Biomarkers for Heart Failure Prediction and Prevention.

Heart failure (HF) is a global pandemic affecting over 64 million people worldwide. Its prevalence is on an upward trajectory, with associated increasing healthcare expenditure. Organizations including the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have identified HF prevention as an important focus. Recently, the ACC/AHA/Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) Guidelines on heart failure were updated with a new Class IIa, Level of Evidence B recommendation for biomarker-based screening in patients at risk of developing heart failure. In this review, we evaluate the studies that have assessed the various roles and contributions of biomarkers in the prediction and prevention of heart failure. We examined studies that have utilized biomarkers to detect cardiac dysfunction or abnormality for HF risk prediction and screening before patients develop clinical signs and symptoms of HF. We also included studies with biomarkers on prognostication and risk prediction over and above existing HF risk prediction models and studies that address the utility of changes in biomarkers over time for HF risk. We discuss studies of biomarkers to guide management and assess the efficacy of prevention strategies and multi-biomarker and multimodality approaches to improve risk prediction.

The conceptualisation and operationalisation of 'marketing' in public health research: a review of reviews focused on food marketing using principles from critical interpretive synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Extensive public health research reports the nature, scope and effects of various marketing activities used by food and drinks companies to support the sale of their products. Such literature informs the regulation of food marketing that encourages unhealthy eating behaviours and poor diet-related health outcomes. However, it is not clear whether this literature consistently conceptualises and applies marketing, which could in turn influence the approach and efficacy of policies to regulate food marketing. We aimed to understand the conceptualisation and operationalisation of marketing in public health research of food marketing, eventually focusing on the conceptualisation of integrated marketing. METHODS: We conducted a review of reviews that drew on scoping review methods and applied principles of critical interpretive synthesis. Five databases of peer-reviewed literature and websites of relevant organisations were searched in June - August 2020. Articles were screened against inclusion criteria to identify reviews examining food marketing in a health context. Informative text segments from included articles were coded using NVivo. Codes were grouped into synthetic constructs and a synthesising argument. RESULTS: After screening against inclusion criteria, 60 publications were eligible for inclusion. Informative text segments from 24 publications were coded, after which no new codes were identified. Our synthesising argument was that the understanding of integrated marketing appeared inconsistent across publications, such as by differences in use of underlying conceptual frameworks and in the application of terms such as marketing strategy and tactics. CONCLUSIONS: Using our synthesising argument, we suggest ways to improve the future study of food marketing in public health research, for example by using in-depth case studies to understand the integrated operation and effect of multi-component marketing strategies. Improving conceptual clarity in the study of food marketing in public health research has the potential to inform policy that is more reflective of the true nature of marketing, and thus more effective in combating food marketing effects and protecting public health. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The review protocol was made publicly available on Open Science Framework prior to the start of the study (DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/VSJCW ).

Biomarker guided management of hypertension.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Approximately 1.28 billion people are affected by hypertension globally and the incidence of hypertension is on an upward trajectory with an aging population and increasing burden of risk factors including obesity. Despite low-cost, highly-effectively, easy-to-treat strategies, it is estimated that ∼720 million people are not receiving the treatment they need for optimal hypertension management. Several factors contribute to this including an unwillingness to be treated for an asymptomatic condition. RECENT FINDINGS: Biomarkers such as troponin, B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP), N-terminal-pro hormone BNP (NT-proBNP), uric acid, microalbuminuria have been found to be associated with adverse clinical outcomes among individuals with hypertension. Biomarkers also allow for identification of asymptomatic organ damage. SUMMARY: Biomarkers have the ability to identify higher risk individuals in whom risk-benefit for therapies may be most favorable, helping optimize the net benefit of therapy. Whether biomarkers can help guide therapy intensity and choice remains to be tested.

Preoperative Cardiovascular Assessment of the Renal Transplant Recipient: A Narrative Review.

Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) have a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease; it is the leading cause of death in these patients and the optimisation of their cardiovascular health may improve their post-transplant outcomes. Patients awaiting renal transplant often spend significant amounts of time on the waiting list allowing for the assessment and optimisation of their cardiovascular system. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is commonly seen in these patients and we explore the possible functional and anatomical investigations that can help assess and manage CAD in renal transplant candidates. We also discuss other aspects of cardiovascular assessment and management including arrhythmias, impaired ventricular function, valvular disease, lifestyle and pulmonary arterial hypertension. We hope that this review can form a basis for centres hoping to implement an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol for renal transplantation.

Gender Disparity in Abstract Presentation at Plastic Surgery Meetings.

BACKGROUND: Medical and surgical fields continue to be marred by gender disparities. The "leaky pipeline" effect, representing a gradual decline in female representation along the academic ladder, has been well documented in plastic surgery. However, gender differences in abstract presentation at national plastic surgery meetings and subsequent publications remains elusive. METHODS: We reviewed abstracts presented at the 2014 and 2015 annual meetings of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons (AAPS); American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), and the Plastic Surgery Research Council (PSRC). Several abstract characteristics including the names of the first and last authors were extracted. Genderize.io and Google search were used to identify the authors' gender. RESULTS: We identified 1174 abstracts presented at the three identified meetings. Females comprised 29% of the presenters and 16% of abstract senior authors (ASAs). No gender differences were identified between the meetings, type of presentation (oral versus poster), and year of presentation. The only difference was in the subspecialty of the abstracts. Successful conversion to full-text articles was similar for male and female presenters (68% versus 62%, P = 0.065) but higher for male ASAs (68% versus 59%, P = 0.01). When an author change occurred, female presenters and ASAs were more likely to be replaced by males (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Gender differences continue to be evident in academic plastic surgery with women constituting a minority of both presenters and senior authors on abstracts presented at national plastic surgery meetings. Future work should assess whether flexible and supportive work policies can foster greater female representation in academic plastic surgery.

Multimodality Imaging in Transcatheter Mitral Interventions.

Multimodality imaging is of imperative value for the planning and guidance of transcatheter mitral valve interventions. This review employs the value of different imaging modalities and future implications for clinical practice.