Significant Reduction In Odds Research Articles

Cerebral small vessel disease modifies outcomes after minimally invasive surgery for intracerebral haemorrhage

BackgroundMinimally invasive surgery (MIS) for spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is controversial but may be beneficial if end-of-treatment (EOT) haematoma volume is reduced to ≤15 mL. We explored whether MRI...

Association between serum P16ink4A concentration and CIN and cervical cancer among women attending a cervical cancer clinic in western Uganda: A case control study

IntroductionTissue expression of P16ink4A is correlated with cervical lesions. In this study we determined the association between serum P16ink4A concentrations and cervical lesions among women attending the cervical cancer clinic at Mbarara Regional Hospital (MRRH) South Western Uganda. Material and MethodsWe recruited 90 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) cases, 90 cervical cancer (CC) cases before treatment and 90 controls. Clinical and demographic data were recorded. Serum P16ink4A concentrations were measured by quantitative Elisa. Cases were confirmed with cytology and/or histology. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were done with STATA 17 and P-values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. ResultsThe mean serum P16ink4A concentration among CIN cases, CC cases and controls was 1.11(+/−0.66) ng/ml, 1.45(+/−1.11) ng/ml and 1.13(+/−0.61) ng/ml respectively (p = 0.008). 50 % of CIN cases and controls as well as 60 % of CC cases had P16ink4A concentration above 0.946 ng/ml. There were increased odds of CIN for serum P16ink4A though statistically insignificant (AOR: 1.11, p-value: 0.70). There was also a statistically significant reduction in odds of CC for serum P16ink4A (AOR: 0.55, p-value: 0.01). ConclusionSerum P16ink4A may likely be associated with cervical lesions especially CC in our study population and this may aid detection of such lesions. Diagnostic utility studies for circulating P16ink4A in detection of cervical cancer are recommended.

Yingyangbao Reduced Anemia among Infants and Young Children Aged 6-23 Months When Delivered through a Large-Scale Nutrition Improvement Program for Children in Poor Areas in China from 2015 to 2020.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of intervention with Yingyangbao (YYB) on hemoglobin (Hb) and anemia status among infants and young children (IYC) aged 6-23 months (mo) through a large-scale Nutrition Improvement Program for Children in Poor Areas (NIPCPA) in China from 2015 to 2020. Five rounds of cross-sectional surveys were conducted using a stratified and multi-stage probability proportional to size sampling of IYC in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Multivariable regression analyses were fitted to determine the effectiveness of the YYB intervention on Hb and anemia, respectively. A total of 36,325, 40,027, 43,831, 44,375 and 46,050 IYC aged 6-23 mo were included, and the prevalence of anemia was 29.7%, 26.9%, 24.1%, 21.2% and 18.1% in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Compared with the results in 2015, the Hb concentrations significantly improved and anemia prevalence significantly decreased among IYC in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 (p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that higher YYB consumption was significantly associated with the increment in Hb concentration and reduction in anemia stratified by age group (p < 0.001). The most significant increment in Hb concentration of 2.189 mg/L and the most significant reduction in odds of anemia were observed among IYC aged 12-17 mo who consumed 270 to 359 sachets of YYB (OR: 0.671; 95% CI: 0.627, 0.719; p < 0.001). This study suggests that YYB intervention is a successful public health strategy for reducing the risk of anemia among IYC when delivered through a large-scale NIPCPA in China. It is necessary to continue to advance the program and increase the adherence of YYB.

Significance of Flu Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Questionnaire-based Survey

Introduction: Before the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID- 19) vaccines were developed, there was an intense search for preventive measures and effective treatments of COVID-19, which has led to a recommendation of influenza vaccination as a preventive measure against COVID-19. As of August 2022, there are still many countries where percentage of at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination is ≤20%. In such a scenario it becomes pertinent for a continuous search of other preventive measures such as significance of flu vaccination against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Aim: To explore any relation between the flu vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Materials and Methods: A retrospective case control study was undertaken through questionnaire-based survey with 200 cases who had taken flu vaccination within one year of COVID-19 testing and 800 as controls. All candidates were consecutively enrolled in this study and informed consent was obtained. Results: Most common age group among vaccinated candidates was 31-40 years. Among 200 individuals of cases group, 3 (1.5%) were positive for COVID-19 and 197 (98.5%) were negative. Among 3 positive individuals in cases only one required hospitalisation. Among 800 control group, 38 (4.7%) were positive and 762 (95.2%) were negative for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Rate of positivity was 2.3% less among vaccinated group in comparison to non vaccinated group. Conclusion: In this study it was observed that individuals who had received the flu vaccine there was a significant reduction in odds of testing positive for COVID-19 compared to those who did not received the vaccine.

