Investigating the Knowledge of Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Synbiotics That May Help to Improve the Gut-Organ Axis Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The use of gut biotics, including probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics, has shown substantial potential in the management of various health conditions possibly through the gut-organ axis. The role of gut biotics in modulating the gut-brain axis is becoming evident with more research focusing on this intervention. Improvement of gut-organ axis function is possible by using food-related products called gut biotics. However, there is limited comprehension of the knowledge and use of these intestinal or gut biotics. Our aim was to recognize knowledge gaps and assess the improvement of understanding following an education intervention. METHODS: A single-arm study encompassing a convenient sample of 161 inpatient and outpatient subjects aged 50 years and older was conducted at the University of Alberta Hospital from June to August 2023. Knowledge about gut biotics was evaluated using a structured questionnaire consisting of 16 questions and involving six thematic areas. To ensure validity, the questionnaire was pre-tested on 10 physicians and residents who were not part of the study. The questionnaire was administered to study subjects prior to receiving an information sheet about gut biotics. Two weeks after receiving the information sheet, all participants were contacted by phone, and the same questionnaire was administered again. Of the 161 patients, 122 completed the pre-intervention and post-intervention questionnaires and were considered in the analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 72 years (SD: 10.8), 57% comprised women, and 39% had less than a high school education. The proportion of polypharmacy and multimorbidity was 87% and 97%, respectively. Following the intervention, there was a noticeable enhancement in knowledge across all the themes, with statistical significance (p<0.001) observed in 14 out of 16 questions as determined by the homogeneity statistical test. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge gaps in gut biotics were prevalent among study participants, and the educational intervention effectively contributed to the enhancement of knowledge. The results of this study provide valuable information for the development of targeted health education strategies focusing on gut biotics, which may play a role in improving gut-organ axis function.

Accuracy of oscillometric blood pressure algorithms in healthy adults and in adults with cardiovascular risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Fixed-ratio and slope-based algorithms are used to derive oscillometric blood pressure (BP). However, a paucity of published data exists assessing the accuracy of these methods. Our objective was to determine the accuracy of fixed-ratio and slope-based algorithms in healthy adults and in adults with cardiovascular risk factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Overall, 85 healthy adults (age≥18 years) and 85 adults with cardiovascular risk factors were studied. Three oscillometric and four two-observer mercury-based auscultation measurements were performed in each, according to International Standards Organization 2013 methodology. Two fixed-ratio algorithms and one slope-based algorithm were applied to process oscillometric waveform envelopes and derive oscillometric BP. Paired and unpaired t-tests were used to compare mean oscillometric BP within and between each group, respectively. RESULTS: For healthy adults, mean age was 50.3±17.8 years, mean arm circumference was 30.4±3.8 cm, and 62% were female. In the cardiovascular risk group, mean age was 63.8±12.4 years, mean arm circumference was 31.9±4.2 cm, and 62% were female. For systolic BP, the fixed-ratio algorithms produced the lowest mean error and narrowest SD. For diastolic BP, mean errors were similar for all three algorithms, but the fixed-ratio algorithms had higher precision. The comparison of healthy adults and those with cardiovascular risk factor showed high variability for systolic and diastolic BP (SD: 8.113.9 mmHg). CONCLUSION: In both healthy adults and in those with cardiovascular risk factors, the fixed-ratio technique performed better than the slope-based algorithm. High between-group variability indicates that subject-specific algorithms may be needed.

Catheter related infection in hemodialysis patients.

To determine the frequency of hemodialysis (HD) catheter related infection, causative microorganisms and predisposing factors contributing to these infections at our center, we conducted a prospective study in 2007 involving 57 (45.6% males) patients in whom a temporary catheter was inserted for HD. The patients were followed for one month to document any episodes of hemodialysis catheter related infection (HCRI). There were 11 (19.3%) patients who developed HCRI proven by blood culture; 5 patients were infected with more than one organism. Staphylococcus Coagulase negative and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) remain the most common pathogens. All the organisms were sensitive to antibiotics administered empirically, however, 3 patients developed multiple resistant S. aureus (MRSA). All the infected patients experienced previous episodes of HCRI, which formed a risk factor in addition to low albumin when compared to the non-infected group (P=0.024 and P= 0.001, respectively). We conclude that the rate of HCRI and the causative organisms found in our study is comparable to previous reports. We still need to adopt measures to minimize the use of temporary vascular accesses by creation of fistulas in a timely fashion.