Conectar
The dynamic physiological and hormonal changes through the menopause transition predispose women to an increased risk of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, depression and dementia. The underlying mechanisms remain unclear, yet it is thought that chronic systemic inflammation and changes to lifestyle behaviours play important roles. The LIfestyle risk Factors for chronic disease across the stagEs of reproductive ageing (LIFE study) is a cross-sectional study aimed to characterise how hormonal and lifestyle (physical activity, diet and sleep) differences across pre, peri and postmenopause influence chronic systemic inflammation, visceral adiposity, cognitive function and sleep health.
Women aged between 40 and 65 years were recruited and classified into pre, peri or postmenopausal groups. Body composition measures and blood samples were collected. Sleep and physical activity were objectively measured using activPAL4 and ActiGraph GT9X link accelerometer over 7 days. Participants were also provided with a sleep diary. Physical function was assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery. Cognitive function was evaluated using Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-III and Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Participants completed a series of questionnaires: Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, RuSATED, Berlin Questionnaire, Insomnia Severity Index, Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale and the Australian Eating Survey.
Ethical approval was received from the relevant University Human Research Ethics Committee (ethics approval number #S221718) prior to the commencement of the research project. Data collection is ongoing and expected to be completed by April 2026. Results are expected to be available from July 2026. Findings will be disseminated in national and international conferences and in peer-reviewed journals and expected to inform how differences in lifestyle behaviours across menopause influence chronic systemic inflammation, visceral adiposity and cognitive function. Understanding and characterising the links between lifestyle behaviours and menopausal symptoms will inform targeted strategies to improve long-term well-being, heart, brain and metabolic health.
To identify and prioritise research uncertainties regarding the assessment, management and rehabilitation of patients with problematic hip replacements through a national Priority Setting Partnership (PSP).
A national PSP using the James Lind Alliance (JLA) methodology.
UK.
Patients, carers and healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in the care of patients with problematic hip replacements.
A steering group was established. The James Lind Alliance methodology was followed throughout. A nationwide survey was conducted to collect unanswered questions. These were refined, prioritised through an interim survey and ranked at a final consensus workshop.
The initial survey yielded 201 questions, refined to 32. The interim survey had 191 respondents, leading to 19 questions at the final workshop. The top 10 research priorities were agreed on.
This PSP identified key research priorities for problematic hip replacements, focusing on diagnosis, pain management, perioperative optimisation and infection. These priorities can inform researchers and funders to improve outcomes for affected patients.
To explore how regulatory frameworks, material constraints, and systemic conditions influence nursing practice, focusing on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (UK) Code, emotional labour, gendered expectations, and healthcare technology.
This qualitative study employed a Posthuman Institutional Ethnography (PIE) approach to understand the material and social dynamics that shape nursing practice.
A renal ward in a large acute National Health Service (NHS) hospital in the UK.
The sample consisted of 10 practising nurses, aged from their mid-20s to 50s, with varying lengths of service from 3 to over 30 years, offering diverse perspectives on nursing practice.
Data were collected from October 2018 to April 2019 through documentary analysis, participatory ethnography, multimedia diaries, and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis, guided by posthuman and new materialist frameworks, examined how human and non-human actors interact in the production of nurse work.
The Code's emphasis on individual accountability often clashes with systemic barriers such as staffing shortages, outdated healthcare technology, and limited resources, leading to distress and burnout among nurses. Gendered expectations further exacerbate the burden on nurses, contributing to feelings of inadequacy, exhaustion, and emotional strain. Inefficient electronic health records (EHRs) were identified as significant barriers to effective nursing practice.
Addressing systemic barriers is crucial to creating a supportive environment for nurses. Shifting from a model of individual accountability to one of systemic responsibility is vital for enhancing nurse well-being and improving patient care quality. Policy changes must acknowledge systemic factors such as staffing, technology, and resource availability to create a sustainable and effective healthcare system that supports nursing practice.
The study design includes participatory methods where participants create the framing and context of the data included. However, this study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct, or reporting.
To describe the latest information on types of psychosocial interventions and their effectiveness on loneliness reduction among older adults in community and residential care settings, and the experience with these interventions.
