| 1. |
- Källström, Miikka, et al.
(author)
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Effects of sauna bath on heart failure : A systematic review and meta-analysis
- 2018
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In: Clinical Cardiology. - : Wiley. - 0160-9289 .- 1932-8737. ; 41:11, s. 1491-1501
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND:Sauna bath has potential as a lifestyle treatment modality for heart failure (HF). It is important to analyze the current evidence to help suggest paths of future study and potential for clinical application.HYPOTHESIS:Sauna bath has a positive effect on HF patients.METHODS:PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases were searched to identify randomized and nonrandomized controlled studies to compare effects of sauna bath with no sauna bath. Studies were searched for both infrared sauna bath and Finnish sauna bath. The strength of evidence was rated using a modified GRADE approach. Out of 1444 studies, nine met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Seven of these nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. Only studies with infrared sauna bath met the inclusion criteria.RESULTS:In the meta-analysis, exposure to an infrared sauna bath in 60°C for 15 minutes, followed by a 30-minute rest in warm environment, five times a week for 2 to 4 weeks, was associated with a significant reduction in B-type natriuretic peptide, cardiothoracic ratio, and an improvement in left-ventricular ejection fraction. There was no significant effect on left-ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left atrial diameter, systolic blood pressure, or diastolic blood pressure. The strength of evidence varied from moderate to insufficient.CONCLUSION:Infrared sauna bath was associated with short-term improvement in cardiac function. More evidence is needed about long-term effects of sauna bath and the effects of a Finnish sauna on cardiovascular health among patients with HF or other cardiovascular diseases.
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| 2. |
- Norrbo, Isabella, et al.
(author)
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Lanthanide and Heavy Metal Free Long White Persistent Luminescence from Ti Doped Li-Hackmanite : A Versatile, Low-Cost Material
- 2017
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In: Advanced Functional Materials. - : Wiley. - 1616-301X .- 1616-3028. ; 27:17
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Persistent luminescence (PeL) materials are used in everyday glow-in-the-dark applications and they show high potential for, e.g., medical imaging, night-vision surveillance, and enhancement of solar cells. However, the best performing materials contain rare earths and/or other heavy metal and expensive elements such as Ga and Ge, increasing the production costs. Here, (Li,Na)(8)Al6Si6O24(Cl,S)(2):Ti, a heavy-metal-and rare-earth-free low-cost material is presented. It can give white PeL that stays 7 h above the 0.3 mcd m(-2) limit and is observable for more than 100 h with a spectrometer. This is a record-long duration for white PeL and visible PeL without rare earths. The material has great potential to be applied in white light emitting devices (LEDs) combined with self-sustained night vision using only a single phosphor. The material also exhibits PeL in aqueous suspensions and is capable of showing easily detectable photoluminescence even in nanomolar concentrations, indicating potential for use as a diagnostic marker. Because it is excitable with sunlight, this material is expected to additionally be well-suited for outdoor applications.
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| 3. |
- Norrbo, Isabella, et al.
(author)
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Mechanisms of Tenebrescence and Persistent Luminescence in Synthetic Hackmanite Na8Al6Si6O24(Cl,S)(2)
- 2016
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In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 8:18, s. 11592-11602
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Synthetic hackmanites, Na8Al6Si6O24(Cl,S)(2), showing efficient purple tenebrescence and blue/white persistent luminescence were studied using different spectroscopic techniques to obtain a quantified view on the storage and release of optical energy in these materials. The persistent luminescence emitter was identified as impurity Ti3+ originating from the precursor materials used in the synthesis, and the energy storage for persistent luminescence was postulated to take place in oxygen vacancies within the aluminosilicate framework. Tenebrescence, on the other hand, was observed to function within the Na-4(Cl,S) entities located in the cavities of the aluminosilicate framework. The mechanism of persistent luminescence and tenebrescence in hackmanite is presented for the first time.
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| 4. |
- Norrbo, Isabella, et al.
