• Link Lynn posted an update 5 days, 13 hours ago

    Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic. Gefitinib cell line Studies showed COVID-19 affected not only the lung but also other organs. In this study, we aimed to explore the cardiac damage in patients with COVID-19.

    We collected data of 100 patients diagnosed as severe type of COVID-19 from February 8 to April 10, 2020, including demographics, illness history, physical examination, laboratory test, andtreatment. In-hospital mortality were observed. Cardiac damage was defined as plasma hypersensitive troponin I (hsTnI) over 34.2pg/ml and/or N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) above 450pg/ml at the age < 50, above 900pg/ml at the age < 75, or above 1800pg/ml at the age ≥ 75.

    The median age of the patients was 62.0years old. 69 (69.0%) had comorbidities, mainly presenting hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Fever (69 [69.0%]), cough (63 [63.0%]), chest distress (13 [13.0%]), and fatigue (12 [12.0%]) were the common initial symptoms. Cardiac damage occurred in 25 patients. In the subgroups, hsTnI was significantly higher in elder patients (≥ 60years) than in the young (median [IQR], 5.2 [2.2-12.8] vs. 1.9 [1.9-6.2], p = 0.018) and was higher in men than in women (4.2 [1.9-12.8] vs. 2.9 [1.9-7.4], p = 0.018). The prevalence of increased NTproBNP was significantly higher in men than in women (32.1% vs. 9.1%, p = 0.006), but was similar between the elder and young patients (20.0% vs. 25.0%, p = 0.554). After multivariable analysis, male and hypertension were the risk factors of cardiac damage. The mortality was 4.0%.

    Cardiac damage exists in patients with the severe type of COVID-19, especially in male patients with hypertension. Clinicians should pay more attention to cardiac damage.

    Cardiac damage exists in patients with the severe type of COVID-19, especially in male patients with hypertension. Clinicians should pay more attention to cardiac damage.

    Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women are usually managed in primary care with antibiotics. However, many women seem to prefer to handle UTI symptoms with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other remedies. The aim of this study was to compare UTI management as recommended by physicians with the patients’ management at home.

    This prospective cohort study in German primary care is based on clinical data from local practices and patient questionnaires. Participating women completed a baseline data sheet in the practice; their urine sample was tested by a dipstick in the practice and cultured by a laboratory. The women reported treatment and symptom-related impairment on an eight-item symptom questionnaire daily for 7 days. Using growth curve models, we analysed the influence of time on the total severity score to examine how symptoms changed across days. We then examined whether symptom severity and symptom course differed between patients who took antibiotics or NSAIDs.

    A tg to patient preferences in the consultation may encourage physicians to recommend and prescribe symptomatic treatment with NSAID more often than antibiotic medicines.

    A substantial proportion of women did not follow their physicians’ treatment recommendations, and many used NSAIDs. All women had a good chance of recovery irrespective of whether they decided to take antibiotics. A sensitive listening to patient preferences in the consultation may encourage physicians to recommend and prescribe symptomatic treatment with NSAID more often than antibiotic medicines.

    In Finland, the routine surveillance of Lyme borreliosis (LB) is laboratory-based. In addition, we have well established national health care registers where countrywide data from patient visits in public health care units are collected. In our previous study based on these registers, we reported an increasing incidence of both microbiologically confirmed and clinically diagnosed LB cases in Finland during the past years. Here, we evaluated our register data, refined LB incidence estimates provided in our previous study, and evaluated treatment practices considering LB in the primary health care.

    Three national health care registers were used. The Register for Primary Health Care Visits (Avohilmo) and the National Hospital Discharge Register (Hilmo) collect physician-recorded data from the outpatient and inpatient health care visits, respectively, whereas the National Infectious Diseases Register (NIDR) represents positive findings in LB diagnostics notified electronically by microbiological laboratories.nded treatment guidelines of clinically diagnosed LB in the primary health care. In 2018, Avohilmo was introduced in the routine surveillance of LB in Finland next to laboratory-based surveillance of disseminated LB.

    Avohilmo and laboratory-based NIDR together are useful in monitoring LB incidence in Finland. A good compliance was observed with the recommended treatment guidelines of clinically diagnosed LB in the primary health care. In 2018, Avohilmo was introduced in the routine surveillance of LB in Finland next to laboratory-based surveillance of disseminated LB.

    Birth weight is determined by the interplay between infant genetics and the intrauterine environment and is associated with several health outcomes in later life. Many studies have reported an association between birth weight and DNA methylation in infants and suggest that altered epigenetics may underlie birthweight-associated health outcomes. However, birth weight is a relatively nonspecific measure of fetal growth and consists of fat mass and fat-free mass which may have different effects on health outcomes which motivates studies of infant body composition and DNA methylation. Here, we combined genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of buccal cells from 47 full-term one-week old infants with accurate measurements of infant fat mass and fat-free mass using air-displacement plethysmography.

    No significant association was found between DNA methylation in infant buccal cells and infant body composition. Moreover, no association between infant DNA methylation andparental body composition or indicators of maternal glucose metabolism were found.