Rhythmic musical intervention improves response time of memory tests: A pilot study on the application of a digital cognitive assessment.

Background: Memory complaints are the early symptoms of cognitive impairment, and they usually bring anxiety about cognitive deterioration among the elderly population. Musical interventions were demonstrated to relieve dementia symptoms. This pilot study investigated the potential benefits of rhythmic musical intervention, African drumming, on cognitive function and mood status with traditional and digital assessments for elderly participants.

Exergaming and cognitive functions in people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a meta-analysis.

Exergaming is a combination of exercise and gaming. Evidence shows an association between exercise and cognition in older people. However, previous studies showed inconsistent results on the cognitive benefits of exergaming in people with cognitive impairment.

Computerized cognitive training for memory functions in mild cognitive impairment or dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Dementia is a common medical condition in the ageing population, and cognitive intervention is a non-pharmacologic strategy to improve cognitive functions. This meta-analysis evaluated the benefits of computerized cognitive training (CCT) on memory functions in individuals with MCI or dementia. The study was registered prospectively with PROSPERO under CRD42022363715 and received no funding.

The HOPE Asia Network consensus on blood pressure measurements corresponding to office measurements: Automated office, home, and ambulatory blood pressures.

For adopting recently introduced hypertension phenotypes categorized using office and out of office blood pressure (BP) for the diagnosis of hypertension and antihypertension drug therapy, it is mandatory to define the corresponding out of office BP with the specific target BP recommended by the major guidelines. Such conditions include white-coat hypertension (WCH), masked hypertension (MH), white-coat uncontrolled hypertension (WUCH), and masked uncontrolled hypertension (MUCH). Here, the authors review the relevant literature and discuss the related issue to facilitate the use of corresponding BPs for proper diagnosis of WCH, MH, WUCH, and MUCH in the setting of standard target BP as well as intensive target BP.

Home blood pressure-centered approach - from digital health to medical practice: HOPE Asia Network consensus statement 2023.

Recent innovations in digital technology have enabled the simultaneous accumulation, and the linking and analysis of time-series big data relating to several factors that influence blood pressure (BP), including biological indicators, physical activity, and environmental information. Various approaches can be used to monitor BP: in the office/clinic; at home; 24-h ambulatory recording; or with wearable and cuffless devices. Of these, home BP monitoring is a reliable and convenient method, and is recommended for hypertension management by current national and international guidelines.

Use of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Aim: Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) exhibit compositional changes in their gut microbiome, which represents a potential therapeutic target. Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics are microbiome-targeted therapies that have been proposed as treatment for NAFLD. We aim to systematically review the effects of these therapies in liver-related outcomes of NAFLD patients.

The Western and Chinese exercise training for blood pressure reduction among hypertensive patients: An overview of systematic reviews.

Hypertension remains the world's leading cause of premature death. Interventions such as exercise, diet modification, and pharmacological therapy remain the mainstay of hypertension treatment. Numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses demonstrated the effectiveness of western exercises, such as aerobic exercise and resistance exercise, in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

Applications of artificial intelligence in dementia research.

More than 50 million older people worldwide are suffering from dementia, and this number is estimated to increase to 150 million by 2050. Greater caregiver burdens and financial impacts on the healthcare system are expected as we wait for an effective treatment for dementia. Researchers are constantly exploring new therapies and screening approaches for the early detection of dementia.

Time series models show comparable projection performance with joinpoint regression: A comparison using historical cancer data from World Health Organization.

Background: Cancer is one of the major causes of death and the projection of cancer incidences is essential for future healthcare resources planning. Joinpoint regression and average annual percentage change (AAPC) are common approaches for cancer projection, while time series models, traditional ways of trend analysis in statistics, were considered less popular. This study aims to compare these projection methods on seven types of cancers in 31 geographical jurisdictions.

The HOPE Asia network 2022 up-date consensus statement on morning hypertension management.

Morning hypertension is an important clinical target in the management of hypertension for perfect 24-h blood pressure (BP) control. Morning hypertension is generally categorized into two types: "morning surge" type and "sustained nocturnal and morning hypertension" type. The "morning surge" type is characterized by an exaggerated morning blood pressure surge (MBPS), and the "sustained nocturnal and morning hypertension" type with continuous hypertension from nighttime to morning (non-dipper/riser type).

The genetic architecture of blood pressure variability: A genome-wide association study of 9370 participants from UK Biobank.

Long-term blood pressure variability (BPV) is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, dementia, and stroke. However, its genetic architecture is not fully understood. This study aims to explore its genetic factors and provide more evidence on the mechanisms and further pathological study of BPV.

