The clinical effectiveness of REGEN-COV in SARS-CoV-2 infection with Omicron versus Delta variants.

Background: In vitro studies suggesting that REGEN-COV (casirivimab plus imdevimab monoclonal antibodies) had poor efficacy against Omicron-variant SARS-CoV-2 infection led to amendment of REGEN-COV's Emergency Use Authorization to recommend use only in regions without high Omicron prevalence. REGEN-COV's relative clinical effectiveness for Omicron is unknown.

Methods And Findings: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of non-hospitalized adults who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction at the University of Miami Health System from July 19 -November 21, 2021 (Delta period) and December 6, 2021 -January 7, 2022 (Omicron period).

A Brief Overview of Adaptive Designs for Phase I Cancer Trials.

Phase I studies are used to estimate the dose-toxicity profile of the drugs and to select appropriate doses for successive studies. However, literature on statistical methods used for phase I studies are extensive. The objective of this review is to provide a concise summary of existing and emerging techniques for selecting dosages that are appropriate for phase I cancer trials.

Inpatient Palliative Care Use Among Critically III Brain Metastasis Patients in the United States.

Objective: The objective of this study was to understand the trends and characteristics of palliative care delivery among critically ill brain metastasis patients using a nationally representative database.

Materials And Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of Nationwide Inpatient Sample data collected during 2005 to 2014. This study included critically ill patients, 18 years and above, diagnosed with brain metastasis, identified using International Classification of Diseases-Ninth Revision-Clinical Modification diagnosis and procedure codes.

Prevalence and Inpatient Hospital Outcomes of Malignancy-Related Ascites in the United States.

Objective: Malignancy-related ascites (MRA) is the terminal stage of many advanced cancers, and the treatment is mainly palliative. This study looked for epidemiology and inpatient hospital outcomes of patients with MRA in the United States using a national database.

Methods: The current study was a cross-sectional analysis of 2015 National Inpatient Sample data and consisted of patients ≥18 years with MRA.

A risk model for prediction of 30-day readmission rates after surgical treatment for colon cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a risk model for the prediction of 30-day unplanned readmission rate after surgery for colon cancer.

Method: This study was a cross-sectional analysis of data from Nationwide Readmissions Database, collected during 2010-2014. Patients ≥ 18 years of age who underwent surgery for colon cancer were included in the study.

Recent Health Care Expenditure Trends Among Adult Cancer Survivors in United States, 2009-2016.

Objective: The objective of this study was to understand recent trends in direct health care expenditures among cancer survivors using novel cost-estimation methods and a nationally representative database.

Materials And Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of 193,003 adults, ≥18 years of age, using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey during the years 2009-2016. Manning and Mullahy two-part model was used to calculate adjusted mean and incremental medical expenditures after adjusting for covariates.

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Cancer Patients in the United States.

Cancer and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. We analyzed national data to examine the prevalence of CVD risk factors among adult cancer survivors in the United States. Participants included adults ≥18 years of age from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2002 to 2013-2014.

The Impact of Lifestyle Modification on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Health-Care Employees With Type 2 Diabetes.

Purpose: Diabetes imposes a significant economic burden on employers, particularly when including productivity costs. Given the great interest on multicomponent lifestyle interventions in these individuals, we assessed the short-term and long-term efficacy of a structured lifestyle modification program, My Unlimited Potential, among employees with diabetes of Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF), a large non-for profit health-care system.

Design: This is a pre- and post-effectiveness of a workplace health promotion program.

Palliative Care Consultation Trends Among Hospitalized Patients With Advanced Cancer in the United States, 2005 to 2014.

Background:: Although palliative care services are increasing in the United States, disparities exist in access and utilization. Hence, we explored these factors in hospitalized patients with advanced cancers using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS).

Methods:: This was a retrospective analysis of NIS data, 2005 to 2014, and included patients ≥18 years with advanced cancers with and without palliative care consultations.

Increasing Sepsis Rates in the United States: Results From National Inpatient Sample, 2005 to 2014.

Objectives: To examine the trends in hospitalization rates, mortality, and costs for sepsis during the years 2005 to 2014.

Methods: This was a retrospective serial cross-sectional analysis of patients ≥18 years admitted for sepsis in National Inpatient Sample. Trends in sepsis hospitalizations were estimated, and age- and sex-adjusted rates were calculated for the years 2005 to 2014.

Psychological Factors and Their Association with Ideal Cardiovascular Health Among Women and Men.

Background: The cardiovascular effects of stress and other psychological factors may be different between women and men. We assessed whether self-perceived adverse psychological factors were associated with achievement of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) as measured by the American Heart Association's Life's Simple Seven (LS7) and whether this differed by sex.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of employees from a large healthcare organization.

Association between self-rated health and ideal cardiovascular health: The Baptist Health South Florida Employee Study.

