Five shared decision-making tools in 5 months: use of rapid reviews to develop decision boxes for seniors living with dementia and their caregivers.

Background: Decision support tools build upon comprehensive and timely syntheses of literature. Rapid reviews may allow supporting their development by omitting certain components of traditional systematic reviews. We thus aimed to describe a rapid review approach underlying the development of decision support tools, i.

Association between whole blood mercury and glucose intolerance among adult Inuit in Greenland.

Objectives: The Arctic diet is partly constituted by traditional food characterized by top predator animals such as whales, walrus, and seals with high mercury content. Mercury exposure has been associated with glucose intolerance in Western populations. We studied the association between whole blood mercury and glucose intolerance in a highly exposed non-Western population

Methods: Cross-sectional study of 2640 Inuit (18+ years) with information on ancestry, smoking, waist circumference, total energy intake, and physical activity.

The ethnoepidemiology of obesity.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity varies significantly across ethnic groups and among aboriginal people in Canada and appears to be increasing overall in children and youth, which will have significant health consequences in the future. Individual health behaviours, genetic predisposition, and community-level factors all contribute to the high burden of overweight and obesity across communities in Canada. Preliminary studies indicate that individuals who live in neighbourhoods in Canada with increased walkability, fewer fast food outlets, and higher socioeconomic status have lower rates of overweight/obesity when compared with other neighbourhoods.

Influence of polyunsaturated fatty acids on blood pressure, resting heart rate and heart rate variability among French Polynesians.

Objective: To analyze the associations between marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and blood pressure (BP), resting heart rate (HR), and heart rate variability (HRV) in a population highly exposed to methylmercury through the diet.

Methods: Concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in erythrocytes membranes were measured in 180 French Polynesian adults (≥18 years) residing in Tubuai, which is a community with a traditional lifestyle, or Papeete, which has a modern lifestyle. HRV was measured using a 2-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram (Holter).

Methylmercury exposure, PON1 gene variants and serum paraoxonase activity in Eastern James Bay Cree adults.

There is growing evidence that cardiovascular health can be affected by exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), by a mechanism involving oxidative stress. Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is a high-density lipoprotein-bound enzyme that hydrolyzes toxic oxidized lipids and protects against cardiovascular diseases. Evidence from in vitro studies indicates that MeHg can inhibit PON1 activity but little is known regarding this effect in humans.

Daily steps threshold to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors during the year after an acute coronary syndrome.

Purpose: To evaluate the daily steps threshold associated with improved cardiovascular disease risk factors during the first year following an acute coronary syndrome.

Methods: Subjects (N = 41) were recruited during hospitalization for an acute coronary syndrome. A blinded pedometer with a 7-day memory (NL-2000) was used at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months following hospitalization.

Associations between plasma persistent organic pollutant levels and blood pressure in Inuit adults from Nunavik.

Background: Recent evidence suggests that exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) increases the risk of hypertension in environmentally exposed populations. High POP levels have been detected in Arctic populations and the exposure is related to high consumption of fish and marine mammals, which represent the traditional diet of these populations.

Objective: We examined the associations between polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine (OC) pesticides and hypertension among Inuit from Nunavik (Quebec, Canada).

Exposure to persistent organic pollutants and risk of hypertension among Inuit from Greenland.

Background: Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is of concern in Arctic populations since these contaminants accumulate in fish and marine mammals, which is an important part of the traditional diet of these populations. Epidemiological and experimental studies have reported significant associations between POPs and increased blood pressure (BP) in populations with different degrees of exposure.

Objective: We aimed to assess the risk of hypertension related to increasing levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine (OC) pesticides.

Cardiac autonomic activity and blood pressure among Inuit children exposed to mercury.

Background: Studies conducted in the Faeroe Islands and Japan suggest a negative impact of mercury on heart rate variability (HRV) among children while the results regarding blood pressure (BP) are less consistent.

Objective: To assess the impact of mercury on HRV and BP among Nunavik Inuit children.

