| 1. |
- de Heus, R. A. A., et al.
(författare)
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Blood Pressure Lowering With Nilvadipine in Patients With Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer Disease Does Not Increase the Prevalence of Orthostatic Hypotension
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Heart Association. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 2047-9980. ; 8:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background-Hypertension is common among patients with Alzheimer disease. Because this group has been excluded from hypertension trials, evidence regarding safety of treatment is lacking. This secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial assessed whether antihypertensive treatment increases the prevalence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) in patients with Alzheimer disease. Methods and Results-Four hundred seventy-seven patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease were randomized to the calcium-channel blocker nilvadipine 8 mg/day or placebo for 78 weeks. Presence of OH (blood pressure drop >= 20/>= 10 mm Hg after 1 minute of standing) and OH-related adverse events (dizziness, syncope, falls, and fractures) was determined at 7 follow-up visits. Mean age of the study population was 72.2 +/- 8.2 years and mean Mini-Mental State Examination score was 20.4 +/- 3.8. Baseline blood pressure was 137.8 +/- 14.0/77.0 +/- 8.6 mm Hg. Grade I hypertension was present in 53.4% (n=255). After 13 weeks, blood pressure had fallen by -7.8/-3.9 mm Hg for nilvadipine and by -0.4/-0.8 mm Hg for placebo (P<0.001). Across the 78-week intervention period, there was no difference between groups in the proportion of patients with OH at a study visit (odds ratio [95% CI] 1.1 [0.8-1.5], P 0.62), nor in the proportion of visits where a patient met criteria for OH, corrected for number of visits (7.7 +/- 13.8% versus 7.3 +/- 11.6%). OH-related adverse events were not more often reported in the intervention group compared with placebo. Results were similar for those with baseline hypertension. Conclusions-This study suggests that initiation of a low dose of antihypertensive treatment does not significantly increase the risk of OH in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease.
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| 2. |
- Falster, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora
- 2021
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Ingår i: Scientific Data. - : Nature Portfolio. - 2052-4463. ; 8:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of values of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 448 traits across 28,640 taxa from field campaigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and individual taxon descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological attributes (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised individual- and species-level measurements coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties and experimental conditions. This article provides information on version 3.0.2 of AusTraits which contains data for 997,808 trait-by-taxon combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data, which also provides a template for other national or regional initiatives globally to fill persistent gaps in trait knowledge.
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| 3. |
- Dyer, A. H., et al.
(författare)
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Cognitive Outcomes of Long-term Benzodiazepine and Related Drug (BDZR) Use in People Living With Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease: Results From NILVAD
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. - : Elsevier BV. - 1525-8610. ; 21:2, s. 194-200
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Benzodiazepines and related drugs (BDZRs) have been associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in later life. Despite this, it remains unclear whether ongoing BDZR use may further accelerate cognitive decline in those diagnosed with mild to moderate AD. Design: This study was embedded within NILVAD, a randomized controlled trial of nilvadipine in mild to moderate AD. Cognition was measured at baseline and 18 months using the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale, Cognitive Subsection (ADAS-Cog). We assessed predictors of long-term BDZR use and analyzed the effect of ongoing BDZR use on ADAS-Cog scores at 18 months. Additionally, the impact of BDZR use on adverse events, incident delirium, and falls over 18-month follow-up was assessed adjusting for relevant covariates. Setting and Participants: 448 participants with mild to moderate AD recruited from 23 academic centers in 9 European countries. Results: Overall, 14% (62/448) were prescribed an ongoing BDZR for the study duration. Increasing total number of (non-BDZR) medications was associated with a greater likelihood of BDZR prescription (odds ratio 1.16, 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.29). At 18 months, BDZR use was not associated with greater cognitive decline on the ADAS-Cog controlling for baseline ADAS-Cog scores, age, gender, study arm, and other clinical covariates (beta = 1.62, -1.34 to 4.56). However, ongoing BDZR use was associated with a greater likelihood of adverse events [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.19, 1.05-1.34], incident delirium (IRR 2.31, 1.45-3.68), and falls (IRR 1.66, 1.02-2.65) over 18 months that persisted after robust adjustment for covariates. Conclusions and Implications: This study found no effect of ongoing BDZR use on ADAS-Cog scores in those with mild to moderate AD over 18 months. However, ongoing use of these medications was associated with an increased risk of adverse events, delirium, and falls. Thus, BDZR use should be avoided where possible and deprescribing interventions should be encouraged in older adults with AD. (C) 2019 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
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| 4. |
- Lawlor, B., et al.