Real-World Outcomes Associated With Letermovir Use for Cytomegalovirus Primary Prophylaxis in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of real-world observational studies was conducted to summarize the impact of letermovir cytomegalovirus (CMV) primary prophylaxis (PP) among adult allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (allo-HCT) recipients. Systematic searches in Medline/PubMed, Embase, and conferences (from database inception to October 2021) were conducted to identify studies for inclusion. Random-effects models were used to derive pooled estimates on the relative effectiveness of letermovir PP compared to controls. Forty-eight unique studies (N = 7104 patients) were included, most of which were comparative, single-center, and conducted in the United States. Letermovir PP was associated with statistically significant reduction in odds of CMV reactivation (pooled odds ratio [pOR], 0.13 and 0.24; P < .05), clinically significant CMV infection (pOR, 0.09 and 0.19; P < .05), and CMV disease (pOR, 0.31 and 0.35; P < .05) by day +100 and day +200 after allo-HCT, respectively. Letermovir PP was associated with significantly lower odds of all-cause (pOR, 0.73; P < .01) and nonrelapse mortality (pOR, 0.65; P = .01) beyond day 200 after allo-HCT. Letermovir for CMV PP was effective in reducing the risk of CMV-related complications overall and mortality beyond day 200 among adult allo-HCT recipients.

Effects of trail and greenspace exposure on hospitalisations in a highly populated urban area: retrospective cohort study of the Houston Bayou Greenways program

ABSTRACT Exposure to urban greenspaces has been linked to improved health outcomes for prevalent conditions. Studies have observed traditional block greenspaces, whereas linear trail systems could maximise health impacts by reaching greater population percentages. We assessed the temporal effects of linear greenspace exposure on health by examining the impact of the Bayou Greenways (BGs) linear trail implementation on health conditions and hospitalisations. We retrospectively analysed inpatient hospitalisation records for Harris County, Texas, from 2015–2019. Thirteen health conditions were explored with hospital admission rates per zip code as the primary outcome. Primary exposure variables were attributes of the BGs interconnected trail system: access duration, ten-minute walk proximity, and access point density. Models were evaluated to assess associations between admission rates in zip codes with and without BGs. Unadjusted analyses for zip codes with high access to trails had reduced odds of admission for obesity (OR, 95%CI: 0.18, 0.10–0.30), ischaemic heart disease (IHD; OR, 95%CI: 0.56, 0.34–0.93), and acute myocardial infarction (AMI; OR, 95%CI: 0.59, 0.37–0.94). Zip codes with >30% of the population within a ten-minute walk showed significant reduction in odds of hospital admission for obesity, (OR, 95%CI: 0.07, 0.03-0.17), IHD (OR, 95%CI: 0.23, 0.12–0.44), and AMI (OR, 95%CI: 0.29, 0.14–0.62). Analysis of socio-economic status (SES) demonstrated that low income and less densely populated areas showed increased admissions for obesity, IHD, AMI, and all-cause hospitalisations. Access to trails may be important in lower SES areas. These findings can inform public policy to integrate greenspace to support healthier communities.

Guideline-concordant utilization of magnetic resonance imaging in adults receiving chiropractic manipulative therapy vs other care for radicular low back pain: a retrospective cohort study.

