Medicine
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Observational Study
Social support and the self-rated health of older people: A comparative study in Tainan Taiwan and Fuzhou Fujian province.
The lack of social support in elderly populations incurs real societal costs and can lead to their poor health. The aim of this study is to investigate the self-rated health (SRH) and social support among older people as well as its associated factors. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 312 urban community-dwelling elderly aged 65 to 90 years in Tainan Taiwan and Fuzhou Fujian Province from March 2012 to October 2012. ⋯ Marital status (-2.133, 95% CI: -2.768 to -1.499, P = 0.000), education (1.697, 95% CI: 0.589-2.805 P = 0.003), living conditions (4.20, 95% CI: 1.762-6.638, P = 0.000), and SRH (-3.144, 95% CI: -4.502 to -1.727, P = 0.000) were the associated factors. Thus, city, age, marital status, education, living conditions, and SRH might be the associated factors for social support among older people. This study presents some feasible implications for social support improvement in China and in other nations worldwide.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Correlation of platelets count with endoscopic findings in a cohort of Egyptian patients with liver cirrhosis.
Screening endoscopy is recommended for early detection of esophageal varices (EVs) in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension. However, this approach is limited by its invasiveness and cost. The aim of the study was to determine if platelet count can predict the presence of EVs, especially large (grade III, IV) EVs in need of prophylactic therapy, in a cohort of Egyptian patients with liver cirrhosis. ⋯ Platelet count is a noninvasive parameter with high accuracy for prediction of EVs. Cirrhotic patients with normal platelet counts (above 150,000), especially in financially deprived developing countries, can avoid screening endoscopy as they are at a low risk for variceal bleeding, and presence of large EVs in these patients is much less common than in those with thrombocytopenia. A 3.175 cut-off value of FIB-4 could be useful as a noninvasive predictor of large varices requiring prophylactic banding in cirrhotic patients.
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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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Randomized Controlled Trial
A 2-week Nitazoxanide-based quadruple treatment as a rescue therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A single center experience.
As there are increasing reports of fluoroquinolone resistance on use as a first- or second-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori (H pylori), we aimed at evaluation of the efficacy and safety of nitazoxanide-based regimen as a rescue regimen in Egyptian patients whose previous traditional treatment for H pylori infection failed. In total, 100 patients from the outpatient clinic of the Tropical medicine department, Tanta University hospital in whom the standard triple therapy (clarithromycin-based triple therapy) failed were enrolled in the study. Nitazoxanide (500 mg bid), levofloxacin (500 mg once daily), omeprazole (40 mg bid), and doxycyclin (100 mg twice daily) were prescribed for 14 days. ⋯ However, 83 patients had successful eradication of H pylori with total eradication rates 83% (95 % CI 75.7-90.3%) and 88.30% (95 % CI 81.8-94.8%) according to an intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis, respectively. Adverse events were reported in 21% of patients: abdominal pain (6%), nausea (9%) and constipation (12%), (2%) headache, and (1%) dizziness. A 2-week nitazoxanide-based regimen is an effective and safe rescue therapy in Egyptian patients whose previous standard triple therapy has failed.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Dietary patterns and colorectal cancer risk in a Korean population: A case-control study.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) has been recognized as one of the major malignancies in Korea. Analyses of dietary patterns can provide insight into the complex interactions of foods, nutrients, and biologically active components within a diet, which vary among populations. We aimed to investigate the associations between dietary patterns and colorectal cancer risk in Koreans. ⋯ A decrease in CRC risk among those with the highest intake of the prudent pattern was observed in all anatomical subsites in both men [OR = 0.36 (0.19-0.68) for proximal colon; 0.21 (0.12-0.36) for distal colon; 0.28 (0.18-0.44) for rectum] and women [OR = 0.28 (0.11-0.71); 0.27 (0.13-0.54); 0.45 (0.25-0.83)]. Our results indicate that individuals who prefer the Westernized dietary pattern should be made aware of their increased CRC risk. The traditional dietary pattern and the prudent pattern, which are rich in fruits and dairy products, are recommended for the Korean population to prevent CRC.