Food insecurity and diabetes management among adults of African descent: A systematic review.

AIMS: This systematic review explores the established causal link between food insecurity and cardiometabolic conditions among adults of African descent. Specifically, this study examined the relationship between food insecurity and the management of type 2 diabetes, highlighting the prevalence of food insecurity among individuals of African descent with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Original English papers were meticulously searched in databases including PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Medline, Cochrane, Embase and Web of Science. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for quantitative studies and COReQ for qualitative studies were employed to assess biases. Three independent reviewers meticulously evaluated and synthesized results, reaching a consensus. RESULTS: Among the 198 studies identified, 14 met the inclusion criteria for data extraction and analysis, which were conducted independently by three reviewers. The findings indicate that individuals of African descent are more likely to experience food insecurity compared to their White counterparts and are also more prone to diabetes risk factors or the presence of diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores a higher prevalence of food insecurity and type 2 diabetes among adults of African descent, suggesting that ethnicity and food insecurity play significant roles in diabetes management. Future research should prioritize interventions aimed at reducing these disparities.

Preliminary effects of a yoga intervention for lung cancer dyads: benefits for care partners.

PURPOSE: Lung cancer is a disease with high mortality and morbidity, impacting both the patient and their closest contact, referred to in this paper as their care partner. There is limited evidence on how to support mental health and quality of life (QOL) for patient-care partner dyads during cancer treatment. This pilot study examines yoga as an intervention to improve well-being for the dyad. METHODS: A single-group, 12-week pilot trial of yoga for patients and their care partners recruited from two hospitals during cancer treatment (N = 23 patient-partner dyads or 46 individuals). Most care partners were spouses (70%), with the remainder being adult children (22%), a sibling (4%), or a friend (4%). Descriptive statistics, Cohen's d effect sizes, and paired t-tests for validated psychosocial measures were calculated at baseline and 12 weeks. RESULTS: Sixty-five percent of dyads (N = 13) completed the study, with withdrawals mostly due to disease progression. Among care partners, there was a decrease in depression symptomology on the PHQ-8 (p = 0.015, Cohen's d = 0.96) and improvement in QOL on the Caregiver QOL-Cancer scale (p = 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.61). Fifty percent of dyads experienced concordant improvement in depressive symptoms and 77% in QOL. CONCLUSION: Patient-partner yoga is a promising intervention for improving mental health and QOL for patient-partner dyads among lung cancer survivors. This study demonstrates yoga to be acceptable, feasible, and with high concordance within patient-partner dyads for improvements in QOL. Yoga shows promise for patients and care partners to alleviate the negative psychosocial impacts of lung cancer, though more research is needed to confirm effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03649737, 12/9/2020.

Assessing Life's Essential 8 and Adverse Childhood Experiences in Grandparent-Grandchild Co-residing Dyads.

We assessed a subset of behavioral indicators from the American Heart Association Life's Essential 8 cardiovascular health (CVH) construct-diet, physical activity, sleep, and nicotine exposure-and quantified associations in scores between members of 12 grandparent-grandchild dyads (grandparents, 52-70 years old; children, 7-12 years old). We also assessed the number of adverse childhood experiences from the dyads. Using the Life's Essential 8 scoring algorithm (0-100, with 100 as optimal), we calculated averages and used Spearman's ρ correlation to quantify associations. Mean score was 67.5 (±12.4) for grandparents and 63.0 (±11.2) for grandchildren. Mean scores for the dyad members were significantly correlated ( r = 0.66, P < .05). The mean numbers of adverse childhood experiences were 7.0 and 5.8 for the grandparents and grandchildren, respectively. The results indicate that CVH in these dyads was suboptimal and interrelated. Adverse childhood experiences in this analysis surpass levels reported as high risk for poor CVH. Our findings suggest that dyadic-based interventions to improve CVH are warranted.

The role of nurse-patient mutuality on self-care behaviours in patients with chronic illness.

