PLoS medicine
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Detailed subgroup incidence rates for steatotic liver disease (SLD)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are critical to inform practice and public health interventions but remain sparse. We aimed to fill in this gap. ⋯ This nationwide study provided robust granular estimates for SLD-related HCC incidence stratified by several key risk factors. In addition to cirrhosis, future surveillance strategies, prevention, public health initiatives, and future research models should also take into account the impact of sex, age, and DM.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Growth, physical, and cognitive function in children who are born HIV-free: School-age follow-up of a cluster-randomised trial in rural Zimbabwe.
Globally, over 16 million children were exposed to HIV during pregnancy but remain HIV-free at birth and throughout childhood by 2022. Children born HIV-free (CBHF) have higher morbidity and mortality and poorer neurodevelopment in early life compared to children who are HIV-unexposed (CHU), but long-term outcomes remain uncertain. We characterised school-age growth, cognitive and physical function in CBHF and CHU previously enrolled in the Sanitation Hygiene Infant Nutrition Efficacy (SHINE) trial in rural Zimbabwe. ⋯ In this study, we found that CBHF had reductions in cognitive function compared to CHU at 7 years of age across multiple domains. Further research is needed to define the biological and psychosocial mechanisms underlying these differences to inform future interventions that help CBHF thrive across the life-course.
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Parental drinking can cause harm to the offspring. A parent's diagnosis of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) might be an opportunity to reach offspring with preventive interventions. We investigated offspring risk of adverse health outcomes throughout life, their association with their parent's educational level and diagnosis of ALD. ⋯ Offspring of parents with ALD had a long-lasting higher rate of health outcomes associated with poor mental health and self-harm that increased shortly after their parent's diagnosis of ALD. Offspring of parents of low educational level were particularly vulnerable. This study highlights an opportunity to reach out to offspring in connection with their parent's hospitalization with ALD.
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In this perspective, we discuss why current mechanistic uncertainty on ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) and health acts as a major challenge to providing informed dietary guidelines and public advice on UPFs. Based on the balance of current evidence, we do not believe it is appropriate to be advising consumers to avoid all UPFs and we await further evidence to inform consumer guidance on the need to limit consumption of specifics foods based on their degree or type of processing.