Minerva

Researchers measured concentrations of two common cardiac biomarkers—troponin I and N terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide—when patients were randomised into the RE-LY study of long term anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation (Circulation 2012;125:1605-16, doi:10.1161/circulationaha.111.038729). Concentrations of biomarkers correlated positively with risk of stroke and death, and seemed better at predicting thromboembolic risk in atrial fibrillation than currently used clinical risk scores such as CHADS₂ or CHA₂DS₂-VASc.

Warm climates, but not humidity, are associated with an increased risk of forming renal stones. In a retrospective study of 599 patients with renal stones, rising ambient temperature was associated with increasing levels of urinary calcium and the supersaturation of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate, but also with decreasing amounts of urinary sodium (British Journal of Urology International 2012, doi:10.1111/j.1464-410x.2012.11186.x).

In a double blind crossover exposure study, 45 non-smoking young adults were …