Articles: health.
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Prior research demonstrates that SARS-COV-2 infection can be associated with a broad range of mental health outcomes including depression symptoms. Veterans, in particular, may be at elevated risk of increased depression following SARS-COV-2 infection given their high rates of pre-existing mental and physical health comorbidities. However, few studies have tried to isolate SARS-COV-2 infection associations with long term, patient-reported depression symptoms from other factors (e.g., physical health comorbidities, pandemic-related stress). ⋯ SARS-COV-2 infection was associated with more depression symptoms among Veterans at 18-months post-infection. Routine evaluation of depression symptoms over time following SARS-COV-2 infection is important to facilitate adequate assessment and treatment.
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Most existing studies measure atrial septal defect (ASD) outcomes based on morbidity rates such as atrial arrhythmias and heart failure rather than the functional assessment of physical capacity postprocedure. Few studies have evaluated cardiopulmonary function in ASD children. This study represents the largest sample population in the current research, encompassing a total of 122 Taiwanese children with ASD who had undergone treatment, to evaluate cardiopulmonary functional capacity through the implementation of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), and to investigate whether variations in treatment may impact their cardiopulmonary function. ⋯ Taiwanese ASD children exhibited diminished exercise capacity and cardiopulmonary performance compared to their healthy counterparts. Differences among specific ASD treatments in cardiopulmonary tests were non-significant.
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Adults hospitalized for cardiovascular events are at high risk for postdischarge mortality. Screening of psychosocial risk is prioritized by the Joint Commission. We tested whether key patient-reported psychosocial and behavioral measures could predict posthospitalization mortality in a cohort of adults hospitalized for a cardiovascular event. ⋯ Patient-reported measures of employment status, perceived health competence, and exercise frequency independently predict mortality after a cardiac hospitalization. Incorporating these brief, valid measures into hospital-based screening may help with prognostication and targeting patients for resources during post-discharge transitions of care.
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Interest in using holistic review for residency recruitment as a strategy to improve the diversity of the physician workforce has increased. However, no data are published on the prevalence of holistic review in the selection process for family medicine residency programs. We designed this study to assess programs' knowledge, skills, and attitudes; prevalence; barriers to implementation; and program characteristics associated with the use of holistic review. ⋯ The holistic review process is an area of growing interest to diversify the physician workforce, especially among residencies caring for underresourced communities. Further discussions on the specific scoring rubrics of family medicine residency programs that use holistic review are needed and could help programs that are facing barriers. Widespread use of holistic review to diversify the physician workforce has the potential to improve patient care access and health.
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Menopausal transition is a crucial step in the women's cardiovascular health, and the risk stratification in apparently health post-menopausal females has been rarely assessed. Heart ultrasonography, unusually performed in such subjects, would be able to detect initial signs of organ damage. We described the cardiovascular risk profile of non-diabetic post-menopausal women, evaluating how easily computed, biochemistry-derived scores were related to ultrasonographic measures of target organ damage. ⋯ Postmenopausal women display a high cardiovascular risk burden; a simple clinical and biochemistry screening would be advisable to identify and treat those more at risk. Cardiac ultrasonographic parameters were worse in hypertensive, hypercholesterolemic and insulin-resistant subjects, who may also deserve a deep and early instrumental characterization, especially when these conditions are associated.