Association of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists with serious liver events among patients with type 2 diabetes: A Scandinavian cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Clinical trials suggest that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists may have beneficial effects on NAFLD, but the impact on hard hepatic end points is unknown. We assessed the association between the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists and the risk of serious liver events in routine clinical practice. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Cohort study using data from nationwide registers in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, 2007-2020, including 91,479 initiators of GLP-1 receptor agonists and 244,004 initiators of the active comparator, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, without a history of chronic liver disease other than NAFLD/NASH. The primary outcome was serious liver events: a composite of incident compensated and decompensated cirrhosis and HCC. Secondary outcomes were the individual components of the primary outcome. Cox regression was used to estimate HRs, using propensity score weighting to control for confounding. Users of GLP-1 receptor agonists had 608 serious liver events (adjusted incidence rate: 16.9 events per 10,000 person-years), compared with 1770 events among users of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (19.2 events per 10,000 person-years). The adjusted HR was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.75 to 0.97), and the rate difference was -2.1 (-4.4 to 0.1) events per 10,000 person-years. In secondary outcome analyses, the adjusted HR was 0.85 (0.75 to 0.97) for compensated and decompensated cirrhosis and 1.05 (0.80 to 1.39) for HCC. CONCLUSIONS: The use of GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with a significantly reduced risk of serious liver events, driven by a reduction of compensated and decompensated cirrhosis.

Use of DPP4 Inhibitors and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Risk of Intestinal Obstruction: Scandinavian Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Concerns have been raised that the incretin-based diabetes drugs dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists may increase the risk of intestinal obstruction. We aimed to assess the association between use of DPP4 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists and the risk of intestinal obstruction. METHODS: Using data from nationwide registers in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, 2013-2021, we conducted 2 cohort studies, one for DPP4 inhibitors and one for GLP-1 receptor agonists, to investigate the risk of intestinal obstruction as compared with an active comparator drug class (sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 [SGLT2] inhibitors). RESULTS: Among 19,0321 new users of DPP4 inhibitors (median (interquartile range [IQR]) follow-up time, 1.3 [0.6-2.6] years) and 139,315 new users of SGLT2 inhibitors (median [IQR] follow-up time, 0.8 [0.4-1.7] years), 919 intestinal obstruction events occurred. Use of DPP4 inhibitors, as compared with SGLT2 inhibitors, was not associated with a statistically significant increase in risk of intestinal obstruction (adjusted incidence rate, 2.0 vs 1.8 per 1000 person-years; hazard ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.96-1.34). Among 121,254 new users of GLP-1 receptor agonists (median [standard deviation] follow-up time, 0.9 [0.4-1.9] years) and 185,027 new users of SGLT2 inhibitors (median [IQR] follow-up time, 0.8 [0.4-1.8] years), 557 intestinal obstruction events occurred. Use of GLP-1 receptor agonists was not associated with a statistically significant increase in risk of intestinal obstruction (adjusted incidence rate, 1.3 vs 1.6 per 1000 person-years; hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.69-1.01). CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis of nationwide data from 3 countries, previous safety signals indicating an increased risk of intestinal obstruction with use of DPP4 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists were not confirmed.

The comparative cardiovascular and renal effectiveness of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: A Scandinavian cohort study.

