Adiponectin Mediates Dietary Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Protection Against Choroidal Neovascularization in Mice.

Purpose: Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of legal blindness in the elderly. Diets with omega3-long-chain-polyunsaturated-fatty-acid (ω3-LCPUFA) correlate with a decreased risk of AMD. Dietary ω3-LCPUFA versus ω6-LCPUFA inhibits mouse ocular neovascularization, but the underlying mechanism needs further exploration.

Higher Lipophilic Index Indicates Higher Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Postmenopausal Women.

Fatty acids (FAs) are essential components of cell membranes and play an integral role in membrane fluidity. The lipophilic index [LI, defined as the sum of the products between FA levels and melting points (°C), divided by the total amount of FA: [Formula: see text]] is thought to reflect membrane and lipoprotein fluidity and may be associated with the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Therefore, we examined the associations of dietary and plasma phospholipid (PL) LI with CHD risk among postmenopausal women.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Reclassification of Risk for Incidence of Heart Failure: The Veterans Exercise Testing Study.

Background: It is well established that cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is inversely associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. However, little is known regarding the association between CRF and incidence of heart failure (HF).

Methods And Results: Between 1987 and 2014, we assessed CRF in 21 080 HF-free subjects (58.

Prevalence of clinical thiamine deficiency in individuals with medically complicated obesity.

Thiamine is a vitamin whose deficient can result in multiorgan symptoms. We described an 18% prevalence of clinical thiamine deficiency after gastric bypass surgery. Our hypotheses are that individuals with medically complicated obesity frequently have clinical thiamine deficiency and that diabetes mellitus is a mechanism for development of clinical thiamine deficiency.

Dysphagia after vertical sleeve gastrectomy: Evaluation of risk factors and assessment of endoscopic intervention.

Aim: To evaluate the risks of medical conditions, evaluate gastric sleeve narrowing, and assess hydrostatic balloon dilatation to treat dysphagia after vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG).

Methods: VSG is being performed more frequently worldwide as a treatment for medically-complicated obesity, and dysphagia is common post-operatively. We hypothesize that post-operative dysphagia is related to underlying medical conditions or narrowing of the gastric sleeve.

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization and Treatment of a Cohort With Familial Tumoral Calcinosis/Hyperostosis-Hyperphosphatemia Syndrome.

Familial tumoral calcinosis (FTC)/hyperostosis-hyperphosphatemia syndrome (HHS) is a rare disorder caused by mutations in the genes encoding fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23), N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 3 (GALNT3), or KLOTHO. The result is functional deficiency of, or resistance to, intact FGF23 (iFGF23), causing hyperphosphatemia, increased renal tubular reabsorption of phosphorus (TRP), elevated or inappropriately normal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D), ectopic calcifications, and/or diaphyseal hyperostosis. Eight subjects with FTC/HHS were studied and treated.

Cost Analysis of an Office-based Surgical Suite.

Introduction: Operating costs are a significant part of delivering surgical care. Having a system to analyze these costs is imperative for decision making and efficiency. We present an analysis of surgical supply, labor and administrative costs, and remuneration of procedures as a means for a practice to analyze their cost effectiveness; this affects the quality of care based on the ability to provide services.

Breath Hydrogen as a Biomarker for Glucose Malabsorption after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery.

Objective: Abdominal symptoms are common after bariatric surgery, and these individuals commonly have upper gut bacterial overgrowth, a known cause of malabsorption. Breath hydrogen determination after oral glucose is a safe and inexpensive test for malabsorption. This study is designed to investigate breath hydrogen levels after oral glucose in symptomatic individuals who had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

The lower the achieved blood pressure goal the better.

Purpose Of Review: Hypertension is the eminent risk factor for renal and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Its management is a topic of public health priority. As either too high or too low blood pressure (BP) levels can have detrimental effects on health, optimal targets for BP continue to be controversial.

The effect of cardiorespiratory fitness on age-related lipids and lipoproteins.

Background: Evidence on the effect of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on age-related longitudinal changes of lipids and lipoproteins is scarce.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the longitudinal aging trajectory of lipids and lipoproteins for the life course in adults and to determine whether CRF modifies the age-associated trajectory of lipids and lipoproteins.

