The Impact of Tuberculosis Outbreaks on Vulnerable Populations
The recent outbreak of tuberculosis in Long Beach, California has highlighted the challenges faced by vulnerable populations in accessing healthcare and the urgent need for targeted interventions. The City Council’s decision to authorize a public health emergency reflects the gravity of the situation and represents an opportunity to address long-standing disparities.
Barriers to Care and High-Risk Factors
The outbreak, which primarily affected individuals residing in a single-room occupancy hotel, underscores the specific obstacles faced by this population. Homelessness, housing insecurity, mental illness, substance use disorders, and serious medical comorbidities create significant barriers to care for those affected.
Among people experiencing homelessness, several risk factors contribute to higher rates of tuberculosis transmission. Crowded living conditions increase the likelihood of spread while substance use weakens immune systems. Additionally, underlying health problems like diabetes, cancer, and HIV make it more difficult for individuals to fight off tuberculosis infections.
“Living in poverty not having good access nutrition not having access sunlight fresh air all these things going make much easier TB spread take advantage vulnerable people.” Dr. Luke Davis—an associate professor of epidemiology and medicine at Yale School Public Health—emphasized how social determinants significantly impact vulnerable populations’ susceptibility.
However,it is worth considering whether increasing case numbers reflect improved diagnosis or an actual rise in TB prevalence,” said Dr. Davis.“Are we diagnosing more people? Yes but does that also mean there’s more TB out there that is little bit difficult answer.”
National Rise Amidst Limited Access to Care
The Long Beach outbreak coincides with a national increase in tuberculosis cases, following a 27-year decline. Last year, the United States recorded a 16% rise in active infections compared to the previous year.
“Without increased public health interventions, we’re on the wrong course.”
Dr. Richard Chaisson, director of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Tuberculosis Research, voiced concerns about reduced access to medical care impacting diagnoses and subsequent transmissions.
Chaisson highlighted the disparity between COVID-19 and TB testing efforts,
“We did millions and millions of tests for Covid and fewer tests for TB,”suggesting undiagnosed cases during the pandemic potentially contributed to ongoing transmission.
Addressing Gaps in Screening and Treatment
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advises that primary care physicians screen individuals at heightened risk of tuberculosis, including those residing in homeless shelters or correctional facilities as well as individuals from countries with high disease prevalences. However, fulfilling these recommendations remains challenging.
“Increasing cases over time — this year last year next few years — probably shouldn’t be unexpected… it’s going like unless we do something drastic turn tide.”
Dr. Priya Shete,An associate professor medicine epidemiology at University California San Francisco emphasized that proactive strategies are required to reverse current trends.
The Way Forward:
- The implementation of targeted screening programs within high-risk communities can help detect latent infections before they develop into active diseases.
- Adequate funding allocation and staff resources are essential to bolster public health interventions.
- Enhancing healthcare accessibility by reducing barriers and expanding outreach efforts is crucial.
By prioritizing effective interventions, communities can combat the rising tide of tuberculosis, reduce health inequities, and protect vulnerable populations from preventable infections.
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The Relationship Between Early Menopause and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Closer Look at Diastolic Dysfunction
The heart supplies blood to the entire body through contraction and relaxation. Although both contractile and diastolic function are important, research has shown that early menopausal women with low diastolic function are more than double the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
The team of Professor Park Seong-mi from the Department of Cardiology at Anam Hospital of Korea University and Professor Seong-ah Bae from the Department of Cardiology at Yongin Severance Hospital analyzed the close relationship between cardiac diastolic dysfunction and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases in women with early menopause and published the report in Scientific Reports, an international scientific journal.
When the heart’s diastolic function declines, it becomes difficult to supply blood to the entire body, which can lead to cardiovascular disease and heart failure. According to the research group, there are estimates of the cardiovascular risk of early menopause or simple results of big data analysis, but little research has identified the mechanism of its onset in clinical practice.