Background: There is increasing evidence of the role psychosocial factors play as determinants of cardiovascular health (CVH). We examined the association between self-rated health (SRH) and ideal CVH among employees of a large healthcare organization.

Methods: Data were collected in 2014 from employees of Baptist Health South Florida during an annual voluntary health risk assessment and wellness fair.

Does education modify the effect of ethnicity in the expression of ideal cardiovascular health? The Baptist Health South Florida Employee Study.

Background: Despite the progress made to decrease risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, disparities still exist. We examined how education and ethnicity interact to determine disparities in cardiovascular health (CVH) as defined by the American Heart Association.

Hypothesis: Education modifies the effect of ethnicity on CVH.

Effect of Thyroxin Treatment on Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT) Reduction in Patients with Subclinical Hypothyroidism (SCH): a Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials.

Aim: Research shows that subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is related to an increased carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), a surrogate marker of subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is controversial whether or not SCH should be treated to reduce CVD morbidity and mortality. This meta-analysis aimed to determine whether SCH is associated with an increase in CIMT as compared to Euthyroidism (EU) and whether thyroxin (T4) treatment in SCH can reverse the change in CIMT.

Favorable Cardiovascular Health Is Associated With Lower Health Care Expenditures and Resource Utilization in a Large US Employee Population: The Baptist Health South Florida Employee Study.

Objective: To examine the association of favorable cardiovascular health (CVH) status with 1-year health care expenditures and resource utilization in a large health care employee population.

Participants And Methods: Employees of Baptist Health South Florida participated in a health risk assessment from January 1 through September 30, 2014. Information on dietary patterns, physical activity, blood pressure, blood glucose level, total cholesterol level, and smoking were collected.

The Association of Sleep Duration and Morbid Obesity in a Working Population: The Baptist Health South Florida Employee Study.

Background: The current study aimed to determine the relationship between self-reported sleep duration and morbid obesity in an employee population.

Methods: Baptist Health South Florida conducts an annual Health Risk Assessment (HRA) for its employees. Data for this cross-sectional study was collected via this HRA in 2014, and included information on self-reported sleep duration, height and weight for body mass index (BMI), and other biometric measures.

Association of Subjective and Objective Sleep Duration as well as Sleep Quality with Non-Invasive Markers of Sub-Clinical Cardiovascular Disease (CVD): A Systematic Review.

Aim: Abnormal daily sleep duration and quality have been linked to hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and overall cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity& mortality. However, the relationship between daily sleep duration and quality with subclinical measures of CVD remains less well studied. This systematic review evaluated how daily sleep duration and quality affect burden of subclinical CVD in subjects free of symptomatic CVD.

The Effectiveness of a Worksite Lifestyle Intervention Program on High-Risk Individuals as Potential Candidates for Bariatric Surgery: My Unlimited Potential (MyUP).

This is a single-arm, pre and post effectiveness study that evaluated the impact of a comprehensive workplace lifestyle program on severe obesity among high cardiovascular disease risk individuals in a large, diverse employee population. Employees of Baptist Health South Florida were considered eligible to participate if they had 2 or more of the following cardiometabolic risk factors: total cholesterol ≥200 mg/dL, systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5%, body mass index ≥30kg/m(2).

Trends in Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics Among Employees of a Large Healthcare Organization (from the Baptist Health South Florida Employee Study).

The American Heart Association (AHA)'s 2020 goal is to improve the cardiovascular health (CVH) of people living in the United States (US) by 20% and reduce mortality from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20%. Given that 155 million adults are in the US workforce, and >60% have employee-based insurance, workplace studies provide an important opportunity to assess and potentially advance CVH through the use of comprehensive workplace wellness programs. Among a cohort of employees of the Baptist Health System, CVH was assessed annually during voluntary health fairs and health risk assessments (HRA) from 2011 to 2014 using the AHA's 7 CVH metrics: smoking, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, diet, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and blood glucose.

One-year outcomes of an intense workplace cardio-metabolic risk reduction program among high-risk employees: The My Unlimited Potential.

Objective: This study details 6- and 12-month cardio-metabolic outcomes of an intense 12-week workplace lifestyle intervention program, the My Unlimited Potential (MyUP), conducted in a large healthcare organization.

Methods: This study was conducted among 230 employees of Baptist Health South Florida with high cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Employees were considered at high risk and eligible for the study if they had two or more of the following cardio-metabolic risk factors: total cholesterol ≥ 200 mg/dl, systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 90 mmHg, hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) ≥ 6.

Assessment of American Heart Association's Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics Among Employees of a Large Healthcare Organization: The Baptist Health South Florida Employee Study.

Background: Healthcare organizations and their employees are critical role models for healthy living in their communities. The American Heart Association (AHA) 2020 impact goal provides a national framework that can be used to track the success of employee wellness programs with a focus on improving cardiovascular (CV) health. This study aimed to assess the CV health of the employees of Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF), a large nonprofit healthcare organization.