Publications by authors named "Wen-Hung Huang"
Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder and is often accompanied by functional leg length inequality (FLLI). However, little was known about the effects of gluteal muscle control training in patients with LBP and FLLI. This study was designed to investigate the effects of gluteal control training in patients with LBP and FLLI.
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- LV systolic strain is a potentially better indicator of heart function compared to LV ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with mildly reduced ejection fraction heart failure (HFmrEF).
- A study involving 1,075 hospitalized HFmrEF patients demonstrated that LV strain is significantly associated with cardiac risk and clinical outcomes, outperforming LVEF in survival predictions.
- The research suggests that lower LV strain levels can more effectively indicate the benefits of angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) treatments compared to traditional LVEF, making it a valuable tool for risk assessment and therapy responsiveness in these patients.
Presentation of glomerulocystic disease in a young onset diabetes: A case report.
Medicine (Baltimore)
January 2024
Rationale: This case report presents a challenging medical scenario involving a young adult male who exhibited an unusual combination of symptoms, including abrupt weight loss, declining renal function, proteinuria, and concurrent onset of diabetes mellitus. Remarkably, the patient had no previous medical history or family history of similar conditions, necessitating a comprehensive investigation.
Patient Concerns: On March 10, 2021, a 25-year-old male sought medical attention due to the aforementioned symptoms.
(1) Background: Uremic pruritus (UP) is a common and taxing symptom in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). We have previously shown that blood lead levels (BLLs) and blood aluminum levels (BALs) were separately positively associated with UP in MHD patients. We also found that blood cadmium levels (BCLs) were positively associated with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular-related mortality in MHD patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF1,2-diacetylbenzene (1,2-DAB) is a neurotoxic component of aromatic solvents commonly used in industrial applications that induces neuropathological changes in animals. This study unraveled the toxic impact of 1,2-DAB in nerve tissues, explant cultures, and neuron-glial cultures, and explored whether herbal products can mitigate its toxicity. The effects of DAB on axonal transport were studied in retinal explant cultures grown in a micro-patterned dish.
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- - The study investigates the toxicity and clinical impact of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin pesticide mixtures, focusing on how organophosphate pesticides may exacerbate the toxicity of pyrethroids due to impaired detoxification mechanisms in the body.
- - Data was collected from 121 patients treated for poisoning between 2000 and 2021, categorized by type of pesticide exposure, and included analysis of clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and mortality rates.
- - Results showed a high incidence of acute respiratory failure (41.3%) and other symptoms, with the mixture group displaying more severe health outcomes, including higher rates of acute respiratory failure and increased death rates compared to other groups.
Background/aim: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a prevalent genetic disorder primarily caused by mutations in Pkd1 (PC1), which account for the majority of ADPKD cases. These mutations contribute to the formation of cysts in the kidneys and other organs, ultimately leading to renal failure. Unfortunately, there are currently no available preventive treatments for this disease.
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- End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients often have coronary artery disease and are treated with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, although they face higher risks of complications post-surgery.
- A 45-year-old male ESRD patient developed a massive pancreatic pseudocyst two weeks after CABG, leading to significant abdominal pain and requiring treatment.
- The case underscores the rarity of such large pseudocysts in ESRD patients post-CABG and highlights the need for careful monitoring during recovery due to factors like prolonged surgery and postoperative hypotension.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluates LCZ696, an angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor, as a treatment for patients with reduced ejection fraction heart failure (HFrEF) and examines its benefits across different subgroups.
- A pooled analysis of 2,206 patients identified three distinct phenogroups based on clinical characteristics, with varied outcomes: phenogroup 1 had the best clinical results, phenogroup 2 experienced the highest cardiovascular death rates, and phenogroup 3 faced the most all-cause deaths and hospitalizations for heart failure.
- The findings suggest that understanding these phenogroups can improve prognosis and treatment strategies for HFrEF patients receiving sacubitril/valsartan therapy.
Article Synopsis
- Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is a frequent issue in end-stage kidney disease patients, and hungry bone syndrome (HBS) can develop after parathyroid surgery in dialysis patients, but there's limited research on predicting HBS outcomes.
- A study of 66 peritoneal dialysis patients showed that those with HBS had lower postoperative calcium and higher levels of alkaline phosphatase and potassium compared to those without HBS, indicating potential risk factors for developing HBS after surgery.
- The study found that while HBS was common (71.2%) in patients post-surgery, there were no significant differences in the recurrence of hyperparathyroidism or mortality rates between those with and without HBS after an average follow
Article Synopsis
- Globus pallidus necrosis (GPN) is a common brain imaging finding in patients who have suffered from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, and current guidelines recommend imaging for those with conscious disturbances.
- Researchers developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm using a random forest classifier to predict GPN in CO intoxicated patients, analyzing data from 261 patients over a 19-year period.
- The AI model achieved an accuracy of 79.2%, with notable predictors including platelet count, carboxyhemoglobin levels, and the Glasgow Coma scale, indicating a promising but still needing further validation approach to diagnosis.
Article Synopsis
- Limited research exists on the effects of methomyl and cypermethrin pesticide mixtures, with a study analyzing 63 patients treated for poisoning at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from 2002 to 2018.
- The study found that patients exposed to the combination of methomyl and cypermethrin experienced higher rates of severe health issues, including acute respiratory failure and aspiration pneumonia, compared to those poisoned by just one of the pesticides.