Umbrella review.
The Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for umbrella reviews.
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature; Medline; Embase; Emcare; PsycINFO; ProQuest Dissertation & Thesis Global; Ovid Nursing Database; MedRxvi.
Twenty-two reviews were included. Seven major types of psychosocial intervention were identified: (1) social facilitation interventions, (2) psychological therapies, (3) health and social care provision, (4) animal-assisted interventions, (5) befriending interventions, (6) leisure and skill development, and (7) other interventions. Social facilitation interventions that provide synchronised interaction, psychological therapies, health and social care provision, and animal (−assisted) interventions demonstrated positive effects while leisure/skill development and befriending interventions warrant more rigorous evidence. Group settings, synchronised interaction and purpose-driven are identified as facilitators, whereas technological issues and safety issues are barriers to participation.
Seven types of psychosocial interventions are currently available for loneliness among community-dwelling older adults, and a positive effect in reducing loneliness was demonstrated in some types. Facilitators and barriers to their participation were synthesised. Two future research directions are suggested: (1) reviews on meaning-centred interventions to provide a comprehensive understanding and (2) implementation studies employing community-based paraprofessionals to promote programme scalability and accessibility.
Health and social care practitioners (e.g., nurses), researchers and policymakers are recommended to employ social facilitation interventions with synchronised interaction, psychological therapies, health and social care provision and animal-assisted interventions to address loneliness among community-dwelling older adults.
This review provided empirical information on available effective interventions to address loneliness among community-dwelling older adults. It also provided information for nurses to implement psychosocial interventions in the community.
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines
This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct or reporting.
PROSPERO CRD 42023482852, registered 25/11/2023
The treatment of tobacco dependence in patients admitted to hospital is a priority for the National Health Service in England. We aimed to conduct an economic analysis of a pilot ‘opt-out’ tobacco dependence treatment intervention adapted from the Ottawa Model of Smoking Cessation.
Observational cost analysis of an inpatient tobacco dependence treatment intervention, and matched cohort study comparing readmission costs between patients who received the intervention and benchmarked equivalents who did not.
11 acute inpatient wards in a major teaching hospital in London, England.
673 patients who smoked, admitted between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2021.
The intervention consisted of the systematic identification of smoking status, automatic referral to tobacco dependence advisors, provision of pharmacotherapy and behavioural support throughout the hospital stay and telephone support for 6 months after discharge.
The primary outcomes were cost-per-patient, cost-per-quit and incremental cost effectiveness ratio among patients who received the intervention. The secondary outcomes were patient-level readmission costs and bed-days from 6 months after discharge, compared between the intervention group and a group of matched benchmark patients who smoked but did not receive the intervention.
The total cost of the intervention was £178 105. On the basis of 104 patients who reported not smoking at 6 months, the cost-per-quit was £1712.55, equating to an estimated age-adjusted incremental cost per life year gained of £3325. Among 611 patients who were successfully matched to a benchmark cohort, readmissions for patients in the intervention group cost £492 k less than their benchmark equivalents over 21 months from 1 January 2021 to 30 September 2022 (£266 k vs £758 k), incurred 414 fewer bed days (303 vs 717) and readmitted at a lower rate (5% vs 11%). There were reduced readmission rates and costs among all patients who received the intervention compared with their benchmarked equivalents, regardless of smoking status at 6 months, except among those who opted out.
A pilot ‘opt-out’ tobacco dependence treatment intervention implemented in an acute hospital setting in London demonstrated value for money through reduced readmission rates and costs among all patients who received it.
