Impact of different visceral metastatic sites on survival in metastatic prostate cancer patients.

INTRODUCTION: Visceral metastasis is an important predictor for poor outcomes in prostate cancer, however, the prognostic significance surrounding the specific sites of visceral metastasis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different visceral metastatic sites on survival in patients with prostate cancer. METHODS: We identified patients with metastatic prostate cancer between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2023 using the TriNetX database. Patients were divided into 4 cohorts according to their specific metastatic sites: lung metastases, brain metastases, liver metastases, and bone metastases. Survival analysis was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression models. RESULTS: In total, 59,875 patients diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer were identified, with 39,495 (65.2%) having bone metastases, 7,573 (12.5%) lung metastases, 5,240 (8.7%) brain metastases, and 7,567 (12.5%) liver metastases. The median overall survival was 44.4 months for patients with bone metastases, 31.9 months for lung metastases, 9.6 months for brain metastases, and 10 months for liver metastases. Lung metastases were associated with an improved survival when compared with liver and brain metastases. For patients with two visceral metastatic sites or concomitant bone metastases, liver metastases were related to worse outcomes. Asian patients experienced better OS than Caucasian and African American patients in visceral metastatic prostate cancer. CONCLUSION: Patients with lung metastases experienced better survival outcomes in prostate cancer with only one visceral metastatic site. Liver metastases were associated with worse outcomes when there were two visceral metastatic sites combined or concomitant bone metastases. Asian patients displayed improved survival rates when compared with both Caucasian and African American patients in visceral metastatic prostate cancer.

Survival Analysis in Adult Heart Transplantation: Experience from a Brazilian Single Center.

INTRODUCTION: Heart transplantation is the gold standard for advanced heart failure treatment. This study examines the survival rates and risk factors for early mortality in adult heart transplant recipients at a Brazilian center. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study involved 255 adult heart transplant patients from a single center in Brazil. Data were collected from medical records and databases including three defined periods (2012-2015, 2016-2019, and 2020-2022). Statistical analysis employed Kaplan-Meier survival curves, Cox proportional hazards analysis for 30-day mortality risk factors, and Log-rank tests. RESULTS: The recipients were mostly male (74.9%), and the mean age was 46.6 years. Main causes of heart failure were idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (33.9%), Chagas cardiomyopathy (18%), and ischemic cardiomyopathy (14.3%). The study revealed an overall survival of 68.1% at one year, 58% at five years, and 40.8% at 10 years after heart transplantation. Survivalimproved significantly over time, combining the most recent periods (2016 to 2022) it was 73.2% in the first year and 63% in five years. The main risk factors for 30-day mortality were longer time on cardiopulmonary bypass, the initial period of transplants (2012 to 2015), older age of the donor, and nutritional status of the donor (overweight or obese). The main causes of death within 30 days post-transplant were infection and primary graft dysfunction. CONCLUSION: The survival analysis by period demonstrated that the increased surgical volume, coupled with the team's experience and modifications to the immunosuppression protocol, contributed to the improved early and mid-term outcomes.

Mass spectrometry of water-soluble vitamins to establish a risk model for predicting recurrent spontaneous abortion.

The adverse pregnancy outcomes, including recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), are strongly correlated with water-soluble vitamins, but how to predict RSA occurrence using them remains unsatisfactory. This study aims to investigate the possibility of predicting RSA based on the baseline levels of water-soluble vitamins tested by ultra-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 918 pregnant women was consecutively enrolled in this cross-sectional study. According to the miscarriage numbers, they were divided into normal first pregnancy (NFP, n = 608), once spontaneous abortion (OSA, n = 167), and continuous spontaneous abortion (CSA, n = 143) groups. The Cox proportional-hazards regression model was employed to establish a risk model for predicting RSA. The RSA occurrence was 6.54% in overall pregnant women, with a prevalence of 12.57% in the OSA group and 27.27% in the CSA group. Significant differences were observed in baseline deficiencies of vitamin B3, B5, B6, and B9 among NFP, OSA, and CSA groups (χ2 = 12.191 ~ 37.561, all P < 0.001). Among these vitamins, B9 (HR = 0.89 and 0.88, all P < 0.001) and B6 (HR = 0.83 and 0.78, all P < 0.05) were identified as independent factors in both the OSA and CSA groups; whereas B5 was identified as an additional independent factor only in the CSA group (HR = 0.93, P = 0.005). The Cox proportional-hazards model established using these three vitamins exhibited poor or satisfactory predictive performance in the OSA (Sen = 95.2%, Spe = 39.0%) and CSA (Sen = 92.3%, Spe = 60.6%) groups, respectively. However, B5, B6, and B9 compensatory levels were not associated with RSA occurrence (all P > 0.05). Our study presents a highly sensitive model based on mass spectrometry assay of baseline levels in B vitamins to predict the RSA occurrence as possible.