AIM: To examine the role of nurse-patient mutuality on three self-care behaviours in chronic illness patients. DESIGN: A cross-sectional multi-centre study was conducted. METHODS: Mutuality was measured with the Nurse-Patient Mutuality in Chronic Illness scale which has the dimensions of developing and going beyond, being a point of reference and deciding and sharing care, and self-care was measured with the Self-care of Chronic Illness Inventory (SC-CII). Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to assess the contribution of three dimensions of mutuality on self-care maintenance, monitoring and management behaviours controlling for patient gender, age, education, number of medications, and presence of a family caregiver. RESULTS: The sample included 465 inpatients and outpatients with at least one chronic illness. The three dimensions of mutuality had different roles in their influence on the three dimensions of self-care. Developing and going beyond was significantly associated with self-care maintenance and self-care monitoring behaviours. Point of reference was significantly associated with self-care maintenance behaviour. Deciding and sharing care was significantly associated with self-care monitoring and self-care management behaviours. CONCLUSION: The mutuality between nurse and patient may be a novel area of research to support and improve patient self-care behaviours with implications for clinical practice and education. IMPLICATION FOR PROFESSION AND PATIENT CARE: Mutuality between nurse and patient increases patient engagement, symptom recognition, decision-making process and patient-centred approach favouring the development of self-care behaviours. IMPACT: Mutuality between nurse and patient is a new concept and its association with the patient outcomes could bring relevance to the nursing profession. Self-care behaviours are important in the management of chronic diseases, but are difficult to perform. Mutuality between nurse and patient influences the three different behaviours of self-care in chronic illness, for this reason it is important to increase the level of mutuality in this dyad. REPORTING METHOD: STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was followed in this study. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Patients were involved in the sample of the study.

The protective roles of affectionate behaviors and communication on mental quality of life of couples living with fibromyalgia: movement toward a dyadic perspective.

This study assessed the impact of affectionate behaviors and communication problems on the mental quality of life (mQoL) in couples with fibromyalgia. Dyadic multilevel modeling in 204 fibromyalgia couples found that people with fibromyalgia (PwFM) who engaged in high levels of affectionate behaviors with their partner had improved mQoL. There was no significant association between affectionate behaviors and mQoL for their partners. Similarly, when PwFM and their partners had more communication problems within the couple, they had poor mQoL. Both models found that higher levels of pain interference for PwFM were significantly associated with poorer mQoL for both members of the couple. Young partners were significantly more likely to report poorer mQoL. Findings highlight the importance of the interpersonal context of fibromyalgia and the protective roles that affectionate behaviors and positive communication can play. Clinicians should include the partner in the care plan and treat the couple as one unit to better optimize the health of both members.

Unemployed, Immigrant, and Older Asian Workers in a U.S.-Based Job-Training Program: Their Experiences and Well-Being, and Strategies for Reaching This Important Population.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a U.S.-based job-training program that serves unemployed workers aged 55 and older with incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. While federal funds are set aside to serve Asian workers in SCSEP, little is known about their characteristics and experiences. In response, this pilot study aimed to document the health, well-being, and experiences of older Asian SCSEP participants in Massachusetts through the completion of a survey. Respondents (N = 39) ranged in age from 58 to 73 and identified as either Chinese (72%) or Vietnamese (28%). All were immigrants, and almost all spoke a language other than English at home. Most reported "good" health as well as financial difficulties. They also stated that their supervisors in their placements were supportive. On average, respondents noted moderate interest in searching for a paid job after exiting SCSEP, although more reported interest in searching for a volunteer role. Key to the success of this study was a robust collaboration with a local human services organization with strong ties to the Chinese and Vietnamese communities. The findings highlight the importance of this growing group of older workers.

