Sub-Saharan Africa's Contribution to Clinical Trials in International Acute Coronary Syndromes and Heart Failure Guidelines.

Background: There is a growing burden of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and heart failure (HF) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), yet outcomes remain poor compared to high-income countries. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) international guidelines are pivotal to the delivery of evidence-based care; however, their representation of populations from SSA remains unclear.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the representation of populations from SSA in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that inform ESC ACS and HF guidelines.

The Impact of Air Pollution on Cardiovascular Health Outcomes in African Populations: A Scoping Review.

Background: Air pollution is a significant environmental risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), but its impact on African populations is under-researched due to limited air quality data and health studies.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to synthesize available research on the effects of air pollution on CVDs outcomes in African populations, identify knowledge gaps, and suggest areas for research and policy intervention.

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed was conducted using terms capturing criteria ambient air pollutants (for example particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and sulfur dioxide) and CVDs and countries in Africa.

Single-cell microbiota phenotyping reveals distinct disease and therapy-associated signatures in Crohn's disease.

IgA-coated fractions of the intestinal microbiota of Crohn's disease (CD) patients have been shown to contain taxa that hallmark the compositional dysbiosis in CD microbiomes. However, the correlation between other cellular properties of intestinal bacteria and disease has not been explored further, especially for features that are not directly driven by the host immune-system, e.g.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Scleroderma Skin Questionnaire: A Novel Patient Reported Outcome for Skin Disease in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis.

Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Scleroderma Skin Questionnaire (SSQ), a novel patient-reported outcome (PRO) to assess systemic sclerosis (SSc) related skin symptoms.

Methods: The SSQ was administered to 799 adults (mean age 52.7; 82% female) enrolled in the SSc Collaborative National Quality and Efficacy Registry (CONQUER).

A Review of Emerging Evidence and Clinical Applications of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment that involves administering 100% oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure to enhance oxygen delivery to tissues. Initially developed for decompression sickness, HBOT has since been utilized for a wide range of medical conditions, including severe infections, non-healing wounds, and, more recently, COVID-19. This review explores the historical development of HBOT, its principles, its emerging role in the management of and its outcome as treatment in COVID-19, particularly in mitigating inflammation, hypoxemia, and oxidative stress.