Current treatment options for cluster headache: limitations and the unmet need for better and specific treatments-a consensus article.

AIM: Treatment for cluster headache is currently based on a trial-and-error approach. The available preventive treatment is unspecific and based on few and small studies not adhering to modern standards. Therefore, the authors collaborated to discuss acute and preventive treatment in cluster headache, addressing the unmet need of safe and tolerable preventive medication from the perspectives of people with cluster headache and society, headache specialist and cardiologist. FINDINGS: The impact of cluster headache on personal life is substantial. Mean annual direct and indirect costs of cluster headache are more than 11,000 Euros per patient. For acute treatment, the main problems are treatment response, availability, costs and, for triptans, contraindications and the maximum use allowed. Intermediate treatment with steroids and greater occipital nerve blocks are effective but cannot be used continuously. Preventive treatment is sparsely studied and overall limited by relatively low efficacy and side effects. Neurostimulation is a relevant option for treatment-refractory chronic patients. From a cardiologist's perspective use of verapamil and triptans may be worrisome and regular follow-up is essential when using verapamil and lithium. CONCLUSION: We find that there is a great and unmet need to pursue novel and targeted preventive modalities to suppress the horrific pain attacks for people with cluster headache.

Machine learning for emerging infectious disease field responses.

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), including the latest COVID-19 pandemic, have emerged and raised global public health crises in recent decades. Without existing protective immunity, an EID may spread rapidly and cause mass casualties in a very short time. Therefore, it is imperative to identify cases with risk of disease progression for the optimized allocation of medical resources in case medical facilities are overwhelmed with a flood of patients. This study has aimed to cope with this challenge from the aspect of preventive medicine by exploiting machine learning technologies. The study has been based on 83,227 hospital admissions with influenza-like illness and we analysed the risk effects of 19 comorbidities along with age and gender for severe illness or mortality risk. The experimental results revealed that the decision rules derived from the machine learning based prediction models can provide valuable guidelines for the healthcare policy makers to develop an effective vaccination strategy. Furthermore, in case the healthcare facilities are overwhelmed by patients with EID, which frequently occurred in the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the frontline physicians can incorporate the proposed prediction models to triage patients suffering minor symptoms without laboratory tests, which may become scarce during an EID disaster. In conclusion, our study has demonstrated an effective approach to exploit machine learning technologies to cope with the challenges faced during the outbreak of an EID.

Predicting patients who are likely to develop Lupus Nephritis of those newly diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) suffer from a decreased quality of life, an increased risk of medical complications, and an increased risk of death. In particular, approximately 50% of SLE patients progress to develop lupus nephritis, which oftentimes leads to life-threatening end stage renal disease (ESRD) and requires dialysis or kidney transplant1. The challenge is that lupus nephritis is diagnosed via a kidney biopsy, which is typically performed only after noticeable decreased kidney function, leaving little room for proactive or preventative measures. The ability to predict which patients are most likely to develop lupus nephritis has the potential to shift lupus nephritis disease management from reactive to proactive. We present a clinically useful prediction model to predict which patients with newly diagnosed SLE will go on to develop lupus nephritis in the next five years.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Breastfeeding as a Factor in the Prevention of Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: As cancer is one of the main causes of fatal illnesses in the world, and breast cancer is responsible for an elevated number of deaths in women, it is important to implement measures to prevent this disease. METHOD: In order to assess the influence of breastfeeding in preventing breast cancer in women, forteen prospective cohort articles are included in this study, and their methodological quality has been assessed through the Newcastle Ottawa quality assessment scale cohort studies. After determining the risk of bias for each case study, those with fewer systematic errors and therefore greater validity, have been selected to demonstrate the relationship they propose exists between breastfeeding and breast cancer. RESULTS: 50% percent of the research included found that breastfeeding does not reduce the risk of breast cancer, while the other 50% argue that it is a protective factor. However, with regards to quality, the case studies that conclude that breastfeeding is not associated with breast cancer have more evidential support. CONCLUSION: It is difficult to establish whether or not breastfeeding prevents breast cancer, given the diversity of conclusions in the literature. Nevertheless, the findings of this study reinforce the importance of developing strategies to improve long-term women's health in the field of prevention.

