The ratio and difference of urine protein-to-creatinine ratio and albumin-to-creatinine ratio facilitate risk prediction of all-cause mortality.

The role of the difference and ratio of albuminuria (urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, uACR) and proteinuria (urine protein-to-creatinine ratio, uPCR) has not been systematically evaluated with all-cause mortality. We retrospectively analyzed 2904 patients with concurrently measured uACR and uPCR from the same urine specimen in a tertiary hospital in Taiwan. The urinary albumin-to-protein ratio (uAPR) was derived by dividing uACR by uPCR, whereas urinary non-albumin protein (uNAP) was calculated by subtracting uACR from uPCR.

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and osteoporotic fracture: A case-control study in Taiwan.

Few studies have explored the relationship between long-term exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM) and osteoporotic fracture, particularly in high PM level areas. The aim of this study was to assess the association between long-term exposure to PM and osteoporotic fracture.

Particulate Air Pollution and Progression to Kidney Failure With Replacement Therapy: An Advanced CKD Registry-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan.

Rationale & Objective: Limited evidence concerns fine particulate matter (with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5μm [PM]) exposure and the risk for kidney failure with replacement therapy (KFRT). This study assessed whether PM exposure was associated with progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to KFRT.

24-hour Serum Creatinine Variation Associates with Short- and Long-Term All-Cause Mortality: A Real-World Insight into Early Detection of Acute Kidney Injury.

Real-world evidence describing the variation in serum creatinine (S-Cre) within 24 hours and its prognostic value is unknown. We enrolled 14 912 adults who received two S-Cre measurements within 24 hours at a tertiary hospital between 2003 and 2016. The study population was divided into four groups according to the hospital service settings where the baseline and second S-Cre were measured: Group 1, Outpatient-to-Outpatient; Group 2, Outpatient-to-ED (emergency department) or Inpatient; Group 3, ED-to-ED or Inpatient; and Group 4, Inpatient-to-Inpatient.

Validation and Comparison of the 2003 and 2016 Diastolic Functional Assessments for Cardiovascular Mortality in a Large Single-Center Cohort.

Background: The prognostic performance of the diastolic dysfunction (DD) algorithms published by the Mayo Clinic research group in 2003 and the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) in 2016 in association with cardiovascular (CV) mortality was compared in this study.

Methods: A retrospective hospital cohort comprising 57,630 adults who had undergone comprehensive echocardiographic examinations between 2008 and 2016 was analyzed. All echocardiographic parameters were measured according to appropriate guidelines, and dates of CV death were verified using the national mortality database.

First-4-week erythrocyte sedimentation rate variability predicts erythrocyte sedimentation rate trajectories and clinical course among patients with pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis.

Background: The trajectory pattern of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in patients with pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (PVO) and its clinical significance is unclear. We further evaluated whether the first-4-week ESR variability can predict the trajectory pattern, treatment duration and recurrence of PVO.

Methods: The longitudinal ESR patterns of adults with PVO within the first 6 months were characterized through group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM).