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Introduction: Social isolation is a modifiable risk factor for negative health outcomes among older adults. This work assessed the relationship between geography (i.e., urban vs. non-urban residence) and social isolation in a cohort of older drivers. Methods: The AAA LongROAD cohort with 2,989 older adult drivers from across the country were included. Social isolation was measured at baseline and at two subsequent annual follow-ups using PROMIS v2.0 Social Isolation 4a. The effect of geographic location with social isolation was assessed through with multivariable regression using a generalized estimating equation model...

Background: Statins are commonly prescribed for primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic disease. They reduce cholesterol biosynthesis by inhibiting hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A-reductase (HMG-CoA-reductase) and therefore mevalonate synthesis. Several studies reported a small, but significant increase in the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus with statin treatment. The molecular mechanisms behind this adverse effect are not yet fully understood. Brown adipose tissue (BAT), which plays a role in thermogenesis, has been associated with a reduced risk of insulin resistance...

BACKGROUND: Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) are a relatively new type of law that are being considered or implemented in many states in the United States. Colorado's law went into effect on January 1, 2020, after significant controversy and concern over potential misuse of the law to confiscate weapons; many (n = 37 of 64) counties declared themselves "2nd Amendment (2A) sanctuaries" and said they would not enforce the law. Here, reviewed the patterns of use of the law during its first year...

INTRODUCTION: Patients with total hip arthroplasty (THA) and a concomitant lumbar spinal fusion (LSF) might have an increased incidence of revision surgery and postoperative complications such as early THA dislocation. The direct anterior approach (DAA) has gained popularity in THA due to its soft tissue-preserving nature and the relatively low dislocation risk. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether LSF patients undergoing minimally invasive THA through the DAA might have an increased risk of prosthetic-related complications compared to matched-control patients without a LSF...

Musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) is already prevalent in dental students despite their young age and the short duration of dental practice. The current findings state that the causes of MSD are related to posture during dental work. This study aims to investigate the ergonomic risk of dental students. In order to analyze the ergonomic risk of dental students, 3D motion analyses were performed with inertial sensors during the performance of standardized dental activities. For this purpose, 15 dental students and 15 dental assistant trainees (all right-handed) were measured in a team...

Background: Males experience increased severity of illness and mortality from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) compared with females, but the mechanisms of male susceptibility are unclear. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of SARS-CoV-2 testing and admission data at 5 hospitals in the Maryland/Washington DC area. Using age-stratified logistic regression models, we quantified the impact of male sex on the risk of the composite outcome of severe disease or death (World Health Organization score 5-8) and tested the impact of demographics, comorbidities, health behaviors, and laboratory inflammatory markers on the sex effect...

BACKGROUND: Multi-victim homicides are a persistent public health problem confronting the United States. Previous research shows that homicide rates in the U.S. are approximately seven times higher than those of other high-income countries, driven by firearm homicide rates that are 25 times higher; 31% of public mass shootings in the world also occur in the U.S.. The purpose of this analysis is to examine the characteristics of mass, multiple, and single homicides to help identify prevention points that may lead to a reduction in different types of homicides...

Traditional ergonomic risk assessment tools such as the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) are often not sensitive enough to evaluate well-optimized work routines. An implementation of kinematic data captured by inertial sensors is applied to compare two work routines in dentistry. The surgical dental treatment was performed in two different conditions, which were recorded by means of inertial sensors (Xsens MVN Link). For this purpose, 15 (12 males/3 females) oral and maxillofacial surgeons took part in the study...

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for surgical site infections (SSI). Based on retrospective comparisons and pharmacology, many orthopedic centers have adopted weight- or body mass index (BMI)-related antibiotic prophylaxis. METHODS: Double-dose prophylaxis was introduced in March 2017 for patients weighting >80 kg. The period April 2014 to March 2017 ('before') was compared to the period March 2017 to June 2019 ('after') regarding the impact on deep SSIs...

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplant recipients are at increased risk of developing and dying from keratinocyte cancer. Risk factors for keratinocyte cancer death have not been previously described. METHODS: In a cohort of kidney transplant recipients transplanted in Queensland 1995-2014, we identified keratinocyte cancer deaths by searching national transplant and state death registries to March 2020. Standardized keratinocyte cancer mortality rates and mortality ratios were calculated...

