The use of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder medications in cardiac disease.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with onset usually in childhood characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity causing a functional impairment. Untreated ADHD, or treatment delay is associated with adverse outcomes and poor quality of life. Although conservative management strategies such as behavioral and psychological interventions are important, pharmacological treatment has a strong evidence base with improved outcomes.

Automatic segmentation of the great arteries for computational hemodynamic assessment.

Background: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is increasingly used for the assessment of blood flow conditions in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). This requires patient-specific anatomy, typically obtained from segmented 3D cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) images. However, segmentation is time-consuming and requires expert input.

Impact of anti-arrhythmic drugs and catheter ablation on the survival of patients with atrial fibrillation: a population study based on 199 433 new-onset atrial fibrillation patients in the UK.

Aims: Utilizing real-world UK data, we aimed to understand: (i) whether anti-arrhythmic drugs and catheter ablation are effective in improving the survival of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients and (ii) which rhythm control option produces better results for the whole AF population and for specific groups of patients, stratified by age, sex, and history of heart failure.

Methods And Results: We identified 199 433 individuals (mean age at diagnosis 75.7 ± 12.

One-Legged Balance Performance and Fall Risk in Mid and Later Life: Longitudinal Evidence From a British Birth Cohort.

Introduction: The one-legged balance test is widely used as a fall risk screening tool in both clinical and research settings. Despite rising fall prevalence in midlife, there is little evidence examining balance and fall risk in those aged <65 years. This study investigated the longitudinal associations between one-legged balance and the number of falls between ages 53 and 68 years.

Accelerated vascular aging: Ethnic differences in basilar artery length and diameter, and its association with cardiovascular risk factors and cerebral small vessel disease.

Background And Aims: Risk of stroke and dementia is markedly higher in people of South Asian and African Caribbean descent than white Europeans in the UK. This is unexplained by cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF). We hypothesized this might indicate accelerated early vascular aging (EVA) and that EVA might account for stronger associations between cerebral large artery characteristics and markers of small vessel disease.

Molecular Targets for Antibody-Based Anti-Biofilm Therapy in Infective Endocarditis.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a heart disease caused by the infection of heart valves, majorly caused by . IE is initiated by bacteria entering the blood circulation in favouring conditions (e.g.

Machine learning forecasting for COVID-19 pandemic-associated effects on paediatric respiratory infections.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent government restrictions have had a major impact on healthcare services and disease transmission, particularly those associated with acute respiratory infection. This study examined non-identifiable routine electronic patient record data from a specialist children's hospital in England, UK, examining the effect of pandemic mitigation measures on seasonal respiratory infection rates compared with forecasts based on open-source, transferable machine learning models.

Methods: We performed a retrospective longitudinal study of respiratory disorder diagnoses between January 2010 and February 2022.

T and T mapping and weighted imaging in cardiac MRI.

Cardiac imaging is progressing from simple imaging of heart structure and function to techniques visualizing and measuring underlying tissue biological changes that can potentially define disease and therapeutic options. These techniques exploit underlying tissue magnetic relaxation times: T, T and T*. Initial weighting methods showed myocardial heterogeneity, detecting regional disease.

The Role of Patient-Specific Morphological Features of the Left Atrial Appendage on the Thromboembolic Risk Under Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: A large majority of thrombi causing ischemic complications under atrial fibrillation (AF) originate in the left atrial appendage (LAA), an anatomical structure departing from the left atrium, characterized by a large morphological variability between individuals. This work analyses the hemodynamics simulated for different patient-specific models of LAA by means of computational fluid-structure interaction studies, modeling the effect of the changes in contractility and shape resulting from AF.

Methods: Three operating conditions were analyzed: sinus rhythm, acute atrial fibrillation, and chronic atrial fibrillation.

The Roles of Neutrophils Linking Periodontitis and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases.

Inflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and development of atherosclerosis. Periodontitis is a common chronic disease linked to other chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The mechanistic pathways underlying this association are yet to be fully understood.

Distinct cardiovascular phenotypes are associated with prognosis in systemic sclerosis: a cardiovascular magnetic resonance study.

Aims: Cardiovascular involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is heterogeneous and ill-defined. This study aimed to: (i) discover cardiac phenotypes in SSc by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR); (ii) provide a CMR-based algorithm for phenotypic classification; and (iii) examine for associations between phenotypes and mortality.

Methods And Results: A retrospective, single-centre, observational study of 260 SSc patients who underwent clinically indicated CMR including native myocardial T1 and T2 mapping from 2016 to 2019 was performed.

