Riluzole is associated with reduced risk of heart failure.

Background: Reduction of intracellular Na accumulation through late Na current inhibition has been recognized as a target for cardiac Ca handling which underlies myocardial contractility and relaxation in heart failure (HF). Riluzole, an Na channel blocker with enhancement of Ca-activated K channel function, used for management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is effective in suppressing Ca leak and therefore may improve cardiac function.

Objectives: The study aim was to investigate whether riluzole lowers HF incidence.

Association of atrial fibrillation with lamotrigine: An observational cohort study.

Background: Drug-induced atrial fibrillation (AF) is recognized as an important causal association. Lamotrigine (LTG) is a widely prescribed neurological agent with Class IB antiarrhythmic properties at therapeutically relevant concentrations. The United States Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning for a higher risk of LTG proarrhythmic events in patients with structural heart disease (SHD) and/or myocardial ischemia.

Understanding the complexity of decision-making for mothers of young children with ambulatory cerebral palsy: A qualitative phenomenological study.

Aim: To investigate non-clinical factors that affect health-related decision-making in mothers with young ambulatory children living with cerebral palsy (CP).

Method: Guided by phenomenology, we asked parents to describe early experiences of raising a young ambulatory child living with CP. Conversations were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and analysed using a qualitative inductive approach.

Association of Ventricular Arrhythmias with Lamotrigine: An Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Whether lamotrigine (LTG) is associated with ventricular tachycardia (VT) in bipolar disorder (BPD), partial seizures (PSZ) and generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTSZ) with and without structural heart disease (SHD) remains controversial. A mechanistic rational for LTG-induced re-entrant cardiac arrhythmias has recently been elucidated, leading to a real-world comparative cohort observational study being warranted.

Methods: A retrospective observational comparative safety study was performed using a large healthcare claims database of adult participants analyzing the one-year cumulative VT.

Outcomes of adults with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia treated with azacitidine and venetoclax compared to other therapies: a multicenter retrospective study.

This study reports characteristics and outcomes of adults who received Azacitidine-Venetoclax (AZA-VEN) compared to other salvage therapies (NO-AZA-VEN) as first salvage therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The clinical data of 81 patients with a diagnosis of relapsed or refractory AML were analyzed. The ORR was comparable for both groups (55% vs 57%,  = 0.

The effect of thoraco-lumbo-sacral orthosis wear time and clinical risk factors on curve progression for individuals with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Background Context: The effectiveness of bracing with a thoraco-lumbo-sacral orthosis (TLSO) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has been studied extensively, with a growing body of evidence supporting TLSO use. In this study we examine the effect of wear time and other important causal factors affecting curve progression and develop a risk model that can be applied to individual patients and is based on important casual factors.

Purpose: Understand the impact of TLSO wear time and other risk factors in order to guide optimal treatment.

Clinical outcomes measurement in pediatric lower limb prosthetics: A scoping review.

Objective: This study aimed to identify clinical measures that have been used to evaluate function, health related quality of life (HRQoL), and/or satisfaction in children who use lower limb prostheses (LLP). The data reported on psychometric properties for children who use LLP were collected for each measure.

Methods: First, PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were searched using broad search terms to identify standardized outcome measures of function, HRQoL, and/or satisfaction with treatment used in pediatric LLP research published in 2001 or after.

Clinical outcomes of a balloon-expandable stent for symptomatic obstructions of the subclavian or innominate arteries.

Upper-extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) may present with a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms. If an endovascular treatment is planned, percutaneous angioplasty and stent placement may lead to a better patency compared to percutaneous angioplasty alone. We assessed the characteristics and clinical course of patients with upper-extremity PAD who received angioplasty and a balloon-expandable stent.

The long-term effects of aggressive spasticity reducing treatment, including selective dorsal rhizotomy, on joint kinematic outcomes of persons with cerebral palsy.

Background: Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) creates a large and permanent reduction of spasticity for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Previous SDR outcomes studies have generally lacked appropriate control groups, had limited sample sizes, or reported short-term follow-up, limiting evidence for improvement in long-term gait function.

