Background: Heart Failure (HF) is a progressive epidemic associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Self-reported data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) provides a unique representation of individuals suffering from HF. The purpose of this study is to analyze updated NHANES 2013-2014 data to identify any changes in the prevalence and current risk factors of HF, especially given the novel lifestyles and increased medical awareness of current generations.Methods: NHANES uses a multistage probability sampling design under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Student's t-test and Chi-square test/ Fisher's exact test was used for analysis of variables. A multiple logistic regression model was used to identify statistically significant risk factors for HF. Analyses were performed with the use of SAS software, version 9.4.Results: Based on our analysis, the primary risk factor was coronary artery disease followed by hypertension, diabetes mellitus, age ≥ 65 years, and obesity.Conclusion: The findings revealed that despite improved population awareness and advancements in diagnostics and therapeutics, the same risk factors continue to persist. This provided an insight into the path towards which our resources need to be directed, so as to effectively tackle the aforementioned risk factors.

Guidelines from the American Thyroid Association and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists suggest monitoring thyroid-stimulating hormone and serum-free thyroxine to make clinical decisions for starting and monitoring therapy with their mainstay treatment of levothyroxine monotherapy. Although this monotherapy provides adequate control of symptoms for the majority of the population, a strong subset of the population continues to complain of hypothyroidism despite normal thyroid-stimulating hormone and serum-free thyroxine levels. Combination levothyroxine and liothyronine therapy to improve symptoms of hypothyroidism has been a topic of interest for several decades, but the data have been mixed. This study provides insight into the effects of combination therapy because there is no reported retrospective or prospective study in the literature.Supplemental digital content is available in the text.

Both alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) and benzodiazepines can cause delirium. Benzodiazepineassociated delirium can complicate AWS and prolong hospitalization.

ObjectiveBioZorb® is a tumor bed marker placed during partial mastectomy for targeted post-operative radiation. This study was designed to evaluate BioZorb® effect on radiation boost clinical target volume (CTV), planning target volume (PTV), median dose to ipsilateral lung (Gy), and heart irradiation in left-sided cancers.MethodsData was collected via a retrospective cohort study with two study arms: BioZorb® intra-operative placement versus no BioZorb® placement. Patients were stratified by BMI, age, tumor laterality and volume, and cancer stage. Mean, standard deviation, median, range of cubic centimeters of clinical and planning target volume, cardiac dose in left-sided cancers, ipsilateral lung dose, and volume of ipsilateral lung receiving 20 Gy were reported.ResultsOf 143 patients, median CTV (cm3) was 8.7 and 14.2 (P = 0.0048), median PTV (cm3) was 53.2 and 79.6 (P = 0.0010), median ipsilateral lung Gy was 7.53 and 6.74 (P = 0.0099) and volume (cc) of ipsilateral radiation lung at 20 Gy was 13.4 and 12 (P = 0.008), and median heart Gy in left-sided cancers was 2.01 and 2.21 (P = 0.9952) in BioZorb® and non-BioZorb® arms, respectively. Patients with BMIs of 25–30 had CTV medians of 7.8 and 11.1 in BioZorb® and non-BioZorb® arms, respectively (P = 0.0293).ConclusionThe BioZorb® arm showed statistically significant reductions in CTV and PTV but not ipsilateral lung or heart irradiation.

Machine-injected RYO cigarettes made from pipe tobacco are cheaper than FM cigarettes but may have higher abuse liability. Smokers who might otherwise reduce their cigarette consumption or quit altogether may continue to smoke RYO cigarettes due to their affordability.