Publications by authors named "Olivia C Leavy"
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the relationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) using a Mendelian randomisation approach to determine if there is a causal link between the two.
- - Analysis of genetic data showed that neither type 1 diabetes (T1D) nor type 2 diabetes (T2D) appeared to directly cause IPF, nor did other diabetes-related factors like HbA1c or fasting insulin levels.
- - The findings suggest that while DM and IPF often coexist, their relationship may be influenced by common risk factors or complications rather than a direct causal connection.
Background: People hospitalised for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have elevated incidence of diabetes. However, it is unclear whether this is due to shared risk factors, confounding or stress hyperglycaemia in response to acute illness.
Methods: We analysed a multicentre prospective cohort study (PHOSP-COVID) of people ≥18 years discharged from NHS hospitals across the United Kingdom following COVID-19.
Background: In patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requiring supplemental oxygen, dexamethasone reduces acute severity and improves survival, but longer-term effects are unknown. We hypothesised that systemic corticosteroid administration during acute COVID-19 would be associated with improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) 1 year after discharge.
Methods: Adults admitted to hospital between February 2020 and March 2021 for COVID-19 and meeting current guideline recommendations for dexamethasone treatment were included using two prospective UK cohort studies (Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium).
Background: COVID-19 is known to be associated with increased risks of cognitive and psychiatric outcomes after the acute phase of disease. We aimed to assess whether these symptoms can emerge or persist more than 1 year after hospitalisation for COVID-19, to identify which early aspects of COVID-19 illness predict longer-term symptoms, and to establish how these symptoms relate to occupational functioning.
Methods: The Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) is a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of adults (aged ≥18 years) who were hospitalised with a clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 at participating National Health Service hospitals across the UK.
Article Synopsis
- Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a serious complication of COVID-19 that can lead to chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease (CTEPD) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), but the true burden and best screening methods for these conditions are still not clear.
- During the study from 2017 to 2022, only a small percentage of CTEPH cases were linked to previous COVID-19 infections, with the CTEPH rates returning to pre-pandemic levels after the second year of the pandemic.
- The findings suggest that while the risk of developing CTEPH after hospitalization for COVID-19 is low, using simple clinical risk scores can help identify patients who may need further evaluation.
Article Synopsis
- The PHOSP-COVID study examined long-term outcomes in COVID-19 hospitalised patients with pre-existing airway diseases compared to those without.* -
- Out of 615 participants with airway diseases, many reported lower recovery rates, higher anxiety and depression levels, and greater mobility issues one year post-discharge.* -
- Overall, individuals with pre-existing airway conditions experienced worse health-related quality of life and more persistent symptoms like breathlessness and fatigue after recovering from COVID-19.*
Background: Pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cardiovascular risk factors have been associated with an increased risk of complications following hospitalisation with COVID-19, but their impact on the rate of recovery following discharge is not known.
Objectives: To determine whether the rate of patient-perceived recovery following hospitalisation with COVID-19 was affected by the presence of CVD or cardiovascular risk factors.
Methods: In a multicentre prospective cohort study, patients were recruited following discharge from the hospital with COVID-19 undertaking two comprehensive assessments at 5 months and 12 months.
Article Synopsis
- IPF (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) is a lung disease that can also show up in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and researchers wanted to see if one causes the other or if they just happen together.
- They used special genetic studies to see how RA and IPF relate to each other, finding that IPF seems to increase the risk of developing seropositive RA.
- However, the opposite (that RA protects against IPF) wasn’t always clear, leading to the conclusion that RA-UIP might be more about how IPF causes RA rather than the two just happening at the same time.
Article Synopsis
- One in ten COVID-19 infections lead to long COVID, characterized by prolonged symptoms, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
- In a study of 657 individuals, certain inflammatory markers were linked to long COVID symptoms, revealing connections to cardiorespiratory issues, fatigue, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, cognitive impairments, and potential nerve tissue repair disturbances.