by Wenshu Li, Jeffrey A. Leibowitz, Shuoguo Wang, Louisa Walker, Chang Xu, Kuei-Ting Chen, Alexa B. Schrock, Jason Hughes, Nimesh Patel, Julia A. Elvin, Lauren L. Ritterhouse, Ethan Sokol, Garrett Frampton, Lucas Dennis, Bahar Yilmazel, Brennan Decker
Homologous recombination repair (HRR) is a cellular pathway for high-fidelity double strand DNA break repair that uses the sister chromatid as a guide to ensure chromosomal integrity and cell viability. Deficiency in the HRR pathway (HRD) can sensitize tumors to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) and platinum-based chemotherapy, offering an avenue to identify patients who may benefit from targeted therapies. HRD signature (HRDsig) is a pan-solid-tumor biomarker on the FoundationOne®CDx (F1CDx®) assay that employs a DNA scar-based approach to calculate a score based on copy number features (e.g., segment size, oscillation patterns, and breakpoints per chromosome arm) and does not rely on HRR gene alterations, enabling detection of genomic and epigenetic mechanisms of HRD. After finalizing the HRDsig algorithm, analytical validation was conducted in a CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified laboratory on 278 solid tumor and normal tissue specimens. HRDsig results were compared with an independent HRD biomarker, defined by the presence of a reversion mutation restoring HRR gene function. In this evaluation, 100 HRD-positive and 126 HRD-negative samples showed a positive percent agreement of 90.00% and a negative percent agreement of 94.44%. The limit of detection (LoD) was estimated at 23.04% tumor purity, with the limit of blank (LoB) confirmed as zero in 60 normal tissue replicates. Reproducibility testing on 11 positive and 11 negative samples across multiple labs, reagent lots, and sequencers yielded agreement in 99.49% of positive and 99.73% of negative replicates. HRDsig status remained consistent in the presence of interfering substances, demonstrating 100% concordance in spiked samples. These validation results underscore the high analytical concordance, low false-positive rate, and overall robustness of HRDsig for reliable assessment of homologous recombination deficiency.Saskatchewan is facing a public health crisis driven by high rates of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, particularly among people who use drugs. Injection drug use is a major contributor to these syndemic infections, exacerbated by structural barriers such as stigma, poverty and limited culturally safe healthcare. Innovative, community-informed approaches are urgently needed to improve prevention, testing and linkage to care.
This study will implement a rapid assessment and response system in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, integrating geospatial mapping of community needle prevalence with pop-up interventions. Needle hotspot maps will be used to guide the deployment of community-based pop-up events offering point-of-care testing for HIV, syphilis and HCV, alongside education on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). A convergent participatory mixed-methods design will be used to evaluate feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness, guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance framework. Quantitative data will assess changes in knowledge of PrEP and PEP, satisfaction with the intervention and report new diagnoses and participant demographics descriptively. A qualitative substudy will include 30 participants and will explore experiences with the intervention, barriers to care and perceptions of service delivery.
Ethical approval has been obtained from the research ethics board of the Saskatchewan Health Authority (#24–91). Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and community reporting. This study may provide a model of community-based geospatial testing and education that could be scaled up and adapted elsewhere.
Open Science Framework https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/HVK3B
To evaluate temporal trends in the epidemiology of hip osteoarthritis (OA) in the USA from 1990 to 2019, with stratification by sex and geographic region.
Cross-sectional time-series analysis using secondary data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study.
US population-based analysis, stratified by the four US Census Bureau regions: Northeast, Midwest, South and West.
De-identified, aggregate population-level data representing all adults in the USA from 1990 to 2019, drawn from the GBD database.
Age-standardised rates per 100 000 population for years lived with disability (YLDs), prevalence and incidence of hip OA. Outcomes were stratified by sex and region. Statistical significance was defined as p
Between 1990 and 2019, hip OA in the USA increased by 23.91% in YLDs, 24.67% in prevalence and 25.22% in incidence. In 2019, the mean YLDs were 28.30 in women versus 25.48 in men; prevalence was 49.55 versus 41.08; and incidence was 919.29 versus 818.10 (all p
There has been a substantial rise in the burden of hip OA in the USA over the past three decades. Women and residents of the Northeastern USA are disproportionately affected. These findings underscore the need for targeted public health strategies that account for geographic and sex-based disparities in hip OA burden.
To identify strategies and mechanisms of interventions between caregivers and people with dementia that contribute to reducing refusals of care and determine how they work, in which contexts, why and for whom.
Realist synthesis.
There were three stages: (1) initial programme theory development and prioritisation through assessing video-recorded personal care interactions and interview transcripts; scoping the literature and team discussions, (2) literature search, review and synthesis and (3) realist interviews with stakeholders and refinement of evidence-based programme theories.
Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL Ultimate, Cochrane CENTRAL Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science; date range: 2000–2024.
A total of 71 sources were included in the synthesis, and interviews with 15 stakeholders. Eight programme theories were generated, evidenced and refined, each incorporating multiple caregiver strategies. The overarching mechanism which made people with dementia more likely to accept assistance with personal care was trusting the caregiver and feeling safe. Seven mechanisms fed into this: a sense of control, positive connection, care feeling manageable, working together, engaging with the care activity (or something non-care related), comfort and needs being known and addressed.
Refusals of care from people with dementia can be reduced by multiple caregiver strategies related to communication, approach, the type of care offered and the care interaction process. Mechanisms reflect relational aspects: the quality of the caregiver/person partnership and making the person with dementia feel safe.
Our findings provide programme theories and practical care strategies which could be helpful for those, such as nurses, working to improve personal care practices for people with dementia.
Public representatives advised the study throughout, providing advice on initial programme theories, evidence-based programme theories and synthesised stakeholder evidence.
This synthesis uses the publication standards for realist synthesis (RAMESES 1).
PROSPERO: 2024 CRD42024496072
Caries risk assessment and management (CRAM) conducted by primary care providers is critical for preventing early childhood caries. Yet, the implementation of these preventive strategies remains understudied in low- and middle-income countries. This study aims to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of a CRAM intervention in Chinese primary care settings.
We will conduct a hybrid type II stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial across nine primary healthcare institutions in Luzhou City, China. Institutions will be randomly allocated into three intervention waves. Primary care providers will be trained to deliver CRAM. The two primary outcomes are (1) the proportion of primary care providers completing all CRAM procedures and (2) improvements in parents’ home-based oral care practices for children under age 3. Secondary outcomes include children’s oral health-related quality of life, time to first caries incidence, and the cost-effectiveness of the intervention. Qualitative interviews will explore barriers and facilitators to implementation.
The study protocol has received approval from the Ethics Committee of West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal publications and presentations at academic conferences. Research summaries and policy briefs will be developed for key stakeholders and decision-makers at the local, provincial and national levels.
ChiCTR2400090741.
Acute intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is devastating with a 1 month mortality rate of ~40%. Cerebral oedema can complicate acute ICH and is associated with poor outcome. In patients with large ICH, the accompanying swelling increases mass effect and causes brain herniation. Mannitol, an osmotic diuretic, is used to treat cerebral oedema after traumatic brain injury, but its safety and efficacy in ICH is unclear. We aim to assess the feasibility of a phase II randomised, controlled trial of mannitol in patients with ICH with, or at risk of, cerebral oedema to inform a definitive trial.
The mannitol for cerebral oedema after acute intracerebral haemorrhage trial (MACE-ICH) aims to include 45 ICH participants from 10 UK sites with estimated largest diameter of haematoma volume >2 cm, presenting within 72 hours of onset with, or at risk of, cerebral oedema (limited Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)8) with or without mass effect. Participants will be randomised (1:1:1) to 1 g/kg 10% single-dose intravenous mannitol, 1 g/kg 10% mannitol followed by a second dose at 24 hours, or standard care alone. Outcome assessors will be masked to treatment allocation. Feasibility outcomes include proportion of patients approached being randomised, participants receiving allocated treatment, recruitment rate, treatment adherence and follow-up. Secondary outcomes include serum electrolytes and osmolality at days 1–2; change in ICH and oedema volume at day 5; number of participants who developed urinary tract infection, GCS and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at day 5±2; length of hospital stay, discharge destination and death up to day 28; death and death or dependency by day 180 and disability (Barthel Index), quality of life (EuroQol, 5-D) and cognition (telephone mini-mental state examination) at day 180.
MACE-ICH received ethics approval from the East Midlands-Leicester Central research ethics committee (22/EM/0242). The trial is funded by a National Institute for Health and Care Research RfPB grant (203080). The results will be published in an academic journal and disseminated through academic conferences and patient support groups. Reporting will be in line with Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials recommendations.
