Preventive screening

Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) are at increased risk of stroke when compared to age-based counterparts. The Stroke Prevention Trial in Sickle Cell Anemia (STOP) previously demonstrated that with the use of transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD; Sickle Stroke Screen) and chronic red cell transfusion, the risk of stroke risk is reduced by over 90%. The STOP criteria detailed the type and method of measurement required; the time averaged mean maximum velocity (TAMMV). Unfortunately, it has been difficult to adhere to the appropriate TAMMV measurements...

INTRODUCTION: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients can experience bone loss caused by underlying conditions and the use of immunosuppressants. As a result, SOT recipients are at risk for decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and increased fracture incidences. We propose a network meta-analysis (NMA) that incorporates all available randomized control trial (RCT) data to provide the most comprehensive ranking of anti-osteoporotic interventions according to their ability to decrease fracture incidences and increase BMD in SOT recipients...

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle changes, in addition to preventive medications, optimise stroke secondary prevention. Evidence from systematic reviews support behaviour-change interventions post-stroke to address lifestyle-related risk. However, understanding of the theory-driven mediators that affect behaviour-change post-stroke is lacking. METHODS: Electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase, Epistemonikos and Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews were searched to March 2023 for systematic reviews addressing behaviour-change after stroke...

BACKGROUND: Self-harm and suicide behaviours are a major public health concern. Several factors are associated with these behaviours among military communities. Identifying these factors may have important implications for policy and clinical services. The aim of this review was to identify the risk and protective factors associated with self-harm and suicide behaviours among serving and ex-serving personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, Canadian Armed Forces, Australian Defence Force and New Zealand Defence Force...

INTRODUCTION: The global burden of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, remains a significant public health challenge. The Life's Simple 7 (LS7) score was developed as a tool to evaluate cardiovascular health behaviours and habits and identify high-risk individuals. The present study aimed to assess the distribution of LS7 scores among educational strata. METHODS: The study population consisted of 3,383 asymptomatic individuals screened for colorectal cancer at a single centre in Austria...

Sexual history screening (SHS) is recommended to determine risk for acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and eligibility for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). SHS and PrEP are underutilized, sequential screening, and prevention practices. This study aimed to understand factors impacting the implementation of SHS and PrEP at a multi-site federally qualified health center (FQHC) in Connecticut. Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, semistructured interviews were conducted on Zoom with primary care providers (PCPs), medical assistants, clinical leadership, and PrEP navigators...

Purpose: Clinical monitoring for patients receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) has the potential to facilitate their receipt of preventive health services. We aimed to determine whether GAHT is associated with increased utilization of cervical cancer screening among transgender men (TM) and nonbinary persons assigned female at birth (NB-AFAB). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of a single community health center in Boston. Persons of all gender identities eligible for cervical cancer screening during 2008-2019 were assessed...

Liver fibrosis is a common pathological feature of most chronic liver diseases with no effective drugs available. Phosphodiesterase 1 (PDE1), a subfamily of the PDE super enzyme, might work as a potent target for liver fibrosis by regulating the concentration of cAMP and cGMP. However, there are few PDE1 selective inhibitors, and none has been investigated for liver fibrosis treatment yet. Herein, compound AG-205/1186117 with the dihydropyrimidine scaffold was selected as the hit by virtual screening. A hit-to-lead structural modification led to a series of dihydropyrimidine derivatives...

IMPORTANCE: Nursing home residents continue to bear a disproportionate share of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, accounting for 9% of all US COVID-19 deaths in 2023, despite comprising only 0.4% of the population. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of screening strategies in reducing COVID-19 mortality in nursing homes. DESIGN AND SETTING: An agent-based model was developed to simulate SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the nursing home setting...

Nearly 60% of people with HIV in New York State are over 50 years of age. After town halls and a statewide survey of long-term survivors, older people living with HIV, and their providers, the Quality of Care Program of the AIDS Institute in the New York State Department of Health developed a statewide quality improvement project that aimed to improve screening for functional impairments among people aging with HIV. Thirteen sites reported outcomes of a pilot project using a modification of the World Health Organization's Integrated Care of Older People (ICOPE) intrinsic capacity screen in small scale, short cycle tests of change...