BackgroundLumbar magnetic resonance imaging (LMRI) is often performed early in the course of care, which can be discordant with guidelines for non-serious low back pain. Our primary hypothesis was that adults receiving chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy (CSMT) for incident radicular low back pain (rLBP) would have reduced odds of early LMRI over 6-weeks’ follow-up compared to those receiving other care (a range of medical care, excluding CSMT). As a secondary hypothesis, CSMT recipients were also expected to have reduced odds of LMRI over 6-months’ and 1-years’ follow-up.MethodsA national 84-million-patient health records database including large academic healthcare organizations (TriNetX) was queried for adults age 20–70 with rLBP newly-diagnosed between January 31, 2012 and January 31, 2022. Receipt or non-receipt of CSMT determined cohort allocation. Patients with prior lumbar imaging and serious pathology within 90 days of diagnosis were excluded. Propensity score matching controlled for variables associated with LMRI utilization (e.g., demographics). Odds ratios (ORs) of LMRI over 6-weeks’, 6-months’, and 1-years’ follow-up after rLBP diagnosis were calculated.ResultsAfter matching, there were 12,353 patients per cohort (mean age 50 years, 56% female), with a small but statistically significant reduction in odds of early LMRI in the CSMT compared to other care cohort over 6-weeks’ follow-up (9%, 10%, OR [95% CI] 0.88 [0.81–0.96] P = 0.0046). There was a small but statistically significant increase in odds of LMRI among patients in the CSMT relative to the other care cohort over 6-months’ (12%, 11%, OR [95% CI] 1.10 [1.02–1.19], P < 0.0174) and 1-years’ follow-up (14%, 12%, OR [95% CI] 1.21 [1.13–1.31], P < 0.0001).ConclusionsThese results suggest that patients receiving CSMT for newly-diagnosed rLBP are less likely to receive early LMRI than patients receiving other care. However, CSMT recipients have a small increase in odds of LMRI over the long-term. Both cohorts in this study had a relatively low rate of early LMRI, possibly because the data were derived from academic healthcare organizations. The relationship of these findings to other patient care outcomes and cost should be explored in a future randomized controlled trial.RegistrationOpen Science Framework (https://osf.io/t9myp). Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12891-022-05462-y.

Child maltreatment, social capital, maternal mental health and duration of program involvement: Assessment from a community-based empowerment program in Kenya.

Multisystem, multi-level interventions are required to enable resilient, nurturing environments for children facing adversity. This study assesses parenting behavior associated with participation in a community-based, adapted microfinance program, and mediated by program-affiliated social capital, maternal depression and self-esteem among Kenyan women. Participants in the intervention, Kuja Pamoja kwa Jamii (KPJ, Swahili for "Come Together to Belong"), gather weekly to engage in trainings and group-based microfinance. Groups selected for the study had participated in the program for 0-15 months at the time of the first interview. Women (n = 400) completed surveys in June 2018 and June 2019. Measures included duration of program exposure, group-affiliated social capital (i.e. trust, belonging, cohesion, and expectation of mutual benefit), depression, self-esteem, and conflict tactics. We used regression analyses and generalized structural equation models to explore associations between program exposure, social capital, psychosocial variables and child maltreatment. Each standard deviation increase in duration of program exposure decreased odds of child physical abuse by 40% and child neglect by 35%. Each standard deviation in the social capital index predicted a significant reduction in odds of child physical abuse (aOR: 0.67), and child neglect (aOR: 0.71). Self-esteem and depression fully mediated observed associations between social capital and child maltreatment. Findings recommend further investigation of the potential for adapted microfinance programs to deliver parenting interventions, improve mental health and foster resilience-enabling social capital. A randomized control trial is required to validate the potential of the assessed intervention to improve parenting behaviors and supportive social conditions.

Associations Between Smoking and Primary Sjögren Syndrome Classification Using the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance Cohort.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the association of smoking with Primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) classification and pSS diagnostic test results. We hypothesized that past and current smokers would have lower odds of being classified as having Sjögren syndrome (SS) and lower odds of having abnormal individual SS diagnostic test results compared with nonsmokers.MethodsParticipants with suspected or established pSS were enrolled into the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance (SICCA) registry and had oral, ocular, and rheumatologic examinations performed; blood and saliva samples collected; and labial salivary gland biopsy examinations performed; they also completed questionnaires at baseline. Logistic regression was used to determine whether smoking status was associated with pSS classification and individual pSS diagnostic test results.ResultsA total of 3514 participants were enrolled in SICCA. A total of 1541 (52.9%) met classification criteria for pSS. Compared with never smokers, current smokers had reduced odds of being classified as having pSS, reduced odds of having a focus score ≥ 1 and serologic positivity for anti‐SSA/anti‐SSB antibodies, and lower odds of having abnormal signs or test results of dry eye disease. Compared with never smokers, past smokers did not have a statistically significant reduction in odds of being classified as having pSS and of having abnormal individual pSS diagnostic test results.ConclusionCompared with never smokers, current smokers in the SICCA cohort had lower odds of being classified as having pSS, lower odds of exhibiting abnormal signs and test results for dry eye disease, and lower odds of having a labial salivary gland biopsy supportive of pSS classification. Such negative associations, however, do not suggest that current smoking is of any benefit with respect to pSS.