Methods: Data came from 11,418 men, 20 to 90 years of age, without known high cholesterol, high triglycerides, cardiovascular disease, and cancer at baseline and during follow-up from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study.

Sex, Prescribing Practices and Guideline Recommended, Blood Pressure, and LDL Cholesterol Targets at Baseline in the BARI 2D Trial.

Background. Research has shown less aggressive treatment and poorer control of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in women than men. Methods.

Remote cognitive assessments for patients with multiple sclerosis: a feasibility study.

Background: measuring cognitive function in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be challenging given the obstacles faced when traveling to testing centers.

Objective: the purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of remote cognitive assessment in patients with MS using the automated neuropsychological assessment metrics (ANAM-MS) and the symbol digit modalities test (SDMT).

Methods: patients meeting the McDonald criteria for MS (n = 24) were randomized to complete the live-in-office condition or a remote-in-office condition first, with all patients completing both sessions.

Hemodynamic outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement and medical management in severe, inoperable aortic stenosis: a longitudinal echocardiographic study of cohort B of the PARTNER trial.

Background: Inoperable aortic stenosis may be treated with either transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or medical management (MM) with or without balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV). The aim of this study was to compare the long-term echocardiographic findings among TAVR, MM, and BAV in patients with severe, inoperable aortic stenosis.

Methods: A total of 358 inoperable patients in the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves trial were randomized to MM or TAVR.

Measuring the "triple aim" in transition care: a systematic review.

Background And Objectives: Without adequate support, adolescents transitioning from the pediatric to the adult health care system are at increased risk for poor health outcomes. Numerous interventions attempt to improve this transition, yet few comprehensively evaluate efficacy. To advance evaluation methods and ultimately the quality of transition services, it is necessary to understand the current state of health care transition measurement.

Development of minimally invasive techniques for management of medically-complicated obesity.

The field of bariatric surgery has been rapidly growing and evolving over the past several decades. During the period that obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, new interventions have been developed to combat this complex disorder. The development of new laparoscopic and minimally invasive treatments for medically-complicated obesity has made it essential that gastrointestinal physicians obtain a thorough understanding of past developments and possible future directions in bariatrics.

Multidisciplinary care for individuals with disorders of sex development.

Purpose Of Review: Recommendations regarding the care of individuals with disorders of sex development include that care be provided by multidisciplinary teams. This article will discuss team composition and function as well as the role of the gynecologist and barriers to such care.

Recent Findings: Many barriers to multidisciplinary care exist, but recent reports stress the roles of different team members as well as tools for planning and implementation of such a team that may help to overcome such barriers.

Effects of weight loss, weight cycling, and weight loss maintenance on diabetes incidence and change in cardiometabolic traits in the Diabetes Prevention Program.

Objective: This study examined specific measures of weight loss in relation to incident diabetes and improvement in cardiometabolic risk factors.

Research Design And Methods: This prospective, observational study analyzed nine weight measures, characterizing baseline weight, short- versus long-term weight loss, short- versus long-term weight regain, and weight cycling, within the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) lifestyle intervention arm (n = 1,000) for predictors of incident diabetes and improvement in cardiometabolic risk factors over 2 years.

Results: Although weight loss in the first 6 months was protective of diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 0.

How are you really feeling? A prospective evaluation of cognitive function following trauma.

Background: Mild traumatic brain injury is associated with persistent cognitive difficulties. However, these symptoms may not be specific to the head injury itself. We sought to evaluate the prevalence of these symptoms in patients following trauma.

Effects of age, parity, and device type on complications and discontinuation of intrauterine devices.

Objective: To conduct an analysis of intrauterine device (IUD)-related outcomes including expulsion, contraceptive failure, and early discontinuation and to compare these outcomes in regard to age, parity, and IUD type.

Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective chart review of adolescents and women aged 13-35 years who had an IUD inserted for contraception between June 2008 and June 2011.

Results: A total of 2,523 patients' charts were reviewed.