Evaluation of systemic inflammatory response following transcatheter aortic valve replacement: a pathway to rational antibiotic use.

Purpose: Elevations in inflammatory markers after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) often lead to preemptive antibiotic therapy (ABT). Distinguishing between physiological inflammatory reaction and true infection is crucial for rational ABT use.

Methods: This retrospective study included 1275 consecutive TAVR patients from January 2020 to July 2022.

Associations of blood-based biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases with mortality, cardio- and cerebrovascular events in persons with chronic coronary syndrome.

Background: In light of growing evidence highlighting interactions between cardiac and brain health, we investigated associations of biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases with adverse outcomes (all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, major cardiovascular events, and stroke) in persons with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS).

Methods: We used data from a cohort of persons with CCS for whom major adverse events were recorded over a follow-up of 20 years. We measured biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases in baseline blood samples, using the Single-Molecule Array Technology on a HD-1 Analyzer.

Trends in smoking-attributable cardiovascular mortality in Germany.

We quantified the fraction of cardiovascular deaths attributable to smoking in Germany over time, accounting for population ageing. We calculated population-attributable fractions to quantify cardiovascular deaths attributable to smoking for 1992 to 2021, and compared actual with age-standardized figures. We found a significant decline in the number of cardiovascular deaths attributable to smoking: from about 71 900 cases in 1992 to around 42 000 cases in 2021, with a steeper decline in men.

Optimising the treatment of chronic ischemic heart disease by training general practitioners to deliver very brief advice on physical activity (OptiCor): protocol of the systematic development and evaluation of a complex intervention.

Background: Chronic ischemic heart disease (IHD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Physical activity (PA) is an effective secondary preventive strategy in IHD management. The German treatment guideline recommends that general practitioners (GPs) deliver PA advice to patients.

Endomyocardial biopsy in patients with myocarditis-still justified in the CMR era? A single-centre experience.

Background: In the past decades, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) was established as a non-invasive tool supporting the diagnosis of myocarditis and there is often reluctance in performing EMB due to potentially severe complications. We sought to identify patient subgroups that could still benefit from EMB in the CMR era.

Methods: Data of patients presenting with myocarditis between 01/2016 and 06/2023 were analysed according to patient risks.

From Smoking to Vaping: The Motivation for E-Cigarette Use at the Neurobiological Level - An fMRI Study.

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are considered a potential aid for smoking cessation. This study investigates the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the motivational properties of e-cigarettes compared to tobacco cigarettes and provides insights into their addictive potential and implications for smoking cessation.

Methods: The study included 47 daily e-cigarette users, the majority of whom were former smokers (n=43), and 28 nicotine-naïve participants as controls.

Understanding e-Cigarette Addictiveness: Triangulation of Focus Group and Netnographic Data.

Background: Numerous studies have shown that e-cigarettes are addictive. For example, we previously showed that users of e-cigarette online forums discuss experiences of addiction in a netnographic analysis. However, it is unclear what makes e-cigarettes addictive apart from nicotine.

Does perceived vaping addiction predict subsequent vaping cessation behaviour among adults who use nicotine vaping products regularly?

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether perceived vaping addiction is a predictor of quitting nicotine vaping product (NVP) use among adults who have ever smoked and currently vape exclusively or predominantly in four countries: Australia, Canada, the US, and England.

Method: Data analysed (n = 574) came from participants (aged 18 + ) who completed the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Smoking and Vaping survey in 2018 and again in 2020. Baseline inclusion criteria were: (1) currently not smoking or non-daily smoking; and (2) using NVPs daily/weekly for a period of at least 4 months.

Evaluation of a medical student-delivered smoking prevention program utilizing a face-aging mobile app for secondary schools in Germany: The Education Against Tobacco cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Background: To reduce smoking uptake in adolescents, the medical students' network Education Against Tobacco (EAT) has developed a school-based intervention involving a face-aging mobile app (Smokerface).

Methods: A two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted, evaluating the 2016 EAT intervention, which employed the mobile app Smokerface and which was delivered by medical students. Schools were randomized to intervention or control group.

Inventory of projects promoting HPV vaccination coverage in Germany.

Since the first recommendation for HPV vaccination in Germany (2007), a rising number of projects aiming to increase HPV vaccination coverage in Germany have been conducted. From October 2019 to February 2020, we systematically searched for data (project description, evaluation reports) on projects in Germany that aimed to increase HPV vaccination rates. The aim was to provide a comprehensive overview of these projects (duration, implementing organisation, target group/addressees, setting, strategies, reach) and to gain insights for optimising future projects.

Subjective cognitive complaints and blood biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases: a longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) have been mostly studied in the context of Alzheimer's disease in memory clinic settings. The potential of combining SCC with genetic information and blood biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases for risk assessment of dementia and depression in the absence of dementia among community-dwelling older adults has so far not been explored.

Methods: Data were based on a population-based cohort of 6357 participants with a 17-year follow-up (ESTHER study) and a clinic-based cohort of 422 patients.

Medical care and biomarker-based assessment of mortality in two cohorts of patients with chronic coronary syndrome 10 years apart.

Background: This study aimed to describe the characteristics and mortality of two cohorts of patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) recruited with identical study designs in the same rehabilitation clinics but approximately 10 years apart.

