Morning Medical Update: Gut bacteria and longevity; People with focal epilepsy often have seizures while driving before diagnosis; Chemo drug shortage

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Gut bacteria and longevity

Scientists recently examined the microbiomes of centenarians from Japan and Sardinia and found that they have more diverse bacteria and viruses. The study included 195 centenarians, 133 older adults, and 61 young adults. Of the 4,422 viruses they found, 1,746 were newly discovered.

People with focal epilepsy often have seizures while driving before diagnosis

Prior to a focal epilepsy diagnosis, 5% of sufferers have had a seizure while driving. Focal epilepsy accounts for half of all epilepsy diagnoses. It affects one half of the brain. “There are roughly 126,180 driving-age people in the country diagnosed with epilepsy each year,"Jacob Pellinen, MD, study author, University of Colorado in Aurora and member of the American Academy of Neurology said in an article. “We estimate nearly 6,500 people per year may experience prediagnosis seizures while driving in the United States alone, leading to nearly 4,000 possible motor vehicle accidents and over 2,200 hospitalizations.”

Chemo drug shortage

More than 90% of cancer centers in the United States are reporting a shortage of chemotherapy drugs, specifically cisplatin and carboplatin. In response, the Food and Drug Administration announced it would partner with Chinese company Qilu Pharmaceutical to boost the supply. Canadian company Apotex will also distribute the medication.