Disease-related knowledge in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their informal caregivers: A multilevel modelling analysis.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the level of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-related knowledge within patient and informal caregiver dyads, and to identify factors influencing the knowledge level considering the interdependence within the dyads. BACKGROUND: Patients with COPD and their informal caregivers present poor disease knowledge and different characteristics are associated with their level of knowledge. Disease knowledge and related characteristics have been assessed separately in patients and informal caregivers, without considering possible influence within the dyads. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A convenience sample of dyads was recruited in outpatient and inpatient settings in Central and South Italy. The Bristol COPD Knowledge Questionnaire was used to measure disease knowledge. Sociodemographic, clinical and caregiving characteristics, self-efficacy and depression were measured in patients and caregivers. Multilevel modelling was used to analyse COPD knowledge at the level of the dyad to control for interdependency between patients and informal caregivers. The STROBE guidelines for cross-sectional studies were followed for study reporting. RESULTS: We recruited 133 dyads. The total level of correct knowledge shared by dyads was 32.89%. Dyads presented higher levels of correct knowledge about disease symptoms, smoking cessation and vaccination, and lower about COPD treatment. Younger patients with greater self-efficacy, who attended pulmonary rehabilitation and were cared for by a spouse/partner with low levels of depression, and informal caregivers who were patients' spouse/partner were more likely to have higher levels of disease-related knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Our study advances dyadic research in COPD. Future studies should investigate the effects of shared knowledge and incongruent knowledge (where one member knows more than the other) on patient self-care and caregiver contribution to patient self-care. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Our study shows what knowledge nurses should provide in educational programmes directed at patients and caregivers, and which dyads have greater knowledge deficits, to whom offer targeted educational interventions.

Protective Role of Caregiver Preparedness on the Relationship Between Depression and Quality of Life in Stroke Dyads.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Depression and quality of life (QOL) have an interdependent and transactional nature in stroke survivor-caregiver dyads. While the strong relationship between depression and physical and emotional QOL in stroke survivor-caregiver dyads is well known, it is less clear if this relationship is moderated by caregiver preparedness, which could easily be targeted with interventions. In this study, we examined the moderating role of caregiver preparedness on the association between depression and QOL in stroke survivor-caregiver dyads. METHODS: We used a longitudinal design with follow-ups every 3 months over a 1-year period. Considering the nonindependent nature of the data (survivors and their caregivers), we used multilevel modeling to analyze data at the dyad level. We implemented 4 longitudinal dyadic moderation models (one for each QOL domain: physical, psychological, social, and environmental) using hierarchical linear modeling. RESULTS: A sample of 222 stroke survivor-caregiver dyads was analyzed. Stroke survivors were older (M=70.8, SD=11.9) than their caregivers (M=52.4, SD=13.1). Stroke survivors predominantly had an ischemic stroke, equally distributed by site. Caregivers were primarily female (66%), with a medium to high educational level (57%). Caregiver preparedness significantly moderated the association between survivor depression and survivor psychological (B=0.56, P<0.01) and environmental (B=0.58, P<0.01) QOL at baseline and social QOL over time (B=0.24, P<0.05). Similarly, caregiver preparedness significantly moderated the association between caregiver depression and caregiver physical (B=0.25, P<0.01) and environmental (B=0.18, P<0.05) QOL over time. CONCLUSIONS: Caregiver preparedness has a positive influence on both members of the dyad. Assessment of stroke-caregiver preparedness could be helpful to motivate clinicians to develop and implement interventions for stroke survivor-caregiver dyads.

Symptom Classes in Decompensated Liver Disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Patients with decompensated liver disease have been categorized by disease severity. This analysis sought to classify patients with end-stage liver disease based on symptoms rather than disease state and to identify distinct severity classes of physical and psychological symptoms. METHODS: Patients with a model for end-stage liver disease-sodium score of 15 or higher were recruited from liver clinics in 2 health care organizations. They completed the Condensed Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, Revised Ways of Coping Checklist, Patient Health Questionnaire, Life Orientation Test-Revised, and the Short-Form Health Survey. Cross-sectional data were analyzed using latent class mixture modeling. RESULTS: The sample (N = 191; age, 56.6 ± 11.1 y; 33.5% ETOH; 28.3% nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; 13.1% autoimmune/primary biliary cholangitis/primary sclerosing cholangitis) was predominantly male (64.2%), Child-Turcotte-Pugh class C (49.5%), with an average model for end-stage liver disease-sodium score of 18.7 ± 4.9. Three distinct classes of symptoms were identified, as follows: mild (26.7%), moderate (41.4%), or severe (31.9%) symptoms. Symptom classes were independent of disease severity and demographic characteristics, except age. All Condensed Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale symptoms and Patient Health Questionnaire scores were significantly different across the 3 classes (P < .05). The symptom classes also differed significantly in physical and mental quality of life, optimism, and avoidance coping behaviors (all P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patient-reported symptom severity occurred independent of disease severity, contrary to common assumptions. Focusing on the moderate and severe symptom classes as well as patient history of end-stage liver disease complications may enhance providers' ability to improve symptom management for this population.

