Topic Review
Pneumococcal Disease in High-Risk Adults in Lebanon
Pneumococcal disease is predominantly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and affects people across all ages. The risk of pneumococcal disease increases distinctly with age.
  • 387
  • 08 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Mediterranean Diet and Potential Drug-Food Interactions
There is a growing interest among people in western countries for adoption of healthier lifestyle habits and diet behaviors with one of the most known ones to be Mediterranean diet (Med-D). Med-D is linked with daily consumption of food products such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, beans, nuts, olive oil, low-fat food derivatives and limited consumption of meat or full fat food products. Med-D is well-known to promote well-being and lower the risk of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. On the other hand, bioactive constituents in foods may interfere with drugs’ pharmacological mechanisms, modulating the clinical outcome leading to drug-food interactions (DFIs). This text discusses current evidence for food products that are included within the Med-D and available scientific data suggest a potential contribution in DFIs with impact on therapeutic outcome. Proper patient education and consultation from healthcare providers is important to avoid any conflicts and side effects due to clinically significant DFIs.
  • 797
  • 08 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Promoting Physical Activity among Workers
Insufficient physical activity (PA) has been identified as a leading risk factor for premature and all-cause death, as well as non-communicable diseases. Employees, especially those with low occupational PA, are more vulnerable to physical inactivity, and studies in this population are scarce. However, employees may receive benefits for both health and work productivity from PA. Therefore, well-designed behavior change studies to promote PA in employees are urgently needed, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Intervention mapping (IM) was a useful tool to develop, implement, and evaluate behavior change interventions. 
  • 351
  • 08 Nov 2022
Topic Review
The COVID-19 and Autism-Spectrum Experience (CASE) Parent Survey
The COVID-19 outbreak represented a challenging period, especially for people suffering from pre-existing mental health related issues. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are among this patient population and thus particularly at risk due to their vulnerability and difficulties with adapting to changes and complex situations. The CASE parent survey was developed by a group of physicians, psychologists, and child life specialists, in order to assess the impact of the COVID-19 emergency on children and adolescents with ASD. It consists of 40 questions (20 yes/no questions, 18 multiple choice questions and 2 open-response questions), subdivided into three categories investigating Autism Spectrum Disorder's subjects socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, the impact the COVID-19 outbreak had on their physical and mental wellbeing, and the needs to deal with the ongoing emergency.
  • 596
  • 08 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Roles of Calcium Ions in Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons, which results in motor impairment.  Ca2+ homeostasis disruption and mitochondrial dysfunction play a vital role in PD aetiology. In addition, the L-type voltage-gated calcium channel is expressed at high levels amongst nigral neurons, and could play a role in the pathogenesis of PD. In the dopaminergic neurons, Ca2+ entry through plasma membrane Cav1 channels drives a sustained feed-forward stimulation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. The R-type calcium channel is a type of voltage-dependent calcium channel. Available findings suggest that calcium homeostasis in dopaminergic neurons might be a valuable target for developing new drugs for PD patients.
  • 469
  • 07 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Monkeypox in Occupational Settings
With ongoing climate change, which alters the conditions for pathogens and vectors, zoonotic diseases such as monkeypox virus will become a challenge and a great threat impacting global health in future decades. A current outbreak of monkeypox is occurring in over 125 countries, with a report of thousands of cases in countries where this virus has never appeared. Occupational exposure to the monkeypox virus has been identified as an issue of major concern for occupational health, especially in healthcare settings. A research following the PRISMA guidelines was performed, which analyzed the effects that the current monkeypox outbreak has in workplaces, given the potential exposure of healthcare workers to the virus, the possible spread of the virus in occupational settings, and the preventive measures that are necessary to implement. At the end of the selection process, 21 studies were included in the research. Healthcare workers are considered at a high risk, and similar preventive measures to those adopted during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic must be implemented in all healthcare settings. The main recommendations for preventing and managing monkeypox in occupational settings are the vaccination of exposed workers, the prompt identification and isolation of infected individuals, and good hygiene practices. Education and specific training are necessary in non-endemic countries to make healthcare workers able to recognize the disease and prevent further contagions. Although monkeypox seems unlikely to reach the pandemic spread of COVID-19, an approach to global health even to avoid future zoonotic epidemics is required by all stakeholders. 
  • 372
  • 07 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or colloquially as Obamacare, is a United States federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 amendment, it represents the U.S. healthcare system's most significant regulatory overhaul and expansion of coverage since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. PPACA's major provisions came into force in 2014. By 2016, the uninsured share of the population had roughly halved, with estimates ranging from 20 to 24 million additional people covered. The law also enacted a host of delivery system reforms intended to constrain healthcare costs and improve quality. After the law went into effect, increases in overall healthcare spending slowed, including premiums for employer-based insurance plans. The increased coverage was due, roughly equally, to an expansion of Medicaid eligibility and to changes to individual insurance markets. Both received new spending, funded through a combination of new taxes and cuts to Medicare provider rates and Medicare Advantage. Several Congressional Budget Office reports said that overall these provisions reduced the budget deficit, that repealing PPACA would increase the deficit, and that the law reduced income inequality by taxing primarily the top 1% to fund roughly $600 in benefits on average to families in the bottom 40% of the income distribution. The act largely retained the existing structure of Medicare, Medicaid and the employer market, but individual markets were radically overhauled. Insurers were made to accept all applicants without charging based on pre-existing conditions or demographic status (except age). To combat the resultant adverse selection, the act mandated that individuals buy insurance (or pay a fine/tax) and that insurers cover a list of "essential health benefits". Before and after enactment PPACA faced strong political opposition, calls for repeal and legal challenges. In National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, the Supreme Court ruled that states could choose not to participate in PPACA's Medicaid expansion, although it upheld the law as a whole. The federal health exchange, HealthCare.gov, faced major technical problems at the beginning of its rollout in 2013. Polls initially found that a plurality of Americans opposed the act, although its individual provisions were generally more popular and the law gained majority support by 2017.
  • 1.7K
  • 05 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Epidemiology and Classification of Aortic Dissection
The aorta is the largest artery in the body, delivering oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to all organs. Dissection of the aorta is a lethal condition caused by a tear in the intimal layer of the aorta, followed by blood loss within the aortic wall and separation of the layers to full dissection. The aorta can be affected by a wide range of causes including acute conditions such as trauma and mechanical damage; and genetic conditions such as arterial hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and connective tissue disorders; all increasing the risk of dissection. Both rapid diagnostic recognition and advanced multidisciplinary treatment are critical in managing aortic dissection patients.
  • 1.4K
  • 04 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Pharmacist Intervention in Portuguese Older Adult Care
The increase in life expectancy and population ageing are currently significant societal concerns. Pharmacist intervention is a way to ensure the correct use of medicines and adherence to therapy, helping to prevent drug interactions and adverse drug reactions, thus improving health and preventing further medication-related problems in older adults.
  • 425
  • 04 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Diabetes Screening in a Dental Setting
With type 2 diabetes prevalence increasing globally, and the condition associated with many acute and chronic complications, oppurtunistic screening for dysglycaemia in the dental setting has been suggested to identify asymptomatic individuals.  For screening to be effective, individuals at risk of diabetes, need to adhere to their oral health professionals’ (OHP) referral advice and attend medical follow-up for definitive diagnosis of their glycemic status. A scoping research of the literature selecting studies of diabetes screening in a dental setting that recorded compliance to referral to follow-up, and explored any barriers and facilitators to adherence, found referral compliance was low and reported barriers and facilitators to attending medical follow-ups included accessibility, cost, knowledge of the condition, and OHP characteristics.
  • 392
  • 04 Nov 2022
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