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Introduction: Bacterial infection and Modic changes (MCs) as causes of low back pain (LBP) are debated. Results diverged between two randomised controlled trials examining the effect of amoxicillin with and without clavulanic acid versus placebo on patients with chronic LBP (cLBP) and MCs. Previous biopsy studies have been criticised with regard to methods, few patients and controls, and insufficient measures to minimise perioperative contamination. In this study, we minimise contamination risk, include a control group and optimise statistical power. The main aim is to compare bacterial growth between patients with and without MCs., Methods and Analysis: This multicentre, case-control study examines disc and vertebral body biopsies of patients with cLBP. Cases have MCs at the level of tissue sampling, controls do not. Previously operated patients are included as a subgroup. Tissue is sampled before antibiotic prophylaxis with separate instruments. We will apply microbiological methods and histology on biopsies, and predefine criteria for significant bacterial growth, possible contamination and no growth. Microbiologists, surgeons and pathologist are blinded to allocation of case or control. Primary analysis assesses significant growth in MC1 versus controls and MC2 versus controls separately. Bacterial disc growth in previously operated patients, patients with large MCs and growth from the vertebral body in the fusion group are all considered exploratory analyses., Ethics and Dissemination: The Regional Committees for Medical and Health Research Ethics in Norway (REC South East, reference number 2015/697) has approved the study. Study participation requires written informed consent. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03406624). Results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences and patient fora., Trial Registration Number: NCT03406624., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: To compare clinical and psychological factors among patients with self-perceived statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS), confirmed SAMS, and refuted SAMS in coronary heart disease patients (CHD)., Methods: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional study of 1100 CHD outpatients and a study of 71 CHD outpatients attending a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover study to test effects of atorvastatin 40 mg/day on muscle symptom intensity. Clinical and psychosocial factors were compared between patients with and without SAMS in the cross-sectional study, and between patients with confirmed SAMS and refuted SAMS in the randomized study., Results: Bilateral, symmetric muscle symptoms in the lower extremities during statin treatment were more prevalent in patients with confirmed SAMS compared to patients with refuted SAMS (75% vs. 41%, p = 0.01) in the randomized study. No significant differences in psychological factors (anxiety, depression, worry, insomnia, type D personality characteristics) were detected between patients with and without self-perceived SAMS in the cross-sectional study, or between patients with confirmed SAMS and refuted SAMS, in the randomized study., Conclusions: Patients with confirmed SAMS more often present with bilateral lower muscle symptoms compared to those with refuted SAMS. Psychological factors were not associated with self-perceived SAMS or confirmed SAMS. A careful pain history and a search for alternative causes of muscle symptoms are likely to promote communication in patients with SAMS, and may reduce the risk for statin discontinuation., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Little information exists on the mechanism of how physical activity interventions effects academic performance. We examined whether the effects of a school-based physical activity intervention on academic performance were mediated by aerobic fitness. The School in Motion study was a nine-month cluster randomized controlled trial between September 2017 and June 2018. Students from 30 Norwegian lower secondary schools ( N  = 2,084, mean age [ SD ] = 14 [0.3] years) were randomly assigned into three groups: the Physically Active Learning (PAL) intervention ( n  = 10), the Don't Worry-Be Happy (DWBH) intervention ( n  = 10), or control ( n  = 10). Aerobic fitness was assessed by the Andersen test and academic performance by national tests in reading and numeracy. Mediation was assessed according to the causal steps approach using linear mixed models. In the PAL intervention, aerobic fitness partially mediated the intervention effect on numeracy by 28% from a total effect of 1.73 points (95% CI: 1.13 to 2.33) to a natural direct effect of 1.24 points (95% CI: 0.58 to 1.91), and fully mediated the intervention effect on reading, with the total effect of 0.89 points (95% CI: 0.15 to 1.62) reduced to the natural direct effect of 0.40 points (95% CI: -0.48 to 1.28). Aerobic fitness did not mediate the effects on academic performance in the DWBH intervention. As aerobic fitness mediated the intervention effect on academic performance in one intervention, physical activity of an intensity that increases aerobic fitness is one strategy to improve academic performance among adolescents., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Aims: To estimate the effect of atorvastatin on muscle symptom intensity in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients with self-perceived statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) and to determine the relationship to blood levels of atorvastatin and/or metabolites., Methods and Results: A randomized multi-centre trial consecutively identified 982 patients with previous or ongoing atorvastatin treatment after a CHD event. Of these, 97 (9.9%) reported SAMS and 77 were randomized to 7-week double-blinded treatment with atorvastatin 40 mg/day and placebo in a crossover design. The primary outcome was the individual mean difference in muscle symptom intensity between the treatment periods, measured by visual-analogue scale (VAS) scores. Atorvastatin did not affect the intensity of muscle symptoms among 71 patients who completed the trial. Mean VAS difference (statin-placebo) was 0.31 (95% CI: -0.24 to 0.86). The proportion with more muscle symptoms during placebo than atorvastatin was 17% (n = 12), 55% (n = 39) had the same muscle symptom intensity during both treatment periods whereas 28% (n = 20) had more symptoms during atorvastatin than placebo (confirmed SAMS). There were no differences in clinical or pharmacogenetic characteristics between these groups. The levels of atorvastatin and/or metabolites did not correlate to muscle symptom intensity among patients with confirmed SAMS (Spearman's rho ≤0.40, for all variables)., Conclusion: Re-challenge with high-intensity atorvastatin did not affect the intensity of muscle symptoms in CHD patients with self-perceived SAMS during previous atorvastatin therapy. There was no relationship between muscle symptoms and the systemic exposure to atorvastatin and/or its metabolites. The findings encourage an informed discussion to elucidate other causes of muscle complaints and continued statin use., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Technology that facilitates performance of deep peripheral nerve blocks is of clinical interest. The Onvision™ is a new device for ultrasonographic needle tip tracking that incorporates an ultrasound sensor on the needle tip that is then represented by a green circle on the ultrasound screen. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of needle tip tracking on procedural time in the first human volunteer study. Secondary outcome measures included: number of hand movements; hand movement path length; block success rate; block onset time; block duration; discomfort experienced by the volunteers; and the anaesthetists' confidence as to whether their block would be successful. Two anaesthetists performed ultrasound-guided lumbar plexus blocks with an out-of-plane technique, with and without the use of needle tip tracking. In total, data from 25 volunteers were studied. Mean (SD) procedural time was 163 (103) s with needle tip tracking and 216 (117) s without (p = 0.10). Hand motion analysis showed that needle tip tracking was associated with a significant decrease in the mean (SD) number of intended needling hand movements (39 (29) vs. 59 (36); p = 0.03) and path lengths (3.2 (3.1) m vs. 5.5 (4.5) m; p = 0.03). No differences were found for any other secondary outcomes. The use of Onvision needle tip tracking did not reduce procedural time for out-of-plane ultrasound-guided lumbar plexus block but did reduce the number of hand movements and path lengths. This may indicate improved needle control but further studies are needed to confirm this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : Both oxytocin and carbetocin are used to prevent uterine atony and post-partum haemorrhage after caesarean delivery in many countries, including Norway. Oxytocin causes dose-dependent ST-depression, troponin release, prolongation of QT-time and arrythmia, but little is known about myocardial effects of carbetocin. We have previously demonstrated comparable vasodilatory effects of oxytocin and carbetocin and are now undertaking a Phase 4 trial to investigate whether carbetocin causes similar changes to myocardial markers compared with oxytocin. Methods: Our randomized controlled trial will be conducted at three obstetrics units at Oslo University Hospital and Akershus University Hospital, Norway. Planned enrolment will be of 240 healthy, singleton pregnant women aged 18 to 50 years undergoing planned caesarean delivery. Based on pilot study data, each participant will receive a one-minute intravenous injection of either oxytocin 2.5 IU or carbetocin 100 µg during caesarean delivery. The prespecified primary outcome is the change from baseline in high-sensitive troponin I plasma concentrations at 6-10 hours after study drug administration. Secondary outcomes include uterine tone grade at 2.5 and five minutes after study drug administration, adverse events for up to 48 hours after study drug administration, estimated blood loss within eight hours of delivery, need for rescue treatment and direct/indirect costs. Enrolment and primary analysis are expected to be completed by the end of 2021. Discussion: Women undergoing caesarean delivery should be assessed for cardiovascular risk particularly as women with an obstetric history of pregnancy induced hypertension, gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm birth, placental abruption, and stillbirth are at increased risk of future cardiovascular disease. Any additional ischaemic myocardial risk from uterotonic agents will need to be balanced with the benefit of reducing the risk of postpartum haemorrhage. Any potential cardiotoxicity difference between oxytocin and carbetocin will help inform treatment decisions for pregnant women. Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03899961 (02/04/2019)., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MB – no conflict of interest; MMJ – no conflict of interest; AFJ – no conflict of interest; MWF – no conflict of interest; HRL – no conflict of interest; OGS – no conflict of interest; LA – no conflict of interest; OK – no conflict of interest; TS – no conflict of interest; LAR – has been hired as a lecturer or scientific advisor by Ferring Pharmaceuticals Switzerland, Merck Sharpe & Dohme Norway, Roche Diagnostics Norway, and Exac Norway., (Copyright: © 2022 Bekkenes M et al.)

