Ambulatory blood pressure in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: Association with markers of immune activation.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring measures 24-hour blood pressure, night-time blood pressure, and impaired dipping of nocturnal blood pressure, parameters that better predict cardiovascular risk than standard office blood pressure measurements. Systemic lupus erythematosus is characterized by immune system hyperactivity, elevated cardiovascular risk and high prevalence of hypertension; however, little is known about ambulatory blood pressure in lupus patients and its relationship to immune activation. We studied 26 patients with lupus and 26 control subjects.

Pharmacogenetics of hypoglycemia associated with sulfonylurea therapy in usual clinical care.

Hypoglycemia is a common complication among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients receiving sulfonylurea therapy. The aim of this study was to determine if genetic contributions to sulfonylurea pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics substantially affect the risk of hypoglycemia in these patients. In a retrospective case-control study in European American patients with T2DM, we examined the potential association between CYP2C9 reduced-function variants and sulfonylurea-related hypoglycemia.

A Genetic Approach to the Association Between PCSK9 and Sepsis.

Importance: Whether the PCSK9 gene is associated with the progress from infection to sepsis is unknown to date.

Objective: To test the associations between PCSK9 genetic variants, a PCSK9 genetic risk score (GRS), or genetically estimated PCSK9 expression levels and the risk of sepsis among patients admitted to a hospital with infection.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study used deidentified electronic health records to identify patients admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, with infection.

Determining Optimal Route of Hysterectomy for Benign Indications: Clinical Decision Tree Algorithm.

Objective: To evaluate practice change after initiation of a robotic surgery program using a clinical algorithm to determine the optimal surgical approach to benign hysterectomy.

Methods: A retrospective postrobot cohort of benign hysterectomies (2009-2013) was identified and the expected surgical route was determined from an algorithm using vaginal access and uterine size as decision tree branches. We excluded the laparoscopic hysterectomy route.

Effect of chair types on work-related musculoskeletal discomfort during vaginal surgery.

Background: Evidence supports that surgeons are at high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the effect of different chairs on work-related musculoskeletal discomfort for surgeons during vaginal operations.

Study Design: This crossover study randomly assigned 4 surgeons to 4 chair types using a 4 × 4 Latin square model: a conventional round stool, a round stool with a backrest, a saddle chair with a backrest, and a Capisco chair.

Predictors of vaginal mesh exposure after midurethral sling placement: a case-control study.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Female stress urinary incontinence is highly prevalent, and synthetic midurethral sling placement is the most common type of anti-incontinence surgery performed in the USA. We aimed to identify risk factors associated with surgery used to treated vaginal mesh exposure after midurethral sling placement for stress urinary incontinence.

Methods: We identified women who underwent anti-incontinence procedures from January 2002 through December 2012.