BACKGROUND: The relationship between diet and the management of chronic illnesses is well established. However, it is unknown the extent to which people with chronic illnesses pay attention to nutritional information and act upon the information obtained. We evaluated the menu ordering practices of adults with chronic illnesses.
METHODS: We analyzed the 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5 Cycle 2). Our analytic cohort included 3,154 respondents (weighted population size=228,464,822) who answered questions regarding a personal history of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity. They also answered questions about their nutritional habits regarding whether they noticed caloric information at fast-food or sit-down restaurants and how that information influenced their dietary choices.
RESULTS: Among respondents with these chronic illnesses, only obese patients were significantly more likely to pay attention to caloric information (OR=1.56; 95%CI: 1.06-2.31). However, noticing the calorie information was not associated with ordering less calories among all categories of respondents with chronic illnesses.
CONCLUSIONS: US adults with chronic illnesses do not pay sufficient attention to the calorie information of their diet. Furthermore, awareness of the calorie information did not influence their dietary choices. Healthcare professionals should incorporate dietary counseling into the management of chronic illnesses of their patients.

Colchicine has long been known to possess anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting microtubules, activation and migration of neutrophils, and most importantly, the inflammasome complex found in neutrophils and monocytes. Due to these properties, a number of clinical trials have tested the therapeutic effect of colchicine in COVID-19 patients. One common feature of these studies, however, is the low therapeutic dose used, which may explain the conflicting and disappointing results. Colchicine has the unique property of accumulating in leukocytes, which are primarily responsible for the hyperactivation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and the cytokine storm. The low-dose colchicine used to treat COVID-19 is not sufficient to reach the necessary intracellular concentration for NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition. We have reported our experience with high-dose colchicine, within the approved therapeutic range, in both ambulatory and hospitalized patients, and have shown dramatic cure rates. Here, we present our observation of an excellent therapeutic effect of high-dose colchicine in morbidly obese COVID-19 patients who are at the highest morbidity and mortality risk.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is an exceedingly rare congenital syndrome of chromosome 15 that presents multiple comorbidities in said individuals. The associated quality of life for those with the disease is often severely diminished; more tragically, mortality associated with the disease is also increased. Pulmonary embolism (PE) is highly associated with mortality and has been shown to be more prevalent in patients with PWS. This case report details a patient with PWS who survived an acute saddle PE and looks to bring more clinical knowledge that can be applied when dealing with individuals with PWS.

Background and aims Being metabolically unhealthy (MU) is defined as having either hypertension, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus/pre-diabetes, or fatty liver disease. We aimed to determine if MU was associated with severe COVID-19 pneumonia (severe disease). Methods We performed a single-center retrospective study between March 2020 and August 2021 for patients with overweight or obesity hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to derive a risk score for severe disease. The accuracy of the model was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCC) and bootstrap resampling. Results A total of 334 of 450 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia (74.2%) were MU. Patients who were MU had higher in-hospital mortality (10.5% vs. 2.6%) and longer length of hospitalization (median 6 vs. 4 days). MU was not associated with severe disease, p=0.311. On multivariable analysis, older age, male sex, and Asian race were associated with severe disease. Not being vaccinated was associated with doubled odds of severe disease. The AUROCC of the final model was 0.66 (95% CI: 0.60 to 0.71). The risk score at the lowest quintile had a 33.1% to 65.5% predicted risk and a 58.7% observed risk of severe disease, whereas, at the highest quintile, there was an 85.7% to 97.7% predicted risk and an 89.7% observed risk of severe disease. Conclusion Being MU was not a predictor of severe disease, even though mortality was higher despite having higher rates of vaccination. This risk score may help to predict severe disease in hospitalized patients with obesity or overweight. External validation is recommended.

Orthopedic spinal surgeries, such as laminectomies or decompressions, have the potential to significantly increase quality of life for patients suffering from a spectrum of health issues ranging from neuropathy to chronic pain. Patients suffering from neurological symptoms such as weakness or neuropathy may lose significant function and become unable to perform the activities of daily living, however these delicate surgical interventions also come with significant risks to the health and well-being of those same patients. This is especially true with patients who have predisposing health conditions. Here, we discuss the effects of surgery on a patient with severe obesity, multiple confounding pre-existing conditions, and significant polypharmacy. An initially unremarkable spinal laminectomy and decompression surgery resulted in severe intraoperative complications that necessitated direct admission to the intensive care unit for significant post-operative management before he was able to be discharged safely. Although not a case of incredible rarity, we hope it can contribute to the growing body of data about the role of predisposing health conditions and polypharmacy in calculating and understanding the risks of orthopaedic surgery.

Severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with poor operative outcomes; however, guidance for perioperative management of this population is lacking. Mechanical ventilation has known deleterious effects on right ventricular preload and cardiac output. Meanwhile, pneumoperitoneum results in further cardiopulmonary insults. We report the successful case management of a patient with severe PH scheduled for elective cholecystectomy. While patients undergoing this surgery typically benefit from the less invasive, laparoscopic approach, the risk-benefit ratio may tilt towards risk in the setting of severe PH. A multidisciplinary approach to optimize outcome included the decision to perform an open rather than laparoscopic procedure, which resulted in a favorable outcome.

Background Although frequent low-flow, low-volume haemodialysis using the NxStage System One is now well-established as an option for home therapy of end-stage chronic kidney disease, its ability to deliver adequate dialysis in people with high BMI remains questionable. This doubt may lead to obese individuals being denied the potential benefits of this modality. To establish if this doubt is justified, we compared dialysis adequacy in two groups of obese individuals; one receiving standard thrice-weekly in-centre haemodialysis and the other receiving frequent haemodialysis at home using the NxStage System One. Methods This is a retrospective observational cohort study of 105 adult dialysis patients with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). All had been on dialysis for at least six months. Fifty-five patients receiving in-centre haemodialysis were compared with 50 patients receiving home haemodialysis using NxStage System One. Dialysis adequacy (standard Kt/V calculated by the Daugirdas equation) was compared between the two groups. The clinical characteristics, laboratory test results, and treatment regimens of each group were also compared. Results The in-centre haemodialysis group was older (63.6 ± 12.8 years vs. 58.5 ± 10.9 years, p=0.033) and had a higher Charlson comorbidity score (5.9 ± 2.1 vs. 4.5 ± 2.5, p=0.003). Standard Kt/V was significantly higher in the home haemodialysis group (2.4 ± 0.5) than in the in-centre haemodialysis group (2.2 ± 0.2) (p = 0.006). The mean serum inorganic phosphate was significantly lower in the home haemodialysis group than in the in-centre haemodialysis group (1.6 ± 0.4 mmol/l vs. 1.8 ± 0.5 mmol/l, p = 0.010). There were no statistically significant differences in the usage of antihypertensives, phosphate binders, or erythropoiesis-stimulating agents between the two groups. Conclusions In this study, dialysis adequacy (expressed as standard Kt/V) was superior to that of standard thrice-weekly in-center haemodialysis delivered by frequent low-volume home haemodialysis using the NxStage System One. Hesitancy about recommending frequent low-volume home haemodialysis to obese individuals is therefore unjustified.

Pacemaker-induced cardiomyopathy (PICM) is a rare but well-recognised phenomenon in patients requiring right ventricular (RV) pacing. It can be caused by single-chamber or dual-chamber pacemakers. We present a case of a 64-year-old female patient presenting to the pacemaker clinic with worsening shortness of breath and legs swelling. She was found to have atrial fibrillation and underwent atrioventricular node ablation followed by a dual chamber permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation as part of a \'pace and ablate\' strategy to treat refractory symptomatic atrial tachycardia, and the patient was entirely dependent on RV pacing. In the immediate two months following PPM implantation, the patient was seen in the clinic and reported shortness of breath that was attributed to interstitial lung disease. However, a month later her symptoms worsened, stimulating a referral for echocardiography, which demonstrated a fall in her left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from 60% to 30% in just four months after the device implantation. The patient was diagnosed with PICM. The patient\'s prognostic heart failure treatment was optimised and her device was upgraded to a cardiac resynchronisation (CRT) device with pacing functionality in an attempt to improve biventricular synchrony. The patient\'s symptoms have improved significantly since and a repeat echocardiogram 2 months later showed significant improvement in LVEF to 45-50%.

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for disability and death globally. This is attributed to two major complications of hypertension, cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) and ischemic heart disease. This update provides a concise overview of several timely hypertension topics. These topics were chosen based on recent significant advances in the field. Examples include the use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone inhibitors in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, the landmark Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), management of resistant hypertension, and primary aldosteronism. The articles reviewed also include other recent landmark clinical trials, prior clinical trials of great significance, and medical societies guidelines. Ten topics were chosen based on their relevance to the practicing clinician. Each topic is discussed in a condensed manner highlighting recent advances in the field of hypertension.

Background and objective The prevalence of heart failure (HF) is on the rise; currently, it affects around five million people in the United States (US) and the prevalence is expected to rise from 2.42% in 2012 to 2.97% in 2030. HF is a leading cause of hospitalizations and readmissions, accounting for a major economic burden to the US healthcare system. Obesity is a widely accepted risk factor of HF; however, data regarding its independent association with HF mortality and morbidity is heterogeneous. Globally, more than two-thirds of deaths attributable to high body mass index (BMI) are due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study aimed to investigate the potential role of obesity (BMI >30 Kg/m2) in HF patients in terms of 30-day readmissions, in-hospital mortality, and the use of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV). Methods In this single-center, retrospective study, all adult (age: >18 years) patients who were hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of HF at the Abington Jefferson Hospital from January 2015 to January 2018 were included. Demographic characteristics were collected manually from electronic medical records. Outcomes were 30-day readmission due to HF, all-cause in-hospital mortality, and requirement for NIPPV. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association of obesity with HF outcomes. Results A total of 1,000 patients were initially studied, of these 800 patients were included in the final analysis based on the inclusion criteria. Obese patients showed higher odds for 30-day readmissions and the use of NIPPV compared to non-obese patients. There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality in obese vs. non-obese patients. Conclusions Based on our findings, BMI >30 Kg/m2 is an independent risk factor for HF readmissions. Additionally, our results highlight the importance of guidelines-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for HF exacerbation, a low threshold for use of NIPPV in obese patients, promotion of lifestyle modifications including weight loss, and early follow-up after discharge to prevent HF readmissions in the obese population.