THE MEDICAL NEWS

In two large US prospective cohorts, consuming more than one sugar-sweetened beverage a day was associated with higher gastric cancer incidence compared with consuming less than one serving a month. Artificially sweetened beverages were not associated with gastric cancer incidence, and the authors called for further studies to confirm the findings and clarify possible biological mechanisms.

A commentary in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics argues that measles outbreaks can serve as a sensitive indicator of weaknesses in vaccination coverage, surveillance, health equity, community trust, and broader immunization systems. The authors contend that pursuing measles eradication could also strengthen routine immunization, laboratory capacity, outbreak preparedness, and health-system res…

A global analysis of WHO/UNICEF data from 194 countries found wide variation in countries’ ability to record delayed childhood vaccinations, with 64% of reporting countries saying they could capture late doses in 2022. Following birth cohorts over time and adding delayed MCV1 doses raised median coverage estimates by 3.6 to 5.1 percentage points across available cohort years, though incomplete an…

Researchers found that self-reported wanting was more strongly associated with drinking motives than liking, with the strongest links seen for coping motives and higher alcohol-use severity. The cross-sectional study of 446 adults also linked greater wanting, coping motives, and higher AUDIT scores with stronger intentions to quit or reduce drinking, but it could not establish cause or direction.

In a cross-sectional study of 92 older Italian memory-clinic patients, higher habitual intake of total dietary (poly)phenols and several specific subclasses was associated with a lower likelihood of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Total (poly)phenol intake was not associated with cognitive test performance or circulating inflammatory biomarkers, and the authors cautioned that the small observati…

Emergency contraception containing mifepristone prevents more pregnancies with fewer side effects than some other common emergency contraceptive pills such as levonorgestrel, according to a new Cochrane review involving 87 trials.

Every fall, millions of Americans heed the call to get their annual flu shot. Getting vaccinated reduces the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from influenza.

A large UK cohort study found that higher BMI at age 20 was associated with lower postmenopausal breast cancer risk, while higher BMI in later adulthood was linked to increased risk. Lower VAS percentage mammographic density appeared to explain part of the early-adulthood association, while fibroglandular volume showed a different relationship with life-course adiposity.

New research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) shows, with the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, sexual intercourse is safe for people living with type 1 diabetes.