Publications by authors named "Randhawa V"

Systematic error, often referred to as bias is an inherent challenge in observational cardiovascular research, and has the potential to profoundly influence the design, conduct, and interpretation of study results. If not carefully considered and managed, bias can lead to spurious results, which can misinform clinical practice or public health initiatives and compromise patient outcomes. This methodological primer offers a concise introduction to the identification, evaluation, and mitigation of bias in observational cardiovascular research studies on the causal association of an exposure (or treatment) on an outcome.

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  • The study aimed to investigate myocardial inflammation in patients with desmoplakin (DSP) cardiomyopathy using FDG PET/CT imaging and assess circulating inflammation biomarkers.
  • Ten DSP cardiomyopathy participants and four titin cardiomyopathy participants were recruited; no significant differences in key inflammation markers were found between the groups.
  • The results showed some non-specific myocardial FDG uptake in both groups but no overall differences, suggesting similar inflammation profiles in DSP and titin cardiomyopathies.
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Aberrant cholesterol homeostasis is a well-recognized hallmark of cancer and is implicated in metastasis as well as chemotherapeutic resistance, the two major causes of cancer associated mortality. Liver X receptors (LXRs) are the key transcription factors that induce cholesterol efflux via enhancing the expression of ABCA1 and ABCG1. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of several novel sterols namely ergosta-7,22,24(28)-trien-3β-ol (Erg1), ergosta-5,22,25-trien-3-ol (Erg2), ergosta-5,7,22,24(28)-tetraen-3β-ol (Erg3), and ergosta-7,22-dien-3β-ol (Erg4) as LXR agonists has been performed.

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Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome characterized by low cardiac output leading to end-organ hypoperfusion. Organ dysoxia ranging from transient organ injury to irreversible organ failure and death occurs across all CS etiologies but differing by incidence and type. Herein, we review the recognition and management of respiratory, renal and hepatic failure complicating CS.

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Aims: Diabetes leads to dysregulated macrophage immunometabolism, contributing to accelerated atherosclerosis progression. Identifying critical factors to restore metabolic alterations and promote resolution of inflammation remains an unmet goal. MicroRNAs orchestrate multiple signalling events in macrophages, yet their therapeutic potential in diabetes-associated atherosclerosis remains unclear.

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Article Synopsis
  • The final chapter reviews the current state of cardiovascular care for women in Canada, outlining existing challenges and opportunities.
  • It highlights 12 actionable recommendations aimed at closing knowledge gaps and addressing disparities in care.
  • The ultimate goal is to improve heart health outcomes for women across the country.
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Background: Women and racialized minorities continue to be underrepresented in cardiovascular (CV) trial outcomes data, despite comprising a significant global burden of CV disease. This study evaluated the impact of trial characteristics on the temporal enrollment of women and racialized minorities in prominent CV trials published in the period 1986-2023.

Methods: MEDLINE was searched for CV trials published in , the and the .

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women worldwide, and of premature death in women in Canada. Despite improvements in cardiovascular care over the past 15-20 years, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and CVD mortality continue to increase among women in Canada. Chest pain is a common symptom leading to emergency department visits for both men and women.

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Despite its importance, formal education in healthcare training programs on sex- and gender-specific cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, symptoms, treatment, and outcomes is lacking. We completed rapid reviews of the academic and grey literature to describe the current state of women-specific CVD education in medical, nursing, and other healthcare education programs. Second, we analyzed results from a Canada-wide survey of healthcare professional education programs to identify gaps in curricula related to sex- and gender-specific training in CVD.

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Article Synopsis
  • Significant gaps in knowledge about women's heart health exist, particularly in areas like epidemiology, management, and education, largely because heart disease has historically been viewed as a male issue.
  • Globally, heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women, yet research often overlooks sex and gender differences, resulting in insufficient data on how treatments impact female patients.
  • To address these gaps, a comprehensive approach is needed, involving enhanced education, improved policy changes, and a focus on evidence-based research specific to women's cardiovascular health in Canada.
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Diabetes-associated atherosclerosis involves excessive immune cell recruitment and plaque formation. However, the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Transcriptomic analysis of the aortic intima in Ldlr mice on a high-fat, high-sucrose-containing (HFSC) diet identifies a macrophage-enriched nuclear long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), MERRICAL (macrophage-enriched lncRNA regulates inflammation, chemotaxis, and atherosclerosis).

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  • * A lack of high-quality evidence makes it challenging to establish standardized practices for managing heart failure-related cardiogenic shock (HF-CS), which constitutes over half of CS cases.
  • * An international conference aimed to create a consensus on defining and managing HF-CS, involving 54 experts from various fields to review literature and discuss clinical practices for better outcomes.
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The last decade has brought tremendous interest in the problem of cardiogenic shock. However, the mortality rate of this syndrome approaches 50%, and other than prompt myocardial revascularization, there have been no treatments proven to improve the survival of these patients. The bulk of studies have been in patients with acute myocardial infarction, and there is little evidence to guide the clinician in those patients with heart failure cardiogenic shock (HF-CS).

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  • High levels of sphingolipids and the genes CERK and SPHK1 were identified in breast cancer patients, but their clinical significance remains unclear.
  • The study explored the relationship between CERK and SPHK1 with clinical outcomes, metastasis, and drug resistance, analyzing data from both local and TCGA cancer cohorts.
  • Results showed that overexpression of CERK and SPHK1 was linked to worse outcomes like nodal metastasis and late tumor stage, suggesting their potential as biomarkers for breast cancer treatment.
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