Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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The Greulich-Pyle (GP) and Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) methods are two common methods for assessing bone age (BA). The applicability of these methods for populations other than those in the United States and Europe has been questioned. Thus, this study tested the applicability of these methods for Taiwanese children. ⋯ The GP and TW3-RUS methods exhibit strong agreement in the pubertal and postpubertal stages for both sexes. With appropriate adjustments based on Taiwanese data, both methods are applicable to our children.
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It is unclear whether hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) therapy decreases the risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). ⋯ Although statin therapy was associated with significantly reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and C-reactive protein levels, the probable beneficial effect of statins on CVD risk in patients undergoing PD could not be concluded firmly. Additional high-quality studies are required to assess the potential beneficial effects of statin therapy in PD patients.
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Low muscle mass, that is, muscular atrophy, is an independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Few studies investigated whether hypoglycemic drugs can alleviate low muscle mass and related mechanisms. ⋯ T2DM patients have muscular atrophy, and liraglutide alleviates muscular atrophy at least in part by inhibiting the expression of MuRF1 and MAFbx.
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Reporting the findings from radiologic images is an important method for radiologists to communicate with referring physicians. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the recommendations for additional imaging (RAIs) after abdominal computed tomography (CT) studies for abdominal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. ⋯ RAIs have a significant influence on clinical decisions. Radiologists should be aware of the power of RAIs and be prudent and conscientious when making recommendations in radiology reports.
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Moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is known to cause right ventricular (RV) failure and death. Although TR is traditionally classified as primary or secondary, recently, a new class of TR called idiopathic TR has been proposed, with varying definitions among different studies. ⋯ Idiopathic TR was associated with better RV function than the other secondary TRs. Thus, idiopathic TR should be strictly defined and regarded as a distinct type of TR.