The health outcomes of inflammation and obesity in patients with heart failure.

Background: Although obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, higher body mass index is related to longer event-free survival in patients with heart failure (HF). While previous research demonstrated that higher levels of inflammatory mediators were associated with shorter event-free survival, the effect of inflammation on the association between obesity and outcomes of HF have not been considered.

Hypothesis: Based on the obesity paradox, we hypothesized that patients with higher baseline body mass index (BMI) would experience better event-free survival than those with lower BMI regardless of inflammatory status.

Mortality Rate, Demographics, and Clinical Attributes of Patients Dying in the Intensive Care Unit of a Comprehensive Cancer Center in Jordan: A Descriptive Study.

Very little is known about the provision of or the need for palliative care in the Middle East, including Jordan. This study investigated the mortality rate, demographics, and clinical attributes of patients with cancer who had died in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a national cancer center over a 3-year period in Jordan. We reviewed the records of 661 patients who had died and found that the majority of the people were terminally ill at the time of admission (had metastatic cancer, multisystem organ dysfunction, and seriously ill).

Characteristics, Mortality Rates, and Treatments Received in Last Few Days of Life for Patients Dying in Intensive Care Units: A Multicenter Study.

Background: Information is presently lacking about the end-of-life care in intensive care unit (ICU). We explored the characteristics, mortality rates, and treatments received in the last few days of life for patients who died in ICU.

Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study.

High Dietary Sodium Intake is Associated with Shorter Event-Free Survival in Patients with Heart Failure and Comorbid Diabetes.

The aim was to determine whether 24-hour urine sodium excretion predicted event-free survival of patients with heart failure (HF) and diabetes mellitus (DM). Twenty-four hour urine sodium, as an indicator of dietary sodium, was collected from 107 patients with HF and comorbid DM. Patients were followed for a median period of 337 days to determine time to the first event of either all-cause hospitalization or cardiac-related mortality.