Medicine
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Observational Study
Thoracic [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose uptake measured by positron emission tomography/computed tomography in pulmonary hypertension.
Positron emission tomography (PET) visualizes increased cellular [F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([F]FDG) uptake. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is conceived of a proliferative disease of the lung vessels. Increased glucose uptake can be quantified as pulmonary [F]FDG uptake via PET imaging. ⋯ Pulmonary and cardiac [F]FDG uptake in PET imaging positively correlated with the presence and severity of PH in patients with end-stage pulmonary disease. Increased glucose metabolism in the central PAs seems to play a certain role in terms of severity of PH. These results suggest that [F]FDG-PET imaging can help understand the pathophysiology of PH as a proliferative pulmonary disease.
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Multicenter Study
Associations between television viewing and physical activity and low back pain in community-based adults: A cohort study.
Two systematic reviews concluded that there was limited evidence to support an association between physical activity and sedentary behavior and developing low back pain (LBP). The aim of this study was to examine the associations of physical activity and television viewing time with LBP intensity and disability in community-based adults. Five thousand fifty-eight participants (44% men) of the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study had physical activity and television viewing time measured in 1999 to 2000, 2004 to 2005, and 2011 to 2012, and LBP intensity and disability assessed in 2013 to 2014 using the Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire. ⋯ Insufficient physical activity (<2.5 hours/week) was not associated with LBP intensity or disability. High television viewing time (≥2 hours/day) was associated with greater prevalence of LBP disability in women (low disability OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.04-1.73; high disability OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.01-1.72). Although it needs to be confirmed in RCTs our findings suggest that targeting time spent watching television and possibly other prolonged sedentary behaviors may have the potential to reduce LBP disability in community-based adults, particularly in women.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Use of Traditional and Complementary Medicine as Self-Care Strategies in Community Health Centers: Cross-Sectional Study in Urban Pearl River Delta Region of China.
In China, Community Health Centers (CHCs) are major providers of primary care services, but their potential in empowering patients' self-management capacity has not been assessed. This study aims to describe self-care practice patterns amongst CHC attendees in urban China. In this cross-sectional quantitative study, 3360 CHC patients from 6 cities within the Pearl Delta Region were sampled using multistage cluster sampling. ⋯ These results suggest that CHCs should start initiatives in fostering appropriate use of OTC CHM, vitamins, and minerals. Engaging community pharmacists in guiding safe and effective use of OTC CHM amongst the uninsured is essential given their low accessibility to CHC services. Prescription of Taiji instead of physical exercises to women and older people could be more culturally appropriate, and the possibility of including this as part of the CHC services worth further exploration.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Prediction of future development of cardiovascular disease with an equation to estimate apolipoprotein B: A community-based cohort study.
Apolipoprotein B (apoB) has additional benefits over conventional lipid measurements in predicting future cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to validate the clinical relevance of our equation to estimate apoB in a large-scale, prospective, community-based cohort study (Ansung-Ansan cohort study). A total of 9001 Korean subjects were assessed. ⋯ Both non-HDL cholesterol (HR per 1-SD [95% CI]; 1.13 [1.05-1.23], P = 0.002) and estimated apoB (HR per 1-SD [95% CI]; 1.14 [1.05-1.24], P = 0.001) were independently associated with the development of CVD; however, the LDL cholesterol level was not predictive of future CVD (HR per 1-SD [95% CI]; 1.07 [0.99-1.16], P = 0.08). Both non-HDL cholesterol and estimated apoB level were independently associated with the development of CVD. Because LDL cholesterol has limited value to predict incident CVD, we recommend calculating non-HDL cholesterol or apoB with our equation to predict risk of incident CVD in the general Korean population.
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Multicenter Study
18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and the risk of subsequent aortic complications in giant-cell arteritis: A multicenter cohort of 130 patients.
Previous studies reported a 2- to 17-fold higher risk of aortic complications (dilation or dissection) in patients with giant-cell arteritis (GCA). We aimed to determine whether or not GCA patients with large-vessel involvement demonstrated by positron emission tomography with F-fluorodeoxyglucose combined with computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) have a higher risk of aortic complications. We conducted a retrospective multicenter study between 1995 and 2014. ⋯ All of them displayed large-vessel inflammation on previous FDG-PET/CT. A positive FDG-PET/CT was significantly associated with a higher risk of aortic complications (P = 0.004). In our study, a positive FDG-PET/CT was associated with an increased risk of aortic complications at 5 years.