Sensitivity and specificity of International Classification of Diseases algorithms (ICD-9 and ICD-10) used to identify opioid-related overdose cases: A systematic review and an example of estimation using Bayesian latent class models in the absence of gold standards.

Objectives: This study aimed to summarize validity estimates of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes in identifying opioid overdose (OOD) among patient data from emergency rooms, emergency medical services, inpatient, outpatient, administrative, medical claims, and mortality, and estimate the sensitivity and specificity of the algorithms in the absence of a perfect reference standard.

Methods: We systematically reviewed studies published before December 8, 2023, and identified with Medline and Embase. Studies reporting sufficient details to recreate a 2 × 2 table comparing the ICD algorithms to a reference standard in diagnosing OOD-related events were included.

Accounting for antihypertensive medication in Mendelian randomization studies of blood pressure: methodological considerations in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Background: Mendelian randomization (MR) studies investigating determinants of blood pressure (BP) do not account for antihypertensive medication consistently, which may explain discrepancies across studies. We performed an MR study of the association between body mass index (BMI) and systolic BP (SBP) using five methods to account for antihypertensive medication and evaluated their impact on the estimation of the causal effect and on the assessment of the invalidity of the instruments used in MR.

Methods: Baseline and follow-up data on 20 430 participants from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) Comprehensive cohort (2011-2018) were used.

Mendelian Randomization: A Review of Methods for the Prevention, Assessment, and Discussion of Pleiotropy in Studies Using the Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene as an Instrument for Adiposity.

Pleiotropy assessment is critical for the validity of Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses, and its management remains a challenging task for researchers. This review examines how the authors of MR studies address bias due to pleiotropy in practice. We reviewed Pubmed, Medline, Embase and Web of Science for MR studies published before 21 May 2020 that used at least one singlenucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene as instrumental variable (IV) for body mass index, irrespective of the outcome.

Factors associated with residual urine volume preservation in patients undergoing hemodialysis for end-stage kidney disease in Kinshasa.

Background: Decreased residual urine volume (RUV) is associated with higher mortality in hemodialysis (HD). However, few studies have examined RUV in patients on HD in Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of RUV among incident hemodialysis patients in Kinshasa.

Prevalence and Sex-Specific Distribution of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in University Students in an Urban-Rural Environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A recent qualitative study on health promotion in non-communicable diseases in Sub-Saharan University students suggested sex differences in knowledge and beliefs concerning a healthy lifestyle. However, the extent to which this is reflected in sex-specific distribution of cardiovascular risk factors among Sub-Saharan African students have not been fully evaluated. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and the sex-specific distribution of some modifiable cardiovascular risk factors among students at University of Kikwit in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Glomerular hyperfiltration is strongly correlated with age in Congolese children with sickle cell anaemia.

Aim: Glomerular hyperfiltration is an early marker of sickle cell nephropathy and can lead to microalbuminuria and renal failure. Our aim was to identify the associated risk factors, as these could be of preventative importance.

Methods: We recruited 150 children with sickle cell anaemia (SCA), aged two to 18 years and living in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Validity of simple clinical and biological parameters as screening tool for sickle cell anemia for referral to tertiary center in highly resource constraints.

Background: In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the incidence of sickle cell anemia (SCA) is estimated around 40 000 neonates per year. However, it is notoriously difficult to perform conventional electrophoresis in all hospitals and laboratories, especially at peripheral levels and rural area. A panel of multiple clinical and laboratory features that would enhance sickle cell disease were assessed for the detection of the disease in highly resource-scarce settings.