Greatest Risk Factor Research Articles

Distinct risks, clinical characteristics and outcomes by age at time of HIV diagnosis.

New HIV diagnoses in persons aged >50years (hereafter 'older persons') are becoming more common; the clinical features and outcomes of these older individuals are poorly described. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all new adult HIV diagnoses between October 1989 and December 2019 in southern Alberta, Canada. Differences in risk for HIV acquisition and screening, sociodemographic/clinical characteristics, and causes of death were compared between individuals younger and older than 50years at the time of diagnosis. New HIV diagnoses in persons >50 years old increased from 7% in 1990 to 18% in 2019. Risk for HIV acquisition and screening reasons differed by age. Heterosexual sex (29%) was the greatest risk factor among older persons, contrasting with male same sex activity in younger persons (51%) (P<0.001). Illness was the most common indication for testing in older persons (47%), whereas younger persons were more likely to have requested testing (34%) (P<0.001). Relationship status differed, with 33% of older persons being married to an opposite sex partner versus 12% in younger persons (P<0.001). Although older persons had a lower mean nadir CD4 count (132 cells/µL) than younger persons (181 cells/µL) (P<0.001), 80% of deaths between 2010 and 2019 in the older group were attributable to non-AIDS-related causes versus 47% in younger patients. Since 2000, AIDS-related deaths and potential years of life lost have declined for both age groups. The increase in new HIV diagnoses in persons aged >50years in southern Alberta suggests that older individuals require customized approaches for optimizing HIV diagnosis and treatment.

Intersecting Pandemics: Impact of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Protective Behaviors on People Living With HIV, Atlanta, Georgia.

Background:COVID-19 and its social responses threaten the health of people living with HIV. We conducted a rapid-response interview to assess COVID-19 protective behaviors of people living with HIV and the impact of their responses on HIV-related health care.Method:Men and women living with HIV (N = 162) aged 20–37 years participating in a longitudinal study of HIV treatment and care completed routine study measures and an assessment of COVID-19–related experiences.Results:At baseline, most participants demonstrated HIV viremia, markers indicative of renal disorders, and biologically confirmed substance use. At follow-up, in the first month of responding to COVID-19, engaging in more social distancing behaviors was related to difficulty accessing food and medications and increased cancelation of health care appointments, both by self and providers. We observed antiretroviral therapy adherence had improved during the initial month of COVID-19 response.Conclusions:Factors that may pose added risk for COVID-19 severity were prevalent among people living with HIV, and those with greater risk factors did not practice more COVID-19 protective behaviors. Social distancing and other practices intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 interfered with HIV care, and impeded access to food and medications, although an immediate adverse impact on medication adherence was not evident. These results suggest social responses to COVID-19 adversely impacted the health care of people living with HIV, supporting continued monitoring to determine the long-term effects of co-occurring HIV and COVID-19 pandemics.

P0669HIGH ESTIMATED PHENOTYPIC AGE ASSOCIATES WITH WORSE CLINICAL OUTCOME IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS

Abstract Background and Aims Ageing represents the greatest risk factor contributing to increased morbidity and mortality in most chronic diseases; it encompasses numerous biological changes resulting in declining physiological function and increasing burden of disease. Whether new biomarkers of ageing and risk scores for predicting physiological outcomes, including mortality, are applicable and more accurate than chronological age in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not clear. So far, the DNA methylation (DNAm) PhenoAge biomarker of ageing (Levine et al. Aging 2018) has not been tested in CKD. While we had no access to DNAm data, we applied the phenotypic age estimate proposed by Levine et al., which was included in their calculations of DNAm PhenoAge, and tested the relationship between estimated phenotypic age (ePhenoAge) and chronological age, respectively, with all-cause mortality in patients with CKD. Method In a cohort of 333 CKD patients (stage 1, n=78; stage 3-4, n=64; and stage 5, n=191) with median age 56 years, 43% females, 24% diabetes (DM), 25% cardiovascular disease (CVD), and 22% malnourished, we estimated age by ePhenoAge, using a formula with calculations based on nine biomarkers and chronological age, and compared this age index with chronological age. Framingham risk score, body composition, nutritional status, handgrip strength, and various biochemical markers (white blood cells, mean cell volume, hemoglobin, albumin, creatinine, glucose, calcium, alkaline phosphatase, intact-parathyroid hormone, triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and interleukin (IL)-6) were recorded. During a median follow-up period of 52 months, 65 patients died, and 111 patients underwent renal transplantation. We used spline curve to illustrate sub-distribution hazard risk (sHR) for all-cause mortality versus increasing ePhenoAge and chronological age respectively as obtained by the Fine and Gray competing risk analysis. Results In univariate analyses, IL-6 (rho=0.49, p&amp;lt;0.001; n=268) and hsCRP (rho=0.37, p&amp;lt;0.001; n=333) were significantly correlated with ePhenoAge. The ePhenoAge remained significantly associated with hsCRP (p=0.02) when adjusted for sex, DM, CVD, nutritional status and CKD stages. The spline curves showing sHR for all-cause mortality derived from multivariate competing risk analysis and adjusted for sex, presence of DM and CVD, hsCRP, nutritional status and CKD stages, showed increased mortality risk with higher chronological age (sHR: 1.08, p&amp;lt;0.001). In contrast, the association of mortality with higher ePhenoAge (sHR: 1.04, p=0.06) was of borderline statistical significance. Conclusion All-cause mortality risk was associated with increasing chronological age in competing risk analysis with adjustments of confounders. A similar trend was observed for ePhenoAge, a finding which to a large extent may be explained by the inflammatory status of the study subjects. However, contrary to expectations, ePhenoAge was not as powerful as chronological age in predicting mortality, underlining that our knowledge about factors influencing phenotypic age in CKD patients is still limited. This should motivate further study of the potential role of other estimates of biological age in CKD.

COVID-19: the new challenge for rheumatologists

Currently, the infection caused by the new coronavirus COVID-19 is considered by the global community as an emergency of international concern. Rheumatologists are particularly concerned about this problem, since patients with immune-mediated inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IMIRDs) are at higher risk for infectious diseases and receive immunosuppressive treatment. The use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biological agents increases the incidence of serious infections, but insufficient/no monitoring of IMIRD activity is an even greater risk factor for infectious complications. In addition, the role of vaccination mainly against influenza and pneumococcal infection is substantially increasing in modern conditions, since the risk of death from respiratory tract infections is quite high in patients with IMIRDs, which is very important in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic.The paper presents an update on the incidence of viral infections in patients with IMIRDs and also discusses whether antirheumatic drugs can be used to treat COVID-19.

Risk Management Analysis of Building Construction Project in the Jakarta City

Building construction project is one of the projects that has a high risk based on the workload and the height of the building structure. Implementation of this construction takes a long and complex. Therefore, it can cause uncertainty of conditions in the field raises various risks in the implementation of the project. Risk management should apply at the initial phase for project development, risk management will be very useful in developing an understanding of project uncertainty. It is very important to understand the risk management concept before understanding the risks in building construction industry. This study aims to obtain the dominant most influential risk factors in a building construction project by using Relative Important Index (RII) Method. The RII method is used to look at the greatest risk factors. Primary data of the research were obtained by filling the risk factor questionnaire by 32 respondents with the positions of Consultans, Chief Expert, Project Manager, and Site Manager. The results showed that The events included in the high risk category are as follows; lack of detailed drawings, a change in design, the designs and drawings do not comply with the bill of quantity, the amount of labor is changing, lack of availability of workers, lack of control and coordination in the field, additional scope of work, inaccuracy and mismatch of detailed specifications on the design, lack of worker expertise and lack of qualified staff, error estimating costs and implementation time.

