Long COVID and cardiovascular disease: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cardiovascular risk factors have been associated with an increased risk of complications following hospitalisation with COVID-19, but their impact on the rate of recovery following discharge is not known.

Objectives: To determine whether the rate of patient-perceived recovery following hospitalisation with COVID-19 was affected by the presence of CVD or cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: In a multicentre prospective cohort study, patients were recruited following discharge from the hospital with COVID-19 undertaking two comprehensive assessments at 5 months and 12 months.

Blood groups and Rhesus status as potential predictors of outcomes in patients with cardiac resynchronisation therapy.

Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) improves prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF) however the role of ABO blood groups and Rhesus factor are poorly understood. We hypothesise that blood groups may influence clinical and survival outcomes in HF patients undergoing CRT. A total of 499 patients with HF who fulfilled the criteria for CRT implantation were included.

Integrated approach to cardiovascular disease in people experiencing homelessness: a qualitative study.

Background: Homelessness is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), beyond impact of socioeconomic status. CVD is preventable and treatable, though barriers to interventions exist for people experiencing homelessness. Those with lived experience of homelessness and health professionals with relevant expertise can help to understand and address these barriers.

Semaglutide for cardiovascular event reduction in people with overweight or obesity: SELECT study baseline characteristics.

Objective: This paper describes the baseline characteristics of the Semaglutide Effects on Heart Disease and Stroke in Patients with Overweight or Obesity (SELECT) study, one of the largest cardiovascular (CV) outcome studies in the field of obesity, which evaluates the effect of semaglutide versus placebo on major CV events.

Methods: SELECT enrolled individuals with overweight or obesity without diabetes, with prior myocardial infarction, stroke, and/or peripheral artery disease. This study reports participants' baseline characteristics in the full study population and subgroups defined by baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA ; <5.

Transforming health science libraries around the globe: The impact of technology.

Health science libraries have been using information technology since the late 1960s, shaping both the profession and the mission of these libraries. To explore the impact of technology, a series of articles has been commissioned for the HILJ Regular Feature, International Perspectives and Initiatives. This editorial sets the scene for this series of articles, which starts in this issue.

Smartphone detection of atrial fibrillation using photoplethysmography: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Timely diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF) is essential to reduce complications from this increasingly common condition. We sought to assess the diagnostic accuracy of smartphone camera photoplethysmography (PPG) compared with conventional electrocardiogram (ECG) for AF detection.

Methods: This is a systematic review of MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane (1980-December 2020), including any study or abstract, where smartphone PPG was compared with a reference ECG (1, 3 or 12-lead).

Global trends health science libraries: Part 3.

This is the last of three articles based on a series of articles published in the Health Information and Libraries Journal's Regular Feature (International Perspectives and Initiatives). Key trends from 12 countries in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia were identified. In this issue, the last five trends are considered: (1) Participation in collaborations, networks, partnerships, social networks; (2) Repurposing library space; (3) Focus on user experience; (4) Impact of technology on the provision of services; and (5) Engaging with the public.

Engaging with technology: Projects and research initiated by health information professionals.

The 2021 virtual issue of the Health Information and Libraries Journal is published to link to the Future Technologies Conference 2021, which takes place in Vancouver, Canada, 28-29 October 2021. This event, which began in 2016, presents the best of current systems research and practice. One of the themes of the 2021 conference is Smart Healthcare.

Global trends health science libraries: Part 2.

This is the second of three articles which explore trends in health science libraries. It is based on a series of articles called New Directions in Health Science Libraries published in a HILJ regular feature (International Perspectives and Initiatives) between June 2017 and March 2020. The series covered 12 countries: The United States, Canada, Australia, China, England, two countries in Africa (Uganda and Tanzania) and five in Europe (Sweden, Romania, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland).

Impact of cardiometabolic multimorbidity and ethnicity on cardiovascular/renal complications in patients with COVID-19.

Objective: Using a large national database of people hospitalised with COVID-19, we investigated the contribution of cardio-metabolic conditions, multi-morbidity and ethnicity on the risk of in-hospital cardiovascular complications and death.

Methods: A multicentre, prospective cohort study in 302 UK healthcare facilities of adults hospitalised with COVID-19 between 6 February 2020 and 16 March 2021. Logistic models were used to explore associations between baseline patient ethnicity, cardiometabolic conditions and multimorbidity (0, 1, 2, >2 conditions), and in-hospital cardiovascular complications (heart failure, arrhythmia, cardiac ischaemia, cardiac arrest, coagulation complications, stroke), renal injury and death.

Deep sequencing of HIV-1 reveals extensive subtype variation and drug resistance after failure of first-line antiretroviral regimens in Nigeria.

Background: Deep sequencing could improve understanding of HIV treatment failure and viral population dynamics. However, this tool is often inaccessible in low- and middle-income countries.

Objectives: To determine the genetic patterns of resistance emerging in West African HIV-1 subtypes during first-line virological failure, and the implications for future antiretroviral options.

Global trends health science libraries: Part 1.

This is the first of three articles based on articles published in the Health Information and Libraries Journal's Regular Feature (International Perspectives and Initiatives). Key trends from 12 countries in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia were identified. In this issue, two trends are described: emergence of new roles and challenges for library staff; supporting researchers engaging in research data management and maintaining institutional repositories.

Characterising the nationwide burden and predictors of unkept outpatient appointments in the National Health Service in England: A cohort study using a machine learning approach.

Background: Unkept outpatient hospital appointments cost the National Health Service £1 billion each year. Given the associated costs and morbidity of unkept appointments, this is an issue requiring urgent attention. We aimed to determine rates of unkept outpatient clinic appointments across hospital trusts in the England.

