Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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Multicenter Study
One-year outcomes of the treat-and-extend regimen using aflibercept for the treatment of diabetic macular edema.
Optimal regimen using intravitreal aflibercept injections for diabetic macular edema (DME) in clinical practice remains to be elucidated. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a treat-and-extend (TAE) approach using intravitreal aflibercept in participants with center-involved DME. ⋯ This straightforward and practical TAE regimen using intravitreal aflibercept injections resulted in favorable clinical outcomes with minimal treatment burden for DME at week 52.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Treatment with angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor for Taiwan heart failure patients: Rationale and baseline characteristics of the TAROT-HF study.
This study used a real-world database to investigate the prescription patterns of sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val) among Taiwanese patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). ⋯ The TAROT-HF study provided an opportunity to describe the clinical features of patients with HFrEF who received Sac/Val, assess the real-world utilization and efficacy of Sac/Val, and compare these patients with those included in prior registries.
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Bladder instillation of hyaluronic acid (HA) is an acceptable treatment for bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC). The treatment is limited by a high proportion of non-responders (~30%-40%). Here, we aimed to evaluate predisposing factors associated with treatment outcomes. ⋯ Intravesical HA therapy is safe and effective for most (~60%) of our patients with refractory IC. Functional bladder capacity and Pain-VAS scores before treatment, and the early treatment responses are helpful predictors of treatment outcomes.
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Neuropathic pain (NeP) is often under-recognized, resulting in poor pain management. Therefore, a Taiwan version of the 10-item Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4-T) questionnaire was developed to identify patients with NeP from a mixed population of patients with pain. ⋯ The DN4-T questionnaire has been reliably translated into Mandarin Chinese and can be used as a diagnostic tool for NeP in conjunction with clinical evaluation.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Managements and outcomes of hospitalized heart failure patients with paroxysmal vs nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation in Taiwan.
The prognostic significance and the optimal treatment strategy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) remain controversial. ⋯ Among patients with HF complicated with AF, those with PAF were more likely to receive antiarrhythmic agents, less likely to receive guideline-recommended therapy, but developed worse 1-year outcome compared with patients with N-PAF. These findings further emphasize the importance of optimal guideline-recommended medical therapy in patients with HF.