The Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus in Yemen: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major global health challenge, and its co-occurrence with diabetes mellitus (DM) contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. Yemen, a nation facing unique healthcare complexities, necessitates an in-depth investigation into the prevalence of cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors among its population with DM. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the prevalence of CVR factors among individuals with diabetes in Yemen, to understand and highlight the knowledge gap, and to influence targeted interventions and policies.

IPEM topical report: results of a 2022 UK survey on the use of linac manufacturer integrated quality control (MIQC).

In recent years Radiotherapy linear accelerator (linac) vendors have developed their own integrated quality control (QC) systems. Such manufacturer-integrated-quality-control (MIQC) has the potential to improve both the quality and efficiency of linac QC but is currently being developed and utilised in the absence of specific best-practice guidance. An Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine working party was commissioned with a view to develop guidance for the commissioning and implementation of MIQC.

Relapse after cessation of weekly tocilizumab for giant cell arteritis: a multicentre service evaluation in England.

Objectives: The National Health Service in England funds 12 months of weekly subcutaneous tocilizumab (qwTCZ) for patients with relapsing or refractory giant cell arteritis (GCA). During the COVID-19 pandemic, some patients were allowed longer treatment. We sought to describe what happened to patients after cessation of qwTCZ.

The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review.

With the clinical increase in Type 2 Diabetes worldwide, several interventions to decrease its incidence have been investigated. One such intervention is Vitamin D supplementation, as it affects Insulin secretion from the pancreas and Insulin receptors in the cells of the body. This systematic review addresses whether or not Vitamin D supplementation has a role in reducing the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

A Systematic Review of Lipid Management in Secondary Prevention and Comparison of International Lipid Management Pathways.

Acute coronary syndrome remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality despite significant improvements in its prevention and management. Lipid management and other risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking and sedentary lifestyle stratification is the key to minimising this risk. Lipid management is an important part of secondary prevention and patients are historically undertreated after post-acute coronary syndrome.

Diagnostic Models Combining Clinical Information, Ultrasound and Biochemical Markers for Ovarian Cancer: Cochrane Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) is a diagnostic challenge, with the majority diagnosed at late stages. Existing systematic reviews of diagnostic models either use inappropriate meta-analytic methods or do not conduct statistical comparisons of models or stratify test performance by menopausal status. Methods: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, CDSR, DARE, Health Technology Assessment Database and SCI Science Citation Index, trials registers, conference proceedings from 1991 to June 2019.

A probability score to aid the diagnosis of suspected giant cell arteritis.

Objectives: We propose a GCA probability score intended to help to risk-stratify patients referred by general practitioners with suspected GCA into those with high probability of GCA versus low probability of GCA. In this pilot study we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of this proposed scoring system.

Methods: A scoring system was proposed based on clinical experience.

Mobile Stroke Units - Cost-Effective or Just an Expensive Hype?

Purpose Of Review: Acute stroke is a treatable disease. Nevertheless, only a minority of patients obtain guideline-adjusted therapy. One major reason is the small time window in which therapies have to be administered in order to reverse or mitigate brain injury and prevent disability.

Air-Mobile Stroke Unit for access to stroke treatment in rural regions.

Background In recent years, important progress has been made in effective stroke treatment, however, patients living in rural and remote areas have nil or very limited access to timely reperfusion therapies. Aims Novel systems of care to overcome the detrimental treatment gap for stroke patients living in rural and remote regions need to be developed. Summary of review A possible solution to the treatment disparity between stroke patients living in metropolitan and rural areas may involve the use of specially designed aircrafts equipped with the ability to diagnose and treat acute stroke at remote emergency sites.

Management of refractory haematuria following radiation therapy and recurrent adenocarcinoma of the prostate with fluoroscopic-guided selective pelvic embolization.

Haematuria is a known complication of prostatic malignancy and in severe cases can be unresponsive to bladder irrigation and endoscopic interventions. This report describes selective angiographic embolization as a means of haemorrhage control in adenocarcinoma of the prostate. A patient with locally advanced prostatic adenocarcinoma and prior history of prostate brachytherapy, androgen deprivation therapy and chemotherapy presented with persistent haematuria that did not respond to endourological intervention.

Which Patients with Giant Cell Arteritis Will Develop Cardiovascular or Cerebrovascular Disease? A Clinical Practice Research Datalink Study.

Objective: To evaluate the risk of cerebrovascular disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), and to identify predictors.

Methods: The UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink 1991-2010 was used for a parallel cohort study of 5827 patients with GCA and 37,090 age-, sex-, and location-matched controls. A multivariable competing risk model (non-cerebrovascular/CV-related death as the competing risk) determined the relative risk [subhazard ratio (SHR)] between patients with GCA compared with background controls for cerebrovascular disease, CVD, or either.

Comparison of informal caregiver and named nurse assessment of symptoms in elderly patients dying in hospital using the palliative outcome scale.

Objectives: A prospective study of symptom assessments made by a healthcare professional (HCP; named nurse) and an informal caregiver (ICG) compared with that of the patient with a terminal diagnosis. To look at the validity of HCP and ICG as proxies, which symptoms they can reliably assess, and to determine who is the better proxy between HCP and ICG.

Methods: A total of 50 triads of patient (>65 years) in the terminal phase, ICG and named nurse on medical wards of an acute general hospital.

A multicentre validation of Metasin: a molecular assay for the intraoperative assessment of sentinel lymph nodes from breast cancer patients.

Aims: Treatment strategies for breast cancer continue to evolve. No uniformity exists in the UK for the management of node-positive breast cancer patients. Most centres continue to use conventional histopathology of sampled sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), which requires delayed axillary clearance in up to 25% of patients.

Impact of methodology and the use of allometric scaling on the echocardiographic assessment of the aortic root and arch: a study by the Research and Audit Sub-Committee of the British Society of Echocardiography.

The aim of the study is to establish the impact of 2D echocardiographic methods on absolute values for aortic root dimensions and to describe any allometric relationship to body size. We adopted a nationwide cross-sectional prospective multicentre design using images obtained from studies utilising control groups or where specific normality was being assessed. A total of 248 participants were enrolled with no history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension or abnormal findings on echocardiography.

The relative risk of aortic aneurysm in patients with giant cell arteritis compared with the general population of the UK.

Objectives: To evaluate the risk of aortic aneurysm in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) compared with age-, gender- and location-matched controls.

Methods: A UK General Practice Research Database (GPRD) parallel cohort study of 6999 patients with GCA and 41 994 controls, matched on location, age and gender, was carried out. A competing risk model using aortic aneurysm as the primary outcome and non-aortic-aneurysm-related death as the competing risk was used to determine the relative risk (subhazard ratio) between non-GCA and GCA subjects, after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors.