Pancytopenia and atrial fibrillation associated with chronic hepatitis C infection and presumed hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Pancytopenia secondary to hepatitis viral infection is a rare but noted clinical entity. An acute aplastic crisis usually occurs shortly after viral infection, however, viral serologies are usually negative and the pancytopenia is often fatal if left untreated.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 66-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with shortness of breath and palpitations. She was found to have pulmonary edema secondary to a newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation and was treated with rate control and anticoagulation. She was found to have an anemia that was reported to be longstanding and that was apparently being investigated by a hematologist, although no diagnosis had yet been achieved. Her blood work also revealed a mild leucopenia and pronounced thrombocytopenia. The patient was admitted to ensure appropriate rate control of her atrial fibrillation and for work-up of her pancytopenia. Review of the bone marrow biopsy performed by the hematologist revealed a normal marrow with no infiltrative process. The results of the patient's blood tests ruled out a hemolytic process. There was also no evidence of infection, toxin ingestion, or recent medication that could be associated with pancytopenia. An abdominal ultrasound was ordered to rule out enlargement of the spleen and a possible consumptive coagulopathy. The spleen was mildly enlarged with a diameter of 13 cm. The liver, however, was mildly cirrhotic and a small solitary liver lesion was seen. A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the liver confirmed a single solitary solid mass and the α-fetal protein level in the serum was elevated. The patient's preliminary viral serologies were positive for hepatitis C. The patient was diagnosed with presumed hepatocellular carcinoma and referred to a hepatic surgeon for evaluation of treatment options.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Hepatitis associated aplastic anemia is an acute condition while milder more chronic presentations, such as this case, likely result from increased portal pressure generated from the resulting cirrhosis, which leads to a relative hypersplenism.</p

Laboratory-Assessed Markers of Cardiometabolic Health and Associations with GIS-Based Measures of Active-Living Environments.

Active-living-friendly environments have been linked to physical activity, but their relationships with specific markers of cardiometabolic health remain unclear. We estimated the associations between active-living environments and markers of cardiometabolic health, and explored the potential mediating role of physical activity in these associations. We used data collected on 2809 middle-aged adults who participated in the Canadian Health Measures Survey (2007⁻2009; 41.5 years, SD = 15.1). Environments were assessed using an index that combined GIS-derived measures of street connectivity, land use mix, and population density. Body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), hemoglobin A1c, and cholesterol were assessed in a laboratory setting. Daily step counts and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) were assessed for seven days using accelerometers. Associations were estimated using robust multivariable linear regressions adjusted for sociodemographic factors that were assessed via questionnaire. BMI was 0.79 kg/m² lower (95% confidence interval (CI) -1.31, -0.27) and SBP was 1.65 mmHg lower (95% CI -3.10, -0.20) in participants living in the most active-living-friendly environments compared to the least, independent of daily step counts or MVPA. A 35.4 min/week difference in MPVA (95% CI 24.2, 46.6) was observed between residents of neighborhoods in the highest compared to the lowest active-living-environment quartiles. Cycling to work rates were also the highest in participants living in the highest living-environment quartiles (e.g., Q4 vs. Q1: 10.4% vs. 4.9%). Although active-living environments are associated with lower BMI and SBP, and higher MVPA and cycling rates, neither daily step counts nor MVPA appear to account for environment⁻BMI/SBP relationships. This suggests that other factors not assessed in this study (e.g., food environment or unmeasured features of the social environment) may explain this relationship

Lexical neutrality in environmental health research: Reflections on the term walkability.

Neighbourhood environments have important implications for human health. In this piece, we reflect on the environments and health literature and argue that precise use of language is critical for acknowledging the complex and multifaceted influence that neighbourhood environments may have on physical activity and physical activity-related outcomes. Specifically, we argue that the term "neighbourhood walkability", commonly used in the neighbourhoods and health literature, constrains recognition of the breadth of influence that neighbourhood environments might have on a variety of physical activity behaviours. The term draws attention to a single type of physical activity and implies that a universal association exists when in fact the literature is quite mixed. To maintain neutrality in this area of research, we suggest that researchers adopt the term "neighbourhood physical activity environments" for collective measures of neighbourhood attributes that they wish to study in relation to physical activity behaviours or physical activity-related health outcomes

Association between frequent use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Eighty percent of all breast cancers and almost 90% of breast cancer deaths occur among post-menopausal women. We used a nested case control design to examine the association between nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use and breast cancer occurrence among women over 65 years of age. The cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 enzyme is expressed more in breast cancers than in normal breast tissue. COX-2 inhibition may have a role in breast cancer prevention. METHODS: In the Canadian province of Quebec, physician services are covered through a governmental insurance plan. Medication costs are covered for those ≥ 65 years of age and a publicly funded screening program for breast cancer targets all women 50 years of age or older. We obtained encrypted data from these insurance databases on all women ≥ 65 years of age who filled a prescription for COX-2 inhibitors, non-selective NSAIDs (ns-NSAIDs), aspirin, or acetaminophen between January 1998 and December 2002. Cases were defined as those women who have undergone mammography between April 2001 and June 2002 and had a diagnosis of breast cancer within six months following mammography. Controls included those who have undergone mammography between April 2001 and June 2002 without a diagnosis of any cancer during the six months following mammography. The exposure of interest, frequent NSAID use, was defined as use of ns-NSAIDs and/or COX-2 inhibitors for ≥ 90 days during the year prior to mammography. Frequent use served as a convenient proxy for long term chronic use. RESULTS: We identified 1,090 cases and 44,990 controls. Cases were older and more likely to have breast cancer risk factors. Logistic regression models adjusting for potential confounders showed that frequent use of ns-NSAIDs and/or COX-2 inhibitors was associated with a lower risk of breast cancer (OR: 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.64–0.89). Results were similar for COX-2 inhibitors (0.81, 0.68–0.97) and ns-NSAIDs (0.65, 0.43–0.99), when assessed separately. Frequent use of aspirin at doses > 100 mg/day in the year prior to mammography was also associated with a lower risk of breast cancer (0.75, 0.64–0.89). However, use of aspirin at doses ≤ 100 mg/day did not have any association with breast cancer (0.91, 0.71–1.16). CONCLUSION: Women who use NSAIDs or doses of aspirin > 100 mg frequently may have a lower risk of breast cancer