CTGF/CCN2 facilitates LRP4-mediated formation of the embryonic neuromuscular junction.

At the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), lipoprotein-related receptor 4 (LRP4) mediates agrin-induced MuSK phosphorylation that leads to clustering of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in the postsynaptic region of the skeletal muscle. Additionally, the ectodomain of LRP4 is necessary for differentiation of the presynaptic nerve terminal. However, the molecules regulating LRP4 have not been fully elucidated yet. Here, we show that the CT domain of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) directly binds to the third beta-propeller domain of LRP4. CTGF/CCN2 enhances the binding of LRP4 to MuSK and facilitates the localization of LRP4 on the plasma membrane. CTGF/CCN2 enhances agrin-induced MuSK phosphorylation and AChR clustering in cultured myotubes. Ctgf-deficient mouse embryos (Ctgf-/- ) have small AChR clusters and abnormal dispersion of synaptic vesicles along the motor axon. Ultrastructurally, the presynaptic nerve terminals have reduced numbers of active zones and mitochondria. Functionally, Ctgf-/- embryos exhibit impaired NMJ signal transmission. These results indicate that CTGF/CCN2 interacts with LRP4 to facilitate clustering of AChRs at the motor endplate and the maturation of the nerve terminal.

Challenges experienced and resources identified by young to midlife couples 1-3 years post-cancer diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore what young to midlife couples viewed as their strengths as a couple and the greatest challenges in their experience with cancer 1-3 years post-diagnosis. METHODS: We used qualitative content analysis to extract common themes from open-ended questions from 42 cancer survivors and their partners (aged 27-58). Patterns of themes by age and gender of the survivor were also explored. RESULTS: Couples described both positive and negative impacts of the cancer experience: (1) strengthened the relationship, bringing couples closer together; (2) brought emotional strain to many areas of life, especially for partners; (3) created positive changes in lifestyle and new priorities for the couple; (4) created strain in the couple's relationship and intimacy; and (5) altered the role of family in supporting the couple. Couples also described four key strengths in dealing with the cancer experience: (1) drawing strength from shared love and mutuality; (2) communicating openly, even about the difficult stuff; (3) working together as a team to support each other; and (4) drawing strength from shared values and goals. Couples reported unmet needs related to the emotional and relational strain of the cancer experience, managing longer term survivor symptoms, fertility and physical intimacy, and lack of support or attention to the partner who often assumed the role of care partner. CONCLUSIONS: Themes are discussed in light of current dyadic concepts and importance of couple-based interventions.

Delivering exercise medicine to cancer survivors: has COVID-19 shifted the landscape for how and who can be reached with supervised group exercise?

PURPOSE: Due to stay-at-home orders during COVID-19, we transitioned supervised, group, in-person resistance training interventions in two clinical trials in cancer survivors to live, online delivery using video-conferencing technology. We describe the feasibility, preliminary efficacy, and safety of live online group training and compare to in-person training. METHODS: Adherence (% sessions attended), retention (% participants completing intervention), and safety (# adverse events) data of resistance training groups from two randomized controlled trials in cancer survivors that participated before or during the COVID-19 pandemic were collated. Participants were post-treatment breast cancer survivors and their spouses (n = 62) and prostate cancer survivors (n = 32) (age range: 38-82 years). During COVID-19, delivery of supervised, group resistance exercise sessions was delivered live online via video-conference. Preliminary evidence for training efficacy was assessed by chair stand performance over the 6-month intervention. RESULTS: Feasibility of online resistance training was better than in-person for both studies (adherence: 86% vs 82% and 91% vs. 81% and retention 95% vs. 80% and 92% vs. 84% for online and in-person classes). Improvements in chair stand time were similar in prostate cancer and spouse groups that trained online vs. in-person, except for breast cancer survivors who improved more with in-person training (7% vs. 14% for online vs. in-person). Safety was similar between formats (12 vs. 11 adverse events for online vs. in-person). CONCLUSION: Supervised, in-person group resistance training can be feasibly adapted for live, online delivery and could help broaden approaches to exercise delivery in cancer survivors, including older adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The studies described in this commentary were registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on August 3, 2018 (NCT03630354) and on October 30, 2018 (NCT03741335).

