Publications by authors named "Shaun Loong"

Advances in stroke genetics have highlighted the critical role of rare genetic variants in cerebrovascular diseases, with emerging as a key player in ischemic stroke and Moyamoya disease (MMD). Initially identified as the primary susceptibility gene for MMD, -notably the p.R4810K variant-has been strongly linked to intracranial artery stenosis (ICAS) and various ischemic stroke subtypes, particularly in East Asian populations.

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In subjects with peculiar susceptibility to severe infections by common pyogenic bacteria, mutations of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase proteins (IRAK)1 and IRAK4 had been identified. The IRAK kinases function as downstream signal transductors following the activation of pathogen recognition receptors. In two patients with sequential or repeated invasive infections: herpes simplex virus-triggered hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis with tuberculosis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia with candidemia respectively, novel mutations of IRAK2 were identified.

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Improved upstream primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) would enable more individuals to lead lives free of CVD. However, there remain limitations in the current provision of CVD primary prevention, where artificial intelligence (AI) may help to fill the gaps. Using the data informatics capabilities at the National University Health System (NUHS), Singapore, empowered by the Endeavour AI system, and combined large language model (LLM) tools, our team has created a real-time dashboard able to capture and showcase information on cardiovascular risk factors at both individual and geographical level- CardioSight.

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Background: A plethora of weight management apps are available, but many individuals, especially those living with overweight and obesity, still struggle to achieve adequate weight loss. An emerging area in weight management is the support for one's self-regulation over momentary eating impulses.

Objective: This study aims to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel artificial intelligence-assisted weight management app in improving eating behaviors in a Southeast Asian cohort.

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Ischemic stroke is a heterogeneous condition influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Recent advancements have explored genetics in relation to various aspects of ischemic stroke, including the alteration of individual stroke occurrence risk, modulation of treatment response, and effectiveness of post-stroke functional recovery. This article aims to review the recent findings from genetic studies related to various clinical and molecular aspects of ischemic stroke.

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Cardiac blood flow is a critical determinant of human health. However, the definition of its genetic architecture is limited by the technical challenge of capturing dynamic flow volumes from cardiac imaging at scale. We present DeepFlow, a deep-learning system to extract cardiac flow and volumes from phase-contrast cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

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Through extensive multisystem phenotyping, the central aim of Project PICMAN is to correlate metabolic flexibility to measures of cardiometabolic health, including myocardial diastolic dysfunction, coronary and cerebral atherosclerosis, body fat distribution and severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This cohort will form the basis of larger interventional trials targeting metabolic inflexibility in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Participants aged 21-72 years with no prior manifest atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) are being recruited from a preventive cardiology clinic and an existing cohort of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in an academic medical centre.

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We conducted an umbrella review to consolidate the evidence of adopting plant-based diets on anthropometric and cardiometabolic outcomes. Six electronic databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) were searched for systematic reviews with meta-analysis (SRMAs) published from each journal's inception until 1 October 2022. Effect sizes from SRMAs and primary studies were pooled separately using random effects models.

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Background: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has garnered attention as a prognostic and risk stratification factor for cardiovascular disease. This study, via meta-analyses, evaluates the associations between EAT and cardiovascular outcomes stratified across imaging modalities, ethnic groups, and study protocols.

Methods: Medline and Embase databases were searched without date restriction on May 2022 for articles that examined EAT and cardiovascular outcomes.

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While various influencing factors of overweight and obesity have been identified, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We examined the relationships among sociodemographic, behavioral, and psychological factors on anthropometry in a multi-ethnic population with overweight and obesity. Participants ( = 251) were recruited from January to October 2022.

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Conrad Waddington's epigenetics landscape has provided a metaphorical framework for how cells progress from undifferentiated states to one of several discrete, distinct, differentiated cell fates. The understanding of epigenetics has evolved over time, with DNA methylation being the most studied epigenetic modification, followed by histone modifications and non-coding RNA. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are leading contributors to death worldwide, with the prevalence of CVDs increasing across the last couple of decades.

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Article Synopsis
  • Malnutrition and obesity are interconnected issues that affect global health, and trends in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and deaths related to both were analyzed using data from 204 countries from 2000 to 2019, with projections up to 2030.
  • In 2019, malnutrition-related DALYs were higher in Africa and low SDI countries, while obesity-related DALYs increased annually, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean and middle SDI regions.
  • The study predicts that while malnutrition-related DALYs may decrease, the burden of obesity will continue to rise significantly in the coming years, indicating a growing health crisis.
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Objective: With rising prevalence of hypertension and obesity, the effect of hypertension in obesity remains an important global issue. The prognosis of the US general population with obesity based on hypertension control was examined.

Methods: This study examined participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2018.

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