AIM: To assess the comparative cardiovascular and renal effectiveness of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors versus glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists in routine clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cohort study of nationwide registers from Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, including 87 525 new users of SGLT2 inhibitors and 63 921 new users of GLP-1 receptor agonists, was conducted using data from 2013-2018. Co-primary outcomes, analysed using an intention-to-treat exposure definition, were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death), heart failure (hospitalization or death because of heart failure), and serious renal events (renal replacement therapy, hospitalization for renal events, and death from renal causes). RESULTS: Use of SGLT2 inhibitors versus GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with a higher risk of MACE (adjusted incidence rate: 15.2 vs. 14.4 events per 1000 person-years; HR 1.07 [95% CI 1.01-1.15]), a similar risk of heart failure (6.0 vs. 6.0 events per 1000 person-years; HR 1.02 [0.92-1.12]), and a lower risk of serious renal events (2.9 vs. 4.0 events per 1000 person-years; HR 0.76 [0.66-0.87]). In as-treated analyses, the HR (95% CI) was 1.11 (1.00-1.24) for MACE, 0.88 (0.74-1.04) for heart failure, and 0.60 (0.47-0.77) for serious renal events. In secondary outcome analyses, use of SGLT2 inhibitors versus GLP-1 receptor agonists was not associated with statistically significant differences for the risk of myocardial infarction (HR 1.09 [95% CI 1.00-1.19]), cardiovascular death (HR 0.97 [95% CI 0.84-1.12]), death from renal causes (HR 0.75 [95% CI 0.41-1.35]), or any cause death (HR 1.01 [95% CI 0.94-1.09]), while the risk of stroke was higher (HR 1.14 [95% CI 1.03-1.26]), and the risk of renal replacement therapy (HR 0.74 [95% CI 0.56-0.97]) and hospitalization for renal events (HR 0.75 [95% CI 0.65-0.88]) were lower among users of SGLT2 inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: Use of SGLT2 inhibitors versus GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with a similar risk of heart failure and a lower risk of serious renal events, while use of GLP-1 receptor agonists versus SGLT2 inhibitors was associated with a slightly lower risk of MACE. In as-treated analyses, the associations with MACE and serious renal events increased in magnitude, and the HR for heart failure tended towards a protective association for SGLT2 inhibitors.

Plasma Proteomics of Renal Function: A Transethnic Meta-Analysis and Mendelian Randomization Study.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the relationship between renal function and the human plasma proteome have identified several potential biomarkers. However, investigations have been conducted largely in European populations, and causality of the associations between plasma proteins and kidney function has never been addressed. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 993 plasma proteins among 2882 participants in four studies of European and admixed ancestries (KORA, INTERVAL, HUNT, QMDiab) identified transethnic associations between eGFR/CKD and proteomic biomarkers. For the replicated associations, two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to investigate potential causal relationships. Publicly available datasets and transcriptomic data from independent studies were used to examine the association between gene expression in kidney tissue and eGFR. RESULTS: In total, 57 plasma proteins were associated with eGFR, including one novel protein. Of these, 23 were additionally associated with CKD. The strongest inferred causal effect was the positive effect of eGFR on testican-2, in line with the known biological role of this protein and the expression of its protein-coding gene (SPOCK2) in renal tissue. We also observed suggestive evidence of an effect of melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA), carbonic anhydrase III, and cystatin-M on eGFR. CONCLUSIONS: In a discovery-replication setting, we identified 57 proteins transethnically associated with eGFR. The revealed causal relationships are an important stepping stone in establishing testican-2 as a clinically relevant physiological marker of kidney disease progression, and point to additional proteins warranting further investigation.

Use of incretin-based drugs and risk of cholangiocarcinoma: Scandinavian cohort study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Concerns have been raised regarding a potential association of use of the incretin-based drugs dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-receptor agonists with risk of cholangiocarcinoma. We examined this association in nationwide data from three countries. METHODS: We used data from nationwide registers in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, 2007-2018, to conduct two cohort studies, one for DPP4 inhibitors and one for GLP-1-receptor agonists, to investigate the risk of incident cholangiocarcinoma compared with an active-comparator drug class (sulfonylureas). The cohorts included patients initiating treatment episodes with DPP4 inhibitors vs sulfonylureas, and GLP-1-receptor agonists vs sulfonylureas. We used Cox regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, to estimate hazard ratios from day 366 after treatment initiation to account for cancer latency. RESULTS: The main analyses of DPP4 inhibitors included 1,414,144 person-years of follow-up from 222,577 patients receiving DPP4 inhibitors (median [IQR] follow-up time, 4.5 [2.6-7.0] years) and 123,908 patients receiving sulfonylureas (median [IQR] follow-up time, 5.1 [2.9-7.8] years) during which 350 cholangiocarcinoma events occurred. Use of DPP4 inhibitors, compared with sulfonylureas, was not associated with a statistically significant increase in risk of cholangiocarcinoma (incidence rate 26 vs 23 per 100,000 person-years; adjusted HR, 1.15 [95% CI 0.90, 1.46]; absolute rate difference 3 [95% CI -3, 10] events per 100,000 person-years). The main analyses of GLP-1-receptor agonists included 1,036,587 person-years of follow-up from 96,813 patients receiving GLP-1-receptor agonists (median [IQR] follow-up time, 4.4 [2.4-6.9] years) and 142,578 patients receiving sulfonylureas (median [IQR] follow-up time, 5.5 [3.2-8.1] years) during which 249 cholangiocarcinoma events occurred. Use of GLP-1-receptor agonists was not associated with a statistically significant increase in risk of cholangiocarcinoma (incidence rate 26 vs 23 per 100,000 person-years; adjusted HR, 1.25 [95% CI 0.89, 1.76]; absolute rate difference 3 [95% CI -5, 13] events per 100,000 patient-years). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: In this analysis using nationwide data from three countries, use of DPP4 inhibitors and GLP-1-receptor agonists, compared with sulfonylureas, was not associated with a significantly increased risk of cholangiocarcinoma.

