Serum drug levels and medication adherence in heart failure: A comparative cohort analysis.

Objective: To determine changes in medication adherence in two cohorts of heart failure patients differing by year of data collection and using a direct method of adherence detection - serum drug level testing.

Methods: We added a second cohort of patients to a prospective monocentric registry of chronic heart failure patients (LEVEL-CHF registry). The two cohorts share the same inclusion criteria but differ by the year of enrolment (2018 and 2020).

Odds-ratio network for postoperative factors revealing differences in the 2-year longitudinal pattern of satisfaction between women and men after total knee arthroplasty.

Timely and accurate assessments of the factors influencing satisfaction, a key indicator of success in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA), may help improve TKA outcomes. Here we performed the longitudinal trend analysis of relation between satisfaction and 12 postoperative factors, which positively or negatively influence the patient satisfaction 2 years after TKA. In a real-world registry cohort (women/men: 1121/650), we showed similarities and differences between women and men in the contribution of postoperative factors to satisfaction 2 years after TKA as assessed by odds-ratio-similarity network.

A theoretical model of health management using data-driven decision-making: the future of precision medicine and health.

Background: The burden of chronic and societal diseases is affected by many risk factors that can change over time. The minimalisation of disease-associated risk factors may contribute to long-term health. Therefore, new data-driven health management should be used in clinical decision-making in order to minimise future individual risks of disease and adverse health effects.

Pilot study of A-FABP levels as a predictive factor of SPECT results in asymptomatic relatives of patients with cardiovascular disease.

Background: A-FABP is a promising link between metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis. It is not well known whether level of A-FABP predicts results of SPECT.

Patients & Methods: In 82 subjects (53 males) with a median age of 54 years, who were first-degree relatives of patients with cardiovascular disease, the following tests and examinations were performed: A-FABP, calcium score (CS) and SPECT.

[Testicular appendix torsion can mimic a tumour of the paratesticular tissues].

The authors present a case of testicular appendix torsion that mimicked a tumour of the paratesticular tissues due its calm clinical course, objective palpation and ultrasound finding. The torsion of the big testicular appendix was found during surgery from an inguinal approach. The histological examination confirmed only minimal inflammation changes and excluded tumour disease.