Interacting with Members of the Public to Discuss the Impact of Food Choices on Climate Change-Experiences from Two UK Public Engagement Events.

Food systems contribute to up to 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and emissions are increasing. Since the emissions vary greatly between different foods, citizens' choices can make a big difference to climate change. Public engagement events are opportunities to communicate these complex issues: to raise awareness about the impact of citizens' own food choices on climate change and to generate support for changes in all food system activities, the food environment and food policy. This article summarises findings from our 'Take a Bite Out of Climate Change' stand at two UK outreach activities during July 2019. We collected engagement information in three main ways: (1) individuals were invited to complete a qualitative evaluation questionnaire comprising of four questions that gauged the person's interests, perceptions of food choices and attitudes towards climate change; (2) an online multiple-choice questionnaire asking about eating habits and awareness/concerns; and (3) a token drop voting activity where visitors answered the question: 'Do you consider greenhouse gases when choosing food?' Our results indicate whether or not people learnt about the environmental impacts of food (effectiveness), how likely they are to move towards a more climate-friendly diet (behavioural change), and how to gather information more effectively at this type of event.

Cardiovascular Outcomes Following Rotational Atherectomy: A UK Multicentre Experience.

OBJECTIVES: To identify factors associated with outcomes following rotational atherectomy (RA). BACKGROUND: RA is an effective way to mechanically modify heavily calcified lesions before stenting; however its outcomes are not well defined. METHODS AND RESULTS: Retrospective evaluation of all patients who underwent RA in three large UK centers (Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) and University Hospital of North Staffordshire (UHNS)) from March 2005 to January 2013. Five hundred and eighteen patients had RA with median follow-up period of 22 months. About 68.3% were male, 28.7% had DM and 34.6% were treated because of ACS. Stents were deployed in 97.3% of the patients while 30.7% of the procedures were performed transradially. Maximum burr was ≤1.75 mm in 85.5% and the mean SYNTAX score was 19.5 ± 11.6. Peri-procedural complications occurred in 6.4% and vascular access complications in 1.9%. Outcomes in the follow-up period were: MACE 17.8%, cardiac death 7.1%, MI 11.7%, TVR 7.5%, all-cause death 13.7%, definite stent thrombosis (ST) 1.4% and stroke 2.9%. Patients with intermediate and high SYNTAX scores were more likely to suffer MACE, cardiac death, MI, all-cause death and ST. Patients with a SYNTAX score >32 were also more likely to have a peri-procedural complication. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of PVD (P = 0.026, OR = 2.0), DM (P = 0.008, OR = 2.1), ACS presentation (P = 0.011, OR = 2.1) and SYNTAX score ≥23 (P = 0.02, OR = 1.9) had a significant association with MACE. CONCLUSIONS: RA is safe and effective, with high rate of procedural success and relatively low incidence of MACE. PVD, DM, ACS presentation and SYNTAX score were significant predictors for MACE. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prognostic impact of moderate or severe mitral regurgitation (MR) irrespective of concomitant comorbidities: a retrospective matched cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to objectively quantify the independent impact of significant mitral regurgitation (MR) on prognosis in patients with multiple comorbidities and ascertain the extent to which median survival is affected by increasing comorbidities. METHODS: This was a retrospective matched cohort study using a clinical-echocardiography reporting database linked to a clinical and administrative database in an Australian tertiary hospital. We identified our study cohort (patients with significant MR) and control cohort (without MR) on transthoracic echocardiographies performed between 2005 and 2010. The main outcome measures were mortality and heart failure rehospitalisation. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to adjust for clinical covariates and the 'win ratio' methodology was utilised to estimate the impact of MR on main outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 218 matched patients with and without significant MR were followed-up for 1 year. Significant MR was associated with an adjusted HR for mortality of 1.83 (95% CI 1.28 to 2.62, p<0.001). The win ratio for death and death or heart failure readmission was 0.57 (95% CI 0.40 to 0.78, p=0.0002) and 0.53 (95% CI 0.39 to 0.71, p<0.0001), respectively. Significant MR with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction and age between 75 and 85 years were associated with a substantial reduction in median survival by 2.3 years. Significant MR with LV systolic dysfunction, age beyond 85 and advance comorbidities were associated with a lesser reduction in median survival by 0.2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Significant MR in patients with multiple comorbidities leads to increase in death and heart failure rehospitalisation with reduced estimated median survival. However, its impact diminishes with increasing comorbidities.

Reperfusion therapy in the acute management of ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction in Australia: findings from the ACACIA registry.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the contemporary management and outcomes of patients presenting with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in Australia. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Observational analysis of data for patients who presented with suspected STEMI and enrolled in the Australian Acute Coronary Syndrome Prospective Audit from 1 November 2005 to 31 July 2007. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Factors associated with use of reperfusion therapy and timely use of reperfusion therapy, and the effects of reperfusion on mortality. RESULTS: In total, 755 patients had suspected STEMI. Median time to presentation was 105 minutes (IQR, 60-235 minutes). Reperfusion therapy was used in 66.9% of patients (505/755), and timely reperfusion therapy in 23.1% (174/755). Thombolysis was administered in 39.2% of those who received reperfusion therapy (198/505), while 60.8% (307/505) received primary percutaneous intervention. Cardiac arrest (OR, 2.83; P = 0.001) and treatment under the auspices of a cardiology unit (OR, 2.14; P = 0.02) were associated with use of reperfusion therapy. A normal electrocardiogram on presentation (OR, 0.42; P = 0.01), left bundle branch block (OR, 0.18; P = 0.001), acute pulmonary oedema (OR, 0.34; P < 0.01), history of diabetes (OR, 0.54; P < 0.01), and previous lesion on angiogram of > 50% (OR, 0.51; P = 0.001) were associated with not using reperfusion. In hospital mortality was 4.0% (30/755), mortality at 30 days was 4.8% (36/755), and mortality at 1 year was 7.8% (59/755). Receiving reperfusion therapy of any kind was associated with decreased 12-month mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.44; 95% CI, 0.25-0.78; P < 0.01). Timely reperfusion was associated with a reduction in mortality of 78% (HR, 0.22; P = 0.04). There were no significant differences in early and late mortality in rural patients compared with metropolitan patients (P = 0.66). CONCLUSION: Timely reperfusion, not the modality of reperfusion, was associated with significant outcome benefits. Australian use of timely or any reperfusion remains poor and incomplete.