Research Question: Does aggressive spasticity management for individuals with CP improve long-term gait kinematics (discrete joint kinematics) compared to a control group of individuals with CP with minimal spasticity management?

Methods: This study was a secondary analysis - focused on joint-level kinematics - of a previous study evaluating the long-term outcomes of SDR.

Factor analysis of the Gait Outcomes Assessment List's goal questions: A new method to measure goal prioritization in ambulatory individuals with cerebral palsy.

Aim: To evaluate the factor structure of the 49 goal prioritization questions of the Gait Outcome Assessment List (GOAL).

Method: This was a retrospective review of 622 consecutive individuals diagnosed with cerebral palsy (median = 11 years 2 months, SD = 6 years 0 months, 370 male), who underwent a routine clinical gait analysis at a specialty center and completed the validated GOAL. To assess dimensionality, we performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on the goal ratings of its 49 gait-related items.

Reliability of the Gait Outcomes Assessment List questionnaire.

Aim: To report the test-retest reliability of the parent version of the Gait Outcomes Assessment List (GOAL) questionnaire for item, domain, total score, and goal importance in children with cerebral palsy (CP) functioning in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I to III.

Method: The GOAL questionnaire was completed twice, 3 to 31 days apart, in a prospective cohort study of 112 caregivers of children aged 4 to 17 years with CP (40% unilateral; GMFCS level I = 53; II = 35; III = 24; 76 males). All had an outpatient visit over a 1-year period.

Pregabalin Does Not Increase Risk of Heart Failure Exacerbation in Patients With Pre-existing Heart Failure.

Background: Through actions of calcium channel trafficking inhibition and sodium/water retention, pregabalin may increase the risk of acute heart failure (AHF).

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of heart failure (HF) acute exacerbations, measured by a composite of emergency department (ED) visits, per-patient per-year (PPPY) hospitalizations, time-to first ED admission, and time-to hospitalizations in pre-existing HF patients taking pregabalin compared with those who were pregabalin-naive.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of pregabalin users with HF were propensity score-matched to pregabalin-naïve patients with HF to evaluate the composite of ED admissions or PPPY hospitalizations, time-to first ED admission, and time-to hospitalizations during the 365 days post-index.

Clinical outcomes of ultrasound-assisted coagulation monitoring-adjusted catheter-directed thrombolysis for acute pulmonary embolism.

Background: Ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis (USAT) may reverse right ventricular dysfunction due to acute pulmonary embolism (PE) with a favorable safety profile.

Methods: We studied intermediate-high- and high-risk acute PE patients who underwent USAT at the University Hospital Zurich, 2018-2022. The USAT regimen included alteplase 10 mg per catheter over 15 h, therapeutic-dosed heparin, and dosage adaptations based on routinely monitored coagulation parameters, notably anti-factor Xa activity and fibrinogen.

Heritable Risk and Protective Genetic Components of Glaucoma Medication Non-Adherence.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, affecting 76 million globally. It is characterized by irreversible damage to the optic nerve. Pharmacotherapy manages intraocular pressure (IOP) and slows disease progression.

Percutaneous large-bore aspiration embolectomy with veno-arterial extracorporal membrane oxygenation support or standby in patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism and contraindications to thrombolysis: a preliminary single centre experience.

Aims: Large-bore catheter aspiration embolectomy reduces thrombus burden and right ventricle strain and improves haemodynamics after pulmonary embolism (PE). Sparse data are available for patients with high-risk PE and contraindications to thrombolysis or thrombolysis failure, particularly if veno-arterial extracorporal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is required.

Methods And Results: All patients with acute high-risk PE and contraindications to thrombolysis undergoing FlowTriever® percutaneous embolectomy and VA-ECMO circulatory support (or standby) at the University Hospital Zurich between April 2021 and August 2022 were retrospectively analysed.

Prospective, randomized, controlled, trial to assess ASA DOSing by body mass index in HEalthy volunteers (DOSE study).

