Differential effects of dietary fibres on colonic barrier function in elderly individuals with gastrointestinal symptoms

Gastrointestinal problems are common in elderly and often associated with psychological distress and increased levels of corticotrophin-releasing hormone, a hormone known to cause mast cell (MC) degranulation and perturbed intestinal barrier function. We investigated if dietary fibres (non-digestible polysaccharides [NPS]) could attenuate MC-induced colonic hyperpermeability in elderly with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Colonic biopsies from elderly with diarrhoea and/or constipation (n = 18) and healthy controls (n = 19) were mounted in Ussing chambers and pre-stimulated with a yeast-derived beta (beta)-glucan (0.5 mg/ml) or wheat-derived arabinoxylan (0.1 mg/ml) before the addition of the MC-degranulator Compound (C) 48/80 (10 ng/ml). Permeability markers were compared pre and post exposure to C48/80 in both groups and revealed higher baseline permeability in elderly with GI symptoms. beta-glucan significantly attenuated C48/80-induced hyperpermeability in elderly with GI symptoms but not in healthy controls. Arabinoxylan reduced MC-induced paracellular and transcellular hyperpermeability across the colonic mucosa of healthy controls, but did only attenuate transcellular permeability in elderly with GI symptoms. Our novel findings indicate that NPS affect the intestinal barrier differently depending on the presence of GI symptoms and could be important in the treatment of moderate constipation and/or diarrhoea in elderly

Regional Differences in the Prescription of Biologics for Psoriasis in Sweden : A Register-Based Study of 4168 Patients

Background: Observational studies suggest an inequitable prescription of biologics in psoriasis care, which may be attributed to geographical differences in treatment access. Sweden regularly ranks high in international comparisons of equitable healthcare, and is, in connection with established national registries, an ideal country to investigate potential inequitable access. Objective: The aim was to determine whether the opportunity for patients to receive biologics depends on where they receive care. Methods: Biologic-naïve patients enrolled in the Swedish National Register for Systemic Treatment of Psoriasis (PsoReg) from 2008 to 2015 (n = 4168) were included. The association between the likelihood of initiating a biologic and the region where patients received care was analyzed. The strength of the association was adjusted for patient and clinical characteristics, as well as disease severity using logistic regression analysis. The proportion of patients that switched to a biologic (switch rate) and the probability of switch to a biologic was calculated in 2-year periods. Results: The national switch rate increased marginally over time from 9.7 to 11.0%, though the uptake varied across regions. Adjusted odds ratios for at least one region were significantly different from the reference region in every 2-year period. During the latest period (2014–2015), the average patient in the lowest prescribing region was nearly 2.5 times less likely to switch as a similar patient in the highest prescribing region. Conclusions: Geographical differences in biologics prescription persist after adjusting for patient characteristics and disease severity. The Swedish example calls for further improvements in delivering equitable psoriasis care

The impact of surgical wait time on patient-based outcomes in posterior lumbar spinal surgery

A prospective observational study was conducted on patients undergoing posterior lumbar spine surgery for degenerative spinal disorders. The study purpose was to evaluate the effect of wait time to surgery on patient derived generic and disease specific functional outcome following surgery. A prolonged wait to surgery may adversely affect surgical outcome. Although there is literature on the effect of wait time to surgery in surgical fields such as oncology, cardiac, opthamologic, and total joint arthroplasty, little is known regarding the effect of wait time to surgery as it pertains to the spinal surgical population. Consecutive patients undergoing elective posterior lumbar spinal surgery for degenerative disorders were recruited. Short-Form 36 and Oswestry disability questionnaires were administered (pre-operatively, and at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year post-operatively). Patients completed a questionnaire regarding their experience with the wait time to surgery. The study cohort consisted of 70 patients with follow-up in 53/70 (76%). Time intervals from the onset of patient symptoms to initial consultation by family physician through investigations, spinal surgical consultation and surgery were quantified. Time intervals were compared to patient specific improvements in reported outcome following surgery using Cox Regression analysis. The effect of patient and surgical parameters on wait time was evaluated using the median time as a reference for those patients who had either a longer or shorter wait. Significant improvements in patient derived outcome were observed comparing post-operative to pre-operative baseline scores. The greatest improvements were observed in aspects relating to physical function and pain. A longer wait to surgery was associated with less improvement in outcome following surgery (SF-36 domains of BP, GH, RP, VT). A longer wait time to surgery negatively influences the results of posterior lumbar spinal surgery for degenerative conditions as quantified by patient derived functional outcome measures. The parameters of pain severity and physical aspects of function appear to be the most significantly affected