Machine learning analyses identify multi-modal frailty factors that selectively discriminate four cohorts in the Alzheimer's disease spectrum: a COMPASS-ND study.

Background: Frailty indicators can operate in dynamic amalgamations of disease conditions, clinical symptoms, biomarkers, medical signals, cognitive characteristics, and even health beliefs and practices. This study is the first to evaluate which, among these multiple frailty-related indicators, are important and differential predictors of clinical cohorts that represent progression along an Alzheimer's disease (AD) spectrum. We applied machine-learning technology to such indicators in order to identify the leading predictors of three AD spectrum cohorts; viz.

Predicting 30-day risk from benzodiazepine/Z-drug dispensations in older adults using administrative data: A prognostic machine learning approach.

Objective: To develop a machine-learning (ML) model using administrative data to estimate risk of adverse outcomes within 30-days of a benzodiazepine (BZRA) dispensation in older adults for use by health departments/regulators.

Design, Setting And Participants: This study was conducted in Alberta, Canada during 2018-2019 in Albertans 65 years of age and older. Those with any history of malignancy or palliative care were excluded.

Development and Validation of a Machine Learning Model to Estimate Risk of Adverse Outcomes Within 30 Days of Opioid Dispensation.

Importance: Machine learning approaches can assist opioid stewardship by identifying high-risk opioid prescribing for potential interventions.

Objective: To develop a machine learning model for deployment that can estimate the risk of adverse outcomes within 30 days of an opioid dispensation as a potential component of prescription drug monitoring programs using access to real-world data.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This prognostic study used population-level administrative health data to construct a machine learning model.

Sarcopenic obesity diagnosis by different criteria mid-to long-term post-bariatric surgery.

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to apply the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism/European Association for the Study of Obesity (ESPEN/EASO) consensus to identify sarcopenic obesity (SO) in adults mid to long-term post-Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) using both dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Further, this approach was compared to accepted sarcopenia diagnostic criteria (Revised European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People [EWGSOP2] and Sarcopenia Definition and Outcomes Consortium [SDOC]).

Methods: This cross-sectional study included adults ≥2 years post-RYGB surgery.

The Impact of Long COVID-19 on Muscle Health.

COVID-19 negatively impacts several organs and systems weeks or months after initial diagnosis. Skeletal muscle can be affected, leading to fatigue, lower mobility, weakness, and poor physical performance. Older adults are at increased risk of developing musculoskeletal symptoms during long COVID.

Predicting 30-Day Readmissions in Patients With Heart Failure Using Administrative Data: A Machine Learning Approach.

Background: We sought to develop machine learning (ML) models trained on administrative data which predict risk of readmission in patients with heart failure and to evaluate and compare the ML model with the currently used LaCE score using clinically informative metrics.

Methods And Results: This prognostic study was conducted in Alberta, Canada, on 9845 patients with confirmed heart failure admitted to hospital between 2012 and 2019. The outcome was unplanned all-cause hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge.

The use of patient-reported outcome measures in primary care: applications, benefits and challenges.

PROMs use in primary care has expanded from simply describing patient populations to contributing to decision-making, in response to the increasingly complex, ever-changing healthcare environment. In Alberta, primary care is organized into primary care networks (PCNs), where family physicians are grouped geographically and supported by allied health professionals. PCNs implement programs and services in response to local population health needs with frequent evaluation, often incorporating PROMs for this purpose.

Adherence to Home-Based Swallowing Therapy Using a Mobile System in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.

Purpose A large knowledge gap related to dysphagia treatment adherence was identified by a recent systematic review: Few existing studies report on adherence, and current adherence tracking relies heavily on patient self-report. This study aimed to report weekly adherence and dysphagia-specific quality of life following home-based swallowing therapy in head and neck cancer (HNC). Method This was a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design.

High-fructose diet-induced hepatic expression of the Scd1 gene is associated with increased acetylation of histones H3 and H4 and the binding of ChREBP at the Scd1 promoter in rats.

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids, and the expression of the Scd1 gene is induced by the intake of the lipogenic sugar fructose. We examined the effects of a high-fructose diet on hepatic acetylation of histones H3 and H4 and the binding of carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP) on the Scd1 gene promoter in rats. Rats were fed a control diet or a high-fructose diet for 10 days.

Metformin Preserves β-Cell Compensation in Insulin Secretion and Mass Expansion in Prediabetic Nile Rats.

Prediabetes is a high-risk condition for type 2 diabetes (T2D). Pancreatic β-cells adapt to impaired glucose regulation in prediabetes by increasing insulin secretion and β-cell mass expansion. In people with prediabetes, metformin has been shown to prevent prediabetes conversion to diabetes.

Portals to frailty? Data-driven analyses detect early frailty profiles.

Background: Frailty is an aging condition that reflects multisystem decline and an increased risk for adverse outcomes, including differential cognitive decline and impairment. Two prominent approaches for measuring frailty are the frailty phenotype and the frailty index. We explored a complementary data-driven approach for frailty assessment that could detect early frailty profiles (or subtypes) in relatively healthy older adults.

Associations of appetite sensations and metabolic characteristics with weight retention in postpartum women.

Postpartum weight retention (PPWR) is an important risk factor for long-term obesity. Appetite may be a key factor regulating PPWR. The objectives of this study were to determine the associations between () PPWR and appetite; and () appetite, lactation, and metabolic characteristics.