Methods: The KAROLA cohorts included patients with CCS participating in an inpatient cardiac rehabilitation programme in Germany (KAROLA-I: years 1999/2000, KAROLA-II: 2009-2011). Blood samples and information on sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and medical treatment were collected at baseline, at the end of rehabilitation, and after one year of follow-up.

Impact of Reducing Intake of Red and Processed Meat on Colorectal Cancer Incidence in Germany 2020 to 2050-A Simulation Study.

Background: According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there is sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of processed meat consumption in humans, specifically regarding colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. Evidence for the carcinogenicity of red meat consumption is more limited but points in the same direction.

Methods: A macro-simulation approach was used to calculate age- and sex-specific potential impact fractions in a 30-year period (2020-2050).

Understanding perceived addiction to and addictiveness of electronic cigarettes among electronic cigarette users: a cross-sectional analysis of the International Tobacco Control Smoking and Vaping (ITC 4CV) England Survey.

Background And Aims: The addictive potential of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) remains to be fully understood. We identified patterns and correlates of perceived addiction to e-cigarettes and perceived addictiveness of e-cigarettes relative to tobacco cigarettes (relative addictiveness) in dual users as well as exclusive e-cigarette users.

Design, Setting And Participants: Observational study using cross-sectional survey data from England (2016) from the International Tobacco Control Project (ITC) Four Country Smoking and Vaping (4CV) survey.

High cholesterol levels change the association of biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases with dementia risk: Findings from a population-based cohort.

Introduction: This study assessed whether in a population with comorbidity of neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular disease (mixed pathology) the association of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NfL), and phosphorylated tau181 (p-tau181) with dementia risk varied depending on levels of total cholesterol and apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 genotype.

Methods: Plasma biomarkers were measured using Simoa technology in 768 participants of a nested case-control study embedded within an ongoing population-based cohort. Logistic and spline regression models, and receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated.

Addictive Potential of e-Cigarettes as Reported in e-Cigarette Online Forums: Netnographic Analysis of Subjective Experiences.

Background: While e-cigarettes usually contain nicotine, their addictive potential is not yet fully understood. We hypothesized that if e-cigarettes are addictive, users will experience typical symptoms of addiction.

Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate whether and how e-cigarette users report signs of addiction.

Measurement of airborne nicotine, as a marker of secondhand smoke exposure, in homes with residents who smoke in 9 European countries.

Objective: Smoke-free policies are effective in preventing secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, but their adoption at home remains largely voluntary. This study aimed to quantify SHS exposure in homes with residents who smoke in Europe according to households' characteristics, tobacco consumption habits, and national contextual factors.

Methods: Cross-sectional study (March 2017-September 2018) based on measurements of air nicotine inside 162 homes with residents who smoke from nine European countries.

Price minimizing behaviours by smokers in Europe (2006-20): evidence from the International Tobacco Control Project.

Background: Effectiveness of tobacco taxation can be undermined through smokers applying price-minimizing behaviours rather than quitting or reducing consumption. Common price-minimizing strategies are buying cheaper tobacco [discount brands or roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco], bulk buying and cross-border purchasing. This study analyses trends in and factors associated with such behaviours in four European countries from 2006 to 2020.

S3 Guideline "Smoking and Tobacco Dependence: Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment" - Short Version.

Introduction: In addition to the prevention of tobacco consumption, the establishment and assurance of high-quality treatment for harmful use and dependence on tobacco products remains an important health-related task in Germany. Regular updating of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF) S3 guideline "Smoking and Tobacco Dependence: Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment" (Tobacco Guideline) offers a sustainable and reputable source of knowledge on smoking cessation.

Methods: Under the auspices of the German Society for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics, and Neurology (DGPPN) and the German Society for Addiction Research and Addiction Therapy (DG-Sucht), the Tobacco Guideline was revised in 2019-2020 by 63 experts, who were involved in the development process of the text, in 11 working groups.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and cognitive decline in older adults in Germany - results from a population-based cohort.

Background: A large body of evidence supports a link between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cognitive function, including dementia. However, longitudinal studies on the association between T2DM and decline of cognitive function are scarce and reported mixed results, and we hence set out to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between T2DM and global as well as domain-specific cognitive performance.

Methods: We used multivariable regression models to assess associations of T2DM with cognitive performance and cognitive decline in a subsample of a population-based prospective cohort study (ESTHER).

Vitamin D food fortification in European countries: the underused potential to prevent cancer deaths.

Background: Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials have shown that vitamin D supplementation reduces cancer mortality by 13%. Vitamin D fortification of foods may increase vitamin D levels in a similar manner as vitamin D supplementation and could achieve similar reductions in cancer mortality. Whereas some European countries already implemented widespread fortification of foods with vitamin D, in other countries only few or no foods are fortified.

[Approaches to increase HPV vaccination rate in Germany - challenges and opportunities. A qualitative study].

Background: In Germany, the prevalence of infections with the human papilloma virus (HPV) among women and men is high. High-risk HPV types can lead to certain types of cancer (e. g.

Tobacco control in Europe: progress and key challenges.

We discuss progress made with respect to reducing the burden of disease caused by tobacco use within the WHO European Region and outline major issues and challenges regarding ongoing implementation of tobacco control policy. Although 50 of 53 countries in the WHO European Region are parties to the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC), smoking prevalence varies tremendously between European countries. While smoking rates are decreasing slowly, faster declines among smokers with a higher socioeconomic status are leading to growing inequalities in tobacco use.