• Magnesium as an Endocrine Modulator: Physiological Roles, Clinical Evidence, and Therapeutic Perspectives.
    1 week ago
    Magnesium deficiency is prevalent and increasingly recognized as an endocrine-relevant condition due to its involvement in hormone secretion, metabolic homeostasis, and cellular signaling.

    To review current evidence on the role of magnesium in key endocrine systems and evaluate its clinical and therapeutic implications.

    Magnesium influences glucose metabolism, bone health, thyroid function, reproduction, cardiometabolic regulation, and HPA-axis activity. Clinical evidence shows strong associations between magnesium status and several endocrine diseases.

    Magnesium plays a multifaceted endocrine role with clinically significant implications. Improved diagnostic approaches and further interventional studies are warranted.
    Cardiovascular diseases
    Care/Management
    Policy
  • [Substance-related cardiovascular diseases: definition, distinctive features and clinical implications of a novel nosological entity].
    1 week ago
    Substance use represents a relevant yet underrecognized determinant of cardiovascular diseases, acting through substance-specific and often multifactorial mechanisms. This document proposes the concept of substance-related cardiovascular diseases (Sr-CVD) as a possible novel nosological entity, outlining its main clinical implications. Available epidemiological and pathophysiological evidence is reviewed, and the clinical, instrumental, and therapeutic-management features of the main cardiovascular conditions associated with substance use are described. These elements support clinical suspicion, differential diagnosis, and a precision medicine approach. In cases where a definite causal relationship cannot be established, the term "cardiovascular diseases in individuals with substance use" is proposed to identify a population at increased cardiovascular risk with specific clinical needs. Sr-CVD represent a heterogeneous group of conditions requiring a structured and multidisciplinary clinical approach. The introduction of this conceptual framework may improve the recognition, management, and prevention of substance-related cardiovascular damage.
    Cardiovascular diseases
    Care/Management
  • Semaglutide improves markers of cardiovascular risk in people with HIV.
    1 week ago
    Semaglutide improves cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in people who are diabetic, overweight or obese through incompletely understood mechanisms. To address this, we explored novel lipidomic and lipo-/glyco-protein profiling with semaglutide therapy.

    Secondary analysis of SLIM LIVER (ACTG A5371), an open-label, phase 2b, single-arm trial of 1 mg semaglutide weekly in adult people with HIV (PWH) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

    Participants (n = 36) experiencing clinical response (>5 lb weight loss) to semaglutide were included. Lipidomic and lipo-/glyco-protein profiling was performed from stored serum.

    Median age was 52 years and BMI 34 kg/m2; 39% were Hispanic, 28% Black, 45% female and 22% had stable statin use. Lipidomics: Semaglutide reduced triglycerides, diglycerides and sphingomyelins and increased some bile acids and phosphatidylcholines. Lipoproteins: CVD-linked species decreased; LDL particle size increased and large HDL particle number decreased. Glycoproteins: Most participants had elevated baseline GlycA and GlycB, CVD-associated markers of systemic inflammation. 56% with elevated Glyc A improved and 32% normalized; 41% with elevated Glyc B improved and 42% normalized. Lipo-/glycol-protein concentrations generally did not correlate with baseline weight, liver fat or insulin resistance or their magnitude of change.

    In this first human report of lipidomic and lipo-/glyco-protein profiling during semaglutide therapy in any population, lipidomic changes suggest reductions in toxic lipid species and improved hepatic insulin sensitivity. Significant reductions in CVD-risk associated lipo-/glyco-protein species were observed that did not correlate with magnitude of changes in weight, liver fat or insulin resistance, suggesting an independent mechanism.
    Cardiovascular diseases
    Care/Management
  • Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Diagnosed Psoriasis in U.S. Adults: Patterns and Trends From NHANES and NHIS, 2003-2024.
    1 week ago
    To quantify sociodemographic differences in the prevalence of diagnosed psoriasis and to evaluate temporal trends in its epidemiologic distribution.

    Data from the 2003-2006 and 2009-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the 2023-2024 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed. Meta-analysis was performed to determine whether age, sex, race/ethnicity, interview language, marital status, BMI, education, income, and health insurance are independently associated with odds of diagnosed psoriasis. Estimates from each survey period were tested for linear trends over time.