Association of Common Medications and the Risk of Early-Onset Gastric Cancer: A Population-Based Matched Study.

Background Early-onset gastric cancer (EOGC, age ≤ 60 years at diagnosis) now comprises >30% of new gastric cancers in the United States. It is hypothesized that chronic acid suppression with proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) may promote tumorigenesis, while other medications including statins, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), metformin, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors have been proposed as protective. We aimed to assess for an association between use of the aforementioned commonly prescribed medications and EOGC development. Methods We used a population-based medical record linkage system, to identify cases of EOGC in Olmsted County, Minnesota, between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2020. Patients were matched 1 : 1 with controls based on age at diagnosis, sex, smoking status, and body mass index (BMI). Conditional logistic regression was used to examine associations with the odds of EOGC development. Results Ninety-six cases of EOGC were identified during the study period. On both univariate and multivariate regression analysis, there was no significant association between use of PPIs, statins, NSAIDs, or metformin and EOGC development. In a final multivariable model, there was a significant reduction in odds of EOGC with COX-2 inhibitor use for six months or more prior to cancer diagnosis (OR = 0.39, 95% CI 0.16-0.94). Conclusion In this retrospective, population-based study of individuals in Olmsted County, MN, we found significantly reduced odds of EOGC development associated with COX-2 inhibitor use for six months or more prior to diagnosis, but no association between EOGC development and use of PPIs and other commonly prescribed medications.

S1005 Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of Pancreatic Stents in Preventing Post-ERCP Pancreatitis

Introduction: Pancreatitis is a common and potentially devastating complication of ERCP. Prior studies have shown that prophylactic pancreatic duct stent (PS) placement may be effective to reduce post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) in high-risk patients, such as patients with sphincter of Oddi dysfunction or prior history of pancreatitis. However, prior meta-analyses are missing relevant studies both contemporaneously and since published. We aim to perform a comprehensive analysis comparing PS placement to no PS placement to prevent PEP in high-risk patients. Methods: In conjunction with a health sciences librarian, Ovid Medline, Embase and Embase Classic, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from inception to March 26, 2021. Randomized controlled trials that directly compared PS placement versus no PS placement in preventing PEP were included. Our primary outcome was the incidence of PEP. Additional outcomes included incidence of mild PEP, moderate PEP, and severe PEP, as well as the incidence of adverse outcomes including hemorrhage, infection, and pancreatic duct perforation. Quantitative data was harmonized using random effects models. Results: The search yielded 1,668 citations, 444 of which were removed as duplicates. Each study was assessed by two reviewers. 116 articles were selected for full text review, and eighteen randomized controlled trials were identified of pancreatic stent placement to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis. In sum, 1,295 patients were assigned to pancreatic stent prophylaxis and 1,299 to no stent placement. There was a significant reduction in odds of PEP in the PS group (Figure 1, OR 0.36 [95% CI 0.28-0.46]). In addition, PS placement was strongly protective against severe pancreatitis (Table 1, OR 0.25 [95% CI 0.07-0.81]). Stent placement was successful in 98% of cases (95% CI 95-100) and there was no difference in pancreatic duct perforation, bleeding, or infection (Table 1). Conclusion: Pancreatic stent placement is an effective intervention to reduce the incidence of PEP in high-risk patients. Further, pancreatic stent placement is particularly effective against the severe forms of PEP. There is no significant difference in major non-pancreatitis adverse events for pancreatic stent placement compared to no stent placed.Figure 1.: a. Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival curves of time to hospital utilization for inpatients undergoing ERCP, stratified by ASGE 2011 complexity score Figure 1b. Post-hoc analysis of KM survival curve for inpatients undergoing ERCP, ASGE 2011 grade 1 versus 4 Figure 1c. Post-hoc analysis of KM survival curve for inpatients undergoing ERCP, ASGE 2011 grade 2 versus 4 Figure 1d. Post-hoc analysis of KM survival curve for inpatients undergoing ERCP, ASGE 2011 grade 3 versus 4.Table 1.: Odds Ratio of Major Outcomes With Pancreatic Stent Placement ERCP = endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, PS = pancreatic duct stent, OR = odds ratio, CI = confidence interval.

