Burden of Valvular Heart Diseases in a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Population: The Bronx-Valve Registry.

Background: Valvular heart disease (VHD) is a major focus of cardiovascular medicine, but limited data are available for racial and ethnic minorities. The aim was to assess the burden and clinical correlates of VHD in a highly diverse area of the United States.

Methods And Results: Individuals with echocardiographic diagnosis of native VHD between January 2010 and December 2019 at a quaternary care health system of the Bronx (New York, USA) were included.

Overview of Molecular Prognostication for Common Solid Tumor Histologies - What the Surgeon Should Know.

Study Design: Narrative Literature review.

Objective: To provide a general overview of important molecular markers and targeted therapies for the most common neoplasms (lung, breast, prostate and melanoma) that metastasize to the spine and offer guidance on how to best incorporate them in the clinical setting.

Methods: A narrative review of the literature was performed using PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline databases, as well as the histology-specific National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines to identify relevant articles limited to the English language.

Do socioeconomic factors impair uptake of neoadjuvant therapy for patients with locoregional oesophageal cancer?

Objectives: The benefits of neoadjuvant therapy prior to surgery for patients with locally advanced oesophageal cancer have been well established by multiple trials. However, there may be socioeconomic barriers impacting equitable administration. We aim to identify whether disparities exist in the uptake of neoadjuvant therapy among patients with loco-regional oesophageal cancer.

A Personalized Approach for Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer: Current Understanding and Future Directions.

Oligometastatic prostate cancer (OMPC) represents an intermediate state in the progression from localized disease to widespread metastasis when the radiographically significant sites are limited in number and location. With no clear consensus on a definition, its diagnostic significance and associated optimal therapeutic approach remain controversial, posing a significant challenge for clinicians. The current standard of care for metastatic disease is to start systemic therapy; however, active surveillance and targeted radiotherapy have become attractive options to mitigate the long-term effects of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

Marijuana Use Increases the Risk of Postoperative Bleeding in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Body Contouring.

Background: The legalization and changing perception of marijuana have led to a significant increase in its use. Although studies exploring marijuana's physiological effects have grown, its effect on surgical outcomes remains unclear. This study investigates the influence of marijuana consumption on postoperative complications in patients undergoing abdominal body contouring surgeries such as abdominoplasties and panniculectomies.

Recurrent Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in U.S. Travelers Treated with Artemether-Lumefantrine.

We report two cases of recurrent malaria in U.S. travelers returning from Africa (Ghana and Central African Republic) despite a full course of artemether-lumefantrine (AL).

Left Ventricular Assist Device Therapy in Cold and Dry Patients.

Background: Patients with end-stage heart failure and low pulmonary capillary wedge pressure are referred to as cold and dry and represent an understudied minority in whom the benefit of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy is unclear.

Methods: Adults receiving LVADs between 2006 and 2017 in the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support database were classified as cold and wet (pulmonary capillary wedge pressure >15 mm Hg) and cold and dry (pulmonary capillary wedge pressure ≤15 mm Hg) based on pre-LVAD hemodynamics obtained via right heart catheterization. The primary outcome was 1-year survival.

Surgery for Patients With cT3/4N2M0, Stage IIIB NSCLC. Is It Time to Redefine Resectability?

Introduction: Chemoradiation followed by durvalumab is considered a standard approach for patients with locally advanced NSCLC. With improvements in perioperative and neoadjuvant approaches, there is renewed interest in offering surgery to carefully selected patients with cT3/4N2 stage IIIB cancer. We sought to assess survival outcomes after surgery as part of a multimodality treatment regimen for these patients.

High Altitude is an Independent Risk Factor for Postoperative Venous Thromboembolism Following Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Large Database Study.

Background: High altitude may induce physiological changes that can predispose patients to venous thromboembolism (VTE), a relatively uncommon, but potentially fatal complication following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to determine if high altitude is an independent risk factor for postoperative VTE following TKA.

Methods: A large claims database was queried for patients who underwent TKA at high-altitude (≥ 1,219-meters) and low-altitude (≤ 30-meters) using Current Procedural Terminology codes, International Classification of Disease codes, and zip codes.

Healthcare Utilization Patterns in Sickle Cell Patients and Their Association With Sickle Cell Retinopathy.

Background/aim: A few shave identified systemic and hematologic risk factors for Proliferative Sickle Cell Retinopathy (PSR) development. The relevance of healthcare utilization as a risk factor for PSR has not been defined. This study evaluates patterns of healthcare utilization among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and retinopathy.

Recent advances in the treatment of chronic pain and substance use disorders.

