Medicine
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Observational Study
Epimedium applied in the clinical treatment of osteoporosis patients with periodontitis.
Osteoporosis and periodontitis, prevalent in middle-aged and elderly populations, share common features of bone loss and chronic inflammation. This study explores the hypothesis that Epimedium, known for its bone-strengthening properties, may enhance the effectiveness of conventional osteoporosis treatment in patients with coexisting periodontitis. This retrospective study analyzed clinical data from 120 patients with osteoporosis and periodontitis, divided into 2 groups. ⋯ Compared to the control group, the observation group showed significantly greater increases in lumbar spine and proximal femur BMD and reductions in BM markers (P < .05). Periodontal health metrics (PD, AL, SBI, PLI) and GCF inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, hs-CRP, ICAM-1, HMGB1, PGE2) were markedly improved in the observation group, correlating with enhanced total effective rates (TER) for osteoporosis (95.0%) and periodontitis (91.7%) and a reduced adverse event rate (AER). Epimedium shows promise as an adjunctive therapy in patients with osteoporosis and periodontitis, contributing to improved BMD, reduced inflammation, and enhanced periodontal health, suggesting its potential for broader clinical application in managing these coexisting conditions.
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Observational Study
Whether perceived limb heaviness affects return to work among patients with ischemic stroke.
This study aims to explore the relationship between perceived limb heaviness and return to work (RTW) among ischemic stroke patients. We retrospectively reviewed the data of consecutive participants recruited in the CIRCLE study. Perceived limb heaviness was gathered from self-reported by 1-year follow-up. ⋯ Participants who had perceived limb heaviness were independently associated with a low rate of RTW compared with no perceived limb heaviness (P = .009, OR = 0.235). This research finds that participants experiencing limb heaviness might lower the rate of RTW after 12 months. The other interesting finding is that participants with 2 sons might have a higher rate of RTW.
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This study aimed to investigate the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) intervention on the risk of readmission and laboratory indicators in patients with rheumatoid arthritis hypercoagulable state. In the retrospective cohort design, patients with RA hospitalized between June 2013 and June 2021 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine were followed up by telephone. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance deviations in baseline information between patients in the hypercoagulable (HC) and non-hypercoagulable (Non-HC) groups, with exposure defined as receiving TCM treatment for ≥ 1 month. ⋯ Furthermore, the Mantel test highlights an intrinsic correlation between coagulation markers and other markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and hypersensitive c-reactive protein (hs-CRP), which are dramatically influenced by gender, age, etc. In addition, association rule analysis revealed a strong correlation between TCM and non-readmission, as well as improvement in rheumatoid factor, hs-CRP, ESR, platelet count, and NLR in RA-HC patients. As a promising therapeutic strategy, TCM with sufficient intensity and duration interventions can effectively reduce the risk of readmission and relieve laboratory indicators in RA-HC patients.
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The object of this study was to propose a Wnt5a-matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 dependent signaling axis for osteoarthritis (OA) progression. To this end, the chondrocytes were isolated from both OA patients and normal controls. The chondrocytes were treated with diverse concentrations of Wnt5a (0, 50, 100, and 200 ng/mL), respectively. ⋯ The expression pattern of Collagen type II was same as cell proliferation manner. Co-treatment of MMP-13 siRNA could significantly compensate the functions of Wnt-5a administration, suggesting MMP-13 was a direct target of Wnt-5a. Collectively, the study speculated a novel Wnt5a-MMP-13 molecular mechanism for OA progression and shed an innovative signaling axis for the disorder.
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Observational Study
Evaluation of self-perceived halitosis and effective conditions in periodontology clinic applicants: A cross-sectional study.
Halitosis is defined as an unpleasant odor emanating from the oral cavity and has social and economic effects. Halitosis is a common complaint in individuals with periodontal disease, but limited data are available. The aim of this study is to evaluate self-reported halitosis and related conditions. ⋯ Halitosis remains one of the main issues facing people in today's world. As a result, dentists should play a bigger part in educating and alerting patients about oral malodor. There should be more public education regarding the causes of foul breath and potential treatments.