Prevalence, outcomes, and complications of vitamin D deficiency among patients with multiple myeloma: Nationwide burden of disease.

Multiple myeloma (MM), constituting 10% of hematological malignancies, poses significant morbidity and mortality, especially with skeletal involvement. Bisphosphonate use in MM may lead to severe hypocalcemia due to vitamin D deficiency (VDD), exacerbating bone-marrow plasma cell burden. We aimed to assess VDD prevalence and its impact on outcomes in MM patients. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis (2008-2018) of nationwide inpatient data identified adult MM hospitalizations with VDD using ICD-10-CM codes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate prevalence, demographics, and outcomes, with significance set at p < 0.05. Among 330,175 MM hospitalizations, 3.48% had VDD. VDD was more prevalent among 50-75 year olds (61.72% vs 59.74%), females (53.36% vs 44.34%), Blacks (23.34% vs 22.94%), Whites (65.84% vs 65.79%), higher income brackets (26.13% vs 23.85%), and those with comorbidities like hypertension (71.12% vs 69.89%), dyslipidemia (42.47% vs 34.98%), obesity (13.63% vs 10.19%), and alcohol abuse (1.61% vs 1.34%). In regression analysis, VDD in MM patients correlated with higher morbidity (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.24, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.14-1.36) and major disability (aOR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.20-1.30). MM patients with VDD exhibit worse outcomes, underscoring the importance of recognizing and managing VDD promptly. Further prospective studies are needed to validate our findings and explore the impact of vitamin D supplementation on MM patient outcomes.

Comprehensive Review of Red Meat Consumption and the Risk of Cancer.

Red and processed meat consumption rates are increasing in the United States. In this review, we present the current evidence that links red meat consumption and cancer development. A literature search was conducted in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases to review red meat consumption and its association with breast cancer and gastrointestinal cancer. Due to the presence of heme iron, which triggers oxidative reactions that eventually result in tumor formation, red meat consumption is strongly associated with the development of breast cancer. Ingestion of red meat increases Helicobacter pylori infections, resulting in enhanced expression of the CagA gene and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This is the leading cause of gastric cancer. There is a strong correlation between heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in red meat and the development of pancreatic cancer. However, additional research is necessary to confirm this finding. Adult colorectal cancer is caused by the formation of heterocyclic amines and DNA adducts due to the intake of red and processed meats cooked at higher temperatures. The consumption of poultry is associated with a reduced risk of breast and gastrointestinal cancers, but the results are inconsistent. The evidence is strong for the association between red meat and breast cancer and most gastric cancers. The presence of aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic amines, and heme iron in red meat has been found to be behind tumorigenesis. Poultry has been shown to have a low association with cancer, but additional research is needed.

Prevalence of Cerebrovascular Accidents Among the US Population With Substance Use Disorders: A Nationwide Study.

Introduction Globally, stroke is one of the top ten causes of death. The incidence of stroke in patients aged 44 years and younger was noted to have risen over the past three decades. This rise in stroke diagnosis among young adults could be attributed to multiple reasons, including the rising prevalence of comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, substance use disorders (SUDs), etc. Aim & objectives This study's primary aim was to evaluate the prevalence of stroke in the US population and the prevalence of SUDs amongst patients with a prior history of stroke. The secondary aim was to evaluate the association between Stroke and SUDs. Methods Our population was obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between the years 2013 to 2018. We identified respondents diagnosed with stroke using the questionnaire and the history of various SUDs amongst this population. The data were analyzed using SAS software (Version 9.4). We performed univariate analysis using the chi-square and Mann-Whitney test, and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Two hundred sixty-four thousand seven hundred forty (264,740) respondents were included in this study, and 10435 (3.94%) respondents were noted to have a history of stroke. The population subset with a stroke diagnosis was older (68 years vs. 51 years). Higher prevalence was noted among the female sex (52.14% females vs. 47.86% males), Non-Hispanic white ethnicity, followed by Non-Hispanic black & then other Hispanics (47.56% vs.25.47% vs. 7.82%), and those belonging to a lower annual household income of $0-$25,000 and $25,000-$65,000 ( 46.61% vs. 35.93% ). (p<0.0001). After adjusting for socio-demographics and coexisting comorbidities, e-cigarette [OR: 2.03; 95% CI: 2.03-2.03], cocaine [OR: 1.54; 95%CI:1.54-1.54], heroin [OR: 1.83; 95%CI: 1.83-1.83], marijuana or hashish [OR: 1.01; 95% CI: 1.01-1.01], were observed to have an association with higher odds of stroke than the population without a history of using these illicit drugs.  Conclusion Among respondents with a history of stroke, the use of cocaine was most prevalent, followed by marijuana/hashish, heroin, e-cigarettes, and injecting illegal drugs. The odds of having a stroke were two times higher in the population using an e-cigarette and higher among those using heroin, cocaine, and marijuana/ hashish. The Government should plan policy changes to treat SUDs in the USA, which could help reduce the stroke burden. Recall that bias and geographic variations in response rate by participants of the study were the limitations of our survey-based study.

A Double Whammy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature on Pneumococcal Coinfection in COVID-19 Patients.

Bacterial coinfections which are infections present early in the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections before hospitalizations during the 2020 pandemic are rare. A 66-year-old male presented to the ED with a two-week history of subjective fever, dyspnea, and productive cough. He was diagnosed with coinfection of severe COVID-19 pneumonia and pneumococcal infection. He recovered from both infections and was discharged home. This report presents the features of this case and reviews the literature of similar cases of coinfection of COVID-19 pneumonia and pneumococcal infection.