Troponin T and N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide Are Associated with Long-Term All-Cause Mortality in Patients with Post-Sternotomy Mediastinitis following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A 15-Year Follow-Up Study.

Background: Deep sternal wound/mediastinitis is a rare but feared complication in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients and seems to increase the risk of cardiac death, and is also associated with the risk of early internal mammary artery (IMA) graft obstruction. The pathological mechanism explaining the link between mediastinitis and IMA graft obstruction and the impact on mortality is complex, multifactorial, and not fully investigated.

Objectives: Mediastinitis has been associated with increased concentrations of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and troponin T (TnT) at mid-term follow-up, representing persistent low-grade myocardial injury and impaired cardiac function.

Drug-Eluting versus Bare-Metal Stents in Saphenous Vein Grafts Compared to Native Coronary Vessels: The Norwegian Coronary Stent Trial Study.

Background: Drug-eluting stents (DES) reduce target lesion revascularization (TLR) with no effect on mortality or myocardial infarction (MI) compared to bare-metal stents (BMS) in native vessels. Randomized stent studies in saphenous vein grafts (SVG) are few and the reported effects are ambiguous. The Norwegian Coronary Stent Trial study is the first to randomize lesions to percutaneous coronary intervention in native vessels and SVG.

Analyses of Increased Mortality in New and Known Diabetes in Patients with Coronary Disease Enrolled in the NORSTENT Randomized Study.

Background: NORSTENT trial randomized 9,013 patients to percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents (DES) or bare-metal stents (BMS) with a 5-year follow-up. Among the patients, 5,512 had measured either fasting glucose level or percent glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) at the index procedure. That cohort constitutes the present study population analyzing mortality and evaluating treatment heterogeneity of randomized stent in diabetic versus nondiabetic subgroups.

Long-term work outcomes and the efficacy of multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs on labor force participation in cancer patients - a protocol for a longitudinal prospective cohort study.

. Many cancer survivors experience late effects of cancer treatment and therefore struggle to return to work. Norway provides rehabilitation programs to increase labor force participation for cancer survivors after treatment.

Physical exercise during adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer-a non-randomized feasibility study.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide, and a large proportion of the patients receive adjuvant oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. Most of these experience chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), affecting quality of life. Evidence to advise exercise to reduce CIPN is limited.

Health-related quality of life and physical activity level after a behavior change program at Norwegian healthy life centers: a 15-month follow-up.

Purpose: The long-term impact of primary care behavior change programs on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and physical activity (PA) level is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in HRQoL and PA among participants after a 3-month behavior change intervention at Norwegian healthy life center (HLCs) and at a 15-month follow-up. Furthermore, we aimed to study associations between changes in PA and HRQoL.

Physical rehabilitation in patients with head and neck cancer: Impact on health-related quality of life and suitability of a post-treatment program.

Objective: Physical rehabilitation programs hold the potential to mitigate deterioration in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with head and neck cancer. The objective was to assess development in relevant domains of HRQoL following a physical exercise and nutrition intervention administrated during or after treatment.

Methods: In a pilot study, 41 patients were randomized to resistance training and oral nutritional supplements during (EN-DUR, n = 20) or after (EN-AF, n = 21) radiotherapy.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients with Pulmonary Sarcoidosis: Impact on Exercise Capacity and Fatigue.

Background: There is limited evidence regarding the impact of multidisciplinary pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on exercise capacity and fatigue in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact on exercise capacity and fatigue following PR, and to examine whether baseline fatigue was related to change in peak oxygen uptake (ΔV̇O2peak).

Methods: Forty-one patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis attending a 4-week inpatient PR program were recruited to this pre-post study.

The Effect of Drug-Eluting Stents on Target Lesion Revascularization in Native Coronary Arteries: Results from the NORSTENT Randomized Study.

Background: The NORSTENT trial randomized 9,013 patients to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with a drug-eluting stent (DES) or bare-metal stent (BMS) with 5-year follow-up. No difference was found in the composite primary outcome of death from any cause and nonfatal spontaneous myocardial infarction after a median of 5 years of follow-up. Secondary outcomes included repeat revascularizations, which were reduced by DES.

The acute impact of resistance training on fatigue in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Fatigue is the most prevalent symptom among patients with sarcoidosis, and skeletal muscle dysfunction is a common clinical feature, making resistance training (RT) a recommended treatment strategy. Despite lacking knowledge regarding whether high-intensity RT will aggravate fatigue, low to moderate-intensity is routinely used even if the evidence for this protocol to improve muscle strength is inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate whether one single session of high-intensity RT induces a higher increase in fatigue than one single session of moderate-intensity RT.

Nutritional experiences in head and neck cancer patients.

Objective: Extensive research has documented the negative nutritional impact of head neck cancer (HNC) treatment, but few studies have addressed the patients' experiences. The purpose of this study was to describe how patients with HNC experience the nutritional situation and perceive nutritional support from diagnosis to the post-treatment phase.

Methods: Patients with HNC were recruited from a randomised pilot study.

Impact and implementation of Healthy Life Centres, a primary-care service intervention for behaviour change in Norway: Study design.

