Adverse effects of electronic #cigarettes on the disease-naive oral #microbiome

Six percent of Americans, including 3 million high schoolers, use e-cigarettes, which contain potentially toxic substances, volatile organic compounds, and metals. We present the first human study on the effects of e-cigarette exposure in the oral cavity. By interrogating both immunoinflammatory responses and microbial functional dynamics, we discovered pathogen overrepresentation, higher virulence signatures, and a… Continue reading Adverse effects of electronic #cigarettes on the disease-naive oral #microbiome

FDA Approves Only Drug in U.S. to Treat Severe #Malaria

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved artesunate for injection to treat severe malaria in adult and pediatric patients. Treatment of severe malaria with intravenous (IV) artesunate should always be followed by a complete treatment course of an appropriate oral antimalarial regimen. Prior to this approval, IV artesunate was only available to patients through… Continue reading FDA Approves Only Drug in U.S. to Treat Severe #Malaria

Cigarette #smoke exposure and inflammatory signaling increase the expression of the #SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 in the respiratory tract

Abstract The factors mediating fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections are poorly understood. Here, we show that cigarette smoke causes a dose-dependent upregulation of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), the SARS-CoV-2 receptor, in rodent and human lungs. Using single-cell sequencing data, we demonstrate that ACE2 is expressed in a subset of secretory cells in the respiratory tract. Chronic… Continue reading Cigarette #smoke exposure and inflammatory signaling increase the expression of the #SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 in the respiratory tract

Risk factors for #SARS-CoV-2 among patients in the Oxford Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Centre primary care network: a cross-sectional study

There are few primary care studies of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to identify demographic and clinical risk factors for testing positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within the Oxford Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research and Surveillance Centre primary care network.. ..We identified 3802 SARS-CoV-2 test results, of which 587… Continue reading Risk factors for #SARS-CoV-2 among patients in the Oxford Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Centre primary care network: a cross-sectional study

Fine Particulate Matter Air #Pollution and Mortality among Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Patients

Air pollution is a carcinogen and causes pulmonary and cardiac complications. We examined the association of fine particulate matter pollution (PM2.5) and mortality from cancer and all causes among pediatric, adolescent, and young adult (AYA) patients with cancer in Utah, a state with considerable variation in PM2.5.. ..Increases in PM2.5 per 5 μg/m3 were associated… Continue reading Fine Particulate Matter Air #Pollution and Mortality among Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Patients

Spending time in the #garden is positively associated with health and #wellbeing: Results from a national survey in England

Research has found that natural environments within urban areas are associated with benefits for human health and wellbeing. However, most studies have primarily focused on publically accessible green space. Less is known about domestic gardens, which in the UK comprise a high proportion of land cover in urban areas and could form a resource for… Continue reading Spending time in the #garden is positively associated with health and #wellbeing: Results from a national survey in England

Associations Between Medical Conditions and #Alcohol Consumption Levels in an Adult Primary Care Population

..Among the 2 720 231 included patients, 1 439 361 (52.9%) were female, 1 308 659 (48.1%) were white, and 883 276 (32.5%) were aged 18 to 34 years. Patients with any of the conditions (except injury or poisoning) had lower odds of drinking at low-risk and unhealthy levels relative to no reported use compared with those without the condition. Among 861 427… Continue reading Associations Between Medical Conditions and #Alcohol Consumption Levels in an Adult Primary Care Population

Inequalities in all-cause and cause-specific mortality across the life course by wealth and income in Sweden: a register-based cohort study

Wealth inequalities are increasing in many countries, but their relationship to health is little studied. We investigated the association between individual wealth and mortality across the adult life course in Sweden.. ..Large inequalities in mortality by wealth were observed and their association with mortality remained more stable across the adult life course than inequalities by… Continue reading Inequalities in all-cause and cause-specific mortality across the life course by wealth and income in Sweden: a register-based cohort study

Epidemiology of #Seasonal Coronaviruses: Establishing the Context for the Emergence of #Coronavirus Disease 2019

Public health preparedness for coronavirus (CoV) disease 2019 (COVID-19) is challenging in the absence of setting-specific epidemiological data. Here we describe the epidemiology of seasonal CoVs (sCoVs) and other cocirculating viruses in the West of Scotland, United Kingdom. We analyzed routine diagnostic data for >70 000 episodes of respiratory illness tested molecularly for multiple respiratory… Continue reading Epidemiology of #Seasonal Coronaviruses: Establishing the Context for the Emergence of #Coronavirus Disease 2019