Local Education Agency Impact on School Environments to Reduce Health Risk Behaviors and Experiences Among High School Students

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to assess associations between exposure to a multilevel, socio-ecological health program administered by local education agencies and changes in health behaviors among high school students. MethodsThis analysis used a multilevel difference-in-differences approach to compare student health experiences and outcomes between schools selected by local education agencies nationwide to implement the program (exposed schools) and schools that were not (unexposed schools). We measured repeated cross-sectional outcomes using the 2015 and 2017 Youth Risk Behaviors Surveys. The final analytic sample comprised 638 schools in total (N = 64,838 students), with 237 exposed schools (n = 30,336 students) and 401 unexposed schools (n = 34,502 students). ResultsStudents in exposed schools demonstrated significant reduction in odds compared with those in unexposed schools in ever having sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = .88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: .81–.96), having four or more lifetime sexual partners (aOR = .84, 95% CI: .72–.97), being currently sexually active (aOR = .78, 95% CI: .78–.96), and using effective hormonal birth control (aOR = .7, 95% CI: .56–.88). Exposure to the program was associated with significant reduction in odds of not going to school because of safety concerns (aOR = .87, 95% CI: .78–.97), having experienced forced sex (aOR = .76, 95% CI: .68–.86), ever used marijuana (aOR = .89, 95% CI: .81–.98), and currently using marijuana (aOR = .77, 95% CI: .64–.93). ConclusionsExposure to the program was associated with significant decreases in sexual risk behaviors, experience of violence, and substance use.

Assessing the need for pioglitazone in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of its risks and benefits from prospective trials

The safety and usefulness of pioglitazone (Pio) is repeatedly called into question due to the contradictory information available about it. A meta-analysis and risk benefit assessment was conducted to address the various points of debate regarding Pio. Electronic database search (Cochrane library, Embase & PubMed) resulted in 10 citations eligible for this meta-analysis (prospective, randomised studies), which was conducted using CMA software version 3 (Biostat Inc., Englewood, NJ, USA). The meta-analysis was registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42019122403) and compared pioglitazone with a control (anti-hyperglycemic agents without pioglitazone) in patients with either established cardiovascular disease or having high cardiovascular risk. Sensitivity and subgroup analysis were conducted to differentiate the effect of Pio against active controls and placebo. The use of Pio compared to the control group that did not use Pio resulted in a 14% and 23% significant reduction in odds of major adverse cardiac events (MACE: MH-OR, 0.86; 95% CI 0.75–0.98), and stroke (MH-OR, 0.77; 95% CI 0.60–0.99), respectively. This reduction in stroke was not significant in comparison to placebo on subgroup analysis. However, Pio significantly increased odds of heart failure (HF) (MH-OR, 1.47; 95% CI 1.26–1.71) as well as hospitalization for heart failure (hHF) (MH-OR, 1.48; 95% CI 1.21–1.81). In addition, the use of Pio was associated with a significant increase in odds of fractures in women (MH-OR, 2.05; 95% CI 1.28–3.27) and anaemia (MH-OR, 2.56; 95% CI 1.55–4.21). Pio has no significant effect on bladder cancer nor macular oedema. Pio has salutary effects on MACE. The positive effects are completely offset by the harm they seem to cause by way of heart failure, fractures, and anaemia. Pio should therefore be reserved for treatment of T2D with high CV risk or established cardiovascular (CV) disease only in selected patients where other antidiabetics are precluded and not routinely.

Patients with Obesity Have Better Long-Term Outcomes after Hospitalization for COPD Exacerbation

Obesity has been shown to have a paradoxical benefit in a number of conditions, but the long-term effects in obesity after chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation is still unclear. In this study, the effects of obesity on short- and long-term outcomes after a COPD exacerbation were evaluated. This was a secondary analysis of the Rapid Empiric Treatment with Oseltamivir Study (RETOS): a prospective, randomized, unblinded clinical trial. Patients were included in the study if they were hospitalized for acute exacerbation of COPD. Obesity was noted as patients with BMI >30. Clinical outcomes of time to clinical stability, length of stay, and mortality were compared. A total of 301 patients were included in the study, 122 (41%) patients were obese. There was no significant difference in the length of stay and time to clinical stability between patients with and without obesity. Mortality for patients with and without obesity was 3% and 3% at 30 days, 7% and 18% at six months, and 8% and 28% at one year, respectively. After adjusting with multivariable regression analysis, patients with obesity had a significant reduction in odds of dying at one year (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.18; 95% CI: 0.06–0.58; p = .004) and at six months (aOR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.09–0.89; p = .031). Our study showed that obesity was associated with reduced mortality at one year and six months after a COPD exacerbation. Although patients with obesity had higher rates of comorbidities, they had reduced mortality at one year after multivariable regression analysis.

