Annals of medicine
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Cardiac troponins (cTn) are currently the standard of care for the diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain (CP). However, their plasma kinetics necessitate a prolonged ED stay or overnight hospital admission, especially in those presenting early after CP onset. Moreover, ruling out ACS in low-risk patients requires prolonged ED observation or overnight hospital admission to allow serial measurements of c-Tn, adding cost. ⋯ Like cTn, H-FABP also has a potential role as a prognostic marker in other conditions where the myocardial injury occurs, such as acute congestive heart failure (CHF) and acute pulmonary embolism (PE). This review provides an overview of the evidence examining the role of H-FABP in early diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with CP and in non-ACS conditions associated with myocardial injury. Key messages Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein is a biomarker that is elevated early in myocardial injury The routine use in the emergency department complements the use of troponins in ruling out acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting early with chest pain It also is useful in risk stratifying patients with other conditions such as heart failure and acute pulmonary embolism.
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Review
Personalized medicine in Hypercholesterolemia: The Role of Pharmacogenetics in Statin Therapy.
Statins are the first-line choice in Lipid-lowering therapy to reduce cardiovascular risk. In a continuous attempt to optimise treatment success, there is a need for additional research on genes and related molecular pathways that can determine the efficacy and toxicity of lipid-lowering drugs. Several variations within genes associated with lipid metabolism, including those involved in uptake, distribution and metabolism of statins have been reported. ⋯ Key Messages Hypercholesterolaemia patients show different response to statin therapy. Several variations within genes associated with statin metabolism have been investigated. Genetic assessment for specific known SNPs within the most known genes may improve the efficacy of statins treatment and prevent their side effects.
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As individuals age, the prevalence of neurocognitive and mental health disorders increases. Current biomedical treatments do not completely address the management of these conditions. Despite new pharmacological therapy the challenges of managing these diseases remain.There is increasing evidence that the Gut Microbiome (GM) and microbial dysbiosis contribute to some of the more prevalent mental health and neurocognitive disorders, such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (BP), and dementia as well as the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Methodology: Scoping review about the effect of gut microbiota on neurocognitive and mental health disorders. ⋯ This understanding can open up the need for a gut related approach in these disorders as well as unlock the door for the role of gut related microbiota management. KEY MESSAGES Challenges of managing mental health conditions remain in spite of new pharmacological therapy. Gut dysbiosis is seen in various mental health conditions. Various psychotropic medications can have an influence on the gut microbiota by their antimicrobial effect.
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Observational Study
24-h urinary sodium excretion and the risk of adverse outcomes.
The objective was to evaluate whether sodium intake, assessed with the gold standard 24-h urinary collections, was related to long-term incidence of death, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). ⋯ High sodium intake is associated with an increased incidence of CVD and DM.
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Observational Study
Handgrip strength improves prediction of type 2 diabetes: A prospective cohort study.
We aimed to determine whether handgrip strength (HGS)improves type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk prediction beyond conventional risk factors. ⋯ Adding measurements of HGS to conventional risk factors might improve T2D risk assessment, especially in women. Further evaluation is needed in larger studies. KEY MESSAGES Handgrip strength (HGS) is independently associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but its utility in classifying or predicting T2D risk has not been explored. In this prospective cohort study of older Caucasian men and women, adding measurements of HGS to conventional risk factors improved T2D risk assessment, especially in women. Assessment of HGS is simple and inexpensive and could prove a valuable clinical tool in the early identification of people at high risk of future T2D.