    The total sample included 53,225 participants. Spanish speakers, compared to English speakers, demonstrated markedly lower prevalence of diagnosed psoriasis (pooled aOR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.25-0.65), even after adjusting for other sociodemographic factors including race/ethnicity. Other factors independently associated with psoriasis were older age, non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity, and higher BMI (all P < 0.001). No temporal trends in prevalence were found in any sociodemographic subgroup.

    This analysis of national data covering an almost 25-year period indicates psoriasis has consistently been one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases with a stable sociodemographic distribution over this time. High rates of potentially undiagnosed psoriasis among vulnerable sociodemographic subgroups may be a persistent issue spanning over 2 decades. Patients with limited English proficiency may have difficulty interacting with the healthcare system, leading to undiagnosed psoriasis. Difficulty of diagnosis in patients with skin of color may also contribute. Given that psoriasis is a condition with systemic effects, including impacts on cardiovascular risk, accurate and timely diagnosis is essential to ensure appropriate clinical management.
    Cardiovascular diseases
    Care/Management
  • Changes in Cardiac Functional Parameters After Discontinuation of Sacubitril/Valsartan in Hemodialysis Patients: Insights From Left Ventricular End-Diastolic Diameter in Real-World Observational Data.
    1 week ago
    Data on the efficacy and safety of sacubitril/valsartan in hemodialysis patients with heart failure and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (≥ 50%, HFpEF) or mildly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (41%-49%, HFmrEF) were analyzed, as well as cardiac functional parameters and safety after withdrawal of sacubitril/valsartan.

    Ninety-eight maintenance hemodialysis patients with heart failure with preserved or mildly reduced ejection fraction were included in the present study. Patients were divided into sacubitril/valsartan and control groups according to whether they had been, or were being, treated with sacubitril/valsartan. Patients were further divided into continuation and discontinuation groups based on whether sacubitril/valsartan was discontinued at the end of follow-up. Laboratory examination results, echocardiographic parameters, and the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events were recorded and analyzed.

    There were 50 patients in the control group and 48 in the sacubitril/valsartan group. The median follow-up time was 14.5 months. Compared with the control group, the serum B-type natriuretic peptide levels and echocardiographic parameters in the sacubitril/valsartan group significantly decreased from baseline at 6-month follow-up (p < 0.05). In the sacubitril/valsartan group, there were 28 patients in the continuation group and 20 in the discontinuation group. The reduction in left ventricular end-diastolic diameter in the sacubitril/valsartan group reversed in the discontinuation group (by 10%) after drug withdrawal, whereas it was stable in the continuation group (change 0.66%, p = 0.030). Patients with lower left ventricular end-diastolic diameters at the end follow-up (≤ 50 mm) exhibited a lower incidence of major adverse cardiac events compared to those with higher diameters (>50 mm; p = 0.012).

