Effects of valsartan vs amlodipine and achieved lower blood pressure on the incidence of end-stage kidney disease: The VALUE Trial.

Background: There is a paucity of data investigating the impact of antihypertensive drug classes and blood pressure (BP) treatment targets on the incidence of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). In patients with high-risk hypertension aged 50-80 years or above, we aimed to, 1) compare effects of valsartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker, with amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker and, 2) assess the effect of achieving systolic BP <135 vs ≥135 mmHg on the ESKD incidence.

Methods: The VALUE Trial was a multicenter prospective double-blinded randomized clinical trial in patients with essential hypertension and high cardiovascular risk including known coronary disease, left ventricular hypertrophy and previous stroke, in which ESKD was a secondary endpoint defined as progression to kidney transplant and/or dialysis.

Contactless and continuous monitoring of respiratory rate in a hospital ward: a clinical validation study.

Introduction: Continuous monitoring of respiratory rate in hospital wards can provide early detection of clinical deterioration, thereby reducing mortality, reducing transfers to intensive care units, and reducing the hospital length of stay. Despite the advantages of continuous monitoring, manually counting every 1-12 h remains the standard of care in most hospital wards. The objective of this study was to validate continuous respiratory rate measurements from a radar-based contactless patient monitor [Vitalthings Guardian M10 (Vitalthings AS, Norway)] in a hospital ward.

A genome-wide association study of European advanced cancer patients treated with opioids identifies regulatory variants on chromosome 20 associated with pain intensity.

Background: Opioids in step III of the WHO analgesic ladder are the standard of care for treating cancer pain. However, a significant minority of patients do not benefit from therapy. Genetics might play a role in predisposing patients to a good or poor response to opioids.

Do CYP2D6 genotypes affect oxycodone dose, pharmacokinetics, pain, and adverse effects in cancer?

Aims: To examine the associations between and polymorphisms, plasma oxycodone and metabolite concentrations, and oxycodone response (dose, pain scores, and adverse effects) in people with pain from advanced cancer.

Patients & Methods: This multi-center prospective cohort study included clinical data, questionnaires (pain and adverse effects), and blood (pharmacokinetics, DNA). Negative binomial regression and logistic regression were used.

The effect of a low-carbohydrate diet on subcutaneous adipose tissue in females with lipedema.

Introduction: Lipedema is a common, yet underdiagnosed, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) disorder. The main characteristics are SAT expansion in the lower extremities and arms, pain, and tenderness to palpation. It remains unknown if a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) influences SAT in females with lipedema.

Stability in fecal metabolites amid a diverse gut microbiome composition: a one-month longitudinal study of variability in healthy individuals.

An extensive network of microbial-host interactions exists in the gut, making the gut microbiome a complex ecosystem to untangle. The microbial composition and the fecal metabolites are important readouts to investigate intricate microbiota-diet-host interplay. However, this ecosystem is dynamic, and it is of interest to understand the degree and timescale of changes occurring in the gut microbiota, during disease as well as in healthy individuals.

The new social landscape: Relationships among social media use, social skills, and offline friendships from age 10-18 years.

Social media has created a new social landscape for adolescents. Knowledge is needed on how this landscape shapes adolescents' social skills and time spent with friends, as these outcomes are important to mental health and psychosocial functioning. Using five waves of biennially collected data from a birth cohort assessed throughout age 10-18 years (n = 812), we found that increased social media use predicted more time with friends offline but was unrelated to future changes in social skills.

Prevalence and associated factors of intimate partner violence against pregnant women who attend antenatal care in Denmark and Spain: A digital screening approach.

Introduction: Intimate partner violence against women is a global health issue. Exposure to intimate partner violence during pregnancy leads to health-related problems for both the mother and the newborn. However, current knowledge on its occurrence varies widely and assessing the problem using standardized tools in different contexts is needed.

Tube Tip in Pharynx (TTIP) Ventilation-a Simple Rescue Technique in Limited Resource Settings.

Airway devices may be scarce in limited resource situations, such as prehospital settings or austere environments. Tube tip in pharynx (TTIP) ventilation is a simple, one-handed technique that may prove valuable for ensuring airway control in a life-threatening situation. The technique only requires a standard cuffed endotracheal tube and a self-inflating bag.

Automated computed tomography-derived fractional flow reserve model for diagnosing haemodynamically significant coronary artery disease: a prospective validation study.

Aims: This study aims to assess the diagnostic performance of a novel computed tomography-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) algorithm and to compare its accuracy at three predefined sites: (i) at the location of invasive FFR measurements (CT-FFR), (ii) at selected sites determined by an automated module integrated within the algorithm (CT-FFR), and (iii) distally in the vessel (CT-FFR).

Methods And Results: We prospectively recruited 108 consecutive patients with stable symptoms of coronary artery disease and at least one suspected obstructive lesion on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). CT-FFR was validated against invasive FFR as gold standard using FFR ≤ 0.

Is severe carbohydrate restriction necessary for appetite suppression? The ASKED randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This trial aimed to compare three low-energy diets (LEDs) with different amounts of carbohydrates (CHO) on ketosis and changes in hunger feelings in adults with obesity.

Methods: A total of 101 adults (51 female) with obesity (BMI, mean [SEM], 34.7 [0.

Development of a predictive model for patients with bone metastases referred to palliative radiotherapy: Secondary analysis of a multicenter study (the PRAIS trial).

Background: The decision to administer palliative radiotherapy (RT) to patients with bone metastases (BMs), as well as the selection of treatment protocols (dose, fractionation), requires an accurate assessment of survival expectancy. In this study, we aimed to develop three predictive models (PMs) to estimate short-, intermediate-, and long-term overall survival (OS) for patients in this clinical setting.

Materials And Methods: This study constitutes a sub-analysis of the PRAIS trial, a longitudinal observational study collecting data from patients referred to participating centers to receive palliative RT for cancer-induced bone pain.

Using cross-recurrence quantification analysis to compute similarity measures for time series of unequal length with applications to sleep stage analysis.

Comparing time series of unequal length requires data processing procedures that may introduce biases. This article describes, validates, and applies Cross-Recurrence Quantification Analysis (CRQA) to detect and quantify correlation and coupling among time series of unequal length without prior data processing. We illustrate and validate this application using continuous and discrete data from a model system (study 1).

Frailty and health-related life quality in long-term follow up of intensive care patients above 65 years old: Protocol for a Norwegian prospective, observational multicenter study.

Background: Frailty is strongly correlated with mortality in intensive care unit patients, yet routine screening among intensive care patients is rarely performed. The aim of this study is to assess frailty and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients before intensive care admission and to compare this with outcomes after 3 and 12-months. The Clinical Frailty Scale and EQ-5D-5L will be used to assess frailty and HRQoL, respectively.

Provision of ankle foot orthoses for children with cerebral palsy in Norway.

Introduction: Practice of ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) provision for ambulatory children with cerebral palsy is underreported and the literature is not consistent on choice of AFO-design. This study describes clinical practice of AFO provision for children with cerebral palsy and evaluates how clinical practice aligns with existing recommendations.

Methods: An online, cross-sectional survey was conducted, inviting all Norwegian orthotists working with children with cerebral palsy.