New research and findings from open-access journals and the U.S. research agencies.
This cohort study examines the association of diet quality with dementia risk across biomarkers for Alzheimer disease pathology and neurodegenerative and glial processes in older adults without dementia in Sweden.
Drug Trials Snapshots: breaking down the what, how and why. Drug Trials Snapshots is part of an overall FDA effort to make demographic data more available and transparent.
Consistent resistance training (RT) may be an important component of type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevention recommendations, especially when combined with adequate aerobic activity and limited sedentary behavior, according to a prospective cohort study published June 22 in JAMA.
Objectives Peer support is being integrated into the new maternal mental health services in England to further the development of the recovery approach in relation to loss. Psychological support after miscarriage (pregnancy loss prior to viability) is often overlooked, despite significant psychological morbidity. This systematic review explored the effectiveness of peer support interventions to improve mental health outcomes after miscarriage. Design Systematic review Data sources A comprehensive systematic search across nine databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science (all…
Introduction Low-income and-middle-income countries (LMICs) contribute to the maximum burden of stillbirth globally, which affects parents in various tangible and intangible ways, emphasising the need for having a provision of parental leave to recover from the physical and mental/emotional drain. In response to this, we conducted a scoping review with the objective of identifying provision of leave within maternity benefit policies after stillbirth in LMICs. Methodology The study is conducted in accordance with Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, using the population, concept and context…
Objective To explore which factor or combination of factors is perceived by parents as most distinctive in prompting them to seek medical care for children aged 0–5 years who were admitted to the hospital with fever due to a serious bacterial infection (SBI), in order to inform further development of an e-health tool. Design A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with a purposive sampling strategy. Interviews were conducted by a medical intern and supervised by a clinician researcher. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic…
Background Acute kidney injury requiring dialysis (AKI-D) is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality worldwide, with the highest burden observed in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs). In Latin America (LATAM), a region composed largely of LLMICs, the lack of region-specific data leads to variable clinical practices and inconsistent health policies for AKI, which remain major barriers to optimal kidney care. The LATAM-AKID registry aims to fill this gap and systematically characterise the epidemiology, processes of care and outcomes of patients with AKI-D across…
Objectives To explore the characteristics of musicians with current or previous troubling musculoskeletal symptoms associated with musician self-limitation of activity (often referred to as playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMSDs)), barriers and facilitators to PRMSD self-management, health needs and perspectives on digital health interventions (DHIs). The purpose of the study was to understand the unique needs of this population to effectively inform future DHIs to support this community. Design A mixed-methods study comprising an online survey and four online focus groups (2–3…
Introduction Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, both as carers and as patients. Many individuals developed persistent symptoms following an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, known as post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS). Previous research indicates that a significant proportion of HCWs experience long-lasting and debilitating symptoms of PCS. The aim of this study is to investigate the longitudinal symptom burden as well as the care pathways and treatment experiences of PCS-affected HCWs insured by the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for…
Introduction Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the standard procedure for axillary staging in clinically node-negative breast cancer. Traditionally, SLNB is performed using technetium-labelled ( 99m Tc) nanocolloid, with or without blue dye. However, both tracers have important limitations. Blue dye poses safety risks, while 99m Tc-nanocolloid introduces additional hospital visits, radiation exposure, logistical complexity and high costs. Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence is a non-radioactive alternative, offering real-time visualisation while addressing many limitations of traditional…
Objectives Time Together (TT) is a nursing intervention designed with a focus on increasing the possibility of patients and staff engaging in joint activities. Previous research points towards implementation difficulties but there are no studies specifically investigating the process of implementing TT in psychiatric inpatient care (PIC). Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore mid-level leaders’ and implementation leads’ perspectives on implementing TT in PIC, analysed through the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Design This qualitative study used…
Objectives This study aimed to investigate the relationship between left ventricular (LV) remodelling and systolic function in high-gradient severe aortic stenosis (AS) using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Patients with low ejection fraction (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <50%) high-gradient severe AS (low ejection fraction high-gradient (LEF-HG)), that is, afterload mismatch, were compared with patients with normal ejection fraction high-gradient (NEF-HG) severe AS. The hypothesis of insufficient left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) leading to high wall stress as…
