Prevalence of cancer risk behaviors by county-level persistent poverty.

Background: Cancer mortality rates are substantially higher in persistent poverty US counties compared to non-persistent poverty US counties. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of cancer risk behaviors by persistent poverty.

Methods: Counties with poverty rates of ≥ 20 % between 1990 and 2017-21 were classified as 'persistent poverty' (n = 318), and others were classified as 'non-persistent poverty' (n = 2801).

Dynamic rasterstereography improves the detection of movement delays and dynamic asymmetries in the scapulothoracic kinematic of healthy subjects.

Purpose: Assessing scapulothoracic kinematics typically involves visually observing patients during movement, which has limited inter- and intraobserver reliability. Dynamic rasterstereography (DRS) records, measures and visualizes surface structures in real time, using a curvature map to colour-code convex, concave and saddle-shaped structures on the body surface. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of DRS-assisted observation in identifying dyskinetic scapulothoracic patterns.

An economic evaluation of first-line cryoballoon ablation versus antiarrhythmic drug therapy for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation from a German healthcare payer perspective.

Background: Three recent randomized controlled trials demonstrated that, in patients with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), first-line pulmonary vein isolation with cryoballoon catheter ablation reduces atrial arrhythmia recurrence compared to initial antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of first-line cryoablation compared to first-line AADs from a German healthcare payer perspective.

Methods: Individual patient-level data from 703 participants with untreated PAF enrolled into three randomized clinical trials (Cryo-FIRST, STOP AF First and EARLY-AF) were used to derive parameters for the cost-effectiveness model (CEM).