Antidiabetic Medication and Asthma Attacks.

Importance: Elevated body mass index (BMI) and type 2 diabetes are prevalent in asthma and are associated with an increase in the risk of asthma attacks. In experimental studies, the diabetes medications metformin and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) have mitigated airway inflammation, hyperresponsiveness, and remodeling. However, epidemiological evidence is limited.

Implementation and Effectiveness of Guideline-Recommended Clinical Activities for Children With Asthma: Population-Based Cohort.

Background: Guidelines advise minimizing asthma exacerbation risk, which is achieved partially through good clinical practice activities, including scheduled asthma reviews, inhaler technique checks, and asthma management plans. We assessed how frequently these activities are provided and how effective they are in clinical practice.

Research Question: Do guideline-recommended activities such as asthma reviews, inhaler technique checks, and asthma management plans prevent asthma exacerbations?

Study Design And Methods: This retrospective chart review used United Kingdom primary care medical records between 2004 and 2021, linked to hospital records.

Surgery and postoperative definitive radiotherapy for management of canine soft tissue sarcoma: a multi-institutional retrospective study of 272 dogs (2010-2020).

Objective: To report local progression and survival in dogs following surgery and postoperative definitive radiotherapy (dRT) for management of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and to evaluate risk factors for local progression and survival.

Methods: Records were retrospectively reviewed at 9 referral hospitals for dogs managed with postoperative dRT between January 1, 2010, and January 1, 2020, following surgery for STS. Data related to presentation, surgery, dRT, systemic therapy, and outcome were abstracted.

Association of Dose of Inhaled Corticosteroids and Frequency of Adverse Events.

Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the cornerstone of asthma treatment and significantly improve morbidity and mortality. Adverse effects of oral corticosteroids are well documented, but less is known about ICS.

Methods: We conducted observational studies in adults with asthma using two different UK nationwide datasets: Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Aurum and CPRD GOLD.

SABINA + Hong Kong: a territory wide study of prescribing trends and outcomes associated with the use of short-acting β2 agonists in the Chinese population.

Background: Excessive use of short-acting β2 agonists (SABA) in patients with asthma continues to be a notable concern due to its link to higher mortality rates. Global relevance of SABA overuse in asthma management cannot be understated, it poses significant health risk to patients with asthma and imposes burden on healthcare systems. This study, as part of global SABINA progamme, aimed to describe the prescribing patterns and clinical outcomes associated with SABA use in the Chinese population.

Reply: Asthma and cardiovascular disease: the strength of triangulation.

https://bit.ly/3IXoK84

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection in a 19-Year-Old Male Athlete.

We present a 19-year-old male athlete, without cardiovascular risk factors, with anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction caused by left anterior descending artery spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Symptoms began during a swim practice, and patient endorsed using C4 Ripped (Cellucor), a preworkout supplement to enhance athletic performance. We hypothesize that this was the major contributor to presentation.

DISC1 and reelin interact to alter cognition, inhibition, and neurogenesis in a novel mouse model of schizophrenia.

The etiology of schizophrenia (SCZ) is multifactorial, and depending on a host of genetic and environmental factors. Two putative SCZ susceptibility genes, Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) and reelin (RELN), interact at a molecular level, suggesting that combined disruption of both may lead to an intensified SCZ phenotype. To examine this gene-gene interaction, we produced a double mutant mouse line.

Structural Predictors of Lung Function Decline in Young Smokers with Normal Spirometry.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to tobacco smoking commonly presents when extensive lung damage has occurred. We hypothesized that structural change would be detected early in the natural history of COPD and would relate to loss of lung function with time. We recruited 431 current smokers (median age, 39 yr; 16 pack-years smoked) and recorded symptoms using the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), spirometry, and quantitative thoracic computed tomography (QCT) scans at study entry.

Effectiveness and Respiratory Adverse Events Following Inactivated and mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines in Patients with COPD and Asthma: A Chinese Population-Based Study.

Introduction: Effectiveness and respiratory adverse events following coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have not been well investigated in Chinese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.

Methods: Using electronic health care records in Hong Kong, we included adults with COPD or asthma or both and hospitalised for severe respiratory exacerbation in a self-controlled case series (SCCS) study between 23/02/2021 and 30/11/2022. Conditional Poisson regression models were used to estimate the incidence of outcomes within exposure periods (28 days after each dose) compared with baseline periods.

Delivery of Care for Pediatric Patients Receiving Blinatumomab: A Children's Oncology Group Study.

Background: Blinatumomab is an immunotherapy agent used in pediatric oncology for the treatment of B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Administration of blinatumomab, via continuous 28-day infusion cycles, can present multiple decision points and challenges related to patient care. Nurses are at the forefront of coordinating and delivering care for patients receiving blinatumomab.

Asthma and incident coronary heart disease: an observational and Mendelian randomisation study.

Background: Observational studies suggest asthma is a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) and sex modifies the risk, but they may suffer from methodological limitations. To overcome these, we applied a "triangulation approach", where different methodologies, with different potential biases, were leveraged to enhance confidence in findings.

Methods: First, we conducted an observational study using UK medical records to match asthma patients 1:1, by age, sex and general practitioner (GP) practice, to the general population.

Neuropsychiatric events associated with montelukast in patients with asthma: a systematic review.

Background: The United States Food and Drug Administration issued a black box warning on the mental health adverse effects of montelukast in 2020. Age-related effects on the risk of developing specific neuropsychiatric events in montelukast users remain largely unknown.

Objective: To describe the risk of neuropsychiatric events associated with montelukast in adults and children with asthma.

The Effect of Inhaled Corticosteroids on Pneumonia Risk in Patients With COPD-Bronchiectasis Overlap: A UK Population-Based Case-Control Study.

Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) increase the risk of pneumonia in COPD and commonly are used in patients with COPD-bronchiectasis overlap.

Research Question: Is the risk of pneumonia associated with ICS further heightened in COPD-bronchiectasis?

Study Design And Methods: Electronic health care records (from 2004-2019) were used to obtain a cohort of patients with COPD and a nested case-control group (age and sex matched 1:4). Analyses were conducted to determine the risk of hospitalization for pneumonia in COPD associated with ICS use in those with bronchiectasis.

Covid-19 pandemic and asthma: What did we learn?

This review addresses some of the major lessons we have learnt regarding asthma and the covid-19 pandemic, including susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe covid-19, potentially protective factors, comparison to other respiratory infections, changes in healthcare behaviour from the perspective of patients and clinicians, medications to treat or prevent covid-19, and post-covid syndrome.

A Web-Based Therapist Training Tutorial on Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy: Pre-Post Assessment Study.

Background: Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a newly recognized mental disorder characterized by pervasive intense grief that persists longer than cultural or social expectations and interferes with functioning. The COVID-19 epidemic has resulted in increased rates of PGD, and few clinicians feel confident in treating this condition. PGD therapy (PGDT) is a simple, short-term, and evidence-based treatment developed in tandem with the validation of the PGD diagnosis.

Persistent isolated impairment of gas transfer following COVID-19 pneumonitis relates to perfusion defects on dual-energy computed tomography.

https://bit.ly/3U6E2f5.

First Maintenance Therapy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Retrospective Analyses of US and UK Healthcare Databases.

Introduction: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are often prescribed inappropriately alongside long-acting bronchodilators for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We aimed to investigate if prescribing habits in the US and UK differ from recommendations for initiation of COPD maintenance therapy.

Methods: We used healthcare data from the US IBM MarketScan and UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink databases to assess exacerbations and comorbidities in patients with COPD initiating first maintenance therapy (1MT) between 2015 and 2018.