 years and over who participated in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K). Participants answered questions about their dietary habits over the previous year, and researchers simultaneously analysed 54 different blood biomarkers. 

Three dietary patterns

The researchers examined three dietary patterns that have previously been linked to good health: a Mediterranean-style diet, an index of overall dietary quality, and a measure of the inflammatory potential of the diet. Greater adherence to these dietary patterns was associated with favourable levels of several biomarkers. This included higher folate levels and lower levels of growth differentiation factor 15, which were observed consistently across all three patterns. Additional associations with biomarkers linked to inflammation, metabolism and neurodegenerative processes were specific to individual dietary patterns.

“Our findings suggest that healthy dietary patterns are associated with several biological processes that are important for how we age. This reinforces the view of diet as a modifiable factor that may contribute to healthy ageing,” says Rachel Ann Da Costa, researcher at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, and first author of the study.

The dietary pattern with lower inflammatory potential showed associations with the greatest number of biomarkers, particularly those linked to inflammation and metabolism. According to the researchers, this may indicate that the inflammatory properties of diet are related to several interconnected biological processes involved in ageing.

More studies needed

As the study examined associations at a single point in time, it cannot establish cause and effect. The researchers also emphasise that participants mainly consisted of older adults from the Stockholm area with relatively high levels of education, which may limit the generalisability of the findings to other populations.

“We now need more longitudinal and intervention studies to investigate whether changes in diet also lead to changes in the biological markers we have studied,” says Adrián Carballo-Casla, researcher at the same department and last author of the study.

The study was conducted in collaboration between researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm University, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm Gerontology Research Center, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and CIBERESP in Spain, as well as the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. The study is based on data from SNAC-K. Funding was provided by, among others, the Swedish Research Council, Forte, Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish Alzheimer Foundation, the Dementia Foundation, the Foundation for Geriatric Diseases at Karolinska Institutet, the David and Astrid Hagelén Foundation, and Swedish government departments, regions and municipalities. The researchers report no conflicts of interest.

Three ways of measuring diet quality

Alternative Mediterranean Diet (AMED)

A dietary pattern based on the traditional Mediterranean diet. Higher scores are awarded for a high consumption of vegetables, legumes, fruit, nuts, whole grains and fish. A high proportion of unsaturated fats and moderate alcohol consumption are also scored positively. Lower consumption of red meat and dairy products likewise contributes to a higher score.

Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)

A scientifically developed index that measures overall diet quality. Higher scores are awarded for foods such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, healthy fats and moderate alcohol consumption. Lower scores are given for high consumption of red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, trans fats and sodium.

Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index (EDII)

A measure that estimates how diet influences inflammation in the body. In this study, a reverse version of the index was used, with higher scores corresponding to a diet with lower inflammatory potential. Components such as leafy green and dark yellow vegetables, fruit juices, coffee and tea receive higher scores, while higher consumption of red and processed meat, refined grain products and sugar-sweetened beverages results in lower scores.

Source: Karolinska Institutet

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Simple Pill Could Prevent Sight Loss in Common Form of Diabetic Retinopathy

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Retina showing reticular pseudodrusen. Although they can infrequently appear in individuals with no other apparent pathology, their highest rates of occurrence are in association with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), for which they hold clinical significance by being highly correlated with end-stage disease sub-types, choroidal neovascularisation and geographic atrophy. Credit: National Eye Institute

Researchers at Trinity, in collaboration with Breye Therapeutics, have found that an oral medication (Danegaptide) can protect against vision-threatening damage in Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR), which is a leading cause of blindness in working-age adults.

The study, published today in leading international journal, Science Translational Medicine, highlights a new therapeutic approach that could replace or complement frequent, highly invasive eye injections for millions of patients with diabetes.

Diabetic retinopathy affects nearly 30% of people living with diabetes and the non-proliferative form (NPDR) represents the vast majority of cases. 

Currently, standard treatments such as intravitreal anti-VEGF injections are reserved for advanced stages of the disease after significant, often irreversible, vision loss has already occurred. Because these injections require regular and direct administration directly into the eye, early intervention has remained impractical.

Key findings

In pre-clinical models of the disease, administering Danegaptide rapidly reduced leakage of blood vessels in the retina, prevented inner blood-retina barrier (iBRB) breakdown, and reversed retinal oedema (swelling) with efficacy comparable to injectable therapies.

Additionally, in an early stage clinical trial involving 24 patients with NPDR, oral Danegaptide was safe and well-tolerated. Notably, 55% of participants demonstrated early signs of biological activity, including marked reductions in retinal leakage, decreased central subfield thickness, and resolution of intra-retinal fluid cysts.