Chest Pain in the Cancer Patient.

Chest pain is one of the most common presenting symptoms in patients seeking care from a physician. Risk assessment tools and scores have facilitated prompt diagnosis and optimal management in these patients; however, it is unclear as to whether a standardised approach can adequately triage chest pain in cancer patients and survivors. This is of concern because cancer patients are often at an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity given the shared risk factors between cancer and cardiovascular disease, compounded by the fact that certain anti-cancer therapies are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events that can persist for weeks and even years after treatment.

The Association of Female Reproductive Factors with Glaucoma and Related Traits: A Systematic Review.

Topic: This systematic review summarizes evidence for associations between female reproductive factors (age at menarche, parity, oral contraceptive [OC] use, age at menopause, and postmenopausal hormone [PMH] use) and intraocular pressure (IOP) or open-angle glaucoma (OAG).

Clinical Relevance: Understanding the associations between female reproductive factors and glaucoma may shed light on the disease pathogenesis and aid clinical prediction and personalized treatment strategies. Importantly, some factors are modifiable, which may lead to new therapies.

Process mapping strategies to prevent subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator infections.

Background: Infection remains a major complication of cardiac implantable electronic devices and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Implantable devices that avoid transvenous leads, such as the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD), can reduce the risk of serious infection-related complications, such as bloodstream infection and infective endocarditis. While the 2017 AHA/ACC/HRS guidelines include recommendations for S-ICD use for patients at high risk of infection, currently, there are no clinical trial data that address best practices for the prevention of S-ICD infections.

Declining Levels and Bioavailability of IGF-I in Cardiovascular Aging Associate With QT Prolongation-Results From the 1946 British Birth Cohort.

Background: As people age, circulating levels of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) decline. In rat cardiomyocytes, IGF-I has been shown to regulate sarcolemmal potassium channel activity and late sodium current thus impacting cardiac repolarization and the heart rate-corrected QT (QTc). However, the relationship between IGFs and IGFBP-3 with the QTc interval in humans, is unknown.

Is carotid artery atherosclerosis associated with poor cognitive function assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To determine associations between carotid atherosclerosis assessed by ultrasound and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), a measure of global cognitive function.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched up to 1 May 2020 to identify studies assessed the associations between asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis and the MMSE.

Glycoprotein Acetyls: A Novel Inflammatory Biomarker of Early Cardiovascular Risk in the Young.

Background Low-grade inflammation in the young may contribute to the early development of cardiovascular disease. We assessed whether circulating levels of glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA) were better able to predict the development of adverse cardiovascular disease risk profiles compared with the more commonly used biomarker high-sensitivity CRP (C-reactive protein). Methods and Results A total of 3306 adolescents and young adults from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (mean age, 15.

The dawn of digital public health in Europe: Implications for public health policy and practice.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital health technologies and the role of effective surveillance systems. While recent events have accelerated progress towards the expansion of digital public health (DPH), there remains significant untapped potential in harnessing, leveraging, and repurposing digital technologies for public health. There is a particularly growing need for comprehensive action to prepare citizens for DPH, to regulate and effectively evaluate DPH, and adopt DPH strategies as part of health policy and services to optimise health systems improvement.

Subclinical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Elite Athletes: Knowledge Gaps Persist.

Subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a phenotypic entity that has emerged from the increased use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation and family screening of patients with HCM. We describe the case of a competitive athlete with a sarcomere gene mutation and family history of HCM who was found to exhibit the subclinical HCM phenotype on cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in the absence of left ventricular hypertrophy. We discuss the clinical uncertainties in her management.

Alcohol, Intraocular Pressure, and Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Topic: This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes the existing evidence for the association of alcohol use with intraocular pressure (IOP) and open-angle glaucoma (OAG).

Clinical Relevance: Understanding and quantifying these associations may aid clinical guidelines or treatment strategies and shed light on disease pathogenesis. The role of alcohol, a modifiable factor, in determining IOP and OAG risk also may be of interest from an individual or public health perspective.

Prevalence of Inherited Cardiac Conditions in Pediatric First-Degree Relatives of Patients with Idiopathic Ventricular Fibrillation.

Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) is diagnosed in out-of-hospital VF survivors after comprehensive investigations have excluded structural heart disease or inherited channelopathies. Current guidelines recommend clinical screening of first-degree relatives of IVF survivors, but this approach has not been validated in children. This study aimed to assess the yield of clinical cardiac screening in child first-degree relatives of IVF victims.