Novel echocardiographic techniques to assess left atrial size, anatomy and function

Three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) have recently applied as imaging techniques to accurately evaluate left atrial (LA) size, anatomy and function. 3DE and off-line quantification softwares, have allowed, in comparison to magnetic resonance imaging, the most time-efficient and accurate method of LA volume quantification. STE provides a non-Doppler, angle-independent and objective quantification of LA myocardial deformation. Data regarding feasibility, accuracy and clinical applications of LA analysis by 3DE and STE are rapidly gathering. This review describes the fundamental concepts of LA 3DE and STE, illustrates how to obtain respective measurements and discuss their recognized and emerging clinical applications

The risk for chronic kidney disease in patients with heart diseases: a 7-year follow-up in a cohort study in Taiwan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The worldwide increasing trend of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is of great concern and the role of heart disease deserves longitudinal studies. This study investigated the risk of developing CKD among patients with heart diseases.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From universal insurance claims data in Taiwan, we retrospectively identified a cohort of 26005 patients with newly diagnosed heart diseases and 52010 people without such disease from the 2000–2001 claims. We observed prospectively both cohorts until the end of 2007 to measure CKD incidence rates in both cohorts and hazard ratios (HR) of CKD.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The incidence of CKD in the cohort with heart disease was 4.1 times greater than that in the comparison cohort (39.5 vs. 9.65 per 10,000 person-years). However, the HR changed into 2.37 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.05 – 2.74) in the multivariate Cox proportional hazard model after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidity. Compared with individuals aged < 40 years, the HRs for CKD ranged from 2.70 to 4.99 in older age groups. Significant estimated relative risks of CKD observed in our patients were also independently associated with hypertension (HR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.94 - 2.63) and diabetes mellitus (HR = 2.44, 95% CI = 2.13 - 2.80), but not with hyperlipidemia (HR =1.13, 95% CI = 0.99-1.30).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This population study provides evidence that patients with heart disease are at an elevated risk of developing CKD. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are also comorbidity associated with increasing the CKD risk independently.</p

A Deterministic Model to Quantify Risk and Guide Mitigation Strategies to Reduce Bluetongue Virus Transmission in California Dairy Cattle

The global distribution of bluetongue virus (BTV) has been changing recently, perhaps as a result of climate change. To evaluate the risk of BTV infection and transmission in a BTV-endemic region of California, sentinel dairy cows were evaluated for BTV infection, and populations of Culicoides vectors were collected at different sites using carbon dioxide. A deterministic model was developed to quantify risk and guide future mitigation strategies to reduce BTV infection in California dairy cattle. The greatest risk of BTV transmission was predicted within the warm Central Valley of California that contains the highest density of dairy cattle in the United States. Temperature and parameters associated with Culicoides vectors (transmission probabilities, carrying capacity, and survivorship) had the greatest effect on BTV's basic reproduction number, R0. Based on these analyses, optimal control strategies for reducing BTV infection risk in dairy cattle will be highly reliant upon early efforts to reduce vector abundance during the months prior to peak transmission