What are the potential impacts of this research?

Global estimates suggest tens of millions of people are living with NPDR, with roughly one-third of adults with diabetes likely to develop this or another form of diabetic retinopathy in their lifetime.  

Given how debilitating the condition can be and the urgent need for better, less invasive treatments, this research offers significant hope that a simple oral medication could make a huge difference in effectively managing the condition and enabling affected people to live more normal lives. 

The findings are extremely promising and the research team now underlines the need to progress with larger Phase II clinical trials. 

“Managing diabetic eye disease before irreversible damage occurs has long been constrained by the burden of invasive injections,” said Professor Matthew Campbell, Chair of Neurovascular Genetics at Trinity College Dublin and senior author on the research paper. 

“Our findings demonstrate that a simple oral pill can effectively target and repair the inner blood-retina barrier. This potentially offers a non-invasive, preventive path forward that could protect vision in both eyes simultaneously, long before severe sight loss takes hold.” 

Dr Pete Adamson, CSO, Breye Therapeutics, added: “The data from this study validate a major paradigm shift in retinal care. By proving that an oral therapy like Danegaptide can directly protect the inner blood-retina barrier, we are opening the door to early, non-invasive intervention for NPDR. The successful Phase Ib results provide a very strong foundation for larger Phase II clinical trials to evaluate long-term efficacy.”

Source: Trinity College Dublin 

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Study Proposes Safer Alternative to Hormone Therapy During Menopause

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Liver cells viewed under a fluorescence microscope. On the left are healthy cells, and on the right, fat droplets stand out in yellow. The research revealed that activating the ERβ receptor induces the organ to completely oxidize these lipids to generate energy. Credit: Débora Santos Rocha et al./Comprehensive Physiology

By Maria Fernanda Ziegler  |  Agência FAPESP – When it comes to balancing hormonal changes during the transition to menopause, less can be more. Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil demonstrated this when testing an alternative strategy to conventional therapy. Rather than replacing oestrogen entirely, the team activated only one type of oestrogen receptor in the cells. This approach achieved a broad and beneficial metabolic effect without stimulating the growth of reproductive tissues, such as the uterus and breasts. This is important for individuals with a genetic predisposition to developing tumours.

“It’s a more targeted strategy. By acting only on that receptor, we were able to rebalance the metabolic effects of the drop in oestrogen during menopause without affecting potentially sensitive areas of the body,” explains the researcher Débora Santos Rocha, a FAPESP postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Chemistry (IQ-USP) and first author of the article published in the journal Comprehensive Physiology.

The study was conducted on female rats that had their ovaries removed to simulate menopause. In this model, the researchers used an experimental drug to activate only oestrogen receptor beta (ERβ), which is an important regulator of metabolism and does not stimulate reproductive tissues or increase the risk of hormone-sensitive tumours.

As Rocha explains, the significant drop in oestrogen during the transition to menopause disrupts the entire metabolism, potentially promoting the accumulation of visceral fat, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular risk. “In addition to their importance in reproduction, oestrogens play a central role in energy regulation. When their levels decrease, widespread metabolic changes also occur, increasing the risk of metabolic syndrome and diseases such as diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia [high cholesterol],” she states.

Conventional hormone replacement therapy attempts to counteract this loss by providing oestrogen and progesterone through pills, patches, or creams. However, by activating all oestrogen receptors indiscriminately, it may increase the risk of tumour growth in predisposed women. “It isn’t hormone replacement therapy that causes cancer. What happens is that if there are tumour cells in oestrogen-sensitive tissues, such as the uterus, breast, or endometrium, they may respond to the hormone and multiply more quickly,” Rocha explains.

A targeted solution with broad benefits

The results of the study show that the isolated activation of ERβ promoted profound metabolic reprogramming. “With the new approach, we restored fasting blood glucose levels, normalised the lipid profile, and reduced the size of fat cells. The pancreatic islets [cells that produce insulin and other hormones] regained their normal shape, and blood levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and free fatty acids returned to healthy levels. All of that occurred without any effect on the uterus, which indicates the safety of the approach,” comments Alicia Kowaltowski, a professor at IQ-USP and the research coordinator.

The study primarily focused on the liver. This is because the organ begins to process fats differently during the transition to menopause and in the absence of oestrogen. “Lipid metabolism changes significantly, and the liver accumulates more fat. ‘Bad’ cholesterol [LDL] in the blood increases, and various lipid profiles are altered. However, with the activation of ERβ, those parameters returned to normal,” says Rocha.

The same effect was observed in the analysis of isolated liver cells. “The drug remodels the metabolism of liver cells [hepatocytes], causing them to oxidise fatty acids more [ie, to ‘burn’ the building blocks of lipids to generate energy]. That reduces fat accumulation and improves the overall lipid profile. By activating that specific pathway, we modulate liver metabolism and make circulating lipids healthier,” the postdoctoral fellow explains.

Kowaltowski highlights another important finding from the study. “By activating ERβ, the drug causes liver cells to fully oxidize fatty acids, something that normally doesn’t happen since the liver typically performs only partial oxidation, generating ketone bodies [alternative energy sources that the body creates to compensate for a lack of carbohydrates]. With that ‘complete oxidation,’ fat is fully converted into CO₂, significantly improving the body’s lipid profile. It’s important to note that this pathway can be activated to provide metabolic benefits – something we hadn’t imagined,” she explains.

There is no one-size-fits-all model

Although the treatment did not prevent the weight gain characteristic of menopause, the authors note in the article that it broadly improved metabolic quality and the functioning of the liver, pancreas, and blood.

“Menopause is a phase characterised by a wide variability of symptoms among women, which makes it important to have a variety of therapeutic approaches. If we can modulate specific pathways, we pave the way for more personalized treatments. Perhaps the approach we’re presenting won’t be ideal for one person, but it could be decisive for another. The important thing is to have treatment options,” Kowaltowski emphasizes.


“Perhaps the approach we’re presenting won’t be ideal for one person, but it could be decisive for another. The important thing is to have treatment options,” emphasises Alicia Kowaltowski, a professor at IQ-USP (photo: Cecília Bastos/USP Imagens)

The research continues in a new project funded by FAPESP that is now focused on the transition to menopause (perimenopause), using an experimental model that more closely mimics human reality.

Rather than abruptly removing the ovaries from female rats, the new study will use a model of gradual ovarian reserve decline, enabling the researchers to observe hormonal change dynamics throughout the process. “We want to understand that transition and identify new therapeutic targets that could serve as alternatives to conventional hormone replacement therapy,” Rocha concludes.

The article “Estrogen receptor beta activation coordinates liver lipid remodeling and metabolic fluxes, preventing lipotoxicity” can be read at onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cph4.70228.

Source: FAPESP

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Probiotics for Very Preterm Babies Linked to Reduced Mortality

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Probiotic supplementation in very preterm babies was linked to a lower risk of both severe intestinal disease and death. This is shown by a new study from the Karolinska Institutet, published in JAMA Network Open. The findings are based on data from nearly 4700 babies born prematurely in Sweden.

Very preterm babies are at increased risk of developing necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a serious intestinal disease that can be life-threatening. Since 2020, the Swedish Neonatal Society has recommended that babies born between gestational weeks 28 and 31 receive daily probiotic supplements – that is, live bacteria that can influence the gut microbiota. This  is in line with a European recommendation based on international research.

In the current study, the researchers analysed data from the Swedish nNeonatal care quality register on 4695 babies born between 2017 and 2024. Of these, 1571 babies received a probiotic supplement containing three selected bacterial strains, whilst 3124 babies did not. The researchers investigated whether probiotic supplements could be linked to the risk of death or of developing NEC during their stay in the neonatal ward.

”We found that infants who received probiotics had a significantly lower risk of both NEC and death compared with those who did not receive the supplements. At the same time, mortality was low in both groups,” says Ayoub Mitha, a doctor and researcher at the Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, who is the study’s corresponding author.

Among children who received probiotics, 0.8% experienced death or NEC, compared with 3.4% among those who did not receive the supplement. The risk of death was 0.3% in the probiotic group compared with 1.4% in the group without probiotics. The risk of NEC was 0.6% and 2.5% respectively.

Similar results regardless method

The researchers used several different statistical methods to account for differences between the groups. The results were similar regardless of the analysis method. Further analyses suggested that a significant proportion of the lower mortality rate was linked to fewer children developing NEC.

However, the researchers found no clear link between probiotic supplementation and the risk of sepsis, a serious infection that can spread throughout the body. The proportion of children affected by sepsis was roughly the same in both groups.

“Our findings contribute to the international body of knowledge and may help healthcare professionals and families make informed decisions regarding probiotic supplements for very preterm infants. At the same time, it is important not to generalise the results to extremely preterm infants – those born before 28 weeks – as this group was not included in the study,” says Ayoub Mitha.

The researchers also emphasise that the study is observational. This means that it can show associations but cannot definitively establish cause and effect.