- Findings suggest that targeting specific inflammatory pathways could offer new therapeutic options for treating different subtypes of long COVID in future clinical trials.*
Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic interstitial pneumonia marked by progressive lung fibrosis and a poor prognosis. Recent studies have highlighted the potential role of infection in the pathogenesis of IPF, and a prior association of the gene with idiopathic fibrotic interstitial pneumonia (including IPF) has been reported. Owing to the important role that the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region plays in the immune response, here we evaluated if HLA genetic variation was associated specifically with IPF risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung condition that is more prevalent in males than females. The reasons for this are not fully understood, with differing environmental exposures due to historically sex-biased occupations, or diagnostic bias, being possible explanations. To date, over 20 independent genetic variants have been identified to be associated with IPF susceptibility, but these have been discovered when combining males and females.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA proportion of patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 experience a range of neuropsychiatric symptoms months after infection, including cognitive deficits, depression and anxiety. The mechanisms underpinning such symptoms remain elusive. Recent research has demonstrated that nervous system injury can occur during COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Endocrine systems are disrupted in acute illness, and symptoms reported following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are similar to those found with clinical hormone deficiencies. We hypothesised that people with severe acute COVID-19 and with post-COVID symptoms have glucocorticoid and sex hormone deficiencies.
Design/patients: Samples were obtained for analysis from two UK multicentre cohorts during hospitalisation with COVID-19 (International Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Consortium/World Health Organisation [WHO] Clinical Characterization Protocol for Severe Emerging Infections in the UK study), and at follow-up 5 months after hospitalisation (Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study).
Article Synopsis
- Post-COVID cognitive deficits, often described as 'brain fog', are commonly seen in patients and significantly impair daily functioning, but their exact biological causes are still unclear.
- A study with 1,837 adults hospitalized due to COVID-19 identified two specific biomarker profiles from their blood tests that can predict cognitive issues 6 to 12 months post-infection.
- The first profile involves high fibrinogen levels linked to cognitive impairments, while the second profile, marked by elevated D-dimer levels, connects more with subjective cognitive issues and work performance, with fatigue and shortness of breath playing a mediating role.
Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic interstitial pneumonia marked by progressive lung fibrosis and a poor prognosis. Recent studies have highlighted the potential role of infection in the pathogenesis of IPF and a prior association of the gene with idiopathic fibrotic interstitial pneumonia (including IPF) has been reported. Due to the important role that the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) region plays in the immune response, here we evaluated if HLA genetic variation was associated specifically with IPF risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- A study aimed to determine how common issues like swallowing, communication, voice, and cognitive problems are among patients who were hospitalized for COVID-19 in the UK.
- It involved data from over 2,000 patients collected through questionnaires at two different times after their discharge, focusing on the complications faced after intensive care unit (ICU) treatment.
- The results showed that many experienced difficulties: 20% with swallowing issues, 34% with voice problems, 23% with communication challenges, and a significant 70% reported cognitive problems, highlighting the need for urgent research and rehabilitation strategies.
Background: The risk factors for recovery from COVID-19 dyspnoea are poorly understood. We investigated determinants of recovery from dyspnoea in adults with COVID-19 and compared these to determinants of recovery from non-COVID-19 dyspnoea.
Methods: We used data from two prospective cohort studies: PHOSP-COVID (patients hospitalised between March 2020 and April 2021 with COVID-19) and COVIDENCE UK (community cohort studied over the same time period).
Background: Sleep disturbance is common following hospital admission both for COVID-19 and other causes. The clinical associations of this for recovery after hospital admission are poorly understood despite sleep disturbance contributing to morbidity in other scenarios. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and nature of sleep disturbance after discharge following hospital admission for COVID-19 and to assess whether this was associated with dyspnoea.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- A study on long-term outcomes after COVID-19 hospitalization found that frailty is prevalent among survivors, with many participants categorizing as frail or pre-frail five months and one year after discharge.
- The research involved 2419 adults, showing that 63.8% were pre-frail and 13.4% frail at five months, which improved somewhat by one year, with 34.5% being robust.
- Factors like older age, female sex, and prior invasive mechanical ventilation were linked to higher frailty rates, and those who were frail reported significant declines in health-related quality of life and recovery perceptions compared to their pre-COVID states.
The research of rare and devastating orphan diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has been limited by the rarity of the disease itself. The prognosis is poor-the prevalence of IPF is only approximately four times the incidence, limiting the recruitment of patients to trials and studies of the underlying biology. Global biobanking efforts can dramatically alter the future of IPF research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Many adults hospitalised with COVID-19 have persistent symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and brain fog that limit day-to-day activities. These symptoms can last over 2 years. Whilst there is limited controlled studies on interventions that can support those with ongoing symptoms, there has been some promise in rehabilitation interventions in improving function and symptoms either using face-to-face or digital methods, but evidence remains limited and these studies often lack a control group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a serious disease of the lung parenchyma. It has a known polygenetic risk, with at least seventeen regions of the genome implicated to date. Growing evidence suggests linked multimorbidity of IPF with neurodegenerative or affective disorders.
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