Risk of self-harm in post TIA patients: A population-based cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether individuals who have experienced a transient ischemic attack (TIA) have an increased risk of self-harm behaviors.

Methods: In this matched cohort study, we reviewed the electronic health records of all patients admitted for any reason to Hong Kong public hospitals between January 1, 1993, and December 31, 2019. We selected a post-TIA cohort consisting of 37,356 patients and a comparison cohort comprising 37,352 subjects.

Cost-effectiveness of pharmacological therapies for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: This study aims to synthesize the empirical economic evidence of pharmaceutical therapies for people with dementia.

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Literature evaluating the costs and effects of drug therapies for dementia was indexed until December 2021.

Raw and Cooked Vegetable Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Study of 400,000 Adults in UK Biobank.

Objectives: Higher levels of vegetable consumption have been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the independent effect of raw and cooked vegetable consumption remains unclear.

Methods: From the UK Biobank cohort, 399,586 participants without prior CVD were included in the analysis. Raw and cooked vegetable intakes were measured with a validated dietary questionnaire at baseline.

Personality changes after subarachnoid hemorrhage: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Personality changes (PC) comprise a common and debilitating illness that accompanies many neurological disorders, including non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The aim of this systematic review was to identify and critically appraise all published studies that have reported the frequency, severity, and time course of PC after SAH, the factors associated with the development of PC and the effects of PC on patients' lives after SAH.

Methods: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Ovid Nursing databases for studies published in English that recruited at least 10 patients (>18 years old) after SAH who were also diagnosed with PC.

Seven-action approaches for the management of hypertension in Asia - The HOPE Asia network.

Asia is a large continent and there is significant diversity between countries and regions. Over the last 30 years, absolute blood pressure (BP) levels in Asia have increased to a greater extent than those in other regions. In diverse Asia-Pacific populations, for choosing an Asia-specific approach to hypertension management is important to prevent target organ damage and cardiovascular diseases.

Apathy after subarachnoid haemorrhage: A systematic review.

Background: Apathy is a common and debilitating symptom accompanying many neurological disorders including non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to identify and critically appraise all published studies that have reported the prevalence, severity, and time course of apathy after SAH, the factors associated with its development, and the impact of apathy on patients' quality of life after SAH.

Methods: The PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Ovid Nursing databases were searched for studies published in English that recruited at least 10 patients (>18 years old) after SAH who were also diagnosed with apathy.

Cardiovascular risk assessment tools in Asia.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is becoming the most important burden to health care systems in most part of the world, especially in Asia. Aiming at identifying high risk individuals and tailoring preventive treatment, many cardiovascular risk assessment tools have been established and most of them were developed in Western countries. However, these cardiovascular risk assessment tools cannot be used interchangeably without recalibration because of the different risk factor profiles (ie, greater absolute burden of hypertension and lower level of total-cholesterol in Asians and higher prevalence of metabolic disorders in South Asians) and different CVD profiles (higher ratio of stroke/coronary heart disease in Asians) between Western and Asian populations.

Supporting Informal Caregivers of People With Dementia in Cost-Effective Ways: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: Caring for persons with dementia is a heavy burden for informal caregivers. This study aimed to appraise the economic evidence of interventions supporting informal caregivers of people with dementia.

Methods: Literature was searched, and trial-based studies evaluating the costs and effects of interventions supporting informal caregivers of people with dementia were included.

Antihypertensive treatments and risks of lung Cancer: a large population-based cohort study in Hong Kong.

Background: There is a growing concern that the use of anti-hypertensives may be associated with an increased risk of cancer, but it remains uncertain for the association between anti-hypertensives and lung cancer risk, as well as their interaction with aspirin in chemoprotective effects.

Methods: The goal of this study is to assess the association between anti-hypertensives use and the risk of lung cancer, as well as the chemopreventive impacts from the combination usage of aspirin and anti-hypertensives. A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on all the public hospital electronic medical records in Hong Kong.

Diagnostic performance of digital cognitive tests for the identification of MCI and dementia: A systematic review.

Background: The use of digital cognitive tests is getting common nowadays. Older adults or their family members may use online tests for self-screening of dementia. However, the diagnostic performance across different digital tests is still to clarify.

Evaluation of Digital Drawing Tests and Paper-and-Pencil Drawing Tests for the Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Studies.

Digital drawing tests have been proposed for cognitive screening over the past decade. However, the diagnostic performance is still to clarify. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance among different types of digital and paper-and-pencil drawing tests in the screening of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.