Evaluation of Aneurysm Cases Undergoing Surgery at a Tertiary Center in Iran: A 22-year Retrospective Study.

Background And Aims: An arterial aneurysm is characterized by a localized expansion of a blood vessel relative to its original dimensions. Specifically, an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is identified as an aortic diameter measuring at least one and a half times the standard diameter at the renal artery level, approximately equivalent to 2.0 cm.

Single Cell Transcriptomic Profiling of -Associated Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Across Species Reveals Conservation of Biological Process But Not Gene Expression.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common heritable heart disease where the most frequently associated mutations occur in the myosin-binding protein C () sarcomere-associated gene. HCM is also a common veterinary clinical problem in certain cat breeds such as Maine Coons and Ragdolls, also most associated with mutations in . Mouse models of HCM in which mutations are introduced recapitulate some, but not all, features of human HCM.

Efficacy And Safety of Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonist (DORA) For Sleep Disturbance in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease Dementia. A Review Article.

Introduction: The rising prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementia worldwide underscores the urgent need for effective interventions, particularly for managing neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) such as sleep disturbance. This review explores the emerging role of Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonists (DORA) in addressing sleep disturbance in patients with Alzheimer's disease dementia.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search identified four relevant publications between 2014 and 2024, detailing the use of DORA medications, including suvorexant and lemborexant, in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Situations predisposing primary care patients to use antibiotics without a prescription in the United States.

Background: Patients' situations can impact their intentions to use antibiotics without medical guidance (non-prescription use) in the future. This survey determines the prevalence of intended (future) use of non-prescription antibiotics for 13 predefined situations and identifies the sociodemographic characteristics associated with intended use for these types of situations.

Methods: Patient surveys (N = 564) were conducted from January 2020 to June 2021 in the waiting rooms of 6 safety-net primary care clinics and 2 emergency departments in a private healthcare system.

Adoption of the OMOP CDM for Cancer Research using Real-world Data: Current Status and Opportunities.

Background: The Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) common data model (CDM) that is developed and maintained by the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) community supports large scale cancer research by enabling distributed network analysis. As the number of studies using the OMOP CDM for cancer research increases, there is a growing need for an overview of the scope of cancer research that relies on the OMOP CDM ecosystem.

Objectives: In this study, we present a comprehensive review of the adoption of the OMOP CDM for cancer research and offer some insights on opportunities in leveraging the OMOP CDM ecosystem for advancing cancer research.

Risk of Major Bleeding, Stroke/Systemic Embolism, and Death Associated With Different Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Severe Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation and severe chronic kidney disease have higher risks of bleeding, thromboembolism, and mortality. However, optimal anticoagulant choice in these high-risk patients remains unclear.

Methods And Results: Using deidentified electronic health records from the Optum Labs Data Warehouse, adults with atrial fibrillation and severe chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min per 1.

Acute Declines in Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate in Patients Treated With Benazepril and Hydrochlorothiazide Versus Amlodipine and Risk of Cardiovascular Outcomes.

Background: Acute declines in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) occur commonly after starting angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Whether declines in eGFR that occur after simultaneously starting angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors with other antihypertensive agents modifies the benefits of these agents on cardiovascular outcomes is unclear.

Methods And Results: We identified predictors of acute declines in eGFR (>15% over 3 months) during randomization to benazepril plus amlodipine versus benazepril plus hydrochlorothiazide in the ACCOMPLISH (Avoiding Cardiovascular Events through Combination Therapy in Patients Living with Systolic Hypertension) trial.

Simultaneous Positron Emission Tomography and Molecular Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cardiopulmonary Fibrosis in a Mouse Model of Left Ventricular Dysfunction.

Background: Aging-associated left ventricular dysfunction promotes cardiopulmonary fibrogenic remodeling, Group 2 pulmonary hypertension (PH), and right ventricular failure. At the time of diagnosis, cardiac function has declined, and cardiopulmonary fibrosis has often developed. Here, we sought to develop a molecular positron emission tomography (PET)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol to detect both cardiopulmonary fibrosis and fibrotic disease activity in a left ventricular dysfunction model.

Two prospective, multicenter studies for the identification of biomarker signatures for early detection of pulmonary hypertension (PH): The CIPHER and CIPHER-MRI studies.

A blood test identifying patients at increased risk of pulmonary hypertension (PH) could streamline the investigative pathway. The prospective, multicenter CIPHER study aimed to develop a microRNA-based signature for detecting PH in breathless patients and enrolled adults with a high suspicion of PH who had undergone right heart catheterization (RHC). The CIPHER-MRI study was added to assess the performance of this CIPHER signature in a population with low probability of having PH who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) instead of RHC.

Factors associated with discontinuation of treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension in the United States.

Information on factors leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treatment discontinuation is limited. This study analyzed 12,902 new PAH medication users to identify predictors of treatment discontinuation. Treatment by accredited pulmonary hypertension centers and combination therapy with PAH agents from different classes were less likely to result in discontinuation.

IMPAHCT: A randomized phase 2b/3 study of inhaled imatinib for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

AV-101 (imatinib) powder for inhalation, an investigational dry powder inhaled formulation of imatinib designed to target the underlying pathobiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension, was generally well tolerated in healthy adults in a phase 1 single and multiple ascending dose study. nhaled Iatinib ulmonary rterial ypertension linical rial (IMPAHCT; NCT05036135) is a phase 2b/3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging, and confirmatory study. IMPAHCT is designed to identify an optimal AV-101 dose (phase 2b primary endpoint: pulmonary vascular resistance) and assess the efficacy (phase 3 primary endpoint: 6-min walk distance), safety, and tolerability of AV-101 dose levels in subjects with pulmonary arterial hypertension using background therapies.

Disparities by Sex, Race, and Ethnicity in Use of Left Ventricular Assist Devices and Heart Transplants Among Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Background: The extent to which sex, racial, and ethnic groups receive advanced heart therapies equitably is unclear. We estimated the population rate of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and heart transplant (HT) use among (non-Hispanic) White, Hispanic, and (non-Hispanic) Black men and women who have heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Methods And Results: We used a retrospective cohort design combining counts of LVAD and HT procedures from 19 state inpatient discharge databases from 2010 to 2018 with counts of adults with HFrEF.

Estimating prevalence of early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease in the United States.

Introduction: Understanding the prevalence of treatment-eligible Alzheimer's disease (AD) is crucial for policy planning.

Methods: We used a comprehensive literature review and population cascade approach to estimate the number of amyloid-positive, clinically diagnosed patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia due to AD in the United States.

Results: An estimated 666,646 individuals were identified as having MCI due to AD (range: 351,926-1,227,776) and 620,850 individuals as having mild dementia due to AD (range: 445,082-820,339).

Early Utilization of Mechanical Circulatory Support in Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Cardiogenic Shock: The National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices increase systemic blood pressure and end organ perfusion while reducing cardiac filling pressures.

Methods And Results: The National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative (NCT03677180) is a single-arm, multicenter study.

Coronary Microcirculatory Dysfunction in People With HIV and Its Association With Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background: HIV infection and abacavir-containing antiretroviral regimens are associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction and increased cardiovascular risk. Positron emission tomography (PET)-derived myocardial blood flow reserve (MBFR), the ratio of vasodilator stress to rest myocardial blood flow, is a well-validated measure of coronary microvascular health and marker of cardiovascular risk. Our objective was to compare MBFR among people with HIV (PWH) with matched non-HIV controls and to assess whether switching from dolutegravir/lamivudine/abacavir to the non-abacavir regimen bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) would improve MBFR.

Development and Validation of Novel Free Vitamin D Equations: The Health Aging and Body Composition Study.

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in 25% of Americans. However, 25(OH)D may not be an accurate measure of vitamin D because the majority (85%-90%) of 25(OH)D is bound to vitamin D binding protein (VDBP), which varies by over 30% across individuals. Free 25(OH)D may be a better measure, but it is difficult to measure accurately and precisely.