Symptom Frequency and Distress Underestimated in Decompensated Cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Studies assessing multiple symptoms and the distress of these symptoms in decompensated cirrhosis are lacking. AIMS: The aims of this study were to assess symptom prevalence and distress among patients with decompensated cirrhosis and to describe medical management of the most prevalent symptoms. METHODS: Patients were recruited from hepatology clinics within two health-care systems. Eligibility criteria included a model for end-stage liver disease (MELD-Na) score ≥15. Patients completed the Condensed Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire. Comparative statistics were used to analyze the cross-sectional survey data. RESULTS: Of the sample (n = 146), most patients were Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class B (49.7%) and C (46.2%). Mean age was 56.5 years, 65.1% were male, and 88.4% were white. Average MELD-Na score was 19.1 ± 4.5. The most prevalent symptoms were lack of energy and feeling drowsy while the most distressing were lack of energy and difficulty sleeping. Only 24 patients (16.4%) were treated for their difficulty sleeping with sleep medication. Importantly, those prescribed sleep medications had similar distress (3.9 ± 1.2 vs. 3.5 ± 1.2, p = 0.229) compared with patients not prescribed sleep medications. Opioids were prescribed to 57 (39.0%) patients; antidepressants to 34 (23.3%). Forty patients (27.4%) who reported moderate or greater depression were not prescribed an antidepressant. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the multiple symptoms and distress experienced by patients with decompensated cirrhosis, and the need for improved medical management by health-care providers through enhanced awareness and attention to these complex symptoms. Future research should focus on improvements in symptom management.

Factors influencing birth setting decision making in the United States: An integrative review.

BACKGROUND: The United States has the highest perinatal morbidity and mortality (M&M) rates among all high-resource countries in the world. Birth settings (birth center, home, or hospital) influence clinical outcomes, experience of care, and health care costs. Increasing use of low-intervention birth settings can reduce perinatal M&M. This integrative review evaluated factors influencing birth setting decision making among women and birthing people in the United States. METHODS: A search strategy was implemented within the CINAHL, PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science databases. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guided the review, and the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice model was used to evaluate methodological quality and appraisal of the evidence. The Whittemore and Knafl integrative review framework informed the extraction and analysis of the data and generation of findings. RESULTS: We identified 23 articles that met inclusion criteria. Four analytical themes were generated that described factors that influence birth setting decision making in the United States: "Birth Setting Safety vs. Risk," "Influence of Media, Family, and Friends on Birth Setting Awareness," "Presence or Absence of Choice and Control," and "Access to Options." DISCUSSION: Supporting women and birthing people to make informed decisions by providing information about birth setting options and variations in models of care by birth setting is a critical patient-centered strategy to ensure equitable access to low-intervention birth settings. Policies that expand affordable health insurance to cover midwifery care in all birth settings are needed to enable people to make informed choices about birth location that align with their values, individual pregnancy characteristics, and preferences.