Lung cancer survival by immigrant status: a population-based retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and causes of cancer death in Canada. Some previous literature suggests that socioeconomic inequalities in lung cancer screening, treatment and survival may exist. The objective of this study was to compare overall survival for immigrants versus long-term residents of Ontario, Canada among patients diagnosed with lung cancer. METHODS: This population-based retrospective cohort study utilized linked health administrative databases and identified all individuals (immigrants and long-term residents) aged 40 + years diagnosed with incident lung cancer between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2017. The primary outcome was 5-year overall survival with December 31, 2019 as the end of the follow-up period. We implemented adjusted Cox proportional hazards models stratified by age at diagnosis, sex, and cancer stage at diagnosis to examine survival. RESULTS: Thirty-eight thousand seven hundred eighty-eight individuals diagnosed with lung cancer were included in our cohort including 7% who were immigrants. Immigrants were younger at diagnosis and were more likely to reside in the lowest neighbourhood income quintile (30.6% versus 24.5%) than long-term residents. After adjusting for age at diagnosis, neighbourhood income quintile, comorbidities, visits to primary care in the 6 to 30 months before diagnosis, continuity of care, cancer type and cancer stage at diagnosis, immigrant status was associated with a lower hazard of dying 5-years post-diagnosis for both females (0.7; 95% CI 0.6-0.8) and males (0.7; 95% CI 0.6-0.7) in comparison to long-term residents. This trend held in adjusted models stratified by cancer stage at diagnosis. For example, female immigrants diagnosed with early stage lung cancer had a hazard ratio of 0.5 (95% CI 0.4-0.7) in comparison to long-term residents. CONCLUSION: Overall survival post diagnosis with lung cancer was better among Ontario immigrants versus long-term residents. Additional research, potentially on the protective effects of immigrant enclave and the intersection of immigrant status with racial/ethnic identity, is needed to further explore why better overall survival for immigrants remained.

Are Primary Health Care Visits Associated With Reduced Risk of Hospital Readmissions After Discharge From Geriatric Inpatient Departments? Evidence From Stockholm County.

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: Primary health care visits post-discharge could potentially play an important role in efforts of reducing hospital readmission. Focusing on a single or a particular type of visit obscures nuances in types of primary care contacts over time and fails to quantify the intensity of primary health care visits during the follow-up period. The aim of this study was to explore associations between the number and type of primary health care visits post-discharge and the risk of hospital readmission within 30 days. METHODS: A register-based closed cohort study. The study population of 6135 individuals were residents of Stockholm who were discharged home from any of the 3 geriatric inpatient departments, excluding those who were readmitted within the next 24 h. The dependent variable was hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge. The key independent variable was the number and type of primary health care visits in 30 days post-discharge. Cox-regression with time-varying covariates was employed for data analyses. RESULTS: Approximately, 12% of the participants were readmitted to hospital within 30 days. There was no statistically significant association between number of primary care visits post-discharge and readmission (HR 1.00; 95% CI 1.00-1.01). Compared to no primary health care visit, no statistically significant association were found for administrative care related visits (HR 0.33, 95%CI 0.08-1.33), clinic visits (HR 0.93, 95%CI 0.71-1.21), home visits (HR 1.03, 95%CI 0.84-1.27), or team visits (HR 0.76, 95%CI 0.54-1.07). CONCLUSIONS: There were no associations between primary health care visits post-discharge and hospital readmission after geriatric inpatient care. Further studies using survey or qualitative approaches can provide insights into the factors that are relevant to post-discharge care but are unavailable in this type of register data studies.

Smoking cessation to prevent death and tuberculosis recurrence after treatment: A prospective cohort study with a seven-year follow-up in China.

