Data profile: The Statistics Canada Biobank.

The Statistics Canada Biobank (Biobank) is a valuable source of nationally representative health information. It contains biospecimens collected from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) and the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey (CCAHS). Both surveys are voluntary and aim to collect a variety of important health information from Canadians to create nationally representative estimates.

Longitudinal changes in quality of life following ICD implant and the impact of age, gender, and ICD shocks: observations from the INTRINSIC RV trial.

Purpose: ICDs can improve survival in at-risk patients but no consensus exists with respect to their impact on health-related quality of life (QOL). Moreover, the data are unclear on QOL benefits in specific patient subgroups. We sought to analyze, in the INTRINSIC RV ICD trial population, health-related QOL longitudinally following ICD implant and consider impact of age, gender, and ICD shocks on QOL by employing a global measure of health-related QOL.

Comparison of actigraphic and subjective measures of sleep in implantable cardioverter defibrillator and coronary artery disease patients.

Background: Cardiac patients frequently have insomnia symptoms that may pose risk for future cardiac events. Poor sleep relates to hyperarousal, anxiety and depression, and the incidence of hypertension and myocardial infarction.

Hypothesis: The authors hypothesized that implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients would have poorer sleep than coronary artery disease (CAD) patients related to hypervigilance for device functioning and shock discharge.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy: a pilot study examining cognitive change in patients before and after treatment.

Background: Cardiovascular patients with reduced cardiovascular output and capacity such as those with congestive heart failure (CHF) have demonstrated cognitive-related dysfunction. The use of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is considered standard care for CHF patients who do not improve despite optimal medical therapy. Cardiac resynchronization therapy may improve neurocognitive and psychosocial functioning in patients by increasing cardiac output and cerebral perfusion.

Tackling sleeplessness: Psychological treatment options for insomnia.

The purpose of the present paper is to review and summarize the research supporting nonpharmacologic treatment options for insomnia. The different treatment approaches are described followed by a review of both original research articles and meta-analyses. Meta-analytic reviews suggest that common nonpharmacologic approaches exert, on average, medium to large effect sizes on SOL, WASO, NWAK, SQR, and SE while smaller effects are seen for TST.

Examination of research trends on patient factors in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

Background: The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is the most effective treatment available for terminating potentially life-threatening ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation and reducing the risk of mortality. Despite its established health benefits, ICD therapy is accompanied by a unique array of patient and psychological factors meriting ample research attention. The purpose of this paper is to examine research trends and results regarding patient factors in cardiac and ICD research and to discuss key areas for future research.

Comparison of rural and urban residents' implicit and explicit attitudes related to seeking medical care.

Context: The decision whether or not to consult a physician draws from a variety of attitudes within an individual's health schema. While rural Americans are in greater need of health care, many of them have fewer external resources than urbanites available to them.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to elicit implicit and explicit attitudes related to seeking medical treatment for a condition described as fairly serious.

Patient-reported outcomes for open versus laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy.

Background: Rates of living kidney donation have increased dramatically in recent years, in large part because of improved surgical techniques such as laparoscopic nephrectomy.

Objective: To compare patient-reported outcomes of laparoscopic nephrectomy versus open donor nephrectomy in 84 adult live kidney donors.

Outcome Measures: Outcomes included perceptions of pain and surgical scarring, number of surgical/medical complications, hospital length of stay, physical health problems related to donation, return to work, financial impact, health-related quality of life, and satisfaction with the donation experience.