Cardiovascular risk models for South Asian populations: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: To review existing cardiovascular risk models applicable to South Asian populations. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature using a combination of search terms for "South Asian", "cardiovascular", "risk"/"score" and existing risk models for inclusion. South Asian was defined as those residing in or with ancestry belonging to the Indian subcontinent. RESULTS: The literature search including MEDLINE and EMBASE identified 7560 papers. After full-text review, 4 papers met the inclusion criteria. Only 1 reported formal measures of model performance. In that study, both a modified Framingham model and QRISK2 showed similar good discrimination with AUROCs of 0.73-0.77 with calibration also reasonable in men (0.71-0.93) but poor in women (0.43-0.52). CONCLUSIONS: Considering the number of South Asians and prevalence of cardiovascular disease, very few studies have reported performance of risk scores in South Asian populations. Furthermore, it was difficult to make comparisons, as many did not provide measures of discrimination, accuracy and calibration. There is a need for further research to evaluate risk models in South Asians, and ideally derive and validate cardiovascular risk models within South Asian populations.JUS is supported by a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Lectureship.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00038-015-0733-

Malignant melanoma of the mandibular gingiva

Oral malignant melanoma is an infrequent neoplasia making up less than 1% of all melanomas, which exhibits much more aggressive behavior than those found on the skin. We present an aggressive case of oral malignant melanoma located on the mandibular gingiva in a 24-year-old male patient, who developed metastases to not only the regional lymph nodes but also the lungs and liver. The advanced stage of the disease contraindicated any surgical intervention and palliative chemotherapy was planned

From Moscow with love

One of the less researched aspects of postcolonial India’s “progressive” culture is its Soviet connection. Starting in the 1950s and consolidating in the 1960s, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics invested in building up “committed” networks amongst writers, directors, actors, and other theater- and film-practitioners across India. Thus, an entire generation of cultural professionals was initiated into the anticolonial solidarity of emerging Afro-Asian nations that were seen, and portrayed, by the Soviets as being victims of “Western” imperialism. The aspirational figure of the New Soviet Man was celebrated through the rise of a new form of “transactional sociality” (Westlund 2003). This paper looks at selected cases of cultural diplomacy—through the lens of cultural history—between the USSR and India for two decades after India’s Independence, exploring the possibility of theorizing it from the perspective of an anticolonial cultural solidarity that allowed agency to Indian interlocutors

Trauma-informed care: what does it mean for general practice?

No abstract available

People from ethnic minorities seeking help for Long Covid: a qualitative study

Background: people from ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, are less likely to access primary healthcare and report dissatisfaction with healthcare. Whilst the prevalence of Long Covid in ethnic minority groups is unclear, these groups are under-represented in Long Covid specialist clinics and Long Covid lived experience research which informed the original Long Covid healthcare guidelines.Aim: to understand lived experiences of Long Covid in people from ethnic minority groups.Design & setting: qualitative study with people living with Long Covid in the UK.Method: semi-structured interviews with people who self-disclosed Long Covid were conducted (between June 2022 and June 2023) via telephone or video call. Thematic analysis was conducted. People living with Long Covid or caring for someone with Long Covid advised on all stages of the research.Results: interviews were conducted with 31 participants representing diverse socio-economic demographics. Help-seeking barriers included little awareness of Long Covid or available support and not feeling worthy of receiving care. Negative healthcare encounters were reported in primary healthcare; however, these services were crucial for accessing secondary or specialist care. There were further access difficulties and dissatisfaction with specialist care. Experiences of stigma and discrimination contributed to delays in seeking healthcare and unsatisfactory experiences, resulting in feelings of mistrust in healthcare.Conclusion: experiences of stigma and discrimination resulted in negative healthcare experiences and mistrust in healthcare, creating barriers to help-seeking. Empathy, validation of experiences, and fairness in recognition and support of healthcare needs are required to restore trust in healthcare

People from ethnic minorities seeking help for Long Covid: a qualitative study.

People from ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, are less likely to access primary healthcare and report dissatisfaction with healthcare. Whilst the prevalence of Long Covid in ethnic minority groups is unclear, these groups are under-represented in Long Covid specialist clinics and Long Covid lived experience research which informed the original Long Covid healthcare guidelines. To understand lived experiences of Long Covid in people from ethnic minority groups. Qualitative study with people living with Long Covid in the UK. Semi-structured interviews with people who self-disclosed Long Covid were conducted (between June 2022 and June 2023) via telephone or video call. Thematic analysis was conducted. People living with Long Covid or caring for someone with Long Covid advised on all stages of the research. Interviews were conducted with 31 participants representing diverse socio-economic demographics. Help-seeking barriers included little awareness of Long Covid or available support and not feeling worthy of receiving care. Negative healthcare encounters were reported in primary healthcare; however, these services were crucial for accessing secondary or specialist care. There were further access difficulties and dissatisfaction with specialist care. Experiences of stigma and discrimination contributed to delays in seeking healthcare and unsatisfactory experiences, resulting in feelings of mistrust in healthcare. Experiences of stigma and discrimination resulted in negative healthcare experiences and mistrust in healthcare, creating barriers to help-seeking. Empathy, validation of experiences, and fairness in recognition and support of healthcare needs are required to restore trust in healthcare. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2024, The Authors.