Publications by authors named "Michael Margaard Lund"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how using small datasets to select an optimal cutoff score for the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) can lead to inaccurate results.
  • Researchers evaluated whether data-driven methods for cutoff selection resulted in scores that were significantly different from the true population optimal score and if these methods produced biased accuracy estimates.
  • Findings showed that many small studies frequently failed to identify the correct optimal cutoff score, particularly in smaller samples, leading to an overestimation of test sensitivity.
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Introduction: Older patients with gastroesophageal (GE) cancer are at increased risk of low treatment tolerability and poor outcome. Dose reduced chemotherapy has been shown to improve tolerability without compromising efficacy in advanced GE cancer. However, the impact of reduced dose preoperative chemotherapy in the curative setting of older patients is unknown.

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  • SGLT2 inhibitors like sotagliflozin show promise in improving health status for heart failure patients, but effects of SGLT1/SGLT2 inhibition remain unclear.* -
  • In the SOLOIST-WHF trial, patients taking sotagliflozin after a heart failure episode experienced a significant improvement in their Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-12 (KCCQ-12) scores compared to those on placebo.* -
  • Overall, sotagliflozin not only reduced hospitalizations and cardiovascular deaths but also led to improved symptoms and quality of life within four months, benefiting patients regardless of their left ventricular ejection fraction.*
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Background: Considering the high prevalence of mitral regurgitation (MR) and the highly subjective, variable MR severity reporting, an automated tool that could screen patients for clinically significant MR (≥ moderate) would streamline the diagnostic/therapeutic pathways and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Objectives: The authors aimed to develop and validate a fully automated machine learning (ML)-based echocardiography workflow for grading MR severity.

Methods: ML algorithms were trained on echocardiograms from 2 observational cohorts and validated in patients from 2 additional independent studies.

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Background: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a history of an ischemic event is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease. Whether patients with T2DM and a recent atherothrombotic diagnosis benefit from early intervention with a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor is unknown.

Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of the gliflozin Cardiovascular Event Trial in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients-emoving xcess lucose (EMPA-REG OUTCOME), which compared empagliflozin to placebo in adults with T2DM and atherosclerotic CV disease (ASCVD).

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Background: The effect of empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose-co-transporter-2 inhibitor, on risk for myocardial infarction has not been fully characterized.

Methods: This study comprised prespecified and post-hoc analyses of the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial in which 7020 people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease [mostly atherosclerotic (ASCVD)] were randomized to empagliflozin or placebo and followed for a median 3.1 years.

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In EMPA-REG OUTCOME, empagliflozin reduced the composite of total events leading to/prolonging hospitalisation for any cause and all-cause mortality by 24 % versus placebo in patients with T2DM and ASCVD, with 67.7 events prevented/1000 patient-years and a low NNT. Effects were sustained and were consistent regardless of the reason for hospitalisation.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluates a four-part classification system for pilonidal disease proposed by the International Pilonidal Society (IPS) to establish its validity and reliability.
  • The researchers conducted assessments through systematic reviews, comparisons of patient-reported outcomes, and interrater reliability testing among different medical professionals using images from a cohort study.
  • Results indicate the IPS classification aligns with other classification systems and shows acceptable levels of agreement and predictive validity, suggesting it could be effectively implemented in clinical practice.
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Article Synopsis
  • Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) aids rheumatologists in monitoring diseases, diagnosing conditions, and guiding procedures, but there’s limited knowledge about its current use and barriers faced by practitioners.
  • A study conducted via web-based surveys among VA medical centers found high response rates, revealing that most rheumatologists frequently use POCUS for diagnosing issues like synovitis and for procedures like joint injections.
  • Common barriers include a shortage of trained providers, insufficient funding for training and equipment, and a lack of established POCUS policies, indicating a need for investment in training and infrastructure for effective adoption in rheumatology.
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Quinones, produced by the oxidation of phenolic compounds, covalently bind to nucleophilic groups on amino acids or proteins. In this study, the reactions of 4-methylbenzoquinone (4MBQ) with β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) and amino acids at neutral pH were investigated. LC-MS analysis revealed that Cys121 was likely the most modified residue in β-LG.

