Plos One
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Clinical trials suggest that use of fixed-dose combination therapy ('polypills') can improve adherence to medication and control of risk factors of people at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to usual care, but cost-effectiveness is unknown. ⋯ For most people already on treatment to modify CVD risk, a polypill strategy may be cost-effective compared with optimising treatment as per guidelines or their current care, as long as the polypill cost is sufficiently low.
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Fluorescence-guided surgery has emerged as a powerful tool to detect, localize and resect tumors in the operative setting. Our laboratory has pioneered a novel way to administer an FDA-approved near-infrared (NIR) contrast agent to help surgeons with this task. This technique, coined Second Window ICG, exploits the natural permeability of tumor vasculature and its poor clearance to deliver high doses of indocyanine green (ICG) to tumors. This technique differs substantially from established ICG video angiography techniques that visualize ICG within minutes of injection. We hypothesized that Second Window ICG can provide NIR optical contrast with good signal characteristics in intracranial brain tumors over a longer period of time than previously appreciated with ICG video angiography alone. We tested this hypothesis in an intracranial mouse glioblastoma model, and corroborated this in a human clinical trial. ⋯ The Second Window ICG technique allows neurosurgeons to deliver NIR optical contrast agent to human glioblastoma patients, thus providing real-time tumor identification in the operating room. This nonspecific tumor accumulation of ICG within the tumor provides strong signal to background contrast, and is not significantly time dependent between 6 hours to 48 hours, providing a broad plateau for stable visualization. This finding suggests that optimal imaging of the "Second Window of ICG" may be within this plateau period, thus providing signal uniformity across subjects.
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While adverse childhood experiences have been shown to contribute to adverse health outcomes in adulthood, specifically distress and somatic symptoms, few studies have examined their joint effects with resilient coping style on adult adjustment. Hence, we aim to determine the association between resilient coping and distress in participants with and without reported childhood adversities. A representative German community sample (N = 2508) between 14-92 years (1334 women; 1174 men) was examined by the short form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Brief Resilience Coping Scale, standardized scales of distress and somatoform symptoms. ⋯ Resilient coping was not only associated with lower distress, it also buffered the effects of childhood adversity on distress. Our study corroborates the buffering effect of resilience in a representative German sample. High trait resilient subjects show less distress and somatoform symptoms despite reported childhood adversities in comparison to those with low resilient coping abilities.
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Comparative Study
Functional MRI for characterization of renal perfusion impairment and edema formation due to acute kidney injury in different mouse strains.
The purpose was to characterize acute kidney injury (AKI) in C57BL/6 (B6)- and 129/Sv (Sv)-mice by noninvasive measurement of renal perfusion and tissue edema using functional MRI. ⋯ Quantification of renal perfusion and tissue edema by functional MRI allows characterization of strain differences upon AKI. Renal perfusion impairment was stronger in B6- compared to Sv-animals following moderate AKI. Prolonged ischemia times were associated with more severe perfusion impairment and edema formation in the early phase and progression to CKD within 4 weeks of observation.
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Historical Article
Use of alcohol and drugs with addiction potential among older women and men in a population-based study. The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 2006-2008 (HUNT3).
Little is known about the consumption habits of older adults in Norway with respect to alcohol and the use of drugs with addiction potential, such as benzodiazepines, z-hypnotics and opioids, among regular drinkers. We studied the prevalence of self-reported consumption of alcohol on a regular basis in community-living older men and women (≥ 65 years). Furthermore, we investigated the prevalence of dispensed prescribed drugs with addiction potential in older men and women who were regular drinkers. ⋯ The prevalence of the use of drugs with addiction potential was high in a Norwegian population of older adults who reported regular consumption of alcohol. Strategies should be developed to reduce or prevent alcohol consumption among older adults who use drugs with addiction potential.