A rapid systematic review of the effect of health or peer volunteers for diabetes self-management: Synthesizing evidence to guide social prescribing.

Social prescribing is a model of care, usually in the community-setting, which aims to address people's unmet social needs. Volunteers support primary health care and community-based care in non-medical roles. However, few studies focus on volunteers in social prescribing, therefore, aimed to synthesize the effect of health or peer volunteer-led interventions on psychosocial and behavioural outcomes for middle-aged and older adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) to inform future work for volunteering in social prescribing.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: New Insights and Treatment Approaches.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains a significant global health concern, with increasing prevalence and a substantial impact on quality of life. This narrative review explores recent advances in our understanding of GERD pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. The complex interplay of factors contributing to GERD, including lower esophageal sphincter dysfunction, transient sphincter relaxations, and esophageal motility disorders, is discussed.

Decoding Cancer Risk: Understanding Gene-Environment Interactions in Cancer Development.

While lifestyle choices or behavioral patterns remain the most significant factors influencing cancer risk, environmental exposure to certain chemicals, both manufactured and natural, may also contribute to an individual's likelihood of developing cancer. This interplay of factors, coupled with an aging demographic and shifting lifestyle patterns, has led to an increasing prevalence of cancer in recent years. This study examines the environmental and behavioral factors that contribute to anomalies in the immune system and increase the risk of developing cancer.

Rebalancing the Gut: Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Agonists as a Strategy for Obesity and Metabolic Health.

Obesity significantly impacts gut microbial composition, exacerbating metabolic dysfunction and weight gain. Traditional treatment methods often fall short, underscoring the need for innovative approaches. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists have emerged as promising agents in obesity management, demonstrating significant potential in modulating gut microbiota.

Emerging Therapeutic Strategies in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including ischemic heart disease and stroke, are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, causing nearly 20 million deaths annually. Traditional therapies, while effective, have not curbed the rising prevalence of CVDs driven by aging populations and lifestyle factors. This review highlights innovative therapeutic strategies that show promise in improving patient outcomes and transforming cardiovascular care.

Emerging Technologies in Endoscopy for Gastrointestinal Neoplasms: A Comprehensive Overview.

Gastrointestinal neoplasms are a growing global health concern, requiring prompt identification and treatment. Endoscopic procedures have revolutionized the detection and treatment of gastrointestinal tumors by providing accurate, minimally invasive methods. Early-stage malignancies can be treated with endoscopic excision, leading to improved outcomes and increased survival rates.

Older adults and social prescribing experience, outcomes, and processes: a meta-aggregation systematic review.

Objective: Social prescribing is a complex care model, which aims to address unmet non-medical needs and connect people to community resources. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize available evidence from qualitative methods (e.g.

Association of plasma nitrite levels with obesity and metabolic syndrome in the Old Order Amish.

Objectives: Plasma nitrite is a metabolite of nitric oxide and reflects endogenous nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity. Although plasma nitrites were previously linked with obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS), the direction of association remains inconsistent, possibly due to sample heterogeneity. In a relatively homogeneous population, we hypothesized that nitrite levels will be positively associated with overweight/obesity and MetS.

Heritability of plasma neopterin levels in the Old Order Amish.

Background: We examined the heritability of neopterin, a biomarker for cell-mediated immunity and oxidative stress, and potentially for psychiatric disorders, in the Old Order Amish.

Methods: Plasma neopterin levels were determined in 2015 Old Order Amish adults. Quantitative genetic procedures were used to estimate heritability of neopterin.

Light treatment for seasonal Winter depression in African-American vs Caucasian outpatients.

Aim: To compare adherence, response, and remission with light treatment in African-American and Caucasian patients with Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Methods: Seventy-eight study participants, age range 18-64 (51 African-Americans and 27 Caucasians) recruited from the Greater Baltimore Metropolitan area, with diagnoses of recurrent mood disorder with seasonal pattern, and confirmed by a Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV, were enrolled in an open label study of daily bright light treatment. The trial lasted 6 wk with flexible dosing of light starting with 10000 lux bright light for 60 min daily in the morning.

Seasonality shows evidence for polygenic architecture and genetic correlation with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Objective: To test common genetic variants for association with seasonality (seasonal changes in mood and behavior) and to investigate whether there are shared genetic risk factors between psychiatric disorders and seasonality.

Method: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) were conducted in Australian (between 1988 and 1990 and between 2010 and 2013) and Amish (between May 2010 and December 2011) samples in whom the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) had been administered, and the results were meta-analyzed in a total sample of 4,156 individuals. Genetic risk scores based on results from prior large GWAS studies of bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), and schizophrenia were calculated to test for overlap in risk between psychiatric disorders and seasonality.

Test-retest reliability of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire in Old Order Amish.

Background: Research on test-retest reliability of the Season Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) is sparse, and to date, has not been done with subgroups such as the Old Order Amish.

Methods: We examined the test-retest reliability of the SPAQ in a sample of Old Order Amish. A total of 68 Old Order Amish participants completed the SPAQ twice, with 4 months between administrations.

Seasonality of mood and behavior in the Old Order Amish.

Background/objective: We examined seasonality and winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in the Old Order Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a unique population that prohibits use of network electric light in their homes.

Methods: We estimated SAD using the seasonal pattern assessment questionnaire (SPAQ) in 1306 Amish adults and compared the frequencies of SAD and total SAD (i.e.

Improvement in depression scores after 1 hour of light therapy treatment in patients with seasonal affective disorder.

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible rapid effects of light therapy on depressed mood in patients with seasonal affective disorder. Participants received 1 hour of bright light therapy and 1 hour of placebo dim red light in a randomized order crossover design. Depressed mood was measured at baseline and after each hour of light treatment using two self-report depression scales (Profile of Mood States-Depression-Dejection [POMS-D] subscale and the Beck Depression Inventory II [BDI-II]).

Sleep architecture and behavioral abnormalities in children and adolescents.

Objective: To investigate the association between sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and parent report of attention and behavioral problems in children, as well as the association between sleep stage duration and measures of child functioning in a clinically referred sample.

Methods: A chart review was conducted of 95 children with clinical history of SDB who completed an overnight polysomnography study in a pediatric sleep laboratory. Child functioning was assessed at the time of the sleep study by parent report on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).