Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors Among Former National Football League Players.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, but prevalence estimates in former professional athletes are limited.

Objectives: HUDDLE (Heart Health: Understanding and Diagnosing Disease by Leveraging Echocardiograms) aimed to raise awareness and estimate the prevalence of CVD and associated risk factors among members of the National Football League (NFL) Alumni Association and their families through education and screening events.

Methods: HUDDLE was a multicity, cross-sectional study of NFL alumni and family members aged 50 years and older.

Outcomes of Patients Who Undergo Cardiac Surgical Procedures After Liver Transplantation.

Background: There is a paucity of information available regarding the impact of cardiac surgical procedures on patients who have undergone previous liver transplantation. The primary purpose of this study was to ascertain the survival rate and predictors of death in this specific patient population.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study consisted of a consecutive series of patients with a functioning liver allograft who subsequently underwent cardiac surgical procedures between January 1991 and December 2012.

Neutrophil mobilization from the bone marrow during polymicrobial sepsis is dependent on CXCL12 signaling.

Neutrophils are essential for successful host eradication of bacterial pathogens and for survival to polymicrobial sepsis. During inflammation, the bone marrow provides a large reserve of neutrophils that are released into the peripheral circulation where they traverse to sites of infection. Although neutrophils are essential for survival, few studies have investigated the mechanisms responsible for neutrophil mobilization from the bone marrow during polymicrobial sepsis.