Unlabelled: STUDY OBJECTIVE: Aspirin (ASA) has demonstrated inconsistent results in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Guidelines are also inconsistent in the recommendation of routine ASA use for primary prevention of CVD, but advocate dosing as a "one-size-fits-all" approach.

Design: An intention-to-treat, double-blind, randomized, controlled, clinical trial comparing three treatment arms of ASA 81, 325, and 500 mg daily dosed for 14 days were evenly randomized across the dosing categories to measure the impact of dosing by body mass index (BMI) (20-24.

Detangling the Structural Neural Correlates Associated with Resting versus Dynamic Phantom Limb Pain Intensity Using a Voxel-based Morphometry Analysis.

The management of phantom limb pain (PLP) is still challenging due to a partial understanding of its neurophysiological mechanisms. Structural neuroimaging features are potential biomarkers. However, only a few studies assessed their correlations with clinical severity and treatment response.

Vigilance described by the time-on-task effect in EEG activity during a cued Go/NoGo task.

Vigilance refers to the ability to maintain attention and to remain alert to stimuli in prolonged and monotonous tasks. Vigilance decrement describes the decline in performance in the course of such sustained attention tasks. Time-related alterations in attention have been found to be associated with changes in EEG.

Longitudinal investigation in children and adolescents with ADHD and healthy controls: A 2-year ERP study.

Cross-sectional group comparisons have shown altered neurocognitive and neurophysiological profiles in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We report a two-year longitudinal observational study of ADHD children and adolescents (N = 239) regarding ADHD symptoms, behavioral metrics, and event-related potentials (ERP) and compared them to healthy controls (N = 91). The participants were assessed up to five times with a cued Go/NoGo task while ERPs were recorded.

Scholarly Activity of Tenure-Track Faculty in US Departments of Pharmacy Practice.

To quantitatively determine scholarly activity among tenure-track faculty at US departments of pharmacy practice over a 10-year period. A search of PubMed was performed for articles by department of pharmacy practice tenure track (DPP-TT) faculty from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2019. DPP-TT faculty working in departments of pharmacy practice were identified through faculty rosters published on the American Association Colleges of Pharmacy website or college or school internet sites.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors reduce community-acquired pneumonia hospitalization and mortality.

Background: Pneumonia is a global disorder and a common reason for prolonged hospitalization. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) have pleiotropic effects that support a role in modulating pneumonia, but results have been controversial.

Objectives: The present study was conducted to elucidate an ACEi-induced pneumonia benefit in at-risk neurologically impaired population and to determine whether a mortality benefit exists.

Longitudinal analysis of PharmD program students' satisfaction and stress.

Introduction: The University of Utah College of Pharmacy conducted an annual survey to gauge the relationship between multiple dimensions of students' satisfaction, and stress, with the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program and perceptions of future career plans.

Methods: An online survey of professional year one (P1) through professional year four (P4) students was conducted from 2015 to 2019.

Results: There were a total of 953 non-unique survey respondents.

Reduced risk of NSAID-Induced adverse events with concomitant use of misoprostol (MICRO study).

Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most frequently used medications for pain, even though they increase the risk for adverse cardiovascular events.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and renal event rates between NSAIDs versus NSAIDs plus misoprostol.

Methods: A population-based historical cohort of U.

Major adverse limb events in patients with femoro-popliteal and below-the-knee peripheral arterial disease treated with either sirolimus-coated balloon or standard uncoated balloon angioplasty: a structured protocol summary of the "SirPAD" randomized controlled trial.

Background: Peripheral arterial disease is a progressive atherosclerotic disease with symptoms ranging from an intermittent claudication to acute critical limb ischemia and amputations. Drug-coated balloons and stents were developed to prevent neo-intimal proliferation and restenosis after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. Randomized controlled trials showed that drug-coated, notably paclitaxel-coated, devices reduce restenosis, late lumen loss, and the need for target lesion re-vascularization compared with uncoated ones.