Expert Review: Confronting Climate-Driven Heat Risks to Maternal and Fetal Health.

Importance: In the current era of climate change, extreme heat exposure poses escalating threats to maternal-fetal health. Despite the expansive scale of extreme heat exposure worldwide, dramatized by the record-breaking global ocean and atmospheric temperatures throughout 2023 and into 2024, the extent of the threat posed by heat is underestimated and underappreciated. Unlike the physical destruction wrought by climate-driven events like hurricanes and wildfires, heat exposure does not cause severe damage to the built environment.

Pioneering Clinical Investigation: Beta Defensin Expression in Patients of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Oral Cavity as a Forward-Looking Validation for Molecular Treatment.

Human defensins are peptides coded by certain genes released as a part of immune response that act differently to tumorigenic cells according to the class. A varied cellular response has been documented in the world literature concerning the role of defensins in the cancer cell lines, though the exact role in the internal human milieu and the role specific to head and neck cancers is still understudied. This study explores the possible role of Human Beta Defensin (HBD) 1 and 3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in disease progression and their potential as biomarkers/prognostic markers.

Ahmedabad declaration: A framework to combat growing epidemic of young-onset type 2 diabetes in Asia.

Aim: Rising prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) among young Asians has emerged as a public health crisis that threatens the long-term health, economic stability, and productivity of nations across Asia (1). Early-onset T2D poses unique challenges, including higher rates of undiagnosed cases, more aggressive disease progression, an increased risk of chronic complications and higher mortality (2). Hyperglycemia during the reproductive age especially among the female population can potentially have transgenerational impact through epigenetic changes.

Creating a retinal image database to develop an automated screening tool for diabetic retinopathy in India.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a prevalent microvascular complication of diabetes, is the fifth leading cause of blindness worldwide. Given the critical nature of the disease, it is paramount that individuals with diabetes undergo annual screening for early and timely detection of DR, facilitating prompt ophthalmic assessment and intervention. However, screening for DR, which involves assessing visual acuity and retinal examination through ophthalmoscopy or retinal photography, presents a significant global challenge due to the massive volume of individuals requiring annual reviews.

Perioperative Risks and Outcomes in Asian American Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and/or Metabolic Syndrome: a Systematic Scoping Review.

Asian Americans (AA) have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) compared to non-Hispanic White Americans, yet over half of AA patients with T2DM are underdiagnosed or untreated. Surgical stress, known to exacerbate hyperglycemia in T2DM, is also associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Thus, AA patients may be at elevated risk of experiencing poor outcomes following surgery.