Metabolic syndrome and the plasma proteome: from association to causation.

BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome (MetS), defined by the simultaneous clustering of cardio-metabolic risk factors, is a significant worldwide public health burden with an estimated 25% prevalence worldwide. The pathogenesis of MetS is not entirely clear and the use of molecular level data could help uncover common pathogenic pathways behind the observed clustering. METHODS: Using a highly multiplexed aptamer-based affinity proteomics platform, we examined associations between plasma proteins and prevalent and incident MetS in the KORA cohort (n = 998) and replicated our results for prevalent MetS in the HUNT3 study (n = 923). We applied logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, and physical activity. We used the bootstrap ranking algorithm of least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) to select a predictive model from the incident MetS associated proteins and used area under the curve (AUC) to assess its performance. Finally, we investigated the causal effect of the replicated proteins on MetS using two-sample Mendelian randomization. RESULTS: Prevalent MetS was associated with 116 proteins, of which 53 replicated in HUNT. These included previously reported proteins like leptin, and new proteins like NTR domain-containing protein 2 and endoplasmic reticulum protein 29. Incident MetS was associated with 14 proteins in KORA, of which 13 overlap the prevalent MetS associated proteins with soluble advanced glycosylation end product-specific receptor (sRAGE) being unique to incident MetS. The LASSO selected an eight-protein predictive model with an (AUC = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.71-0.79) in KORA. Mendelian randomization suggested causal effects of three proteins on MetS, namely apolipoprotein E2 (APOE2) (Wald-Ratio = - 0.12, Wald-p = 3.63e-13), apolipoprotein B (APOB) (Wald-Ratio = - 0.09, Wald-p = 2.54e-04) and proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase receptor (RET) (Wald-Ratio = 0.10, Wald-p = 5.40e-04). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings offer new insights into the plasma proteome underlying MetS and identify new protein associations. We reveal possible casual effects of APOE2, APOB and RET on MetS. Our results highlight protein candidates that could potentially serve as targets for prevention and therapy.

Characterization of fine particles using optomagnetic measurements.

The remanent magnetic moment and the hydrodynamic size are important parameters for the synthesis and applications of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). We present the theoretical basis for the determination of the remanent magnetic moment and the hydrodynamic size of MNPs with a narrow size distribution using optomagnetic measurements. In these, the 2nd harmonic variation of the intensity of light transmitted through an MNP suspension is measured as a function of an applied axial oscillating magnetic field. We first show how the measurements of the optomagnetic signal magnitude at a low frequency vs. magnetic field amplitude can be used to determine the MNP moment. Subsequently, we use linear response theory to describe the dynamic non-equilibrium response of the MNP suspension at low magnetic field amplitudes and derive a link between optomagnetic measurements and magnetic AC susceptibility measurements. We demonstrate the presented methodology on two samples of commercially available multi-core MNPs. The results compare well with those obtained by dynamic light scattering, AC susceptibility and vibrating sample magnetometry measurements on the same samples when the different weighting of the particle size in the techniques is taken into account. The optomagnetic technique is simple, fast and does not require prior knowledge of the concentration of MNPs and it thus has the potential to be used as a routine tool for quality control of MNPs.

Development and Validation of a Protein-Based Risk Score for Cardiovascular Outcomes Among Patients With Stable Coronary Heart Disease.

IMPORTANCE: Precise stratification of cardiovascular risk in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) is needed to inform treatment decisions. OBJECTIVE: To derive and validate a score to predict risk of cardiovascular outcomes among patients with CHD, using large-scale analysis of circulating proteins. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospective cohort study of participants with stable CHD. For the derivation cohort (Heart and Soul study), outpatients from San Francisco were enrolled from 2000 through 2002 and followed up through November 2011 (≤11.1 years). For the validation cohort (HUNT3, a Norwegian population-based study), participants were enrolled from 2006 through 2008 and followed up through April 2012 (5.6 years). EXPOSURES: Using modified aptamers, 1130 proteins were measured in plasma samples. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: A 9-protein risk score was derived and validated for 4-year probability of myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and all-cause death. Tests, including the C statistic, were used to assess performance of the 9-protein risk score, which was compared with the Framingham secondary event model, refit to the cohorts in this study. Within-person change in the 9-protein risk score was evaluated in the Heart and Soul study from paired samples collected 4.8 years apart. RESULTS: From the derivation cohort, 938 samples were analyzed, participants' median age at enrollment was 67.0 years, and 82% were men. From the validation cohort, 971 samples were analyzed, participants' median age at enrollment was 70.2 years, and 72% were men. In the derivation cohort, C statistics were 0.66 for refit Framingham, 0.74 for 9-protein, and 0.75 for refit Framingham plus 9-protein models. In the validation cohort, C statistics were 0.64 for refit Framingham, 0.70 for 9-protein, and 0.71 for refit Framingham plus 9-protein models. Adding the 9-protein risk score to the refit Framingham model increased the C statistic by 0.09 (95% CI, 0.06-0.12) in the derivation cohort, and in the validation cohort, the C statistic was increased by 0.05 (95% CI, 0.02-0.09). Compared with the refit Framingham model, the integrated discrimination index for the 9-protein model was 0.12 (95% CI, 0.08-0.16) in the derivation cohort and 0.08 (95% CI, 0.05-0.10) in the validation cohort. In analysis of paired samples among 139 participants with cardiovascular events after the second sample, absolute within-person annualized risk increased more for the 9-protein model (median, 1.86% [95% CI, 1.15%-2.54%]) than for the refit Framingham model (median, 1.00% [95% CI, 0.87%-1.19%]) (P = .002), while among 375 participants without cardiovascular events, both scores changed less and similarly (P = .30). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among patients with stable CHD, a risk score based on 9 proteins performed better than the refit Framingham secondary event risk score in predicting cardiovascular events, but still provided only modest discriminative accuracy. Further research is needed to assess whether the score is more accurate in a lower-risk population.

Association of inflammatory markers with incident heart failure or cancer in the HUNT3 and Health ABC population studies.

AIMS: To investigate the relationship between chronic low-grade inflammation, as measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels, and incident heart failure (HF) or cancer. METHODS: We assessed the relationship between baseline hsCRP concentrations and subsequent HF or cancer in two community-based cohorts, the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT3) and the Health, Aging and Body Composition (ABC) study. In the latter, the analysis was replicated with interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, or tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α instead of hsCRP. RESULTS: In HUNT3, hsCRP was measured in 47,163 subjects (mean age 52.3 ± 15.8 years). During a median follow-up of 12.1 years, 2,034 (4.3%) individuals developed HF and 5,024 (10.7%) cancer, with 442 (0.9%) being diagnosed with both. After adjusting for age, male sex, diabetes, obesity, previous or current smoking, and comorbidities, elevated baseline hsCRP was associated with a higher risk of HF or cancer (HR 1.09; 95%CI, 1.07-1.10). In the Health ABC study, hsCRP levels were assessed in 2,803 participants, who had a mean age of 72.6 ± 2.9 years and a higher burden of comorbidities than in HUNT3. During a median follow-up of 8.2 years, HF and cancer were diagnosed in 346 (12.3%) and 776 (27.7%) subjects, respectively, with 77 (2.7%) having both conditions. After adjusting for the same variables used for the HUNT3 cohort, hsCRP remained significantly associated with incident HF or cancer (HR 1.11; 95%CI, 1.05-1.18), as were IL-1 (HR 1.15; 1.07-1.24), IL-6 (HR 1.09; 1.02-1.17), and TNF-α (HR 1.15; 1.07-1.24). CONCLUSIONS: A state of chronic, low-grade inflammation captured by an increase in hsCRP levels is associated with an increased risk of developing HF or cancer, with potential implications for clinical trials with anti-inflammatory therapies.

