The progress that has been made in recent years in relation to liquid biopsies in general and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in particular can be seen as groundbreaking for the future of breast cancer treatment, monitoring and early detection. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) consists of circulating DNA fragments released by various cell types into the bloodstream. A portion of this cfDNA, known as ctDNA, originates from malignant cells and carries specific genetic mutations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: New or worsening cognitive impairment or dementia is common in older adults following an episode of critical illness, and screening post-discharge is recommended for those at increased risk. There is a need for prediction models of post-ICU cognitive impairment to guide delivery of screening and support resources to those in greatest need. We sought to develop and internally validate a machine learning model for new cognitive impairment or dementia in older adults after critical illness using electronic health record (EHR) data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Caregiving has been associated with high blood pressure in middle-aged and older women, but this relationship is understudied among younger Black women, a population at high risk for hypertension. We examined the associations of caregiving stress and caregiving for high-needs dependents with incident hypertension among reproductive-age women in the JHS (Jackson Heart Study), a cohort of community-dwelling Black adults.
Methods: We included 453 participants, aged 21 to 44 years, with blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg, and not taking antihypertensive medication at baseline (2000-2004).
Discrimination in the evaluation of others is a key cause of social inequality around the world. However, relatively little is known about psychological interventions that can be used to prevent biased evaluations. The limited evidence that exists on these strategies is spread across many methods and populations, making it difficult to generate reliable best practices that can be effective across contexts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Prior studies have reported a decrease in the proportion of US adults with hypertension that had controlled blood pressure (BP).
Methods: We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n=25,128, ≥18 years of age) to determine changes in BP control from 2013-2014 to 2021-2023. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP ≥140 mmHg, diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg or antihypertensive medication use.