Background: Although there is consistent evidence that smoking is a risk factor associated with tuberculosis (TB), whether smoking cessation improves treatment outcomes and reduces the risk of TB recurrence remains understudied. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study with a seven-year follow-up in China. We recruited newly-diagnosed TB patients and classified them as non-smokers, ex-smokers, and current smokers. Current smokers were invited to participate in a smoking cessation intervention programme. We used a Cox proportional hazards model to assess the risk of death among TB patients and the risk of recurrence among successfully treated patients. Results: In total, 634 (79.2%) patients completed anti-TB treatments and 115 (14.4%) patients died. We confirmed the existence of a dose-response relationship between smoking frequency and the risk of TB recurrence (the slope of the fitted line >0; P < 0.05). Compared to those who continued smoking, the risk of death and recurrent TB for the patients who quit smoking during treatment decreased. The HR of mortality for smokers who smoked 30 or more cigarettes was 2.943 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.035-8.368), while the HR of mortality for those who smoked 30 or more cigarettes, but quit during treatment was 2.117 (95% CI = 1.157-3.871). However, the risk of recurrence remained high for ex-smokers who had a smoking history of 25 years or more. Conclusions: Our study provides further evidence supporting the World Health Organization's call for co-management of smoking and other risk factors as part of routine TB treatment.

Analysing lapsing rates among first-time blood donors at a blood centre in Zimbabwe using survival analysis.

Introduction: blood centres are often faced with the problem of donor lapsing resulting in loss of donors from the already strained donor pool. In Zimbabwe, 70% of the donated blood comes from younger donors aged 40 years and below, who at the same time, have high attrition rates. This study seeks to apply the concept of survival analysis in analysing blood donor lapsing rates. Methods: in analysing the donor lapsing and retention rates, data on 450 first-time blood donors at the National Blood Service Zimbabwe, in Harare´s blood bank for the period 2014 to 2017 was extracted from the donors´ database. The Cox proportional hazards (Cox PH) and Kaplan-Meier methods were applied in the analysis. Donor demographic characteristics suspected of having effect on donor lapsing and retention were identified and analysed. Results: the study findings show that 56.9% of the donors had lapsed by the end of the four-year study period. Results from the multiple Cox PH model indicate that donor age had a significant effect on blood donor retention time (p = 0.000918 < 0.05). The hazard ratio (HR) = 0.615 with 95% CI: (0.461; 0.820) shows that the relatively older donors had a lower hazard (38.5% lower) of lapsing compared to the hazard for younger donors. The effect of gender, blood donor group and donation time interval on donor retention and attrition were not statistically significant. Male donors had HR = 1.03; 95% CI (0.537; 1.99) with (p = 0.922 > 0.05) and donors with a 4-month interval between donations had HR = 1.31; 95% CI (0.667; 2.59) with (p = 0.430 > 0.05). Conclusion: the study confirmed the problem of donor attrition faced by blood centres. The age of the donor had a significant effect on the retention time of blood donors before lapsing. The older the blood donor, the lower the risk of lapsing. The Zimbabwe National Blood Service (NBSZ) Blood Centre authorities should have a critical mass of individuals above 40 years as potential blood donors because of their reliability in blood donation according to the study findings.

Association of healthy lifestyles with risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: results from the DFTJ cohort.

AIM: To examine the associations of healthy lifestyles with risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality among adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and whether the association was mediated by systemic immune-inflammatory biomarkers (SIIBs). METHODS: The study included 10,347 subjects with MASLD, who were enrolled in the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort study. The healthy lifestyles referred to non-smoking, being physically active (≥7.5 metabolic equivalents-hours/week), low-risk alcohol consumption (1-14 g/day for women and 1-28 g/day for men), and optimal sleep duration (≥6 to ≤8 h/day). Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the relationship between each lifestyle and SIIBs with the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality. A mediation analysis was conducted to investigate the role of SIIBs on the association between healthy lifestyles and mortality. RESULTS: There were 418 MASLD subjects dead till the follow-up of 2018, including 259 deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Compared to MASLD participants with 0-1 healthy lifestyle score (HLS), those with 3-4 HLS had the lowest risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR), 0.46; 95% CI, (0.36-0.60)], and CVD mortality [HR (95%CI), 0.41 (0.29-0.58)]. Mediation analyses indicated that SIIBs mediated the association between healthy lifestyles and mortality, with proportions ranging from 2.5% to 6.1%. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that adherence to healthy lifestyles can significantly reduce mortality for MASLD patients, and the decreased SIIBs may partially explain the protection mechanism of healthy lifestyles.

