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Background: Important gaps exist in our understanding of loneliness and biobehavioral outcomes among sexual minority men (SMM), such as faster HIV disease progression. At the same time, SMM who use methamphetamine are approximately one-third more likely than non-users to develop cardiovascular disease. This study examined associations of loneliness, stimulant use, and cardiovascular risk in SMM with and without HIV.
Method: Participants were enrolled from August 2020 to February 2022 in a 6-month prospective cohort study. The study leveraged self-report baseline data from 103 SMM, with a subset of 56 SMM that provided a blood sample to measure markers of cardiovascular risk.
Results: Loneliness showed negative bivariate associations with total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the cardiometabolic subsample (n = 56). SMM with methamphetamine use (t(101) = 2.03, p < .05; d = .42) and those that screened positive for a stimulant use disorder (t(101) = 2.07, p < .05; d = .46) had significantly higher mean loneliness scores. In linear regression analyses, negative associations of loneliness with LDL and total cholesterol were observed only among SMM who used methamphetamine.
Conclusion: We observed lower cholesterol in SMM reporting loneliness and methamphetamine use. Thus, in addition to the observed associations of loneliness with cholesterol, there are important medical consequences of methamphetamine use including cardiovascular risk, higher HIV acquisition risk and progression, as well as stimulant overdose death. This cross-sectional study underscores the need for clinical research to develop and test interventions targeting loneliness among SMM with stimulant use disorders.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12529-024-10288-0 | DOI Listing |
J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino)
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Catheterization Laboratory, Montevergine Clinic, Mercogliano, Avellino, Italy -
Background: Lower extremity arterial disease is a prevalent vascular condition leading to ischemic symptoms and increased risk of cardiovascular events. Drug-eluting stents have improved outcomes by reducing restenosis, with sirolimus emerging as a promising alternative to paclitaxel due to its safer profile. This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of novel polymer-free Amphilimus formulation (Sirolimus + fatty acid) eluting self-expanding stent in the treatment of femoropopliteal disease in a real-world population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJAMA Netw Open
September 2025
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock.
Importance: Patients with kidney failure (KF) receiving long-term dialysis have increased incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients with KF and AF have increased risk of stroke, death, and bleeding compared with age-matched cohorts. In KF, the use of oral anticoagulants (OACs) increases hemorrhage risk, offsetting potential benefits and making left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) a potentially promising solution for risk reduction in AF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Atheroscler Rep
September 2025
Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 521 19th Street South-GSB 444, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA.
Purpose Of Review: This review examines cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction models relevant to older adults, a rapidly expanding population with elevated CVD risk. It discusses model characteristics, performance metrics, and clinical implications.
Recent Findings: Some models have been developed specifically for older adults, while several others consider a broader age range, including some older individuals.
CNS Drugs
September 2025
Global Health Neurology Lab, Sydney, NSW, 2150, Australia.
Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) remains a leading cause of mortality and long-term disability globally, with survivors at high risk of recurrent stroke, cardiovascular events, and post-stroke dementia. Statins, while widely used for their lipid-lowering effects, also possess pleiotropic properties, including anti-inflammatory, endothelial-stabilizing, and neuroprotective actions, which may offer added benefit in AIS management. This article synthesizes emerging evidence on statins' dual mechanisms of action and evaluates their role in reducing recurrence, improving survival, and mitigating cognitive decline.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Cardiol Rep
September 2025
Division of Cardiology, Health Sciences Building, University of Washington Medical Center, 1959 NE Pacific StreetSuite #A506D Box 356422, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Purpose Of Review: Patients living with cancer are at risk for significant potential cardiovascular complications as a direct result of cancer treatment or due to underlying comorbid cardiovascular disease. This article reviews the methods of risk stratification as well as pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches to cardioprotection in cardio-oncology.
Recent Findings: Several cancer-specific risk stratification tools have incorporated variables such as age, sex, cancer subtype, traditional cardiovascular risk factors and cancer treatment-related parameters to assess cardiovascular specific risk prior to cancer therapy.