Journal of internal medicine
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Observational Study
Estimated salt intake and risk of atrial fibrillation in a prospective community-based cohort.
Hypertension predisposes to atrial fibrillation (AF) - a major risk factor for ischaemic stroke. Since a high dietary salt consumption is associated with hypertension, we investigated the association between urinary sodium excretion as a marker for dietary sodium intake and risk of new-onset AF in community-dwelling adults. ⋯ We found evidence for a U-shaped association between estimated daily salt intake and AF risk amongst men. A suggestive J-shaped association in women was not statistically confirmed, but analyses were likely underpowered. Our results suggest that above a certain physiological minimum level progressively higher salt intake is associated with increasing risk of AF.
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Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a recessive disorder involving skin, eyes and arteries, mainly caused by ABCC6 pathogenic variants. However, almost one fifth of patients remain genetically unsolved despite extensive genetic screening of ABCC6, as illustrated in a large French PXE series of 220 cases. We searched for new PXE gene(s) to solve the ABCC6-negative patients. ⋯ CYP2U1 pathogenic variants are found in unsolved PXE patients with neurological findings, including spastic paraplegia, expanding the SPG56 phenotype and highlighting its overlap with PXE. The pathophysiology of ABCC6 and CYP2U1 should be explored to explain their respective role and potential interaction in ectopic mineralization.
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Published reports on tocilizumab in COVID-19 pneumonitis show conflicting results due to weak designs or heterogeneity in critical methodological issues. ⋯ Objective clinical response rate overcame the pre-defined threshold of 30%. Efficacy of tocilizumab to improve respiratory function in patients selected according to our inclusion criteria warrants investigations in randomized trials.