Preliminary reference values for Alzheimer's disease plasma biomarkers in Congolese individuals with and without dementia.

Background: Western countries have provided reference values (RV) for Alzheimer's disease (AD) plasma biomarkers, but there are not available in Sub-Saharan African populations.

Objective: We provide preliminary RV for AD and other plasma biomarkers including amyloid- (Aβ42/40), phosphorylated tau-181 and 217 (p-tau181, p-tau217), neurofilament light (Nfl), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), interleukin 1b and 10 (IL-1b and IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) in Congolese adults with and without dementia.

Methods: 85 adults (40 healthy and 45 dementia) over 50 years old were included.

The association between alcohol intake and incident atrial fibrillation in older adults: The ARIC cohort.

The association of alcohol intake with incident atrial fibrillation (AF) remains controversial, particularly among older adults. This study explores the association of alcohol intake with incident AF in older adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort. Data were obtained from ARIC, a community-based cohort aimed to identify risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Association of left atrial function with vascular brain injury: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.

Background And Purpose: Lower left atrial (LA) function is associated with higher dementia risk and may be mechanistically linked through vascular brain injury, an established correlate for higher dementia risk. Using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, we assessed the cross-sectional association between LA function and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of vascular brain injury.

Methods: We included 1488 participants who were free of prevalent dementia, stroke, or atrial fibrillation and who underwent a two-dimensional echocardiogram and brain MRI in 2011-2013 (mean [± standard deviation] age 76 [± 5] years, 60% female, 27% Black).

Contrasting behavioural responses to concurrent stressors in an aquatic snail: the importance of stress type and combination.

Behaviour is a fundamental parameter for understanding the animal fitness, serving as an indicator of exposure to stressors. In ecosystems, animals often face multiple stressors simultaneously. Their behavioural responses may vary when exposed to individual stressors, whilst synergistic, additive, or antagonistic effects can result from the interaction of multiple stressors.

Wildland Fire-Related Smoke PM and Cardiovascular Disease ED Visits in the Western United States.

Background: The impact of short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM ) due to wildland fire smoke on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains unclear. We investigated the association between short-term exposure to wildfire smoke PM and Emergency Department (ED) visits for acute CVD in the Western United States from 2007 to 2018.

Methods: ED visits for primary or secondary diagnoses of atrial fibrillation (AF), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF), stroke, and total CVD were obtained from hospital associations or state health departments in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah.

Biomarkers of atrial fibrillation-related pathways and left atrial structure and function in an overweight and obese population.

Background: Exploring longitudinal associations of blood biomarkers with left atrial (LA) structure and function can enhance our understanding of atrial fibrillation (AF) etiopathogenesis.

Methods: We studied 532 participants of the PREDIMED-Plus trial, a multicenter randomized trial in overweight and obese adults with metabolic syndrome. At baseline, 3 and 5 years after randomization, participants underwent transthoracic echocardiography and provided blood for serum biomarker measurements [propeptide of procollagen type I (PICP), high-sensitivity (hs) troponin T (hsTnT), hs C-reactive protein (hsCRP), 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), and N-terminal propeptide of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)].

Predictors of white matter hyperintensities in the elderly Congolese population.

Background: White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are strongly linked to cardiovascular risk factors and other health conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. However, there is a dearth of research on this topic in low-income countries and underserved populations, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the population is aging rapidly with increasing cardiovascular risk factors and dementia-related diseases. This study evaluates health factors associated with WMH in the elderly Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), specifically Congolese adults.

Neurodegenerative Plasma Biomarkers for Prediction of Hippocampal Atrophy in Older Adults with Suspected Alzheimer's Disease in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Objective: The hippocampus is one of the first brain structures affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD), and its atrophy is a strong indicator of the disease. This study investigates the ability of plasma biomarkers of AD and AD-related dementias-amyloid-β (Aβ42/40), phosphorylated tau-181 (p-tau181), neurofilament light (NfL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-to predict hippocampal atrophy in adult individuals in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Methods: Eighty-five adult individuals (40 healthy and 45 suspected AD) over 65 years old were evaluated using the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia and Alzheimer's Questionnaire (AQ).

