Intersectionality and Social Drivers of Health in Cardiovascular Care.

Social drivers of health (SDOH) are a significant contributor to persistent cardiovascular health disparities in the United States and globally. SDOH include psychosocial, environmental, socioeconomic, cultural, and governmental factors that impact health behaviors and outcomes. Multiple social drivers have been associated with trends in cardiovascular disease risk and health outcomes.

Liver and cardiovascular disease outcomes in metabolic syndrome and diabetic populations: Bi-directional opportunities to multiply preventive strategies.

The incidence and prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are rising globally. MetS and T2DM are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, which is partly related to liver and cardiovascular disease. Insulin resistance is central to MetS and T2DM pathophysiology, and drives ectopic fat deposition in the liver, also known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Maternal Cardiovascular Health.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the number-one cause of maternal mortality, with over two-thirds of cases being preventable. Social determinants of health (SDoH) encompass the nonmedical social and environmental factors that an individual experiences that have a significant impact on their health. These stressors disproportionately affect socially disadvantaged and minority populations.

Ruptured Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm: An Unusual Cause of Heart Failure in a Young Woman.

• Right heart failure with a continuous loud murmur may be secondary to ruptured SOVA. • Multimodality imaging is useful for diagnosis. • Prompt surgical correction is associated with favorable outcomes.

Etiology of orbital fractures at a level I trauma center in a large metropolitan city.

Background/purpose: Orbital fractures are a common facial fracture managed by multiple surgical specialties. Methods: A retrospective review of the electronic medical records of patients (age, 18-85 years) presenting to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation in Chicago, IL, USA with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes for facial fractures or CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes for orbital fracture repair.

Results: A review of the electronic medical records identified 504 individual incidents of orbital fractures with available imaging for review.

Statin therapy across the lifespan: evidence in major age groups.

This review provides needed perspective on statin efficacy and safety in individuals under 40, 40-75, and > 75 years of age. Starting with the 2013 ACC-AHA cholesterol guidelines extensive evidence base on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) we added references in the past 5 years that discussed statin efficacy and safety over the life span. In those under 40, statins are primarily used for treatment of severe hypercholesterolemia, often familial, and they are well tolerated.

Evidence for Clinical Implementation of Pharmacogenomics in Cardiac Drugs.

Objective: To comprehensively assess the pharmacogenomic evidence of routinely used drugs for clinical utility.

Methods: Between January 2, 2011, and May 31, 2013, we assessed 71 drugs by identifying all drug/genetic variant combinations with published clinical pharmacogenomic evidence. Literature supporting each drug/variant pair was assessed for study design and methods, outcomes, statistical significance, and clinical relevance.

Anti-angiogenic SPARC peptides inhibit progression of neuroblastoma tumors.

Background: New, more effective strategies are needed to treat highly aggressive neuroblastoma. Our laboratory has previously shown that full-length Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC) and a SPARC peptide corresponding to the follistatin domain of the protein (FS-E) potently block angiogenesis and inhibit the growth of neuroblastoma tumors in preclinical models. Peptide FS-E is structurally complex and difficult to produce, limiting its potential as a therapeutic in the clinic.

Relationship of EGFR mutations, expression, amplification, and polymorphisms to epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors in the NCI60 cell lines.

Purpose: The mechanism of sensitivity and resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors is incompletely understood, particularly in cancers other than non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To understand the variable response to this class of drugs, we used the NCI60 cancer cell lines. We aimed to determine if there are interactions between EGFR expression, mutations, polymorphisms, and gene amplification, and whether these factors are associated with variability in response to EGFR inhibitors.