Articles

Efficient SARS-CoV-2 surveillance strategies to prevent deadly outbreaks in vulnerable populations

Authors: Damon J. A. Toth and Karim Khader

Consumer-grade electroencephalography devices as potential tools for early detection of brain tumors

Authors: Nardin Samuel, Emily So, Ugljesa Djuric and Phedias Diamandis

Evaluation and improvement of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) for COVID-19: a multi-hospital study

The National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) is currently recommended in the UK for the risk stratification of COVID-19 patients, but little is known about its ability to detect severe cases. We aimed to evaluate ...

Authors: Ewan Carr, Rebecca Bendayan, Daniel Bean, Matt Stammers, Wenjuan Wang, Huayu Zhang, Thomas Searle, Zeljko Kraljevic, Anthony Shek, Hang T. T. Phan, Walter Muruet, Rishi K. Gupta, Anthony J. Shinton, Mike Wyatt, Ting Shi, Xin Zhang…

In utero Zika virus exposure and neurodevelopment at 24 months in toddlers normocephalic at birth: a cohort study

In utero exposure to Zika virus (ZIKV) is known to be associated with birth defects. The impact of in utero ZIKV exposure on neurodevelopmental outcomes in early childhood remains unclear. The objective of thi...

Authors: Rebecca Grant, Olivier Fléchelles, Benoît Tressières, Mama Dialo, Narcisse Elenga, Nicolas Mediamolle, Adeline Mallard, Jean-Christophe Hebert, Noémie Lachaume, Elvire Couchy, Bruno Hoen and Arnaud Fontanet

The gut microbiome: a key player in the complexity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Much progress has been made in mapping genetic abnormalities linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but the majority of cases still present with no known underlying cause. Furthermore, even in families...

Authors: Sarah L. Boddy, Ilaria Giovannelli, Matilde Sassani, Johnathan Cooper-Knock, Michael P. Snyder, Eran Segal, Eran Elinav, Lynne A. Barker, Pamela J. Shaw and Christopher J. McDermott

rs1990622 variant associates with Alzheimer’s disease and regulates TMEM106B expression in human brain tissues

It has been well established that the TMEM106B gene rs1990622 variant was a frontotemporal dementia (FTD) risk factor. Until recently, growing evidence highlights the role of TMEM106B in Alzheimer’s disease (AD)....

Authors: Yang Hu, Jing-yi Sun, Yan Zhang, Haihua Zhang, Shan Gao, Tao Wang, Zhifa Han, Longcai Wang, Bao-liang Sun and Guiyou Liu

Model-based comorbidity clusters in patients with heart failure: association with clinical outcomes and healthcare utilization

Comorbidities affect outcomes in heart failure (HF), but are not reflected in current HF classification. The aim of this study is to characterize HF groups that account for higher-order interactions between co...

Authors: Claudia Gulea, Rosita Zakeri and Jennifer K. Quint

Undernutrition: a major but potentially preventable cause of poor outcomes in children living with sickle cell disease in Africa

Authors: Thomas N. Williams

Association of sickle cell disease with anthropometric indices among under-five children: evidence from 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey

Malnutrition continues to affect under-five children in Africa to an overwhelming proportion. The situation is further compounded by the burden of sickle cell disease (SCD). However, association of SCD with st...

Authors: Mohammad Redwanul Islam, Md Moinuddin, Ayeda Ahmed and Syed Moshfiqur Rahman

Body mass index and waist circumference in relation to the risk of 26 types of cancer: a prospective cohort study of 3.5 million adults in Spain

A high body mass index (BMI) has been associated with increased risk of several cancers; however, whether BMI is related to a larger number of cancers than currently recognized is unclear. Moreover, whether wa...

Authors: Martina Recalde, Veronica Davila-Batista, Yesika Díaz, Michael Leitzmann, Isabelle Romieu, Heinz Freisling and Talita Duarte-Salles

Non-genetic risk and protective factors and biomarkers for neurological disorders: a meta-umbrella systematic review of umbrella reviews

The etiologies of chronic neurological diseases, which heavily contribute to global disease burden, remain far from elucidated. Despite available umbrella reviews on single contributing factors or diseases, no...

Authors: Alexios-Fotios A. Mentis, Efthimios Dardiotis, Vasiliki Efthymiou and George P. Chrousos

Potential impact of individual exposure histories to endemic human coronaviruses on age-dependent severity of COVID-19

Cross-reactivity to SARS-CoV-2 from exposure to endemic human coronaviruses (eHCoV) is gaining increasing attention as a possible driver of both protection against infection and COVID-19 severity. Here we expl...

Authors: Francesco Pinotti, Paul S. Wikramaratna, Uri Obolski, Robert S. Paton, Daniel S. C. Damineli, Luiz C. J. Alcantara, Marta Giovanetti, Sunetra Gupta and José Lourenço

Association between patterns of alcohol consumption (beverage type, frequency and consumption with food) and risk of adverse health outcomes: a prospective cohort study

Alcohol consumption is a leading contributor to death and disability worldwide, but previous research has not examined the effects of different patterns of alcohol consumption. The study objective was to under...

Authors: Bhautesh Dinesh Jani, Ross McQueenie, Barbara I. Nicholl, Ryan Field, Peter Hanlon, Katie I. Gallacher, Frances S. Mair and Jim Lewsey

Associations of six adiposity-related markers with incidence and mortality from 24 cancers—findings from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study

Adiposity is a strong risk factor for cancer incidence and mortality. However, most of the evidence available has focused on body mass index (BMI) as a marker of adiposity. There is limited evidence on relatio...

Authors: Solange Parra-Soto, Emma S. Cowley, Leandro F. M. Rezende, Catterina Ferreccio, John C. Mathers, Jill P. Pell, Frederick K. Ho and Carlos Celis-Morales

Development of a predictive model for integrated medical and long-term care resource consumption based on health behaviour: application of healthcare big data of patients with circulatory diseases

Medical costs and the burden associated with cardiovascular disease are on the rise. Therefore, to improve the overall economy and quality assessment of the healthcare system, we developed a predictive model o...

Authors: Tomoyuki Takura, Keiko Hirano Goto and Asao Honda

Mapping subnational HIV mortality in six Latin American countries with incomplete vital registration systems

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a public health priority in Latin America. While the burden of HIV is historically concentrated in urban areas and high-risk groups, subnational estimates that cover ...

Authors:

Targeting body composition in an older population: do changes in movement behaviours matter? Longitudinal analyses in the PREDIMED-Plus trial

The optimal distribution between physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behaviour (SB) for the greatest benefits for body composition among older adults with overweight/obesity and chronic health conditio...

Authors: Aina M. Galmes-Panades, Jadwiga Konieczna, Veronica Varela-Mato, Itziar Abete, Nancy Babio, Miquel Fiol, José Antonio de Paz, Rosa Casas, Romina Olbeyra, Miguel Ruiz-Canela, Antoni Palau-Galindo, Olga Castañer, Arturo Martín-García, Ramón Estruch, Josep Vidal, Pilar Buil-Cosiales…

Vaccination strategies for measles control and elimination: time to strengthen local initiatives

Through a combination of strong routine immunization (RI), strategic supplemental immunization activities (SIA) and robust surveillance, numerous countries have been able to approach or achieve measles elimina...

Authors: F. T. Cutts, M. J. Ferrari, L. K. Krause, A. J. Tatem and J. F. Mosser

Development and validation of a lifestyle-based model for colorectal cancer risk prediction: the LiFeCRC score

Nutrition and lifestyle have been long established as risk factors for colorectal cancer (CRC). Modifiable lifestyle behaviours bear potential to minimize long-term CRC risk; however, translation of lifestyle ...

Authors: Krasimira Aleksandrova, Robin Reichmann, Rudolf Kaaks, Mazda Jenab, H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita, Christina C. Dahm, Anne Kirstine Eriksen, Anne Tjønneland, Fanny Artaud, Marie-Christine Boutron-Ruault, Gianluca Severi, Anika Hüsing, Antonia Trichopoulou, Anna Karakatsani, Eleni Peppa, Salvatore Panico…

Clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation and frailty: insights from the ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 trial

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in older people with frailty and is associated with an increased risk of stroke and systemic embolism. Whilst oral anticoagulation is associated with a reduction in this risk...

Authors: Chris Wilkinson, Jianhua Wu, Samuel D. Searle, Oliver Todd, Marlous Hall, Vijay Kunadian, Andrew Clegg, Kenneth Rockwood and Chris P. Gale

Reduced growth velocity from the mid-trimester is associated with placental insufficiency in fetuses born at a normal birthweight

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) due to placental insufficiency is a major risk factor for stillbirth. While small-for-gestational-age (SGA; weight < 10th centile) is a commonly used proxy for FGR, detection of ...

Authors: Lucy M. Kennedy, Stephen Tong, Alice J. Robinson, Richard J. Hiscock, Lisa Hui, Kirsten M. Dane, Anna L. Middleton, Susan P. Walker and Teresa M. MacDonald

Understanding personalized dynamics to inform precision medicine: a dynamic time warp analysis of 255 depressed inpatients

Major depressive disorder (MDD) shows large heterogeneity of symptoms between patients, but within patients, particular symptom clusters may show similar trajectories. While symptom clusters and networks have ...

Authors: K. Hebbrecht, M. Stuivenga, T. Birkenhäger, M. Morrens, E. I. Fried, B. Sabbe and E. J. Giltay

Gestational lipid profile as an early marker of metabolic syndrome in later life: a population-based prospective cohort study

In pregnancy lipid levels increase with gestation resembling an atherogenic lipid profile. Currently it is unclear whether gestational lipid levels are associated with an adverse cardiovascular risk profile la...

Authors: Maria C. Adank, Laura Benschop, Sophia P. van Streun, Anna M. Smak Gregoor, Monique T. Mulder, Eric A. P. Steegers, Sarah Schalekamp-Timmermans and Jeanine E. Roeters van Lennep

Development and validation of an artificial intelligence system for grading colposcopic impressions and guiding biopsies

Colposcopy diagnosis and directed biopsy are the key components in cervical cancer screening programs. However, their performance is limited by the requirement for experienced colposcopists. This study aimed t...

Authors: Peng Xue, Chao Tang, Qing Li, Yuexiang Li, Yu Shen, Yuqian Zhao, Jiawei Chen, Jianrong Wu, Longyu Li, Wei Wang, Yucong Li, Xiaoli Cui, Shaokai Zhang, Wenhua Zhang, Xun Zhang, Kai Ma…

Silent cerebral infarcts in patients with sickle cell disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Silent cerebral infarcts (SCIs) are the most common neurological complication in children and adults with sickle cell disease (SCD). In this systematic review, we provide an overview of studies that have detec...

Authors: Maite E. Houwing, Rowena L. Grohssteiner, Marjolein H. G. Dremmen, Ferdows Atiq, Wichor M. Bramer, Anne P. J. de Pagter, C. Michel Zwaan, Tonya J. H. White, Meike W. Vernooij and Marjon H. Cnossen

Does paracetamol improve quality of life, discomfort, pain and neuropsychiatric symptoms in persons with advanced dementia living in long-term care facilities? A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled crossover (Q-PID) trial

The objectives of this study are to determine the effects of regularly scheduled administration of paracetamol (acetaminophen) on quality of life (QoL), discomfort, pain and neuropsychiatric symptoms of person...

Authors: Paulien H. van Dam, Wilco P. Achterberg, Bettina S. Husebo and Monique A. A. Caljouw

Oral rehydration therapies in Senegal, Mali, and Sierra Leone: a spatial analysis of changes over time and implications for policy

Oral rehydration solution (ORS) is a simple intervention that can prevent childhood deaths from severe diarrhea and dehydration. In a previous study, we mapped the use of ORS treatment subnationally and found ...

Authors: Kirsten E. Wiens, Lauren E. Schaeffer, Samba O. Sow, Babacar Ndoye, Carrie Jo Cain, Mathew M. Baumann, Kimberly B. Johnson, Paulina A. Lindstedt, Brigette F. Blacker, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Natalie M. Cormier, Farah Daoud, Lucas Earl, Tamer Farag, Ibrahim A. Khalil, Damaris K. Kinyoki…

Increased care at discharge from COVID-19: The association between pre-admission frailty and increased care needs after hospital discharge; a multicentre European observational cohort study

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed significant pressure on health and social care. Survivors of COVID-19 may be left with substantial functional deficits requiring ongoing care. We aimed to determine whether pre...

Authors: A. Vilches-Moraga, A. Price, P. Braude, L. Pearce, R. Short, A. Verduri, M. Stechman, J. T. Collins, E. Mitchell, A. G. Einarsson, S. J. Moug, T. J. Quinn, B. Stubbs, K. McCarthy, P. K. Myint, J. Hewitt…

Allocation of intensive care resources during an infectious disease outbreak: a rapid review to inform practice

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed sustained demand on health systems globally, and the capacity to provide critical care has been overwhelmed in some jurisdictions. It is unknown which triage criteria for alloc...

Authors: Kirsten M. Fiest, Karla D. Krewulak, Kara M. Plotnikoff, Laryssa G. Kemp, Ken Kuljit S. Parhar, Daniel J. Niven, John B. Kortbeek, Henry T. Stelfox and Jeanna Parsons Leigh

Cardiovascular implications of COVID-19 versus influenza infection: a review

Due to the overlapping clinical features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and influenza, parallels are often drawn between the two diseases. Patients with pre-existing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a...

Authors: Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, Izza Shahid, Stefan D. Anker, Scott D. Solomon, Orly Vardeny, Erin D. Michos, Gregg C. Fonarow and Javed Butler

Changes in evidence for studies assessing interventions for COVID-19 reported in preprints: meta-research study

The increasing use of preprints to disseminate evidence on the effect of interventions for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can lead to multiple evidence sources for a single study, which may differ in ...

Authors: Theodora Oikonomidi, Isabelle Boutron, Olivier Pierre, Guillaume Cabanac and Philippe Ravaud

Mapping the cryptic spread of the 2015–2016 global Zika virus epidemic

Zika virus (ZIKV) emerged as a global epidemic in 2015–2016 from Latin America with its true geographical extent remaining unclear due to widely presumed underreporting. The identification of locations with po...

Authors: Haoyang Sun, Borame L. Dickens, Mark Jit, Alex R. Cook and L. Roman Carrasco

Adiposity, metabolites, and colorectal cancer risk: Mendelian randomization study

Higher adiposity increases the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but whether this relationship varies by anatomical sub-site or by sex is unclear. Further, the metabolic alterations mediating the effects of adi...

Authors: Caroline J. Bull, Joshua A. Bell, Neil Murphy, Eleanor Sanderson, George Davey Smith, Nicholas J. Timpson, Barbara L. Banbury, Demetrius Albanes, Sonja I. Berndt, Stéphane Bézieau, D. Timothy Bishop, Hermann Brenner, Daniel D. Buchanan, Andrea Burnett-Hartman, Graham Casey, Sergi Castellví-Bel…

Shaping a data-driven era in dementia care pathway through computational neurology approaches

Dementia is caused by a variety of neurodegenerative diseases and is associated with a decline in memory and other cognitive abilities, while inflicting an enormous socioeconomic burden. The complexity of deme...

Authors: KongFatt Wong-Lin, Paula L. McClean, Niamh McCombe, Daman Kaur, Jose M. Sanchez-Bornot, Paddy Gillespie, Stephen Todd, David P. Finn, Alok Joshi, Joseph Kane and Bernadette McGuinness

Use of short message service in at-home COVID-19 patient management

Mobile health innovations are well adapted for ambulatory coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who risk clinical deterioration at home during the second week of illness.

Authors: Paul Loubet, Christian Czeschan, Matthieu Sintes, Albert Sotto and Didier Laureillard

Early detection of cholera epidemics to support control in fragile states: estimation of delays and potential epidemic sizes

Cholera epidemics continue to challenge disease control, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected states. Rapid detection and response to small cholera clusters is key for efficient control before an epid...

Authors: Ruwan Ratnayake, Flavio Finger, W. John Edmunds and Francesco Checchi

Can breastfeeding protect against antimicrobial resistance?

The proportion of infections among young children that are antimicrobial-resistant is increasing across the globe. Newborns may be colonized with enteric antimicrobial-resistant pathogens early in life, which ...

Authors: Maya L. Nadimpalli, Claire D. Bourke, Ruairi C. Robertson, Elisabeth Delarocque-Astagneau, Amee R. Manges and Amy J. Pickering

Development and validation of the VitaL CLASS score to predict mortality in stage IV solid cancer patients with septic shock in the emergency department: a multi-center, prospective cohort study

Clinical decision-making of invasive high-intensity care for critically ill stage IV cancer patients in the emergency department (ED) is challenging. A reliable and clinically available prognostic score for ad...

Authors: Youn-Jung Kim, Jihoon Kang, Min-Ju Kim, Seung Mok Ryoo, Gu Hyun Kang, Tae Gun Shin, Yoo Seok Park, Sung-Hyuk Choi, Woon Yong Kwon, Sung Phil Chung and Won Young Kim

The impact of HIV infection on tuberculosis transmission in a country with low tuberculosis incidence: a national retrospective study using molecular epidemiology

HIV is known to increase the likelihood of reactivation of latent tuberculosis to active TB disease; however, its impact on tuberculosis infectiousness and consequent transmission is unclear, particularly in l...

Authors: Joanne R. Winter, Colette J. Smith, Jennifer A. Davidson, Maeve K. Lalor, Valerie Delpech, Ibrahim Abubakar and Helen R. Stagg

Updated adolescent diagnostic criteria for polycystic ovary syndrome: impact on prevalence and longitudinal body mass index trajectories from birth to adulthood

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is challenging to diagnose. While the 2003 Rotterdam criteria are widely used for adults, the 2018 international PCOS guideline recommended updated Rotterdam criteria with both...

Authors: Chau Thien Tay, Roger J. Hart, Martha Hickey, Lisa J. Moran, Arul Earnest, Dorota A. Doherty, Helena J. Teede and Anju E. Joham

Effectiveness of training interventions to improve quality of medical certification of cause of death: systematic review and meta-analysis

Valid cause of death data are essential for health policy formation. The quality of medical certification of cause of death (MCCOD) by physicians directly affects the utility of cause of death data for public ...

Authors: U. S. H. Gamage, Pasyodun Koralage Buddhika Mahesh, Jesse Schnall, Lene Mikkelsen, John D. Hart, Hafiz Chowdhury, Hang Li, Deirdre McLaughlin and Alan D. Lopez

The global, regional, and national burden of pancreatitis in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Pancreatitis is a critical public health problem, and the burden of pancreatitis is increasing. We report the rates and trends of the prevalence, incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for pancreati...