    Sacubitril/valsartan improved cardiac function in patients on hemodialysis with heart failure and preserved or mildly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Long-term continuous use of sacubitril/valsartan may reduce left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and positively impact prognosis.
    Cardiovascular diseases
    Care/Management
  • Pulmonary Artery Pulsatility Index Response to Vasodilator Challenge Predicts Early Right Ventricular Failure After Left Ventricular Assist Device.
    1 week ago
    Vasodilator challenge during right heart catheterization (RHC), by improving right ventricular (RV) loading conditions, could provide an assessment of RV functional reserve. We hypothesized that a dynamic evaluation of RV function with sodium nitroprusside (NTP) infusion could enhance conventional risk stratification for post-left ventricular assist device (LVAD) early RV failure (RVF). We performed an observational retrospective multicenter study including consecutive LVAD recipients undergoing vasodilator challenge within 3 months from surgery. We evaluated the association of clinical, echocardiographic, and hemodynamic data at baseline and after NTP infusion with post-LVAD early RVF. Of 160 patients, RVF occurred in 58 (36.3%) and was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (32.8% vs. 3.9%, p < 0.001). Among baseline hemodynamics, pulmonary artery pulsatility index (PAPi) <2 was the single variable associated with RVF (p = 0.038). In a multivariable model adjusted for in-study outcome predictors, a blunted PAPi response to vasodilator challenge (PAPi increase <2.2) emerged as the strongest independent RVF predictor (odds ratio [OR] = 4.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.88-11.07, p = 0.001). Patients with a blunted PAPi response had an increased RVF risk both in the baseline PAPi <2 (61.9% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.022) and in the baseline PAPi ≥2 (40.2% vs. 17.5%, p = 0.004) groups. Vasodilator challenge, by unveiling RV functional reserve, could improve patient selection and optimization before LVAD implant.
    Cardiovascular diseases
    Care/Management
  • Phenotypic clustering of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in a Mediterranean cohort.
    1 week ago
    Current diagnostic criteria for type 2 diabetes (T2D) capture disease heterogeneity poorly, and do not reliably predict progression, complications, or treatment response. The phenotypic clustering model proposed by Ahlqvist et al. identified five T2D subtypes using six clinical variables at diagnosis, each associated with distinct metabolic profiles and complication risks. Although this framework has been replicated in several cohorts, evidence in Mediterranean populations is lacking.

    We conducted a prospective cohort study in Catalonia (Northeast Spain) including adults with newly diagnosed T2D recruited between March 2022 and January 2026. Using baseline data, we evaluated the Ahlqvist clustering approach. Autoantibody-positive individuals were classified as severe autoimmune diabetes (SAID), and sex-stratified k-means clustering (k = 4) was applied to autoantibody-negative participants. Cluster separation and stability were assessed using principal component analysis and silhouette analyses.

    A final total number of 991 individuals with newly diagnosed T2D were included in the analysis. Autoantibodies were present in 67 subjects (6.8%), thereby being classified as SAID. Among the remaining 924 participants, sex-stratified k-means clustering (k = 4) identified clusters with metabolic profiles consistent with the classical subtypes: mild age-related diabetes (MARD, n = 326), severe insulin-resistant diabetes (SIRD, n = 241), mild obesity-related diabetes (MOD, n = 206), and severe insulin-deficient diabetes (SIDD, n = 151). However, cluster separation was modest, and bootstrap stability was limited (Jaccard 0.555-0.718). In an unconstrained analysis, apart from the autoimmune diabetes group, silhouette optimisation identified three clusters as the most internally optimal structure, corresponding broadly to obesity/insulin-resistant (C1, n = 347), insulin-deficient (C2, n = 186), and age-related (C3, n = 391) phenotypes. Stability was substantially higher for the three-cluster solution (Jaccard 0.799-0.863). Concordance between the Ahlqvist and data-driven models was moderate (ARI = 0.473), with MOD individuals distributed across the other clusters.

    The Ahlqvist clustering architecture could be approximated in this Mediterranean cohort at diagnosis, but internal stability of the five-cluster solution was limited. In this population, a four-cluster structure showed substantially better internal validity. These findings support the feasibility of phenotypic subclassification of T2D while underscoring the importance of evaluating population-specific cluster structures and their clinical relevance in longitudinal studies.

    NCT05333718.
    Cardiovascular diseases
    Care/Management
    Policy
  • Prevalence of Co-occurring Mental, Neurodevelopmental and Neurological Conditions in Medicaid Beneficiaries With Autism.
    1 week ago
    As more children with autism enter adulthood, updated data on co-occurring conditions throughout the lifespan are needed. We examined mental, neurodevelopmental and neurological (MNN) conditions among people with and without autism overall and by demographics.

    Using Medicaid claims data for beneficiaries aged ≥ 1 year enrolled during 2020, we identified autism and MNN diagnoses using ICD-10 codes. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) in beneficiaries with versus without autism were calculated using log-binomial models.