BACKGROUND: People with HIV (PWH) have higher rates of cardiovascular disease than people without HIV. However, limited information exists about hypertension prevalence and associated risk factors in PWH. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included adult patients in the 2022 IQVIATM Ambulatory Electronic Medical Record - US data. HIV was identified based on ≥2 HIV diagnosis codes or a positive HIV test. Hypertension was identified by diagnosis codes, ≥2 blood pressure (BP) readings ≥130/80 mmHg, or an antihypertensive medication prescription...

The safety of drinking water is a significant environmental issue of great concern for human health since numerous contaminants are often detected in drinking water and its sources. Boiling is a common household method used to produce relatively high-quality drinking water in some countries and regions. In this study, with the aid of an integrated approach of in vitro bioassays and non-target analysis based on high-resolution mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography, alterations in endocrine-disrupting activities in tap water samples without and with boiling were revealed, as well as the potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) contributing to these alterations were identified...

This systematic review critically evaluates the association between serum Vitamin D levels and dental caries incidence in the permanent teeth of children and adolescents. The search strategy comprised three databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase), up to November 2023, targeting studies on the correlation between Vitamin D and dental caries in permanent dentition. The eligibility criteria focused on observational studies involving children and adolescents aged 12 to 19 years with permanent dentition. The screening process, guided by the PRISMA guidelines and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for quality assessment, resulted in the inclusion of eight studies conducted across various global regions from 2013 to 2023...

Caries and periodontitis are the most prevalent oral diseases worldwide. Major factors contributing to the development of these oral conditions include poor oral hygiene, dental biofilm formation, high carbohydrates diet, smoking, other systemic diseases, and genetic factors. Various preventive measures have been established to mitigate the risk of caries and periodontal disease development. The present review aims to discuss the role of the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus plantarum in the prevention and treatment of caries and periodontal diseases...

University education is a leading source of information for dental practitioners. Particular emphasis should be given to determining the extent to which students acquire positive knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) and positive metacompetences beyond the scope of each studied dental discipline. We performed a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study among dentistry students from Romania to assess self-perceived risk of infectious diseases and their KAP on topics related to infectious disease prevention...

Academic emotional exhaustion is the first stage of academic burnout syndrome, and it is necessary to assess it and intervene early, as the consequences can lead to harmful effects on psychological well-being. The main objectives of this study were to explore the psychometric properties of the Emotional Exhaustion Scale (ECE); to assess the association with suffering and positive well-being, using the MHI-5 Inventory; and to provide information on its validity and to compare it with these constructs. A total sample of 526 university students (81% female and 19% male) aged between 17 and 62 ( M = 21...

Social media can be used to raise awareness about health issues, especially concerning the importance of periodical screening. The present study aims to identify the role of social media awareness campaigns in the early detection of breast cancer, with a focus on Romania, a country with a high female mortality due to this disease. The research is performed using a survey, based on an online questionnaire, which was self-administered by the respondents included in two samples selected from a Facebook community of Romanian women...

Lung cancer (LC) is currently the leading cause of cancer deaths in Japan. Early detection through lung cancer screening (LCS) is important for reducing mortality. Therefore, exploring the factors affecting willingness to undergo LCS, particularly among young people, is important. This study aimed to elucidate the inclination toward LCS and its determining factors among Japanese university students. This cross-sectional study, involving 10,969 Japanese university students, was conducted in April 2023. A Pearson's chi-square test and a binomial logistic regression analysis were used to analyze factors related to the dependent variable, willingness to undergo LCS in the future...

(1) Background: Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are severe and frightening complications in orthopaedic surgery, and they are generally divided into three categories: early infections (those occurring within the first 4-6 weeks), delayed infections (those occurring between 3 and 24 months), and late infections (those occurring more than 2 years after surgery). PJI treatment comprises "debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention" (DAIR), single-stage revision, and double-stage revision. Nowadays, to improve the chances of retaining an infected implant and to improve the traditional DAIR method, a modified surgical technique has been developed, named DAPRI (debridement, antibiotic pearls, and retention of the implant)...

A prior investigation in 1993 identified a high seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis (63%) in the Canary Islands. This study aims to assess the current prevalence of the disease in diverse population groups. The study was based on a population-scale screening involving 273 residents utilizing T. gondii IgG ELISA and a 20 year retrospective study (1998-2018). This included AIDS/HIV outpatients (1357, of which 324 were residents), AIDS/HIV hospitalized patients (741) and patients with fever of intermediate duration (158)...