Risk of myocardial infarction with use of selected non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with spondyloarthritis and osteoarthritis.

Objectives: Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) due to underlying inflammation and possibly due to medications such as certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We sought to describe MI risk among patients with SpA who were prescribed NSAIDs, and to compare the pattern of risk in SpA with that in osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Nested case-control studies were performed using The Health Improvement Network (THIN).

Smoking paradox in the development of psoriatic arthritis among patients with psoriasis: a population-based study.

Objectives: Smoking is associated with an increased risk of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in the general population, but not among patients with psoriasis. We sought to clarify the possible methodological mechanisms behind this paradox.

Methods: Using 1995-2015 data from The Health Improvement Network, we performed survival analysis to examine the association between smoking and incident PsA in the general population and among patients with psoriasis.

Obesity Paradox in Recurrent Attacks of Gout in Observational Studies: Clarification and Remedy.

Objective: Obesity is strongly associated with incident gout risk, but its association with the risk of recurrent gout attacks has been null or weak, constituting an obesity paradox. We sought to demonstrate and overcome the methodologic issues associated with the obesity paradox for risk of recurrent gout attacks.

Methods: Using the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial database, we decomposed the total effect of obesity into its direct and indirect (i.

Skin cancer education for massage therapists: a novel approach to the early detection of suspicious lesions.

Studies indicate that with training, nonmedical health professionals may be able to successfully recognize lesions suspicious for skin cancer and thereby assist with early detection of suspicious lesions. We present the results of a study aimed at assessing the efficacy of a 4-h continuing education program designed to educate massage therapists about skin cancer detection and prevention. Prior to and after the administration of the course, surveys were administered to attendees to gauge their ability to identify skin cancer and their comfort level with counseling clients with suspicious lesions.

Skin cancer education among massage therapists: a survey at the 2010 meeting of the American Massage Therapy Association.

Massage therapists encounter skin on a daily basis and have a unique opportunity to recognize potential skin cancers. The purpose of this study was to describe the skin cancer education provided to massage therapists and to assess their comfort regarding identification and communication of suspicious lesions. An observational retrospective survey study was conducted at the 2010 American Massage Therapy Association Meeting.

QCT measures of bone strength at the thoracic and lumbar spine: the Framingham Study.

We used volumetric quantitative computed tomography (QCT) scans to evaluate volumetric bone density (vBMD), geometry, and strength in the thoracic (T8 to T10) and lumbar (L3 to L5) spine and determined how these parameters varied with age, sex, and spinal region. Participants included 690 participants of the Framingham Study, 40 to 87 years old (mean, 61 years). In both women and men, trabecular vBMD declined with age similarly for lumbar and thoracic regions, whereas cortical vBMD and integral vBMD, vertebral strength, and compressive force declined more at the lumbar spine than thoracic spine (interaction, p < 0.

The PLIN4 variant rs8887 modulates obesity related phenotypes in humans through creation of a novel miR-522 seed site.

PLIN4 is a member of the PAT family of lipid storage droplet (LSD) proteins. Associations between seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at human PLIN4 with obesity related phenotypes were investigated using meta-analysis followed by a determination if these phenotypes are modulated by interactions between PLIN4 SNPs and dietary PUFA. Samples consisted of subjects from two populations of European ancestry.