Describing the use of remote dielectric sensing and handheld ultrasound in assessing lung congestion in heart failure patients within a primary care setting.

Thorough consideration of user experiences and the weighing of advantages and disadvantages are essential when implementing new technology in clinical practice. This article describes a primary care nurse's experience using two technologies to monitor lung congestion in six patient cases: a remote dielectric sensing device for non-invasive lung fluid measurement and a portable handheld ultrasound device. Both can support decision-making when assessing lung congestion in heart failure patients.

Early experience of prostate artery embolization: a retrospective single-centre study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the early experiences of prostate artery embolization (PAE) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Material And Methods: This retrospective study included all patients treated for BPH who were referred to the radiology department for PAE in Västmanland between 2018 and 2021. Data were collected on patient demographics, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), prostate-specific antigen level, and peri- and post-procedure outcomes.

Associations between cardiac rehabilitation structure and processes and dietary habits after myocardial infarction: a nationwide registry study.

Aims: Improved dietary habits are important for successful secondary prevention after myocardial infarction (MI), with counselling and support on healthy dietary habits constituting a cornerstone of cardiac rehabilitation (CR). However, there is limited knowledge on how to optimize CR organization to motivate patients to adopt healthy dietary habits. We aimed to explore associations between CR programme structure, processes, and self-reported dietary habits 1 year post-MI.

In situ detection of PD1-PD-L1 interactions as a functional predictor for response to immune checkpoint inhibition in NSCLC.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed lung cancer treatment, yet their effectiveness appears restricted to certain patient subsets. Current clinical stratification based on PD-L1 expression offers limited predictive value. Given the mechanism of action, directly detecting spatial PD1-PD-L1 interactions might yield more precise insights into immune responses and treatment outcomes.

Epidemiology, patient characteristics, and treatment patterns of patients with narcolepsy in Sweden: a non-interventional study using secondary data.

Study Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and incidence and evaluate the treatment patterns of patients diagnosed with narcolepsy in specialist care in Sweden.

Methods: This non-interventional retrospective longitudinal study used Swedish register data from 2010 to 2020 and included patients diagnosed with narcolepsy (either type 1 or type 2), recorded in specialist outpatient and inpatient care from January 2015 to December 2019. All patients received an index date corresponding to the date of the first narcolepsy diagnosis.

Assessment and management of frailty in individuals living with dementia: expert recommendations for clinical practice.

Frailty complicates the care of individuals with dementia, increasing their vulnerability to adverse outcomes. This Personal View presents expert recommendations for managing frailty in individuals with dementia, aimed at health-care providers, particularly those in primary care. We conducted a rapid literature review followed by a consensus process involving 18 international experts on dementia and frailty.

Associations between genetic variations in oxytocin pathway genes and hippocampal volume: Insights from the UK Biobank.

The role of oxytocin-related genes in social-cognitive function has been previously established, but structural brain mechanisms underlying this link remain poorly understood. Utilizing a substantial dataset from the UK Biobank (N ≈ 30,000), this research determined associations between variations in ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within three oxytocin pathway genes (i.e.

A stratified treatment algorithm in psychiatry: a program on stratified pharmacogenomics in severe mental illness (Psych-STRATA): concept, objectives and methodologies of a multidisciplinary project funded by Horizon Europe.

Schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar (BD) and major depression disorder (MDD) are severe psychiatric disorders that are challenging to treat, often leading to treatment resistance (TR). It is crucial to develop effective methods to identify and treat patients at risk of TR at an early stage in a personalized manner, considering their biological basis, their clinical and psychosocial characteristics. Effective translation of theoretical knowledge into clinical practice is essential for achieving this goal.

Sex differences in clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorders over the lifespan: a nationwide register-based study in Sweden.

Background: Limited studies exist on sex differences in incidence rates of psychiatric disorders across the lifespan. This study aims to analyze sex differences in the incidence rates of clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorders over the lifespan.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide register-based cohort study, including all individuals who were born in Sweden and lived in Sweden between 2003 and 2019, including 4,818,071 females and 4,837,829 males.

Accumulation of alpha-synuclein pathology in the liver exhibits post-translational modifications associated with Parkinson's disease.

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that alpha-synuclein (α-syn) pathology associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) is not limited to the brain, as it also appears in a select number of peripheral tissues including the liver. In this study, we identified a number of PD-associated α-syn post-translational modifications in the livers of (Thy-1)-h[A30P] mice, a mouse model of familial PD expressing human α-syn harboring the A30P mutation driven by a neuron-specific promoter. , we also demonstrate that human hepatocytes induce post-translational modifications following α-syn fibrillar (PFF) treatment.

Non-traditional risk factors for atrial fibrillation: epidemiology, mechanisms, and strategies.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) has become the pre-dominant arrhythmia worldwide and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Its pathogenesis is intricately linked to the deleterious impact of cardiovascular risk factors, emphasizing the pivotal imperative for early detection and mitigation strategies targeting these factors for the prevention of primary AF. While traditional risk factors are well recognized, an increasing number of novel risk factors have been identified in recent decades.

Blood-based epigenetic biomarkers associated with incident chronic kidney disease in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

There is an increasing need for new biomarkers improving prediction of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We aimed to identify blood-based epigenetic biomarkers associated with incident CKD and develop a methylation risk score (MRS) predicting CKD in newlydiagnosed individuals with T2D. DNA methylation was analysed epigenome-wide in blood from 487 newly-diagnosed individuals with T2D, of whom 88 developed CKD during 11.

Fertility and Sexual Function in Males with Hirschsprung's Disease: A Nordic Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: The aim was to assess fertility, sexual function and sexual quality of life in males with Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) in the Nordic countries with a cross-sectional study using self-reported validated questionnaires.

Summary Background Data: Data on fertility and sexual function in males with HSCR are limited.

Methods: This multi-center study targeted all males born between 1970-2003 who underwent pull-through surgery at a pediatric surgery center in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, or Finland.

Pain in idiopathic scoliosis not associated with known genetic variants for pain.

Introduction: Back pain is common in idiopathic scoliosis. The aim of this study was to study known genetic variants associated with pain in individuals with idiopathic scoliosis.

Methods: We included 1442 individuals with juvenile or adolescent idiopathic scoliosis from Sweden and Denmark.

Outcomes of Single or Two Stage Brachiobasilic Arteriovenous Fistula: A Nationwide Swedish Registry Study.

Objective: Creation of a basilic vein arteriovenous transposition fistula (BBAVF) can be performed either as a one or two stage procedure; however, evidence for the best technique is conflicting. The aim of this national registry review was to determine whether functional outcomes favoured either method.

Methods: This was an observational retrospective study with data from the Swedish Renal Registry.

Increased Herpes simplex virus 1, Toxoplasma gondii and Cytomegalovirus antibody concentrations in severe mental illness.

Infections with Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) and Toxoplasma gondii (TG) have been implicated in severe mental illness. All three pathogens have high seroprevalence in the human population, are neurotropic and establish a persistent infection. We hypothesized that exposed (seropositive) patients with severe mental illness would show higher immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations than exposed healthy controls (HC).

Bereavement and type 1 diabetes in childhood: a register-based cohort study in Sweden.

Aims/hypothesis: The potential impact of childhood bereavement-a severe psychological stressor-on childhood type 1 diabetes development remains unclear. Here, we aimed to bridge this knowledge gap and assess whether bereavement characteristics influenced any impact.

Methods: We conducted a register-based cohort study encompassing 3,598,159 children born in Sweden between 1987 and 2020.

Biologically inspired bioactive hydrogels for scarless corneal repair.

Corneal injury-induced fibrosis occurs because of corneal epithelial basement membrane (EBM) injury and defective regeneration. Corneal fibrosis inhibition and transparency restoration depend on reestablished EBM, where the collagen network provides structural stability and heparan sulfate binds corneal epithelium-derived cytokines to regulate homeostasis. Inspired by this, bioactive hydrogels (Hep@Gel) composed of collagen-derived gelatins and highly anionic heparin were constructed for scarless corneal repair.

Abnormally high exertional breathlessness predicts mortality in people referred for incremental cycle exercise testing.

Background: Exertional breathlessness is a key symptom in cardiorespiratory disease and can be quantified using incremental exercise testing, but its prognostic significance is unknown. We evaluated the ability of abnormally high breathlessness intensity during incremental cycle exercise testing to predict all-cause, respiratory, and cardiac mortality.

Study Design And Methods: Longitudinal cohort study of adults referred for exercise testing followed prospectively for mortality assessed using the Swedish National Causes of Death Registry.

A high polygenic risk score is associated with SSA/SSB antibody positivity and early onset in primary Sjögren's disease.

Objectives: To calculate a polygenic risk score (PRS) based on single nucleotide variants (SNVs) previously associated with primary Sjögren's disease (SjD) with genome-wide significance, and determine the genetic risk for SjD stratified by antibodies, sex and age at diagnosis.

Methods: Patients with SjD (n = 1065) were genotyped using Illumina OmniExpressExome chip. Control genotype data were available (n = 7742).