Change in body weight of older adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal results from the Berlin Aging Study II.

Objectives: Change in body weight during the COVID-19 pandemic as an unintended side effect of lockdown measures has been predominantly reported for younger and middle-aged adults. However, information on older adults for which weight loss is known to result in adverse outcomes, is scarce. In this study we describe the body weight change in older adults before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdown measures and explore putative associated factors with a focus on the period that includes the first six months of the COVID-19 containment measures.

A Core Outcome Set for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Development and Recommendations for Implementation in Clinical Practice Through an International Multi-stakeholder Consensus Process.

Background And Aims: Standardising health outcome measurements supports delivery of care and enables data-driven learning systems and secondary data use for research. As part of the Health Outcomes Observatory [H2O] initiative, and building on existing knowledge, a core outcome set [COS] for inflammatory bowel diseases [IBD] was defined through an international modified Delphi method.

Methods: Stakeholders rated 90 variables on a 9-point importance scale twice, allowing score modification based on feedback displayed per stakeholder group.

Self-reported and accelerometer-based assessment of physical activity in older adults: results from the Berlin Aging Study II.

Physical activity (PA) has a substantial impact on health and mortality. Besides questionnaires that rely on subjective assessment of activity levels, accelerometers can help to objectify an individual's PA. In this study, variables estimating PA and sleep time obtained through the wGT3X-BT activity monitor (ActiGraph LLC, USA) in 797 participants of the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) were analyzed.

The LDL Apolipoprotein B-to-LDL Cholesterol Ratio: Association with Cardiovascular Mortality and a Biomarker of Small, Dense LDLs.

Background and Objective: Small, dense low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) are considered more atherogenic than normal size LDLs. However, the measurement of small, dense LDLs requires sophisticated laboratory methods, such as ultracentrifugation, gradient gel electrophoresis, or nuclear magnetic resonance. We aimed to analyze whether the LDL apolipoprotein B (LDLapoB)-to-LDL cholesterol (LDLC) ratio is associated with cardiovascular mortality and whether this ratio represents a biomarker for small, dense LDLs.

Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins, Apolipoproteins, and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Events Among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and End-Stage Renal Disease on Hemodialysis.

Hypertriglyceridemia may be implicated in the high atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk experienced by patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In this post-hoc analysis of the "Die Deutsche Diabetes Dialyse Studie (4D)" clinical trial, we examined incident ASCVD events, defined as myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or a coronary revascularization procedure, among 1255 participants with type 2 diabetes and ESRD treated with hemodialysis. Cox-regression methods were used to evaluate the association of triglycerides, very-low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and apolipoproteins B (Apo B) and C-III (Apo C-III) with ASCVD.

ECG Scoring for the Evaluation of Therapy-Naïve Cancer Patients to Predict Cardiotoxicity.

Objective: To evaluate a new electrocardiographic (ECG) score reflecting domains of electrical and structural alterations in therapy-naïve cancer patients to assess their risk of cardiotoxicity.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 134 therapy-naïve consecutive cancer patients in our two university hospitals concerning four ECG score parameters: Contiguous Q-waves, markers of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, QRS duration and JTc prolongation. Cardiotoxicity was assessed after a short-term follow-up (up to 12 months).

Common APOC3 variants are associated with circulating ApoC-III and VLDL cholesterol but not with total apolipoprotein B and coronary artery disease.

Background And Aims: Very rare loss-of-function mutations in the apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) gene have been associated with low circulating apoC-III, low triglycerides, and reduced cardiovascular risk. We aimed to analyze the impact of common APOC3 variants on key parameters of lipid metabolism and coronary artery disease in the largest sample so far.

Methods: Common variants in APOC3 were tested for associations with circulating apoC-III, lipids, and apolipoprotein B (apoB) in 3041 participants of the LUdwigshafen RIsk and Cardiovascular health study (LURIC).

CytoResc - "CytoSorb" Rescue for critically ill patients undergoing the COVID-19 Cytokine Storm: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: Approximately 8 - 10 % of COVID-19 patients present with a serious clinical course and need for hospitalization, 8% of hospitalized patients need ICU-treatment. Currently, no causal therapy is available and treatment is purely supportive. The main reason for death in critically ill patients is acute respiratory failure.