BACKGROUND: Hearing loss is prevalent and associated with adverse functional outcomes in older adults. Prevention thus has far-reaching implications, yet few modifiable risk factors have been identified. Hypertension may contribute to age-related hearing loss, but epidemiologic evidence is mixed. We studied a prospective cohort of 3,343 individuals from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, aged 44-65 years at baseline with up to 30 years of follow-up. METHODS: Hearing was assessed in late-life (2016-17) using a better-ear audiometric pure tone average (PTA, 0...

Increased mental health literacy (MHL) has not reduced stigmatization of people with mental disorder. Thus, we examined the role of stereotypes in the interplay of MHL (correct labelling, causal explanations) and the wish for social distance (WSD) from people with depressive and psychotic symptoms in a community sample of 1526 German-speaking participants in the Swiss 'Bern Epidemiological At-Risk' study (age 16-40 years; response rate: 60.1%). Following the presentation of an unlabelled case vignette of depression or psychosis, MHL, stereotypes and WSD were assessed in a questionnaire survey...

Longitudinal trajectories of vital signs and biomarkers during admission remain poorly characterized for COVID-19 patients despite their potential to provide critical insights about disease progression. We studied 1884 patients with SARS-CoV2 infection from 3/4/2020-6/25/2020 within one Maryland hospital system and used a retrospective longitudinal framework with linear mixed-effects models to investigate relevant biomarker trajectories leading up to three critical outcomes: mechanical ventilation, discharge, and death...

OBJECTIVE: Lethal means safety - counseling and guidance about reducing access to home firearms and medications - is recommended for emergency department patients at risk of suicide. Decision aids are tools that can facilitate potentially difficult decisions by incorporating personal preferences and values. The present study evaluates clinician perceptions about the implementation and utility of "Lock to Live," a lethal means safety decision aid. METHOD: One-on-one qualitative interviews were conducted with clinicians (n = 15) at three large emergency departments...

BACKGROUND: There is limited robust evidence on the course of pregnancy and its outcomes in women with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) on which to base recommendations for the management of these patients. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to review available data on (I) disease activity during pregnancy and on (II) adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) in women with PsA. Secondly, neonatal outcomes and treatment of the rheumatic disease were investigated. METHODS: Systematic literature search within the databases Pubmed and Embase until 30 Nov 2020 was performed...

BACKGROUND: Driving has not been considered as part of the social cost of acute illness and may go unnoticed in the post-hospital care of older adults. Decreases in driving after hospitalization and at-risk populations have not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between driving reduction and cessation and hospitalization in older adults by using nationally representative data. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort analysis. SETTING: Health and Retirement Study survey from 2004 to 2014...

BACKGROUND: Rates of severe illness and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 are greater for males, but the mechanisms for this difference are unclear. Understanding the differences in outcomes between males and females across the age spectrum will guide both public health and biomedical interventions. METHODS: Retrospective cohort analysis of SARS-CoV-2 testing and admission data in a health system. Patient-level data were assessed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression modeling was used to identify features associated with increased male risk of severe outcomes...

OBJECTIVES: Access to firearms among youth can increase the risk of suicide or other injury. In this study, we sought to estimate the population prevalence of adolescent perception of firearm access by demographic, geographic, and other individual health characteristics. METHODS: The 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey was an anonymous survey administered to a representative sample of high school students in Colorado. The survey was used to assess health behaviors and risk and protective factors...

Cannabis use during adolescence is associated with an increased risk of developing psychosis. According to a current hypothesis, this results from detrimental effects of early cannabis use on brain maturation during this vulnerable period. However, studies investigating the interaction between early cannabis use and brain structural alterations hitherto reported inconclusive findings. We investigated effects of age of cannabis initiation on psychosis using data from the multicentric Personalized Prognostic Tools for Early Psychosis Management (PRONIA) and the Cannabis Induced Psychosis (CIP) studies, yielding a total sample of 102 clinically-relevant cannabis users with recent onset psychosis...

BACKGROUND: From spring 2020, SARS-CoV‑2 began to spread worldwide, with what is now known as the first wave of the pandemic, starting in March 2020. This resulted in restructuring and shift of resources at many hospitals. The aim of our work was to detect the effects of the pandemic on the german Oto-Rhino-Laryngology (ORL) university hospitals in terms of research, student teaching and further specialist training. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The chairmen of the 39 ORL university hospitals in Germany were asked about the effects of the pandemic on research, student teaching and ORL specialist training (residency) in the period from March to April 2020 using a structured online survey...