Articles: middle-aged.
-
This study assessed oral health conditions and associated factors (including sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported oral health-related behaviors) among Chinese adolescents. This cross-sectional study enrolled 3840 adolescents aged 12 to 15 years from 12 middle schools in Foshan, Southeast China, in 2016, using multistage, stratified cluster sampling. Participants underwent a clinical oral examination and completed a questionnaire. ⋯ Older age, female, administrative region, brushing less than twice daily, and flossing less than once daily significantly increased periodontal risk. Despite the overall low prevalence of adverse dental conditions among adolescents in Foshan, their oral hygiene habits were undeveloped. Thus, their identified risk factors need close monitoring, and families, schools, communities, and the government should jointly promote adolescents' oral health.
-
Case Reports
The green bad omen in blood smear and the potential of blood purification therapy: A case report.
Green inclusions (GI) are distinct morphological features found in phagocytic cells like neutrophils and monocytes. These intracellular structures exhibit bright green color with unclear boundaries, and their origin and clinical significance are still not fully understood. GI carriers, often middle-aged to elderly with liver dysfunction, face higher mortality rates, earning them the nickname "inclusions of death." This report presents a rare GI-related pediatric case, demonstrating a favorable response to blood purification therapy. ⋯ This case underscores the complexities in managing GI-related pediatric cases. Moreover, it emphasizes the potential benefits of blood purification therapy in such scenarios. Notably, this study highlights a potential correlation between the level of GI in peripheral blood and disease severity, particularly in pediatric cases. While these findings hold clinical significance for the treatment and management of GI-related patients, further research focusing on middle-aged and elderly individuals is imperative to elucidate the fundamental relationship between peripheral blood GI quantity and clinical presentation and to evaluate the efficacy of blood purification in GI-related cases.
-
This study aims to identify multimorbidity patterns and examine whether health poverty vulnerability (HPV) varies among adults aged 45 years or more. Data from 4338 participants were extracted from a Chinese cross-sectional study. Latent class analysis was used to identify multimorbidity patterns based on 11 self-reported chronic diseases. ⋯ Although the multimorbidity pattern-induced HPV has been significant improved on extreme poverty, it still poses a very serious challenge with regard to low- to middle-income countries' poverty line. The sensitivity analysis proved the robustness of the results. Policymakers should focus on adults with 3 multimorbidity patterns, namely, registered poor households, age ≥75 years, and catastrophic health expenditure, to adopt targeted interventions to prevent and eliminate HPV.
-
The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasing at an alarming rate. Elevated liver enzymes are a primary reason to refer patients for further testing. However, liver enzymes within the normal range do not exclude the presence of MASLD. ⋯ The prevalence of MASLD in middle-aged men and women with overweight and liver enzymes within the normal range is over 40%. LFS showed the highest accuracy to detect MASLD, but, overall, biomarker scores performed relatively poor. The presence of metabolic syndrome was the prime predictor of MASLD.
-
JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc · Jan 2024
Case ReportsPrimary Sjogren's Syndrome with Bicytopenia: A Case Report.
Sjogren's syndrome is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease presenting a wide variety of clinical manifestations ranging from mild sicca symptoms to severe systemic symptoms involving pulmonary, renal, musculoskeletal, cutaneous, and haematological diseases. These symptomatic diversities can delay the correct diagnosis of Sjogren's Syndrome for a long time. Here, we report the case of a 59-year-old woman with fatigue and weakness in whom bicytopenia was documented. A thorough bicytopenia workup brought us to the final diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome. Hydroxychloroquine was started which normalized the patient's blood parameters and clinical symptoms. The haematological alterations in Sjogren's syndrome are not pathognomonic. However, only bicytopenia can be the initial presentation of Sjogren's syndrome as in our patient. Therefore, inexplicable bicytopenia in a middle-aged female may alert the clinician about the possibility of Sjogren's syndrome. ⋯ autoimmune diseases; case reports; cytopenia; sjogren's syndrome.