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  1. Chowdary P, Angchaisuksiri P, Apte S, Astermark J, Benson G, Chan AKC, et al.
    Lancet Haematol, 2024 Dec;11(12):e891-e904.
    PMID: 39521008 DOI: 10.1016/S2352-3026(24)00307-7
    BACKGROUND: Concizumab is an anti-tissue factor pathway inhibitor monoclonal antibody in development as a once-daily, subcutaneous prophylaxis for patients with haemophilia A or haemophilia B with or without inhibitors. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of concizumab in patients with haemophilia A or B without inhibitors. Here we report the results from the confirmatory analysis cutoff.

    METHODS: This prospective, multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3a trial (explorer8) was conducted at 69 investigational sites in 31 countries. Eligible patients were male, aged 12 years or older, and had congenital severe haemophilia A or moderate or severe haemophilia B without inhibitors and with documented treatment with clotting factor concentrate in the 24 weeks before screening. The trial was paused because of non-fatal thromboembolic events in three patients (two from this trial [explorer8] and one from a related trial in haemophilia with inhibitors [explorer7; NCT04083781]) and restarted with mitigation measures, including a revised dosing regimen of subcutaneous concizumab at 1·0 mg/kg loading dose on day 1 and subsequent daily doses of 0·20 mg/kg from day 2, with options to decrease to 0·15 mg/kg, stay on 0·20 mg/kg, or increase to 0·25 mg/kg on the basis of concizumab plasma concentration measured after 4 weeks on concizumab. Patients recruited after treatment restart were randomly assigned 1:2 using an interactive web response system to receive no prophylaxis and continue on-demand clotting factor (group 1) or concizumab prophylaxis (group 2). The primary endpoints were the number of treated spontaneous and traumatic bleeding episodes for patients with haemophilia A and haemophilia B separately, assessed at the confirmatory analysis cutoff in randomly assigned patients. Analyses were by intention-to-treat. There were two additional groups containing non-randomly-assigned patients: group 3 contained patients who entered the trial before the trial pause and were receiving concizumab in the phase 2 trial (explorer5; NCT03196297), and group 4 contained patients who received previous clotting factor concentrate prophylaxis or on-demand treatment in the non-interventional trial (explorer6; NCT03741881), patients randomly assigned to groups 1 or 2 before the treatment pause, and patients from explorer5 enrolled after the treatment pause. The safety analysis set contained all patients who received concizumab. Superiority of concizumab over no prophylaxis was established if the two-sided 95% CI of the treatment ratio was less than 1 for haemophilia A and for haemophilia B. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04082429, and its extension part is ongoing.

    FINDINGS: Patients were recruited between Nov 13, 2019 and Nov 30, 2021; the cutoff date for the analyses presented was July 12, 2022. 173 patients were screened, of whom 148 (86%) were randomly assigned or allocated to the four groups in the study after trial restart on Sept 30, 2020 (nine with haemophilia A and 12 with haemophilia B in group 1; 18 with haemophilia A and 24 with haemophilia B in group 2; nine with haemophilia A in group 3; and 46 with haemophilia A and 30 with haemophilia B in group 4). The estimated mean annualised bleeding rate ratio for treated spontaneous and traumatic bleeding episodes during concizumab prophylaxis versus no prophylaxis was 0·14 (95% CI 0·07-0·29; p<0·0001) for patients with haemophilia A and 0·21 (0·10-0·45; p<0·0001) for patients with haemophilia B. The most frequent adverse events in patients who received concizumab were SARS-CoV-2 infection (19 [13%] of 151 patients), an increase in fibrin D-dimers (12 [8%] patients), and upper respiratory tract infection (ten [7%] patients). There was one fatal adverse event possibly related to treatment (intra-abdominal haemorrhage in a patient from group 4 with haemophilia A with a long-standing history of hypertension). No thromboembolic events were reported between the trial restart and confirmatory analysis cutoff.

    INTERPRETATION: Concizumab was effective in reducing the bleeding rate compared with no prophylaxis and was considered safe in patients with haemophilia A or B without inhibitors. The results of this trial suggest that concizumab has the potential to be one of the first subcutaneous treatment options for patients with haemophilia B without inhibitors.

    FUNDING: Novo Nordisk.

  2. Groover E, Njuguna E, Bansal KC, Muia A, Kwehangana M, Simuntala C, et al.
    Nat Biotechnol, 2024 Dec;42(12):1773-1780.
    PMID: 39663482 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-024-02489-5
  3. Rockall AG, Allen B, Brown MJ, El-Diasty T, Fletcher J, Gerson RF, et al.
    Can Assoc Radiol J, 2025 Feb 25.
    PMID: 40007055 DOI: 10.1177/08465371251321390
    The urgency for climate action is recognised by international government and healthcare organisations, including the United Nations (UN) and World Health Organisation (WHO). Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution negatively impact all life on earth. All populations are impacted but not equally; the most vulnerable are at highest risk, an inequity further exacerbated by differences in access to healthcare globally.The delivery of healthcare exacerbates the planetary health crisis through greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to combustion of fossil fuels for medical equipment production and operation, creation of medical and non-medical waste, and contamination of water supplies.As representatives of radiology societies from across the globe who work closely with industry, and both governmental and non-governmental leaders in multiple capacities, we advocate together for urgent, impactful, and measurable changes to the way we deliver care by further engaging our members, policymakers, industry partners, and our patients. Simultaneous challenges including global health disparities, resource allocation, and access to care must inform these efforts.Climate literacy should be increasingly added to radiology training programmes. More research is required to understand and measure the environmental impact of radiological services and inform mitigation, adaptation and monitoring efforts. Deeper collaboration with industry partners is necessary to support innovations in the supply chain, energy utilization, and circular economy. Many solutions have been proposed and are already available, but we must understand and address barriers to implementation of current and future sustainable innovations. Finally, there is a compelling need to partner with patients, to ensure that trust in the excellence of clinical care is maintained during the transition to sustainable radiology.By fostering a culture of global cooperation and rapid sharing of solutions amongst the broader imaging community, we can transform radiological practice to mitigate its environmental impact, adapt and develop resilience to current and future climate and environmental threats, and simultaneously improve access to care.
  4. Rockall AG, Allen B, Brown MJ, El-Diasty T, Fletcher J, Gerson RF, et al.
    Radiology, 2025 Mar;314(3):e250325.
    PMID: 40008997 DOI: 10.1148/radiol.250325
    The urgency for climate action is recognized by international government and healthcare organizations, including the United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization (WHO). Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution negatively impact all life on earth. All populations are impacted but not equally; the most vulnerable are at highest risk, an inequity further exacerbated by differences in access to healthcare globally. The delivery of healthcare exacerbates the planetary health crisis through greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to combustion of fossil fuels for medical equipment production and operation, creation of medical and non-medical waste, and contamination of water supplies. As representatives of radiology societies from across the globe who work closely with industry, and both governmental and non-governmental leaders in multiple capacities, we advocate together for urgent, impactful, and measurable changes to the way we deliver care by further engaging our members, policymakers, industry partners, and our patients. Simultaneous challenges including global health disparities, resource allocation, and access to care must inform these efforts. Climate literacy should be increasingly added to radiology training programs. More research is required to understand and measure the environmental impact of radiological services and inform mitigation, adaptation, and monitoring efforts. Deeper collaboration with industry partners is necessary to support innovations in the supply chain, energy utilization, and circular economy. Many solutions have been proposed and are already available, but we must understand and address barriers to implementation of current and future sustainable innovations. Finally, there is a compelling need to partner with patients to ensure that trust in the excellence of clinical care is maintained during the transition to sustainable radiology. By fostering a culture of global cooperation and rapid sharing of solutions amongst the broader imaging community, we can transform radiological practice to mitigate its environmental impact, adapt and develop resilience to current and future climate and environmental threats, and simultaneously improve access to care. This article is simultaneously published in the Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal (DOI 10.1177/08465371241321390), European Radiology (DOI 10.1007/s00330-025-11413-7), Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology (DOI 10.1111/1754-9485.13842), Journal of the American College of Radiology (DOI 10.1016/j.jacr.2025.02.009), Korean Journal of Radiology (DOI 10.3348/kjr.2025.0125) and Radiology (DOI 10.1148/radiol.250325). The articles are identical except for minor stylistic and spelling differences in keeping with each journal's style. Either DOI can be used when citing this article. Keywords: Climate Change, Sustainability, Resource Allocation, Radiology, Health Services Accessibility Published under a CC BY 4.0 license. © The Author(s) 2025. Editor's Note: The RSNA Board of Directors has endorsed this article.
  5. Rockall AG, Allen B, Brown MJ, El-Diasty T, Fletcher J, Gerson RF, et al.
    Eur Radiol, 2025 Feb 26.
    PMID: 40009087 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-025-11413-7
    The urgency for climate action is recognized by international government and healthcare organizations, including the United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization (WHO). Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution negatively impact all life on earth. All populations are impacted but not equally; the most vulnerable are at the highest risk, an inequity further exacerbated by differences in access to healthcare globally. The delivery of healthcare exacerbates the planetary health crisis through greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to combustion of fossil fuels for medical equipment production and operation, creation of medical and non-medical waste, and contamination of water supplies. As representatives of radiology societies from across the globe who work closely with industry, and both governmental and non-governmental leaders in multiple capacities, we advocate together for urgent, impactful, and measurable changes to the way we deliver care by further engaging our members, policymakers, industry partners, and our patients. Simultaneous challenges, including global health disparities, resource allocation, and access to care, must inform these efforts. Climate literacy should be increasingly added to radiology training programs. More research is required to understand and measure the environmental impact of radiological services and inform mitigation, adaptation and monitoring efforts. Deeper collaboration with industry partners is necessary to support innovations in the supply chain, energy utilization, and circular economy. Many solutions have been proposed and are already available, but we must understand and address barriers to the implementation of current and future sustainable innovations. Finally, there is a compelling need to partner with patients, to ensure that trust in the excellence of clinical care is maintained during the transition to sustainable radiology. By fostering a culture of global cooperation and rapid sharing of solutions amongst the broader imaging community, we can transform radiological practice to mitigate its environmental impact, adapt and develop resilience to current and future climate and environmental threats, and simultaneously improve access to care. KEY POINTS: Question What actions can professional societies take to improve the environmental sustainability of radiology? Findings Better understanding of resource usage in radiology is needed; action is required to address regional and global disparities in access to care which stand to be exacerbated by climate change. Clinical relevance Radiological societies need to advocate for urgent, impactful, and measurable changes to mitigate the environmental impact of radiological practice. Research and education, as well as adaptation and resilience to current and future climate and environmental threats, must be prioritized while simultaneously improving access to care.
  6. Rockall AG, Allen B, Brown MJ, El-Diasty T, Fletcher J, Gerson RF, et al.
    J Am Coll Radiol, 2025 Feb 24.
    PMID: 40019428 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2025.02.009
    The urgency for climate action is recognized by international government and health care organizations, including the United Nations and World Health Organization. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution negatively impact all life on earth. All populations are impacted but not equally; the most vulnerable are at highest risk, an inequity further exacerbated by differences in access to health care globally. The delivery of health care exacerbates the planetary health crisis through greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to combustion of fossil fuels for medical equipment production and operation, creation of medical and non-medical waste, and contamination of water supplies. As representatives of radiology societies from across the globe who work closely with industry, and both governmental and non-governmental leaders in multiple capacities, we advocate together for urgent, impactful, and measurable changes to the way we deliver care by further engaging our members, policymakers, industry partners, and our patients. Simultaneous challenges including global health disparities, resource allocation, and access to care must inform these efforts. Climate literacy should be increasingly added to radiology training programs. More research is required to understand and measure the environmental impact of radiological services and inform mitigation, adaptation, and monitoring efforts. Deeper collaboration with industry partners is necessary to support innovations in the supply chain, energy utilization, and circular economy. Many solutions have been proposed and are already available, but we must understand and address barriers to implementation of current and future sustainable innovations. Finally, there is a compelling need to partner with patients, to ensure that trust in the excellence of clinical care is maintained during the transition to sustainable radiology. By fostering a culture of global cooperation and rapid sharing of solutions among the broader imaging community, we can transform radiological practice to mitigate its environmental impact, adapt and develop resilience to current and future climate and environmental threats, and simultaneously improve access to care.
  7. Banin LF, Raine EH, Rowland LM, Chazdon RL, Smith SW, Rahman NEB, et al.
    Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 2023 Jan 02;378(1867):20210090.
    PMID: 36373930 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0090
    Current policy is driving renewed impetus to restore forests to return ecological function, protect species, sequester carbon and secure livelihoods. Here we assess the contribution of tree planting to ecosystem restoration in tropical and sub-tropical Asia; we synthesize evidence on mortality and growth of planted trees at 176 sites and assess structural and biodiversity recovery of co-located actively restored and naturally regenerating forest plots. Mean mortality of planted trees was 18% 1 year after planting, increasing to 44% after 5 years. Mortality varied strongly by site and was typically ca 20% higher in open areas than degraded forest, with height at planting positively affecting survival. Size-standardized growth rates were negatively related to species-level wood density in degraded forest and plantations enrichment settings. Based on community-level data from 11 landscapes, active restoration resulted in faster accumulation of tree basal area and structural properties were closer to old-growth reference sites, relative to natural regeneration, but tree species richness did not differ. High variability in outcomes across sites indicates that planting for restoration is potentially rewarding but risky and context-dependent. Restoration projects must prepare for and manage commonly occurring challenges and align with efforts to protect and reconnect remaining forest areas. The abstract of this article is available in Bahasa Indonesia in the electronic supplementary material. This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration'.
  8. Muruganandan S, Azzopardi M, Fitzgerald DB, Shrestha R, Kwan BCH, Lam DCL, et al.
    Lancet Respir Med, 2018 09;6(9):671-680.
    PMID: 30037711 DOI: 10.1016/S2213-2600(18)30288-1
    BACKGROUND: Indwelling pleural catheters are an established management option for malignant pleural effusion and have advantages over talc slurry pleurodesis. The optimal regimen of drainage after indwelling pleural catheter insertion is debated and ranges from aggressive (daily) drainage to drainage only when symptomatic.

    METHODS: AMPLE-2 was an open-label randomised trial involving 11 centres in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Patients with symptomatic malignant pleural effusions were randomly assigned (1:1) to the aggressive (daily) or symptom-guided drainage groups for 60 days and minimised by cancer type (mesothelioma vs others), performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] score 0-1 vs ≥2), presence of trapped lung, and prior pleurodesis. Patients were followed up for 6 months. The primary outcome was mean daily breathlessness score, measured by use of a 100 mm visual analogue scale during the first 60 days. Secondary outcomes included rates of spontaneous pleurodesis and self-reported quality-of-life measures. Results were analysed by an intention-to-treat approach. This trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number ACTRN12615000963527.

    FINDINGS: Between July 20, 2015, and Jan 26, 2017, 87 patients were recruited and randomly assigned to the aggressive (n=43) or symptom-guided (n=44) drainage groups. The mean daily breathlessness scores did not differ significantly between the aggressive and symptom-guided drainage groups (geometric means 13·1 mm [95% CI 9·8-17·4] vs 17·3 mm [13·0-22·0]; ratio of geometric means 1·32 [95% CI 0·88-1·97]; p=0·18). More patients in the aggressive group developed spontaneous pleurodesis than in the symptom-guided group in the first 60 days (16 [37·2%] of 43 vs five [11·4%] of 44, p=0·0049) and at 6 months (19 [44·2%] vs seven [15·9%], p=0·004; hazard ratio 3·287 [95% CI 1·396-7·740]; p=0·0065). Patient-reported quality-of-life measures, assessed with EuroQoL-5 Dimensions-5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L), were better in the aggressive group than in the symptom-guided group (estimated means 0·713 [95% CI 0·647-0·779] vs 0·601 [0·536-0·667]). The estimated difference in means was 0·112 (95% CI 0·0198-0·204; p=0·0174). Pain scores, total days spent in hospital, and mortality did not differ significantly between groups. Serious adverse events occurred in 11 (25·6%) of 43 patients in the aggressive drainage group and in 12 (27·3%) of 44 patients in the symptom-guided drainage group, including 11 episodes of pleural infection in nine patients (five in the aggressive group and six in the symptom-guided drainage group).

    INTERPRETATION: We found no differences between the aggressive (daily) and the symptom-guided drainage regimens for indwelling pleural catheters in providing breathlessness control. These data indicate that daily indwelling pleural catheter drainage is more effective in promoting spontaneous pleurodesis and might improve quality of life.

    FUNDING: Cancer Council of Western Australia and the Sir Charles Gairdner Research Advisory Group.

  9. Coleman JRI, Peyrot WJ, Purves KL, Davis KAS, Rayner C, Choi SW, et al.
    Mol Psychiatry, 2020 Jul;25(7):1430-1446.
    PMID: 31969693 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0546-6
    Depression is more frequent among individuals exposed to traumatic events. Both trauma exposure and depression are heritable. However, the relationship between these traits, including the role of genetic risk factors, is complex and poorly understood. When modelling trauma exposure as an environmental influence on depression, both gene-environment correlations and gene-environment interactions have been observed. The UK Biobank concurrently assessed Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and self-reported lifetime exposure to traumatic events in 126,522 genotyped individuals of European ancestry. We contrasted genetic influences on MDD stratified by reported trauma exposure (final sample size range: 24,094-92,957). The SNP-based heritability of MDD with reported trauma exposure (24%) was greater than MDD without reported trauma exposure (12%). Simulations showed that this is not confounded by the strong, positive genetic correlation observed between MDD and reported trauma exposure. We also observed that the genetic correlation between MDD and waist circumference was only significant in individuals reporting trauma exposure (rg = 0.24, p = 1.8 × 10-7 versus rg = -0.05, p = 0.39 in individuals not reporting trauma exposure, difference p = 2.3 × 10-4). Our results suggest that the genetic contribution to MDD is greater when reported trauma is present, and that a complex relationship exists between reported trauma exposure, body composition, and MDD.
  10. Davies TW, Kelly E, van Gassel RJJ, van de Poll MCG, Gunst J, Casaer MP, et al.
    Crit Care, 2023 Nov 20;27(1):450.
    PMID: 37986015 DOI: 10.1186/s13054-023-04729-7
    BACKGROUND: CONCISE is an internationally agreed minimum set of outcomes for use in nutritional and metabolic clinical research in critically ill adults. Clinicians and researchers need to be aware of the clinimetric properties of these instruments and understand any limitations to ensure valid and reliable research. This systematic review and meta-analysis were undertaken to evaluate the clinimetric properties of the measurement instruments identified in CONCISE.

    METHODS: Four electronic databases were searched from inception to December 2022 (MEDLINE via Ovid, EMBASE via Ovid, CINAHL via Healthcare Databases Advanced Search, CENTRAL via Cochrane). Studies were included if they examined at least one clinimetric property of a CONCISE measurement instrument or recognised variation in adults ≥ 18 years with critical illness or recovering from critical illness in any language. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist for systematic reviews of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures was used. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were used in line with COSMIN guidance. The COSMIN checklist was used to evaluate the risk of bias and the quality of clinimetric properties. Overall certainty of the evidence was rated using a modified Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Narrative synthesis was performed and where possible, meta-analysis was conducted.

    RESULTS: A total of 4316 studies were screened. Forty-seven were included in the review, reporting data for 12308 participants. The Short Form-36 Questionnaire (Physical Component Score and Physical Functioning), sit-to-stand test, 6-m walk test and Barthel Index had the strongest clinimetric properties and certainty of evidence. The Short Physical Performance Battery, Katz Index and handgrip strength had less favourable results. There was limited data for Lawson Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria. The risk of bias ranged from inadequate to very good. The certainty of the evidence ranged from very low to high.

    CONCLUSIONS: Variable evidence exists to support the clinimetric properties of the CONCISE measurement instruments. We suggest using this review alongside CONCISE to guide outcome selection for future trials of nutrition and metabolic interventions in critical illness.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION:  PROSPERO (CRD42023438187). Registered 21/06/2023.

  11. Casey SC, Vaccari M, Al-Mulla F, Al-Temaimi R, Amedei A, Barcellos-Hoff MH, et al.
    Carcinogenesis, 2015 Jun;36 Suppl 1:S160-83.
    PMID: 26106136 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgv035
    Potentially carcinogenic compounds may cause cancer through direct DNA damage or through indirect cellular or physiological effects. To study possible carcinogens, the fields of endocrinology, genetics, epigenetics, medicine, environmental health, toxicology, pharmacology and oncology must be considered. Disruptive chemicals may also contribute to multiple stages of tumor development through effects on the tumor microenvironment. In turn, the tumor microenvironment consists of a complex interaction among blood vessels that feed the tumor, the extracellular matrix that provides structural and biochemical support, signaling molecules that send messages and soluble factors such as cytokines. The tumor microenvironment also consists of many host cellular effectors including multipotent stromal cells/mesenchymal stem cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cell precursors, antigen-presenting cells, lymphocytes and innate immune cells. Carcinogens can influence the tumor microenvironment through effects on epithelial cells, the most common origin of cancer, as well as on stromal cells, extracellular matrix components and immune cells. Here, we review how environmental exposures can perturb the tumor microenvironment. We suggest a role for disrupting chemicals such as nickel chloride, Bisphenol A, butyltins, methylmercury and paraquat as well as more traditional carcinogens, such as radiation, and pharmaceuticals, such as diabetes medications, in the disruption of the tumor microenvironment. Further studies interrogating the role of chemicals and their mixtures in dose-dependent effects on the tumor microenvironment could have important general mechanistic implications for the etiology and prevention of tumorigenesis.
  12. Ripple WJ, Chapron G, López-Bao JV, Durant SM, Macdonald DW, Lindsey PA, et al.
    Bioscience, 2016 Oct 01;66(10):807-812.
    PMID: 28533560 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biw092
  13. Zhou XD, Chen QF, Yang W, Zuluaga M, Targher G, Byrne CD, et al.
    EClinicalMedicine, 2024 Dec;78:102958.
    PMID: 39640937 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102958
    [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102848.].
  14. Zhou XD, Chen QF, Yang W, Zuluaga M, Targher G, Byrne CD, et al.
    EClinicalMedicine, 2024 Oct;76:102848.
    PMID: 39386160 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102848
    BACKGROUND: Obesity represents a major global health challenge with important clinical implications. Despite its recognized importance, the global disease burden attributable to high body mass index (BMI) remains less well understood.

    METHODS: We systematically analyzed global deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to high BMI using the methodology and analytical approaches of the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021. High BMI was defined as a BMI over 25 kg/m2 for individuals aged ≥20 years. The Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) was used as a composite measure to assess the level of socio-economic development across different regions. Subgroup analyses considered age, sex, year, geographical location, and SDI.

    FINDINGS: From 1990 to 2021, the global deaths and DALYs attributable to high BMI increased more than 2.5-fold for females and males. However, the age-standardized death rates remained stable for females and increased by 15.0% for males. Similarly, the age-standardized DALY rates increased by 21.7% for females and 31.2% for males. In 2021, the six leading causes of high BMI-attributable DALYs were diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, chronic kidney disease, low back pain and stroke. From 1990 to 2021, low-middle SDI countries exhibited the highest annual percentage changes in age-standardized DALY rates, whereas high SDI countries showed the lowest.

    INTERPRETATION: The worldwide health burden attributable to high BMI has grown significantly between 1990 and 2021. The increasing global rates of high BMI and the associated disease burden highlight the urgent need for regular surveillance and monitoring of BMI.

    FUNDING: National Natural Science Foundation of China and National Key R&D Program of China.

  15. Wu C, Targher G, Byrne CD, Mao Y, Cheung TT, Yilmaz Y, et al.
    Am J Gastroenterol, 2025 Jan 03.
    PMID: 39749919 DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000003288
    INTRODUCTION: The global burden of metabolic diseases is increasing, but estimates of their impact on primary liver cancer are uncertain. We aimed to assess the global burden of primary liver cancer attributable to metabolic risk factors, including high body mass index (BMI) and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels, between 1990 and 2021.

    METHODS: The total number and age-standardized rates of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from primary liver cancer attributable to each metabolic risk factor were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2021. The metabolic burden trends of liver cancer across regions and countries by sociodemographic index (SDI) and sex were estimated. The annual percentage changes in age-standardized DALYs rate were also calculated.

    RESULTS: Globally, in 2021, primary liver cancer attributable to high BMI and/or high FPG was estimated to have caused 59,970 deaths (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 20,567-104,103) and 1,540,437 DALYs (95% UI 540,922-2,677,135). The age-standardized rates of death and DALYs were 0.70 (95% UI 0.24-1.21) and 17.64 (95% UI 6.19-30.65) per 100,000 person-years. A consistent global rise in liver cancer attributable to metabolic risks was observed from 1990 to 2021, with high BMI identified as the major contributing risk factor. The highest burden of deaths and DALYs of liver cancer consistently occurred in high SDI countries, while the fastest growth trends were observed in low-middle SDI countries. The burdens of high levels of BMI and FPG were higher in men than in women.

    DISCUSSION: Primary liver cancer attributable to high BMI and/or high FPG imposes an increasingly substantial clinical burden on global public health, particularly in high SDI countries. Rapid growth trends are also found in middle SDI countries.

  16. Samat AHA, Cassar MP, Akhtar AM, McCracken C, Ashkir ZM, Mills R, et al.
    Int J Cardiol, 2024 Nov 15;415:132415.
    PMID: 39127146 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2024.132415
    BACKGROUND: The role of ECG in ruling out myocardial complications on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is unclear. We examined the clinical utility of ECG in screening for cardiac abnormalities on CMR among post-hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

    METHODS: Post-hospitalised patients (n = 212) and age, sex and comorbidity-matched controls (n = 38) underwent CMR and 12‑lead ECG in a prospective multicenter follow-up study. Participants were screened for routinely reported ECG abnormalities, including arrhythmia, conduction and R wave abnormalities and ST-T changes (excluding repolarisation intervals). Quantitative repolarisation analyses included corrected QT (QTc), corrected QT dispersion (QTc disp), corrected JT (JTc) and corrected T peak-end (cTPe) intervals.

    RESULTS: At a median of 5.6 months, patients had a higher burden of ECG abnormalities (72.2% vs controls 42.1%, p = 0.001) and lower LVEF but a comparable cumulative burden of CMR abnormalities than controls. Patients with CMR abnormalities had more ECG abnormalities and longer repolarisation intervals than those with normal CMR and controls (82% vs 69% vs 42%, p 

  17. Loganath K, Craig NJ, Everett RJ, Bing R, Tsampasian V, Molek P, et al.
    JAMA, 2025 Jan 21;333(3):213-221.
    PMID: 39466640 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2024.22730
    IMPORTANCE: Development of myocardial fibrosis in patients with aortic stenosis precedes left ventricular decompensation and is associated with an adverse long-term prognosis.

    OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether early valve intervention reduced the incidence of all-cause death or unplanned aortic stenosis-related hospitalization in asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis and myocardial fibrosis.

    DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prospective, randomized, open-label, masked end point trial was conducted between August 2017 and October 2022 at 24 cardiac centers across the UK and Australia. Asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis and myocardial fibrosis were included. The final date of follow-up was July 26, 2024.

    INTERVENTION: Early valve intervention with transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement or guideline-directed conservative management.

    MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause death or unplanned aortic stenosis-related hospitalization in a time-to-first-event intention-to-treat analysis. There were 9 secondary outcomes, including the components of the primary outcome and symptom status at 12 months.

    RESULTS: The trial enrolled 224 eligible patients (mean [SD] age, 73 [9] years; 63 women [28%]; mean [SD] aortic valve peak velocity of 4.3 [0.5] m/s) of the originally planned sample size of 356 patients. The primary end point occurred in 20 of 113 patients (18%) in the early intervention group and 25 of 111 patients (23%) in the guideline-directed conservative management group (hazard ratio, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.44-1.43]; P = .44; between-group difference, -4.82% [95% CI, -15.31% to 5.66%]). Of 9 prespecified secondary end points, 7 showed no significant difference. All-cause death occurred in 16 of 113 patients (14%) in the early intervention group and 14 of 111 (13%) in the guideline-directed group (hazard ratio, 1.22 [95% CI, 0.59-2.51]) and unplanned aortic stenosis hospitalization occurred in 7 of 113 patients (6%) and 19 of 111 patients (17%), respectively (hazard ratio, 0.37 [95% CI, 0.16-0.88]). Early intervention was associated with a lower 12-month rate of New York Heart Association class II-IV symptoms than guideline-directed conservative management (21 [19.7%] vs 39 [37.9%]; odds ratio, 0.37 [95% CI, 0.20-0.70]).

    CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis and myocardial fibrosis, early aortic valve intervention had no demonstrable effect on all-cause death or unplanned aortic stenosis-related hospitalization. The trial had a wide 95% CI around the primary end point, with further research needed to confirm these findings.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03094143.

  18. Boettiger DC, Kerr S, Ditangco R, Merati TP, Pham TT, Chaiwarith R, et al.
    PLoS One, 2014;9(9):e106525.
    PMID: 25184314 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106525
    Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has evolved rapidly since its beginnings. This analysis describes trends in first-line ART use in Asia and their impact on treatment outcomes.
  19. Wu LE, Meoli CC, Mangiafico SP, Fazakerley DJ, Cogger VC, Mohamad M, et al.
    Diabetes, 2014 Aug;63(8):2656-67.
    PMID: 24696450 DOI: 10.2337/db13-1665
    The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of cytokines are important regulators of angiogenesis that have emerged as important targets for the treatment of obesity. While serum VEGF levels rise during obesity, recent studies using genetic models provide conflicting evidence as to whether VEGF prevents or accelerates metabolic dysfunction during obesity. In the current study, we sought to identify the effects of VEGF-A neutralization on parameters of glucose metabolism and insulin action in a dietary mouse model of obesity. Within only 72 h of administration of the VEGF-A-neutralizing monoclonal antibody B.20-4.1, we observed almost complete reversal of high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance principally due to improved insulin sensitivity in the liver and in adipose tissue. These effects were independent of changes in whole-body adiposity or insulin signaling. These findings show an important and unexpected role for VEGF in liver insulin resistance, opening up a potentially novel therapeutic avenue for obesity-related metabolic disease.
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