Effect of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors on survival free of organ support in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 (ACTIV-4a): a pragmatic, multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, platform trial.

Background: Patients hospitalised for COVID-19 are at risk for multiorgan failure and death. Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors provide cardiovascular and kidney protection in patients with cardiometabolic conditions and could provide organ protection during COVID-19. We aimed to investigate whether SGLT2 inhibitors can reduce the need for organ support in patients hospitalised for COVID-19.

Preliminary reference values for Alzheimer's disease plasma biomarkers in Congolese individuals with and without Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Western countries have provided reference values (RV) for Alzheimer's disease (AD) plasma biomarkers, but there are not available in Sub-Saharan African populations.

Objective: We provide preliminary RV for AD and other plasma biomarkers including amyloid- β (Aβ42/40), phosphorylated tau-181 and 217 (p-tau181, p-tau217), neurofilament light (Nfl), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), interleukin 1b and 10 (IL-1b and IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in Congolese adults with and without dementia.

Methods: 85 adults (40 healthy and 45 dementia) over 50 years old were included.

Association Between Obesity and Risk of Total and Obesity-Related Cancer in People With Incident Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer frequently co-occur due to shared risk factors such as obesity, which is linked to CVD and 14 cancer types. This study explores whether CVD pathophysiologies, combined with obesity, increase cancer risk, impacting clinical management.

Methods And Results: Data from the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study, spanning 28 years, were analyzed.

Association of Anticoagulant Choice on mortality in the Primary Treatment of Non-Cancer Venous Thromboembolism: Medicare 2011-2018.

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs; rivaroxaban, apixaban) and warfarin are approved for venous thromboembolism (VTE) treatment. Few direct comparisons of DOACs on risk of mortality among VTE patients exist, and for patients with concomitant conditions (e.g.

Persistence in the Methadone Maintenance Program and Its Relationship with the Medication Regimen Complexity Index in Opioid-Dependent Patients.

It has been shown that the Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) is a useful and reliable tool for calculating the complexity of the pharmacotherapeutic regimen (CPR). Furthermore, a high MRCI is associated with lower adherence. However, the MRCI of opioid-dependent patients (ODP) has not been studied.

Association of patient-level characteristics with long-term outcomes after Fontan palliation: Rationale, design, and baseline characteristics of the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium Fontan cohort study.

Background: The Fontan operation is used to palliate single ventricle congenital heart defects (CHD) but poses significant morbidity and mortality risks. We present the design, planned analyses, and rationale for a long-term Fontan cohort study aiming to examine the association of patient characteristics at the time of Fontan with post-Fontan morbidity and mortality.

Methods And Results: We used the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium (PCCC), a US-based, multicenter registry of pediatric cardiac surgeries to identify patients who underwent the Fontan procedure for single ventricle CHD between 1 and 21 years of age.

Effect of an Intensive Lifestyle Intervention on Circulating Biomarkers of Atrial Fibrillation-Related Pathways among Adults with Metabolic Syndrome: Results from a Randomized Trial.

: Lifestyles influence atrial fibrillation (AF) risk. Determining the effect of lifestyle interventions on blood concentrations of biomarkers of AF-related pathways could help understand AF pathophysiology and contribute to AF prevention. : We studied 532 participants enrolled in the PREDIMED-Plus trial, a Spanish randomized trial conducted in adults (55-75 years) with metabolic syndrome and body mass index between 27-40 kg/m.

Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion and risk of stroke, hospitalized bleeding and death in Medicare beneficiaries.

Purpose: Among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), a nonpharmacologic option (e.g., percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion [LAAO]) is needed for patients with oral anticoagulant (OAC) contraindications.