Psychological impact and implementation of preventative measures in hemodialysis centers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a provincial questionnaire survey in China.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the psychological status of patients and staff, and the implementation of preventative measures in hemodialysis centers in Guangdong province, China, during the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: An electronic questionnaire survey was carried out anonymously between March 28 and April 3, 2020. All of the 516 hemodialysis centers registered in Guangdong province were invited to participate in the survey. The questionnaires were designed to investigate the psychological status of hemodialysis patients and general staff members (doctors, nurses, technicians, and other staff), and to address the implementation of preventative measures for administrators (directors or head nurses) of the hemodialysis centers. RESULTS: A total of 1782 patients, 3400 staff, and 420 administrators voluntarily participated in this survey. Patients living in rural areas reported a higher incidence of severe anxiety compared to those living in other areas (in rural areas, towns, and cities, the incidence rate was 17.0%, 9.0%, and 8.9%, respectively, P < 0.001). Medical staff were less likely to worry about being infected than non-medical staff (13.1% vs 30.3%, respectively, P < 0.001). With respect to the implementation of preventative measures, hemodialysis centers in general hospitals outperformed stand-alone blood purification centers, while tertiary hospitals outperformed hospitals of other levels. However, restrictions regarding the admission of non-resident patients were lower in tertiary hospitals than in other hospitals. In this situation, only one patient imported from Hubei province was diagnosed with COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 did not significantly affect the psychological status of most patients and medical staff members. Due to the implementation of comprehensive preventative measures, there were no cluster outbreaks of COVID-19 in hemodialysis centers. This provincial-level survey may provide referential guidance for other countries and regions that are experiencing a similar pandemic.

Alterações em exames citopatológicos realizados em Unidade Básica de Saúde: um estudo analítico transversal / Alterations in cytopathological tests performed in a Basic Health Unit: a cross-cutting analytical study

Objetivo: Com o presente estudo, buscou-se verificar a quantidade de exames de colpocitologia oncótica coletados em Unidade Básica de Saúde (UBS) escolhida, determinar quantas e quais são as alterações encontradas nesses exames e quais foram as condutas e acompanhamentos realizados em pacientes com exames alterados. Métodos: Foram analisados 446 exames de colpocitologia oncótica realizados em uma UBS do centro-oeste do Paraná. As pacientes com exame alterado foram selecionadas e foi feita uma análise desses prontuários a fim de verificar a conduta e o acompanhamento dessas pacientes. Resultados: Foram encontrados 32 exames com alterações, sendo três de uma mesma paciente. Dessas 30 pacientes, a grande maioria correspondia a células escamosas atípicas de significado indeterminado (ASC-US), possivelmente não neoplásicas, e 28 pacientes retornaram para receber uma conduta inicial, sendo principalmente o encaminhamento para a coleta de novo preventivo em seis meses ao serviço de oncologia clínica. Conclusão: O presente estudo concluiu que a hipótese principal foi verdadeira, a qual foi descrita como prevalência significativa de lesões intraepiteliais de alto grau, embora não seja a mais frequente, e descontinuidade por parte das pacientes que obtiveram esse resultado. Além disso, notou-se grande encaminhamento à atenção terciária, o que não é indicado pelo Ministério da Saúde.(AU)

Objective: With the present study, we sought to verify the amount of cytopathological tests collected in the chosen basic health unit, to determine how many and what are the alterations found in these tests and what were the conducts and follow-ups performed in patients with altered exams. Methods: We analyzed 446 preventive tests performed in a basic health unit in the Midwest of Paraná, and patients with altered examination were selected and an analysis of these medical records was made in order to verify the conduct and follow-up of the patients. Results: Thirty-two tests with alterations were performed, 3 of which were the same patient. Of these 30 patients, the vast majority corresponded to atypical cells of squamous meaning ­ possibly non-neoplastic (ASC-US), and 28 patients returned to receive an initial approach, mainly being referred to the collection of preventive new in 6 months and to the clinical oncology service. Conclusion: The present study concluded that the main hypothesis was true, which was described as a significant prevalence of high-grade intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), although not the most frequent, and discontinuity on the part of the patients who obtained this result. In addition, there was a large referral to tertiary care, which is not indicated by the Ministry of Health.(AU)

