Upper airway collapsibility during rapid eye movement sleep tracks the response to upper airway surgery for obstructive sleep apnea.

Objectives: Endotype-based intervention has shown promise in treatment for patients with obstructive sleep apnea, and upper airway surgery is an important therapeutic option. However, the response to surgery varies among patients with obstructive sleep apnea. This study aims to examine changes in endotypic traits following upper airway surgery and their association with surgical outcome.

Endotypic Traits Characterizing Obesity and Sleep-related Hypoventilation in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Rationale: Sleep-related hypoventilation disorder (SHD) is common among obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but the pathological endotypes associated with obesity and SHD remain unclear.

Objectives: To investigate relationship between endotypes with body mass index (BMI) among patients with OSA, and to explore endotypic traits of patients with comorbid SHD.

Methods: We prospectively collected polysomnographic studies of 1364 patients with OSA, and overnight transcutaneous CO2 (TcCO2) measurements among 420 obese patients.

Sex-specific Age-Related Worsening of Pathological Endotypic Traits in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Study Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is more prevalent in men and older adults. Few studies have explored variations in pathological endotypic traits by age and sex using a large patient sample, offering insights into the development of the disease. Our study aims to examine how endotype characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea vary across age in different sex.

Integrative traditional Chinese medicine treatment for children with obstructive sleep apnea.

Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic disease that affects 1%-6% of children. Our study aims to explore the effectiveness and clinical characteristics of integrative Traditional Chinese Medicine (ITCM) for pediatric OSA.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we assessed differences of polysomnography (PSG) parameters and clinical characteristics between 2009 and 2020.

Endotypic traits of supine position and supine-predominant obstructive sleep apnoea in Asian patients.

Background: Over half of all cases of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) are classified as supine-related OSA; however, the pathological endotype during supine position is not fully understood. This study aims to investigate the endotypic traits of supine-predominant OSA and explore the variations in endotypic traits between the supine and lateral positions.

Methods: We prospectively recruited 689 adult patients with OSA from a single sleep centre between April 2020 and December 2022.

Dose of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in older adults.

Background: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been associated with an increased risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in older patients but little is known about the risk associated with individual SSRI drugs and doses.

Aims: To quantify the risk of UGIB in relation to individual SSRI use in older adults.

Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study within a cohort of 9565 patients aged ⩾65 years prescribed SSRIs from 2000 to 2013 using claims data of universal health insurance in Taiwan.

Rest-activity rhythm associated with depressive symptom severity and attention among patients with major depressive disorder: a 12-month follow-up study.

Introduction: Patients with depressive disorder demonstrate rest-activity rhythm disturbances and cognitive function impairment. This study examined the association of individual rest-activity rhythm changes over time with mood symptoms and attention.

Methods: We recruited 15 adult outpatients with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder from a single medical center and observed them for 12 months.

Continuous positive airway pressure and adherence in patients with different endotypes of obstructive sleep apnea.

Determining the endotypes of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has potential implications for precision interventions. Here we assessed whether continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment outcomes differ across endotypic subgroups. We conducted a retrospective analysis of data obtained from 225 patients with moderate-to-severe OSA from a single sleep centre.

Relationship between Symptom Profiles and Endotypes among Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Latent Class Analysis.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a heterogeneous syndrome with various endotypic traits and symptoms. A link among symptoms, endotypes, and disease prognosis has been proposed but remains unsupported by empirical data. To link symptom profiles and endotypes by clustering endotypic traits estimated using polysomnographic signals.

The Effectiveness and Tolerability of Glycopyrronium for Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in a Clinical Setting: GLARE-Taiwan.

Glycopyrronium (GLY) is a pharmacological maintenance treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, its effectiveness and tolerability for COPD patients in routine clinical practice have not been well-investigated. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of GLY on health-related quality of life and its safety in patients with COPD in a routine clinical care setting.

Impact of sleep timing on attention, sleepiness, and sleep quality among real-life night shift workers with shift work disorder: a cross-over clinical trial.

Study Objectives: To examine the effect of sleep timing intervention on sleep quality, attention, and sleepiness at work among night shift workers with shift work disorder.

Methods: We recruited 60 real-life night shift workers through advertisements to participate this cross-over clinical trial. Shift work disorder was confirmed with interview and sleep log.

Polysomnography Is an Important Method for Diagnosing Pediatric Sleep Problems: Experience of One Children's Hospital.

In this study, we collected and analyzed polysomnography (PSG) data to investigate the value of PSG in diagnosing sleep problems in children. The results of PSG studies of children (<18 years old) with sleep problems conducted from April 2015 to May 2017 at a children's hospital in Taiwan were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Data for 310 patients (209 males and 101 females) who underwent PSG were collected.