Authors: Guoqing Ouyang, Guangdong Pan, Qiang Liu, Yongrong Wu, Zhen Liu, Wuchang Lu, Shuai Li, Zheng Zhou and Yu Wen

Methylmalonic acid, vitamin B12, renal function, and risk of all-cause mortality in the general population: results from the prospective Lifelines-MINUTHE study

Methylmalonic acid (MMA) is best known for its use as a functional marker of vitamin B12 deficiency. However, MMA concentrations not only depend on adequate vitamin B12 status, but also relate to renal functio...

Authors: Ineke J. Riphagen, Isidor Minović, Dion Groothof, Adrian Post, Manfred L. Eggersdorfer, Jenny E. Kootstra-Ros, Martin H. de Borst, Gerjan Navis, Frits A. J. Muskiet, Ido P. Kema, M. Rebecca Heiner-Fokkema and Stephan J. L. Bakker

Risk of mortality associated with concomitant antidepressant and benzodiazepine therapy among patients with depression: a population-based cohort study

With antidepressants (ADs) having minimal therapeutic effects during the initial weeks of treatment, benzodiazepines (BZDs) are concomitantly used to alleviate depressive symptoms of insomnia or anxiety. Howev...

Authors: Han Eol Jeong, Ha-Lim Jeon, In-Sun Oh, Woo Jung Kim and Ju-Young Shin

Cost-effective interventions to prevent non-communicable diseases: increasing the evidence base in India and other low- and middle-income settings

Authors: Karen Eggleston and Radhika Jain

Optimizing COVID-19 surveillance in long-term care facilities: a modelling study

Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are vulnerable to outbreaks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Timely epidemiological surveillance is essential for outbreak response, but is complicated by a high propor...

Authors: David R. M. Smith, Audrey Duval, Koen B. Pouwels, Didier Guillemot, Jérôme Fernandes, Bich-Tram Huynh, Laura Temime and Lulla Opatowski

The efficacy and safety of methylprednisolone in hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure: a prospective multi-center clinical trial

Hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is a severe condition with high mortality due to lack of efficient therapy. Until now, the use of methylprednisolone (MP) in HBV-ACLF is stil...

Authors: Lin Jia, Ran Xue, Yueke Zhu, Juan Zhao, Juan Li, Wei-Ping He, Xiao-Mei Wang, Zhong-Hui Duan, Mei-Xin Ren, Hai-Xia Liu, Hui-Chun Xing and Qing-Hua Meng

Sleep disturbances and the speed of multimorbidity development in old age: results from a longitudinal population-based study

Sleep disturbances are prevalent among older adults and are associated with various individual diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether sleep disturbances are associated with the speed of mul...

Authors: Shireen Sindi, Laura Monica Pérez, Davide L. Vetrano, Federico Triolo, Ingemar Kåreholt, Linnea Sjöberg, Alexander Darin-Mattsson, Miia Kivipelto, Marco Inzitari and Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga

Cisplatin and carboplatin result in similar gonadotoxicity in immature human testis with implications for fertility preservation in childhood cancer

Clinical studies indicate chemotherapy agents used in childhood cancer treatment regimens may impact future fertility. However, effects of individual agents on prepubertal human testis, necessary to identify l...

Authors: Melissa D. Tharmalingam, Gabriele Matilionyte, William H. B. Wallace, Jan-Bernd Stukenborg, Kirsi Jahnukainen, Elizabeth Oliver, Anne Goriely, Sheila Lane, Jingtao Guo, Bradley Cairns, Anne Jorgensen, Caroline M. Allen, Federica Lopes, Richard A. Anderson, Norah Spears and Rod T. Mitchell

Choice across 10 pharmacologic combination strategies for type 2 diabetes: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Clinical guidelines recommend a stepped-escalation treatment strategy for type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Across multiple treatment strategies varying in efficacy and costs, no clinical or economic studies directly co...

Authors: Shuyan Gu, Lizheng Shi, Hui Shao, Xiaoyong Wang, Xiaoqian Hu, Yuxuan Gu and Hengjin Dong