Determinants of outcomes in patients with hepatitis B virus-decompensated cirrhosis.

The role of pre-treatment HBV DNA levels on the prognosis of hepatitis B virus-related decompensated cirrhosis is unclear. This study investigated the effects of pre-treatment HBV DNA and other determinants on short-term and long-term survival of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with decompensated cirrhosis. A total of 278 cirrhotic decompensated CHB patients treated with entecavir or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate were retrospectively enrolled.

Independent and joint effects of self-reported physical activity and sedentary behaviors on mortality in community-dwelling older persons: a prospective cohort study.

Background: This study aims to assess the joint and independent effects of self-reported physical activity and sedentary behavior on mortality in older persons.

Methods: A prospective community-based cohort study was conducted to examine physical activity (PA) level and sitting time (ST) in relation to mortality among 1,786 older persons aged 65 years and above. PA was assessed by a checklist of 26 self-reported items about PA and hours per week, and the metabolic equivalent hours/week was derived, and ST was measured by a self-reported item asking the average number of hours spent sitting per day.

Mediation analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging variables with all-cause and cardiovascular disease-specific mortalities in persons with type 2 diabetes.

Aim: Glucose variation (GV) has emerged as a predictor of morbidity and mortality in persons with diabetes. However, no study has examined whether brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) variables mediated the association between mortality and GV.

Materials And Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort comprising 3,961 individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), whose electronic medical records were retrieved from a medical center between January 2001 and October 2021.

Heritability of carotid intima-media thickness and inflammatory factors of atherosclerosis in a Chinese population.

Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, has been found to be associated with incident stroke. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen have been demonstrated to be associated with atherosclerosis. Previous studies on heritability estimates of IMT, CRP, and fibrinogen among Chinese populations are limited.

A cross-sectional study of perception toward university social responsibility and environmental sustainability practices in medical university students under promotion of sustainable thinking within the university.

This study aims to assess the associations among students' perceptions of climate change, university social responsibility (USR), and environmental sustainability practices at a medical university. It also aims to identify the factors associated with these elements. A cross-sectional self-report study was conducted with a total sample of 416 undergraduate students from a medical university in Taiwan during October 2019.

Comparison of Mini Nutritional Assessment Tool and Geriatric Nutrition Risk Index in Predicting 12-Y Mortality Among Community-Dwelling Older Persons.

Background: Malnutrition is a common and dangerous condition in older adults, which has been associated with increased risk of mortality.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the abilities of Mini Nutritional Assessment short form (MNA-SF), MNA full form (MNA-FF), and geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) to predict all-cause and expanded cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related mortality in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: This research was an observational cohort study conducted in a community setting, with a 12-y follow-up involving 1001 community-living older adults aged 65 y or older who were enrolled in 2009 and followed up until 2021.

Association of echocardiographic parameters with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate associations between echocardiography markers and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: Diabetes Care Management Program database of a medical center was used, including 5612 patients with T2DM aged 30 years and older and who underwent echocardiography assessment between 2001 and 2021. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate associations of echocardiography abnormalities with all-cause and expanded cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

Association of carotid atherosclerosis markers with all-cause and cardiovascular disease-specific mortality in persons with type 2 diabetes: a causal mediation analysis with glucose variation.

Aims: Glucose variation (GV) is independently associated with mortality in patients with diabetes. However, no study has examined the effects of carotid atherosclerosis markers on mortality after considering GV. Our purpose is to investigate the independent effects of carotid atherosclerosis markers in persons with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) after considering GV and the mediation effects of carotid atherosclerosis markers on associations between GV with cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

Hepatitis Flares or Hepatic Decompensation after Discontinuation of Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate and Entecavir in Non-Cirrhotic Hepatitis B e Antigen-Negative Patients.

Hepatic events can occur after discontinuing antiviral therapy. We investigated factors associated with hepatitis flares and hepatic decompensation after discontinuing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and entecavir (ETV). Hepatitis flares within 6 months and hepatic decompensation were compared between non-cirrhotic hepatitis B e antigen-negative patients after discontinuing TDF or ETV by using the Cox proportional hazard model.

Association of time-varying sleep duration and cognitive function with mortality in the elderly: a 12-year community-based cohort study.

Background: Sleeping problems and cognitive impairment are common in elders. Baseline sleep duration and cognitive status are predictors of mortality. But few studies have explored whether longitudinal changes in sleep duration and cognitive function are related to mortality in older adults.

Three-year trajectories of sleep duration and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes-a hospital-based retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Most studies have shown that a single item of self-reported sleep duration is related to mortality risk. However, the long-term effect of sleep duration on mortality remains unclear in patients with diabetes. This study aimed to examine the associations of 3-year trajectory patterns of sleep duration with all-cause and expanded cardiovascular disease mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Increased plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in patients with hepatitis B virus pre-S2 gene deletion mutation predict a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after curative surgical resection.

Background: Despite resection surgery as a curative therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the high rate of postoperative HCC recurrence remains a big challenge for patient survival. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most important risk factor for HCC. Deletion mutation in the HBV pre-S2 gene leads to expression of an essential viral oncoprotein called pre-S2 mutant and represents an independent prognostic biomarker for HCC recurrence after curative surgical resection.

Combination of Hepatitis B Virus Pre-S2 Gene Deletion Mutation and Tumor-Node-Metastasis Stage Predicts Higher Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence after Curative Surgical Resection.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent and life-threatening human cancers worldwide. Despite curative resection surgery, the high recurrence rate of HCC leads to poor patient survival. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major etiological factor for HCC.

TCM as adjunctive therapy improves risks of respiratory hospitalizations in persons with type 2 diabetes: A retrospective cohort study.

Patients with type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma than the general population. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) might be beneficial for patients with type 2 diabetes. We investigated whether TCM use was associated with a reduced risk of respiratory hospitalizations in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Is Associated with an Increased Risk for Migraine Diagnosis: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Previous studies reported an increased risk of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in patients with migraine. Hence, we aimed to assess the risk of migraine in patients with BPPV. This cohort study was conducted using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

Association of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes: a Mendelian randomization study.

Introduction: Observational studies support the relationship between C-reactive protein (CRP) level and diabetic nephropathy (DN) in patients with diabetes. The research question regarding whether the relationship between serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level and DN is causal lacks experimental evidence. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the causality between hsCRP and DN based on Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Risk prediction of nephropathy by integrating clinical and genetic information among adult patients with type 2 diabetes.

Aims: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major healthcare challenge. We developed and internally and externally validated a risk prediction model of DN by integrating clinical factors and SNPs from genes of multiple CKD-related pathways in the Han Chinese population.

Materials And Methods: A total of 1526 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly allocated into derivation (n = 1019) or validation (n = 507) sets.

Traditional Chinese medicine body constitution predicts new-onset diabetic albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes: Taichung diabetic body constitution prospective cohort study.

This prospective cohort study explored whether body constitution (BC) independently predicts new-onset albuminuria in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) enrolled in the diabetes care management program (DCMP) of a medical center, providing evidence of integrating traditional Chinese medicine into DCMP for improving care quality. Persons with T2DM (n = 426) originally without albuminuria enrolled in DCMP were recruited in 2010 and were then followed up to 2015 for detecting new-onset albuminuria. The participants received urinalysis and blood test annually.

Obesity marker trajectories and cognitive impairment in older adults: a 10-year follow-up in Taichung community health study for elders.

Background: Obesity and cognitive impairment prevalence increases as age increases. Recent growing evidence finds links between obesity and cognitive impairment in older adults. However, the association between the two is controversial.