Postgraduate medical journal
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The associations between female infertility and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) or endometrial cancer (EC) have been reported in observational studies, but its causal relationship remains unknown. We intended to assess the causal effect of female infertility on EOCs and ECs using a two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) approach. ⋯ This large MR analysis supported a causal association between female infertility and increased risk of EOCs, but did not find a causal relationship between infertility and ECs.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Intensive blood pressure control in older patients with hypertension-a STEP in the right direction?
In November 2022, the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension in China were updated; the definition of hypertension and the target of treatment was changed from 140/90 mm Hg to 130/80 mm Hg. This was prompted by the results of the Strategy of Blood Pressure Intervention in the Elderly Hypertensive Patients (STEP) study, a large multicenter randomized controlled trial conducted in China. ⋯ It is also reassuring to know that treating adults aged 60 years or older to achieve a systolic blood pressure of <130 mm Hg is safe, while reducing cardiovascular events, stroke and all-cause mortality. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to delineate the risks and benefits in subgroups, such as the elderly with diabetes or a history of stroke.
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Dengue fever is the second most common mosquito-borne disease affecting human beings and neurological manifestations (NMs) of this arboviral infection are increasingly being reported. ⋯ The NMs of dengue infection are varied, and a high index of suspicion is needed to identify them in patients who present with lethargy or altered sensorium on the background of an acute febrile illness suggestive of dengue.
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There has been a decline in the number of academic clinicians in the UK, and there are ethnic/gender disparities in the academic workforce. Higher research self-efficacy (RSE) and a positive perception of research (PoR) amongst students are associated with a higher motivation to engage in academic medicine. Hence, this study aimed to determine the factors that influence RSE and PoR amongst UK medical students. ⋯ There were no associations between the predictor variables and PoR. Female students had lower self-reported RSE scores. Future studies should investigate the role of targeted research mentorship in improving RSE amongst female medical students.
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This work aims to describe patients hospitalized in internal medicine wards in terms of nutrition and sarcopenia. It also seeks to evaluate short- and long-term mortality related to malnutrition and sarcopenia. ⋯ Malnutrition upon admission is associated with worse short- and long-term outcomes in internal medicine inpatients. Sarcopenia, multimorbidity, and inflammation-measured by albumin, C-reactive protein, or their ratios-are key risk factors. Early identification of malnutrition and sarcopenia through active screening is important in caring for internal medicine patients.