The subjects of this study were 795 postmenopausal women selected from the database of the Women’s Heart Disease Research Group of the Korean Association of Cardiology (KoROSE). They were followed for an average of 771 days and analyzed the relationship between menopause and decline in cardiac diastolic function.
Accordingly, women with early menopause (under 45 years of age) had a 1.55 times greater incidence of diastolic dysfunction and a 2.28 times greater risk of major cardiovascular incidents, acute coronary syndrome, and hospitalization for heart failure than to normal women.
Specifically, when women with diastolic function problems go into early menopause, their risk of cardiovascular disease increases 2.2 times. On the other hand, the women who had no problems with diastolic function were unrelated.
Professor Park said: “We have confirmed that hormonal changes due to early menopause can directly influence the diastolic function of the heart” and added: “The impact of early menopause on cardiovascular health goes beyond simple hormonal changes and it is important to manage cardiovascular diseases”. in women with early menopause.” “It can be an important consideration for prevention,” she explained.
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Newly published data in JAMA Cardiology show beneficial long-term effects of…
08.05.2024 – 03:42
Corvia Medical, Inc.
Tewksbury, Massachusetts (ots/PRNewswire)
Two-year echocardiographic data confirm positive effects of atrial shunt therapy on cardiac structure and function
Corvia Medical, Inc, a company dedicated to transforming the treatment of heart failure, today announced the publication of groundbreaking two-year echocardiographic data from the REDUCE LAP-HF II randomized clinical trial of the Corvia® Atrial Shunt in JAMA Cardiology Provide insight into the effects of a shunt on the heart.
The study demonstrated beneficial long-term effects of atrial shunting on cardiac structure and function in patients with heart failure with preserved or slightly reduced ejection fraction (HFpEF/HFmrEF). The analysis found that the atrial shunt resulted in favorable cardiac remodeling and restoration of normal cardiac function, which in turn led to improved clinical outcomes and prognosis.
The analysis also showed more favorable remodeling in pre-defined responders compared to non-responders and confirmed that patients without latent pulmonary vascular disease and without a pacemaker are most likely to benefit from atrial shunt therapy.
“We now have two years of evidence of reverse remodeling in patients with an atrial shunt, with more pronounced improvements in cardiac structure and function – and associated clinical benefit – in previously defined responders compared to non-responders,” said Dr. Sanjiv Shah, director of the HFpEF program at Northwestern University School of Medicine and principal investigator for the study. “These data not only provide insight into the long-term effects of atrial shunting, but also represent the largest and most comprehensive echocardiographic follow-up study of a device or pharmacological study in HFpEF and HFmrEF to date.
“The results of our study support the referral of eligible patients to RESPONDER-HF, a randomized, sham-controlled trial currently underway in the United States, Europe and Australia to provide the evidence needed for FDA approval of the Corvia Atrial Shunt for millions of heart failure patients to get.”
About heart failure (HF) and the Corvia Atrial Shunt
More than 26 million people worldwide suffer from heart failure, most of them HFpEF, and represent the largest unmet clinical need in cardiovascular medicine. The Corvia Atrial Shunt is designed to reduce elevated left atrial pressure (LAP), the primary cause of HF symptoms in HFpEF patients, by creating a pathway between the left and right atria, thereby reducing HF events and the quality of life can be improved. The Corvia Atrial Shunt received breakthrough device designation from the FDA in 2019. For information about participating in the RESPONDER-HF study, visit https://treatmyheartfailure.com.
About Corvia Medical, Inc.
Corvia Medical, Inc. is revolutionizing the treatment of heart failure with novel transcatheter cardiovascular devices. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Tewksbury, MA, privately held Corvia is committed to changing the standard of care for heart failure and giving patients a new lease on life. visit
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Original content from: Corvia Medical, Inc., transmitted by news aktuell
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Newly published data in JAMA Cardiology show beneficial long-term effects of…