(author)
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Solar UV index and UV dose determination with photochromic hackmanites : from the assessment of the fundamental properties to the device
- 2018
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In: Materials Horizons. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2051-6347 .- 2051-6355. ; 5:3, s. 569-576
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Extended exposure to sunlight or artificial UV sources is a major cause of serious skin and eye diseases such as cancer. There is thus a great need for convenient materials for the easy monitoring of UV doses. While organic photochromic molecules are tunable for responses under different wavelengths of UV radiation, they suffer from rather poor durability because the color changes involve drastic changes in molecular structure. Inorganic materials, on the other hand, are durable, but they have lacked tunability. Here, by combining computational and empirical data, we confirm the mechanism of coloration in the hackmanites, nature-based materials, and introduce a new technique called thermotenebrescence. With knowledge of the mechanism, we show that we can control and thus tune the energy of electronic states of synthetic hackmanites (Na,M)(8)Al6Si6O24(Cl,S)(2) so that their body color is sensitive to the solar UV index as well as UVA, UVB or UVC radiation levels. Finally, we demonstrate that it is possible to use images taken with an inexpensive cell phone to quantify the radiation dose or UV index. The hackmanite materials thus show great potential for use in portable healthcare both in everyday life and in laboratories.
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| 5. |
- Peters, Ruth, et al.
(author)
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An investigation of antihypertensive class, dementia, and cognitive decline: A meta-analysis.
- 2020
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In: Neurology. - 1526-632X. ; 94:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- High blood pressure is one of the main modifiable risk factors for dementia. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding the best antihypertensive class for optimizing cognition. Our objective was to determine whether any particular antihypertensive class was associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline or dementia using comprehensive meta-analysis including reanalysis of original participant data.To identify suitable studies, MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO and preexisting study consortia were searched from inception to December 2017. Authors of prospective longitudinal human studies or trials of antihypertensives were contacted for data sharing and collaboration. Outcome measures were incident dementia or incident cognitive decline (classified using the reliable change index method). Data were separated into mid and late-life (>65 years) and each antihypertensive class was compared to no treatment and to treatment with other antihypertensives. Meta-analysis was used to synthesize data.Over 50,000 participants from 27 studies were included. Among those aged >65 years, with the exception of diuretics, we found no relationship by class with incident cognitive decline or dementia. Diuretic use was suggestive of benefit in some analyses but results were not consistent across follow-up time, comparator group, and outcome. Limited data precluded meaningful analyses in those ≤65 years of age.Our findings, drawn from the current evidence base, support clinical freedom in the selection of antihypertensive regimens to achieve blood pressure goals.The review was registered with the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO), registration number CRD42016045454.
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| 6. |
- Willeit, Peter, et al.
(author)
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Natriuretic peptides and integrated risk assessment for cardiovascular disease : an individual-participant-data meta-analysis
- 2016
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In: The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. - : Elsevier. - 2213-8587 .- 2213-8595. ; 4:10, s. 840-849
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Guidelines for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases focus on prediction of coronary heart disease and stroke. We assessed whether or not measurement of N-terminal-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration could enable a more integrated approach than at present by predicting heart failure and enhancing coronary heart disease and stroke risk assessment. Methods: In this individual-participant-data meta-analysis, we generated and harmonised individual-participant data from relevant prospective studies via both de-novo NT-proBNP concentration measurement of stored samples and collection of data from studies identified through a systematic search of the literature (PubMed, Scientific Citation Index Expanded, and Embase) for articles published up to Sept 4, 2014, using search terms related to natriuretic peptide family members and the primary outcomes, with no language restrictions. We calculated risk ratios and measures of risk discrimination and reclassification across predicted 10 year risk categories (ie, <5%, 5% to <7.5%, and >= 7.5%), adding assessment of NT-proBNP concentration to that of conventional risk factors (ie, age, sex, smoking status, systolic blood pressure, history of diabetes, and total and HDL cholesterol concentrations). Primary outcomes were the combination of coronary heart disease and stroke, and the combination of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. Findings: We recorded 5500 coronary heart disease, 4002 stroke, and 2212 heart failure outcomes among 95617 participants without a history of cardiovascular disease in 40 prospective studies. Risk ratios (for a comparison of the top third vs bottom third of NT-proBNP concentrations, adjusted for conventional risk factors) were 1.76 (95% CI 1.56-1.98) for the combination of coronary heart disease and stroke and 2.00 (1.77-2.26) for the combination of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. Addition of information about NT-proBNP concentration to a model containing conventional risk factors was associated with a C-index increase of 0.012 (0.010-0.014) and a net reclassification improvement of 0.027 (0.019-0.036) for the combination of coronary heart disease and stroke and a C-index increase of 0.019 (0.016-0.022) and a net reclassification improvement of 0.028 (0.019-0.038) for the combination of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. Interpretation: In people without baseline cardiovascular disease, NT-proBNP concentration assessment strongly predicted first-onset heart failure and augmented coronary heart disease and stroke prediction, suggesting that NT-proBNP concentration assessment could be used to integrate heart failure into cardiovascular disease primary prevention.
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