Publications by authors named "R Littleford"
The role of biomarkers in risk-based early detection of lung cancer may enable screening to become cost effective and widely accessible. EarlyCDT-Lung is an example of such a blood-based autoantibody biomarker which may improve accessibility to Low dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) screening for those at highest risk. We randomized 12 208 individuals aged 50-75 at high risk of developing lung cancer to either the test or to standard clinical care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Long-acting beta2-agonists (LABA) in combination with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are commonly used to treat asthma, however, some children lack response to the addition of LABA. This might be partially due to the presence of the Arg16Gly polymorphism, encoded by rs1042713 G>A in the ADRB2 gene. Carrying the A allele (Arg16) at this variant has been associated with an increased risk of exacerbations despite LABA treatment.
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- Left ventricular mass (LVM) is a key marker for cardiovascular risk, but long-term studies in low-to-intermediate risk individuals are limited; this study evaluated LVM's association with cardiovascular outcomes using cardiac MRI in a cohort of adults over 40.
- In a sample of 1495 participants, LVM was found to be linked to cardiovascular events differently for sexes: increased LVM was a significant predictor for men, while the LVM-to-volume ratio was more relevant for women.
- The findings suggest that risk factors for cardiovascular events may differ by sex, indicating the need for tailored approaches in assessing cardiovascular health in low-risk populations.
BACKGROUND: Nafamostat mesylate is a potent in vitro antiviral agent that inhibits the host transmembrane protease serine 2 enzyme used by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 for cell entry. METHODS: This open-label, pragmatic, randomized clinical trial in Australia, New Zealand, and Nepal included noncritically ill hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Participants were randomly assigned to usual care or usual care plus nafamostat.
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- - The study aims to evaluate the use of the antiepileptic drug levetiracetam to improve memory deficits in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) related to Parkinson's disease (PD) by targeting hyperactivation in specific brain areas known to affect episodic memory.
- - Twenty-eight participants with PD-aMCI will participate in a 12-week trial comparing levetiracetam to a placebo, alongside neuroimaging to assess changes in brain activity related to memory tasks.
- - This research is groundbreaking as it seeks to link improvement in memory function with the normalization of hippocampal hyperactivity, potentially offering a new therapeutic strategy to mitigate dementia risks in PD patients.