C-Reactive Protein Testing to Guide Antibiotic Prescribing for #COPD Exacerbations

Point-of-care testing of C-reactive protein (#CRP) may be a way to reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics without harming patients who have acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A lower percentage of patients in the CRP-guided group than in the usual-care group received an antibiotic prescription at the initial consultation (47.7% vs. 69.7%, for… Continue reading C-Reactive Protein Testing to Guide Antibiotic Prescribing for #COPD Exacerbations

Population-Attributable Risk for Cardiovascular Disease Associated With #Hypertension in #Black Adults

..The multivariable-adjusted HR associated with hypertension was 1.91 (95% CI, 1.48-2.46) for CVD, 2.41 (95% CI,1.59-3.66) for coronary heart disease, 1.52 (95% CI, 1.01-2.30) for heart failure, and 2.20 (95% CI, 1.44-3.36) for stroke. The prevalence of hypertension was 53.2% among non-Hispanic black individuals. The PAR associated with hypertension was 32.5% (95% CI, 20.5%-43.6%) for… Continue reading Population-Attributable Risk for Cardiovascular Disease Associated With #Hypertension in #Black Adults

Stress related disorders and subsequent risk of life threatening #infections: population based sibling controlled cohort study

..144 919 individuals with stress related disorders (post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress reaction, adjustment disorder, and other stress reactions) identified from 1987 to 2013 ..Stress related disorders were associated with all studied life threatening infections, with the highest relative risk observed for meningitis (sibling based analysis 1.63 (1.23 to 2.16)) and endocarditis (1.57 (1.08 to… Continue reading Stress related disorders and subsequent risk of life threatening #infections: population based sibling controlled cohort study

Association Between Limited English #Proficiency and Revisits and Readmissions After #Hospitalization for Patients With Acute and Chronic Conditions in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) in predominantly Anglophone settings face barriers to safe and high-quality health care.1,2 We examined whether emergency department (ED) visits or readmissions differed between English-proficient (EP) and LEP patients discharged with acute and chronic conditionsEP ..Patients with LEP and heart failure had an increased risk of a 30-day ED visit… Continue reading Association Between Limited English #Proficiency and Revisits and Readmissions After #Hospitalization for Patients With Acute and Chronic Conditions in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Potato ingestion is as effective as carbohydrate gels to support prolonged #cycling performance

We investigated the effects of potato purée ingestion during prolonged cycling on subsequent performance versus commercial CHO gel or a water-only condition. Twelve cyclists (70.7 ± 7.7 kg, 173 ± 8 cm, 31± 9 years, 22 ± 5.1 % body fat; mean ± SD) with average peak oxygen consumption (VO2PEAK)of 60.7 ± 9.0 mL/kg/min performed… Continue reading Potato ingestion is as effective as carbohydrate gels to support prolonged #cycling performance

Association Between High School #Personality Phenotype and #Dementia 54 Years Later in Results From a National US Sample

To examine whether personality during adolescence—a time when preclinical dementia pathology is unlikely to be present—confers risk of dementia in later life and to test whether associations could be accounted for by health factors in adolescence or differed across socioeconomic status (SES). Lower risk of dementia was associated with higher levels of vigor (hazard ratio… Continue reading Association Between High School #Personality Phenotype and #Dementia 54 Years Later in Results From a National US Sample

Regulation of #lifespan by #neural excitation and REST

..Here we show that extended longevity in humans is associated with a distinct transcriptome signature in the cerebral cortex that is characterized by downregulation of genes related to neural excitation and synaptic function. In Caenorhabditis elegans, neural excitation increases with age and inhibition of excitation globally, or in glutamatergic or cholinergic neurons, increases longevity. Furthermore,… Continue reading Regulation of #lifespan by #neural excitation and REST

#Metoprolol for the Prevention of Acute Exacerbations of #COPD

Observational studies suggest that beta-blockers may reduce the risk of exacerbations and death in patients with moderate or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but these findings have not been confirmed in randomized trials. .. There was no significant between-group difference in the median time until the first exacerbation, which was 202 days in the… Continue reading #Metoprolol for the Prevention of Acute Exacerbations of #COPD

Fatty #Airways: Implications for #Obstructive Disease

Epidemiological studies report that overweight or obese asthmatic subjects have more severe disease than those of a healthy weight. We postulated accumulation of adipose tissue within the airway wall may occur in overweight patients and contribute to airway pathology ..BMI ranged from 15 to 45 (kg·m−2) and was greater in NFA (p<0.05). Adipose tissue was… Continue reading Fatty #Airways: Implications for #Obstructive Disease