Statistical Aspects of Thalassemia Major: A Case Study in Punjab Pakistan

Thalassemia major is becoming one of the leading health problems in Pakistan. A case study on 204 patients was carried out at Fatimid Foundation Lahore. The objective of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of the disease in patients related to physical and socio-demographic aspects. The questionnaire was designed to collect the information on factors regarding the gender, age, weight, height, blood group, Hb level, ferritin level, age at the diagnosis, age at the first transfusion, complications associated with the disease and some information was collected from parents relating their education, awareness about disease and their relation. Descriptive and analytical analysis were performed by using numbers &amp; percentages, Chi- Square, Phi and V values, Kendall’s Tau-B techniques. Descriptive analysis showed that disease is more common in males (61.3%) and risk factor blood group observed where (91.6%) patients had positive blood groups. Consanguinity was found to be a great risk factor. In bivariate analysis factors age group, caste, Splenectomy, enlarged liver, patients’ education, hepatitis C are found to be significantly associated with the gender and blood transfusion in a month, ferritin level, bones problem and hepatitis Care associated with age. It has observed from the results that thalassemia is an inherited blood disease and can be prevented by creating awareness in people of our country.

Large-scale seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Bluetongue virus in Iran

Bluetongue virus (BTV) remains as an economically major concern in the world. Seroprevalence and potential risk factors of BTV were assessed in a cross-sectional study at both the herd and animal levels in Iran. A total of 73 Epidemiologic Units (E.Unit), defined as a herd, flock or village including animals with equal chance of exposure to infectious agents, were randomly selected. Serum samples from all animals (n = 34,575) within the E.Units were collected and tested for BTV sero-group antibodies by using commercially competitive ELISA test. Using cluster analysis, 90.41 % (95 %, CI: 80.85 %–95.47 %) of the E.Units and 56.13 % (95 % CI: 55.61 %–56.66 %) of the tested animals were detected seropositive against BTV. A seroprevalence rate of 57.59 % (95 % CI: 48.01 %–66.63 %), 65.65 % (95 % CI: 59.10 %–73.74 %) and 27.63 % (95 % CI: 14.40 %–46.43 %) was estimated for sheep, goats and cattle, respectively.At E.Unit (herd) level, density was identified as a great risk factor for the infection (r2 = 0.891; P = 0.000), and particularly density of cattle significantly correlated with BTV infection within the E.Units (r2 = 0.247; P = 0.019). Using multilevel logistic regression, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were estimated at individual level. A significantly less risk of BTV infection was evaluated for cattle than for sheep (OR = 0.42, 95 % CI: 0.38−0.47, P < 0.001), while no significant difference was observed between sheep and goat (OR = 1.03, 95 % CI: 0.97–1.10, P = 0.345). Animals over 2 years and between 6 months and 2 years expressed 2.22 (OR = 2.22, 95 % CI: 1.96−2.52, P < 0.001) and 2.18 (OR = 2.18, 95 % CI: 1.92−2.49, P < 0.001) times higher chance for the infection than animals under 6 months. Males were at significantly less risk of the infection than females (OR=0.68, 95 % CI: 0.63−0.74, P < 0.001). Animals kept in industrial farming systems displayed 0.46 (OR=0.46, 95 % CI: 032−0.66, P < 0.001) times less chance than animals kept in traditional farming system for BTV, while animals lived in semi-industrial farming system were found to be at 2.97 (OR=2.97, 95 % CI: 2.41−3.66, P < 0.001) times higher chance for BTV than animals lived in traditional farming system. Furthermore, seropositive animals exhibited a high amount of antibodies against BTV (s) suggesting that viral exposure may have frequently occurred during their lifetimes. This large - scale study yielded information on epidemiology of BTV in Iran that is prerequisite for further research, and also for evaluation of any cost-benefit control measure to be established in an enzootic zone of the virus.

Association between eating habits and quality of life among Chilean university students

Objective To estimate the association between eating habits and quality of life (QOL) in Chilean university students. Participants: 1,212 students from the Universidad de La Frontera, Chile (mean age 18.7 ± 2.15) were surveyed in January–March 2018. Methods: Participants completed a cross-sectional self-report survey to evaluate QOL using the WHOQOL-BREF scale and eating habits with a food habits survey. Results: Students reporting a better healthy eating habits score also presented a higher QOL. Eating breakfast and eating home-cooked meals is a protective factor for QOL in each domain. The consumption of sweet snacks was shown to be a risk factor for the physical health and environment domains. The consumption of fast food is shown as the greatest risk factor in the physical domain. Conclusion: Healthy and unhealthy eating habits are associated with different dimensions of QOL. University authorities should develop new policies to improve the QOL of the entire university community.