Effect of Age on Clinical Outcomes Following On-/Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass: Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression.

ObjectiveThere is currently much debate about which patients would benefit more after on- or off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The aim of this meta-analysis and meta-regression is to investigate the effect of age on short-term clinical outcomes after these approaches.MethodsTo identify potential studies, systematic searches were carried out in the Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). The search strategy included the key concepts of “cardiopulmonary bypass” AND “coronary artery bypass grafting” AND “off pump” OR “on pump”. This was followed by a meta-analysis and meta-regression investigating the effect of age on the incidences of stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and mortality.ResultsThirty-seven studies including 15,324 participants were analysed. Overall, there was a significant odds reduction for patients receiving off-pump CABG suffering a stroke (odds ratio [OR] 0.770, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.594, 0.998, P=0.048); however, when patients were subdivided according to different age bands, this difference disappeared. There were also no significant differences in the odds of mortality (OR 0.876, 95% CI 0.703, 1.093, P=0.241) or MI (OR 0.937, 95% CI 0.795, 1.105, P=0.439). Meta-regression analysis revealed no significant relationship between age and stroke (P=0.652), age and mortality (P=548), and age and MI (P=0.464).ConclusionPatients undergoing CABG are becoming older and may suffer from multiple comorbidities increasing their risk profile. However, with respect to short-term clinical outcomes, the patient’s age does not help in determining whether off- or on-pump is superior.

Does prior antithrombotic therapy influence recurrence and bleeding risk in stroke patients with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter?

Whilst antithrombotic therapy is recommended in people with atrial fibrillation, little is known about the survival benefits of antithrombotic treatment in those with both high ischaemic and bleeding risk scores. We aim to describe the distribution of these risk scores in those with a prior diagnosis of atrial fibrillation who have suffered stroke and to determine the net clinical benefit of antithrombotic treatment. We used regional stroke register data in the UK. Patients with a prior diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke patients were selected and their ischaemic stroke risk score (CHA2DS2-VASc) and bleeding risk score (HEMORR2HAGES) scores retrospectively calculated. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to determine the association between antithrombotic therapy prior to stroke and in-hospital and long-term mortality. A total of 1928 stroke patients (mean age 81.3 years (standard deviation 8.5), 56.8% women) with prior atrial fibrillation were included. Of these, 1761 (91.3%) suffered ischaemic stroke. The most common phenotype (64%) was of those with both high CHA2DS2-VASc (≥2) and high HEMORR2HAGES score (≥4). In our fully adjusted model, patients on antithrombotic treatment with both high ischaemic and bleeding risk had a significant reduction in odds of 31% for in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 0.69 (95% confidence interval 0.48-1.00: p = 0.049)) and 17% relative risk reduction for long-term mortality (hazard ratio 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.71-0.97: p = 0.02)). Our study suggests that antithrombotic treatment has a prognostic benefit following incident stroke in those with both high ischaemic risk and high bleeding risk. This should be considered when choosing treatment options in this group of patients.

More- Versus Less-Intensive Lipid-Lowering Therapy.

