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Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of arrhythmia worldwide and is associated with serious complications. This study investigated the metabolic biomarkers associated with AF and the differences in metabolomics and associated metabolic biomarkers between paroxysmal AF (AFPA) and persistent AF. Methods and Results Plasma samples were prospectively collected from patients with AF and patients in sinus rhythm with negative coronary angiography. The patients were divided into 3 groups: AFPA, persistent AF, and sinus rhythm (N=54). Metabolomics (n=36) using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry was used to detect differential metabolites that were validated in a new cohort (n=18). The validated metabolites from the validation phase were further analyzed by receiver operating characteristic. Among the 36 differential metabolites detected by omics assay, 4 were successfully validated with area under the curve >0.8 (P

Abstract Background Limited data were available on the current trends in optimal medical therapy (OMT) after PCI and its influence on clinical outcomes in China. We aimed to evaluate the utilization and impact of OMT on the main adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) in post-PCI patients and analyzed the factors predictive of OMT after discharge. Methods We collected data from 3812 individuals from 2016.10 to 2017.09 at TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital. They were classified into an OMT group and a non-OMT group according to their OMT status, which was defined as the combination of dual antiplatelet therapy, statins, β-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers after PCI. Multivariable Cox regression models were developed to assess the association between OMT and MACCEs, defined as all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and target vessel revascularization. A logistic regression model was established to analyze the factors predictive of OMT. Results Our results revealed that the proportion of patients receiving OMT and its component drugs decreased over time. A total of 36.0% of patients were still adherent to OMT at the end of follow-up. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that baseline OMT (P

Background: Atrial AutoCapture™ (ACap™) was a new technological development that confirmed atrial capture by analyzing evoked response (ER) with a new method – paced depolarization integral ER detection – and optimized energy output to changes in the stimulation threshold. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of ACap™ function. Methods: This was a prospective, observational, nonrandomized two-center study. Between November 2008 and August 2014, 102 patients were enrolled from two different institutions. Data were collected by case report forms at enrollment, hospital discharge, and in-office follow-ups scheduled at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months postimplantation. Results: Ambulatory ACap™ function started to become available for 20.6% of patients at 1 day, then progressed to 30.4% at 7 days, 38.6% at 1 month, 41.6% at 2 months, 47.5% at 3 months, 53.5% at 6 months, and 63.4% at 1 year. The cause of the unsuccessful attempts to perform ACap™ threshold was ER/polarization

Systematic reviews provide important empirical evidence for healthcare providers to make the best clinical decisions. While qualitative research provides subjective information on the human experience, quantitative research may be used to provide quantified evaluations of interventions. To overcome the lack of objectivity in qualitative research and of context considerations in quantitative research, recent efforts have focused on developing mixed-method approaches that combine meta-analysis (quantitative systematic reviews) and meta-synthesis (qualitative systematic reviews). This new idea may help conceptualize studied phenomena more thoroughly. However, the typology remains inconsistent and the currently proposed approaches lack unified guidance and principles. In this paper, "mixed methods systematic review", a term promoted by the Joanna Briggs Institute, is used to indicate the newly developed systematic review. The use of systematic review in quantitative research and in qualitative research and the use of mixed methods systematic review are introduced chronologically, with an emphasis on procedures, examples, and quality appraisal tools. The concepts and concrete procedures for integrating results from different research method are presented for researchers and healthcare providers to allow them to better understand this approach and explore related phenomena more thoroughly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) in middle-aged and elderly patients with T2DM. Methods: A total of 420 middle-aged and elderly patients with T2DM who were hospitalized in the Endocrinology Department of our hospital from September 2018 to September 2020 and were examined by ultrasound were selected as the subjects. The carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) was examined by color Doppler ultrasonography, including normal CIMT group (n=111), CIMT thickening group (n=103) and CAS plaque group (n=206). The differences of serum PLR levels among the three groups were compared. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between PLR and CAS plaque formation. The receiver operating curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the value of multivariate Logistic regression model (Logit P) in the diagnosis of CAS lesions. Results: The mean value of PLR in CAS plaque group (127.86±48.54) was significantly higher than that in CIMT normal group (109.15±48.35). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for other confounding factors, the increase of PLR was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of CAS plaque. ROC showed that the efficacy of multivariate Logit P model in the diagnosis of CAS plaque was (AUC=0.807,95%CI=0.759-0.858). Conclusions: PLR is one of the important risk factors for the occurrence of CAS lesions. At the same time, the multivariate Logistic regression model established in this study has clinical reference value in predicting CAS lesions in middle-aged and elderly patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Happiness, an important factor in maintaining health, not only enhances the abilities of selfcontrol, self-regulation, and coping but also promotes mental health. Mindfulness therapy has been increasingly used in recent years. Therefore, the purpose of the present article is to introduce the concepts of mindfulness and to describe the relationship between mindfulness and happiness. Further, we provide brief introductions to mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness cognitive therapy as well as present the current evidence related to the effects of mindfulness programs and therapies in clinical patient care. The information in the present article may be referenced and used by nurses in patient care and may be referenced by health professionals to promote their own mental health in order to maintain optimal fitness for providing high-quality patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]