Introduction: Walking is free, does not require special training, and can be done almost everywhere. Therefore, walking is a feasible behavior on which to tailor public health messages. This study assesses the prospective association and dose-response relationship between daily steps and all-cause mortality., Materials and Methods: Daily steps were measured by waist-mounted accelerometers in 2183 individuals (53% women) for seven consecutive days at baseline (2008-09). Participants were followed for a median period of 9.1 years and associations between steps and all-cause mortality determined by registry linkage were assessed using Cox proportional hazard regression with adjustment for relevant covariates., Results: Mean age was 57.0 (SD 10.9) years at baseline. Median (IQR) daily steps across ascending quartiles were 4651 (3495-5325), 6862 (6388-7350), 8670 (8215-9186), and 11 467 (10 556-13 110), respectively. During follow-up, 119 individuals died (68% men). Higher number of daily steps was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality with hazard ratios of 1.00 (referent), 0.52 (0.29-0.93), 0.50 (0.27-0.94), and 0.43 (0.21-0.88) across ascending quartiles of daily steps in the multivariable-adjusted model with follow-up commencing 2 years after baseline. Risk differences per 1000 individuals for ascending quartiles were 6.8 (2.9-9.3), 7.1 (0.8-11.1), and 8.0 (1.7-12.1), respectively., Conclusions: Daily steps were associated with lower mortality risk in a non-linear dose-response pattern. The risk is almost halved when comparing the least active referent against the second quartile equivalent to a difference of about 2200 daily steps. Encouraging those least active to increase their daily steps may have substantial public health implications., (© 2020 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Approximately 28% of American adults meet both the physical activity (PA) and strength training guidelines despite the numerous health benefits associated with a physically active lifestyle. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update of the 2017 Society of Behavioral Medicine PA Special Interest Group article that outlined future directions in sedentary time reduction interventions, technology-based PA interventions, and the dissemination and implementation of PA interventions. Since the prior review, there has been significant progress on effective interventions for reducing sedentary time. However, there has been less progress for improving the specificity of sedentary time guidelines. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of studies examining PA mHealth interventions and support for mHealth intervention has generally been positive, though sustaining engagement in mHealth interventions remains a challenge. Promising newer technologies that have been explored more extensively since the prior review including artificial intelligence (AI). Knowledge of how to implement and scale-up effective PA interventions has also increased. Several current trends in PA intervention research that continue to advance the field include examining the moderating effect of the built environment on the effectiveness of behavioral interventions, cultural tailoring of interventions, Just in Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs), and exercise snacks (vigorous intensity PA sessions that are less than one minute). Overall, there has been significant progress in the PA intervention field but significant work remains for creating effective interventions that can be readily implemented into real world settings., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The complement system is involved in pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, and might play a role in accelerated atherogenesis in spondylarthropathies (SpA). Hence, we examined complement activation in SpA, and its relationship to antirheumatic treatment, inflammatory and cardiovascular markers., Methods: From PSARA, a prospective observational study, we examined 51 SpA patients (31 psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and 20 ankylosing spondylitis (AS)), starting tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor alone (n = 25), combined with methotrexate (MTX) (n = 10), or MTX monotherapy (n = 16). Complement activation was determined by the soluble terminal complement complex (sC5b-9), inflammation by erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), and endothelial function by finger plethysmography (Endopat) at baseline, after 6 weeks and 6 months of treatment., Results: SpA patients had sC5b-9 levels at (PsA) or above (AS) the upper limit of the estimated reference range. Median sC5b-9 levels decreased significantly from baseline to 6 weeks, with no significant difference between the AS and PsA group. Notably, a significant reduction in sC5b-9 was observed after administration of TNF inhibitor ± MTX, whereas no significant changes were observed in patients treated with MTX alone. Between 6 weeks