Objectives To examine primary care contacts among individuals with eating disorders (EDs) and assess differences across diagnoses and ethnic backgrounds. Design Matched cohort study using retrospective primary care data. Setting Primary care electronic health records from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) and linked Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) covering 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2023. Participants 46 473 individuals aged 18–65 years, with a recorded ED diagnosis or a referral to ED services, matched by age, sex and practice location (ratio 1:3) to 145 286 individuals…
Objective To investigate whether the Happy Healthy Active Children (HHAC) initiative increased children’s time spent in different physical activity (PA) intensities in kindergartens located in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Design A within-subject design, nested within the HHAC initiative, with children acting as their own controls. Setting Seven kindergartens in the adjacent disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Tingbjerg and Husum located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Participants Children aged 3–5 years attending participating kindergartens. A total of n=51 children provided valid accelerometer data…
Introduction Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a multifactorial disorder of the autonomic nervous system characterised by an excessive increase in heart rate (HR) on standing and a wide range of debilitating symptoms, including fatigue, exercise intolerance, cognitive impairment and a high prevalence of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances. Conventional pharmacological strategies often offer limited relief and do not sufficiently address non-cardiac symptoms. Auricular vagal neuromodulation therapy (AVNT) and slow-paced diaphragmatic breathing (SDB) have each…
Background Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a highly effective procedure for improving pain and function in patients with advanced joint degeneration; however, revision surgery may be required because of complications or implant wear. Revision THA (rTHA) has a higher in-hospital mortality rate, longer hospital length of stay, are at higher risk of re-revision surgery and have worse physical and mental health outcome measures compared with primary THAs. The introduction of specialist revision hubs also means that patients frequently travel further for surgery. No specific guidelines have been…
Introduction Antidepressant medications are an effective treatment for major depressive disorder, yet antidepressant discontinuation early in the course of treatment remains common. Almost three-quarters of patients who are treated for depression receive their treatment exclusively from primary care providers who have relatively short visits with their depressed patients and little capacity to monitor their treatment adherence. There is a critical need to develop effective, low barrier strategies to support and promote antidepressant adherence for patients seen in primary care. We are…
by Linda Chan, Wanchun Xu, Esther W. Y. Chan, Eric Yuk Fai Wan Background There is limited evidence on the use of statins for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older adults with type 2 diabetes due to underrepresentation of this population in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We aimed to determine the effectiveness and safety of statin therapy for primary CVD prevention among type 2 diabetes patients aged ≥75 years. Methods and findings In this cohort study, territory-wide electronic health records (EHRs) from the Hospital Authority Clinical Management System in Hong…
Drug Trials Snapshots: breaking down the what, how and why. Drug Trials Snapshots are part of an overall FDA effort to make demographic data more available and transparent.
The in-depth, constantly-changing birds-eye view of disease that computational models provide is an essential next step in linking our ever-expanding clinical knowledge and data with drug development. The post From Trial-and-Error to Targeted Success: How Computational Disease Models Can Help Patients and Pharma Companies appeared first on MedCity News .
Introduction Mental health is now recognised as a major global concern affecting people from diverse backgrounds. There is growing evidence that the gut microbiota plays a crucial role by producing metabolites that significantly influence a person’s mood and behaviour. Despite its importance, there is a significant gap in the profiling and understanding of the gut microbiota’s influence on mental health among Malaysians. Therefore, this study aims to determine gut microbiome profiles among patients with major depressive disorders (MDD) of different treatment groups attending psychiatric…
Objectives This study investigated the impact of heat on the risk of hospital admission due to a range of health conditions in England. Design We used records of over 4 million hospital admissions in the summer months between 2008 and 2019, to construct daily time series of admissions in 32 837 census areas. Coupled with high-resolution environmental data, we conducted a case time-series analysis using distributed-lag non-linear models to measure the lagged relationship between summertime temperature and risk of admission for a broad set of health conditions. We derived the relative risks of…
Background The WHO defines self-care as ‘the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider’, while self-care confidence refers to an individual’s perceived ability to effectively engage in these activities. The interface between health and care professionals (HCPs) and the public is pivotal in promoting self-care behaviours, yet barriers such as health literacy deficits, professional constraints, misconceptions and disparities in self-care confidence…
Objectives This qualitative systematic review aimed to describe the experiences and perspectives of loneliness and social isolation among informal caregivers of people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods Terms for caregivers, qualitative research, loneliness and social isolation and CKD were entered into MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO and searched from inception to May 2025. Qualitative studies that described social isolation and loneliness among caregivers of people with CKD were included in this review. Study characteristics were extracted into Microsoft Excel. Qualitative data…