Days at Home After Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair Versus Medical Therapy Alone in Heart Failure.

Background: Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair of the mitral valve (mTEER) reduced a hierarchical end point that included death and heart failure hospitalization in COAPT (Cardiovascular Outcomes Assessment of the MitraClip Percutaneous Therapy for Heart Failure Patients With Functional Mitral Regurgitation Trial). However, the magnitude to which mTEER increases the number of days a patient spends at home (DAH) in the first few years after treatment, a patient-centered end point not captured routinely in clinical trials, has not been evaluated. We compared 1- and 2-year DAH among patients with functional mitral regurgitation and heart failure randomized to mTEER plus medical therapy versus medical therapy alone (control) by linking the COAPT trial to comprehensive health care claims data.

Myocarditis in Patients Starting Combination Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Analysis of a Commercial Claims Database.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved the clinical outcomes of several cancers but have also been associated with a greater risk of immune-related adverse effects, especially when combined. The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence of myocarditis in relation to the use of dual concurrent versus single immune checkpoint inhibitors therapies.

Methods And Results: A cohort study was conducted using medical and pharmacy claims data (2011-2022) from a large US commercial insurer.

Reproductive factors and expression of stem cell markers in women with incident benign breast disease.

Reproductive factors are well-established risk factors for breast cancer. The prevailing hypothesis suggested that stem cell changes may be the key underlying mechanisms, but epidemiological evidence has been notably scarce. Herein we examined the relationship between reproductive risk factors and the expression of well-established stem cell markers CD44, CD24, and ALDH1A1 in benign breast biopsy non-cancerous samples.

Analyzing how the components of the SOFA score change over time in their contribution to mortality.

Objective: Determine how each organ component of the SOFA score differs in its contribution to mortality risk and how that contribution may change over time.

Methods: We performed multivariate logistic regression analysis to assess the contribution of each organ component to mortality risk on Days 1 and 7 of an intensive care unit stay. We used data from two publicly available datasets, eICU Collaborative Research Database (eICU-CRD) (208 hospitals) and Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) (1 hospital).

Fine particulate matter and intima media thickness: Role of endothelial function biomarkers.

Background: Ambient fine particulate matter (PM) is a risk factor for atherosclerosis disease. We aimed to assess whether nitric oxide stable metabolites (NOx) and l-arginine mediate the association between PM and carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) increase.

Methods: We selected 251 participants from the control group of GEA (Genetics of Atheroslerosis Disease Mexican) study (2008-2013) in Mexico City.

Active Learning with Particle Swarm Optimization for Enhanced Skin Cancer Classification Utilizing Deep CNN Models.

Skin cancer is a critical global health issue, with millions of non-melanoma and melanoma cases diagnosed annually. Early detection is essential to improving patient outcomes, yet traditional deep learning models for skin cancer classification are often limited by the need for large, annotated datasets and extensive computational resources. The aim of this study is to address these limitations by proposing an efficient skin cancer classification framework that integrates active learning (AL) with particle swarm optimization (PSO).

Safety of inpatient care in surgical settings: cohort study.

Objectives: To estimate the frequency, severity, and preventability of adverse events associated with perioperative care, and to describe the setting and professions concerned.

Design: Multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Setting: 11 US hospitals.

Intracranial arteriosclerosis is not associated with cerebral amyloid deposition.

Background: Intracranial arteriosclerosis and cerebral amyloid beta (Aβ) are both involved in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia, but the direct link between these two pathologies remains elusive.

Methods: In 633 participants (mean age 69 years, 51% women) from the population-based Rotterdam Study, we quantified cerebral Aβ accumulation on amyloid positron emission tomography (PET). We assessed calcification of the intracranial internal carotid (ICAC) and vertebrobasilar arteries (VBAC) as proxies of arteriosclerosis on non-enhanced computed tomography (CT).

Associations of Everyday Discrimination With Insomnia and Short Sleep Duration Among Older Women.

Background: Discrimination may contribute to sleep health disparities among women, yet limited research has investigated the association between discrimination and insomnia with short sleep.