Source: Karolinska Institutet

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Anti-epileptic Drug May Reduce Migraine Aura

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-gray-tank-top-3812757/

A new study by researchers at Lund University in Sweden found that 85 percent of patients with aura-dominant migraine experienced a reduction in monthly aura days by at least half following treatment with the anti-epileptic drug lamotrigine. The findings need to be confirmed in a controlled study, but could eventually be significant for a patient group that currently lacks a specific treatment for the aura itself.

Around 1.5 million people in Sweden suffer from migraine. Migraine affects both individuals’ daily lives and society as a whole. The disease limits the ability to work and participate in social activities, and leads to significant costs through sick leave, reduced productivity and increased healthcare needs. Women are three times as likely to be affected as often as men, a difference that is largely due to hormonal factors.  

Up to a third of people with migraine experience aura – a temporary neurological symptom that can cause visual disturbances, loss of vision, sensory disturbances, balance problems, and speech and language difficulties, among other symptoms. For some patients, aura is the most debilitating symptom of the disease, but there is currently no established treatment that specifically targets it. 

“Around 50,000 people in Sweden suffer from aura-dominant migraine. Aura is thought to be linked to cortical spreading depolarisation (CSD), a slowly progressing wave of altered nerve cell activity in the cerebral cortex,” says Gürdal Sahin, a researcher at Lund University and a specialist in neurology at the Skåneuro private clinic. 

Migraine with aura is also associated with a slightly increased risk of ischaemic stroke, particularly when combined with other vascular risk factors. It is therefore important to reduce modifiable risk factors. 

“There are now several effective treatments for migraine, including new medicines that block the neurotransmitter CGRP, which plays a key role in migraine attacks. Botulinum toxin is also used as a preventative treatment for chronic migraine. However, as there is no established treatment that specifically targets the aura itself, migraines with and without aura are often treated in a similar way, even though the aura appears to be partly based on mechanisms other than the headache itself,” Gürdal Sahin continues. 

The medicine lamotrigine is approved for the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder, but not for migraine. However, as both epilepsy and migraine aura involve temporary changes in nerve cell activity, the researchers wanted to investigate whether the drug could also prevent aura. Lamotrigine affects the electrical activity of nerve cells by acting on sodium and potassium channels, and also reduces the release of, amongst other things, the neurotransmitter glutamate. In this way, the medicine can reduce the excessive excitability of the nerve cells. In theory, these mechanisms could help to prevent the emergence and spread of CSD. 

“In our study, we examined 81 patients with frequent or particularly troublesome migraine aura and treated them with lamotrigine. Among the patients included the number of days with aura fell on average from 6.9 to 1.4 days per month, representing a reduction of around 80 per cent,” says Sena Uzun, a doctoral student at Lund University. 

While previous studies involving lamotrigine have shown mixed results, the results of this study were particularly promising for patients with aura-dominant migraine. In this group, 85 per cent of patients experienced at least a 50 per cent reduction in the number of days with aura. Another interesting observation was that a slower dose escalation was associated with fewer side effects, which may be relevant when the treatment is evaluated in future clinical trials. 

“As the study is retrospective and lacks a control group, the results need to be confirmed. We are now proceeding with a national, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of lamotrigine. If the results can be confirmed, the drug could become a relatively inexpensive and well-established treatment option for a group of patients who currently have no treatment for the aura itself,” concludes Sena Uzun.

Original written by Åsa Hansdotter

Source: Lund University

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World Pharmacists Day – 25 September 2026

On By ModernMedia
Pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare professionals for many South Africans. Image created with AI.

Astrid Stealey, Area Managing Director, South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa, Kenvue

World Pharmacists Day is an opportunity to recognise the contribution pharmacists make to the health of communities across South Africa. But recognition must go hand in hand with ensuring they have the training, resources and support to meet the demands being placed on them.

Pharmacists are often among the most accessible healthcare professionals in their communities. They play an important role in helping people navigate everyday self-care, understand the responsible use of medicines and recognise when symptoms require referral to a doctor or another healthcare service. That guidance can help people make more informed decisions about their health, but it should never be taken for granted.

Kenvue’s previously published research found that 82% of surveyed South African pharmacists regularly provide advice to people who cannot access a GP. At the same time, 76% reported increased demands on their time.

These findings highlight both the value pharmacists provide and the pressure many are working under. Supporting them means investing in continuous professional education, access to credible, evidence-based information and systems that recognise both the potential and the limits of their role.

This year’s World Pharmacists Day 2026 theme, “Empowering pharmacists for healthier futures,” captures that challenge well. A healthier future depends on pharmacists being equipped and supported to use their expertise confidently, responsibly and sustainably.