Association of Vitamin #D Levels, Race/Ethnicity, and Clinical Characteristics With #COVID-19 Test Results

Deficient (ie, <20 ng/mL) or insufficient (ie, 20 to <30 ng/mL) 25-hydroxyvitamin D (also known as calcifediol) levels are more common in Black individuals than White individuals and are associated with increased coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk. Whether COVID-19 risk is associated with differences in vitamin D levels of 30 ng/mL or greater is not… Continue reading Association of Vitamin #D Levels, Race/Ethnicity, and Clinical Characteristics With #COVID-19 Test Results

Appropriate Use of Short-Course #Antibiotics in Common #Infections: Best Practice Advice From the American College of Physicians

Antimicrobial overuse is a major health care issue that contributes to antibiotic resistance. Such overuse includes unnecessarily long durations of antibiotic therapy in patients with common bacterial infections, such as acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), urinary tract infections (UTIs), and cellulitis. This article describes best practices for prescribing… Continue reading Appropriate Use of Short-Course #Antibiotics in Common #Infections: Best Practice Advice From the American College of Physicians

Jumping to conclusions and #suicidal behavior in #depression and #psychosis

Highlights • Presence of JTC is higher in depressive and psychotic patients with history of SB, specially under ambiguous conditions. • Within individuals who exhibited JTC, more had a diagnosis of depression than psychosis, and that is related to older age. • JTC might be considered a transdiagnostic construct present in different psychiatric disorders. Abstract… Continue reading Jumping to conclusions and #suicidal behavior in #depression and #psychosis

High-#Fiber, Whole-Food Dietary Intervention Alters the Human Gut #Microbiome but Not Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acids

Dietary shifts can have a direct impact on the gut microbiome by preferentially selecting for microbes capable of utilizing the various dietary nutrients. The intake of dietary fiber has decreased precipitously in the last century, while consumption of processed foods has increased. Fiber, or microbiota-accessible carbohydrates (MACs), persist in the digestive tract and can be… Continue reading High-#Fiber, Whole-Food Dietary Intervention Alters the Human Gut #Microbiome but Not Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acids

Association of Type 2 #Diabetes Mellitus and Glycemic Control With Intracranial Plaque Characteristics in Patients With Acute Ischemic #Stroke

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has shown to be associated with carotid plaque vulnerability. However, the impact of T2DM on intracranial artery atherosclerosis is not well‐understood. Purpose To evaluate the association of diabetes and glycemic control with intracranial atherosclerotic plaque characteristics identified by three‐dimensional contrast enhanced MR vessel wall imaging in patients after acute ischemic… Continue reading Association of Type 2 #Diabetes Mellitus and Glycemic Control With Intracranial Plaque Characteristics in Patients With Acute Ischemic #Stroke

Investigating Molecular Mechanisms of Immunotoxicity and the Utility of #ToxCast for Immunotoxicity Screening of Chemicals Added to #Food

The development of high-throughput screening methodologies may decrease the need for laboratory animals for toxicity testing. Here, we investigate the potential of assessing immunotoxicity with high-throughput screening data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ToxCast program. As case studies, we analyzed the most common chemicals added to food as well as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances… Continue reading Investigating Molecular Mechanisms of Immunotoxicity and the Utility of #ToxCast for Immunotoxicity Screening of Chemicals Added to #Food

Lamictal (#lamotrigine): Drug Safety Communication – Studies Show Increased Risk of #Heart Rhythm Problems in Patients with Heart Disease

Lamotrigine is used alone or with other medicines to treat seizures in patients 2 years and older. It may also be used as maintenance treatment in patients with the mental health condition bipolar disorder to help delay the occurrence of mood episodes such as depression, mania, or hypomania. RECOMMENDATIONS: Patients should not stop taking your… Continue reading Lamictal (#lamotrigine): Drug Safety Communication – Studies Show Increased Risk of #Heart Rhythm Problems in Patients with Heart Disease

Acute on Chronic Liver Failure From #Nonalcoholic Fatty #Liver Disease: A Growing and Aging Cohort With Rising Mortality

We assessed the burden of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)‐related acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) among transplant candidates in the United States, along with waitlist outcomes for this population. Approach and Results We analyzed the United Network for Organ Sharing registry from 2005 to 2017. Patients with ACLF were identified using the European Association… Continue reading Acute on Chronic Liver Failure From #Nonalcoholic Fatty #Liver Disease: A Growing and Aging Cohort With Rising Mortality

#Smoking, #Radiation Therapy, and Contralateral #Breast Cancer Risk in Young Women

Evidence is mounting that cigarette smoking contributes to second primary contralateral breast cancer (CBC) risk. Whether radiation therapy (RT) interacts with smoking to modify this risk is unknown. In this multicenter, individually-matched case-control study, we examined the association between RT, smoking, and CBC risk. The study included 1,521 CBC cases and 2,212 controls with unilateral… Continue reading #Smoking, #Radiation Therapy, and Contralateral #Breast Cancer Risk in Young Women