Diffusion-Magnetic Resonance Imaging predicts decline of kidney function in chronic kidney disease and in patients with a kidney allograft

Kidney cortical interstitial fibrosis is highly predictive of kidney prognosis and is currently assessed by evaluation of a biopsy. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging is a promising non-invasive tool to evaluate kidney fibrosis. We recently adapted diffusion-weighted imaging sequence for discrimination between the kidney cortex and medulla and found that the cortico-medullary difference in apparent diffusion… Continue reading Diffusion-Magnetic Resonance Imaging predicts decline of kidney function in chronic kidney disease and in patients with a kidney allograft

Atypical Kawasaki Disease after COVID-19 Vaccination: A NewForm of Adverse Event Following Immunization

Abstract: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a medium-vessel vasculitis that is typically presented duringchildhood; fewer than 100 cases of KD have been reported worldwide in adult patients who metthe criteria according to the American College of Rheumatology. This study presents the case ofan 18-year-old patient with no previous history of any disease, who presented atypical KD… Continue reading Atypical Kawasaki Disease after COVID-19 Vaccination: A NewForm of Adverse Event Following Immunization

Triple Vaccinated put the most pressure on the NHS by far over the past 4 weeks according to UKHSA with 74% of Covid-19 hospitalisations recorded among the Vaccinated

The latest data available from the UK Health Security Agency confirms that the triple vaccinated population accounted for the majority of all Covid-19 hospitalisations between 20th Dec 21 and 16th Jan 22, with the double vaccinated population not far behind. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publish a weekly Covid-19 Vaccine Surveillance Report containing data… Continue reading Triple Vaccinated put the most pressure on the NHS by far over the past 4 weeks according to UKHSA with 74% of Covid-19 hospitalisations recorded among the Vaccinated

Innate Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccinations: The role of G-quadruplexes, exosomes and microRNAs

The mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were brought to market in response to the widely perceived public health crises of Covid-19. The utilization of mRNA vaccines in the context of infectious disease had no precedent, but desperate times seemed to call for desperate measures. The mRNA vaccines utilize genetically modified mRNA encoding spike proteins. These alterations hide… Continue reading Innate Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccinations: The role of G-quadruplexes, exosomes and microRNAs

COVID-19 Risk Appears to Vary Across Different Alcoholic Beverages

Objectives: To evaluate the associations of status, amount, and frequency of alcohol consumption across different alcoholic beverages with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk and associated mortality. Methods: This study included 473,957 subjects, 16,559 of whom tested positive for COVID-19. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations of alcohol consumption with COVID-19 risk… Continue reading COVID-19 Risk Appears to Vary Across Different Alcoholic Beverages

Effectiveness of Adding a Mask Recommendation to Other Public Health Measures to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Danish Mask Wearers

Observational evidence suggests that mask wearing mitigates transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is uncertain if this observed association arises through protection of uninfected wearers (protective effect), via reduced transmission from infected mask wearers (source control), or both. Objective:To assess whether recommending surgical mask use outside the home reduces wearers' risk… Continue reading Effectiveness of Adding a Mask Recommendation to Other Public Health Measures to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Danish Mask Wearers

Recognising Italy’s mistakes in the public health response to COVID-19

The Day of the Dead in Italy this year was not only a time for remembrance but also for demanding justice for lives lost to COVID-19. On Nov 2, 2021, members of the #Sereni (also known as Serene and Always United) Association demonstrated in Rome against institutional omerta (ie, law of silence) and for the… Continue reading Recognising Italy’s mistakes in the public health response to COVID-19

Carotid Atherosclerosis Predicts Blood Pressure Control in Patients With Hypertension: The Campania Salute Network Registry

The 2018 European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension arterial hypertension guidelines do not recommend routine carotid ultrasound as a tool to identify hypertension‐mediated organ damage, unless clinically indicated. However, carotid plaque (CP) is a strong correlate of increased arterial stiffness, which influences blood pressure (BP) control over time. Thus, we assessed whether evidence of… Continue reading Carotid Atherosclerosis Predicts Blood Pressure Control in Patients With Hypertension: The Campania Salute Network Registry