Sex Differences in Step Count-Blood Pressure Association: A Preliminary Study in Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND: Walking and cardiovascular mortality are inversely associated in type 2 diabetes, but few studies have objectively measured associations of walking with individual cardiovascular risk factors. Such information would be useful for "dosing" daily steps in clinical practice. This study aimed to quantify decrements in blood pressure and glycated hemoglobin (A1C) per 1,000 daily step increments. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Two hundred and one subjects with type 2 diabetes underwent assessments of step counts (pedometer-measured), blood pressure, A1C and anthropometric parameters. Due to missing data, the final analysis was conducted on 83 women and 102 men, with a mean age of 60 years. Associations of daily steps with blood pressure and A1C were evaluated using sex-specific multivariate linear regression models (adjusted for age, ethnicity, and BMI). Potential sex differences were confirmed in a combined model (women and men) with interaction terms. Mean values for daily steps, blood pressure, A1C and BMI were 5,357 steps/day; 137/80 mm Hg; 7.7% and 30.4 kg/m(2) respectively. A 1,000 daily step increment among women was associated with a -2.6 (95% CI: -4.1 to -1.1) mm Hg change in systolic and a -1.4 (95% CI: -2.2 to -0.6) mm Hg change in diastolic blood pressure. Among men, corresponding changes were -0.7 (95% CI: -2.1 to 0.7) and -0.6 (95% CI: -1.4 to 0.3) mm Hg, respectively. Sex differences were confirmed in combined models. Step counts and A1C did not demonstrate clinically important associations. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: A 1,000 steps/day increment is associated with important blood pressure decrements among women with type 2 diabetes but the data were inconclusive among men. Targeted "dose increments" of 1,000 steps/day in women may lead to measurable blood pressure reductions. This information may be of potential use in the titration or "dosing" of daily steps. No associations were found between step count increments and A1C

Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Exhibit a Greater Exercise-Induced Increase in Arterial Stiffness and Vessel Hemodynamics

Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have a greater blood pressure (BP) response to acute maximal exercise compared to those without T2DM; however, whether they exhibit a different arterial stiffness response to maximal exercise has yet to be explored. Adults with (n=66) and without T2DM (n=61) underwent an arterial stress test: at rest and immediately postexercise, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, the gold standard measure of arterial stiffness, brachial BP, heart rate, and other hemodynamic measurements were assessed. Linear regression models were used to evaluate between-group differences at rest, and the response to exercise (postexercise value), adjusting for covariates including BP and heart rate when relevant, and the corresponding baseline value of each parameter. All participants (mean +/- SD: age 59.3 +/- 10.6 years; body mass index 31.2 +/- 3.9 kg/m(2)) had hypertension (mean BP 130 +/- 14/80 +/- 9 mm Hg). At rest, participants with T2DM had significantly higher carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (10.3 +/- 2.7 versus 9.1 +/- 1.9 m/s), heart rate (69 +/- 11 versus 66 +/- 10 beats/min), and lower diastolic BP (79 +/- 9 versus 83 +/- 9 mm Hg), but systolic BP (129 +/- 15 versus 131 +/- 13 mm Hg) was similar. In response to exercise, participants with T2DM showed greater increases in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (1.6 [95% CI, 0.4-2.9 m/s]) and systolic BP (9 [95% CI, 1-17 mm Hg]) than participants without T2DM. A greater proportion of participants with T2DM had a hypertensive response to exercise compared to participants without T2DM (n=23, 35% versus n=11, 18%; P=0.033). By incorporating exercise as a vascular stressor, we provide evidence of a greater increase in arterial stiffness in individuals with T2DM, independently of resting arterial stiffness, and the BP postexercise.</p

Outcomes in a diabetic population of south Asians and whites following hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction: a retrospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of this study was to determine whether South Asian patients with diabetes have a worse prognosis following hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compared with their White counterparts. We measured the risk of developing a composite cardiovascular outcome of recurrent AMI, congestive heart failure (CHF) requiring hospitalization, or death, in these two groups.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using hospital administrative data, we performed a retrospective cohort study of 41,615 patients with an incident AMI in British Columbia and the Calgary Health Region between April 1, 1995, and March 31, 2002. South Asian ethnicity was determined using validated surname analysis. Baseline demographic characteristics and co-morbidities were included in Cox proportional hazard models to compare time to reaching the composite outcome and its individual components.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among the AMI cohort, 29.7% of South Asian patients and 17.6% of White patients were identified as having diabetes (n = 7416). There was no significant difference in risk of developing the composite cardiovascular outcome (Hazard Ratio = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.80-1.01). However, South Asian patients had significantly lower mortality at long term follow-up (HR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.51-0.74) compared to their White counterparts.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Following hospitalization for AMI, South Asian patients with diabetes do not have a significantly different long term risk of a composite cardiovascular outcome compared to White patients with diabetes. While previous research has suggested worse cardiovascular outcomes in the South Asian population, we found lower long-term mortality among South Asians with diabetes following AMI.</p