Clinical and cardiovascular characteristics from subjects with in COVID-19 and viral outbreaks.

Introduction: Lower respiratory tract infections remain the deadliest communicable disease worldwide. The relationship between cardiovascular diseases and viral infections is well known; for example, during the AH1N1 influenza pandemic, many patients developed acute cardiovascular disease. In the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, cardiovascular health has again become a challenge, with early reports showing cardiac damage in these patients. Objective: The study aims to describe the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients with an emphasis on cardiovascular compromises, compared with past outbreaks of influenza AH1N1, to identify prognostic factors of severity. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 72 subjects with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 was conducted. Subjects were evaluated in two groups: 38 hospitalized patients and 34 patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Data from different outbreaks of influenza AH1N1 were then compared with this group. Results: The 34 subjects in the ICU had higher levels of high sensible troponin, D dimer, creatinine, and leukocytes compared with the 38 hospitalized subjects. The lymphocytes count was diminished in 85.29% of ICU subjects. When compared with AH1N1 patients, it was found that SARS-CoV2 patients were 10 years older on average. The proportion of overweight and obese SARS-CoV2 patients was double that in the influenza outbreaks. In addition, it was observed that a high number of SARS-CoV2 subjects presented with diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: There were various clinical and severity differences between each of these outbreaks. However, viral respiratory infection diseases such as SARS-CoV2 are a significant risk factor for acute ischemic, functional, and structural cardiovascular complications. The only way to combat this risk is a prevention approach, specifically through vaccines, but also through measures that force drastic changes in health policies to reduce perhaps the worst of pandemics, obesity, and its metabolic consequences.

Pandemic Effects and Gluten-Free Diet: An Adherence and Mental Health Problem.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been present for many months, influencing diets such as the gluten-free diet (GFD), which implies daily challenges even in non-pandemic conditions. Persons following the GFD were invited to answer online ad hoc and validated questionnaires characterizing self-perceptions of the pandemic, current clinical condition, dietary characteristics, adherence to GFD, anxiety, and depression. Of 331 participants, 87% experienced shortage and higher cost of food and 14.8% lost their jobs. Symptoms increased in 29% and 36.6% failed to obtain medical help. Although 52.3% increased food preparation at home and purchased alternative foodstuffs, 53.8% had consumed gluten-containing foods. The Health Eating Index was intermediate/"needs improvement" (mean 65.6 ± 13.3 points); in 49.9% (perception) and 44.4% (questionnaire), adherence was "bad". Anxiety and depression scores were above the cutoff in 28% and 40.4%, respectively. Adherence and mental health were strongly related. The likelihood of poor adherence was 2.3 times higher (p < 0.004) in participants declaring that pandemic altered GFD. Those suffering depressive symptoms were 1.3 times more likely to have poor adherence (p < 0.000). Depression and faulty GFD (mandatory for treatment) appear, affecting a high proportion of participants, suggesting that support measures aimed at these aspects would help improve the health condition of people that maintain GFD. Comparisons of data currently appearing in the literature available should be cautious because not only cultural aspects but conditions and timing of data collection are most variable.

Living with Gluten and Other Food Intolerances: Self-Reported Diagnoses and Management.

People suffering from a food intolerance (FI) tend to initiate restrictive diets such as a gluten-free diet (GFD), to alleviate their symptoms. To learn about how people live with these problems in daily life (independent of their medical diagnoses), 1203 participants answered a previously validated questionnaire and were divided into: G1 (those self-reporting symptoms after gluten consumption) and G2 (those informing no discomfort after gluten consumption). Self-reported clinical characteristics, diagnoses and diets followed were registered. Twenty nine percent referred some FI (8.5% in G1). In G1, self-reported diagnoses were more frequent (p < 0.0001), including a high proportion of eating and mood disorders. Diagnoses were reported to be given by a physician, but GFD was indicated by professional and nonprofessional persons. In G2, despite declaring no symptoms after gluten consumption, 11.1% followed a GFD. The most frequent answer in both groups was that GFD was followed "to care for my health", suggesting that some celiac patients do not acknowledge it as treatment. Conclusion: close to one third of the population report suffering from some FI. Those perceiving themselves as gluten intolerant report more diseases (p < 0.0001). A GFD is followed by ~11% of those declaring no symptoms after gluten ingestion. This diet is perceived as a healthy eating option.

The making of an advocate. Interview with Alan Fernandez.

We spoke with Alan, Associate Director at the Genetics Policy Institute (GPI), the organizer of the annual World Stem Cell Summit, to find out what led him to devote his career to stem cell advocacy. Alan has focused his career on advancing stem cell sciences and the field of regenerative medicine since 2006. While working with Burrill & Company, he began working with the Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) on the 2007 Stem Cell Summit with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. He then joined the GPI full-time in 2008. Alan's skills in business development and marketing were cultivated at companies like Dow Jones, Ziff Davis and Burrill & Company. Earlier in his career, Alan worked in technology and grassroots business communications, working for start-ups and mid-sized companies.

Innovation in stem cell advocacy: you only get what you can measure.

We propose that stem cell advocacy must engage in self-analysis to determine how to be maximally effective. For this analysis, eight advocacy elements can be measured: agitation, legislation, regulation, litigation, policy development, collaboration, education and innovation. For several of these elements, we show that stem cell advocates, particularly advocates for human embryonic stem cell research, have been matched by their opponents. This demonstrates the need for combining innovation and collaboration with advocacy-oriented education. To pursue innovative and collaborative education, we propose a 'bench-to-public knowledge' model and present some preliminary observations made with this model for different stem cell types. We also propose development of a semantic web information system to be operated within Internet Cloud/Apps/Social Media. We call this system the 'Stem Cell Information Technology Accelerator Platform'. Toward its construction, we propose formation of a working group to conceive semantic web ontology for stem cell science and its clinical translation into medicine. This ontology would function as a map of the relationships between and among the various informational components comprising discourse on stem cell research and its clinical translation, and would allow various stakeholders to contribute to evolving models of that science and translation. These models could, in turn, support an innovative and collaborative approach to education in furtherance of stem cell advocacy.