- Despite a mortality rate of 11.1% and a mean hospitalization stay of almost 10 days, specific mortality risk factors were not identified, indicating a need for further investigation into the toxic effects of these pesticides.
Article Synopsis
- Fragmented QRS (fQRS) may indicate myocardial scarring and is linked to worse outcomes in heart failure patients, especially those with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
- A study of 960 HFpEF patients identified different fQRS patterns and found that those with anterior/lateral fQRS had higher biomarkers indicating cardiac stress and more severe structural heart issues.
- Over a follow-up period, patients with anterior/lateral fQRS faced a doubled risk of heart failure readmission and higher mortality rates, emphasizing the need for early detection and tailored treatment strategies.
Article Synopsis
- There is variability in the incidence of hungry bone syndrome after parathyroidectomy in dialysis patients, with published rates ranging from 15.8% to 92.9%.
- A study involving 120 hemodialysis patients found that the majority underwent subtotal parathyroidectomy, with a high incidence of hungry bone syndrome occurring shortly after surgery, lasting on average over 11 months.
- Notably, patients with hungry bone syndrome exhibited lower calcium and parathyroid hormone levels post-surgery and had a lower recurrence of hyperparathyroidism compared to those without the syndrome; preoperative blood ferritin levels were found to negatively predict the syndrome's onset.
Hemodialysis Treatment for Patients with Lithium Poisoning.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
August 2022
Background: Hemodialysis is often recommended to treat severe lithium poisoning. Nevertheless, the application rate of hemodialysis in patients with lithium poisoning is varied across different groups and the effect of hemodialysis is still undetermined. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the hemodialysis rate of patients with lithium poisoning and to explore the clinical features of lithium-poisoned-patients treated or untreated with hemodialysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVisceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with central obesity, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. However, the association of body-site specific adiposity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has not been well characterized. We studies 704 consecutive subjects who underwent annual health survey in Taiwan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlood Aluminum Levels in Patients with Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
March 2022
Article Synopsis
- - This study examined blood aluminum levels in 1,175 dialysis patients, finding a low prevalence of abnormal levels (2.2% had levels ≥2 µg/dL) and identified a correlation with factors like drug use and several clinical measures.
- - Patients with abnormal aluminum levels were more likely to be treated with sevelamer and showed higher platelet counts, triglycerides, and total iron binding capacity compared to those with normal levels.
- - The authors suggest that the observed links between cardiothoracic ratio, elevated platelet counts, triglyceride levels, and abnormal blood aluminum deserve further research for better understanding and management in dialysis patients.
Introduction: Diabetic patients normally have enlarged or normal-sized kidneys throughout their lifetime, but some diabetic uremic patients have small kidneys. It is uncertain if kidney size could have any negative impact on outcome in hemodialysis patients.
Methods: This longitudinal, observational cohort study recruited 301 diabetic hemodialysis patients in 2015, and followed until 2019.
This study examined the trend of blood lead levels (BLLs) in Taiwanese adults and analyzed the variations in the BLL between Linkou (northern) and Kaohsiung (southern) hospital branches. Between 2005 and 2017, 3,804 adult participants received blood lead tests at the Linkou (n = 2,674) and Kaohsiung (n = 1,130) branches of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. The geometric mean of BLL was 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBone Marrow Hypocellularity in Patients with End-Stage Kidney Disease.
Healthcare (Basel)
October 2021
Background: Anemia and pancytopenia are not uncommon in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Nevertheless, there is insufficient literature analyzing bone marrow pathology in patients with CKD or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) receiving dialysis.
Methods: This observational cohort study included 22 patients with ESKD and 23 patients with CKD that received bone marrow biopsy and aspiration at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) rs671 polymorphism is a common genetic variant in Asians that is responsible for defective toxic aldehyde and lipid peroxidation metabolism after alcohol consumption. The extent to which low alcohol consumption may cause atrial substrates to trigger atrial fibrillation (AF) development in users with ALDH2 variants remains to be determined. We prospectively enrolled 249 ethnic Asians, including 56 non-drinkers and 193 habitual drinkers (135 (70%) as ALDH2 wild-type: GG, rs671; 58 (30%) as ALDH2 variants: G/A or A/A, rs671).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCytokine-mediated inflammation is involved in the pathophysiology of paraquat toxicity. Nevertheless, few human studies have examined fluctuations in circulating cytokine levels. Blood samples were obtained from 21 patients with paraquat poisoning and compared to those of 18 healthy controls.
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- The study investigates the link between hypothyroidism and cardiovascular issues, particularly focusing on heart deformations and their predictive value in asymptomatic subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH).
- Researchers analyzed data from over 4,000 individuals, categorizing them based on thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels to assess the impact on heart function.
- Results showed that those with SCH had significant alterations in heart strain measurements and were at a higher risk for conditions like atrial fibrillation and heart failure, suggesting that monitoring heart deformation could help predict cardiovascular risks in these patients.
Background: This study aims to explore the clinical correlates of myocardial deformations using speckle-tracking algorithm and to determine the prognostic utility of such measures in asymptomatic ethnic Chinese population.
Methods: Global longitudinal (GLS), circumferential strain (GCS), and torsion were analyzed using featured tissue-tracking algorithm among 4049 symptom-free ethnic Chinese population. Hypertrophy (LVH) was classified into 4 tiers: indeterminate, dilated, thick and thick/dilated, by gender-stratified partition of end-diastolic volume index (EDVi) and LV mass/EDV0.