Ten-year outcomes of a prospective population-based incidence cohort of inflammatory bowel disease patients from Canterbury, New Zealand.

Background And Aim: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a progressive condition where ongoing inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to complications such as strictures, and fistulae. The long-term outcomes of newly diagnosed patients under current medical therapy can be used to plan health service provision and guide patients.

Methods: Prospective population-based data on all incident patients diagnosed with IBD in Canterbury was gathered in 2014 ( = 205).

'I can feel sad about it and I can worry, but inside I know everything happens for a reason': personal experiences in the aftermath of the March 15 Christchurch mosque attacks.

Background: On 15 March 2019, a white supremacist gunman sequentially attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 51 people aged from 3 to 77 years and bullet-injuring 40 more. Approximately 250 people survived the atrocity, and many more family and community members have been directly or indirectly affected.

Aim: To develop an understanding of the personal experiences of some of those affected, including effects on daily life and well-being, in the 18-30 months following the attacks.

Fitness to stand trial: 415 consecutive defendants assessed by a New Zealand forensic psychiatry service.

Background: New Zealand defendants found unfit to stand trial following a Court-ordered forensic mental health assessment cannot be detained in prison and must either be released, or made subject to a mental health or intellectual disability order. There is increasing awareness of the need to identify these people and protect their rights.

Methods: Retrospective audit of 8 years of Court-ordered health assessor reports addressing fitness to stand trial prepared by a New Zealand regional forensic mental health service with a catchment area of around 850,000.

Fostering collaboration: an exploration of knowledge exchange between Rongoā Māori practitioners and surgical clinicians.

Background: This research investigates the potential for collaboration of Rongoā Māori, the Indigenous healing practices of Māori, with New Zealand's contemporary healthcare system. It aims to bridge the gap between Rongoā Māori and Western medicine by exploring the perspectives of practitioners from both fields, identifying barriers to integration, and highlighting potential areas for collaboration.

Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with both Rongoā practitioners and Western surgeons.

CNDP2: An Enzyme Linking Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases?

The heart requires a substantial amount of energy to function, utilising various substrates including lipids, glucose and lactate as energy sources. In times of increased stress, lactate becomes the primary energy source of the heart, but persistently elevated lactate levels are linked to poor patient outcomes and increased mortality. Recently, carnosine dipeptidase II (CNDP2) was discovered to catalyse the formation of Lac-Phe, an exercise-induced metabolite derived from lactate, which has been shown to suppress appetite in mice and reduce adipose tissue in humans.

The Role of Topical Tacrolimus in the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Comprehensive Review.

Management of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, the main subtypes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), focuses on the induction and maintenance of remission. Tacrolimus, a member of a group of drugs termed calcineurin inhibitors, may have a role in the medical management of IBD when given either systemically or topically. This review aimed to evaluate the available data focusing on the use of topical tacrolimus in the management of IBD.

Automated Insulin Delivery for Young People with Type 1 Diabetes and Elevated A1c.

Background: Automated insulin delivery is the treatment of choice in adults with type 1 diabetes. Data are needed on the efficacy and safety of automated insulin delivery for children and youth with diabetes and elevated glycated hemoglobin levels.

Methods: In this multicenter, open-label randomized controlled trial, we assigned patients with type 1 diabetes in a 1:1 ratio either to use an automated insulin delivery system (MiniMed 780G) or to receive usual diabetes care of multiple daily injections or non--automated pump therapy (control).

Efficacy and Safety of Different Hybrid Closed Loop Systems for Automated Insulin Delivery in People With Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Aims: To compare the efficacy and safety of different hybrid closed loop (HCL) systems in people with diabetes through a network meta-analysis.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL and PubMed for randomised clinical trials (RCTs) enrolling children, adolescents and/or adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, evaluating Minimed 670G, Minimed 780G, Control-IQ, CamAPS Fx, DBLG-1, DBLHU, and Omnipod 5 HCL systems against other types of insulin therapy, and reporting time in target range (TIR) as outcome.

Results: A total of 28 RCTs, all enrolling people with type 1 diabetes, were included.

Prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with alterations in offspring DNA methylation at genes involved in neurodevelopment, across the life course.

Prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) is of increasing concern globally, due to the potential impact on offspring neurodevelopment, and its association with childhood and adolescent brain development and cognitive function. However, there is currently a lack of research addressing the molecular impact of PCE, that may help to clarify the association between PCE and neurodevelopment. To address this knowledge gap, here we present epigenome-wide association study data across multiple time points, examining the effect of PCE and co-exposure with tobacco using two longitudinal studies, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) at birth (0 y), 7 y and 15-17 y (ALSPAC), and ~27 y (CHDS).

Faecal immunochemical test (FIT) based prioritisation of new patient symptomatic cases referred for colorectal investigation.

Aim: Quantitative faecal haemoglobin (fHb) measurement by faecal immunochemical test (FIT) is a powerful biomarker for colorectal cancer (CRC) and is incorporated in referral, prioritisation and triage protocols for symptomatic cases in other countries. We report our use of FIT to prioritise new patient symptomatic cases referred for colorectal investigation.

Method: Cases referred for investigation of new colorectal symptoms who were aged ≥50 years (≥40 years Māori/Pacific peoples), who would otherwise be triaged to non-urgent colonoscopy, were asked to provide a stool sample for FIT.

Analytical verification of the Atellica VTLi point of care high sensitivity troponin I assay.

Objectives: The Siemens Point-of-Care Testing (POC) Atellica VTLi high-sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI) device has been previously validated. Verification independently provides evidence that an analytical procedure fulfils concordance with laboratory assays, imprecision, and hemolysis interference requirements.

Methods: Five whole blood samples spanning the measuring interval were analysed 20 times in succession.