and 6 months, sC5b-9 remained stable across all subgroups. Reduction in sC5b-9 was independently related to decreased ESR and CRP, and to increased high density cholesterol and total cholesterol. Reduction in sC5b-9 from baseline to 6 weeks was associated with improved EF in age and gender adjusted analyses., Conclusion: TNF-inhibition, but not MTX monotherapy, led to rapid and sustained reduction of complement activation in SpA. Thus, the observed decrease in cardiovascular morbidity in patients treated with TNF-inhibitors might be partly due to its beneficial effect on complement., Trial Registration: Clinical Trials (NCT00902005), retrospectively registered on the 14th of May 2009., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Fusion in addition to decompression has become the standard treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis with degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS). The evidence for performing fusion among these patients is conflicting and there is a need for further investigation through studies of high quality. The present protocol describes an ongoing study with the primary aim of comparing the outcome between decompression alone and decompression with instrumented fusion. The secondary aim is to investigate whether predictors can be used to choose the best treatment for an individual. The trial, named the NORDSTEN-DS trial, is one of three studies in the Norwegian Degenerative Spinal Stenosis (NORDSTEN) study., Methods: The NORDSTEN-DS trial is a block-randomized, controlled, multicenter, non-inferiority study with two parallel groups. The surgeons at the 15 participating hospitals decide whether a patient is eligible or not according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participating patients are randomized to either a midline preserving decompression or a decompression followed by an instrumental fusion. Primary endpoint is the percentage of patients with an improvement in Oswestry Disability Index version 2.0 of more than 30% from baseline to 2-year follow-up. Secondary outcome measurements are the Zürich Claudication Questionnaire, Numeric Rating Scale for back and leg pain, Euroqol 5 dimensions questionnaire, Global perceived effect scale, complications and several radiological parameters. Analysis and interpretation of results will also be conducted after 5 and 10 years., Conclusion: The NORDSTEN/DS trial has the potential to provide Level 1 evidence of whether decompression alone should be advocated as the preferred method or not. Further on the study will investigate whether predictors exist and if they can be used to make the appropriate choice for surgical treatment for this patient group., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02051374 . First Posted: January 31, 2014. Last Update Posted: February 14, 2018.

Physical inactivity is a significant public health concern. Consideration of inter-individual variations in physical activity (PA) trends can provide additional information about the groups under study to aid intervention design. This study aims to identify latent profiles ("phenotypes") based on daily PA trends among adults living in. This was a secondary analysis of 724 person-level days of accelerometry data from 133 urban-dwelling adults (89% Latinx, age = 19-77 years). We used Actigraph accelerometers and the Actilife software to collect and process 24-hour PA data. We implemented a probabilistic clustering technique based on functional mixture models. Multiple days of data per person were averaged for entry into the models. We evaluated step counts, moderate-intensity PA (MOD), total activity and sedentary minutes as potential model variables. Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) index was used to select the model that provided the best fit for the data. A 4-cluster resolution provided the best fit for the data (i.e., BIC=-3257, improvements of Δ = 13 and Δ = 7 from 3- and 5-cluster models, respectively). MOD provided the greatest between-cluster discrimination. Phenotype 1 (N = 61) was characterized by a morning peak in PA that declined until bedtime. Later bedtimes and the highest daily PA volume were distinct for phenotype 2 (N = 18), along with a similar peak pattern. Phenotype 3 (N = 29) membership was associated with the lowest PA levels throughout the day. Phenotype 4 was characterized by a more evenly distributed PA during the day, and later waking/bedtimes. Our findings point to distinct, interpretable PA phenotypes based on temporal patterns. Functional clustering of PA data could provide additional actionable points for tailoring behavioral interventions., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Combined high sedentary time (ST) and low moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) has been associated with adverse cardiovascular events. However, accurately assessing ST and MVPA in older adults is challenging in clinical practice., Purpose: To investigate whether step count can identify