There is an increasing recognition that cardiovascular (CV) risk factors portend an increased risk of both heart failure (HF) and cancer. Chronic, low-grade inflammation might represent a shared pathogenic pathway underlying the association between these risk factors, HF, and malignancy. The biomarker high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) might add prognostic information on CV and cancer risk by capturing this inflammatory state. In this study we analysed the association of inflammation, as assessed by baseline measurement of hsCRP, and the risk of developing HF and cancer in two community-based prospective studies, the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT3) and the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) study.In these cohorts, comprising more than 50,000 individuals, inflammation at baseline was associated with an increased risk of incident HF or cancer during a median follow-up of 8-12 years, after adjusting for traditional risk factors and comorbidities.In the Health ABC study sample, three inflammatory markers other than hsCRP, namely interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, or tumour necrosis factor α, performed similarly to hsCRP in predicting the risk of incident HF or cancer. These results provide insights into the interconnection between HF and cancer and reinforce the concept that low-grade, chronic inflammation promotes the development of both HF and cancer and, thereby, might be targeted for prevention of either condition. Furthermore, our findings confirm the reliability of hsCRP as a biomarker to select individuals who may benefit from anti-inflammatory treatments to reduce CV and cancer events.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist use and risk of thyroid cancer: Scandinavian cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether use of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) receptor agonists is associated with increased risk of thyroid cancer. DESIGN: Scandinavian cohort study. SETTING: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, 2007-21. PARTICIPANTS: Patients who started GLP1 receptor agonist treatment were compared with patients who started dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitor treatment, and in an additional analysis, patients who started sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Thyroid cancer identified from nationwide cancer registers. An active-comparator new user study design was used to minimise risks of confounding and time related biases from using real world studies of drug effects. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios, controlling for potential confounders with propensity score weighting. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 3.9 years (standard deviation 3.5 years) in the GLP1 receptor agonist group and 5.4 years (standard deviation 3.5 years) in the DPP4 inhibitor group. 76 of 145 410 patients (incidence rate 1.33 events per 10 000 person years) treated with GLP1 receptor agonists and 184 of 291 667 patients (incidence rate 1.46 events per 10 000 person years) treated with DPP4 inhibitors developed thyroid cancer. GLP1 receptor agonist use was not associated with increased risk of thyroid cancer (hazard ratio 0.93, 95% confidence interval 0.66 to 1.31; rate difference -0.13, 95% confidence interval -0.61 to 0.36 events per 10 000 person years). The hazard ratio for medullary thyroid cancer was 1.19 (0.37 to 3.86). In the additional analysis comparing the GLP1 receptor agonist group with the SGLT2 inhibitor group, the hazard ratio for thyroid cancer was 1.16 (0.65 to 2.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort study using nationwide data from three countries, GLP1 receptor agonist use was not associated with a substantially increased risk of thyroid cancer over a mean follow-up of 3.9 years. In the main analysis comparing GLP1 receptor agonists with DPP4 inhibitors, the upper limit of the confidence interval was consistent with no more than a 31% increase in relative risk.

Comparative cardiovascular and renal effectiveness of empagliflozin and dapagliflozin: scandinavian cohort study.

AIMS: To assess the comparative cardiovascular and renal effectiveness and safety of empagliflozin vs. dapagliflozin among patients with type 2 diabetes in routine clinical practice. METHODS: Cohort study using data from nationwide registers in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, from June 2014 to June 2021 including 141 065 new users of empagliflozin and 58 306 new users of dapagliflozin. Coprimary outcomes were major cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death), heart failure (hospitalization or death because of heart failure) and serious renal events (renal replacement therapy, hospitalization for renal events, and death from renal causes). Secondary outcomes were the individual components of the primary outcomes, any cause death and diabetic ketoacidosis. RESULTS: Use of empagliflozin vs. dapagliflozin was associated with similar risk of major cardiovascular events (adjusted incidence rate: 15.9 vs. 15.8 events per 1000 person-years; HR 1.02, [95% CI 0.97-1.08]), heart failure (6.5 vs. 6.3 events per 1000 person-years; HR 1.05 [0.97-1.14]) and serious renal events (3.7 vs. 4.1 events per 1000 person-years; HR 0.97 [0.87-1.07]). In secondary outcome analyses, the HRs for use of empagliflozin vs. dapagliflozin were 1.00 (0.93-1.07) for myocardial infarction, 1.03 (0.95-1.12) for stroke, 1.01 (0.92-1.13) for cardiovascular death, 1.06 (1.00-1.11) for any cause death, 0.77 (0.60-0.99) for renal replacement therapy, 1.20 (0.75-1.93) for renal death, 1.01 (0.90-1.12) for hospitalization for renal events and 1.12 (0.94-1.33) for diabetic ketoacidosis. CONCLUSIONS: Use of empagliflozin and dapagliflozin was associated with similar risk of cardiovascular and renal outcomes, mortality and diabetic ketoacidosis.