Among people with substance use disorders (SUDs), chronic pain is among the most common comorbid chronic health conditions. Chronic pain increases risk for poor SUD treatment outcomes, including risk for overdose. Given rising overdose rates across North America, a renewed research focus has emerged to better understand the contribution and treatment of chronic pain in the context of an SUD.

Lung Cancer with Brain Metastasis-Treatment Strategies and Molecular Characteristics.

Lung cancer is a leading cause of brain metastases (BMs), with 10-20% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) presenting with BMs at diagnosis and 25-50% developing them over the course of their disease. Historically, BMs have posed significant therapeutic challenges, partly due to the blood brain barrier (BBB), which restricts drug penetration to the central nervous system. Consequently, BMs were initially managed with local treatments, including surgical resection, stereotactic radiosurgery, and whole brain radiation therapy.

Hemiplegic migraine associated with etonogestrel 68 mg implant insertion case report.

We present a case of suspected induced intractable headaches and paralysis after receiving an etonogestrel 68 mg implant. After extensive neurological evaluation, the etonogestrel implant was removed and neurological symptoms resolved. The case raises concerns about a potential rare risk of progestin-containing contraceptives in patients with migraines with aura warranting further investigation.

High barriers to treatment are associated with stereotactic radiation instead of surgery for patients with operable stage I non-small cell lung cancer†.

Objectives: Although surgery is considered the standard of care for early-stage lung cancer, there has been increased use of stereotactic radiotherapy for operable patients in recent years. Given that this modality may be perceived as a more practical treatment, we hypothesized that it might be more often delivered to patients who experience barriers to care.

Methods: The National Cancer Database (2018-2020) was queried for patients with clinical stage IA non-small cell lung cancer treated with surgery or stereotactic radiotherapy (48-60 Gy, 3-5 fractions), excluding patients with contraindications to surgery.

2024 European Heart Rhythm Association/Heart Rhythm Society/Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society/Latin American Heart Rhythm Society expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation.

In the last three decades, ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become an evidence-based safe and efficacious treatment for managing the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In 2007, the first joint expert consensus document was issued, guiding healthcare professionals involved in catheter or surgical AF ablation. Mounting research evidence and technological advances have resulted in a rapidly changing landscape in the field of catheter and surgical AF ablation, thus stressing the need for regularly updated versions of this partnership which were issued in 2012 and 2017.

Management and Outcomes of Pulmonary Embolism in Women of Reproductive Age Admitted to Urban Versus Rural Areas Compared to Men.

There are limited and conflicting data on sex and urban-rural disparities in outcomes of patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) in the reproductive age group. Our object was to assess sex disparities in the reproductive age group cohort. All adult non-elective admissions in the reproductive age group (18-49 years) with a primary diagnosis of PE and with no missing sex/age data were identified using the National Inpatient Sample.

Nontransplant treatment approaches for myeloid neoplasm with mutated TP53.

TP53-mutated myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain a challenging spectrum of clonal myeloid disease with poor prognosis. Recent studies have shown that in AML, MDS, and MDS/AML with biallelic TP53 loss, the TP53-mutated clone becomes dominant. These are highly aggressive diseases that are resistant to most chemotherapies.

Management of individuals with heterozygous germline pathogenic variants in ATM: A clinical practice resource of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG).

Purpose: ATM germline pathogenic variants (GPVs) are associated with a moderately increased risk of female breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer. Resources for managing ATM heterozygotes in clinical practice are limited.

Methods: An international workgroup developed a clinical practice resource to guide management of ATM heterozygotes using peer-reviewed publications and expert opinion.

Evaluating the Utility of ChatGPT in Diagnosing and Managing Maxillofacial Trauma.

Maxillofacial trauma is a significant concern in emergency departments (EDs) due to its high prevalence and the complexity of its management. However, many ED physicians lack specialized training and confidence in handling these cases, leading to a high rate of facial trauma referrals and increased stress on consult services. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly in large language models such as ChatGPT, have shown potential in aiding clinical decision-making.

Considering different Montreal Cognitive Assessment cutoff scores for older adults with asthma.

There is a greater prevalence of cognitive impairment among ethnic and/or racial minorities, and cognitive impairment is a barrier to asthma self-management (SM) behaviors and outcomes in older adults. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between cognitive impairment, assessed by using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and asthma SM behaviors and outcomes in a sample of predominantly Black and Latino participants. In addition, we evaluated whether using two different MoCA cutoff scores influenced the association between cognitive impairment and asthma outcomes.