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Information and assurance from healthcare workers (HCWs) is reported by laypeople as a key factor in their decision to get vaccinated. However, previous research has shown that, as in the general population, hesitancy towards vaccines exists among HCWs as well. Previous studies further suggest that HCWs with a higher confidence in vaccinations and vaccine providers are more willing to take the vaccines themselves and to recommend vaccines to patients. In the present study with 2962 Finnish HCWs (doctors, head nurses, nurses, and practical nurses), we explored the associations between HCWs' vaccination confidence (perceived benefit and safety of vaccines and trust in health professionals), their decisions to accept vaccines for themselves and their children, and their willingness to recommend vaccines to patients. The results showed that although the majority of HCWs had high confidence in vaccinations, a notable share reported low vaccination confidence. Moreover, in line with previous research, HCWs with higher confidence in the benefits and safety of vaccines were more likely to accept vaccines for their children and themselves, and to recommend vaccines to their patients. Trust in other health professionals was not directly related to vaccination or recommendation behavior. Confidence in the benefits and safety of vaccines was highest among doctors, and increased along with the educational level of the HCWs, suggesting a link between confidence and the degree of medical training. Ensuring high confidence in vaccines among HCWs may be important in maintaining high vaccine uptake in the general population.

Obesity increases cancer risk, whereas surgery-induced weight loss is associated with reduced risk. Risk-based patient stratification may be needed to better understand and maximize benefits of weight loss interventions in individuals with obesity. To this end, comprehensive data from high-quality studies with extended follow-up are imperative. This study examines the link between bariatric surgery and long-term cancer outcomes, focusing on patient subgroups defined by previously suggested predictors of treatment benefit, such as sex and baseline insulin levels. This post-hoc analysis used data from the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study, a prospective, controlled intervention trial, designed to investigate the long-term effects of bariatric surgery-induced weight loss (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01479452). The study was conducted at 25 public surgical departments and 480 primary healthcare centers across Sweden. Between Sept 1, 1987, and Jan 31, 2001, 2,007 per-protocol patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery (gastric bypass, n = 266; gastric banding, n = 376; vertical banded gastroplasty, n = 1,365) and 2,040 matched controls, receiving standard nonsurgical obesity-related care, were recruited. Inclusion criteria were age 37-60 years and a body mass index (BMI) ≥34 kg/m2 for men and ≥38 kg/m2 for women. The primary outcome measures were cancer events and cancer-related deaths, captured through nearly complete data sourced from national Swedish health registries. Female-specific cancers were defined as gynecologic and breast cancers. Analyses were adjusted (adj) for baseline age, sagittal diameter, alcohol consumption, smoking, and serum insulin levels. The study was closed on December 31, 2022. Median follow-up was 26.8 years (interquartile range (IQR) [22.9, 29.6]) in the surgery group and 24.9 years (IQR [18.7, 28.8]) in the control group. Bariatric surgery was associated with a lower overall cancer incidence rate in women (adjusted hazard ratio (HRadj) = 0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.67, 0.90]; p = 0.001), but not in men (sex-treatment interaction p = 0.013). The HRadj for overall cancer mortality rate in women was 0.78 (95% CI [0.61, 1.00]; p = 0.050). In women, surgery was associated with a lower incidence rate of both obesity-related cancers (HRadj = 0.70; 95% CI [0.58, 0.85]; p < 0.001) and female-specific cancers (HRadj = 0.60; 95% CI [0.47, 0.75]; p < 0.001). Importantly, subgroup analyses showed that the associations between surgery and female-specific cancer incidence, as well as female-specific cancer-related mortality, were stronger in women with high baseline insulin levels (insulin-treatment interaction p = 0.021 and 0.039, respectively). The main limitation is that cancer was not a predefined study outcome. Bariatric surgery is associated with a lower risk of cancer and cancer-related mortality in women with obesity, with the strongest association observed for female-specific cancers in women with elevated baseline insulin levels. In men, bariatric surgery was not associated with overall cancer incidence or mortality. These findings support incorporating risk-based stratification to better tailor cancer prevention strategies in obesity care.