Simulated and measured piezoelectric energy harvesting of dynamic load in tires.

From 2007 in US and from 2022 in EU it is mandatory to use TPMS monitoring in new cars. Sensors mounted in tires require a continuous power supply, which currently only is from batteries. Piezoelectric energy harvesting is a promising technology to harvest energy from tire movement and deformation to prolong usage of batteries and even avoid them inside tires. This study presents a simpler method to simultaneous model the tire deformation and piezoelectric harvester performance by using a new simulation approach - dynamic bending zone. For this, angular and initial velocities were used for rolling motion, while angled polarization was introduced in the model for the piezoelectric material to generate correct voltage from tire deformation. We combined this numerical simulation in COMSOL Multiphysics with real-life measurements of electrical output of a piezoelectric energy harvester that was mounted onto a tire. This modelling approach allowed for 10 times decrease in simulation time as well as simpler investigation of systems parameters influencing the output power. By using experimental data, the simulation could be fine-tuned for material properties and for easier extrapolation of tire deformation with output harvested energy from simulations done at low velocity to the high velocity experimental data.

Large scale plasma proteomics identifies novel proteins and protein networks associated with heart failure development.

Heart failure (HF) causes substantial morbidity and mortality but its pathobiology is incompletely understood. The proteome is a promising intermediate phenotype for discovery of novel mechanisms. We measured 4877 plasma proteins in 13,900 HF-free individuals across three analysis sets with diverse age, geography, and HF ascertainment to identify circulating proteins and protein networks associated with HF development. Parallel analyses in Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study participants in mid-life and late-life and in Trøndelag Health Study participants identified 37 proteins consistently associated with incident HF independent of traditional risk factors. Mendelian randomization supported causal effects of 10 on HF, HF risk factors, or left ventricular size and function, including matricellular (e.g. SPON1, MFAP4), senescence-associated (FSTL3, IGFBP7), and inflammatory (SVEP1, CCL15, ITIH3) proteins. Protein co-regulation network analyses identified 5 modules associated with HF risk, two of which were influenced by genetic variants that implicated trans hotspots within the VTN and CFH genes.

Large-scale circulating proteome association study (CPAS) meta-analysis identifies circulating proteins and pathways predicting incident hip fractures.

Hip fractures are associated with significant disability, high cost, and mortality. However, the exact biological mechanisms underlying susceptibility to hip fractures remain incompletely understood. In an exploratory search of the underlying biology as reflected through the circulating proteome, we performed a comprehensive Circulating Proteome Association Study (CPAS) meta-analysis for incident hip fractures. Analyses included 6430 subjects from two prospective cohort studies (Cardiovascular Health Study and Trøndelag Health Study) with circulating proteomics data (aptamer-based 5 K SomaScan version 4.0 assay; 4979 aptamers). Associations between circulating protein levels and incident hip fractures were estimated for each cohort using age and sex-adjusted Cox regression models. Participants experienced 643 incident hip fractures. Compared with the individual studies, inverse-variance weighted meta-analyses yielded more statistically significant associations, identifying 23 aptamers associated with incident hip fractures (conservative Bonferroni correction 0.05/4979, P < 1.0 × 10-5). The aptamers most strongly associated with hip fracture risk corresponded to two proteins of the growth hormone/insulin growth factor system (GHR and IGFBP2), as well as GDF15 and EGFR. High levels of several inflammation-related proteins (CD14, CXCL12, MMP12, ITIH3) were also associated with increased hip fracture risk. Ingenuity pathway analysis identified reduced LXR/RXR activation and increased acute phase response signaling to be overrepresented among those proteins associated with increased hip fracture risk. These analyses identified several circulating proteins and pathways consistently associated with incident hip fractures. These findings underscore the usefulness of the meta-analytic approach for comprehensive CPAS in a similar manner as has previously been observed for large-scale human genetic studies. Future studies should investigate the underlying biology of these potential novel drug targets.