Effect of Individualized Preventive Care Recommendations vs Usual Care on Patient Interest and Use of Recommendations: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: This randomized clinical trial examines the feasibility and acceptability of a decision-making tool for increasing patient interest in individualized recommendations for preventive care services. Objective: To pilot a tool to help patients compare life expectancy gains from evidence-based preventive services. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial examined patient and physician responses to a pilot decision tool incorporating personalized risk factors at 3 US primary care clinics between 2017 and 2020. Eligible patients were between ages 45 to 70 years with 2 or more high-risk factors. Patients were followed-up after 1 year. Interventions: The gain in life expectancy associated with guideline adherence to each recommended preventive service was estimated. Personalized estimates incorporating risk factors in electronic health records were displayed in a physician-distributed visual aid. During development, physicians discussed individualized results with patients using shared decision-making (SDM). During the trial, patients were randomized to receive individualized recommendations or usual care (nonmasked, parallel, 1:1 ratio). Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcome was patient interest in individualized recommendations, assessed by survey. Secondary outcomes were use of SDM, decisional comfort, readiness to change, and preventive services received within 1 year. Results: The study enrolled 104 patients (31 development, 39 intervention, 34 control), of whom 101 were included in analysis (mean [SD] age, 56.5 [5.3] years; 73 [72.3%] women; 80 [79.2%] Black patients) and 20 physicians. Intervention patients found the tool helpful and wanted to use it again, rating it a median 9 of 10 (IQR, 8-10) and 10 of 10 (8-10), respectively. Compared with the control group, intervention patients more often correctly identified the service least likely (18 [46%] vs 0; P = .03) to improve their life expectancy. A greater number of patients also identified the service most likely to improve their life expectancy (26 [69%] vs 10 [30%]; P = .07), although this result was not statistically significant. Intervention patients reported greater mean [SD] improvement in SDM (4.7 [6.9] points) and near-term readiness to change (13.8 points for top-3-ranked recommendations). Point estimates indicated that patients in the intervention group experienced greater, although non-statistically significant, reductions in percentage of body weight (-2.96%; 95% CI, -8.18% to 2.28%), systolic blood pressure (-6.42 mm Hg; 95% CI, -16.12 to 3.27 mm Hg), hemoglobin A1c (-0.68%; 95% CI, -1.82% to 0.45%), 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk score (-1.20%; 95% CI, -3.65% to 1.26%), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-8.46 mg/dL; 95% CI, -26.63 to 9.70 mg/dL) than the control group. Nineteen of 20 physicians wanted to continue using the decision tool in the future. Conclusions and Relevance: In this clinical trial, an individualized preventive care decision support tool improved patient understanding of primary prevention and demonstrated promise for improved shared decision-making and preventive care utilization. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03023813.

Screens for infants and preschool children: Assessment of medical prevention with parents and assessment of exposure.

BACKGROUND: Regarding the massive increase of interactive mobile screen household equipment and the omnipresence of television, many recommendations are in favor of a limitation of use, especially among the youngest. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the proportion of parents who report having discussed the subject of their child's exposure to screens during a consultation with a health professional. We also aimed to assess preschool exposure to television and mobile media devices, and to explore parents' views on the benefits and risks of exposing their children under 3 years old. METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to parents of children aged 6 months to 3 years in a pediatric emergency ward and several nurseries. This observational, cross-sectional and multicenter study was conducted from January to May 2019. RESULTS: We included 451 responses in the analyses. Only 99 (22.7%; 95% CI: 18.7-26.6) parents reported having discussed their child's exposure to screens with a doctor, on the initiative of the parents themselves for 52 households (53.1%; 95% CI: 43.2-62.9). Feelings of a benefit of screens on child learning concerned 134 (34.5%; 95% CI: 29.8-39.3) parents; 300 (68.5%; 95% CI: 64.1-72.8) said they were sufficiently informed about benefits and risks. In a typical week, 240 (53.7%; 95% CI: 49.1-58.3), 160 (35.8%; 95% CI: 31.3-40.2), and 58 (13.0%; 95% CI: 9.9-16.1) children were exposed at least once a week to television, smartphones, and tablets, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the theme of exposure to screens was hardly addressed by physicians in consultation. Our findings help target prevention messages, including fighting the widespread belief that media are beneficial to child development, emphasizing the importance of screen-free time (eating, going to bed, after waking up) and encouraging support and interaction during exposure in families who choose to expose their children.

COVID-19 and the Eye: Ocular Manifestations, Treatment and Protection Measures.

The novel pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) leading to health and economic problems worldwide is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although COVID-19 mainly occurs as a lower respiratory tract infection, there is multiorgan involvement in infected patients. The disease is transmitted from person to person through air droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces. SARS-CoV-2 leads to this systemic involvement by attaching to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors located on several human cells. Since SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been found in tears of infected patients, ocular surface may allow the virus to transmit to nasopharynx via the nasolacrimal duct. This narrative review aims to sum up all segmental ocular complications, ocular adverse effects of COVID-19 treatment, and preventive measures suggested to minimize the SARS-CoV-2 transmission between patients and ophthalmologists by reviewing currently available literature.