•Fixed-dose combination (FDC) was bioequivalent to individual components (ICs) in Western and Korean adults.•Pharmacokinetic parameters of FDC and IC were generally similar.•No clinically relevant pharmacokinetic differences in Western vs Korean participants.•FDC and ICs were well tolerated, with no serious adverse events. We evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of a fixed-dose combination (FDC) of dapagliflozin/sitagliptin versus individual component (IC) tablets in healthy Western and Korean participants. The combination of these antihyperglycemic drugs provides efficient glucose control, and the use of FDC has generally been shown to improve medication adherence in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Two randomized, open-label, two-period, two-treatment, single-dose, single-center, crossover bioequivalence studies conducted on healthy fasted German participants (aged 18–55 years; Western study) and South Korean participants (aged 19–55 years; Korean study) were included. In both studies, pharmacokinetic parameters (maximum [peak] plasma concentration [Cmax], area under the plasma concentration–time curve from zero to the last quantifiable concentration [AUClast], and area under the plasma concentration–time curve from zero to infinity [AUCinf]) were used to assess the bioequivalence of 10 mg dapagliflozin/100 mg sitagliptin FDC (Treatment A) with their ICs (Treatment B) under fasted conditions. Safety and tolerability were assessed throughout the study. Forty-six healthy participants (male, 60.9%; mean age, 39.5 years; mean body mass index [BMI], 23.9 kg/m2) were randomized in the Western study, and 51 healthy participants (male, 100.0%; mean age, 24.6 years; mean BMI, 23.9 kg/m2) were randomized in the Korean study. In both studies, the participants were randomized 1:1 into treatment sequence AB and treatment sequence BA. Dapagliflozin/sitagliptin FDC was bioequivalent to IC tablets in both Western and Korean studies, as the 90% confidence interval of the FDC to IC ratios of the geometric least-squares means of the pharmacokinetic parameters for both dapagliflozin and sitagliptin was within the 0.8000–1.2500 bioequivalence criterion limit. The observed differences in pharmacokinetic parameters, such as Cmax, AUClast, and AUCinf, between the Western and Korean studies were not clinically meaningful. Dapagliflozin/sitagliptin FDC and their ICs were well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported in any of the study populations. The 10 mg dapagliflozin/100 mg sitagliptin FDC and IC formulations were bioequivalent in fasted healthy Western and Korean participants, with no new safety concerns identified, thus offering a useful alternative for patients currently receiving individual medications as part of their treatment regimen. Western study (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05266404) and Korean study (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05453786).

Background This post-hoc analysis of the DELIGHT trial assessed effects of the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin on iron metabolism and markers of inflammation. Methods Patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuria were randomized to dapagliflozin, dapagliflozin and saxagliptin, or placebo. We measured hemoglobin, iron markers (serum iron, transferrin saturation, and ferritin), plasma erythropoietin, and inflammatory markers (urinary MCP-1 and urinary/serum IL-6) at baseline and week 24. Results 360/461 (78.1%) participants had available biosamples. Dapagliflozin and dapagliflozin-saxagliptin, compared to placebo, increased hemoglobin by 5.7 g/L (95%CI 4.0, 7.3; p < 0.001) and 4.4 g/L (2.7, 6.0; p < 0.001) and reduced ferritin by 18.6% (8.7, 27.5; p < 0.001) and 18.4% (8.7, 27.1; p < 0.001), respectively. Dapagliflozin reduced urinary MCP-1/Cr by 29.0% (14.6, 41.0; p < 0.001) and urinary IL-6/Cr by 26.6% (9.1, 40.7; p = 0.005) with no changes in other markers. Conclusions Dapagliflozin increased hemoglobin and reduced ferritin and urinary markers of inflammation, suggesting potentially important effects on iron metabolism and inflammation. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02547935.

Distance travelled is a crucial metric that underpins an animal’s ability to navigate in the short-range. While there is extensive research on how terrestrial animals measure travel distance, it is unknown how animals navigating in aquatic environments estimate this metric. A common method used by land animals is to measure optic flow, where the speed of self-induced visual motion is integrated over the course of a journey. Whether freely-swimming aquatic animals also measure distance relative to a visual frame of reference is unclear. Using the marine fish Rhinecanthus aculeatus , we show that teleost fish can use visual motion information to estimate distance travelled. However, the underlying mechanism differs fundamentally from previously studied terrestrial animals. Humans and terrestrial invertebrates measure the total angular motion of visual features for odometry, a mechanism which does not vary with visual density. In contrast, the visual odometer used by Rhinecanthus acuelatus is strongly dependent on the visual density of the environment. Odometry in fish may therefore be mediated by a movement detection mechanism akin to the system underlying the optomotor response, a separate motion-detection mechanism used by both vertebrates and invertebrates for course and gaze stabilisation. A freely-swimming teleost fish reproduces a previously learned distance via visual motion information, demonstrating that its visual-motion processing is dependent on visual density.

Path integration is a powerful navigational mechanism whereby individuals continuously update their distance and angular vector of movement to calculate their position in relation to their departure location, allowing them to return along the most direct route even across unfamiliar terrain. While path integration has been investigated in several terrestrial animals, it has never been demonstrated in aquatic vertebrates, where movement occurs through volumetric space and sensory cues available for navigation are likely to differ substantially from those in terrestrial environments. By performing displacement experiments with Lamprologus ocellatus , we show evidence consistent with fish using path integration to navigate alongside other mechanisms (allothetic place cues and route recapitulation). These results indicate that the use of path integration is likely to be deeply rooted within the vertebrate phylogeny irrespective of the environment, and suggests that fish may possess a spatial encoding system that parallels that of mammals. By performing displacement experiments with Lamprologus ocellatus , we show evidence consistent with fish using path integration to navigate alongside other mechanisms: allothetic place cues and route recapitulation.

It remains uncertain whether pharmacokinetic changes following Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass (RYGB) can be attributed to surgery‐induced gastrointestinal alterations per se and/or the subsequent weight loss. The aim was to compare short‐ and long‐term effects of RYGB and calorie restriction on CYP3A‐activity, and cross‐sectionally compare CYP3A‐activity with normal weight to overweight controls using midazolam as probe drug. This three‐armed controlled trial included patients with severe obesity preparing for RYGB (n = 41) or diet‐induced (n = 41) weight‐loss, and controls (n = 18). Both weight‐loss groups underwent a 3‐week low‐energy‐diet (<1200 kcal/day) followed by a 6‐week very‐low‐energy‐diet or RYGB (both <800 kcal/day). Patients were followed for 2 years, with four pharmacokinetic investigations using semisimultaneous oral and intravenous dosing to determine changes in midazolam absolute bioavailability and clearance, within and between groups. The RYGB and diet groups showed similar weight‐loss at week 9 (13 ± 2.4% vs. 11 ± 3.6%), but differed substantially after 2 years (−30 ± 7.0% vs. −3.1 ± 6.3%). At baseline, mean absolute bioavailability and clearance of midazolam were similar in the RYGB and diet groups, but higher compared with controls. On average, absolute bioavailability was unaltered at week 9, but decreased by 40 ± 7.5% in the RYGB group and 32 ± 6.1% in the diet group at year 2 compared with baseline, with no between‐group difference. No difference in clearance was observed over time, nor between groups. In conclusion, neither RYGB per se nor weight loss impacted absolute bioavailability or clearance of midazolam short term. Long term, absolute bioavailability was similarly decreased in both groups despite different weight loss, suggesting that the recovered CYP3A‐activity is not only dependent on weight‐loss through RYGB.

Previous studies have not accounted for the close link between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity when investigating the impact of T2DM on cytochrome P450 (CYP) activities. The aim was to investigate the effect of T2DM on in vivo activities and protein expressions of CYP2C19, CYP3A, CYP1A2, and CYP2C9 in patients with obesity. A total of 99 patients from the COCKTAIL study (NCT02386917) were included in this cross‐sectional analysis; 29 with T2DM and obesity (T2DM‐obesity), 53 with obesity without T2DM (obesity), and 17 controls without T2DM and obesity (controls). CYP activities were assessed after the administration of a cocktail of probe drugs including omeprazole (CYP2C19), midazolam (CYP3A), caffeine (CYP1A2), and losartan (CYP2C9). Jejunal and liver biopsies were also obtained to determine protein concentrations of the respective CYPs. CYP2C19 activity and jejunal CYP2C19 concentration were 63% (−0.39 [95% CI: −0.82, −0.09]) and 40% (−0.09 fmol/μg protein [95% CI: −0.18, −0.003]) lower in T2DM‐obesity compared with the obesity group, respectively. By contrast, there were no differences in the in vivo activities and protein concentrations of CYP3A, CYP1A2, and CYP2C9. Multivariable regression analyses also indicated that T2DM was associated with interindividual variability in CYP2C19 activity, but not CYP3A, CYP1A2, and CYP2C9 activities. The findings indicate that T2DM has a significant downregulating impact on CYP2C19 activity, but not on CYP3A, CYP1A2, and CYP2C9 activities and protein concentrations in patients with obesity. Hence, the effect of T2DM seems to be isoform‐specific.

Background: Diabetes increases the risk for cardiovascular (CV) events. It has recently been shown that the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors leads to a reduction in CV outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), including mortality and heart failure hospitalization. The exact mechanisms of how SGLT2 inhibitors lead to this CV risk reduction remain incompletely understood. The study of DAPAgliflozin on CARDiac substrate uptake, myocardial efficiency and myocardial contractile work in type 2 diabetes patients (DAPACARD) (NCT03387683) explores the possible effects of dapagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor, on cardiac work, metabolism, and biomarker levels. Methods: DAPACARD is an international, randomized, double-blind trial that aims to examine the effects of dapagliflozin versus matching placebo in 52 patients with T2DM that are on stable metformin therapy prior to and during the 6 weeks of treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint is change in global longitudinal strain of the left ventricle (GLSLV) measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between baseline (pre-treatment) and end of study (on-treatment). The secondary endpoint is the corresponding change in myocardial efficiency measured as external left ventricular work divided by total left ventricular work, which is estimated using [11C]-acetate clearance using positron emission tomography (PET). Conclusion: The DAPACARD study is an extensive investigation of cardiac function and metabolism, by advanced imaging with PET and MRI, as well as biomarkers, performed in order to further explore how the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin could influence cardiovascular outcomes in patients with T2DM.

BackgroundObesity increases cancer risk, whereas surgery-induced weight loss is associated with reduced risk. Risk-based patient stratification may be needed to better understand and maximize benefits of weight loss interventions in individuals with obesity. To this end, comprehensive data from high-quality studies with extended follow-up are imperative. This study examines the link between bariatric surgery and long-term cancer outcomes, focusing on patient subgroups defined by previously suggested predictors of treatment benefit, such as sex and baseline insulin levels.Methods and findingsThis post-hoc analysis used data from the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study, a prospective, controlled intervention trial, designed to investigate the long-term effects of bariatric surgery-induced weight loss (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01479452). The study was conducted at 25 public surgical departments and 480 primary healthcare centers across Sweden. Between Sept 1, 1987, and Jan 31, 2001, 2,007 per-protocol patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery (gastric bypass, n = 266; gastric banding, n = 376; vertical banded gastroplasty, n = 1,365) and 2,040 matched controls, receiving standard nonsurgical obesity-related care, were recruited. Inclusion criteria were age 37-60 years and a body mass index (BMI) ≥34 kg/m2 for men and ≥38 kg/m2 for women. The primary outcome measures were cancer events and cancer-related deaths, captured through nearly complete data sourced from national Swedish health registries. Female-specific cancers were defined as gynecologic and breast cancers. Analyses were adjusted (adj) for baseline age, sagittal diameter, alcohol consumption, smoking, and serum insulin levels. The study was closed on December 31, 2022. Median follow-up was 26.8 years (interquartile range (IQR) [22.9, 29.6]) in the surgery group and 24.9 years (IQR [18.7, 28.8]) in the control group. Bariatric surgery was associated with a lower overall cancer incidence rate in women (adjusted hazard ratio (HRadj) = 0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.67, 0.90]; p = 0.001), but not in men (sex-treatment interaction p = 0.013). The HRadj for overall cancer mortality rate in women was 0.78 (95% CI [0.61, 1.00]; p = 0.050). In women, surgery was associated with a lower incidence rate of both obesity-related cancers (HRadj = 0.70; 95% CI [0.58, 0.85]; p < 0.001) and female-specific cancers (HRadj = 0.60; 95% CI [0.47, 0.75]; p < 0.001). Importantly, subgroup analyses showed that the associations between surgery and female-specific cancer incidence, as well as female-specific cancer-related mortality, were stronger in women with high baseline insulin levels (insulin-treatment interaction p = 0.021 and 0.039, respectively). The main limitation is that cancer was not a predefined study outcome.ConclusionsBariatric surgery is associated with a lower risk of cancer and cancer-related mortality in women with obesity, with the strongest association observed for female-specific cancers in women with elevated baseline insulin levels. In men, bariatric surgery was not associated with overall cancer incidence or mortality. These findings support incorporating risk-based stratification to better tailor cancer prevention strategies in obesity care.