ISRCTN15383301; EUDRACT 2022-000283-22.
Understanding the prognostic factors associated with the failure of total elbow replacement (TER) is crucial for informing patients about risks and enabling shared decision-making regarding TER as a definitive management option. This protocol outlines the planned analysis of National Joint Registry (NJR) data to investigate prognostic factors for TER failure.
The primary analysis will use the NJR elbow dataset, including all eligible patients who underwent TER surgery between April 2012 and December 2023. To incorporate ethnicity and comorbidities as potential prognostic factors, the NJR will be linked to the National Health Service (NHS) England Hospital Episode Statistics-Admitted Patient Care (HES-APC) data for a secondary analysis. The analysis will adhere to the REporting recommendations for tumour MARKer prognostic studies guidelines. The primary outcome under investigation is TER failure, defined as requiring revision surgery. Initially, the overall prognosis of TER will be examined using unadjusted net implant failure via the Kaplan-Meier method. The list of potential prognostic factors to be investigated in this study has been informed by a systematic review on this topic, input from patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) groups and a survey shared with healthcare professionals providing TER services. The relationship between each potential prognostic factor and failure will be assessed using univariable regression methods. Based on the findings from our systematic review, the univariable association will also be adjusted for age, sex and indication for TER surgery using multivariable regression methods. The extent of missing data will be reported, and the reasons for missing data will be explored. A very high degree of data completeness is expected, and a complete case analysis will be performed as the primary analysis. Multiple imputations will be considered as a sensitivity analysis.
The NJR research committee approved this analysis, and the NHS Health Research Authority tool guidance dictates that the secondary use of such data for research does not require approval from a research ethics committee. The results from this analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at scientific conferences.
Background
In the United States, Black adults have the highest prevalence of obesity and hypertension, increasing their risk of morbidity and mortality. Caregivers of persons with dementia are also at increased risk of morbidity and mortality due to the demands of providing care. Thus, Black caregivers—who are the second largest group of caregivers of persons with dementia in the United States—have the highest risks for poor health outcomes among all caregivers. However, the physiological changes associated with multiple chronic conditions in Black caregivers are poorly understood.
Objectives
In this study, metabolomics were compared to the metabolic profiles of Black caregivers with obesity, with or without hypertension. Our goal was to identify metabolites and metabolic pathways that could be targeted to reduce obesity and hypertension rates in this group.
Methods
High-resolution, untargeted metabolomic assays were performed on plasma samples from 26 self-identified Black caregivers with obesity, 18 of whom had hypertension. Logistic regression and pathway analyses were employed to identify metabolites and metabolic pathways differentiating caregivers with obesity only and caregivers with both obesity and hypertension.
Results
Key metabolic pathways discriminating caregivers with obesity only and caregivers with obesity and hypertension were butanoate and glutamate metabolism, fatty acid activation/biosynthesis, and the carnitine shuttle pathway. Metabolites related to glutamate metabolism in the butanoate metabolism pathway were more abundant in caregivers with hypertension, while metabolites identified as butyric acid/butanoate and R-(3)-hydroxybutanoate were less abundant. Caregivers with hypertension also had lower levels of several unsaturated fatty acids.
Discussion
In Black caregivers with obesity, multiple metabolic features and pathways differentiated among caregivers with and without hypertension. If confirmed in future studies, these findings would support ongoing clinical monitoring and culturally tailored interventions focused on nutrition (particularly polyunsaturated fats and animal protein), exercise, and stress management to reduce the risk of hypertension in Black caregivers with obesity. Background
Fatigue is a highly prevalent symptom for individuals with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); however, characterization of fatigue and investigation into the gut microbiome—a pathway that may contribute to fatigue—remains inadequately explored in Black women with PCOS.
Objectives
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine fatigue and its relationship to the gut microbiome in adult Black women with PCOS.
