International journal of clinical practice
-
Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Jan 2022
Association between the Triglyceride-Glucose Index and the Risk of Large Artery Atherosclerotic Stroke.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the value of the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and the risk of large artery atherosclerotic (LAA) stroke. Information on general demographic and clinical characteristics, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) examination, and blood biochemical index determination were obtained. Based on age stratification, three models to evaluate the odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were employed to determine the correlation between the TyG index and the risk of LAA stroke. ⋯ The maximum Youden index for determining a high risk of LAA stroke was found at a TyG index of 4.60. The area under the ROC curve was 0.69 (95% CI: 0.646-0.742, P < 0.05), sensitivity was 78.0%, and specificity was 63.4%. An elevated TyG index was remarkably associated with a high risk of LAA stroke.
-
Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Jan 2022
Longitudinal Relationship between the Introduction of Medicinal Cannabis and Polypharmacy: An Australian Real-World Evidence Study.
Recent studies recommend medicinal cannabis (MC) as a potential treatment for chronic pain (CP) when conventional therapies are not successful; however, data from Australia is limited. This real-world evidence study explored how the introduction of MC related to concomitant medication use over time. Long-term safety also was examined. ⋯ The most common daily oral dose was 10 mg for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 15 mg for cannabidiol (CBD). With the introduction of MC, patients' total number of medications consumed decreased over the course of one year; significant reductions in NSAIDs, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants were observed (p < .001). However, the number of prescribed opioid medications did not differ from baseline to the end of one year (p = .49). Only 6% of patients discontinued MC treatment during the study. A total of 600 AEs were reported in 310 patients during the reporting period and 97% of them were classified as nonserious. Discussion. Though observational in nature, these findings suggest MC is generally well-tolerated, consistent with the previous literature, and may reduce concomitant use of some medications. Due to study limitations, concomitant medication reductions cannot be causally attributed to MC. Nevertheless, these data underscore early signals that warrant further exploration in randomized trials.
-
Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Jan 2022
The Association of Flow-Mediated Dilatation and Blood Parameters in Primary Raynaud's Phenomenon.
Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is a multifactorial disorder. If any underlying disease cannot be determined to be responsible for RP, then it is considered to be the primary RP (pRP). We aimed to investigate the differences between laboratory markers and impaired endothelial function in pRP. ⋯ It seems to be that MCP-1 levels are higher in patients with pRP, and increased values of MCP-1 levels seem to be related to impaired endothelial functions.
-
Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Jan 2022
Human Umbilical Cord Wharton Jelly Cells Treatment Prevents Osteoporosis Induced by D-Galactose.
Sixteen male mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: control (ordinary feeding), D-gal (D-galactose) group, D-gal + MSC (human umbilical cord Wharton jelly cells), and D-gal + MSC-TNFα groups. Except for the control group (fed with same amount of saline solution), other mice received gastric feeding of 250 mg/kg D-galactose every day for 8 weeks. TNFα (10 ng/mL for 24 h) cocultured or noncocultured HUCWJCs (5 × 105) were suspended in 0.1 ml of sterile PBS and injected into tail veins every other week in D-gal + MSC-TNFα and D-gal + MSC groups, respectively, and only 0.1 ml of sterile PBS for control and D-gal groups. The bone mass was detected by qPCR, ELISA, microcomputed tomography (μCT), and hematoxylin-eosin staining. Proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation of periosteal-derived osteoblasts (POB) were assessed. Transwell assay and scratch healing were performed to detect POB migration and invasion ability. The effect of HUCWJCs on POB signaling pathway expression was evaluated by immunoblotting. ⋯ HUCWJCs can prevent the progression of osteoporosis by inhibiting oxidative stress, which may act by regulating osteoblasts fate through the MAPK signaling pathway.
-
Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Jan 2022
Probiotic Foods Are Effective on Weight Loss, Biochemical Parameters, and Intestinal Microbiota in Wistar Albino Rats with Obese Microbiota.
The positive effects of various probiotic foods on weight control, intestinal microbiota, and biochemical markers have been proven by various studies. However, there is no study on such effects of tarhana and kefir + tarhana consumption, a type of Turkish food rich in Lactobacillus spp., Pediococcus pentosaceus, Pediococcus acidilactici, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This study aimed to determine the changes caused by regular consumption of kefir and/or tarhana for 6 months on weight gain, intestinal microbiota, and biochemical parameters in Wistar albino rats with obese microbiota. ⋯ Kefir + tarhana consumption significantly showed an increase in blood glucose. Kefir and/or tarhana induced the abundance of Lactobacillus and blocked the abundances of total coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli (p < 0.05). We demonstrated that kefir was effective in decreasing weight gain, and all dietary interventions induced positive alterations on biochemical findings and intestinal microbiota.