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Article Synopsis
  • Around 25% of patients with worsening heart failure (WHF) are readmitted to hospitals within 30 days after discharge.
  • The SOLOIST-WHF trial analyzed the effects of the drug sotagliflozin compared to a placebo on reducing heart failure-related deaths and events for patients who started treatment before leaving the hospital.
  • Results showed that starting sotagliflozin at discharge significantly lowered the risk of cardiovascular deaths and heart failure events at both 30 and 90 days, indicating its potential benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes post-hospitalization.
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Metabolic comorbidities are common in patients with cardiorenal disease; they can cause atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), speed progression, and adversely affect prognosis. Common comorbidities are Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity/overweight, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and chronic liver disease. The cardiovascular system, kidneys, and liver are linked to many of the same risk factors (e.

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Due to natural conditions such as geology, topography, and climate, and historical features such as resource utilization, land use, and settlement patterns, the drinking water supply in Norway is separated into many public and private water supply systems. This survey sheds light on whether the Drinking Water Regulation's limit values provide a sufficient basis for ensuring safe drinking water for the Norwegian population. Participating waterworks, both private and public, were spread throughout the country, in 21 municipalities with different geological conditions.

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Although the development of therapies and tools for the improved management of heart failure (HF) continues apace, day-to-day management in clinical practice is often far from ideal. A Cardiovascular Round Table workshop was convened by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) to identify barriers to the optimal implementation of therapies and guidelines and to consider mitigation strategies to improve patient outcomes in the future. Key challenges identified included the complexity of HF itself and its treatment, financial constraints and the perception of HF treatments as costly, failure to meet the needs of patients, suboptimal outpatient management, and the fragmented nature of healthcare systems.

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Quinones are electrophilic compounds that can undergo Michael addition or Schiff base reaction with nucleophilic amines, but the effect of temperature has not been systematically studied. The aim of this study was to characterize how temperature affects the reaction mechanism and kinetics of 4-methylbenzoquinone (4MBQ) with lysine (Lys), N-acetyl Lys or N-acetyl Lys. The products were identified and characterized by LC-MS/MS, which revealed formation of Michael addition products, Schiff base, and a di-adduct in Lys and N-acetyl Lys-containing reaction mixtures.

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Aims: Sacubitril/valsartan is a first-in-class angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) with a class-1 guideline recommendation. We assessed the real-world effectiveness of ARNI versus angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ACEi/ARB) on all-cause and cardiovascular (CV)-related mortality and hospitalizations in heart failure (HF) with reduced or mildly reduced ejection fraction (EF).

Methods: Patient-level clinical, laboratory, drug dispensation, hospitalization, and mortality data were derived from the Swedish Heart Failure Registry (SwedeHF) and interlinked databases (1 April 2016-31 December 2020).

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Background: Guidelines recommend early initiation of multiple guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMTs) to reduce mortality/rehospitalization in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. Understanding GDMT use is critical to improving clinical practice.

Objectives: This study sought to describe GDMT use in Japan, Sweden, and the United States in contemporary real-world settings.

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Protein-polyphenol interactions affect the structure, stability, and functional properties of proteins and polyphenols. Oxidized polyphenols (o-quinones) react rapidly with the sulfhydryl group of cysteine (Cys) residues, inducing covalent bonding between proteins and polyphenols. However, quantitative data on such reactions remain elusive, despite the importance of depicting the significance of such interactions on food structure and function.

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Protein-polyphenol adducts are formed upon covalent bonding between oxidized polyphenols and proteins. 4-Methylcatechol (4MC) is a polyphenol with origin in coffee and is oxidized to 4-methylbenzoquinone (4MBQ) under conditions used during food processing. The present study characterizes 4MBQ-induced covalent modifications on β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) from bovine milk, (henceforth β-LQ) and the effect on protein digestibility.

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Radiation therapy generates extensive cancer cell death capable of promoting tumor-specific immunity. Within the tumor, conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) are known to carry tumor-associated antigens to the draining lymph node (TdLN) where they initiate T-cell priming. How radiation influences cDC migration is poorly understood.

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Background: Dietary restriction of sodium has been suggested to prevent fluid overload and adverse outcomes for patients with heart failure. We designed the Study of Dietary Intervention under 100 mmol in Heart Failure (SODIUM-HF) to test whether or not a reduction in dietary sodium reduces the incidence of future clinical events.

Methods: SODIUM-HF is an international, open-label, randomised, controlled trial that enrolled patients at 26 sites in six countries (Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and New Zealand).

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Magnetars are strongly magnetized, isolated neutron stars with magnetic fields up to around 10 gauss, luminosities of approximately 10-10 ergs per second and rotation periods of about 0.3-12.0 s.

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