Bmc Med
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Elevated standardised mortality ratio of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in patients with brain tumours may result from differences in the CVD incidences and cardiovascular risk factors. We compared the risk of CVD among patients with a primary malignant or non-malignant brain tumour to a matched general population cohort, accounting for other co-morbidities. ⋯ The elevated CVD and VTE risks suggested risk reduction may be a strategy to improve life quality and survival in people with a brain tumour.
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Components of social connection are associated with mortality, but research examining their independent and combined effects in the same dataset is lacking. This study aimed to examine the independent and combined associations between functional and structural components of social connection and mortality. ⋯ This work suggests (1) a potential threshold effect for friends/family visits, (2) that those who live alone with additional concurrent markers of structural isolation may represent a high-risk population, (3) that beneficial associations for some types of social connection might not be felt when other types of social connection are absent, and (4) considering both functional and structural components of social connection may help to identify the most isolated in society.
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Research on the association between telomere length (TL) and incident non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is limited. This study examined this association and further assessed how TL contributes to the association of NAFLD with its known risk factors. ⋯ Long telomere length was associated with decreased risk of NAFLD incidence. Telomere length played an important role in NAFLD.
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People need high-quality information to make decisions about research participation. Providing information in written format alone is conventional but may not be the most effective and acceptable approach. We developed a structure for the presentation of information using multimedia which included generic and trial-specific content. Our aim was to embed 'Studies Within A Trial' (SWATs) across multiple ongoing trials to test whether multimedia presentation of patient information led to better rates of recruitment. ⋯ Multimedia alongside written information did not improve trial recruitment rates.