Hip fractures are associated with significant disability, high cost, and mortality. However, the exact biological mechanisms underlying susceptibility to hip fractures remain incompletely understood. To increase the understanding of the underlying mechanisms, we performed a meta-analysis of the associations between 4860 circulating proteins and risk of fractures using two large cohorts, including 6430 participants with 643 incident hip fractures. We identified 23 proteins/aptamers associated with incident hip fractures. Two proteins of the growth hormone/insulin growth factor system (GHR and IGFBP2), as well as GDF15 and EGFR were most strongly associated with hip fracture risk. High levels of several inflammation-related proteins were also associated with increased hip fracture risk. Pathway analysis identified reduced LXR/RXR activation and increased acute phase response signaling to be overrepresented among those proteins associated with increased hip fracture risk. Future mechanistic studies should investigate the underlying biology of these novel protein biomarkers which may be potential drug targets.

A plasma protein-based risk score to predict hip fractures.

As there are effective treatments to reduce hip fractures, identification of patients at high risk of hip fracture is important to inform efficient intervention strategies. To obtain a new tool for hip fracture prediction, we developed a protein-based risk score in the Cardiovascular Health Study using an aptamer-based proteomic platform. The proteomic risk score predicted incident hip fractures and improved hip fracture discrimination in two Trøndelag Health Study validation cohorts using the same aptamer-based platform. When transferred to an antibody-based proteomic platform in a UK Biobank validation cohort, the proteomic risk score was strongly associated with hip fractures (hazard ratio per s.d. increase, 1.64; 95% confidence interval 1.53-1.77). The proteomic risk score, but not available polygenic risk scores for fractures or bone mineral density, improved the C-index beyond the fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX), which integrates information from clinical risk factors (C-index, FRAX 0.735 versus FRAX + proteomic risk score 0.776). The developed proteomic risk score constitutes a new tool for stratifying patients according to hip fracture risk; however, its improvement in hip fracture discrimination is modest and its clinical utility beyond FRAX with information on femoral neck bone mineral density remains to be determined.

Patterns of proton pump inhibitor utilization in gastroesophageal reflux disease and the effect of restrictions on reimbursement: a nationwide prescription database study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the drug utilization patterns for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) prescriptions dispensed in periods with and without restrictions on reimbursement in a public healthcare system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data on all PPI prescriptions dispensed for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was retrieved from the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD) from 1 January 2004 to 31 January 2008. PPI utilization patterns were studied in new and current users of PPI in periods affected and not affected by a change in prescription policy. RESULTS: The policy change resulted in 39% of esomeprazole patients discontinuing PPI therapy during a 12-month period while 23% discontinued PPI therapy during a period not affected by the policy change. The shift frequency to a different PPI was low, 5% and 7% respectively, during periods not affected by policy change. Despite a required shift in most esomeprazole patients, 64% still continued on esomeprazole. Among the 36% who shifted from esomeprazole to a different PPI, 25% subsequently shifted back to esomeprazole. In new PPI users, the proportion of esomeprazole users declined from 57% before to 20% after the introduction of the policy change. CONCLUSIONS: Despite GERD being a chronic disease in most patients, there was a high degree of alteration seen in the utilization patterns of PPIs. A high proportion discontinued PPI therapy indicating mild symptoms or remission. The switching between different PPIs was low indicating good efficacy and tolerability in most patients. The policy change was more effective in new PPI users compared with the mandated shift in ongoing esomeprazole users.

Size-Dependent Relaxation Properties of Monodisperse Magnetite Nanoparticles Measured Over Seven Decades of Frequency by AC Susceptometry.

Magnetic relaxation is exploited in innovative biomedical applications of magnetic particles such as magnetic particle imaging (MPI), magnetic fluid hyperthermia, and bio-sensing. Relaxation behavior should be optimized to achieve high performance imaging, efficient heating, and good SNR in bio-sensing. Using two AC susceptometers with overlapping frequency ranges, we have measured the relaxation behavior of a series of monodisperse magnetic particles and demonstrated that this approach is an effective way to probe particle relaxation characteristics from a few Hz to 10 MHz, the frequencies relevant for MPI, hyperthermia, and sensing.

