Predictors, rates, and trends of opioid use disorder among patients hospitalized with chronic pancreatitis.

Background: Patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) suffer from pain and receive increased opioid prescriptions with a high risk of opioid use disorder (OUD). We studied the predictors, trends and outcomes of OUD among patients hospitalized with CP.

Methods: Records with CP (with/without OUD) were extracted from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2012-2014, and the association of OUD with the burden of CP was calculated.

Different Hospital Readmissions and Outcomes of Acute Pancreatitis.

Objectives: Although acute pancreatitis (AP) is associated with recurrent hospitalizations, the impact of different hospital readmissions (DHR) versus same hospital readmissions (SHR) on outcomes is unknown. We study the burden of DHR among readmissions after survival from AP hospitalizations.

Methods: Among adult AP patients (Nationwide Readmissions Database), we calculated the prevalence, trends, and predictors of DHR, and its impact on mortality, hospital stay, and charges during 30- and 90-day readmissions.

Prevalence, trends, outcomes, and disparities in hospitalizations for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in the United States.

Background: As the frequency of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) continues to rise in the United States (US) community, more patients are hospitalized with NAFLD. However, data on the prevalence and outcomes of hospitalizations with NAFLD are lacking. We investigated the prevalence, trends and outcomes of NAFLD hospitalizations in the US.

Risk and Outcomes of Clostridium difficile Infection With Chronic Pancreatitis.

Objectives: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is associated with high rates of recurrent hospitalizations, which predisposes to Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). We investigate the burden of CDI in CP.

Methods: We identified records of patients with CP from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2012-2014 and estimated the impact of CDI on their outcomes.

Predictors, burden and impact of cardiac arrhythmias among patients hospitalized with end-stage liver disease.

Background: Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy, hyperammonemia, and hepatorenal syndrome predispose to cardiac arrhythmias in End-stage liver disease (ESLD).

Objectives: Among ESLD hospitalizations, we evaluate the distribution and predictors of arrhythmias and their impact on hospitalization outcomes.

Methods: We selected ESLD records from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2007-2014), identified concomitant arrhythmias (tachyarrhythmias and bradyarrhythmias), and their demographic and comorbid characteristics, and estimated the effect of arrhythmia on outcomes (SAS 9.

Inferior Outcomes of Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction and Comorbid Protein-Energy Malnutrition.

Background: Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) diminishes amino acid and energy availability, impairing the body's healing capability after injury, such as in myocardial damage following acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Aims: We sought to investigate the influence of PEM on clinical outcomes of AMI.

Methods: We identified records with a primary discharge diagnosis of AMI from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2012-2014), stratified by concomitant PEM.

Protein Energy Malnutrition Is Associated with Worse Outcomes in Sepsis-A Nationwide Analysis.

Background: Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), resulting from depleted energy and nutrient stores, compromises the body's defense systems and may exacerbate sepsis and its impact. However, population-based studies examining the association of PEM on the prevalence and health-care burden of sepsis are lacking.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between PEM and sepsis, influence of PEM on clinical outcomes of sepsis, and impact of PEM on trends in sepsis mortality.

Among inpatients, ischemic bowel disease predisposes to Clostridium difficile infection with concomitant higher mortality and worse outcomes.

Background And Aims: Clinical conditions resulting in hypoxia, hypoperfusion, anaerobic milieu within the gut, and intestinal epithelial breakdown, such as seen in heart failure, precipitates Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Given that ischemic bowel disease (IB) typically results in similar changes within the gut, we investigated the relationship between CDI and IB, and the impact of CDI on the clinical outcomes of IB.

Patients And Methods: We initially performed a cross-sectional analysis on the 2014 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project - Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) patient's discharge records of ages 18 years and older, by estimating the crude and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of CDI and IB as the outcome and predictor respectively.

Effect of aging on A1C levels in individuals without diabetes: evidence from the Framingham Offspring Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2004.

Objective: Although glycemic levels are known to rise with normal aging, the nondiabetic A1C range is not age specific. We examined whether A1C was associated with age in nondiabetic subjects and in subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) in two population-based cohorts.

Research Design And Methods: We performed cross-sectional analyses of A1C across age categories in 2,473 nondiabetic participants of the Framingham Offspring Study (FOS) and in 3,270 nondiabetic participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2004.

Clinical predictors of disease progression and medication initiation in untreated patients with type 2 diabetes and A1C less than 7%.

Objective: Many patients with early diabetes remain untreated. Our objectives were to identify clinical predictors of 1) worsening glycemic control and 2) medical treatment initiation in response to worsening glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: We identified 5,804 type 2 diabetic patients seen at least twice between June 2005 and June 2006 within our 12-clinic primary care network.

Polymorphic susceptibility to the molecular causes of neural tube defects during diabetic embryopathy.

Previously, we demonstrated that neural tube defects (NTDs) are significantly increased in a mouse model of diabetic pregnancy. In addition, expression of Pax-3, a gene encoding a transcription factor required for neural tube development, is significantly decreased. This suggests that diabetic embryopathy results from impaired expression of genes regulating essential morphogenetic processes.

Rescue of neural tube defects in Pax-3-deficient embryos by p53 loss of function: implications for Pax-3- dependent development and tumorigenesis.

Pax-3 is a transcription factor that is expressed in the neural tube, neural crest, and dermomyotome. We previously showed that apoptosis is associated with neural tube defects (NTDs) in Pax-3-deficient Splotch (Sp/Sp) embryos. Here we show that p53 deficiency, caused by germ-line mutation or by pifithrin-alpha, an inhibitor of p53-dependent apoptosis, rescues not only apoptosis, but also NTDs, in Sp/Sp embryos.