Update on Prenatal Detection Rate of Critical Congenital Heart Disease Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Prenatal diagnosis of critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) has improved over time, and previous studies have identified CCHD subtype and socioeconomic status as factors influencing rates of prenatal diagnosis. Our objective of this single-center study was to compare prenatal diagnosis rates of newborns with CCHD admitted for cardiac intervention from the COVID-19 pandemic period (March 2020 to March 2021) to the pre-pandemic period and identify factors associated with the lack of CCHD prenatal diagnosis. The overall rate of CCHD and rates of the various CCHD diagnoses were calculated and compared with historical data collection periods (2009-2012 and 2013-2016). Compared with the 2009-2012 pre-pandemic period, patients had 2.17 times higher odds of having a prenatal diagnosis of CCHD during the pandemic period controlling for lesion type (aOR = 2.17, 95% CI 1.36-3.48, p = 0.001). Single ventricle lesions (aOR 6.74 [4.64-9.80], p < 0.001) and outflow tract anomalies (aOR 2.20 [1.56-3.12], p < 0.001) had the highest odds of prenatal diagnosis compared with the remaining lesions. Patients with outflow tract anomalies had higher odds for prenatal detection in the pandemic period compared with during the 2009-2012 pre-pandemic period (aOR 2.01 [1.06-3.78], p = 0.031). In conclusion, prenatal detection of CCHD among newborns presenting for cardiac intervention appeared to have improved during the pandemic period.

Nutrition-Related N-of-1 Studies Warrant Further Research to Provide Evidence for Dietitians to Practice Personalized (Precision) Medical Nutrition Therapy: A Systematic Review.

N-of-1 trials provide a higher level of evidence than randomized controlled trials for determining which treatment works best for an individual, and the design readily accommodates testing of personalized nutrition. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize nutrition-related studies using an N-of-1 design. The inclusion criterion was adult participants; the intervention/exposure was any nutrient, food, beverage, or dietary pattern; the comparators were baseline values, a control condition untreated or placebo, or an alternate treatment, alongside any outcomes such as changes in diet, body weight, biochemical outcomes, symptoms, quality of life, or a disease outcome resulting from differences in nutritional conditions. The information sources used were Medline, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Central, and PsychInfo. The quality of study reporting was assessed using the Consort Extension for N-of-1 trials (CENT) statement or the STrengthening Reporting of OBservational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines, as appropriate. From 211 articles screened, a total of 7 studies were included and were conducted in 5 countries with a total of 83 participants. The conditions studied included prediabetes, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, weight management, and investigation of the effect of diet in healthy people. The quality of reporting was mostly adequate, and dietary assessment quality varied from poor to good. The evidence base is small, but served to illustrate the main characteristics of N-of-1 study designs and considerations for moving research forward in the era of personalized medical nutrition therapy.

Comparison Study on Four Biodegradable Polymer Coatings for Controlling Magnesium Degradation and Human Endothelial Cell Adhesion and Spreading.

Magnesium (Mg)-based bioresorbable cardiovascular scaffold (BCS) is a promising alternative to conventional permanent cardiovascular stents, but it faces the challenges of rapid degradation and poor endothelium recovery after device degradation. To address these challenges, we investigated poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) (90:10), PLGA (50:50), and polycaprolactone (PCL) coatings on Mg, respectively, and evaluated their surface and biological properties. Intact polymer coatings with complete coverage on Mg substrate were achieved. The biological performance of the materials was evaluated by culturing with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro using the direct culture method. The pH of the culture media and Mg2+ and Ca2+ ion concentrations in the media were measured after culture to characterize the degradation rate of the materials in vitro. The results showed that the PLGA (50:50) coating improved the adhesion and spreading of HUVECs the most among the four polymer coatings. Moreover, we found three possible factors that promoted HUVECs directly attached on the surface of PLGA (50:50)-coated Mg: (1) the higher concentration of Mg2+ ions released into culture media with a concentration range of 9-15 mM; (2) the lower Ca2+ ion concentration in culture media at 1.3-1.6 mM; and (3) the favorable surface conditions of PLGA (50:50), when compared with the other sample groups. This in vitro study provided the first evidence that the PLGA (50:50) is a promising coating material for Mg-based biodegradable metals toward potential cardiovascular or neurovascular applications.

Nanomaterials for treating cardiovascular diseases: A review.

Nanomaterials such as nanostructured surfaces, nanoparticles, and nanocomposites represent new viable sources for future therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases. The special properties of nanomaterials such as their intrinsic physiochemical properties, surface energy and surface topographies could actively enhance desirable cellular responses within the cardiovascular system, projecting a growing potential for clinical translation. Recent progress on nanomaterials opened up new opportunities for treating cardiovascular diseases. Successful translation of nanomaterials into cardiovascular applications requires a comprehensive understanding of both nanomaterials and biomedicine, and, thus, it is critical to stress current advancements on both sides. In this review, the authors introduced crucial fabrication techniques for promising nanomaterials for cardiovascular applications. This review highlighted the key elements to consider for their fabrication, properties and applications. The important concerns relevant to cardiovascular nanomaterials, such as cellular responses to nanomaterials and the toxicity of nanomaterials, are also discussed. This review provided an overview of necessary knowledge and key concerns on nanomaterials specific for treating cardiovascular diseases, from the perspectives of both material science and biomedicine.