It has not been yet adequately addressed whether the addition of the nonstatin LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol)-lowering agents on top of statins has the same magnitude of risk reduction in the cardiovascular events as compared with more-intensive statin therapy. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs (randomized controlled trials) comparing more- versus less-intensive lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) on clinical outcomes in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk. We included 23 studies involving 133 037 patients (more-intensive LLT: 67 691 patients and less-intensive LLT: 65 346 patients). We evaluated 3 types of more- versus less-intensive LLT including more versus less statins (57 672 patients), combination therapy of ezetimibe versus statins alone (20 688 patients), or a PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9) inhibitor with statins versus statins alone (54 677 patients). The odds for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; equivalent to the composite of coronary heart death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or coronary revascularization) were significantly lower in the more-intensive LLT group compared with the less-intensive LLT group in the entire study population (odds ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.79-0.88; P<0.001), and in all the 3 categories of more-intensive LLT strategies (more-intensive statin therapy: odds ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.76-0.90; P<0.001, ezetimibe: odds ratio, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.85-0.96; P<0.001, and PCSK9 inhibitors: odds ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73-0.90; P<0.001) with numerically greater relative odds reduction by more-intensive statin therapy and PCSK9 inhibitors than by ezetimibe. Odds reduction for MACE per 20 mg/dL LDL-C reduction was also different across the 3 types of more-intensive LLT (more-intensive statin therapy: 17.4%, ezetimibe: 11.0%, and PCSK9 inhibitors: 6.6%). In this meta-analysis, more-intensive LLT as compared with less-intensive LLT was associated with significant odds reduction for MACE in the entire study population and in all the 3 categories of more-intensive LLT such as more-intensive statin therapy, ezetimibe, and PCSK9 inhibitors. However, overall odds reduction for MACE and odds reduction for MACE per 20 mg/dL LDL-C reduction were different across the 3 types of more-intensive LLT. Registration: URLs: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/ and http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr. Unique identifiers: PROSPERO: CRD42018081196, and UMIN-CTR: R000036229.

Parasitic infections in Malaysian aborigines with pulmonary tuberculosis: a comparative cross-sectional study

The geographical distribution of tuberculosis (TB) overlaps with various parasitic infections. Uncovering the characteristics of coinfecting parasites that potentially affect the host susceptibility to TB is pertinent as it may provide input to current TB therapeutic and prophylactic measures. The present study was aimed at examining the types of parasitic infections in TB patients and healthy TB contacts (HC) in Orang Asli, Malaysian aborigines, who dwelled in the co-endemic areas. Stool and serum samples were collected from Orang Asli who fulfilled the selection criteria and provided written informed consents. Selected parasitic infections in the two study groups were determined by stool examination and commercial serum antibody immunoassays. The prevalence of parasitic infections in TB and HC participants were 100% (n = 82) and 94.6% (n = 55) respectively. The parasitic infections comprised toxocariasis, trichuriasis, amoebiasis, toxoplasmosis, hookworm infection, ascariasis, strongyloidiasis, and brugian filariasis, in decreasing order of prevalence. Overall, helminth or protozoa infection did not show any significant association with the study groups. However, when the species of the parasite was considered, individuals exposed to trichuriasis and toxoplasmosis showed significant odds reduction (odds ratio (OR) 0.338; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.166, 0.688) and odds increment (OR 2.193; 95% CI 1.051, 4.576) to have active pulmonary TB, respectively. In conclusion, trichuriasis and toxoplasmosis may have distinct negative and positive associations respectively with the increase of host susceptibility to TB.

Impact of Mobile Crisis Services on Emergency Department Use Among Youths With Behavioral Health Service Needs.

Youths are using emergency departments (EDs) for behavioral health services in record numbers, even though EDs are suboptimal settings for service delivery. In this article, the authors evaluated a mobile crisis service intervention implemented in Connecticut with the aim of examining whether the intervention was associated with reduced behavioral health ED use among those in need of services. The authors examined two cohorts of youths: 2,532 youths who used mobile crisis services and a comparison sample of 3,961 youths who used behavioral health ED services (but not mobile crisis services) during the same fiscal year. Propensity scores were created to balance the two groups, and outcome analyses were used to examine subsequent ED use (any behavioral health ED admissions and number of behavioral health ED admissions) in an 18-month follow-up period. A pooled odds ratio of 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.66-0.84) indicated that youths who received mobile crisis services had a significant reduction in odds of a subsequent behavioral health ED visit compared with youths in the comparison sample. The comparable result for the continuous outcome of number of behavioral health ED visits yielded an incidence risk ratio of 0.78 (95% CI=0.71-0.87). Using comparison groups, the authors provided evidence suggesting that community-based mobile crisis services, such as Mobile Crisis, reduce ED use among youths with behavioral health service needs. Replication in other years and locations is needed. Nevertheless, these results are quite promising in light of current trends in ED use.

Improving incidence trends of severe intraventricular haemorrhages in preterm infants

ObjectiveTo describe the trend and risk factors for severe intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) among infants <32 weeks gestation.DesignPopulation-based cohort study.SettingAustralia and New Zealand.PatientsAll preterm infants <32 weeks gestation in the Australian...