Publications by authors named "Mary Roberts Davis"
The lack of sex-specific variables, such as reproductive system history (RSH), in cardiovascular research studies is a missed opportunity to address the cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden, especially among women who face sex-specific risks of developing CVD. Collecting RSH data from women enrolled in research studies is an important step towards improving women's cardiovascular health. In this paper, we describe two approaches to collecting RSH in CVD research: extracting RSH from the medical record and participant self-report of RSH.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Cardiometabolic disorders (CMD) such as hyperglycemia, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia are the leading causes of mortality and significant public health concerns worldwide. With the advances in wireless technology, wearables have become popular for health promotion, but its impact on cardiometabolic health is not well understood.
Purpose: A systematic literature review aimed to describe the features of wearables used for monitoring cardiometabolic health and identify the impact of using wearables on those cardiometabolic health indicators.
Background: Adults with heart failure (HF) experience a constellation of symptoms; however, understanding of gender differences in HF symptoms remain elusive. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are gender differences in physical and depressive symptoms and symptom patterns in HF using 2 different analytic techniques.
Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of combined data from 6 studies of adults with HF.
Article Synopsis
- Physical frailty significantly impacts health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and clinical outcomes in heart failure (HF), with notable differences between sexes.
- In a study of 115 adults with HF, frailty was linked to poorer overall HRQOL in women, while it affected physical HRQOL in both men and women.
- Men showed a higher risk of clinical events (like hospitalization) with increased frailty scores, but this association was not found in women, highlighting the need for further exploration of sex-specific health issues in HF.
Objective: Adults with heart failure (HF) may be at high risk for falling due to age, comorbidities and frailty; however, few studies have examined falls in HF. The purpose of this study was to quantify the frequency and predictors of falls over 1 year among adults with HF.
Methods: We conducted a prospective study of adults with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class I-IV HF.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to identify biomarkers linked to physical frailty in heart failure (HF) patients by analyzing various biological markers tied to different bodily processes.
- - Researchers collected data from 113 HF patients, assessing their frailty using specific criteria and measuring several plasma biomarkers. They found that 42% of participants were physically frail, with links to factors like gender and body composition.
- - The analysis revealed that lower levels of adiponectin, IGF-1, and myostatin were associated with physical frailty, particularly in men, indicating these biomarkers play a role in the maintenance of muscle and fat tissue in HF patients.
Background: Symptoms, which often cluster together, are a significant problem in heart failure (HF). There is considerable heterogeneity in symptom burden, particularly in the vulnerable transition period after a hospitalization for HF, and the biological underpinnings of symptoms during transitions are unclear. The purpose of this article is to describe the background and design of a study that addresses these knowledge gaps, entitled Biological and Physiological Mechanisms of Symptom Clusters in Heart Failure (BIOMES-HF).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our research team quickly pivoted from planned face-to-face interaction with participants to virtual interactions. During this transition, we discovered invaluable new practices for conducting research remotely, including collecting physiological data.
Objective: Our objective was to describe the methodological challenges we encountered when conducting this research virtually with grandparent-grandchild dyads and describe the strategies we developed to overcome those challenges.
Background: Although women with heart failure (HF) are potentially more likely to be physically frail compared with men with HF, the underlying contributors to this sex difference are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to characterize sex differences in physical frailty phenotypes in HF.
Methods: We prospectively enrolled adults with class I-IV HF.
Aims: Despite well-known gender differences in heart failure, it is unknown if clinical markers and symptoms differ between women and men after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Our aim was to examine gender differences in trajectories of clinical markers (echocardiographic markers and plasma biomarkers) and symptoms from pre- to post-LVAD implantation.
Methods And Results: This was a secondary analysis of data collected from a study of patients from pre- to 1, 3, and 6 months post-LVAD implantation.
Objectives: This study quantitatively synthesized literature to identify gender differences in the prevalence of frailty in heart failure (HF).
Background: The intersection of frailty and HF continues to garner interest. Almost half of patients with HF are frail; however, gender differences in frailty in HF are poorly understood.