'People don't get cancer, families do': Co-development of a social physical activity intervention for people recently affected by a cancer diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: This research took a co-design approach to develop a social intervention to support people affected by a cancer diagnosis to be physically active. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with five key stakeholder groups: (1) adults with a recent breast or prostate cancer diagnosis; (2) family and friends of cancer patients; (3) healthcare professionals; (4) physical activity providers; and (5) cancer charity representatives. Inductive content analysis was used to identify themes in the data. We then worked with a subset of participants to co-develop the intervention. RESULTS: Participants welcomed the idea of a social approach to a physical activity intervention. Input was received on the timing and format of delivery, how to communicate about physical activity to cancer patients and their family and friends and the types of physical activity that would be appropriate. Our findings suggest that interventions need to be flexible in terms of timing and delivery and offer a wide range of physical activity options. These findings directly informed the co-development of 'All Together Active'. CONCLUSION: All Together Active is designed to support cancer patients and their family and friends to be active throughout treatment and beyond, benefiting their physical and mental health.

Using a Virtual Platform for Conducting Grandfamily Research.

BACKGROUND: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our research team quickly pivoted from planned face-to-face interaction with participants to virtual interactions. During this transition, we discovered invaluable new practices for conducting research remotely, including collecting physiological data. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to describe the methodological challenges we encountered when conducting this research virtually with grandparent-grandchild dyads and describe the strategies we developed to overcome those challenges. Of primary focus were procedures for finger-stick blood sample collection. Of secondary focus were procedures for conducting virtual-based research with older adults and across multiple generations. METHODS: During an observational study utilizing a virtual platform with 11 grandparent-grandchild dyads (mean age: 64.2 ± 5.0 years for grandparents and 9.3 ± 1.9 years for grandchildren), we documented lessons learned (based on the discussion within our team and feedback we have received from participants) that could be applicable for other, similar research endeavors. RESULTS: We found several challenges in collecting blood samples, including staff were unfamiliar with providing online instruction and participants needed to develop familiarity with the blood sample collection process (without having in-person assistance), and we had to develop methods for delivering blood sample collection kits to participants safely. We also found that it took longer than expected to run procedures-a challenge that might be encountered when conducting any type of dyadic research utilizing a virtual platform-particularly involving older adults and across multiple generations. In addition, it was challenging to keep child participants engaged in the virtual interactions. We document how we employed targeted strategies to overcome those obstacles. Recommendations for strategies from our team include to provide comprehensive and clear instruction/materials on blood sampling procedure, offer generous support throughout the blood collection process, be prepared to divide study visits into more than one session as needed, proactively anticipate potential roadblocks, and carefully consider the participants' developmental stages and attention span. DISCUSSION: The insights we gained will help inform future research with grandparent-grandchild dyads in remote or rural populations utilizing virtual platforms.

The TGFß type I receptor TGFßRI functions as an inhibitor of BMP signaling in cartilage.

The type I TGFß receptor TGFßRI (encoded by Tgfbr1) was ablated in cartilage. The resulting Tgfbr1Col2 mice exhibited lethal chondrodysplasia. Similar defects were not seen in mice lacking the type II TGFß receptor or SMADs 2 and 3, the intracellular mediators of canonical TGFß signaling. However, we detected elevated BMP activity in Tgfbr1Col2 mice. As previous studies showed that TGFßRI can physically interact with ACVRL1, a type I BMP receptor, we generated cartilage-specific Acvrl1 (Acvrl1Col2 ) and Acvrl1/Tgfbr1 (Acvrl1/Tgfbr1Col2) knockouts. Loss of ACVRL1 alone had no effect, but Acvrl1/Tgfbr1Col2 mice exhibited a striking reversal of the chondrodysplasia seen in Tgfbr1Col2 mice. Loss of TGFßRI led to a redistribution of the type II receptor ACTRIIB into ACVRL1/ACTRIIB complexes, which have high affinity for BMP9. Although BMP9 is not produced in cartilage, we detected BMP9 in the growth plate, most likely derived from the circulation. These findings demonstrate that the major function of TGFßRI in cartilage is not to transduce TGFß signaling, but rather to antagonize BMP signaling mediated by ACVRL1.

