Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers and outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Background: Our prior analysis demonstrated no significant difference in risk of mortality or disease progression among patients with COVID-19. With the availability of findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we provide an updated review of RCTs which explored the outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 treated with Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitor (ACEis)/Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs) versus control.

Research Design And Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis covers RCTs exploring mortality, intensive care unit admission, and mechanical ventilation outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with ACEi/ARBs.

Association of culturally competent care with influenza vaccination coverage in the United States.

Background: Cultural minority groups in the United States have lower vaccination rates or worse influenza-related outcomes. Culturally competent care, which aims to engage the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of all patients, may address some of these disparities.

Objective: We investigate how self-reported measures of culturally competent care is associated with influenza vaccination rates in the United States.

Developing and Validating Multi-Modal Models for Mortality Prediction in COVID-19 Patients: a Multi-center Retrospective Study.

The unprecedented global crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked numerous efforts to create predictive models for the detection and prognostication of SARS-CoV-2 infections with the goal of helping health systems allocate resources. Machine learning models, in particular, hold promise for their ability to leverage patient clinical information and medical images for prediction. However, most of the published COVID-19 prediction models thus far have little clinical utility due to methodological flaws and lack of appropriate validation.

Socioeconomic disparities in healthcare utilization for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Background: The impact of the social determinants of health on healthcare utilization for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains incompletely characterized.

Methods: We queried the National Health Interview Survey from 2000-2018 to examine disparities in healthcare utilization metrics by education, income-to-poverty ratio, and health insurance coverage for adults with self-reported ASCVD.

Results: We show that, while education and income-to-poverty ratios demonstrated significant disparities for provider visits and preventive screenings, the largest disparities were noted for health insurance coverage.

Rural-Urban Differences in Influenza Vaccination Among Adults in the United States, 2018-2019.

To provide adjusted rates of self-reported receipt of the influenza vaccine in the 2018-2019 flu season among adults in large metropolitan, medium and small metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan areas of the United States by age group, gender, and race. We queried the 2019 National Health Interview Survey for respondents aged 18 years and older. To provide national estimates of influenza vaccination coverage, we performed sample-weighted multivariable logistic regressions and predicted marginal modeling while adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and urban-rural household designation.

Self-reported cultural competency measures among patients with diabetes: A nationwide cross-sectional study in the United States.

Background: Culturally tailored interventions may reduce disparities in diabetes care. We conducted a nationally representative assessment of self-reported cultural competency measures of care among patients with diabetes in the United States.

Methods: The 2017 National Health Interview Survey was queried for adults with self-reported diabetes.

Silver lining of COVID-19: Heightened global interest in pneumococcal and influenza vaccines, an infodemiology study.

Background: Health-seeking behaviors change during pandemics and may increase with regard to illnesses with symptoms similar to the pandemic. The global reaction to COVID-19 may drive interest in vaccines for other diseases.

Objectives: Our study investigated the correlation between global online interest in COVID-19 and interest in CDC-recommended routine vaccines.

Bladder Cancer and Google Trends: Associations Between US Search Patterns and Disease Outcomes May Show Need for Improved Awareness Strategies.

Interest in and awareness of bladder cancer may translate to better health-seeking behaviors and earlier detection, given modifiable risk factors such as smoking. We assessed bladder cancer interest in the USA over the past 15 years as reflected by Internet search trends, and correlated these trends with epidemiologic patterns in bladder cancer. Google Trends was used to estimate US bladder cancer interest in the unit search volume index (SVI), which estimates the volume of online search activity for a specified period relative to the highest volume of searches within a specified location.