(författare)
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Nilvadipine in mild to moderate Alzheimer disease: A randomised controlled trial
- 2018
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Ingår i: Plos Medicine. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1549-1676. ; 15:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background This study reports the findings of the first large-scale Phase III investigator-driven clinical trial to slow the rate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease with a dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium channel blocker, nilvadipine. Nilvadipine, licensed to treat hypertension, reduces amyloid production, increases regional cerebral blood flow, and has demonstrated antiinflammatory and anti-tau activity in preclinical studies, properties that could have diseasemodifying effects for Alzheimer disease. We aimed to determine if nilvadipine was effective in slowing cognitive decline in subjects with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease. NILVAD was an 18-month, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial that randomised participants between 15 May 2013 and 13 April 2015. The study was conducted at 23 academic centres in nine European countries. Of 577 participants screened, 511 were eligible and were randomised (258 to placebo, 253 to nilvadipine). Participants took a trial treatment capsule once a day after breakfast for 78 weeks. Participants were aged > 50 years, meeting National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke/Alzheimer's disease Criteria (NINCDS-ADRDA) for diagnosis of probable Alzheimer disease, with a Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE) score of >= 12 and < 27. Participants were randomly assigned to 8 mg sustained-release nilvadipine or matched placebo. The a priori defined primary outcome was progression on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive Subscale-12 (ADAS-Cog 12) in the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) population (n = 498), with the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale sum of boxes (CDR-sb) as a gated co-primary outcome, eligible to be promoted to primary end point conditional on a significant effect on the ADAS-Cog 12. The analysis set had a mean age of 73 years and was 62% female. Baseline demographic and Alzheimer disease +/- specific characteristics were similar between treatment groups, with reported mean of 1.7 years since diagnosis and mean SMMSE of 20.4. The prespecified primary analyses failed to show any treatment benefit for nilvadipine on the co-primary outcome (p = 0.465). Decline from baseline in ADASCog 12 on placebo was 0.79 (95% CI, -0.07 +/- 1.64) at 13 weeks, 6.41 (5.33 +/- 7.49) at 52 weeks, and 9.63 (8.33 +/- 10.93) at 78 weeks and on nilvadipine was 0.88 (0.02 +/- 1.74) at 13 weeks, 5.75 (4.66 +/- 6.85) at 52 weeks, and 9.41 (8.09 +/- 10.73) at 78 weeks. Exploratory analyses of the planned secondary outcomes showed no substantial effects, including on the CDR-sb or the Disability Assessment for Dementia. Nilvadipine appeared to be safe and well tolerated. Mortality was similar between groups (3 on nilvadipine, 4 on placebo); higher counts of adverse events (AEs) on nilvadipine (1,129 versus 1,030), and serious adverse events (SAEs; 146 versus 101), were observed. There were 14 withdrawals because of AEs. Major limitations of this study were that subjects had established dementia and the likelihood that non-Alzheimer subjects were included because of the lack of biomarker confirmation of the presence of brain amyloid. The results do not suggest benefit of nilvadipine as a treatment in a population spanning mild to moderate Alzheimer disease.
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| 5. |
- Lakens, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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Justify your alpha
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nature Human Behaviour. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2397-3374. ; 2:3, s. 168-171
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In response to recommendations to redefine statistical significance to P ≤ 0.005, we propose that researchers should transparently report and justify all choices they make when designing a study, including the alpha level.
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| 6. |
- Lawlor, B., et al.
(författare)
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NILVAD protocol: A European multicentre double-blind placebo-controlled trial of nilvadipine in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease
- 2014
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group. - 2044-6055. ; 4:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: This study is a European multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating the efficacy and safety of nilvadipine as a disease course modifying treatment for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a phase III study that will run for a period of 82 weeks with a treatment period of 78 weeks. Methods and analysis: Adult patients, males and females over 50 years with mild-to-moderate AD as defined by the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke/Alzheimer's disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDSADRDA) criteria, will be included in the study. It aims to recruit a total of 500 patients with AD; 250 in the nilvadipine group and 250 in the placebo group. Participants will be randomised to receive nilvadipine, an 8 mg overencapsulated, sustained release capsule, or a matching overencapsulated placebo (sugar pill) for a period of 78 weeks of treatment. The primary efficacy outcome measure in this study is the change in cognitive function as assessed by the Alzheimer's disease Assessment Scale (ADASCog 12) from baseline to the end of treatment duration (78 weeks). There are two key secondary outcome measures, the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes (CDRsb) and the Disability Assessment for Dementia (DAD). If a statistically significant effect is seen in the primary outcome, CDRsb will be considered to be a coprimary end point and only the DAD will contribute to the secondary outcome analysis. Ethics and dissemination: The study and all subsequent amendments have received ethical approval within each participating country according to national regulations. Each participant will provide written consent to participate in the study. All participants will remain anonymised throughout and the results of the study will be published in an international peerreviewed journal. Trial registration number EUDRACT Reference Number: 201200276427.