Bacterial load of the surface of some selected Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria

An Automated Teller Machine (ATM), also known as Automated Banking Machine (ABM) or cash machine and several other names, is a computerized telecommunication device that provides access to financial transactions in a public space without the need for a cashier or other intermediaries. The Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) has been widely used due to its convenience but also serves as a source of bacterial contamination. The aim of this work was to determine the bacterial load of surfaces of selected ATMs in Kano metropolis. Swab samples were collected from four (4) selected areas and ten (10) different study sites. The samples were collected using swabbing technique and standard plate count was employed for the enumeration of bacterial counts. The mean bacterial counts ranged between the lowest count of 1.20 x 102cfu/cm2 and the highest count of 1.78 x 102cfu/cm2 and the mean count of individual machine ranged from 1.70 x 101 cfu/cm2 upto 6.00 x 101cfu/cm2. All the ATMs were found to be contaminated. It could thus be concluded that the ATMs studied present a very great risk factor for cross contamination. The general public should therefore be enlightened on the possible health hazards associated with such items like ATMs and thus advised for strict personal hygiene and regular washing of hands before and after contact with ATMs so as to reduce the possible transfer of bacterial diseases and/or infections.&#x0D; Keywords: Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Bacteria, Contamination, Kano metropolis.

Victimization, Substance Use, Depression, and Sexual Risk in Adolescent Males Who Have Sex with Males: A Syndemic Latent Profile Analysis.

Adolescent males who have sex with males (AMSM) are at increased risk of HIV/STI acquisition compared to other adolescents, making sexual risk behaviors in this population a priority public health focus. AMSM experience more victimization (including sexual/partner violence), depression, and substance abuse than their heterosexual counterparts; these may form a syndemic associated with risky sexual behavior. We pooled data from the 2015 and 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, restricted to male students who reported a previous male sexual partner (n = 448). Latent profile analysis was used to identify syndemic profiles, with log-binomial and cumulative complementary log-log models used to test associations with substance use at last intercourse, condomless sex at last intercourse, and the number of sexual partners. Nearly all measures of victimization, depression, and substance use had bivariate associations with greater substance use during sex and more sexual partners. We identified three profiles of AMSM: The profile (n = 55) with the greatest risk factors (evident of a syndemic) had substantially higher prevalence of substance use during sex (aPR = 4.74, 95% CI 3.02, 7.43) and more sexual partners (aPR = 2.45, 95% CI 1.39, 4.31) than the profile with the lowest risk factors (n = 326) after adjusting for confounders. This profile was not associated with condomless sex. We identified a syndemic characterized by victimization, depression, and substance use associated with risky sexual behaviors in a nationally representative sample of AMSM. Comprehensive sexual risk reduction interventions incorporating mental health and substance use are critically important in this population.

Inpatient mortality in transition-aged youth with rheumatic disease: an analysis of the National Inpatient Sample

BackgroundTransition from pediatric to adult care is a vulnerable time for youth with chronic diseases. In youth with rheumatic disease, studies show high rates of loss to follow up and increased disease activity. However, mortality data are lacking. In this study, we assessed whether transitional age is a risk factor for inpatient mortality.MethodsWe analyzed the 2012–2014 National Inpatient Sample database, a representative sample of discharges in the United States. Individuals with rheumatic diseases were identified by International Statistical Classification of Disease – 9 (ICD-9) codes at time of discharge. Youth were categorized into three age groups: pre-transitional (11–17), transitional (18–24) and post transitional (25–31). We fitted univariable and multivariable logistic regression models to assess whether transitional age was a risk factor for inpatient mortality.ResultsThere were 30,269 hospital discharges which met our inclusion criteria of diagnosis and age. There were 195 inpatient deaths (0.7%). The most common causes of death were infection (39.5%), pulmonary disease (13.8%), and cardiac disease (11.2%). The Odds ratio for inpatient mortality of a transitional-aged individual was 1.18 compared to controls (p = 0.3). Black race (OR = 1.4), male sex (OR = 1.75), and a diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (OR = 4.81) or vasculitis (OR = 2.85) were the greatest risk factors of inpatient mortality.ConclusionTransitional age was not a risk factor for inpatient mortality in this study. We did identify other risk factors other than age. Further studies are required to assess if there is an increased risk of mortality in outpatients of the transitional age group.

