Cardiac dysfunction in survivors of sepsis: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is associated with an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events in a magnitude comparable to other major cardiovascular risk factors. Sepsis is one of the most common reasons for intensive care admission and survivors often have significant functional limitations following discharge. However, it is not clear to what extent chronic cardiovascular dysfunction might mediate these functional impairments, or how we might screen and manage these patients at risk of chronic cardiovascular disease. We conducted a scoping review to map existing evidence and identify research gaps relating to cardiovascular dysfunction following sepsis. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL databases using a concept, context, population (CoCoPop) framework. Studies examining cardiovascular outcomes or symptoms following an episode of sepsis in adults were included. Data were mapped based on the population assessed, cardiovascular outcomes examined, inclusion of objective measures of cardiac dysfunction such as biomarkers or cardiovascular imaging, or whether cardiovascular symptoms or patient-reported functional outcomes measures were recorded. RESULTS: We identified 11 210 articles of which 70 were eligible for full text review and 28 were included in final analysis. Across our dataset, a wide range of incident cardiovascular outcomes were reported in the literature including incidence of congestive heart failure (13/28), arrhythmia (6/28), myocardial infarction (24/28) or cardiovascular death or all-cause mortality (20/28). Only 39% (11/28) of articles reported objective measures of cardiovascular function and only one article related cardiovascular function to functional impairment via patient-reported outcome measures. CONCLUSION: There are significant gaps in our understanding of cardiac dysfunction following sepsis . While the research highlights the strong association of sepsis with a variety of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, further prospective work is required to understand the mechanisms that mediate this phenomenon and how we can best identify and manage patients at risk.

Health impacts of parental migration on left-behind children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Globally, a growing number of children and adolescents are left behind when parents migrate. We investigated the effect of parental migration on the health of left behind-children and adolescents in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis we searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PsychINFO, Global Index Medicus, Scopus, and Popline from inception to April 27, 2017, without language restrictions, for observational studies investigating the effects of parental migration on nutrition, mental health, unintentional injuries, infectious disease, substance use, unprotected sex, early pregnancy, and abuse in left-behind children (aged 0-19 years) in LMICs. We excluded studies in which less than 50% of participants were aged 0-19 years, the mean or median age of participants was more than 19 years, fewer than 50% of parents had migrated for more than 6 months, or the mean or median duration of migration was less than 6 months. We screened studies using systematic review software and extracted summary estimates from published reports independently. The main outcomes were risk and prevalence of health outcomes, including nutrition (stunting, wasting, underweight, overweight and obesity, low birthweight, and anaemia), mental health (depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, conduct disorders, self-harm, and suicide), unintentional injuries, substance use, abuse, and infectious disease. We calculated pooled risk ratios (RRs) and standardised mean differences (SMDs) using random-effects models. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42017064871. FINDINGS: Our search identified 10 284 records, of which 111 studies were included for analysis, including a total of 264 967 children (n=106 167 left-behind children and adolescents; n=158 800 children and adolescents of non-migrant parents). 91 studies were done in China and focused on effects of internal labour migration. Compared with children of non-migrants, left-behind children had increased risk of depression and higher depression scores (RR 1·52 [95% CI 1·27-1·82]; SMD 0·16 [0·10-0·21]), anxiety (RR 1·85 [1·36-2·53]; SMD 0·18 [0·11-0·26]), suicidal ideation (RR 1·70 [1·28-2·26]), conduct disorder (SMD 0·16 [0·04-0·28]), substance use (RR 1·24 [1·00-1·52]), wasting (RR 1·13 [1·02-1·24]) and stunting (RR 1·12 [1·00-1·26]). No differences were identified between left-behind children and children of non-migrants for other nutrition outcomes, unintentional injury, abuse, or diarrhoea. No studies reported outcomes for other infectious diseases, self-harm, unprotected sex, or early pregnancy. Study quality varied across the included studies, with 43% of studies at high or unclear risk of bias across five or more domains. INTERPRETATION: Parental migration is detrimental to the health of left-behind children and adolescents, with no evidence of any benefit. Policy makers and health-care professionals need to take action to improve the health of these young people. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust.

Evaluation of adipocytokines and traditional cardiometabolic risk factors in young male cancer survivors: an age-matched control study.

BACKGROUND: Life expectancy of cancer survivors has doubled in the past four decades; however, death due to cardiovascular disease is more prevalent in survivors than the general population. OBJECTIVE, DESIGN AND METHODS: We evaluated novel and traditional cardiometabolic risk factors in young male cancer survivors in a cross-sectional study of male cancer survivors aged 25-45 years compared with age-matched noncancer controls. Demographic and anthropometric data were recorded and biochemical and hormonal parameters assayed from fasting blood samples in 176 survivors and 213 controls (lipids were measured in all survivors and 97 controls). RESULTS: Compared with controls, survivors had significantly higher body mass index, adipocytokines, insulin resistance, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels and lower free androgen index (FAI). Handgrip strength, smoking, alcohol consumption, free oestrogen index, insulin-like growth factor 1 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels did not differ between cancer survivors and controls. Risk factors were analysed simultaneously using stepwise multivariable logistic regression, and this showed that high leptin: adiponectin ratio (odds ratio = 2·63; 95% confidence interval: 1·34-5·15; P = 0·005), hypercholesterolaemia (odds ratio = 1·85; 95%CI: 1·08-3·17; P = 0·025) and low FAI (odds ratio = 2·01; 95% confidence interval: 1·07-3·79; P = 0·030) were independently more common in survivors. The odds ratio in survivors for having at least two of these three risk factors rose to 6·58 (95% confidence interval: 3·30-13·12; P < 0·001). Among survivors, risk factors were not different between cancer therapies but worse in survivors who had radiotherapy involving the testes (hyperleptinaemia and insulin resistance) or age at diagnosis above group median (hypertriglyceridaemia and hypercholesterolaemia). CONCLUSIONS: A high leptin: adiponectin ratio, hypercholesterolaemia and low FAI are observed in young male cancer survivors, especially those who received radiotherapy involving the testes or were diagnosed at a later age. In view of their youth and known increased risk of cardiovascular death, treatment strategies are required to address this cardiovascular risk.