Methods
Adult Black women with a diagnosis of PCOS were recruited for this cross-sectional study. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20) and the PROMIS Fatigue Short Form were used to measure fatigue. The V3/V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was sequenced to investigate gut microbial composition. Relative abundance and diversity values were calculated.
Results
We found that Black women with PCOS experience mild to moderate levels of fatigue. An inverse relationship between fatigue scores and alpha diversity values was found for the gut microbiome. We also found distinct beta diversity profiles based on fatigue. Lastly, when controlling for hypertension and body mass index, Ruminococcus bromii, Blautia obeum, Roseburia, and HT002 were associated with three subscales of the MFI-20.
Discussion
Black women with PCOS experience mild to moderate fatigue. Clinicians should be cognizant of this population’s increased risk for fatigue to adequately address their healthcare needs. We also found that gut microbial composition was associated with fatigue in Black women with PCOS. Specifically, a higher relative abundance of certain gut bacteria involved in short-chain fatty acid production and anti-inflammatory pathways was correlated with lower fatigue levels. Future studies should further investigate the link between the gut microbiome and fatigue to determine whether this relationship is causal as better insight could inform tailored diet and exercise interventions to alter the gut microbiome and reduce fatigue. Background
Despite known links between oral health and dementia and the growing understanding of the role of the human microbiome in health, few studies have explored the relationship between the oral microbiome and cognition. Additionally, there is a notable absence of research on how the oral microbiome is associated with cognitive function in Black adult caregivers of cancer patients despite their elevated risk for both oral disease and cognitive impairment.
Objectives
This study aimed to characterize the oral microbiome of Black caregivers of people living with cancer and explore the association of the oral microbiome with cognitive performance.
Methods
Thirty-one self-identified Black or African American caregivers of cancer patients in the greater metropolitan Atlanta area participated in the study. They provided oral microbiome samples. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), depressive symptoms with the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, and individual race-related stress with the Index of Race-Related Stress–Brief. Salivary microbiome diversity was analyzed using alpha and beta diversity metrics, and taxa associated with cognition were identified through differential abundance testing, adjusting for potential confounders.
Results
The mean age of participants was 54.8 years. MoCA scores ranged from 18 to 30, with a mean of 25. Participants were categorized into normal cognition (MoCA ≥ 26, n = 12) and low cognition (MoCA Background
There is a dearth of research inclusive of African American adults living with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) despite differences in symptom presentations compared to non-Hispanic White patient populations. Less is known regarding the potential effect of comorbidities, including hypertension, on commonly reported symptoms, such as fatigue, and their association with inflammatory biomarkers.
Objective
This longitudinal pilot study aimed to characterize fatigue symptom presentations among African American adults newly diagnosed with OSA and discern peripheral blood analytes linked to symptoms while accounting for co-occurring hypertension.
Methods
African American adults newly diagnosed with OSA with and without co-occurring hypertension were approached by study staff and recruited following their diagnostic visit with sleep medicine clinicians at two health systems and followed over 6 months after commencing continuous positive airway pressure treatment. Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Fatigue surveys and plasma were collected every 3 months from 29 participants. Mixed-effects models examined changes in fatigue symptom presentations over time while accounting for plasma-based analytes and hypertension status.
Results
Despite higher fatigue symptom severity upon diagnosis, participants with co-occurring hypertension reported greater improvements in fatigue scores after commencing continuous positive airway pressure treatment for up to 6 months than those without hypertension. Inverse correlations were observed between fatigue scores, C-reactive protein, matrix metalloproteinase-8, and osteoprotegerin analyte levels among participants with/without hypertension. Across all participants, changes in interleukin-6 were associated with changes in fatigue scores in the first 3 months after diagnosis.
Discussion
Findings indicate that hypertension is linked to increased fatigue upon diagnosis of OSA in this sample of African American adults. Fatigue in persons with hypertension improved after treatment in this sample. These hypothesis-generating findings can inform future interventional studies aimed at improving fatigue among persons with OSA while leveraging markers linked to fatigue symptom severity as potential objective markers of improvements. Further research on the role of inflammatory markers, such as IL-6, on fatigue symptom presentations is warranted in persons with OSA. 
FreshRSS 