The relationship between individual-level deprivation and health-related quality of life.

Objective: To examine the association between individual-level deprivation and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in the general population.

Methods: Data from a population-based survey in the Canadian province of Alberta were used. Individual-level deprivation was assessed using the Canadian Deprivation Index (CDI) and the Ontario Deprivation Index (ODI).

Discriminative validity of the EQ-5D-5 L and SF-12 in older adults with arthritis.

Background: The EQ-5D-5 L and the SF-12 are the most commonly used generic measures of health-related quality of life among people with arthritis. However, there is little evidence on the extent to which the individual dimensions and domains of these instruments perform among this population. The objective was to examine the discriminative validity of the EQ-5D-5 L and the SF-12 version 2 (and SF-6D) in capturing the burden of arthritis on health-related quality of life in older adults.

A modified Delphi process to identify, rank and prioritize quality indicators for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) care in critically ill patients.

Background: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a complex and life-sustaining therapy, reserved for our most acutely ill patients, and should be delivered in a safe, consistent and high-quality manner. However valid evidence-based quality indicators (QIs) for CRRT care are lacking. The objective of this study was to develop a prioritized list of QIs for CRRT care that may be used in any CRRT program.

Are Canadian protein and physical activity guidelines optimal for sarcopenia prevention in older adults?

Aging is characterized by physiological and morphological changes that affect body composition, strength, and function, ultimately leading to sarcopenia. This condition results in physical disability, falls, fractures, poor quality of life, and increased health care costs. Evidence suggests that increased consumption of dietary protein and physical activity levels, especially resistance exercise, can counteract the trajectory of sarcopenia.

Vitamin D Status and Immune Health Outcomes in a Cross-Sectional Study and a Randomized Trial of Healthy Young Children.

In young children, the relationship between vitamin D and biomarkers of immune function is not well elucidated. The objective was to investigate relationships between vitamin D and immune function in young children. Data were from a cross-sectional study (study 1) of healthy children 1.

Overnight fasting compromises exercise intensity and volume during sprint interval training but improves high-intensity aerobic endurance.

Background: The combined effects of sprint interval training (SIT) and exercising in the fasted state are unknown. We compared the effects of SIT with exogenous carbohydrate supplementation (SIT-CHO) and SIT following overnight fast (SIT-Fast) on aerobic capacity (peak oxygen consumption: V̇O2peak) and high-intensity aerobic endurance (time-to-exhaustion at 85% V̇O2peak [T85%]).

Methods: Twenty male cyclists were randomized to SIT-CHO and SIT-Fast.

DHA and ARA addition to infant formula: Current status and future research directions.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) are present in breast milk and play important roles in early infant development. A supply of these fatty acids in infant formula (typically following breast milk as a model with ARA > DHA) is thought to be important since endogenous synthesis is insufficient to maintain tissue levels equivalent to breast-fed infants. Intervention studies assessing the impact of DHA- and ARA-supplemented formulas have resulted in numerous positive developmental outcomes (closer to breast-fed infants) including measures of specific cognition functions, visual acuity, and immune responses.

Determination of the Relative Efficacy of Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid for Anti-Cancer Effects in Human Breast Cancer Models.

Epidemiological studies have associated high fish oil consumption with decreased risk of breast cancer (BC). n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fish and fish oils exert anti-cancer effects. However, few studies have examined the relative efficacy of EPA and DHA alone and in mixtures on BC subtypes.

Maternal depressive symptoms linked to reduced fecal Immunoglobulin A concentrations in infants.

Secretory Immunoglobulin A (sIgA) plays a critical role to infant gut mucosal immunity. Delayed IgA production is associated with greater risk of allergic disease. Murine models of stressful events during pregnancy and infancy show alterations in gut immunity and microbial composition in offspring, but little is known about the stress-microbiome-immunity pathways in humans.

Rates of, and risk factors for, septic arthritis in patients with invasive pneumococcal disease: prospective cohort study.

Background: There are many case reports of septic arthritis complicating invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD); however, no study has compared patients with IPD with septic arthritis to those who didn't develop septic arthritis Thus, we aimed to determine the rates of, and risk factors for, septic arthritis in patients with invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).

Methods: Socio-demographic, clinical, and serological data were captured on all patients with IPD in Northern Alberta, Canada from 2000 to 2014. Septic arthritis was identified by attending physicians.

A Critical Review on the Effect of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) on Cancer Cell Cycle Progression.

Globally, there were 14.1 million new cancer diagnoses and 8.2 million cancer deaths in 2012.

Quality indicators of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) care in critically ill patients: a systematic review.

Objectives: Renal replacement therapy is increasingly utilized in the intensive care unit (ICU), of which continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is most common. Despite CRRT being a relatively invasive and resource intensive technology, there remains wide practice variation in its application. This systematic review appraised the evidence for quality indicators (QIs) of CRRT care in critically ill patients.

Evidence for the essentiality of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid in the postnatal maternal and infant diet for the development of the infant's immune system early in life.

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), especially the balance between arachidonic (AA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids are known to have important immunomodulatory roles during the postnatal period when the immune system is rapidly developing. AA and DHA are required in infant formula in many countries but are optional in North America. The rationale for adding these LCPUFA to full-term formula is based on their presence in breast milk and randomized controlled studies that suggest improved cognitive function in preterm infants, but results are more variable in full-term infants.