This study attempts to evaluate the oral manifestations of and the limited available dental pulp information on diabetes mellitus, a common metabolic disorder of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism affecting over 16 million Americans. Diabetics are particularly prone to bacterial or opportunistic infections. This vulnerability is caused by a generalized circulatory disorder whereby the blood vessels are damaged by the accumulation of atheromatous deposits in the tissues of the blood vessels lumen. In addition, blood vessels, particularly capillaries, develop a thickened basement membrane, which impairs a leukotactic response, and there is a decrease in the polymorphonuclear leucocyte microbicidal ability and failure to deliver the humoral and cellular components of the immune system. Because the dental pulp has limited or no collateral circulation, it is more prone to be at risk for infection. Clinical and radiographic studies by other investigators have shown that there is a greater prevalence of periapical lesions in diabetics than in nondiabetics. In a study of 252 diabetics with poor glycemic control, a high rate of asymptomatic tooth infection was found. Inflammatory reactions are greater in diabetic states, and the increased local inflammation causes an intensification of diabetes with a rise in blood glucose, placing the patient in an uncontrolled diabetic state. This often requires an increase in insulin dosage or therapeutic adjustment. Removal of the inflammatory state in the periodontium created a need for a lesser amount of insulin for glycemic control. Thus, it is essential to remove all infections including those of the dental pulp. When diabetes mellitus is under therapeutic control, periapical and other lesions heal as readily as in nondiabetics.

Background Global electrical heterogeneity (GEH) is associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD) in adults of 45 years and above. However, GEH has not been previously measured in young athletes. The goal of this study was to establish a reference for vectorcardiograpic (VCG) metrics in male and female athletes. Methods Skiers (n = 140; mean age 19.2 ± 3.5 years; 66% male, 94% white; 53% professional athletes) were enrolled in a prospective cohort. Resting 12‐lead ECGs were interpreted per the International ECG criteria. Associations of age, sex, and athletic performance with GEH were studied. Results In age and training level‐adjusted analyses, male sex was associated with a larger T vector [T peak magnitude +186 (95% CI 106–266) µV] and a wider spatial QRS‐T angle [+28.2 (17.3–39.2)°] as compared to women. Spatial QRS‐T angle in the ECG left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) voltage group (n = 21; 15%) and normal ECG group did not differ (67.7 ± 25.0 vs. 66.8 ± 28.2; p = 0.914), suggesting that ECG LVH voltage in athletes reflects physiological remodeling. In contrast, skiers with right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) voltage (n = 26, 18.6%) had wider QRS‐T angle (92.7 ± 29.6 vs. 66.8 ± 28.2°; p = 0.001), larger SAI QRST (194.9 ± 30.2 vs. 157.8 ± 42.6 mV × ms; p < 0.0001), but similar peak SVG vector magnitude (1976 ± 548 vs. 1939 ± 395 µV; p = 0.775) as compared to the normal ECG group. Better athletic performance was associated with the narrower QRS‐T angle. Each 10% worsening in an athlete's Federation Internationale de’ Ski downhill ranking percentile was associated with an increase in spatial QRS‐T angle by 2.1 (95% CI 0.3–3.9) degrees (p = 0.013). Conclusion Vectorcardiograpic adds nuances to ECG phenomena in athletes.

Aim —Our goal was to investigate the effect of a global XYZ median beat construction and the heart vector origin point definition on predictive accuracy of ECG biomarkers of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Methods —Atherosclerosis Risk In Community study participants with analyzable digital ECGs were included (n=15,768; 55% female, 73% white, mean age 54.2±5.8 y). We developed an algorithm to automatically detect the heart vector origin point on a median beat. Three different approaches to construct a global XYZ beat and two methods to locate origin point were compared. Global electrical heterogeneity was measured by sum absolute QRST integral (SAI QRST), spatial QRS-T angle, and spatial ventricular gradient (SVG) magnitude, azimuth, and elevation. Adjudicated SCD served as the primary outcome. Results —There was high intra-observer (kappa 0.972) and inter-observer (kappa 0.984) agreement in a heart vector origin definition between an automated algorithm and a human. QRS was wider in a median beat that was constructed using R-peak alignment than in time-coherent beat (88.1±16.7 vs. 83.7±15.9 ms; P<0.0001), and on a median beat constructed using QRS-onset as a zeroed baseline, vs. isoelectric origin point (86.7±15.9 vs. 83.7±15.9 ms; P<0.0001). ROC AUC was significantly larger for QRS, QT, peak QRS-T angle, SVG elevation, and SAI QRST if measured on a time-coherent median beat, and for SAI QRST and SVG magnitude if measured on a median beat using isoelectric origin point. Conclusion —Time-coherent global XYZ median beat with physiologically meaningful definition of the heart vector’s origin point improved predictive accuracy of SCD biomarkers.

Reported is the change in cognitive function after neuronal cell transplantation as a treatment for basal ganglia stroke. Nine subjects (two controls, seven transplants), all over 2 years post stroke, completed a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery prior to and 6 months after treatment. Four transplanted subjects who had strokes in the nondominant hemisphere showed marked improvement on the Rey Complex Figure, a test of visuospatial/constructional ability and nonverbal memory.

BackgroundThe risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) is known to be dynamic. However, the accuracy of a dynamic SCD prediction is unknown. We aimed to measure the dynamic predictive accuracy of ECG biomarkers of SCD and competing non-sudden cardiac death (non-SCD).MethodsAtherosclerosis Risk In Community study participants with analyzable ECGs in sinus rhythm were included (n = 15,716; 55% female, 73% white, age 54.2 ± 5.8 y). ECGs of 5 follow-up visits were analyzed. Global electrical heterogeneity and traditional ECG metrics (heart rate, QRS, QTc) were measured. Adjudicated SCD was the primary outcome; non-SCD was the competing outcome. Time-dependent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC(t) AUC) analysis was performed to assess the prediction accuracy of a continuous biomarker in a period of 3,6,9 months, and 1,2,3,5,10, and 15 years using a survival analysis framework. Reclassification improvement as compared to clinical risk factors (age, sex, race, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke) was measured.ResultsOver a median 24.4 y follow-up, there were 577 SCDs (incidence 1.76 (95%CI 1.63–1.91)/1000 person-years), and 829 non-SCDs [2.55 (95%CI 2.37–2.71)]. No ECG biomarkers predicted SCD within 3 months after ECG recording. Within 6 months, spatial ventricular gradient (SVG) elevation predicted SCD (AUC 0.706; 95%CI 0.526–0.886), but not a non-SCD (AUC 0.527; 95%CI 0.303–0.75). SVG elevation more accurately predicted SCD if the ECG was recorded 6 months before SCD (AUC 0.706; 95%CI 0.526–0.886) than 2 years before SCD (AUC 0.608; 95%CI 0.515–0.701). Within the first 3 months after ECG recording, only SVG azimuth improved reclassification of the risk beyond clinical risk factors: 18% of SCD events were reclassified from low or intermediate risk to a high-risk category. QRS-T angle was the strongest long-term predictor of SCD (AUC 0.710; 95%CI 0.668–0.753 for ECG recorded within 10 years before SCD).ConclusionShort-term and long-term predictive accuracy of ECG biomarkers of SCD differed, reflecting differences in transient vs. persistent SCD substrates. The dynamic predictive accuracy of ECG biomarkers should be considered for competing SCD risk scores. The distinction between markers predicting short-term and long-term events may represent the difference between markers heralding SCD (triggers or transient substrates) versus markers identifying persistent substrate.