Risk Factors for Weight Gain Following Switch to Integrase Inhibitor–Based Antiretroviral Therapy

Treatment initiation with integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) has been associated with excess weight gain. Whether similar gains are seen after switch to INSTIs among virologically suppressed persons is less clear. We assessed pre/post-INSTI weight changes from AIDS Clinical Trials Group participants (A5001 and A5322). Participants who were in follow-up from 1997-2017 and switched to INSTI-based antiretroviral regimens were included. Piecewise linear mixed-effects models adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, baseline BMI, nadir and current CD4+ T-cell count, smoking, diabetes and follow-up time with suppressed HIV-1 RNA examined weight and waist circumference change before and after first switch to INSTIs. Linear spline models with a single knot at time of switch accounted for nonlinear trends. The 972 participants who switched to INSTIs were 81% male and 50% nonwhite with a median age at switch of 50 years, CD4+ T-cell count 512 cells/μL, and BMI 26.4 kg/m2. Restricting to persons with suppressed HIV-1 RNA at switch (n = 691), women, blacks, and persons ≥60 years experienced greater weight gain in the 2 years after versus before switch. In adjusted models, white or black race, age ≥60, and BMI ≥30 kg/m2 at switch were associated with greater weight gain following switch among women; age ≥60 was the greatest risk factor among men. Trends for waist circumference were similar. Yearly weight gain increased following switch to INSTIs, particularly for women, blacks, and persons aged ≥60. Concomitant increases in waist circumference suggest that this weight gain is associated with an increase in fat mass.

Hypolipidemic Effect of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) Bark Ethanolic Extract on Triton X-100 induced Hyperlipidemia in Albino Rats

Hyperlipidemia is the greatest risk factors that precipitate coronary heart disease. Medicinal may confer hypolipidemic effects in order to compliment the cardiovascular diseases treatment regimen. The aim of this study was to investigate hypolipidemic effect of cinnamon bark ethanolic extract in Triton X-100 induced hyperlipidemic in rats. Twenty five adult male albino rats (150-250 g) were randomly divided into five groups: group A stand as negative control, group B stand as positive control, groups C and D received 250 and 500 mg/kg cinnamon extract respectively and group E received atorvastatin 10 mg/kg after of induction of hyperlipidemia by Triton X-100 for seven days. The results was showed a significant (p<0.05) hypolipidemic effect on cholesterol and triglycerides of cinnamon extract in groups administered 250 and 500 mg/kg compared with the negative and positive control group. Also the hepatic histopathological study was showed that the cinnamon ethanol extract has preventive effect from liver fatty infiltration and granular degeneration.

Towards a Measure of Multidimensional Poverty in COVID-19 Time in Senegal: Identification of Risk Factors and Vulnerable People

The objective of this paper is to design a multidimensional poverty index, based on the Alkire-Foster (AF) method, to identify people vulnerable to COVID-19 and risk factors. The use of the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) dataset has led to the choice of the following dimensions: Education, Hygiene, Staying at home, Physical distance, and recovery capacity. Each dimension is composed of indicators found in the global multidimensional poverty index. The findings show that 61.4% of Senegalese are vulnerable to COVID-19 because they suffer deprivation in at least a third of the indicators. Also, among the vulnerable 47.05% are poor according to the wealth index. The deprivation in electricity, housing, sanitation, and cooking fuel are the most important risk factors in the Senegalese context. The regions located in the South and East are those where the populations are more vulnerable. However, the number of confirmed cases is higher in the northern and western regions where there are fewer vulnerable people. In these regions, the greatest risk factor is promiscuity. Difficulty in observing physical and social distance and having a suitable living environment are major factors of vulnerability to emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19 in a developing country like Senegal.

An increasing trend of iatrogenic scar endometriosis after lower segment cesarean section

Cesarean scar endometriosis is an uncommon disorder developed due to iatrogenic implantation of endometrial tissues in the cesarean incision site. The frequency of the scar endometriosis is assumed to increase because of the increasing trend of lower segment cesarean section in modern obstetric practice. Cesarean section might be a great risk factor for the development of scar endometriosis due to higher exposure of endometrial cells to the subcutaneous tissue during the procedure. Prevention of decidual cell contamination to the superficial abdominal layers may reduce the occurrence of iatrogenic scar endometriosis. We reported a 21-year old para 2 woman with a history of cesarean section 2.5 years back who presented with a small mass at the middle of the cesarean scar which was associated with pain and blood-stained discharge during menstruation. Based on clinical and USG findings the provisional diagnosis was made scar endometriosis and subsequently we managed her by wide local excision of the lesion followed by adjuvant hormone therapy. No recurrence of scar endometriosis was observed during her follow up period.

Effects of Ag NPs on denitrification in suspended sediments via inhibiting microbial electron behaviors

The wide use of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) inevitably leads to their increasing emission into aquatic environments. However, before their final deposition into sediments, the ecological effects of Ag NPs in suspended sediment (SPS) systems have not received much attention. Herein, we investigated the influences of Ag NPs on denitrification in SPS systems, and explored the potential toxicity mechanism through microbial metabolism (electron behaviors) and isotope tracing (added 15NO3−). After exposure to 10 mg/L Ag NPs, electron generation, transport and consumption during denitrification were clearly inhibited, which led to a decrease in the SPS denitrification rate. Specifically, the generation of NADH (electron donor) was significantly decreased to 59.92–86.47% with the Ag NPs treatments by affecting the degradation of glucose, one of the major reasons for the decreased denitrification. It also indicated that Ag NPs could affect nitrogen metabolism by influencing carbon metabolism. In addition, ETSA was clearly inhibited by the affected electron transfer and reception during denitrification; that was the most direct way in the microbial electron transport chain to affect the SPS denitrification rate. Furthermore, the particle size and concentration of SPS affected the toxicity of Ag NPs. The denitrification process in SPS systems with a smaller particle size and lower particle concentration was easily affected by Ag NPs, suggesting that SPS systems dominated by clay (particle size < 3.9 μm) or that less turbulence (having low SPS concentration) might be at greater risk factor when exposed to NPs. Thus, it is important to understand the risks of pollutants, such as Ag NPs, to biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem function in SPS systems.

Automation of C. elegans lifespan measurement

Aging is a fundamental biological process that is still not fully understood. As many of the most significant human diseases have aging as their greatest risk factor, a better understanding of aging potentially has enormous practical implications in treating these diseases. The nematode C. elegans is an exceptionally useful genetic model organism that had been used with great success to shed light on many genes and pathways that are involved in aging. Many of these pathways and mechanisms have been shown to be conserved through mammals. The standard methods for assaying survival in C. elegans to measure changes in lifespan are tedious and time consuming. This limits the throughput and productivity of C. elegans aging researchers. In recent years, many inroads have been made into automating various facets of the collection and analysis of C. elegans lifespan experimental data. The advances described in this review all work to ameliorate some of the hurdles that come with manual worm lifespan scoring, by automating or eliminating some of the most time consuming aspects of the assay. By greatly increasing the throughput of lifespan assays, these methods will enable types of experiments (e.g., drug library screens) whose scale is currently impractical. These methods have already proved exceptionally useful, and some of them are likely to be the predecessors of even more refined methods that could lead to breakthroughs in the ability to study lifespan in C. elegans. This could in turn potentially revolutionize our understanding of the basic biology of aging, and one day lead to treatments that could offset or delay age-related diseases in humans.

