Glycemic control after aortic valve replacement: A retrospective study.

Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) is treated through transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), with diabetes being prevalent among these patients. Inflammation participates in the pathogenesis of AS, and emerging evidence suggests that TAVI may exert anti-inflammatory effects. Given the established link between diabetes and inflammation, we sought to evaluate the impact of aortic valve replacement (AVR) on glycemic control.

Diagnostic Blind Spot: Physicians Overlook Atrial Fibrillation in Pacemaker-Dependent Patients.

Background: Pacemaker recipients demonstrate a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF), yet the regular ventricular activation in pacemaker-dependent patients with AF presents a substantial diagnostic challenge.

Methods: A total of 310 medical practitioners completed a brief, validated survey consisting of three electrocardiograms displaying AF with ventricular pacing. Participants were instructed to identify the underlying rhythm.

In the face of confounders: Atrial fibrillation detection - Practitioners vs. ChatGPT.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice, yet interpretation concerns among healthcare providers persist. Confounding factors contribute to false-positive and false-negative AF diagnoses, leading to potential omissions. Artificial intelligence advancements show promise in electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation.

Glucose-Lowering Drugs with Proven Cardiovascular Benefit Following Acute Coronary Syndrome in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Treatment Gaps and Outcomes.

Real-world data on the implementation and prognostic impact of glucose-lowering drugs with proven cardiovascular benefits in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are limited. We investigated the utilization and treatment patterns of sodium-glucose contrasporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) and glucagon-like peptide-1 recepto-agonists (GLP1RAs) in patients with T2D experiencing ACS and analyzed their association with mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) including recurrent ACS, acute revascularization, heart failure, or ischemic stroke. : We carried out a retrospective analysis of 9756 patients with T2D from a nationwide healthcare organization in Israel who were hospitalized with ACS between 01/2019 and 01/2022.

Levels and trends of persistent organic pollutants in human populations living in the Arctic.

The Arctic Monitoring Assessment Program (AMAP) is tasked with monitoring and assessing the status of environmental contaminants in the Arctic, documenting levels and trends, and producing science-based assessments. The objectives of this paper are to present the current levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) across the Arctic, and to identify trends and knowledge gaps as detailed in the most recent AMAP Human Health Assessment Report. Many Arctic populations continue to have elevated levels of these contaminants, and the highest levels of POPs were observed in populations from Greenland, Faroe Islands, and Nunavik (Canada), as well as populations in the coastal Chukotka district (Russia) for legacy POPs only.

Lipid-lowering therapy with inclisiran in the real-world setting: Initial data from a national health care service.

Background: Inclisiran, a small-interfering RNA enabling long-term inhibition of proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) synthesis, demonstrates a good safety and efficacy profile in clinical trials. Real-world data on the potential to attain lipid-goals and reduce treatment gaps are lacking.

Objectives: To investigate the implementation of inclisiran in real-world clinical setting.

Exposure to organophosphate esters among Inuit adults of Nunavik, Canada.

Halogenated organophosphate esters (OPEs) are increasingly used as flame retardants to replace polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which have been phased out due to their confirmed persistence, toxicity, and ability to undergo long range atmospheric transport. Non-halogenated OPEs are primarily used as plasticizers. While human exposure to PBDEs in the Canadian Arctic is well documented, it is not the case for OPEs.

Characterizing Important Dietary Exposure Sources of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Inuit Youth and Adults in Nunavik Using a Feature Selection Tool.

Background: Previous studies have identified the consumption of country foods (hunted/harvested foods from the land) as the primary exposure source of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) in Arctic communities. However, identifying the specific foods associated with PFAA exposures is complicated due to correlation between country foods that are commonly consumed together.

Methods: We used venous blood sample data and food frequency questionnaire data from the ("How are we now?") 2017 (Q2017) survey of Inuit individuals y of age residing in Nunavik ().

CHA2DS2-VASc Score as a Predictor of Adverse Outcomes after Ischemic Stroke in Patients without Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Ischemic stroke is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality in future vascular events.

Objectives: To investigate whether CHA2DS2-VASc scores aid in risk stratification of middle-aged patients without atrial fibrillation (AF) experiencing ischemic stroke.

Methods: We analyzed data of 2628 patients, aged 40-65 years with no known AF who presented with acute ischemic stroke between January 2020 and February 2022.

The human health effects of unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD): A scoping review of epidemiologic studies.

Objective: Unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD, sometimes termed "fracking" or "hydraulic fracturing") is an industrial process to extract methane gas and/or oil deposits. Many chemicals used in UOGD have known adverse human health effects. Canada is a major producer of UOGD-derived gas with wells frequently located in and around rural and Indigenous communities.

Wild fish consumption and latitude as drivers of vitamin D status among Inuit living in Nunavik, northern Québec.

Objective: To measure vitamin D status and estimate factors associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in Nunavimmiut (Inuit living in Nunavik) adults in 2017.

Design: Data were from ? 2017 Nunavik Inuit Health Survey, a cross-sectional study conducted in August-October 2017. Participants underwent a questionnaire, including an FFQ, and blood samples were analysed for total serum 25(OH)D.

The alternative vagal maneuver; converting atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia by a rectal thermometer.

Vagal maneuvers are techniques used to increase parasympathetic tone, particularly useful in the management of hemodynamically stable supraventricular tachycardias. If ineffective, adenosine can be attempted. We present a patient with atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia (AVNRT), who could not effectively perform Valsalva maneuvers and had contraindications for carotid massage and adenosine administration, that converted into sinus rhythm by using a rectal thermometer.

Maternal disability and initiation and duration of breastfeeding: analysis of a Canadian cross-sectional survey.

Background: The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding as the best method for infant feeding. Known risk factors for breastfeeding non-initiation and early cessation of breastfeeding are diverse and include low breastfeeding self-efficacy, poverty, smoking, obesity, and chronic illness. Although women with disabilities experience elevated rates of these risk factors, few studies have examined their breastfeeding outcomes.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Risk of Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Middle Age Patients without Known Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: Low cardiorespiratory fitness is an established risk predictor for chronic non-communicable diseases. We aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of fitness level on the risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE, the composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, or all-cause death), in a contemporary cohort of middle-aged subjects without cardiovascular disease.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients aged 40-60 years without a history of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiometabolic health and per and polyfluoroalkyl substances in an Inuit population.

Introduction: The cardiometabolic health status of Inuit in Nunavik has worsened in the last thirty years. The high concentrations of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) may be contributing to this since PFAAs have been linked with hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The aim of this study was to examine the association between a PFAAs mixture and lipid profiles, Type II diabetes, prediabetes, and high blood pressure in this Inuit population.

A Patient With Single Coronary Artery and Pectus Excavatum Presenting With Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

We report the case of a 51-year-old male with pectus excavatum (PEX) who presented with stress-related chest pain as a symptom of acute non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography (CAG) revealed a suspected single coronary artery (SCA) anatomy with diffuse atherosclerotic narrowing, without evidence of other coronary ostia in the aortic root. The diagnosis was confirmed on cardiac computed tomography (CCTA) as the SCA of the R-I type by Lipton classification.

Gastric Dilatation Masquerading as Anterolateral ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

A variety of noncardiac conditions mimic the electrocardiographic changes of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Therefore, a physician must maintain a high index of suspicion when evaluating ST-segment elevation (STE). We present a case of epigastric pain secondary to ileus and gastric dilatation masquerading as anterolateral STEMI on an electrocardiogram (ECG).