Inflammatory indexes and anemia in chronic kidney disease: correlation and survival analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2018.

BACKGROUND: There is currently no research on the correlation between novel inflammatory indexes systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and the risk of anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) population, as well as survival analysis in CKD with anemia. METHODS: This investigation encompassed 4444 adult subjects out of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2005 and 2018. The study utilized multi-variable logistic regression to assess the relationship between SII, NLR, PLR, and anemia risk occurrence in CKD population. Survival differences in CKD patients with anemia, based on varying levels of SII, NLR, and PLR were evaluated employing Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: The adjusted logistic regression model demonstrates that SII, NLR, and PLR are associated with the risk of anemia occurrence in CKD population. Kaplan-Meier's analysis reveals significant differences in survival rates among CKD patients with anemia stratified by NLR levels. The adjusted Cox proportional hazards model shows that the higher NLR group has a 30% elevated risk of all-cause mortality contrasted with lower group (hazard ratio, HR: 1.30, confidence interval (CI) [1.01, 1.66], p value <.04). Restricted cubic spline (RCS) demonstrates no nonlinear relationship between NLR and all-cause mortality. Lastly, sub-cohort analysis indicates that in populations with diabetes, hypertension, and hyperuricemia, NLR levels have a greater impact on all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Controlling inflammation may reduce the occurrence of anemia in CKD populations, with NLR serving to be a potential prognostic indicator for survival results within CKD patients suffering from co-morbid anemia.

The Association between Percentage of Mean Arterial Pressure and Long-Term Mortality in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients: An Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a critical cardiovascular disease with high morbidity and mortality. Identifying practical parameters for predicting long-term mortality is crucial in this patient group. The percentage of mean arterial pressure (%MAP) is a useful parameter used to assess peripheral artery disease. It can be easily calculated from ankle pulse volume recording. Previous studies have shown that %MAP is a useful predictor of all-cause mortality in specific populations, but its relationship with mortality in AMI patients is unclear. Methods: In this observational cohort study, 191 AMI patients were enrolled between November 2003 and September 2004. Ankle-brachial index (ABI) and %MAP were measured using an ABI-form device. All-cause and cardiovascular mortality data were collected from a national registry until December 2018. Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier survival plot were used to analyze the association between %MAP and long-term mortality in AMI patients. Results: The median follow-up to mortality was 65 months. There were 130 overall and 36 cardiovascular deaths. High %MAP was associated with increased overall mortality after multivariable analysis (HR = 1.062; 95% CI: 1.017-1.109; p =0.006). However, high % MAP was only associated with cardiovascular mortality in the univariable analysis but became insignificant after the multivariable analysis. Conclusions: In conclusion, this study is the first to evaluate the usefulness of %MAP in predicting long-term mortality in AMI patients. Our study shows that %MAP might be an independent predictor of long-term overall mortality in AMI patients and has better predictive power than ABI.

Competing Risks in Clinical Trials: Do They Matter and How Should We Account for Them?

During patient follow-up in a randomized trial, some deaths may occur. Where death (or noncardiovascular death) is not part of an outcome of interest it is termed a competing risk. Conventional analyses (eg, Cox proportional hazards model) handle death similarly to other censored follow-up. Patients still alive are unrealistically assumed to be representative of those who died. The Fine and Gray model has been used to handle competing risks, but is often used inappropriately and can be misleading. We propose an alternative multiple imputation approach that plausibly accounts for the fact that patients who die tend also to be at high risk for the (unobserved) outcome of interest. This provides a logical framework for exploring the impact of a competing risk, recognizing that there is no unique solution. We illustrate these issues in 3 cardiovascular trials and in simulation studies. We conclude with practical recommendations for handling competing risks in future trials.

Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against hospitalisation, death and infection over time in Aotearoa New Zealand: a retrospective cohort study.

AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing COVID-19 outcomes when the Omicron variant was predominant in Aotearoa New Zealand. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using routinely available data (8 December 2020-28 February 2023). We evaluated the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of COVID-19 vaccines using the Cox proportional-hazards model, adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: The VE against COVID-19 hospitalisation (VEH) for the second booster dose compared to no vaccination was found to be 81.8% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 73.6-87.5) after 1 month post-vaccination. After 4 months, VEH was 72.2% (95% CI: 58.5-81.4), and after 6 months VEH was 49.0% (95% CI: 7.9-71.8). Similarly, VEH decreased after the first booster dose (1-month VEH=81.6% [95% CI: 75.6-86.1]; 2 months VEH=74.7% [95% CI: 68.2-79.9]; and 6 months VEH=57.4% [95% CI: 45.8-66.6]). VE against COVID-19 death (VED) was 92.9% (95% CI: 82.1-97.2) 2 months after the first booster vaccination, with VED being sustained until months 5 and 6 (VED=87.2%; 95% CI: 67.4-94.9). The VE after the second dose of the vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (VEI) (real-time polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]) was sustained at 5 months post-vaccination (40.6%; 95% CI: 25.6-52.5). CONCLUSION: We provide a comprehensive quantification of both VE and VE waning. These findings can guide policymakers to help evaluate the COVID-19 vaccination programme and minimise the effect of future COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Association between blood heavy metal element and all-cause mortality in asthmatic adults: a cohort study.

Asthma start, development, and exacerbation have all been linked in numerous studies to exposure to a variety of metal elements. However, there is still a dearth of epidemiological data linking heavy metal exposure to death in asthmatics. The investigation included 2432 eligible adults with asthma. The study examined the possible correlation between blood heavy metal levels and all-cause mortality. This was done by utilizing Cox proportional hazards models, restricted cubic spline (RCS), threshold effect models, and CoxBoost models. Subgroup analyses were conducted to investigate the associations between blood metal levels and all-cause mortality among distinct asthmatic populations. An inverse association was found between blood selenium and all-cause mortality in asthmatics, while blood manganese showed a positive association with all-cause mortality. However, there were no significant connections found between blood lead, cadmium, mercury, and all-cause mortality via multivariate Cox proportional hazard models. In model 3, after accounting for all factors, all-cause mortality dropped by 10% for every additional 10 units of blood selenium (µg/L) and increased by 6% for every additional unit of blood manganese (µg/L). The RCS and threshold effect model found a U-shaped correlation between blood selenium, blood manganese, and all-cause mortality. The lowest all-cause mortality among asthmatics was observed when blood selenium and manganese were 188.66 µg/L and 8.47 µg/L, respectively. Our investigation found a U-shaped correlation between blood selenium levels, blood manganese levels, and all-cause mortality in asthmatic populations. Optimizing dietary selenium intake and effectively managing manganese exposure could potentially improve the prognosis of asthma.

Late diagnosis of CKD and associated survival after initiation of renal replacement therapy in Kazakhstan: analysis of nationwide electronic healthcare registry 2014-2019.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) presents a significant global health challenge, often progressing to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) necessitating renal replacement therapy (RRT). Late referral (LR) to nephrologists before RRT initiation is linked with adverse outcomes. However, data on CKD diagnosis and survival post-RRT initiation in Kazakhstan remain limited. This study aims to investigate the impact of late CKD diagnosis on survival prognosis after RRT initiation. Data were acquired from the Unified National Electronic Health System (UNEHS) for CKD patients initiating RRT between 2014 and 2019. Survival post-RRT initiation was assessed using the Cox Proportional Hazards Model. Totally, 211,655 CKD patients were registered in the UNEHS databases and 9,097 (4.3%) needed RRT. The most prevalent age group among RRT patients is 45-64 years, with a higher proportion of males (56%) and Kazakh ethnicity (64%). Seventy-four percent of patients were diagnosed late. The median follow-up time was 537 (IQR: 166-1101) days. Late diagnosis correlated with worse survival (HR = 1.18, p < 0.001). Common comorbidities among RRT patients include hypertension (47%), diabetes (21%), and cardiovascular diseases (26%). The history of transplantation significantly influenced survival. Regional disparities in survival probabilities were observed, highlighting the need for collaborative efforts in healthcare delivery. This study underscores the substantial burden of CKD in Kazakhstan, with a majority of patients diagnosed late. Early detection strategies and timely kidney transplantation emerge as crucial interventions to enhance survival outcomes.