Longitudinal Effects of Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation on Global and Domain-Specific Cognitive Function.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are a common treatment of advanced heart failure, but cognitive dysfunction, which is common in heart failure, could limit the ability to perform postimplantation LVAD care. Implantation of an LVAD has been associated with improved cerebral perfusion and may improve cognitive function post implantation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to quantify longitudinal change in cognitive function after LVAD implantation. METHODS: A secondary analysis of data on 101 adults was completed to evaluate cognitive function before implantation and again at 1, 3, and 6 months post implantation of an LVAD. Latent growth curve modeling was conducted to characterize change over time. Serial versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment were used to measure overall (total) cognitive function and function in 6 cognitive domains. RESULT: There was moderate, nonlinear improvement from preimplantation to 6 months post implantation in Montreal Cognitive Assessment total score (Hedges' g = 0.50) and in short-term memory (Hedges' g = 0.64). There also were small, nonlinear improvements in visuospatial ability, executive function, and attention from preimplantation to 6 months post implantation (Hedges' g = 0.20-0.28). The greatest improvements were observed in the first 3 months after implantation and were followed by smaller, sustained improvements or no additional significant change. CONCLUSIONS: Implantation of an LVAD is associated with significant, nonlinear improvement in short-term memory and global cognitive function, with the most significant improvements occurring in the first 3 months after implantation. Clinicians should anticipate improvements in cognitive function after LVAD implantation and modify postimplantation education to maximize effectiveness of LVAD self-care.

Physical and Mental Quality of Life in Patients With End-Stage Liver Disease and Their Informal Caregivers.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Management of end-stage liver disease (ESLD) has implications for not only patients' quality of life (QOL), but also their caregivers'. We aimed to identify characteristics of patients with ESLD and their caregivers that are associated with QOL. METHODS: We obtained cross-sectional baseline data from patients and their caregivers (132 dyads; 62% were married or partners), recruited from outpatient hepatology clinics within 2 healthcare centers. Patients were included if their model for end-stage liver disease score was 15 or more; caregivers were identified by the patient as the primary informal caregiver. QOL was measured by the SF-36 and relationship quality using the mutuality scale. We measured uncertainty using the uncertainty in illness scales for patients and caregivers. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Refractory ascites was associated with worse physical QOL for patients (unstandardized beta [B], -9.19; standard error [SE], 2.28) and caregivers (B, -5.41; SE, 2.33); history of hepatic encephalopathy was associated with worse patient physical QOL (B, -3.86; SE, 1.65). High levels of uncertainty were associated with worse physical and mental QOL for both members of the dyads; relationship quality was significantly associated with patient mental QOL (B, 2.73; SE, 1.19). CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians and researchers should consider the effects of ESLD on caregivers as well as their patients to optimize the QOL for both.

Trends in integrative medicine and health consults: differences between cancer survivors and patients without cancer.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to compare patients with and without cancer who sought an integrative health (IH) consult and reasons for seeking a consult. DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study that employed a secondary analysis of an integrative health database supplemented by a retrospective medical record review. SETTING/LOCATION: Integrative Medicine and Health program in a Southwestern United States academic medical center. SUBJECTS: Eight hundred thirty-nine adults over the age of 18 seeking IH consultation. RESULTS: The number of complementary therapies reported prior to consult were not significantly different between groups. The most reported complementary therapies used by cancer survivors were multivitamins, exercise, and turmeric. Patients without cancer reported significantly higher pain levels than cancer survivors. Cancer survivors reported significantly higher energy, sleep levels, overall health, spiritual wellbeing, and significantly better relationships compared to patients without cancer. Cancer survivors reported fatigue and cancer as the top reasons for IH consult. CONCLUSION: Participants without cancer reported higher levels of pain and lower levels of energy, sleep, overall health, spiritual wellbeing, and relationships compared to cancer survivors. However, cancer survivors still reported levels of unmanaged symptoms. Complementary therapy use prior to IMH consult was similar between groups; however, IMH providers recommended more treatments for patients without cancer. Our results highlight that more evidence is needed to guide IMH recommendations, especially for cancer survivors who may still be in treatment. Additionally, our results support evidence-based recommendations that all cancer survivors should be assessed for complementary therapy use and provided counseling by qualified providers on their advantages and limitations.