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Making Waves

Reading Time: 8 Minutes

Published September 7, 2024

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Good morning! Big Gum has quietly owned the facial fitness industry in 2024. That’s because ultra-stiff chewing gum brands like Jawz and Rockjaw are promising masticators—particularly Gen Z boys—the facial geometry of a Disney prince. A wave of Gaston-jawed TikTok influencers has convinced countless boys that at least two weeks of dedicated chewing can sculpt their jawlines into right angles.

But this latest looksmaxxing trend gnaws at experts who believe that these hyper-chewers may be on a collision course with jaw pain, damaged fillings, or TMJ—and likely won’t develop the jawline on their vision board. Scientific studies have yet to show human facial structure changes from chewing gum two to ten times the standard stiffness, and the oral and monetary costs (up to $90 for six pieces) may be too steep. Big Gum, of course, is sticking to its claims.

Is a Sci-Fi-Inspired BP Monitor in Our Future?

CARDIO CORNER

A team at Caltech has boldly gone where no team has gone before, crediting Star Trek’s medical tricorder for the inspiration behind their innovative blood pressure (BP) measurement tool. The team of experts (and Trekkies) believe the device will overcome the limitations of standard BP measurement and help patients of all backgrounds “live long and prosper.”

Making waves

The new technology employs a patented method called resonance sonomanometry, which involves gently stimulating an artery with sound waves and then measuring its resonance frequency using ultrasound imaging. The resulting prototype, an all-day wearable, checks several boxes: It’s compact, noninvasive, and affordable. Plus, it captures the full waveform (absolute BP), records unlimited measurements from various body sites, automatically locates blood vessels without clinician assistance, and can work immediately—no calibration needed.

Key takeaways

The first stop for this new device? Likely, hospitals, where it would connect to existing monitors and potentially replace invasive arterial lines. Next, it could find its way into offices and, more consequentially, homes, simplifying patient monitoring with a “set it and forget it” approach. The Caltech team believes the device could one day relegate pesky BP cuffs to a bygone era, and even tech Goliaths Apple and Google are in the race, but currently trailing. This breakthrough could revolutionize patient care—and we may have Star Trek to thank for it. While we’re at it, we should thank the sci-fi hit for virtual reality, 3D printers, cell phones, and automatic sliding doors.

For education on hypertension treatment, check out Pri-Med’s Frankly Speaking podcast episode “Should We Personalize Our Approach to Treating Hypertension?”

Shingles Vaccine Offers a Jab of Hope Against Dementia

DEMENTIA DISCUSSIONS

Researchers went full Luke Skywalker, offering A New Hope in the fight against dementia. It’s in the form of a vaccine that’s already FDA approved, easily accessible, and covered by insurance—the recombinant shingles vaccine (Shingrix). A new study shows that this vaccine significantly cuts the risk of developing dementia in the six years following the jab.

It's only natural

In 2017, the current recombinant vaccine dethroned the old-school live vaccine (Zostavax) on the strength of its landslide efficacy (97% to 65%). The transition between the two vaccines provided a fire hose of observational data and laid the groundwork for a serendipitous “natural” study. Researchers could pore over >100,000 EHRs, comparing dementia diagnoses among those ≥65 years who were vaccinated with either of the shingles vaccines as well as other vaccines like influenza and Tdap. And this natural study design could avoid the “healthy vaccinee” bias baked into studies comparing the vaccinated to the unvaccinated.

The recombinant vaccine was associated with ...

A 17% lower risk of dementia than with the live vaccine (impressive given the preexisting evidence of dementia protection with the live vaccine)
A 23% lower risk of dementia than with the flu vaccine
A 28% lower risk of dementia than with the Tdap vaccine
A stronger effect in women than in men

Key takeaways

Older adults who receive the recombinant shingles vaccine may delay dementia by an average of five months, providing clinicians with another reason to recommend it. “This is a significant result, comparable in effectiveness to the recent antibody drugs for Alzheimer’s disease,” says Dr. Andrew Doig, professor of biochemistry at the University of Manchester. But how does the vaccine delay dementia? One theory suggests that some types of the virus may lurk in the brain and trigger dementia when the immune system weakens, so preventing the virus may reduce dementia risk. But investigators are still assembling the clinical Tetris pieces. While we await randomized clinical trials to confirm these observational study results, the primary reason to get the jab may still be to dodge the agony of shingles and its painful complications.

FDA and Guideline Updates

One Small Leap for Sheep, One Giant Leap for Mankind

ORTHO OUTCOMES

“We’re baaack!” Sheep who assumed their best days were behind them are now frolicking like lambs, thanks to an animal study evaluating a new bioactive material’s effect on damaged cartilage. Six months posttreatment, the sheep had regrown cartilage and regained the joint spring of their youth. Could this study be a bellwether for osteoarthritis outcomes in humans?

Bioactive goo

Researchers injected the sheep’s defective stifles—ideal surrogates for the human knee—with the biomaterial, a blend of the bioactive peptide transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFb-1) and modified hyaluronic acid. The resulting material resembles a preschool mishap of paste, goo, and playdough, but it worked. The rubbery mixture successfully guided nanoscale fibers into bundles that imitate the natural structure of cartilage. Not only did new cartilage take shape, but it mimicked the more durable hyaline cartilage as opposed to fibrocartilage—hence, the newfound spring in the sheep’s steps.

Key takeaways

An injectable biomaterial promises a hyaline cartilage comeback for sheep and potentially for humans with impaired joints. The mixture may hold the solution for osteoarthritis and sports-related injuries and could prevent the need for full knee replacements. The study authors envision it eventually replacing or complementing traditional treatments like microfracture surgery, which often results in the development of fibrocartilage—a baaad suboptimal substitute for hyaline cartilage.

For more education on cartilage loss, check out Pri-Med’s Frankly Speaking podcast episode “Walking and Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Simple Strategy to Slow Cartilage Loss.”

Interested in more healthcare news? Here are some other articles we don’t want you to miss:

Morning Report is written by:

Alissa Scott, Author
Aylin Madore, MD, MEd, Editor
Margaret Oliverio, MD, Editor
Ariel Reinish, MD, MEd, Editor
Emily Ruge, Editor

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