Trends in Differences Across Subgroups of Adults in Preventive Services Utilization.

BACKGROUND: There were large differences across subgroups of adults in preventive services utilization before 2010. The Affordable Care Act had numerous provisions aimed at increasing utilization as well as at reducing disparities. OBJECTIVE: This study examines whether preventive services utilization changed over time, across subgroups of adults defined by race/ethnicity, insurance coverage, poverty status, Census region, and urbanicity. METHODS: Data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component are used to examine service utilization before the passage of the Affordable Care Act (2008/2009), after the implementation of the preventive services mandate and the dependent coverage provision (2012/2013), and after Medicaid expansions (2015/2016). Four preventive services are examined for adults aged 19-64-general checkups, blood cholesterol screening, mammograms, and colorectal cancer screening. Multivariate logistic regression models are used to predict preventive services utilization of adult subgroups in each time period, and to examine how differences across subgroups changed between 2008/2009 and 2015/2016. RESULTS: There were modest increases in utilization between 2008/2009 and 2015/2016 for blood cholesterol and colorectal cancer screenings. For 3 of 4 preventive services, differences between the Northeast and the Midwest regions narrowed. However, large gaps in utilization across income groups and between those with and without coverage persisted. Disparities across racial/ethnic groups in general checkups persisted over time as well. CONCLUSION: While some differences have narrowed, large gaps in preventive service utilization across population subgroups remain.

"He who pays the piper calls the tune": Researcher experiences of funder suppression of health behaviour intervention trial findings.

BACKGROUND: Governments commonly fund research with specific applications in mind. Such mechanisms may facilitate 'research translation' but funders may employ strategies that can also undermine the integrity of both science and government. We estimated the prevalence and investigated correlates of funder efforts to suppress health behaviour intervention trial findings. METHODS: Our sampling frame was lead or corresponding authors of papers (published 2007-2017) included in a Cochrane review, reporting findings from trials of interventions to improve nutrition, physical activity, sexual health, smoking, and substance use. Suppression events were based on a previous survey of public health academics. Participants answered questions concerning seven suppression events in their efforts to report the trial, e.g., [I was…] "asked to suppress certain findings as they were viewed as being unfavourable." We also examined the association between information on study funder, geographical location, targeted health behaviour, country democracy rating and age of publication with reported suppression. FINDINGS: We received responses from 104 authors (50%) of 208 eligible trials, from North America (34%), Europe (33%), Oceania (17%), and other countries (16%). Eighteen percent reported at least one of the seven suppression events relating to the trial in question. The most commonly reported suppression event was funder(s) expressing reluctance to publish because they considered the results 'unfavourable' (9% reported). We found no strong associations with the subject of research, funding source, democracy, region, or year of publication. CONCLUSIONS: One in five researchers in this global sample reported being pressured to delay, alter, or not publish the findings of health behaviour intervention trials. Regulation of funder and university practices, establishing study registries, and compulsory disclosure of funding conditions in scientific journals, are needed to protect the integrity of public-good research.

Early age onset colorectal cancer.

The incidence and mortality associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosed in patients under the age of 50 have been steadily increasing. The exact etiology of these epidemiologic trends is unclear. This chapter will provide a comprehensive review on the topic of early age onset colorectal cancer (EAO-CRC), defined as colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosed in patients under the age of 50. Topics reviewed will include the epidemiology of EAO-CRC around the world, clinical and pathological features of EAO-CRC in contrast to later age onset CRC (CRC diagnosed on those over the age of 50) and the observed molecular and somatic characteristics. This chapter will review the etiologies to EAO-CRC and the established, as well as proposed risk factors for disease. Evidence-based approaches to prevention, early detection, treatment and survivorship will be presented.

Knowledge and preventive practices towards COVID-19 among pregnant women seeking antenatal services in Northern Ghana.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a novel respiratory disease associated with severe morbidity and high mortality in the elderly population and people with comorbidities. Studies have suggested that pregnant women are more susceptible to COVID-19 compared to non-pregnant women. However, it's unclear whether pregnant women in Ghana are knowledgeable about COVID-19 and practice preventive measures against it. This study sought to assess the knowledge and preventive practices towards COVID-19 among pregnant women seeking antenatal services in Northern Ghana. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire in the Nabdam district in Ghana. A total of 527 pregnant women were randomly sampled from health facilities offering antenatal care services in the district. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between the predictors and outcome variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of adequate knowledge and good COVID-19 preventive practices were 85.6%, (95% CI: 82.57, 88.59) and 46.6%, (95% CI: 42.41, 50.95) respectively. Having at least a primary education, residing in an urban area, and receiving COVID-19 education at a health facility were positively associated with adequate knowledge on COVID-19. Factors positively associated with good COVID-19 preventive practices were older age, having at least a primary education, pregnant women with a chronic disease, and living in an urban area. Multiparity was negatively associated with good COVID-19 preventive practices. CONCLUSION: Although majority of women had adequate knowledge of COVID-19, less than half of them were engaged in good COVID-19 preventive practices. Education of pregnant women on COVID-19 preventive practices should be intensified at health facilities while improving upon the water, sanitation and hygiene need particularly in rural communities.

