Relationship Between Heart Disease and Obesity Indicators Among Adults: A Secondary Data Analysis.

Background Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC) determine obesity. Several studies have examined the association between obesity and many diseases, including heart disease, and found it to be a substantial risk factor. However, the relationship between heart disease and obesity has not been investigated. This study investigated the relationship between heart disease and obesity indicators among adults encompassing sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Methodology This cross-sectional study included data from 3,574 individuals who participated in the 2011-2014 National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States refresher. The presence or absence of heart conditions such as irregular heartbeat, heart murmur, heart attack, and heart failure was determined using self-reported questionnaires. The association between heart disease and obesity indicators such as BMI, WC, HC, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was investigated using linear regression. Results After controlling for all factors, the findings demonstrated a significant relationship between heart disease and BMI, WC, and HC high scores of 1.12 kg/m2, 0.63 inches, and 0.81 inches, respectively. A higher score in all obesity indicators was linked to being 65 years or older; male gender (for HC); having a school/college level of education; being unmarried, divorced, or widowed; having a history of smoking; and avoiding alcohol use. Conclusions Heart disease and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors are substantially associated with a high score in all obesity indicators. The findings of this study are important because they can assist healthcare providers in implementing different therapies to prevent high BMI, WC, HC, and WHR.

Virtual consultations for patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of virtual care strategies for the management of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS). RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the effectiveness of virtual consultations compared to in-person consultations for the management of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in adult patients with OSAHS? METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO; CRD42022297532) based on six electronic databases plus manually selected journals was conducted in January 2022. Two researchers independently selected, quality appraised and extracted data. The co-primary outcomes were patient-reported sleepiness, assessed by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and reported cost-effectiveness. RESULTS: 12 studies (n=1823 adults) were included in the review. Seven studies (n=1089) were included in the meta-analysis which showed no difference in the magnitude of improvement in patient-reported sleepiness scores between virtual and in-person consultations (mean difference -0.39, 95% CI -1.38-0.60; p=0.4), although ESS scores improved in both groups. Virtual care strategies modestly increased CPAP therapy adherence and were found to be less costly than in-person care strategies in the three Spanish trials that reported cost-effectiveness. CONCLUSION: The findings of this review suggest that virtual care delivered by telephone or video consultations is as effective as in-person consultations for improving subjective sleepiness in patients with OSAHS treated with CPAP. This clinical management strategy may also improve CPAP adherence without increasing the costs, supporting its potential as a follow-up management strategy, where patients prefer this approach.

Sleep Quality, Insomnia, Anxiety, Fatigue, Stress, Memory and Active Coping during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on sleep quality, insomnia, anxiety, stress, fatigue and active coping in the United States. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using a publicly available database taken from the Boston College COVID-19 Sleep and Well-Being Dataset. We have selected the most recent data that included information about sleep quality and other measures, including insomnia, anxiety, stress, fatigue and coping, collected between 22 February−8 March 2021. Results: A total of 476 subjects were included in the analysis. The mean (SD) age of the study population was 38.8 (17.8) years, and there were more females (85%) than males. The population had a mean (SD) score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) of 6 (3.2), with 65% having the prevalence of poor sleep quality (defined as PSQ ≥ 5; n = 311). The mean (SD) score for Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was 6.9 (5.2), with 55 subjects (11.5%) having clinical insomnia (defined as ISI ≥ 15); of whom 9% had severe clinical insomnia. There were positive correlations between PSQI and ISI (r = 0.76, p < 0.001), PROMIS fatigue scale (r = 0.53, p < 0.001), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) (r = 0.46, p < 0.001), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (r = 0.44, p < 0.001). The PSQI was inversely correlated with the John Henryism Active Coping Scale (JHACS) and memory scale. In the multivariate regression model, JHACS, ISI, fatigue, PSS and GAD-7 were significant predictors of PSQI, and these variables accounted for 62% of the variance of PSQI, adjusted for age and gender. Conclusion: An important contribution to the literature is made by this research, which demonstrates the significant prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with insomnia and other mental and physical well-being. It also underlines the need to prioritise policy and public health efforts to address sleep issues that have substantial health and economic effects for both individuals and the population at large.