    Among 993,965 beneficiaries with autism, attention-deficit-hyperactivity and conduct disorders (ADHD/CD, 30.5%), intellectual disabilities (ID, 20.4%), and anxiety disorders (19.3%) were most common. Prevalence of every condition except ADHD/CD increased with age and was higher in females. For most conditions, prevalence was lowest in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and Hispanic individuals. Every condition except alcohol/drug use disorders was significantly more prevalent in those with autism; aPRs ranged from 1.8 (depression) to 21.2 (ID). APRs were higher in middle and older ages for neurodevelopmental conditions, in children and adolescents for mental and neurological conditions, and in women for neurodevelopmental and neurological conditions. AI/AN beneficiaries had the highest aPRs for nearly all conditions.

    Among publicly-insured individuals, MNN conditions were more common in beneficiaries with than without autism across the lifespan, in both sexes and across racial/ethnic groups. Demographic variation may reflect underdiagnosis of autism in previous generations and females, respectively, and less access to mental health services in some racial/ethnic groups. Screening for ADHD and mental health disorders in youth and adults with autism may improve health outcomes. Screening for ADHD and mental health disorders in youth and adults with autism may improve health outcomes.
    Mental Health
    Access
  • The Arabic Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2 (GAD-2): Psychometric evaluation among mothers of children with intellectual disabilities.
    1 week ago
    Disruptive behaviours of children with intellectual disabilities predispose mothers to mental and physical morbidities, leading to caregiving burnout, lower childcare quality, and poor child progress.

    This cross-sectional study investigated the psychometrics of the Arabic version of the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 2-item scale (GAD-2) among 85 Saudi mothers of children with intellectual disabilities through latent variable model and receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses.

    The unidimensional GAD-2 demonstrated good construct validity, invariance at the configural, metric, and scalar levels across age groups, and adequate convergent/divergent validity-It was negatively predicted by high mood and happiness and positively predicted by stress, and it mediated the effect of stress and happiness on depression. Its known-group validity was determined by elevated anxiety levels among mothers using psychotropic drugs. Two cut-offs (≥2.5 and ≥3.5) flagged the best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity for predicting low mood, poor sleep quality, nightmares, high stress, low general physical health, and willingness to join a psychological support program. The positive predictive value for the cut-off ≥3.5 was higher for all outcomes than that of the cut-off ≥2.5.

    The GAD-2 is a valid and reliable tool, which at thresholds ≥3.5 can identify anxious mothers, aiding early diagnosis and intervention.
    Mental Health
    Access
    Advocacy
  • Standardized Workload Assessment Metric for Pediatric Emergency Departments (SWAMPED): Multicenter Derivation and Evaluation of a Task-Level Workload Measure.
    1 week ago
    Physician workload in pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) is associated with patient safety, quality of care, and clinician well-being, but is commonly inferred from proxy measures such as visit volume, acuity, or throughput metrics that incompletely capture the contextual and cognitive demands of clinical care. The Standardized Workload Assessment Metric for Pediatric Emergency Departments (SWAMPED) was developed to quantify workload at the level of discrete clinical tasks. We derived workload estimates and evaluated the reliability, precision, and contextual responsiveness of SWAMPED.

    We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study of PED physicians at tertiary children's hospitals within the Pediatric Emergency Research Canada network. Participants independently scored 46 care components using the NASA Task Load Index, a validated multidimensional instrument that measures perceived workload associated with a specific task (in this case a clinical care component) accounting for six domains of effort (mental, physical, time, effort, performance, and frustration). Six extrinsic patient and systems-level modifiers were assessed for their impact on component-level workload. We assessed score distributions, interrater agreement using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), precision of component estimates, and extrinsic modifiers' effects using mixed-effects models.

    Sixty-two physicians from 11 sites participated. Interrater agreement across care components was good (ICC: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.60-0.78). Mean workload scores varied across care components (range 22.1-99.5) with high precision (95% CI margin of error of 2.5-6.5 points; relative margin 5%-10%). Most components demonstrated increased workload in the presence of extrinsic modifiers, while intrinsic physician characteristics were not associated with significant differences in workload scores.

    SWAMPED generated reliable and precise, task-specific workload estimates and demonstrated sensitivity to clinically relevant contextual modifiers. This approach enables quantitative assessment of physician workload at the task level and provides a foundation for future investigations linking workload to clinical outcomes, clinician performance, and health system planning.
    Mental Health
    Access
    Care/Management
    Advocacy