CHECKEATE, aplicación tecnológica en la prevención y tratamiento de las enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles / CHECKEATE, a technological application for the prevention and treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases

La falta de cultura preventiva y un diagnóstico precoz oportuno representan dos de los factores más importantes a considerar en la prevención y tratamiento de las enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles a nivel mundial, por lo que la tecnología móvil constituye una alternativa que bien puede ser utilizada en la medicina preventiva. En este sentido, el presente artículo tuvo como objetivo validar una aplicación tecnológica que permita realizar el diagnóstico de enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles, utilizando el dispositivo móvil. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, que utilizó la encuesta como técnica y el cuestionario como instrumento para la recolección de la información en una muestra de 60 personas mayores de 18 años, todos usuarios de la red social Facebook, quienes seguían la página https://es-la.facebook.com/DrLuisPacoraCamargo/. Los resultados obtenidos permitieron demostrar que el 57,1 por ciento de los encuestados presentaba edades comprendidas entre los 21 y 40 años de edad, de los cuales el 88,3 por ciento reportó que utilizaba internet diariamente; el 53,3 por ciento respondió que utilizaba sus dispositivos frecuentemente para comunicarse a través de las redes sociales; el 53,4 por ciento de los encuestados había descargado un aplicativo relacionado con la salud y, finalmente, el 82,8 por ciento de las personas respondió tener conocimiento del término de medicina preventiva y, que de tener información en sus dispositivos móviles, la utilizaría con frecuencia. En conclusión, el diseño e implementación de un servicio de salud a través de los dispositivos móviles, como el CHECKEATE, es viable en un mercado joven, potencialmente interesado en temas de salud preventiva(AU)

Lack of a preventive culture and of timely early diagnosis are two of the most important factors to be considered in the prevention and treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases worldwide. Mobile technology is therefore an alternative which could very well be used in preventive medicine. The purpose of the study was to validate a technological application for the diagnosis of chronic non-communicable diseases using a mobile device. A descriptive study was conducted based on the survey as technique and the questionnaire as data collection tool. The sample was 60 people aged over 18 years, all of them users of the social network Facebook, who follow the webpage https://es-la.facebook.com/DrLuisPacoraCamargo/. Results show that 57.1 percent of the respondents were aged 21-40 years; 88.3 percent reported using the Internet daily; 53.3 percent that they used their devices frequently for communication through social networks; 53.4 percent had downloaded a health-related application, and 82.8 percent were familiar with the term "preventive medicine" and would used it more frequently if they had more information on their mobile devices. In conclusion, design and implementation of a health service through mobile devices, as is the case with CHECKEATE, would be viable in a young market potentially interested in preventive health topics(AU)

Quality-Adjusted Life-Year Losses Averted With Every COVID-19 Infection Prevented in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the overall quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained by averting 1 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection over the duration of the pandemic. METHODS: A cohort-based probabilistic simulation model, informed by the latest epidemiological estimates on COVID-19 in the United States provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and literature review. Heterogeneity of parameter values across age group was accounted for. The main outcome studied was QALYs for the infected patient, patient's family members, and the contagion effect of the infected patient over the duration of the pandemic. RESULTS: Averting a COVID-19 infection in a representative US resident will generate an additional 0.061 (0.016-0.129) QALYs (for the patient: 0.055, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.014-0.115; for the patient's family members: 0.006, 95% CI 0.002-0.015). Accounting for the contagion effect of this infection, and assuming that an effective vaccine will be available in 3 months, the total QALYs gains from averting 1 single infection is 1.51 (95% CI 0.28-4.37) accrued to patients and their family members affected by the index infection and its sequelae. These results were robust to most parameter values and were most influenced by effective reproduction number, probability of death outside the hospital, the time-varying hazard rates of hospitalization, and death in critical care. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the health benefits of averting 1 COVID-19 infection in the United States are substantial. Efforts to curb infections must weigh the costs against these benefits.