Serum Lipoproteins Are Associated With Coronary Atherosclerosis in Asymptomatic U.S. Adults Without Traditional Risk Factors.

Background: The relationship between atherogenic lipoproteins and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis has not been thoroughly evaluated in low-risk adults.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the association of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and apolipoprotein B (apoB) with coronary atherosclerosis in adults without traditional risk factors.

Methods: We assessed atherosclerosis on coronary computed tomography angiography among asymptomatic adults in the Miami Heart Study not taking lipid-lowering therapy and without hypertension, diabetes, or active tobacco use.

Extraction of Radiological Characteristics From Free-Text Imaging Reports Using Natural Language Processing Among Patients With Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke: Algorithm Development and Validation.

Background: Neuroimaging is the gold-standard diagnostic modality for all patients suspected of stroke. However, the unstructured nature of imaging reports remains a major challenge to extracting useful information from electronic health records systems. Despite the increasing adoption of natural language processing (NLP) for radiology reports, information extraction for many stroke imaging features has not been systematically evaluated.

Poor haemorrhagic stroke outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic are driven by socioeconomic disparities: analysis of nationally representative data.

Background: Nationally representative studies evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on haemorrhagic stroke outcomes are lacking.

Methods: In this pooled cross-sectional analysis, we identified adults (≥18 years) with primary intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) or subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) from the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2020). We evaluated differences in rates of in-hospital outcomes between the prepandemic (January 2016-February 2020) and pandemic (March-December 2020) periods using segmented logistic regression models.

A Neuro-Informatics Pipeline for Cerebrovascular Disease: Research Registry Development.

Background: Although stroke is well recognized as a critical disease, treatment options are often limited. Inpatient stroke encounters carry critical information regarding the mechanisms of stroke and patient outcomes; however, these data are typically formatted to support administrative functions instead of research. To support improvements in the care of patients with stroke, a substantive research data platform is needed.

Real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies against postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2: analysis of a COVID-19 observational registry for a diverse US metropolitan population.

Objectives: We evaluated the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).

Design And Setting: A retrospective cohort study using a COVID-19 specific, electronic medical record-based surveillance and outcomes registry from an eight-hospital tertiary hospital system in the Houston metropolitan area. Analyses were replicated across a global research network database.

Sex differences in post-stroke cognitive decline: A population-based longitudinal study of nationally representative data.

Background: Sex differences in post-stroke cognitive decline have not been systematically evaluated in a nationally representative cohort. We use a quasi-experimental design to investigate sex differences in rate of post-stroke cognitive decline.

Methods: Utilizing the event study design, we use the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data (1996-2016) to evaluate the differences (percentage points [95% Confidence interval]) in the rate of change in cognitive function, measured using the modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m) score, before and after incident stroke, and among patients with and without incident stroke.

Demographic Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes of Asian American and Pacific Islander Patients With Primary Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

This cross-sectional study analyzes the 15-year demographic, incidence, hospitalization, and case fatality data of Asian American and Pacific Islander adults with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Impact of mRNA vaccines in curtailing SARS-CoV-2 infection and disability leave utilisation among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional analysis from a tertiary healthcare system in the Greater Houston metropolitan area.

Objectives: We provide an account of real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines among healthcare workers (HCWs) at a tertiary healthcare system and report trends in SARS-CoV-2 infections and subsequent utilisation of COVID-19-specific short-term disability leave (STDL).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting And Participants: Summary data on 27 291 employees at a tertiary healthcare system in the Greater Houston metropolitan area between 15 December 2020 and 5 June 2021.

SARS-CoV-2 Susceptibility and COVID-19 Mortality Among Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: Cross-Sectional Analysis From Hospital Records in a Diverse US Metropolitan Area.

Persistent knowledge gaps exist as to the extent that preexisting cognitive impairment is a risk factor for susceptibility to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and mortality from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of adults tested for SARS-CoV-2 at a tertiary healthcare system. Cognitive impairment was identified utilizing diagnosis codes (mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, vascular, and other dementias) or cognitive impairment-specific medication use.

Disparities in COVID-19 hospitalizations and mortality among black and Hispanic patients: cross-sectional analysis from the greater Houston metropolitan area.

Background: Disparate racial/ethnic burdens of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may be attributable to higher susceptibility to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or to factors such as differences in hospitalization and care provision.

Methods: In our cross-sectional analysis of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases from a tertiary, eight-hospital healthcare system across greater Houston, multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to evaluate hospitalization and mortality odds for non-Hispanic Blacks (NHBs) vs. non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) and Hispanics vs.

Decade-Long Nationwide Trends and Disparities in Use of Comfort Care Interventions for Patients With Ischemic Stroke.

Background Stroke remains one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. We characterized 10-year nationwide trends in use of comfort care interventions (CCIs) among patients with ischemic stroke, particularly pertaining to acute thrombolytic therapy with intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator and endovascular thrombectomy, and describe in-hospital outcomes and costs. Methods and Results We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample from 2006 to 2015 and identified adult patients with ischemic stroke with or without thrombolytic therapy and CCIs using validated ( codes.

Rapid Response to Drive COVID-19 Research in a Learning Health Care System: Rationale and Design of the Houston Methodist COVID-19 Surveillance and Outcomes Registry (CURATOR).

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the challenges of meaningful health care digitization. The need for rapid yet validated decision-making requires robust data infrastructure. Organizations with a focus on learning health care (LHC) systems tend to adapt better to rapidly evolving data needs.

Sex differences in susceptibility, severity, and outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019: Cross-sectional analysis from a diverse US metropolitan area.

Introduction: Sex is increasingly recognized as an important factor in the epidemiology and outcome of many diseases. This also appears to hold for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Evidence from China and Europe has suggested that mortality from COVID-19 infection is higher in men than women, but evidence from US populations is lacking.

Path toward Precision Oncology: Review of Targeted Therapy Studies and Tools to Aid in Defining "Actionability" of a Molecular Lesion and Patient Management Support.

Precision medicine trials and targeted therapies have shifted to the forefront of oncology. Although targeted therapies have shown initial promise, implementation across the broad landscape of oncology has many challenges. These limitations include an incomplete understanding of the functional significance of variant alleles as well as the need for clinical research and practice models that are more patient-centered and account for the complexity of individual patient tumors.