The zinc-finger transcription factor MAZR regulates iNKT cell subset differentiation.

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells represent a subgroup of innate-like T cells and play an important role in immune responses against certain pathogens. In addition, they have been linked to autoimmunity and antitumor immunity. iNKT cells consist of several subsets with distinct functions; however, the transcriptional networks controlling iNKT subset differentiation are still not fully characterized.

LDL triglycerides, hepatic lipase activity, and coronary artery disease: An epidemiologic and Mendelian randomization study.

Background And Aims: High concentrations of low density lipoprotein (LDL) triglycerides have been associated with prevalent angiographic coronary artery disease. The present analysis was designed to investigate the association of LDL triglycerides with cardiovascular mortality and to explore possible mechanisms that may link LDL triglycerides to cardiovascular risk.

Methods: LDL triglycerides were measured in 3140 participants of the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study.

Rationale and design of a global registry to evaluate real-world clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation and high risk of stroke treated with left atrial appendage occlusion using the AMPLATZER amulet device-Perspective of available/ongoing registries of catheter-based LAA occlusion.

Objectives: To describe the rationale and design of a global prospective registry on catheter-based left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion using the second generation AMPLATZER Amulet LAA occlusion device and to provide a comprehensive perspective on available/ongoing registries for catheter-based LAA occlusion.

Background: Given the increasing clinical application of catheter-based LAA occlusion, there is an important need for prospective real-world clinical data regarding this cardiac intervention.

Methods: The Global Amplatzer Amulet LAA registry aims to provide prospective real-world data from an all-comer population of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients undergoing catheter-based LAA occlusion for stroke prevention.

Proteomic-Biostatistic Integrated Approach for Finding the Underlying Molecular Determinants of Hypertension in Human Plasma.

Despite advancements in lowering blood pressure, the best approach to lower it remains controversial because of the lack of information on the molecular basis of hypertension. We, therefore, performed plasma proteomics of plasma from patients with hypertension to identify molecular determinants detectable in these subjects but not in controls and vice versa. Plasma samples from hypertensive subjects (cases; n=118) and controls (n=85) from the InGenious HyperCare cohort were used for this study and performed mass spectrometric analysis.

Left atrial appendage occlusion with the AMPLATZER Amulet device: periprocedural and early clinical/echocardiographic data from a global prospective observational study.

Aims: The global, prospective AMPLATZER Amulet observational study documents real-world periprocedural, transoesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) and clinical outcomes from left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) using the AMPLATZER Amulet device. The aim of this report is to describe the periprocedural and early clinical/TEE results from this study.

Methods And Results: This multicentre prospective real-world registry included 1,088 patients (75±8.

Implementation of Dynamic Lighting in a Nursing Home: Impact on Agitation but not on Rest-Activity Patterns.

Objective: Disturbances of circadian rest-activity rhythms in demented patients often culminate in the clinical problem of evening and nighttime agitation. The aim of the current study was to test the impact of a dynamic lighting system on agitation and rest-activity cycles in patients with dementia.

Methods: From midwinter on, a ceiling mounted dynamic lighting system was installed in the common room of a nursing home and programmed to produce high illuminance with higher blue light proportions during the day and lower illuminance without blue light in the evening.

Melatonin Effects in REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Case Series.

Objectives: REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), with its main clinical symptoms of nightmares with dream-enacting behavior, is considered as a possible precursor of neurodegenerative disease. Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is known to be capable of provoking RBD-like symptoms by apneic event related arousals. The two sleep related pathologies must coincide in a relevant number of individuals because of overlapping prevalence in similar age groups.

Low-density lipoproteins cause atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. 1. Evidence from genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical studies. A consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel.

Aims: To appraise the clinical and genetic evidence that low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) cause atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

Methods And Results: We assessed whether the association between LDL and ASCVD fulfils the criteria for causality by evaluating the totality of evidence from genetic studies, prospective epidemiologic cohort studies, Mendelian randomization studies, and randomized trials of LDL-lowering therapies. In clinical studies, plasma LDL burden is usually estimated by determination of plasma LDL cholesterol level (LDL-C).