older adults with unhealthier movement behavior (high ST/low MVPA) and poorer cardiometabolic profile., Methods: Cross-sectional study (n = 258; 66 ± 5 years). Step count, ST, and MVPA were assessed by hip accelerometry during 7 days. The cardiometabolic profile was assessed using a continuous metabolic syndrome score (cMetS), including blood pressure, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, and waist circumference. Receiving operating curve analysis was used to test the performance of step count in identifying older adults with unhealthier movement behavior (highest tertile of ST/lowest tertile of MVPA). Healthier movement behavior was defined as lowest tertile of ST/highest tertile of MVPA, with neutral representing the remaining combinations of ST/MVPA., Results: A total of 40 participants (15.5%) were identified with unhealthier movement behavior (ST ≥ 11.4 h/day and MVPA ≤ 10 min/day). They spent ~73% and 0.4% of waking hours in ST and MVPA, respectively. Step count identified those with unhealthier movement behavior (area under the curve 0.892, 0.850-0.934; cutoff: ≤5263 steps/day; sensitivity/specificity: 83%/81%). This group showed a higher cMetS compared with neutral (β = .25, p = .028) and healthier movement behavior groups (β = .41, p = .008)., Conclusion: Daily step count appears to be a practical, simple metric for identifying community-dwelling older adults with concomitant high ST and low MVPA, indicative of unhealthier movement behavior, who have a poorer cardiometabolic profile., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Vitamin D has an important role in the immune system, and has been linked to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and coronary artery disease (CAD). The exact mechanisms by which vitamin D is involved in these processes are still unclear. Therefore, we wanted to search for differences in expression of genes involved in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) activation pathway and genes that are known to alter upon vitamin D stimulation, in the aortic adventitia of CAD patients with and without RA., Methods: Affymetrix microarray was used to determine gene expression profile in surgical specimens from the adventitia of the ascending aorta of CAD patients with RA (n = 8) and without RA (n = 8) from the Feiring Heart Biopsy Study., Results: We identified three vitamin D associated genes that were differentially expressed between RA and non-RA patients: Growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible protein 45 alpha (GADD45A) (FC = 1.47; p = 0.006), Nuclear Receptor Co-repressor 1 (NCOR1) (FC = 1,21; p = 0.005) and paraoxonases 2 (PON2) (FC = -1.37; p = 0.01). High expression of GADD45A in RA tissues was confirmed by real-time qRT-PCR. GADD45A expression correlated with plasma levels of 1,25(OH)2D3 (rs = 0.69; p = 0.003)., Conclusions: Microarray analyses revealed higher expression of GADD45A and NCOR1; and lower expression of PON2 in the aortic adventitia of RA than non-RA patients. Further studies are needed to elucidate if and how GADD45A, NCOR1 and PON2 are involved in the development of accelerated atherosclerosis in RA. In theory, some of these factors might have proatherogenic effects whereas others might reflect an underlying vascular pathology promoting atherogenesis (such as vascular stress)., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Gender differences in short-term mortality in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have been studied extensively, whereas gender differences in long-term mortality and cause of death largely remain unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer death after AMI in women compared to men., Methods: Consecutive AMI patients were enrolled in a prospective registry between 2005 and 2011. Date and cause of death were obtained by linkage with the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry, with censoring date 31 December 2012. AMI patients with ST-segment elevation (STEMI, n = 5159) and without (NSTEMI, n = 4899) were analysed separately., Results: The 5-years all-cause mortality rates in STEMI were 29% in women vs. 17% in men, and 42% vs. 29% in NSTEMI, respectively. After adjustment for age and other confounders, women with STEMI had similar (HR 1.13 [95% CI: 0.98-1.32]) and women with NSTEMI lower (HR 0.82 [95% CI: 0.73-0.92]) risk of long-term all-cause mortality compared to men. Competing-risks analysis showed no significant gender differences in age-adjusted risk of cardiovascular death nor of cancer death. In both genders, the annual risk of cardiovascular death was low after 1 year, but exceeded annual risk of cancer death throughout follow-up., Conclusion: During long-term follow-up, women with STEMI had similar and women with NSTEMI lower adjusted risk of all-cause mortality compared to men. Age-adjusted risk of death due to cardiovascular disease was similar in both genders and higher than risk of death due to cancer throughout the follow-up period.

Objectives: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulates immune responses; therefore, antagonizing GnRH with cetrorelix may have anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to assess short-term cetrorelix therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.Method: In this proof-of-concept, randomized, double-blind study involving 99 patients with active, long-standing RA, 48 patients received subcutaneous cetrorelix (5 mg/day on days 1 and 2; 3 mg/day on days 3-5) and 51 received placebo. The primary end-point was the change in the 28-joint Disease Activity Score based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) by day 5, when the greatest GnRH suppression was anticipated. Secondary end-points included the change in tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and achievement of American College of Rheumatology (ACR) responses and DAS28-CRP < 2.6 by day 5. Patients were followed up on days 10 and 15.Results: By day 5, DAS28-CRP was non-significantly reduced by 0.82 in the cetrorelix group compared to a 0.57 reduction in the placebo group (p = 0.091), TNF-α (log pg/mL) was significantly reduced in the cetrorelix group compared with the placebo group [0.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.08-1.01, p = 0.023], and more patients on cetrorelix achieved ACR20 responses (40% vs. 18%, p = 0.015) and DAS28-CRP < 2.6 (13% vs. 0%, p = 0.009). Inflammatory markers increased towards baseline levels after withdrawal of treatment. Rates of adverse events were similar in both groups.Conclusions: Although there was no significant difference in the primary end-point between groups, antagonizing GnRH led to significant improvements in key secondary end-points. Thus, GnRH antagonists may have rapid anti-inflammatory effects in RA, already occurring within 5 days. The data suggest a novel mode of action for TNF-α inhibition in RA, and potentially in other autoimmune diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is considerable variation in the quality of colonoscopy performance. The Norwegian quality assurance programme Gastronet registers outpatient colonoscopies performed in Norwegian endoscopy centres. The aim of Gastronet is long-term improvement of endoscopist and centre performance by annual feedback of performance data., Objective: The objective of this article is to perform an analysis of trends of quality indicators for colonoscopy in Gastronet., Methods: This prospective cohort study included 73,522 outpatient colonoscopies from 73 endoscopists at 25 endoscopy centres from 2003 to 2012. We used multivariate logistic regression with adjustment for relevant variables to determine annual trends of three performance indicators: caecum intubation rate, pain during the procedure, and detection rate of polyps ≥5 mm., Results: The proportion of severely painful colonoscopies decreased from 14.8% to 9.2% (relative risk reduction of 38%; OR = 0.92 per year in Gastronet; 95% CI 0.86-1.00; p = 0.045). Caecal intubation (OR = 0.99; 95% CI 0.94-1.04; p = 0.6) and polyp detection (OR = 1.03; 95% CI 0.99-1.07; p = 0.15) remained unchanged during the study period., Conclusions: Pain at colonoscopy showed a significant decrease during years of Gastronet participation while caecal intubation and polyp detection remained unchanged - independent of the use of sedation and/or analgesics and level of endoscopist experience. This may be due to the Gastronet audit, but effects of improved endoscopy technology cannot be excluded.

Physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death in the world. It is associated with myriad diseases and premature death. Two possible contributing factors are postprandial lipidaemia (PPL), which accelerates atherosclerosis, and impaired whole-body fat oxidation, which contributes to obesity. Acute exercise in physically active people is effective for increasing whole body fat oxidation and lowering PPL the next morning. However, in people who have low physical activity (<8000 steps/day), an acute bout of exercise (1 h at 62% maximal oxygen consumption) has no effect on increasing fat oxidation or reducing PPL ('exercise resistance'). The acute harms of inactivity are not due to the lack of exercise and are more powerful than the benefits of exercise, at least regarding fat metabolism. The increase in mortality with reduced daily steps is remarkably steep. Low background steps/day also impair the metabolic adaptations to short-term endurance training, suggesting that the ills of inactivity extend beyond fat metabolism. 'Exercise resistance' with inactivity could be a culprit, causing atherosclerosis, or maybe also a harbinger (impaired fat oxidation) of more widespread diseases. Recommendations regarding the amount of moderate to vigorous exercise needed for health should factor in the amount of background activity (i.e. ∼8000 steps/day) necessary to avoid 'exercise resistance'., (© 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2024 The Physiological Society.)

