Publications by authors named "Merchant R"

Global aging populations are facing increased prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) - the preclinical stage of dementia characterized by single/multi-domain neurocognitive decline that does not impair an individual's normal daily functioning. Asian populations are at increased risk of developing MCI and dementia, and many cases go undetected in Southeast Asia (SEA), resulting in increased burden on patients, caregivers and national healthcare systems. There is an urgent need for efficient and scalable diagnostic and management strategies across SEA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: With aging populations, the prevalence of dementia, frailty and malnutrition will increase. The aim of this study is twofold (a) to determine the demographic data, including frailty and malnutrition prevalence in older patients with diagnosis of dementia and/or cognitive impairment and (b) to determine its impact on outcomes such as length of stay (LOS), readmission and mortality stratified by frailty status.

Methods: Retrospective single-center cohort study conducted using hospital database on older patients ≥65 yrs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: We aimed to examine trends in substance use-related emergency department (ED) visits for youth from 2018 to 2023, compare the patient characteristics, types of substance involved, and ED disposition for these visits, and calculate revisit frequency.

Methods: Retrospective review of electronic health records (EHRs) from six EDs in an urban healthcare system to identify 12-21-year-old patients with substance use-related ED visits from 2018 to 2023. Visits were identified by International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision Clinical Modification codes for substance use.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The increased accessibility of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation following the COVID-19 pandemic and the publication of the first randomized trial of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) prompted the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to sponsor a workshop on ECPR. Two more randomized trials have since been published in 2022 and 2023. Based on the combined findings and review of the evidence, an international panel of authors identified gaps in science, inequities in care and diversity in outcomes, and suggested research opportunities and next steps.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Residential segregation is associated with differential exposure to air pollution. Hippocampus structure and function are highly susceptible to pollutants and associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development. Therefore, we investigated associations between residential segregation, air pollutants, hippocampal neurobiology, and PTSD in recent trauma survivors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In Rwanda, alcohol use disorder (AUD) is estimated to affect 7% of the population. The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) is an excellent screening instrument for AUD, but a Rwanda-focused version previously was unavailable. Our objective was to develop a Rwanda- focused AUDIT and evaluate its psychometric properties.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Implementing falls prevention programmes in the community presents numerous challenges. We sought to understand the dynamics between the determinants influencing implementation to develop a common conceptual model describing the complexities of implementing falls prevention programmes in Singapore.

Methods: A full-day group model building workshop with a series of structured activities was organised with 31 multidisciplinary stakeholders.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Population aging is a global challenge that increases the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and geriatric syndromes such as sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, and frailty. These conditions affect almost half of older CKD individuals and are associated with poor outcomes, including CKD progression, cardiometabolic complications, increased health and social care costs, and mortality. They can be both the cause and consequent of CKD and lead to a vicious downward spiral if not addressed early.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

From a retrosynthetic standpoint, or heterocyclic cores are fundamental disconnections that chemists make. This manuscript highlights heterocycle synthesis as the strategic bond disconnection by leveraging ubiquitous building blocks, carboxylic acids and amines, for preparation of heterocyclic cores in a library-friendly format. This heterocyclic formation strategy allows medicinal chemists to access much wider chemical space, especially for analogs with higher Fsp vs state-of-the-art heterocycle functionalization methods.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is a process supporting a multidimensional assessment of the health and well-being of older adults and leads to the development of long-term personalized care plans. CGA is resource intensive, hence shorter forms such as brief geriatric assessments (BGA) could be alternatives. However, little is known about BGA's implementability in community and primary care settings.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Approximately 30% of the global burden of disease is surgical, but two-thirds of the world's population cannot access safe, affordable, and timely surgical care. An ambulatory surgical center (ASC) in Uganda offers subsidized and free care to some patients, but identifying patients in greatest need is challenging. We aimed to develop an unbiased tool appropriate for medical settings to determine subsidy eligibility to prevent catastrophic healthcare expenditure (CHE) for ASC's patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Methods: Colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment can influence health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This study examined HRQOL among older adults undergoing CRC treatment, and the conditional effects of race, ethnicity, and primary language. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Medicare Advantage enrollees ≥ 65 years old who completed the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS) (2016-2020).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Timely detection of dementia enables early access to dementia-specific care services and interventions. Various stakeholders brought together to refine Singapore's dementia care strategy identified a lack of a standardised cognitive screening tool and the absence of a comparative review of existing tools. We hence conducted a rapid review to evaluate the diagnostic performance of brief cognitive screening tools in identifying possible dementia among community-dwelling older adults in Singapore.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Aging leads to physiological changes and increased disease vulnerability, culminating in higher mortality rates as individuals get older.
  • Regular physical activity (PA) and exercise can counteract aging effects, improve health span, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
  • Personalized exercise plans, including various forms of training like aerobic and resistance exercises, are essential for maintaining health and functionality in older adults, particularly those with age-related issues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Biomarkers of ageing serve as important outcome measures in longevity-promoting interventions. However, there is limited consensus on which specific biomarkers are most appropriate for human intervention studies. This work aimed to address this need by establishing an expert consensus on biomarkers of ageing for use in intervention studies via the Delphi method.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Therapists and their patients increasingly discuss digital data from social media, smartphone sensors, and other online engagements within the context of psychotherapy.

Objective: We examined patients' and mental health therapists' experiences and perceptions following a randomized controlled trial in which they both received regular summaries of patients' digital data (eg, dashboard) to review and discuss in session. The dashboard included data that patients consented to share from their social media posts, phone usage, and online searches.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Chronic pain following traumatic stress exposure (TSE) is common. Increasing evidence suggests inflammatory/immune mechanisms are induced by TSE, play a key role in the recovery process versus development of post-TSE chronic pain, and are sex specific. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with chronic pain after TSE in a sex-specific manner.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates how early social support after trauma affects PTSD symptoms over time and explores specific brain regions involved in this process, such as the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
  • Using data from 315 participants in the AURORA study, researchers measured PTSD symptoms and perceived emotional support at multiple time points, while also conducting neuroimaging two weeks post-trauma.
  • The results show that early emotional support is linked to changes in white matter connectivity between key brain areas, but it also highlighted unexpected increased threat reactivity in the default mode network, suggesting complex neural pathways in response to social threats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study examines the connection between frailty and mortality in elderly individuals, particularly focusing on those aged 90 and older.
  • It found that frail adults generally have a significantly lower overall survival rate compared to non-frail individuals, especially in those under 90 years old.
  • However, results were less conclusive for participants over 90, indicating that frailty's impact on mortality may vary by age and sex, with notable differences among older males.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: Online review platforms offer valuable insights into patient satisfaction and the quality of health care services, capturing content and trends that traditional metrics might miss. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted health care services, influencing patient experiences.

Objective: To examine health care facility numerical ratings and patient experience reported on an online platform by facility type and area demographic characteristics after the COVID-19 pandemic (ie, post-COVID).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF