Impact of Cardiorespiratory Fitness on COVID-19-Related Outcomes: The Exercise Testing and Health Outcomes Study (ETHOS).

Objective: To assess the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and COVID-19-related health outcomes including mortality, hospitalization, and mechanical ventilation.

Patients And Methods: In a retrospective analysis of 750,302 patients included in the Exercise Testing and Health Outcomes Study, we identified 23,140 who had a positive result on COVID-19 testing between March 2020 and September 2021 and underwent a maximal exercise test in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System between October 1, 1999 to September 3, 2020. The association between CRF and risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, including mortality, hospitalization due to COVID-19, and need for intubation was assessed after adjustment for 15 covariates.

The association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms within type 1 interferon pathway genes and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 viral load in antiretroviral-naïve participants.

Background: Human genetic contribution to HIV progression remains inadequately explained. The type 1 interferon (IFN) pathway is important for host control of HIV and variation in type 1 IFN genes may contribute to disease progression. This study assessed the impact of variations at the gene and pathway level of type 1 IFN on HIV-1 viral load (VL).

Novel Therapeutics for Malaria.

Malaria is a potentially fatal disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus It is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in endemic countries of the tropical and subtropical world, particularly in Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America. It is estimated that 247 million malaria cases and 619,000 deaths occurred in 2021 alone. The World Health Organization's (WHO) global initiative aims to reduce the burden of disease but has been massively challenged by the emergence of parasitic strains resistant to traditional and emerging antimalarial therapy.

Hydroxychloroquine and Risk of Long QT Syndrome in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Veterans Cohort Study With Nineteen-Year Follow-up.

Objective: Recent evidence suggests that hydroxychloroquine use is not associated with higher 1-year risk of long QT syndrome (LQTS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Less is known about its long-term risk, the examination of which was the objective of this study.

Methods: We conducted a propensity score-matched active-comparator safety study of hydroxychloroquine in 8,852 veterans (mean age 64 ± 12 years, 14% women, 28% Black) with newly diagnosed RA.