Malnutrition and Frailty Are Associated with a Higher Risk of Prolonged Hospitalization and Mortality in Hospitalized Older Adults.

Malnutrition and frailty are independent risk factors of prolonged hospitalization and mortality, respectively. However, the combined association of these conditions with the risk of prolonged hospitalization and mortality in hospitalized elderly patients remains unclear. Our object was to investigate the combined association of malnutrition and frailty on the risk of prolonged hospitalization and mortality in hospitalized elderly patients.

Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: Role of Diabetes Mellitus and Glycated Hemoglobin Level.

Purpose: Following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have a poorer prognosis than those without DM. This study aimed to investigate the benefit of cardiac rehabilitation on cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with AMI, examining whether this effect varied depending on DM and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.

Methods: Data were collected from the medical records of 324 patients diagnosed with AMI who were subsequently referred to participate in a supervised exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation program.

Multimodal training with dual-task enhances immediate and retained effects on dual-task effects of gait speed not by cognitive-motor trade-offs in stroke survivors: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Individuals who have experienced stroke may benefit from dual-task related training to improve gait speed performance. Whether noted improvements reflect true effects on gait or cognitive-motor trade-offs still remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of dual-task training on dual-task effects of both walking and cognitive domains in stroke survivors.

Healthy Lifestyle and Quality of Life in Post-Operative Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Five-Month Observational Study.

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important indicator of treatment effectiveness. An unhealthy lifestyle can have a negative impact on quality of life. This study aimed to investigate changes in health-related lifestyle over time after surgery for colorectal cancer and their impact on HRQOL.

Comparative Effectiveness of Focused Extracorporeal versus Radial Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis-Randomized Controlled Study.

Both focused extracorporeal shockwave (f-ESWT) and radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy (r-ESWT) can alleviate symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis, but no trials have directly compared f-ESWT with r-ESWT for knee osteoarthritis. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of f-ESWT and r-ESWT on knee osteoarthritis. Forty-two patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to receive three sessions of either f-ESWT or r-ESWT at 1-week intervals.

Stroke to Dementia Associated with Environmental Risks-A Semi-Markov Model.

Background: Most stroke cases lead to serious mental and physical disabilities, such as dementia and sensory impairment. Chronic diseases are contributory risk factors for stroke. However, few studies considered the transition behaviors of stroke to dementia associated with chronic diseases and environmental risks.

Extracorporeal Shock Waves Versus Botulinum Toxin Type A in the Treatment of Poststroke Upper Limb Spasticity: A Randomized Noninferiority Trial.

Objective: To investigate whether extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is noninferior to botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) for the treatment of poststroke upper limb spasticity.

Design: Randomized noninferiority trial.

Setting: Referral medical center.

Statin Use and the Risk of Dementia in Patients with Stroke: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Patients with stroke have an increased risk of dementia. Some studies have found that statin use might lower the risk of incident dementia; however, there is still a lack of data from patients with stroke. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the impact of statin use on the risk of dementia in patients with stroke.

Comparison of the effect of focused and radial extracorporeal shock waves on spastic equinus in patients with stroke: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Recent studies have suggested that either focused or radial shock wave therapy is an effect method for the treatment of spasticity in patients with stroke. However, no previous study compared these two types of extracorporeal shock wave on spasticity in patients with stroke. This study aimed to compare the effect of focused and radial shock wave therapy for the treatment of spastic equinus in patients with stroke.

Bidirectional association between obstructive sleep apnea and depression: A population-based longitudinal study.

An association may exist between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and depression. However, results regarding this association are inconsistent, and the direction of the association between OSA and depression remains unknown. Therefore, we used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to investigate the bidirectional association between OSA and depression.

Comparison of agomelatine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors in major depressive disorder: A meta-analysis of head-to-head randomized clinical trials.

Objective: Agomelatine is a new antidepressant with unique melatonin receptor type 1A (MTNR1A) and 1B ( MTNR1B) agonism and serotonergic receptor 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2C (5-HT-2C) antagonism. Several studies of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) have confirmed the superior efficacy and safety of agomelatine in comparison with established treatments, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). This meta-analysis comprehensively shows the efficacy, acceptability, and safety of agomelatine in comparison with SSRIs and SNRIs used as antidepressants in MDD.

Predictors of short- and long-term mortality in first-ever ischaemic older stroke patients.

Aim: Predictors of short- and long-term all-cause mortality of older stroke patients were explored.

Methods: Cox regression models were used to estimate the relative risk and 95% confidence intervals (CI) in the database entries of 636 older stroke patients aged 70 years and over.

Results: National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on admission, age and coronary heart disease were significantly associated with 28-day death.

Association between the volume of inpatient rehabilitation therapy and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with ischemic stroke.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the volume of inpatient rehabilitation therapy and mortality among patients with acute ischemic stroke, as well as to assess whether the association varies with respect to stroke severity.

Design: A retrospective study with a cohort of consecutive patients who had acute ischemic stroke between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009.

Setting: Referral medical center.

Occupational versus leisure-time physical activity in reducing cardiovascular risks and mortality among ethnic Chinese adults in Taiwan.

The aim of the study was to investigate the associations of occupational physical activity (OPA) and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. Physical activity data from the Baeck questionnaire was available for 1706 participants. During a follow-up period, there were 215 cases of CVD and 438 deaths.

The prognostic roles of initial glucose level and functional outcomes in patients with ischemic stroke: difference between diabetic and nondiabetic patients.

Purpose: To identify the prognostic roles of initial glucose level in the emergency department among patients with acute ischemic stroke, and to evaluate whether or not the impact varied with diabetes.

Methods: A total of 774 first-ever ischemic stroke patients admitted to the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Taiwan. Participants were stratified into tertiles by initial glucose level in the emergency department.

Predicting functional outcomes in patients suffering from ischaemic stroke using initial admission variables and physiological data: a comparison between tree model and multivariate regression analysis.

Purpose: This study was aimed to compare the application of a tree model and regression approach for developing data-driven models that identified frisk factors related to functional outcomes among ischaemic stroke patients.

Methods: Data were derived from 271 hospitalised patients with a first-ever ischaemic stroke. The Barthel Index (BI) and Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) were used to assess the functional outcomes.

Botulinum toxin (Dysport) treatment of the spastic gastrocnemius muscle in children with cerebral palsy: a randomized trial comparing two injection volumes.

Objective: To compare the effect of equivalent doses in two different volumes of botulinum toxin type A (Dysport) on gastrocnemius spasticity.

Design: Single-blind, randomized, controlled trial.

Setting: Hospital rehabilitation department.

Bilateral neuralgic amyotrophy presenting with left vocal cord and phrenic nerve paralysis.

This article reports the difference between neuralgic amyotrophy and neuropathy caused by chemotherapy and radiation treatment which manifested with severe shoulder pain followed by marked weakness of bilateral upper arms and involvement of cranial nerves. A 62-year-old man presented with acute severe neuropathic pain at the left shoulder, bilateral shoulder weakness, hoarseness of voice from vocal cord palsy, and respiratory insufficiency from left diaphragm palsy, which all occurred sequentially over a 1-month period. The diagnosis of neuralgic amyotrophy was supported and differentiated from tumor-induced and radiation-induced neuropathy by clinical presentation, electrophysiologic and imaging studies.