Survival machine learning methods for mortality prediction after heart transplantation in the contemporary era.

Although prediction models for heart transplantation outcomes have been developed previously, a comprehensive benchmarking of survival machine learning methods for mortality prognosis in the most contemporary era of heart transplants following the 2018 donor heart allocation policy change is warranted. This study assessed seven statistical and machine learning algorithms-Lasso, Ridge, Elastic Net, Cox Gradient Boost, Extreme Gradient Boost Linear, Extreme Gradient Boost Tree, and Random Survival Forests in a post-policy cohort of 7,160 adult heart-only transplant recipients in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) database who received their first transplant on or after October 18, 2018. A cross-validation framework was designed in mlr.

Short-term air pollution levels and sickle cell disease hospital encounters in South Carolina: A case-crossover analysis.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder and symptoms may be sensitive to environmental stressors. Although it has been hypothesized that exposure to outdoor air pollution could trigger acute SCD events, evidence is limited.

Methods: We obtained SCD administrative data on hospital encounters in South Carolina from 2002 to 2019.

Statin Twitter: Human and Automated Bot Contributions, 2010 to 2022.

Background: Many individuals eligible for statin therapy decline treatment, often due to fear of adverse effects. Misinformation about statins is common and drives statin reluctance, but its prevalence on social media platforms, such as Twitter (now X) remains unclear. Social media bots are known to proliferate medical misinformation, but their involvement in statin-related discourse is unknown.

Habitual caffeinated beverage consumption and headaches among adults with episodic migraine: A prospective cohort study.

Objective: To examine the relationship between habitual caffeinated beverage consumption and headache frequency, duration, and intensity in a prospective cohort of adults with episodic migraine.

Background: Caffeine is a commonly ascribed headache trigger in adults with migraine and clinicians may counsel patients to avoid caffeinated beverages; however, few studies have examined this association.

Methods: From March 2016 to August 2017, 101 adults with physician-confirmed episodic migraine completed baseline questionnaires, including information about caffeinated beverage consumption.

Influenza vaccination and use of lipid lowering therapies in adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: An analysis of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Background: Influenza vaccination and lipid lowering therapy (LLT) are evidence-based interventions with substantial benefit for individuals with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, levels of influenza immunization and LLT use are low, possibly due to pervasive fear-based misinformation uniquely targeting vaccines and LLT. Whether being unvaccinated for influenza predicts lower utilization of LLT is unknown.

Induction immunosuppression and post-transplant diabetes mellitus: a propensity-matched cohort study.

Introduction: Post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a common complication among cardiac transplant recipients, causing diabetes-related complications and death. While certain maintenance immunosuppressive drugs increase PTDM risk, it is unclear whether induction immunosuppression can do the same. Therefore, we evaluated whether induction immunosuppression with IL-2 receptor antagonists, polyclonal anti-lymphocyte antibodies, or Alemtuzumab given in the peri-transplant period is associated with PTDM.

Politically related stress and low-birth-weight infants among Arab, Asian, Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White women in Michigan.

Background: Despite the high cost of low birth weight and the persistent challenge of racial inequities affecting the Arab American community, there has been limited research to identify and examine risk factors for these inequities with validated data on Arab American ethnicity and recent population stressors.

Objectives: This study examined whether the 2016 presidential election is associated with low birth weight among non-Hispanic White, Arab American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Black women.

Design: This population-based study of singleton births in Michigan (2008-2017) used an algorithm to identify mothers who were of Arab descent.

Impact of simulated flight conditions on supraventricular and ventricular ectopy.

Though billions of passengers and crew travel by air each year and are exposed to altitude equivalents of 7000-8000 feet, the health impact of cabin oxygenation levels has not been well studied. The hypoxic environment may produce ectopic heartbeats that may increase the risk of acute in-flight cardiac events. We enrolled forty older and at-risk participants under a block-randomized crossover design in a hypobaric chamber study to examine associations between flight oxygenation and both ventricular (VE) and supraventricular ectopy (SVE).

Association of interpregnancy interval and gestational diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To evaluate the association between interpregnancy interval (IPI) and risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among singleton, non-anomalous, live birth pregnancies of 5,705,812 pregnant individuals in the United States from 2016 to 2018. We examined IPI of 4-<6 months, 6-11 months, 12-17 months, 24-35 months, 36-47 months, 48-59 months, 60-71 months, and ≥72 months in comparison to the reference interval of 18-23 months in relation to risk for GDM.

The association between multidimensional sleep health and migraine burden among patients with episodic migraine.

Study Objectives: Using the Sleep Regularity, Satisfaction, Alertness, Timing, Satisfaction, and Duration (Ru-SATED) sleep health framework, we examined the association between multidimensional sleep health and headache burden in a cohort of 98 adults with episodic migraine.

Methods: Participants wore wrist actigraphs and completed twice-daily electronic diaries regarding sleep, headaches, and other health habits for 6 weeks. We calculated separate composite sleep health scores from diary and actigraphy assessed measures using the Ru-SATED framework.

Incidence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome among Royal Thai Army personnel.

Metabolic Syndrome is a clustering of obesity, hyperglycemia/insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. We aimed to determine the incidence of metabolic syndrome among Royal Thai Army (RTA) personnel and its risk factors. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from 2017 to 2021.

The Association of Cannabis Use Disorder with Acute Limb Ischemia and Critical Limb Ischemia.

Objectives: Heavy cannabis use has been associated with the development of acute myocardial infarction and stroke. The objective of this study was to determine if heavy, chronic cannabis use is associated with the development of acute limb ischemia (ALI) or critical limb ischemia (CLI).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study within the National Inpatient Sample (2006-2015).

Effect of continuous positive airway pressure treatment on ambulatory blood pressures in high-risk sleep apnea patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Study Objectives: The long-term effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on 24-hour blood pressure (BP) in patients at high risk with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is uncertain. We aimed to determine the effect of CPAP treatment on ambulatory BP in individuals with moderate or severe OSA and cardiovascular disease or multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors without severe sleepiness.

Methods: In this randomized, controlled, parallel group study, 169 participants were randomly assigned to CPAP treatment or the control group.

Fetal Brain Volume Predicts Neurodevelopment in Congenital Heart Disease.

Background: Neurodevelopmental impairment is common in children with congenital heart disease (CHD), but postnatal variables explain only 30% of the variance in outcomes. To explore whether the antecedents for neurodevelopmental disabilities might begin in utero, we analyzed whether fetal brain volume predicted subsequent neurodevelopmental outcome in children with CHD.

Methods: Fetuses with isolated CHD and sociodemographically comparable healthy control fetuses underwent fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging and 2-year neurodevelopmental evaluation with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) and the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3).

Vascular remodeling of the small pulmonary arteries and measures of vascular pruning on computed tomography.

Pulmonary hypertension is characterized histologically by intimal and medial thickening in the small pulmonary arteries, eventually resulting in vascular "pruning." Computed tomography (CT)-based quantification of pruning is associated with clinical measures of pulmonary hypertension, but it is not established whether CT-based pruning correlates with histologic arterial remodeling. Our sample consisted of 138 patients who underwent resection for early-stage lung adenocarcinoma.

Napping behavior in adults with episodic migraine: a six-week prospective cohort study.

Study Objectives: Patients with migraine commonly endorse napping as a strategy for headache pain relief, but also experience high rates of sleep disturbance. To elucidate the relationship between napping behavior and migraine, we evaluated the association between napping and headache frequency, severity, and intensity among adults with episodic migraine. We also examined the association between daily napping and that night's sleep.