Disentangling Independent and Mediated Causal Relationships Between Blood Metabolites, Cognitive Factors, and Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Education and cognition demonstrate consistent inverse associations with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The biological underpinnings, however, remain unclear. Blood metabolites reflect the end point of biological processes and are accessible and malleable.

Digital Health Interventions: New opportunities for health science librarians.

This article acquaints health science librarians with digital health interventions (DHIs) and suggests ways they can become involved with initiatives in their own organisations. Examples of DHIs are provided and the risks and benefits of these applications are examined, including increasing accuracy of diagnosis & treatment, and health care efficiencies within legal and ethical frameworks. The WHO Guideline on digital interventions for health system strengthening is a useful resource which highlights ways that countries can use digital health technology to improve people's health and essential services.

Peer advocacy and access to healthcare for people who are homeless in London, UK: a mixed method impact, economic and process evaluation protocol.

Introduction: People who are homeless experience higher morbidity and mortality than the general population. These outcomes are exacerbated by inequitable access to healthcare. Emerging evidence suggests a role for peer advocates-that is, trained volunteers with lived experience-to support people who are homeless to access healthcare.

A computerized decision support system did not improve personalization of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation according to latest recommendations.

Aims: Recent studies showed that exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (ECR) programmes are often not personalized to individual patient characteristics according to latest recommendations. This study investigates whether a computerized decision support (CDS) system based on latest recommendations and guidelines can improve personalization of ECR prescriptions. Pseudo-randomized intervention study.

A Primary Prevention Clinical Risk Score Model for Patients With Brugada Syndrome (BRUGADA-RISK).

Objectives: The goal of this study was to develop a risk score model for patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS).

Background: Risk stratification in BrS is a significant challenge due to the low event rates and conflicting evidence.

Methods: A multicenter international cohort of patients with BrS and no previous cardiac arrest was used to evaluate the role of 16 proposed clinical or electrocardiogram (ECG) markers in predicting ventricular arrhythmias (VAs)/sudden cardiac death (SCD) during follow-up.

Gender and ethnic differences in publication of BMJ letters to the editor: an observational study using machine learning.

Objectives: To analyse the relationship between first author's gender and ethnicity (estimated from first name and surname), and chance of publication of rapid responses in the (BMJ). To analyse whether other features of the rapid response account for any gender or ethnic differences, including the presence of multiple authors, declaration of conflicts of interests, the presence of Twitter handle, word count, reading ease, spelling and grammatical mistakes, and the presence of references.

Design: A retrospective observational study.

The side effect profile of Clozapine in real world data of three large mental health hospitals.

Objective: Mining the data contained within Electronic Health Records (EHRs) can potentially generate a greater understanding of medication effects in the real world, complementing what we know from Randomised control trials (RCTs). We Propose a text mining approach to detect adverse events and medication episodes from the clinical text to enhance our understanding of adverse effects related to Clozapine, the most effective antipsychotic drug for the management of treatment-resistant schizophrenia, but underutilised due to concerns over its side effects.

Material And Methods: We used data from de-identified EHRs of three mental health trusts in the UK (>50 million documents, over 500,000 patients, 2835 of which were prescribed Clozapine).

Metabolic Age Based on the BBMRI-NL H-NMR Metabolomics Repository as Biomarker of Age-related Disease.

Background: The blood metabolome incorporates cues from the environment and the host's genetic background, potentially offering a holistic view of an individual's health status.

Methods: We have compiled a vast resource of proton nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics and phenotypic data encompassing over 25 000 samples derived from 26 community and hospital-based cohorts.

Results: Using this resource, we constructed a metabolomics-based age predictor (metaboAge) to calculate an individual's biological age.

Protocol for a systematic review of treatment adherence for HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis among homeless populations.

Background: Homelessness is a global issue and HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis are known to be prevalent in this group. Homeless populations face significant barriers to care. We aim to summarise evidence of treatment initiation and completion for homeless populations with these infections, and their associated factors, through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Semaglutide Effects on Cardiovascular Outcomes in People With Overweight or Obesity (SELECT) rationale and design.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Although it has been widely appreciated that obesity is a major risk factor for CVD, treatments that produce effective, durable weight loss and the impact of weight reduction in reducing cardiovascular risk have been elusive. Instead, progress in CVD risk reduction has been achieved through medications indicated for controlling lipids, hyperglycemia, blood pressure, heart failure, inflammation, and/or thrombosis.

Mining Social Media Data to Study the Consequences of Dementia Diagnosis on Caregivers and Relatives.

Introduction: Caregivers for people with dementia face a number of challenges such as changing family relationships, social isolation, or financial difficulties. Internet usage and social media are increasingly being recognised as resources to increase support and general public health.

Objective: Using automated analysis, the aim of this study was to explore (i) the age and sex of people who post to the social media forum Reddit about dementia diagnoses, (ii) the affected person and their diagnosis, (iii) which subreddits authors are posting to, (iv) the types of messages posted, and (v) the content of these posts.

An epigenome-wide association study of Alzheimer's disease blood highlights robust DNA hypermethylation in the HOXB6 gene.

A growing number of epigenome-wide association studies have demonstrated a role for DNA methylation in the brain in Alzheimer's disease. With the aim of exploring peripheral biomarker potential, we have examined DNA methylation patterns in whole blood collected from 284 individuals in the AddNeuroMed study, which included 89 nondemented controls, 86 patients with Alzheimer's disease, and 109 individuals with mild cognitive impairment, including 38 individuals who progressed to Alzheimer's disease within 1 year. We identified significant differentially methylated regions, including 12 adjacent hypermethylated probes in the HOXB6 gene in Alzheimer's disease, which we validated using pyrosequencing.