Treatment-related biomarkers in pulmonary hypertension.

Significant advances in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) over the last two decades have led to the introduction of multiple classes of oral therapy, but the disease remains devastating for many patients. Disease progression, in spite of oral monotherapy, is a major problem, and alternative therapy, such as infusion of prostacyclins, is cumbersome and carries considerable potential morbidity. Use of combination oral therapy, including drugs from both the endothelin receptor antagonist and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor classes, has increased, and there is some evidence to support this approach.

Trade-offs in the effects of the apolipoprotein E polymorphism on risks of diseases of the heart, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders: insights on mechanisms from the Long Life Family Study.

The lack of evolutionary established mechanisms linking genes to age-related traits makes the problem of genetic susceptibility to health span inherently complex. One complicating factor is genetic trade-off. Here we focused on long-living participants of the Long Life Family Study (LLFS), their offspring, and spouses to: (1) Elucidate whether trade-offs in the effect of the apolipoprotein E e4 allele documented in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) are a more general phenomenon, and (2) explore potential mechanisms generating age- and gender-specific trade-offs in the effect of the e4 allele on cancer, diseases of the heart, and neurodegenerative disorders assessed retrospectively in the LLFS populations.

Pharmacometabolomics reveals that serotonin is implicated in aspirin response variability.

While aspirin is generally effective for prevention of cardiovascular disease, considerable variation in drug response exists, resulting in some individuals displaying high on-treatment platelet reactivity. We used pharmacometabolomics to define pathways implicated in variation of response to treatment. We profiled serum samples from healthy subjects pre- and postaspirin (14 days, 81 mg/day) using mass spectrometry.

Treatment With Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate Improves Self- and Informant-Rated Executive Function Behaviors and Clinician- and Informant-Rated ADHD Symptoms in Adults: Data From a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Objective: To examine the level of agreement between self- and observer-reported ratings of ADHD symptoms and executive function (EF) behaviors in adults with moderate to severe ADHD and EF deficits.

Method: During a 10-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the effect of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) on EF was assessed by self-report and informant report (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version), and ADHD symptoms were assessed by clinician- and informant-rated scales (ADHD Rating Scale IV with adult prompts and Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales-Observer Report: Short Version, respectively). Post hoc analysis used Pearson correlations to assess relationships between self- and informant-rated EF and clinician- and informant-rated ADHD symptoms.

Risk of necrotizing enterocolitis in very-low-birth-weight infants with isolated atrial and ventricular septal defects.

Objective: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is associated with a significant morbidity and mortality in premature infants. We sought to identify the frequency of NEC in very-low-birth-weight infants with isolated ventricular septal defects (VSDs) or atrial septal defects (ASDs) using a large multicenter database.

Study Design: We identified a cohort of infants with birth weight <1500 g cared for in 312 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) managed by the Pediatrix Medical Group between 1997 and 2010.

Segmentation of the canine corpus callosum using diffusion-tensor imaging tractography.

Objective: We set out to determine functional white matter (WM) connections passing through the canine corpus callosum; these WM connections would be useful for subsequent studies of canine brains that serve as models for human WM pathway disease. Based on prior studies, we anticipated that the anterior corpus callosum would send projections to the anterior cerebral cortex whereas progressively posterior segments would send projections to more posterior cortex.

Materials And Methods: A postmortem canine brain was imaged using a 7-T MRI system producing 100-μm-isotropic-resolution diffusion-tensor imaging analyzed by tractography.

A Pilot Trial of Mindfulness Meditation Training for ADHD in Adulthood: Impact on Core Symptoms, Executive Functioning, and Emotion Dysregulation.

Objective: Mindfulness meditation training is garnering increasing empirical interest as an intervention for ADHD in adulthood, although no studies of mindfulness as a standalone treatment have included a sample composed entirely of adults with ADHD or a comparison group. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of mindfulness meditation for ADHD, executive functioning (EF), and emotion dysregulation symptoms in an adult ADHD sample.

Method: Adults with ADHD were stratified by ADHD medication status and otherwise randomized into an 8-week group-based mindfulness treatment ( n = 11) or waitlist group ( n = 9).

Using ClinicalTrials.gov to understand the state of clinical research in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

Rationale: ClinicalTrials.gov is the largest trial registry in the world. Strengthened registration requirements, including federal mandates in 2007, have increased study representation.