Association Between Oral Corticosteroid Bursts and Severe Adverse Events

Long-term use of oral corticosteroids has known adverse effects, but the risk from brief oral steroid bursts (≤14 days) is largely unknown.. .. Background: Long-term use of oral corticosteroids has known adverse effects, but the risk from brief oral steroid bursts (≤14 days) is largely unknown. Objective: To examine the associations between steroid bursts and… Continue reading Association Between Oral Corticosteroid Bursts and Severe Adverse Events

Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy Identifies the β-Adrenoceptor Agonist Salbutamol As a Direct Inhibitor of Tau Filament Formation in Vitro

Potential drug treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may be found by identifying compounds that block the assembly of the microtubule-associated protein tau into neurofibrillar tangles associated with neuron destabilization and cell death. Here, a small library of structurally diverse compounds was screened in vitro for the ability to inhibit tau aggregation, using high-throughput synchrotron radiation… Continue reading Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy Identifies the β-Adrenoceptor Agonist Salbutamol As a Direct Inhibitor of Tau Filament Formation in Vitro

Effect of beta-blockers on survival of lung cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The recent interest in beta-blockers as possible agents for drug repurposing in oncology arises from many pre-clinical and epidemiologic studies suggesting a possible clinically relevant antitumour effect. In lung cancer, given the contradictory results obtained, it is crucial to further study its effects. A systematic review of the literature was planned to evaluate a possible… Continue reading Effect of beta-blockers on survival of lung cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ACE2 Expression is Increased in the Lungs of Patients with Comorbidities Associated with Severe COVID-19

Patients who died from COVID-19 often had comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, and chronic obstructive lung disease. Although angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is crucial for SARS-CoV2 to bind and enter host cells, no study has systematically assessed the ACE2 expression in the lungs of patients with these diseases. Here, we analyzed over 700 lung transcriptome… Continue reading ACE2 Expression is Increased in the Lungs of Patients with Comorbidities Associated with Severe COVID-19

Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Nighttime Blood Pressure in African Americans: the Jackson Heart Study

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), nocturnal hypertension, and non-dipping systolic blood pressure (BP) are each highly prevalent among African Americans. However, few data are available on the association between OSA and nighttime BP in this population.. ..Among 206 participants who completed ABPM and participated in the Jackson Heart Sleep Study, 50.5% had nocturnal hypertension and 26.2%… Continue reading Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Nighttime Blood Pressure in African Americans: the Jackson Heart Study

Dose-Response Association of Low-Intensity and Nondaily Smoking With Mortality in the United States

An increasing proportion of US smokers smoke at low intensity and not every day. Some nondaily smokers have always had this pattern, whereas others previously smoked daily. The effect of reducing the level of smoking from daily to nondaily smoking and the dose response at low smoking levels are poorly understood.. ..Among 505 500 participants (aged… Continue reading Dose-Response Association of Low-Intensity and Nondaily Smoking With Mortality in the United States

Mid-Term Effects of Pulmonary #Rehabilitation on Cognitive Function in People with Severe Chronic Obstructive #Pulmonary Disease

Cognitive dysfunction is a common impairment associated with COPD. However, little is known about 1) its prevalence among those subjects referred for pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), 2) how it may affect the benefit of PR, 3) whether PR improves cognitive function and 4) whether cognitive dysfunction affects the usability of telehealth technology usually used to deliver… Continue reading Mid-Term Effects of Pulmonary #Rehabilitation on Cognitive Function in People with Severe Chronic Obstructive #Pulmonary Disease

Associations of #sleep duration with patient-reported outcomes and healthcare use in U.S. adults with #asthma

..Asthma was identified by self-report. Habitual hours of sleep duration were categorized as short (≤5), normal (6-8), and long (≥9). Multivariate regression analyses were used to examine the associations between sleep duration and patient-reported outcomes and healthcare use. Results Of the 1389 adults with asthma, 26% reported short sleep duration, 66% reported normal sleep duration,… Continue reading Associations of #sleep duration with patient-reported outcomes and healthcare use in U.S. adults with #asthma

Sputum #microbiome profiles identify severe #asthma phenotypes of relative stability at 12-18 months

..Data were available for 100 severe asthma subjects (median age: 55 yrs, 42% males). Two microbiome-driven clusters were identified, characterized by differences in asthma onset, smoking status, residential locations, percentage of blood and/or sputum neutrophils and macrophages, lung spirometry, and concurrent asthma medications (all p-values <.05). Cluster 2 patients displayed a commensal-deficient bacterial profile which… Continue reading Sputum #microbiome profiles identify severe #asthma phenotypes of relative stability at 12-18 months