Ordinal data in a repeated measures design of a crossover study for rare diseases usually do not allow for the use of standard parametric methods, and hence, nonparametric methods should be considered instead. However, only limited simulation studies in settings with small sample sizes exist. Therefore, starting from an Epidermolysis Bullosa simplex trial with the above-mentioned design, a rank-based approach using the R package nparLD and different generalized pairwise comparisons (GPC) methods were compared impartially in a simulation study. The results revealed that there was not one single best method for this particular design, because a trade-off exists between achieving high power, accounting for period effects, and for missing data. Specifically, nparLD as well as the unmatched GPC approaches do not address crossover aspects, and the univariate GPC variants partly ignore the longitudinal information. The matched GPC approaches, on the other hand, take the crossover effect into account in the sense of incorporating the within-subject association. Overall, the prioritized unmatched GPC method achieved the highest power in the simulation scenarios, although this may be due to the specified prioritization. The rank-based approach yielded good power even at a sample size of N = 6 $N=6$ , whereas the matched GPC method could not control the type I error., (© 2023 The Authors. Biometrical Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is prevalent in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). As obesity has been proposed as one causal factor in the disease process, this could bias the reported prevalences. We wanted to characterize echocardiographic LV dysfunction in obese T2DM subjects as compared to non-diabetic obese controls., Methods: One hundred patients with T2DM without clinical signs of heart failure (29% females, mean ± SD age 58.4 ± 10.5 years, body mass index (BMI) 30.1 ± 5.5 kg/m(2), blood pressure (BP) 141 ± 18/83 ± 9 mmHg) and 100 non-diabetic controls (29% females) matched for age (58.6 ± 10.5 years), BMI (29.8 ± 4.0 kg/m(2) and systolic BP (140 ± 14 mmHg) underwent echocardiography and color tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Diastolic function was evaluated with conventional Doppler recordings and early (e') and late (a') myocardial velocities. The ratio between early transmitral filling (E) and the corresponding myocardial tissue velocity (e') served as an index of LV filling pressure., Results: T2DM patients had more concentric hypertrophy with a relative wall thickness of 0.42 ± 0.07 vs controls 0.38 ± 0.07, P < 0.001. The T2DM group had signs of diastolic dysfunction with lower E/A ratio (0.91 ± 0.27 vs. 1.12 ± 0.38, P < 0.001), deceleration time (195 ± 49 vs 242 ± 72 ms, P < 0.001), e' (5.7 ± 2.0 vs. 6.6 ± 1.8 cm/s, P = 0.001), and a' (6.5 ± 2.0 vs. 7.6 ± 1.5 cm/s, P < 0.001) compared to the controls, and higher E/e' (13.3 ± 4.7 vs. 11.1 ± 3.5, P < 0.001). Thus, there were indications of pseudo normalization and increased filling pressure in the T2DM group, whereas the controls had evidence for relaxation abnormalities without elevated filling pressure., Conclusion: Compared to a non-diabetic obese group, more advanced subclinical impairment of diastolic function was seen in T2DM., (© 2015 Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)

Hip fracture rates in Norway rank among the highest in the world, more than double that of Spanish women. Previous studies were unable to demonstrate significant differences between the two populations with respect to bone mass or calcium metabolism. In order to test whether the difference in fracture propensity between both populations could be explained by differences in bone material quality we assessed bone material strength using microindentation in 42 Norwegian and 46 Spanish women with normal BMD values, without clinical or morphometric vertebral fractures, no clinical or laboratory signs of secondary osteoporosis, and without use of drugs with known influence on bone metabolism. Bone material properties were assessed by microindentation of the thick cortex of the mid tibia following local anesthesia of the area using the Osteoprobe device (Active Life Scientific, Santa Barbara, CA, USA). Indentation distance was standardized against a calibration phantom of methylmethacrylate and results, as percentage of this reference value, expressed as bone material strength index units (BMSi). We found that the bone material properties reflected in the BMSi value of Norwegian women was significantly inferior when compared to Spanish women (77 ± 7.1 versus 80.7 ± 7.8, p < 0.001). Total hip BMD was significantly higher in Norwegian women (1.218 g/cm(2) versus 0.938 g/cm(2) , p < 0.001) but regression analysis revealed that indentation values did not vary with BMD r(2)  = 0.03 or age r(2)  = 0.04. In conclusion Norwegian women show impaired bone material properties, higher bone mass, and were taller than Spanish women. The increased height will increase the impact on bone after falls, and impaired bone material properties may further enhance the risk fracture after such falls. These ethnic differences in bone material properties may partly explain the higher propensity for fracture in Norwegian women., (© 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.)

