Gender Differences in Utilization of Specialized Heart Failure Clinics.

Background: Although heart failure (HF) prevalence is equally high among men and women, observed differences in the provision of care are still not fully understood. We sought to evaluate gender differences in patient profiles, diagnostic testing, medication prescription, and referrals in specialized multidisciplinary ambulatory HF clinics in Ontario.

Materials And Methods: Medical chart abstraction was conducted first by randomly selecting 9 (out of 34) HF clinics in Ontario, and then by randomly selecting 100 patient records in each clinic.

Using the "Surprise Question" in Nursing Homes: A Prospective Mixed-Methods Study.

Background: The "Surprise Question" (SQ) is often used to identify patients who may benefit from a palliative care approach. The time frame of the typical question (a 12-month prognosis) may be unsuitable for identifying residents in nursing homes since it may not be able to differentiate between those who have a more imminent risk of death within a cohort of patients with high care needs.

Objective: To examine the accuracy and acceptability of 3 versions of the SQ with shortened prognostication time frames (3 months, 6 months, and "the next season") in the nursing home setting.

Utility of Neck, Height, and Tonsillar Size to Screen for Obstructive Sleep Apnea among Obese Youth.

Objectives To determine whether neck:height ratio combined with adenoid and tonsillar size is a good predictive tool for obstructive sleep apnea in obese youth. Study Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Sleep clinics at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.

Mental Health Services Use Trends in Canadian Veterans: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study in Ontario.

Objective: A substantial evidence base in the peer-reviewed literature exists investigating mental illness in the military, but relatively less is documented about mental illness in veterans. This study uses provincial, administrative data to study the use of mental health services by Canadian veterans in Ontario.

Method: This was a retrospective cohort study of Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police veterans who were released between 1990 and 2013 and resided in Ontario.

Prevalence of psychological distress: How do Australia and Canada compare?

Objective: To compare equivalent population-level mental health indicators in Canada and Australia, and articulate recommendations to support equitable mental health services. These are two somewhat similar resource-rich countries characterized by extensive non-metropolitan and rural regions as well as significant areas of socioeconomic deprivation.

Methods: A cross-national epidemiology and equity study: primary outcome was Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) in recent national surveys.

Melatonin and Human Cardiovascular Disease.

The possible therapeutic role of melatonin in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disorder (CAD) is increasingly being recognized. In humans, exogenous melatonin has been shown to decrease nocturnal hypertension, improve systolic and diastolic blood pressure, reduce the pulsatility index in the internal carotid artery, decrease platelet aggregation, and reduce serum catecholamine levels. Low circulating levels of melatonin are reported in individuals with CAD, arterial hypertension, and congestive heart failure.

The Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Is Not Increasing Over Time Despite Aging and Higher Comorbidity Burden of Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Cardiovascular death remains the leading cause of mortality in kidney transplant recipients. Cardiovascular events are associated with significant morbidity. However, current trends in cardiovascular events after kidney transplantation are poorly understood.