Association of ACEI/ARB therapy with total and cardiovascular death in coronary artery disease patients with advanced chronic kidney disease: a large multi-center longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: Advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), and angiotensin­converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin­receptor blockers (ARB) can improve cardiac and renal function, but whether ACEI/ARB therapy improves long-term prognosis remains unclear among these high-risk patients. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the relationship between ACEI/ARB therapy and long-term prognosis among CAD patients with advanced CKD. METHODS: CAD patients with advanced CKD were included in five hospitals. Advanced CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)<30 ml/min per 1.73 m2. Cox regression models and competing risk Fine and Gray models were used to examine the relationship between ACEI/ARB therapy and all-cause and cardiovascular death, respectively. RESULTS: Of 2527 patients, 47.6% population of our cohort was discharged on ACEI/ARB. The overall all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were 38.6% and 24.7%, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that ACEI/ARB therapy was found to be associated with lower rates of both all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR)=0.836, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.738-0.948, p = 0.005) and cardiovascular mortality (HR = 0.817, 95%CI: 0.699-0.956, p = 0.011). In the propensity-matched cohort, the survival benefit was consistent, and significantly better survival was observed for all-cause mortality (HR = 0.856, 95%CI: 0.752-0.974, p = 0.019) and cardiovascular mortality (HR = 0.830, 95%CI: 0.707-0.974, p = 0.023) among patients treated with ACEI/ARB. CONCLUSION: ACEI/ARB therapy showed a better survival benefit among high-risk CAD patients with advanced CKD at long-term follow-up, which manifested that strategies to maintain ACEI/ARB treatment may improve clinical outcomes among these high-risk populations.

What is the current knowledge on the topic? Advanced CKD is highly prevalent and strongly associated with higher mortality risk and worse outcomes among CAD patients, and patients with advanced CKD have often been excluded from randomized controlled trials, creating an evidence gap for these high-risk CAD patients. ACEI/ARB are beneficial for greater survival among CAD patients, but the effect of ACEI/ARB therapy on long-term prognosis is unclear among CAD patients with advanced CKD.What does this study add to our knowledge? ACEI/ARB treatment showed a better survival benefit among high-risk CAD patients with advanced CKD at long-term follow-up.How might this change clinical pharmacology or translational science? CAD patients with advanced CKD are not only have worse outcomes but also limited in their choice of therapy strategies. Our study may prompt an important reference for the subsequent improvement of long-term prognosis among these high-risk populations.

The association between acute kidney injury and dysglycaemia in critically ill patients with and without diabetes mellitus: a retrospective single-center study.

BACKGROUND: Critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) often experience dysglycaemia. However, studies investigating the link between acute kidney injury (AKI) and dysglycaemia, especially in those with and without diabetes mellitus (DM), are limited. METHODS: We used the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database to investigate the association between AKI within 7 days of admission and subsequent dysglycaemia. The primary outcome was the occurrence of dysglycaemia (both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia) after 7 days of ICU admission. Logistic regression analyzed the relationship between AKI and dysglycaemia, while a Cox proportional hazards model estimated the long-term mortality risk linked to the AKI combined with dysglycaemia. RESULTS: A cohort of 20,008 critically ill patients were included. The AKI group demonstrated a higher prevalence of dysglycaemia, compared to the non-AKI group. AKI patients had an increased risk of dysglycaemia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.41-1.65), hypoglycemia (aOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.41-1.73), and hyperglycemia (aOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.41-1.66). In subgroup analysis, compared to DM patients, AKI showed higher risk of dysglycaemia in non-DM patients (aOR: 1.93 vs. 1.33, Pint<0.01). Additionally, the AKI with dysglycaemia group exhibited a higher risk of long-term mortality compared to the non-AKI without dysglycaemia group. Dysglycaemia also mediated the relationship between AKI and long-term mortality. CONCLUSION: AKI was associated with a higher risk of dysglycaemia, especially in non-DM patients, and the combination of AKI and dysglycaemia was linked to higher long-term mortality. Further research is needed to develop optimal glycemic control strategies for AKI patients.

Eight-year total, cognitive-affective, and somatic depressive symptoms trajectories and risks of cardiac events.

In this study, we analyzed pooled data from two prospective population-based cohorts-the Health Retirement Study (HRS) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)-to explore the association between trajectories of depressive symptoms and the risk of cardiac events. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 8-item CES-D scale and categorized into somatic and cognitive-affective subtypes. Trajectories were tracked for four surveys from baseline. Heart disease was identified based on self-reported physician-diagnosed conditions. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated with Cox proportional risk models that adjusted for potential confounders. In total, 17,787 subjects (59.7% female, median age 63 years) were enrolled at baseline. During a 10-year follow-up, 2409 cases of heart disease were identified. Participants with fluctuating (HR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.06-1.20), increasing (HR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.25-1.64), and consistently high (HR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.45-1.84) depressive symptom trajectories exhibited an increased risk of heart disease compared to those with consistently low depressive symptoms, while a decreasing (HR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.96-1.19) depressive symptom trajectory did not significantly affect the risk of heart disease. Moreover, the association between heart disease and somatic depressive symptoms was found to be stronger than with cognitive-affective symptoms. These findings suggest a significant link between depressive symptom trajectories and heart disease, with particular emphasis on stronger associations with somatic symptoms. It is recommended that the identification and management of depressive symptoms be incorporated into heart disease prevention strategies.

Prognostic nomogram combining 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomics and clinical data for stage III NSCLC survival prediction.

The aim of this study was to establish and validate the precision of a novel radiomics approach that integrates 18Fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) scan data with clinical information to improve the prognostication of survival rates in patients diagnosed with stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) who are not candidates for surgery. We evaluated pretreatment 18F-FDG PET-CT scans from 156 individuals diagnosed with stage III inoperable NSCLC at Shandong Cancer Hospital. These individuals were divided into two groups: a training set comprising 110 patients and an internal validation set consisting of 46 patients. By employing random forest classifier and cox proportional hazards model , we identified and utilized relevant features to create predictive models and a nomogram. The effectiveness of these models was assessed through the use of the receiver operating characteristics(ROC) curves, Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves, and the application of the nomogram. Our findings showed that the combined model, which integrates both clinical and radiomic data, outperformed those based solely on clinical or radiomic features in predicting 3-year overall survival(OS). Furthermore, calibration plots revealed a high level of agreement between predicted and actual survival times. The research successfully established a predictive radiomics model that integrates 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging with clinical indicators to enhance survival predictions for patients with stage III inoperable NSCLC.

Association between the C-reactive protein to albumin ratio with asthma and mortality in adult: a population-based study.

Asthma is a prevalent chronic disease characterized by airflow obstruction, causing breathing difficulties and wheezing. This study investigates the association between the C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) and asthma prevalence, as well as all-cause and respiratory mortality among asthma patients, using data from the 2001-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We included participants aged 20 years and older with complete CAR data, excluding those who were pregnant or lost to follow-up. The analysis employed weighted logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models with stepwise adjustment, restricted cubic spline analysis for nonlinear relationships, and time-dependent ROC curves for predictive accuracy. Results showed that the highest CAR quartile significantly increased the risk of asthma (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.38-1.78), all-cause mortality (HR 2.20, 95% CI 1.67-2.89), and respiratory mortality (HR 2.56, 95% CI 1.30-5.38). The impact of CAR on all-cause mortality was particularly significant in hypertensive patients. These findings highlight CAR's potential as a valuable biomarker for predicting asthma prevalence and mortality, underscoring its role in asthma management and prognostication.

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and mortality risk among patients with liver cirrhosis: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The relationship between dietary patterns and cirrhosis is undeniable. The present study aimed to investigate the association between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis prospectively. METHODS: In this cohort study, 121 cirrhotic patients were enrolled and followed up annually for four years. Nutritional status and dietary intakes were assessed initially, and the DASH score was calculated accordingly. Crude and multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard analyses. RESULTS: DASH components including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and low-fat dairy products were significantly associated with lower mortality risk in cirrhotic patients. Also, a higher DASH score was significantly associated with a reduction in the risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis, so that after adjusting for all confounders, the risk of mortality in the upper tertile was 89% lower than the first tertile (HR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.03-0.42, P trend < 0.001). The 4-year survival rate among patients across tertiles of DASH was 32%, 37%, and 46%, respectively (P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that a higher DASH diet score may be associated with a reduced risk of mortality in cirrhotic patients. However, larger studies are needed to confirm the findings and determine their potential mechanisms.