European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Mar 2021
Observational StudyDiagnostic accuracy of infrared thermal imaging for detecting covid-19 infection in minimally symptomatic patients.
Despite being widely used as a screening tool, a rigorous scientific evaluation of infrared thermography for the diagnosis of minimally symptomatic patients suspected of having COVID-19 infection has not been performed. ⋯ Among adults with a history of COVID-19 exposure and mild respiratory symptoms, a temperature asymmetry of ≥ 0.55°C between the lacrimal caruncle and the forehead is highly suggestive of COVID-19 infection. This finding questions the widespread use of the measurement of absolute temperature values of the forehead as a COVID-19 screening tool.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Mar 2021
Observational StudyCompliance of atrial fibrillation treatment with the ABC pathway in patients with concomitant diabetes mellitus in the Middle East based on the Gulf SAFE registry.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) and diabetes mellitus (DM) constitute a heavy burden on healthcare expenditure due to their negative impact on clinical outcomes in the Middle East. The Atrial fibrillation Better Care (ABC) pathway provides a simple strategy of integrated approach of AF management: A-Avoid stroke; B-Better symptom control; C-Cardiovascular comorbidity risk management. ⋯ Compliance with the ABC pathway care was independently associated with the reduced risk of all-cause death and the composite outcome in DM patients with AF, highlighting the importance of an integrated approach to AF management.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Mar 2021
Assessment of coronary artery abnormalities and variability of Z-score calculation in the acute episode of Kawasaki disease - a retrospective study from China.
Accurate classification of coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) is essential for clinical decision-making and long-term management in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients. To date, there are several echocardiographic criteria of CAA assessment. ⋯ The JMH criteria underestimate the prevalence of CAAs as compared with the Z-score criteria. Quantitative assessment of coronary artery luminal dimensions, normalized as Z scores adjusted for body surface, should be recommended. The larger coronary artery luminal dimensions vary, the more heterogeneous Z scores calculated by different methods have.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Mar 2021
Physical activity may not be associated with long-term risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
While it is well established that physical activity is associated with reduced risk of vascular and nonvascular outcomes as well as mortality, evidence on the association between physical activity and dementia is inconsistent. We aimed to assess the associations of physical activity with the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). ⋯ In middle-aged Caucasian men, various physical activity exposures were not associated with all-cause dementia or AD. Future studies should address biases due to reverse causation and regression dilution and should involve objective measures of physical activity.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Mar 2021
Serum osteopontin predicts glycemic profile improvement in metabolic syndrome: a pilot study.
Prediabetes is often observed in patients with Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and might be associated with metabolic and inflammatory alterations. Here, we investigated whether the inflammatory molecule osteopontin (OPN) might have a prognostic impact in a cohort of MetS patients (n = 85) with baseline normal glycaemia or impaired fasting glucose (IFG) over one year of recommended pharmacological treatments and Mediterranean diet. Patients were then followed up for 12 months with intermediate evaluation after 6 months. ⋯ In conclusion, pharmacological and dietetic interventions improved glycaemic profile in patients with MetS. In particular, glycaemic improvement was demonstrated in patients who also reduce circulating OPN levels. Higher OPN levels at baseline predict normalization of glycaemic profile.