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Despite advances in cancer treatment, current cancer incidence and prevalence still demand multimodal treatments to enhance survival and clinical outcomes. Drugs used in cardiology, such as β-blockers and statins have gained attention for their potential roles in oncology. This review focused on their possible complementary use in solid tumors, including breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers. The involvement of the autonomic nervous system in promoting tumor growth can be disrupted by β-blockers, potentially hindering cancer progression. Statins, known for their pleiotropic effects, may also inhibit cancer growth by reducing cholesterol availability, a key factor in cell proliferation. We will provide an update on the impact of these therapies on cancer treatment and surveillance, discuss the underlying mechanisms, and explore their effects on the heart, contributing to the growing field of cardio-oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder characterized by abdominal pain, altered bowel habits, and bloating, affecting approximately 10.1% of the global population. While current treatments emphasize dietary modifications and symptom management, emerging evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) may help alleviate IBS symptoms. This study evaluated the effects of a structured walking program, "StepFit-18K", on IBS symptom relief. Methods: A total of 106 participants (68 females and 38 males) completed the 12-week intervention, which consisted of 18,000 additional steps per week (6000 extra steps on three days per week) tracked via fitness devices. The program emphasized step count, ease of adoption, and social support through walking groups. Results: As assessed by validated questionnaires, significant reductions in GI symptoms were observed. The IBS Symptom Severity Score (IBS-SSS) decreased from 118.30 ± 98.73 to 74.46 ± 74.93, with a delta score of −43.84%, highlighting bloating as the most improved symptom. No clinically significant changes were observed in anthropometric or biochemical markers. Conclusions: StepFit-18K is a simple, accessible, and effective form of physical activity that has demonstrated therapeutic benefits for IBS symptoms. This offers an additional application beyond its well-established role in preventing cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Depression, anxiety, and stress are common mental health issues that affect individuals worldwide. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of various lifestyle interventions including physical activity, dietary changes, and sleep hygiene in reducing the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Using stress as an outcome and conducting detailed subgroup analyses, this study provides novel insights into the differential effects of lifestyle interventions across diverse populations. Methods: Five databases were systematically searched: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, for gray literature searches. Keywords were used to search each database. The search period was from the conception of the databases until August 2023 and was conducted in English. For each analysis, Hedges' g was reported with a 95% confidence interval (CI) based on the random-effects method. Subgroups were analyzed and heterogeneity and publication bias were examined. Results: Ninety-six randomized clinical trial studies were included in this meta-analysis. Lifestyle interventions reduced depression (Hedges g −0.21, 95% confidence interval −0.26, −0.15; p < 0.001; I2 = 56.57), anxiety (Hedges g −0.24, 95% confidence interval −0.32, −0.15; p < 0.001; I2 = 59.25), and stress (−0.34, −0.11; p < 0.001; I2 = 61.40). Conclusions: Lifestyle interventions offer a more accessible and cost-effective alternative to traditional treatments and provide targeted benefits for different psychological symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability of the salmon farming industry is being challenged by increased mortality rates. Scotland's open-source salmon production data provides the possibility of developing an industry-wide mortality monitoring model, valuable for identifying and addressing unexpected increases in mortality without needing data sharing agreements across different companies. This study aimed to utilize these data to develop a hierarchical dynamic linear model (DLM) for monitoring monthly mortality of maricultured Atlantic salmon in Scotland. We evaluated whether considering the hierarchical structure present in the data (country, region, and site) would improve mortality predictions when compared to the production cycle level DLMs developed in a previous study. Our findings demonstrated that the hierarchical DLM outperformed the production cycle level DLMs, confirming the value of this more complex modelling approach. Nevertheless, the hierarchical model, like the production cycle level DLMs, exhibited some uncertainty in the mortality predictions. When mortality is higher than expected, site level warnings are generated, which can encourage producers and inspectors to further investigate the cause. Between 2015 and 2020, approximately 25% of the production cycles and 50% of the sites encountered at least one warning, with most warnings happening in the summer and autumn months. Additionally, the hierarchical model enabled monitoring mortality at multiple levels. This information is useful for various stakeholders as part of a monitoring system, offering insights into mortality trends at national, regional, and sites levels that may benefit from strategic resource management. Recommendations for model improvements include utilizing shorter data aggregation periods, such as weekly, which are not currently available as open-source data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]