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitor Treatment and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: Scandinavian Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in routine clinical practice. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We used nationwide registers in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden from 2013 to 2018 in order to include patients without a history of AF who were newly prescribed an SGLT2 inhibitor or an active comparator (glucagon-like peptide 1 [GLP-1] receptor agonist). We performed a cohort study to assess new-onset AF in intention-to-treat analyses using Cox regression, adjusted for baseline covariates with propensity score weighting. RESULTS: We identified 79,343 new users of SGLT2 inhibitors (59.2% dapagliflozin, 40.0% empagliflozin, 0.8% canagliflozin, <0.1% ertugliflozin) and 57,613 new users of GLP-1 receptor agonists. Mean age of the study cohort was 61 years and 60% were men. The adjusted incidence rate of new-onset AF was 8.6 per 1,000 person-years for new users of SGLT2 inhibitors compared with 10.0 per 1,000 person-years for new users of GLP-1 receptor agonists. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) was 0.89 (95% CI 0.81-0.96), and the rate difference was 1.4 fewer events per 1,000 person-years (95% CI 0.6-2.1). Using an as-treated exposure definition, the aHR for new-onset AF was 0.87 (95% CI 0.76-0.99). No statistically significant heterogeneity of the aHRs was observed between subgroups of patients with and without a history of heart failure or major cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort study using nationwide data from three countries, use of SGLT2 inhibitors, compared with GLP-1 receptor agonists, was associated with a modestly reduced risk of new-onset AF.

Effectiveness and safety of oral anticoagulants in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the risk of stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding associated with the use of oral anticoagulants in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in a real-world population. METHODS: We identified all anticoagulant-naive initiators of warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban for the indication AF in Norway between January 2013 and December 2017. Multivariate competing risk regression was used to calculate subhazard ratios (SHRs) describing associations between non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) compared with warfarin for risk of stroke/SE and major bleeding. RESULTS: Among 30 401 patients ≥75 years identified (median age 82 years, 53% women, mean CHA2DS2-VaSc score 4.5), 3857 initiated dabigatran, 6108 rivaroxaban, 13 786 apixaban and 6650 warfarin. Reduced dose was initiated in 11 559 (49%) of the NOAC-treated patients. For stroke, the SHRs for standard dose NOAC against warfarin were 0.80 (95% CI 0.57 to 1.13) for dabigatran; 1.07 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.30) for rivaroxaban and 0.95 (95% CI 0.78 to 1.15) for apixaban. For major bleeding, the SHRs against warfarin were 0.75 (95% CI 0.52 to 1.08) for dabigatran; 0.96 (95% CI 0.78 to 1.16) for rivaroxaban and 0.74 (95% CI 0.60 to 0.91) for apixaban. Comparing reduced doses of NOACs with warfarin yielded similar results. Sensitivity analyses were in accordance with the main results. CONCLUSION: In this nationwide cohort study of patients ≥75 years initiating oral anticoagulation for AF, standard and reduced dose NOACs were associated with similar risks of stroke/SE as warfarin and lower or similar risks of bleeding. The NOACs seem to be a safe option also in elderly patients.

Characteristics, treatment patterns, and residual cardiovascular risk of patients with a first acute myocardial infarction: A nationwide population-based cohort study in Norway.

There are few nationwide descriptive studies of longitudinal drug use and residual cardiovascular risk in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) in contemporary clinical practice. The objectives of this work were to describe characteristics and longitudinal cardiovascular drug use of patients with a first acute MI in Norway, and to quantify residual risks of cardiovascular events and death. Using nationwide health registries in Norway, we identified 43 750 adults with a first MI (2010 to 2015) and ≥1 prescription for antiplatelet medication. We described cardiovascular medication post-MI and calculated residual cardiovascular risks. Between 3 months and 13-15 months post MI, medication use dropped from 93.3% to 75.1% for low-dose aspirin, 78.1% to 11.0% for dual antiplatelet therapy, 91.6% to 78.7% for antihypertensives, and 88.0% to 70.7% for lipid-lowering therapy. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for recurrent MI were similar between subpopulations at 12 months and notably different at 12-36 months. IRRs (95% CIs) at 12-36 months were 1.52 (1.26-1.82) for 65-74 years, 2.26 (1.88-2.71) for 75-84 years, and 3.97 (3.29-4.79) for ≥85 years (vs. 18-49 years), 2.42 (2.18-2.69) for those with ischaemic heart disease (IHD), 2.26 (1.97-2.59) for peripheral artery disease (PAD), 2.17 (1.98-2.36) for hypertension, and 1.82 (1.65-2.01) for diabetes. In conclusion, secondary prevention medication use 13-15 months following a first MI is suboptimal among patients in Norway. The elderly and those with IHD, PAD, diabetes, or hypertension are at high-risk for recurrent MI/stroke/death and should be managed closely beyond the first year.