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| 7. |
- Zhou, Wei, et al.
(författare)
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Global Biobank Meta-analysis Initiative : Powering genetic discovery across human disease
- 2022
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Ingår i: Cell Genomics. - : Elsevier. - 2666-979X. ; 2:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biobanks facilitate genome-wide association studies (GWASs), which have mapped genomic loci across a range of human diseases and traits. However, most biobanks are primarily composed of individuals of European ancestry. We introduce the Global Biobank Meta-analysis Initiative (GBMI)-a collaborative network of 23 biobanks from 4 continents representing more than 2.2 million consented individuals with genetic data linked to electronic health records. GBMI meta-analyzes summary statistics from GWASs generated using harmonized genotypes and phenotypes from member biobanks for 14 exemplar diseases and endpoints. This strategy validates that GWASs conducted in diverse biobanks can be integrated despite heterogeneity in case definitions, recruitment strategies, and baseline characteristics. This collaborative effort improves GWAS power for diseases, benefits understudied diseases, and improves risk prediction while also enabling the nomination of disease genes and drug candidates by incorporating gene and protein expression data and providing insight into the underlying biology of human diseases and traits.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Brignole, Michele, et al.
(författare)
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Low-blood pressure phenotype underpins the tendency to reflex syncope
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Hypertension. - 1473-5598. ; 39:7, s. 1319-1325
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that cardiovascular physiology differs in reflex syncope patients compared with the general population, predisposing such individuals to vasovagal reflex.METHODS: In this multicohort cross-sectional study, we compared aggregate data of resting SBP, DBP, pulse pressure (PP) and heart rate (HR), collected from six community-based cohort studies (64 968 observations) with those from six databases of reflex syncope patients (6516 observations), subdivided by age decades and sex.RESULTS: Overall, in male individuals with reflex syncope, SBP (-3.4 mmHg) and PP (-9.2 mmHg) were lower and DBP (+2.8 mmHg) and HR (+5.1 bpm) were higher than in the general population; the difference in SBP was higher at ages above 60 years. In female individuals, PP (-6.0 mmHg) was lower and DBP (+4.7 mmHg) and HR (+4.5 bpm) were higher than in the general population; differences in SBP were less pronounced, becoming evident only above 60 years. Compared with male individuals, SBP in female individuals exhibited slower increase until age 40 years, and then demonstrated steeper increase that continued throughout remaining life.CONCLUSION: The patients prone to reflex syncope demonstrate a different resting cardiovascular haemodynamic profile as compared with a general population, characterized by lower SBP and PP, reflecting reduced venous return and lower stroke volume, and a higher HR and DBP, suggesting the activation of compensatory mechanisms. Our data contribute to a better understanding why some individuals with similar demographic characteristics develop reflex syncope and others do not.VIDEO ABSTRACT: http://links.lww.com/HJH/B580.
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| 10. |
- Kenny, Gavin G., et al.
(författare)
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A Late Paleocene age for Greenland’s Hiawatha impact structure
- 2022
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Ingår i: Science Advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 8:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ~31-km-wide Hiawatha structure, located beneath Hiawatha Glacier in northwestern Greenland, has been proposed as an impact structure that may have formed after the Pleistocene inception of the Greenland Ice Sheet. To date the structure, we conducted 40Ar/39Ar analyses on glaciofluvial sand and U-Pb analyses on zircon separated from glaciofluvial pebbles of impact melt rock, all sampled immediately downstream of Hiawatha Glacier. Unshocked zircon in the impact melt rocks dates to ~1915 million years (Ma), consistent with felsic intrusions found in local bedrock. The 40Ar/39Ar data indicate Late Paleocene resetting and shocked zircon dates to 57.99 ± 0.54 Ma, which we interpret as the impact age. Consequently, the Hiawatha impact structure far predates Pleistocene glaciation and is unrelated to either the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum or flood basalt volcanism in east Greenland. However, it was contemporaneous with the Paleocene Carbon Isotope Maximum, although the impact’s exact paleoenvironmental and climatic significance awaits further investigation.
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