This ongoing study is investigating the implementation and long-term impact of Healthy Life Centres (HLCs), a primary-care service intervention for behaviour change in Norway. The primary aim is to study changes in objectively measured physical activity (PA) levels following a HLC intervention in the short (three months) and long term (15 months). Furthermore, the study is evaluating determinants concerning implementation and adaption of the HLC intervention that influence reach and impact on participants outcomes.

Changes in fatigue, health-related quality of life and physical activity after a one-week educational program for cancer survivors.

Rehabilitation aims to improve function, but the effects of different programs are not clear. The aims of the present study were to: (1) compare the level of fatigue and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of cancer survivors admitted to a one-week inpatient educational program (IEP) to the general population (NORMS), (2) examine changes in fatigue, HRQOL and physical activity after the IEP and (3) examine the proportions of survivors for female and male separately with clinically relevant improvement (>10% of maximum scale). Cancer survivors ≥18 years, diagnosed with breast-, prostate- or gastrointestinal cancer within the last 10 years, about to attend a one-week IEP were invited to an observational study with a pre-post design.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of the pancreas shows impaired perfusion in pancreas insufficient cystic fibrosis patients.

Background: Perfusion assessment of the pancreas is challenging and poorly evaluated. Pancreatic affection is a prevalent feature of cystic fibrosis (CF). Little is known about pancreatic perfusion in CF.

Survival in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in a Population Referred for Invasive Evaluation of Coronary Disease.

Objectives: To evaluate long-term and time trends of survival in patients with a clinical diagnosis of type 1 and type 2 diabetes compared to patients without diabetes in a population referred for invasive treatment of coronary disease.

Methods: Patients examined for heart disease at the Feiring LHL Clinics from March 1999 until December 2014 were followed for survival until 20 September, 2015. This yielded 43,872 patients with a known survival status including 1,326 (3.

Evaluation of circulating levels of CCN2/connective tissue growth factor in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

CCN2/Connective tissue growth factor seems to be involved in development of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, but a possible cardioprotective role in left ventricular (LV) remodelling following myocardial infarction has also been suggested. The main objectives of the study were therefore to investigate whether circulating CCN2 levels were associated with infarct size, LV function, adverse remodelling or clinical outcome in two cohorts of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). CCN2 was measured in 988 patients 18 hours after PCI and clinical events were recorded after 55 months in the BAMI cohort.

Feasibility and preliminary effects of resistance training and nutritional supplements during versus after radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer: A pilot randomized trial.

Background: Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) experience involuntary weight loss that has a negative impact on physical function, morbidity, and survival. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the feasibility of an exercise and nutrition intervention during radiotherapy (RT) compared with after RT, and to examine preliminary effects on skeletal muscle mass.

Methods: Patients with HNC were randomized to an exercise and nutrition intervention during RT (EN-DUR) or after RT (EN-AF).

Mechanisms of ECG signs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often have abnormal ECGs. Our aim was to separate the effects on ECG by airway obstruction, emphysema and right ventricular (RV) afterload in patients with COPD.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 101 patients with COPD without left heart disease and 32 healthy age-matched controls.

The effect of exercise on fatigue and physical functioning in breast cancer patients during and after treatment and at 6 months follow-up: A meta-analysis.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer in women worldwide. Exercise interventions may improve physical and psychological factors during and after active breast cancer treatment. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the current knowledge regarding the efficacy of physical exercise with respect to fatigue and self-reported physical functioning.

Perceived needs for different components in a rehabilitation program among cancer survivors with chronic fatigue compared to survivors without chronic fatigue.

Background: Knowledge about the user' needs is important to develop targeted rehabilitation for cancer patients with chronic fatigue (CF). The aims of the study were to examine prevalence of CF in cancer survivors attending an one-week inpatient educational program (IEP) and to identify characteristics of those with CF. Further to examine the perceived needs for different components in a rehabilitation program, need of complex rehabilitation (at least two components) and aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among survivors with CF versus those without CF.

Long-term survival after coronary bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objectives: To assess whether there exists a long-term difference in survival after treatment with coronary bypass surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with coronary disease as judged by all-cause mortality.

Methods: Retrospective study from the Feiring Heart Clinic database of survival in 22 880 patients-15 078 treated with percutaneous coronary intervention and 7802 with bypass surgery followed up to 16 years.

Results: Cox regression and propensity score analysis showed no difference in survival for one-vessel and two-vessel disease during the whole study period.

Lifestyles of cancer survivors attending an inpatient educational program-a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Cancer survivors have increased risk for adverse health effects, but the risk can be reduced by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Knowledge of lifestyle in terms of physical activity (PA), diet (intake of fruit and vegetables [F&V]) and smoking behaviors of cancer survivors enrolled in an inpatient educational program and identification of subgroups not meeting the lifestyle guidelines are needed to set up more targeted programs.

Methods: We invited 862 cancer survivors, ≥18 years, diagnosed within the last 10 years and about to attend a 1-week educational program, to participate in this cross-sectional study.

Survival difference between coronary bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objectives: To assess whether the previously observed lower death rate with coronary artery bypass surgery compared with percutaneous coronary intervention in subsets of patients with coronary artery disease persists in more recent years.

Design: Retrospective study from Feiring Heart Clinic database of survival in 17739 patients followed for 5 years after coronary revascularization. The cohorts treated in 1999-2005 and 2006-2011 were compared using Cox regression and propensity score analyses.