Methods: A cohort of 226 children was followed from birth to 11 years old.

Association between methylmercury and cardiovascular risk factors in a native population of Quebec (Canada): a retrospective evaluation.

Background: Epidemiological evidence suggests a negative impact of methylmercury (MeHg) on cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). This issue is of concern in Arctic populations such as in the Inuit of Nunavik since this contaminant is accumulated in fish and marine mammals, which still represent the subsistence diet of this population.

Objective: We examined the associations between MeHg and BP and resting HR among Inuit adults.

Influence of mercury exposure on blood pressure, resting heart rate and heart rate variability in French Polynesians: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Populations which diet is rich in seafood are highly exposed to contaminants such as mercury, which could affect cardiovascular risk factors

Objective: To assess the associations between mercury and blood pressure (BP), resting heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) among French Polynesians

Methods: Data were collected among 180 adults (≥ 18 years) and 101 teenagers (12-17 years). HRV was measured using a two-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram (Holter) and BP was measured using a standardized protocol. The association between mercury and HRV and BP parameters was studied using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) RESULTS: Among teenagers, the high frequency (HF) decreased between the 2nd and 3rd tertile (380 vs.

Impact of mercury exposure on blood pressure and cardiac autonomic activity among Cree adults (James Bay, Quebec, Canada).

Aboriginal populations from Quebec (Canada) are exposed to higher mercury levels than southern regions since these populations consume high quantities of fish. Epidemiological evidence suggests a detrimental impact of mercury on cardiovascular risk factors such as heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure (BP). The objective of this study was to assess the impact of mercury exposure on BP, resting heart rate (HR) and HRV among Cree adults.

Influence of n-3 fatty acids on cardiac autonomic activity among Nunavik Inuit adults.

Objectives: Inuit from Nunavik (northern Quebec) consume large amounts of fish and marine mammals, which are important sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs). These substances have a beneficial impact on heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV). However, it is unknown if this beneficial impact remains significant in populations with high mercury exposure.

Hypertension among the Inuit from Nunavik: should we expect an increase because of obesity?

Objectives: Because of their recent adoption of a Westernized lifestyle, an increased risk of developing hypertension (HTN) is suspected among Inuit populations. This study aimed to assess the exact prevalence of HTN in Nunavik Inuit and to examine its association with other major risk factors of cardiovascular disease.

Study Design: A cross-sectional population-based study.

Cardiovascular burden and related risk factors among Nunavik (Quebec) Inuit: insights from baseline findings in the circumpolar Inuit health in transition cohort study.

Background: The Inuit are commonly portrayed to be somehow protected from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) through their traditional lifestyle and diet. However, actual sociocultural transition and related major, modifiable risk factors have scarcely been quantified in the Inuit population. Such knowledge is extremely valuable in terms of public health intervention.

Environmental mercury exposure and blood pressure among Nunavik Inuit adults.

Epidemiological evidence suggests a negative impact of methylmercury on the cardiovascular system, but findings regarding the effect on blood pressure (BP) are not consistent. We aimed to study the impact of mercury levels on BP among Nunavik Inuit adults. The health survey Qanuippitaa? was conducted in Nunavik (northern Quebec, Canada), and data were obtained from 732 Inuit > or = 18 years of age.

Cardiac autonomic activity and blood pressure among Nunavik Inuit adults exposed to environmental mercury: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Mercury is a contaminant that reaches high levels in Nunavik (North of Quebec). It is transformed into methylmercury (MeHg) and accumulated in marine mammals and predator fish, an important part of the traditional Inuit diet. MeHg has been suggested to affect BP in adults and children while the influence on HRV has only been studied in children.

Epidemiology of urinary infections in renal transplant recipients.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) remains a significant cause of infectious complications in renal transplant recipients. We evaluated prospectively all the UTIs in 161 kidney recipients transplanted between July 2003 and July 2005. All patients received prophylaxis with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine.