Background: The incidence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-acute respiratory infection (ARI) in community-dwelling adults after the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown. Our aim was to assess the incidence of RSV-ARI in adults aged 18 to 64 years over 2 consecutive RSV seasons (October-April 2022-2024) in 4 US states.
Methods: This community-based prospective cohort study comprised 7501 participants in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, and Arizona.
J Prim Care Community Health
April 2024
Background: Arsenic is a well-known toxin which may contaminate household water. It is harmful when ingested over prolonged periods of time. As a result, public health experts recommend that water should be screened and treated to prevent arsenic ingestion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Preceptors in family medicine residencies need feedback to improve. When we found no validated, behavior-based tool to assess the outpatient precepting of family medicine residents, we sought to fill this gap by developing and initially validating the Mayo Outpatient Precepting Evaluation Tool (MOPET).
Methods: To develop the MOPET, we applied the Stanford Faculty Development Program (SFDP) theoretical framework for education, more recent work on peer review of medical teaching, and expert review of items.
Introduction: Continuity is valued by patients, clinicians, and health systems for its association with higher-value care and satisfaction. Continuity is a commonly cited reason for entering primary care; however, it is difficult to achieve in residency settings. We sought to determine the effect of transitioning from a traditional "block" (13 4-week rotations per year) to a "clinic-first" (priority on outpatient continuity) curriculum on measures of continuity in our family medicine residency.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvol Med Public Health
February 2021
An evolutionary perspective provides a unifying explanation for the modifiable risk factors and lifestyle-based interventions for the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Non-communicable diseases develop from an evolutionary mismatch between the prior environment and modern patterns of behavior; however, it is unclear whether an evolutionary mismatch narrative could promote positive behavior change in patients. We hypothesize that educating patients about evolutionary mismatch could augment efforts to improve healthful behavior.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFast food consumption is linked to poor health, yet many older adults regularly consume fast food. Understanding factors contributing to fast food consumption is useful in the development of targeted interventions. The aim of this study was to characterize how fast food consumption relates to socio-demographic characteristics in a low-income sample of older adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Observational studies find associations between maternal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and greater fat-free mass and lower percentage of body fat, but randomized trials of prenatal DHA supplementation have not found significant intent-to-treat effects on childhood body composition.
Objective: This study sought to explore associations between intrauterine DHA exposure and body composition and size at 5 y in the offspring of women who participated in a randomized trial of prenatal DHA supplementation (corn and soybean oil placebo or 600 mg/d).
Design: At 5 y, body composition was measured by air displacement plethysmography in 154 offspring of women who had participated in the Kansas University DHA Outcomes Study and who had red blood cell (RBC) phospholipid (PL) fatty acids assessed at enrollment and delivery.
Background & Aims: We reported an association between cytologic atypia, a reversible biomarker of breast cancer risk, and lower omega-3/omega-6 fatty acid ratio in blood and breast tissue. Our goal was to develop and validate a dietary pattern index in this high-risk sample of U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Dietary habits established in early childhood and maternal socioeconomic status (SES) are important, complex, interrelated factors that influence a child's growth and development. The aim of this study was to define the major dietary patterns in a cohort of young US children, construct a maternal SES index, and evaluate their associations.
Methods: The diets of 190 children from a randomized, controlled trial of prenatal supplementation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were recorded at 6-mo intervals from 2-4.
We investigated how timing influences the role of diet in breast cancer risk with a cross-sectional study of pre-malignant change in breast tissue. Women with an elevated risk of developing breast cancer (33 premenopausal and 32 postmenopausal) completed the National Cancer Institute's food frequency questionnaire and underwent random periareolar fine-needle aspiration for evaluation of cytologic atypia, an established risk biomarker. Fatty acid composition of breast adipose was measured in 32 (49%) subjects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigher intakes of the omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) relative to the omega-6 arachidonic acid (AA) have been variably associated with reduced risk of premenopausal breast cancer. The purpose of this pilot trial was to assess feasibility and explore the effects of high-dose EPA and DHA on blood and benign breast tissue risk biomarkers before design of a placebo-controlled phase IIB trial. Premenopausal women with evidence of hyperplasia ± atypia by baseline random periareolar fine needle aspiration were given 1860 mg of EPA + 1500 mg of DHA ethyl esters daily for 6 months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssociational studies suggest higher intakes/blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) relative to the omega-6 arachidonic acid (AA) are associated with reduced breast cancer risk. We performed a pilot study of high-dose EPA + DHA in postmenopausal women to assess feasibility before initiating a phase IIB prevention trial. Postmenopausal women with cytologic evidence of hyperplasia in their baseline random periareolar fine needle aspiration (RPFNA) took 1,860 mg EPA +1500 mg DHA ethyl esters daily for 6 months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObesity induces chronic inflammation and is an established risk and progression factor for triple-negative breast cancers, including basal-like (BL) and claudin-low (CL) subtypes. We tested the effects of dietary supplementation with ethyl esters of the marine-derived anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA+DHA; Lovaza) on growth of murine BL and CL mammary tumors. Female ovariectomized C57BL/6 mice were fed a control diet or a diet-induced obesity (DIO) diet with or without EPA+DHA (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Medical and public health scientists are using evolution to devise new strategies to solve major health problems. But based on a 2003 survey, medical curricula may not adequately prepare physicians to evaluate and extend these advances. This study assessed the change in coverage of evolution in North American medical schools since 2003 and identified opportunities for enriching medical education.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, especially the long-chain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to arachidonic acid (AA) ratio, is inversely associated with breast cancer risk. We measured the association between cytologic atypia, a biomarker for short-term risk of breast cancer development, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid intake and levels in blood and breast tissue. Blood and benign breast tissue, sampled by random periareolar fine-needle aspiration (RPFNA), was obtained from 70 women at elevated risk for breast cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: All female mammals with 2 X chromosomes balance gene expression with males having only 1 X by inactivating one of their X chromosomes (X chromosome inactivation [XCI]). Analysis of XCI in females offers the opportunity to investigate both X-linked genetic factors and early embryonic development that may contribute to alcoholism. Increases in the prevalence of skewing of XCI in women with alcoholism could implicate biological risk factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Affect Disord
November 2012
There has been much speculation about modern environments causing an epidemic of depression. This review aims to (1) determine whether depression rates have increased and (2) review evidence for possible explanations. While available data indicate rising prevalence and an increased lifetime risk for younger cohorts, strong conclusions cannot be drawn due to conflicting results and methodological flaws.
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