J Formos Med Assoc
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Depressive and anxiety symptoms were common among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. This 4-year follow-up study was conducted to investigate the predictors of depressive and anxiety symptoms in Taiwan's young adult LGB population. ⋯ Intervention aimed at reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms in LGB individuals should be developed considering the predictors identified in this study.
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Review Practice Guideline
Taiwan ocular inflammation society consensus recommendations for the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis.
We presented the development of a consensus guideline for managing juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (JIAU) in Taiwan, considering regional differences in manifestation and epidemiology. The Taiwan Ocular Inflammation Society (TOIS) committee formulated this guideline using a modified Delphi approach with two panel meetings. Recommendations were based on a comprehensive evidence-based literature review and expert clinical experiences, and were graded according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine's "Levels of Evidence" guideline (March 2009). ⋯ These recommendations received over 75% agreement from the panelists. Early diagnosis and a coordinated referral system between ophthalmologists and pediatric rheumatologists are crucial to prevent irreversible visual impairment in children with JIAU. However, achieving a balance between disease activity and medication use remains a key challenge in JIAU management, necessitating further clinical studies.
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Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an effective treatment for patients with morbid obesity, but the optimal gastric volume (GV) for resection remains unclear. Accordingly, we aimed to determine the optimal percentage of excised stomach that could engender significant weight loss and improve fatty liver. ⋯ %RGV and %RGL were determined to be factors affecting LSG outcomes. LSG engendered significantly more BW loss when %RGV was >75.3% and resulted in fatty liver disease improvement when %RGV was >56.4%.
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While Reddy proposed the H2FPEF diagnostic algorithm to aid in diagnosing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), certain parameters like age and obesity are not suitable for Asian population, especially given the increasing incidence of HFpEF in younger individuals. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an easy-to-use nomogram with non-invasive indices that can be used in outpatient clinics in Taiwan to quickly estimate the probability of HFpEF and help decide whether further invasive cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is needed. ⋯ The noninvasive HFpEF nomogram provides a preliminary estimation of the probability of HFpEF in Taiwanese outpatients with unexplained dyspnea and fatigue, which may help the decision-making on further invasive CPET.
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Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a time-sensitive treatment for acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion. To optimize transfer efficiency, a web-based platform was introduced in the Tainan Stroke Network (TSN). We assessed its application and effectiveness in regional stroke care. ⋯ This new web-based EVT transfer system provides notable improvements in clinical outcomes, transfer efficiency, and EVT execution for potential EVT candidates without markedly changing the regional stroke care paradigm.