Calorie restriction slows age-related microbiota changes in an Alzheimer\u2019s disease model in female mice

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects an estimated 5.8 million Americans, and advanced age is the greatest risk factor. AD patients have altered intestinal microbiota. Accordingly, depleting intestinal microbiota in AD animal models reduces amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque deposition. Age-related changes in the microbiota contribute to immunologic and physiologic decline. Translationally relevant dietary manipulations may be an effective approach to slow microbiota changes during aging. We previously showed that calorie restriction (CR) reduced brain Aβ deposition in the well-established Tg2576 mouse model of AD. Presently, we investigated whether CR alters the microbiome during aging. We found that female Tg2576 mice have more substantial age-related microbiome changes compared to wildtype (WT) mice, including an increase in Bacteroides, which were normalized by CR. Specific gut microbiota changes were linked to Aβ levels, with greater effects in females than in males. In the gut, Tg2576 female mice had an enhanced intestinal inflammatory transcriptional profile, which was reversed by CR. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Bacteroides colonization exacerbates Aβ deposition, which may be a mechanism whereby the gut impacts AD pathogenesis. These results suggest that long-term CR may alter the gut environment and prevent the expansion of microbes that contribute to age-related cognitive decline.

Arrhythmic events in Brugada syndrome patients induced by fever.

IntroductionThe Brugada syndrome is associated with arrhythmic events, which may even lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD) as it causes arrhythmic events. A typical Brugada syndrome ECG type I can be triggered at fever situations. The aim of this pooled meta‐analysis is to further explore the baseline characteristics and the association of fever to BrS‐related arrhythmic events.MethodsWe compiled data from a search of databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar). We included 17 studies including 14 case reports and a total of 53 patients.ResultsOur population including 53 patients showed a male predominance of 92% with a mean age of 40.6 ± 17.7 years. 58% of patients had a family history of SCD or BrS. Genetic screening was performed in 14 patients (26%) and revealed a SCN5A mutation in 21% of the patients. ICD implantation was initiated in six patients. 75% (n = 39) of patients did not have symptoms before the fever event. Symptoms at fever included life‐threatening arrhythmia such as ventricular fibrillation (VF) or ventricular tachycardia (VT; 17%), syncope (13%), and cardiac arrest or aborted SCD (13%). One patient developed electrical storm which led to not aborted SCD.ConclusionFever is a great risk factor for arrhythmia events in BrS patients. Patients with known fever triggered Brugada syndrome should be surveilled closely during fever and be started on antipyretic therapy as soon as possible.

Impairment of Long-term Memory by a Short-term High-fat Diet via Hippocampal Oxidative Stress and Alterations in Synaptic Plasticity

Excessive dietary fat intake is considered a great risk factor for metabolic disorders as well as cognitive dysfunction. However, the potential mechanisms underlying the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) on the brain remain rather obscure. The purpose of this study was to address how early exposure to HFD induces biochemical changes in different brain regions and affects short- and long-term memory. Mice were fed HFD or normal chow for 4 or 7 weeks beginning in adulthood. Our results showed that oxidative stress and biochemical alterations first appeared in the hippocampus after 4 weeks of exposure and were aggravated by a longer exposure time. Additionally, the HFD-fed mice displayed long-term memory impairments, but the performance of the mice in both the HF-4W and HF-7W groups on behavioral tests relying on short-term memory was not affected. The effect of HFD on the brain was also assessed by electrophysiology, which detected a gradual decrease in long-term potentiation in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. The abnormal expression of proteins associated with synaptic function, e.g. synaptophysin, CaMKII, CaMKIV, calcineurin A, ERK and c-fos, was observed in the hippocampus in response to HFD. These results indicate that HFD elicits rapid biochemical and neurological abnormalities in the hippocampus that contribute to cognitive defects and are potentially connected to the HFD-induced suppression of brain activity.