Utilization of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators for the prevention of sudden cardiac death in emerging countries: Improve SCA clinical trial.

Background: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are underutilized in Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The Improve SCA Study is the largest prospective study to evaluate the benefit of ICD therapy in underrepresented geographies. This analysis reports the primary objective of the study.

Improving the utilization of implantable cardioverter defibrillators for sudden cardiac arrest prevention (Improve SCA) in developing countries: Clinical characteristics and reasons for implantation refusal.

Background: Despite available evidence that implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) reduce all-cause mortality among patients at risk for sudden cardiac death, utilization of ICDs is low especially in developing countries.

Objective: To summarize reasons for ICD or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator implant refusal by patients at risk for sudden cardiac arrest (Improve SCA) in developing countries.

Methods: Primary prevention (PP) and secondary prevention (SP) patients from countries where ICD use is low were enrolled.

Colonic transcriptional response to 1α,25(OH) vitamin D in African- and European-Americans.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant health burden especially among African Americans (AA). Epidemiological studies have correlated low serum vitamin D with CRC risk, and, while hypovitaminosis D is more common and more severe in AA, the mechanisms by which vitamin D modulates CRC risk and how these differ by race are not well understood. Active vitamin D (1α,25(OH)D) has chemoprotective effects primarily through transcriptional regulation of target genes in the colon.

Incidence, prevalence, and mortality of diabetes mellitus in Wadena, Marshall, and Grand Rapids, Minnesota: the Three-City Study.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) in concert with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) conducted population-based studies of diabetes mellitus in three Minnesota communities. The use of hospital and clinic records alone for case ascertainment purposes would have missed 16% of study-eligible diabetic individuals. Thus, studies that use only hospital or clinic records may present a biased view of the natural history of diabetes.