Medicine
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Meta Analysis
Association of circulating visfatin level and metabolic fatty liver disease: An updated meta-analysis and systematic review.
The rate of incidence of metabolic dysfunction-related fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has rapidly increased globally in recent years, but early diagnosis is still a challenge. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to identify visfatin for early diagnosis of MAFLD. ⋯ The serum visfatin levels of MAFLD patients did not differ significantly from those of controls. However, visfatin concentrations in serum were statistically higher within Middle Eastern or obese MAFLD patients compared to controls. There is a need for further research to investigate visfatin's potential as a biomarker for MAFLD.
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Observational studies have established that obesity is associated with nutritional deficiencies, but the exact causality remains uncertain. Thus, this Mendelian randomization (MR) study aimed to identify the causal associations between obesity and circulating levels of nutrients. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with obesity (body mass index and waist-hip ratio), were extracted from a genome-wide association study of 694,649 European ancestry. ⋯ Genetically predicted higher body mass index significantly decreased circulating levels of magnesium (β = -0.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.10 to -0.03, P = 1.47 × 10-4), folate (β = -0.07, 95% CI: -0.10 to -0.04, P = 5.61 × 10-5), vitamin A (β = -0.11, 95% CI: -0.14 to -0.07, P = 3.10 × 10-9), vitamin E (β = -0.10, 95% CI: -0.13 to -0.06, P = 1.84 × 10-8), albumin (β = -0.15, 95% CI: -0.17 to -0.12, P = 9.89 × 10-28); whereas genetically predicted higher waist-hip ratio decreased circulating levels of magnesium (β = -0.07, 95% CI: -0.11 to -0.02, P = 1.87 × 10-3), folate (β = -0.07, 95% CI: -0.11 to -0.03, P = 9.87 × 10-4), vitamin C (β = -0.08, 95% CI: -0.12 to -0.04, P = 2.40 × 10-4), albumin (β = -0.08, 95% CI: -0.11 to -0.04, P = 3.72 × 10-5). The study supports a causal effect of obesity on lower circulating levels of nutrients. Our findings highlight the necessity of adjuvant nutrients in obesity management.
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Meta Analysis
Bixie Fenqing decoction in the treatment of chronic prostatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) posits that chronic prostatitis is associated with the accumulation of damp-heat pathogenic factors in the lower jiao. The Bixie Fenqing decoction (BFD) eliminates damp-heat pathogenic factors in the body, thereby alleviating inflammation and improving symptoms. ⋯ BFD has a definite effect on the treatment of chronic prostatitis.
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Observational Study
The role of corticosteroids in preventing invasive procedures in patients with parapneumonic effusion in the exudative phase: An observational study.
The aim of the study was investigate the effect of corticosteroid use on the need for invasive procedure like tube thoracostomy with underwater seal drainage (TT-UWSD) and Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) in adult patients diagnosed with parapneumonic effussion in the exudative phase. A retrospective cohort study was performed in a chest diseases hospital. A total of 65 patients were included in the study. ⋯ Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify corticosteroid and other predictors of the need for invasive procedures. The outcomes of the multivariate regression analysis revealed that an longer duration of symptoms (OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01-1.21, P < .033) and the presence of dyspnea (OR = 5.44, 95% CI: 1.26-23.50, P < .023) independently associated with an increased need for invasive procedures, while corticosteroid treatment (OR = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.02-0.81, P < .028) was observed to be associated with a reduced necessity for invasive procedures. Treatment with metilprednisolone, together with the absence of dyspnea and shorter symptom duration may independently decrease the need for invasive procedure in patients with parapneumonic pleural effusion in the exudative phase.
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This study aimed to explore the short-term effects of percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal decompression (PETD) for the treatment of symptomatic double-level lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) with ossification. Twenty-eight patients diagnosed with double-level lumbar spinal stenosis who underwent double-level PETD surgery between January 2021 and January 2023 at our institution. General information, such as age, sex, disease duration, hospitalization time, and operation time, was recorded. ⋯ The 1-year postoperative follow-up was assessed as excellent in 17 cases, good in 9 cases, and possible in 2 cases using the modified Macnab criteria, with an excellent rate of 92.9%. The efficacy of double-level PETD for symptomatic double-level LSS is clear, the local stability of the lumbar spine is less affected, and the risk is low, which can reduce the chances of reoperation in patients. Thus, it is a recommended surgical procedure.