A follow-up study on restless legs syndrome in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease population.

Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is prevalent in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). No large population-based cohort study has assessed the relationship. We evaluated the incidence of RLS among COPD patients by sociodemographic status (SES) and comorbidity using insurance claims data of Taiwan.

Budesonide/Formoterol Anti-Inflammatory Reliever and Maintenance or Fluticasone Propionate/Salmeterol Plus As-Needed, Short-Acting β Agonist: Real-World Effectiveness in pAtients without Optimally Controlled asThma (REACT) Study.

Introduction: In the prospective, observational, 16-week REACT study conducted between October 21, 2008 and May 12, 2011, we compared the real-world effectiveness of anti-inflammatory reliever and maintenance therapy with budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort Turbuhaler) and maintenance therapy with fixed-dose fluticasone/salmeterol (Seretide) plus as-needed, short-acting β agonists (SABAs) in Taiwanese patients with inadequate asthma control.

Methods: Asthma control was assessed using the five-item Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ-5) and standardized pulmonary function testing. Assessments were performed at baseline and at weeks 4-5 and 12-16.

Clinical characteristics of Asian patients with sleep apnea with low arousal threshold and sleep structure change with continuous positive airway pressure.

Purpose: Low respiratory arousal threshold (ArTH) has been observed to be prevalent in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and is associated with poor adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. This study aimed to examine the associations between low ArTH and clinical characteristics. The second aim was to examine sleep structure changes between diagnostic polysomnography (PSG) and CPAP titration studies.

Focal conformal fractionated radiotherapy vs. radiosurgery for lung cancer patients with limited brain metastases.

Background: For lung cancer (LC) patients with limited brain metastases (LBM), radiosurgery (RS) was the current preferred strategy. We aimed to report our experience regarding an alternative strategy (focal conformal fractionated radiotherapy, FCFRT) for these patients in this cohort study.

Methods: We identified LC patients with LBM treated with either FCFRT or RS within 2016-2019 without prior brain local treatment via in-house databases.

Effects of Chinese herbal medicines on dementia risk in patients with sleep disorders in Taiwan.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Sleep disorders affect an estimated 150 million people worldwide and result in adverse health, safety, and work performance-related outcomes that have important economic consequences. In Taiwan, Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is a complementary natural medicine and has been widely used as an adjunctive therapy.

Aim Of The Study: This study aimed to investigate the effect of CHM on dementia risk in patients with sleep disorders in Taiwan.

Air Pollutants Are Associated With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity in Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep.

Study Objectives: The relationship between seasonal variation of obstructive sleep apnea and ambient temperature and pollutants has been inconsistent in previous studies. It is also unknown whether the seasonal variation in apnea-hypopnea index influences continuous positive airway pressure treatment dose. This study aims to examine the seasonality of obstructive sleep apnea and continuous positive airway pressure treatment, and the association between air pollutants and apnea-hypopnea index in adults with different sleep apnea severity during different sleep stages.

Comparison between COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scores for evaluation of clinical symptoms, comorbidities and medical resources utilization in COPD patients.

Background: The 2011 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) proposed a new severity assessment system for emphasizing clinical symptom evaluation by COPD Assessment Test (CAT) or modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scores. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two scoring systems in evaluating COPD patients.

Methods: A population based cross-sectional study employing computer-assisted telephone interviewing system (CATI) for surveying the epidemiology of COPD in Taiwan.

Late chronotype and high social jetlag are associated with burnout in evening-shift workers: Assessment using the Chinese-version MCTQ.

Chronotypes are associated with shift work tolerance and sleep in shift workers, and sleep mediates the impact of shift work on mental health. However, the role of chronotype in the association between shift work and mental health has not been clarified. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between chronotype and burnout in shift workers, using the validated Munich ChronoType Questionnaire for shift workers (MCTQ).

CHA2DS2-VASc scores predict major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Introduction: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently experience concurrent comorbidities; therefore, risk assessment for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) is very important.

Objectives: We explored the association between COPD and risk of MACEs with three common clinical events: acute myocardial infarction (AMI), ischemic stroke (IS), and cardiovascular death (CVD).

Methods: We evaluated the predictive value of the CHA2DS2-VASc score (congestive heart failure [C], hypertension [H], age [A], diabetes [D], stroke [S], and vascular disease [VASc]) for MACEs in COPD patients.

The association between continuous positive airway pressure therapy and liver disease development in obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome patients: a nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan.

Purpose: Studies on the association between continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment and liver diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cirrhosis in patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) are limited. To the best of our knowledge, none exists that makes use of a national database in an Asian population. This study aims to evaluate the effects of CPAP treatment on patients with these two disorders in a retrospective, population-based study in Taiwan.