Methods And Results: Among a racially and ethnically diverse sample of women (N=25 920; mean age, 72.2±6.

Pregnancy complications and birth outcomes following low-level exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the vitamin D antenatal asthma reduction trial.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic, highly fluorinated aliphatic compounds, commonly utilised in a wide variety of consumer products with diverse applications. Since the genesis of these compounds, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated adverse health effects associated with PFAS exposure. In a racially diverse cohort of 459 pregnant mothers, demographically weighted towards minority representation (black 44.

Spatial clusters and social inequities in COVID-19 vaccine coverage among children in Brazil.

This study examined the spatial distribution and social inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine coverage among children aged 5-11 in Brazil. First and second dose vaccine coverage was calculated for all Brazilian municipalities and analyzed by geographic region and deciles based on human development index (HDI-M) and expected years of schooling at 18 years of age. Multilevel models were used to determine the variance partition coefficient, and bivariate local Moran's I statistic was used to assess spatial association.

Alcohol Consumption Patterns and Mortality Among Older Adults With Health-Related or Socioeconomic Risk Factors.

Importance: Alcohol consumption is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality that may be more important in older adults with socioeconomic or health-related risk factors.

Objective: To examine the association of alcohol consumption patterns with 12-year mortality and its modification by health-related or socioeconomic risk factors.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This prospective cohort study used data from the UK Biobank, a population-based cohort.

Circulating sphingolipids in relation to cognitive decline and incident dementia: The Cardiovascular Health Study.

Introduction: Whether circulating levels of sphingolipids are prospectively associated with cognitive decline and dementia risk is uncertain.

Methods: We measured 14 sphingolipid species in plasma samples from 4488 participants (mean age 76.2 years; 40% male; and 25% apolipoprotein E ( ε4 allele carriers).

Saliva, Plasma, and Multifluid Metabolomic Signatures of Periodontal Disease, Type 2 Diabetes Progression, and Markers of Glycemia and Dyslipidemia Among Puerto Rican Adults With Overweight and Obesity.

Background: Evidence from cohort studies indicates a bidirectional relationship between periodontal disease and type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we aimed to (1) identify saliva, plasma, and multifluid metabolomic signatures associated with periodontal disease and (2) determine if these signatures predict T2D progression and cardiometabolic biomarkers at year 3.

Methods And Results: We included participants from the SOALS (San Juan Overweight Adult Longitudinal Study) (n=911).

Healthy lifestyles in relation to cardiometabolic diseases among schoolteachers: A cross-sectional study.

Background: We aimed to explore the associations of adherence to an overall healthy lifestyle with cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) among schoolteachers in China.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among 2983 teachers (aged 39.8 ± 9.

P53 Activation Promotes Maturational Characteristics of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes in 3-Dimensional Suspension Culture Via FOXO-FOXM1 Regulation.

Background: Current protocols generate highly pure human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) in vitro that recapitulate characteristics of mature in vivo cardiomyocytes. Yet, a risk of arrhythmias exists when hiPSC-CMs are injected into large animal models. Thus, understanding hiPSC-CM maturational mechanisms is crucial for clinical translation.

Plasma Extracellular MicroRNAs Associated With Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

Background: Extracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that remain stable in the extracellular milieu, where they contribute to various physiological and pathological processes by facilitating intercellular signaling. Previous studies have reported associations between miRNAs and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs); however, the plasma miRNA signatures of CVD and its risk factors have not been fully elucidated at the population level.

Methods And Results: Plasma miRNA levels were measured in 4440 FHS (Framingham Heart Study) participants.

Food Insecurity and Ideal Cardiovascular Health Risk Factors Among US Adolescents.

Background: Food insecurity, a social and economic condition of limited availability of healthy food, is a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular health outcomes among adults; few studies have been conducted in adolescents. This study explores the association between food insecurity and cardiovascular health risk factors among a nationally representative sample of US adolescents, adopting the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 metric.

Methods And Results: We analyzed data from 2534 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years from the 2013 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.