Risks of decreased renal function and increased albuminuria for glycemic status and metabolic syndrome components: Taichung Community Health study.

Background: The objective of this study was to assess the association of glycemic status and decreased renal function as determined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria in an adult Taiwanese metropolitan population.

Methods: We did a cross-sectional survey in a representative sample of 2,350 Taiwanese adults aged 40 years and over living in a metropolitan city in Taiwan from 2004 to 2005. Glycemic status was classified as normal glycemia, hyperglycemia, and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Quality of life predicts survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a poor prognosis. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship of EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13 and survival in patients with NSCLC undergoing different treatments.

Methods: Investigators conducted a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) survey of 488 patients with NSCLC: 162 patients undergoing surgery, 312 patients without surgery, and their survival status was prospectively followed up.

Reduced health-related quality of life in elders with frailty: a cross-sectional study of community-dwelling elders in Taiwan.

Purpose: Exploring the domains and degrees of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) that are affected by the frailty of elders will help clinicians understand the impact of frailty. This association has not been investigated in community-dwelling elders. Therefore, we examined the domains and degree of HRQOL of elders with frailty in the community in Taiwan.

Disease-specific quality-of-life measures as predictors of mortality in individuals living with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine whether disease-specific quality-of-life measures are independent predictors of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A cohort of 420 patients with type 2 diabetes was recruited from the outpatient clinic of a medical center. At baseline, the disease-specific measure of the Diabetes Impact Measurement Scales (DIMS) and clinical and biological marker variables were measured.

The relationship of high sensitivity C-reactive protein to percent body fat mass, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist circumference in a Taiwanese population.

Background: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is an easily measured inflammatory biomarker. This study compared the association of percent body fat mass (%FM), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) with hs-CRP in a Taiwanese population.

Methods: A total of 1669 subjects aged 40-88 years were recruited in 2004 in a metropolitan city in Taiwan.

Sex difference in the association of metabolic syndrome with high sensitivity C-reactive protein in a Taiwanese population.

Background: Although sex differences have been reported for associations between components of metabolic syndrome and inflammation, the question of whether there is an effect modification by sex in the association between inflammation and metabolic syndrome has not been investigated in detail. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare associations of high sensitivity C-creative protein (hs-CRP) with metabolic syndrome and its components between men and women.

Methods: A total of 1,305 subjects aged 40 years and over were recruited in 2004 in a metropolitan city in Taiwan.

The relation of metabolic syndrome according to five definitions to cardiovascular risk factors--a population-based study.

Background: Although National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), International Diabetes Federation (IDF), American Heart Association and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI), World Health Organization (WHO), and the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR) definitions of metabolic syndrome (MetS) have been commonly used by studies, little is known about agreement among these five definitions. We examined the agreement among these five definitions and explored their relationship with risk factors of cardiovascular disease in a Taiwan population.

Methods: A total of 1305 subjects aged 40 years and over in Taiwan were analyzed.

The functionality and economic costs of outpatients with schizophrenia in Taiwan.

The aims of this study were to investigate the economic costs of outpatients with schizophrenia in Taiwan, and to survey factors that influence the costs. The direct costs were defined as the costs associated with psychiatric services and other medical treatment. The indirect costs were estimated using the Human Capital Method.

Metabolic syndrome in a Taiwanese metropolitan adult population.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a combination of medical disorders that increase one's risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Little information exists on the prevalence of MS in a general adult population in Taiwan.

Methods: We did a cross-sectional survey in a representative sample of 2,359 Chinese adults aged 40 years and over who lived in a metropolitan city, Taiwan in 2004-05.

Validation of the Chinese version of the diabetes impact measurement scales amongst people suffering from diabetes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the validity and reliability of the Chinese translation of the Diabetes Impact Measurement Scale (DIMS).

Methods: A total of 219 consecutive patients with type II diabetes mellitus, who had visited the diabetic clinics at the China Medical University Hospital completed a questionnaire. Clinical data were extracted from the participants' medical records.

The adjustment to illness in patients with generalized anxiety disorder is poorer than that in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Although generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is associated with significant occupational disability, it has, however, received little attention with regard to adjustment to illness. Subjects included 102 chronic dialysis (CD) patients, 58 kidney transplant (KT) patients, and 42 GAD patients. The evaluations included the Psychosocial Adjustment to Physical Illness Scale (PAIS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D).

Quality of life of primary caregivers of elderly with cerebrovascular disease or diabetes hospitalized for acute care: assessment of well-being and functioning using the SF-36 health questionnaire.

Objective: To use the Short Form 36 (SF-36) to determine the extent to which health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is decreased among primary caregivers of patients with cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or diabetes mellitus (DM) compared to normal Taiwanese population and to identify the determinants of this decrease.

Methods: Data from a cross-sectional survey of 187 primary caregivers who had responsibility for inpatients with a medically verified diagnosis of CVA or DM were compared to those of randomly selected residents. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews with trained interviewers.

Correlation between performance on the Continuous Performance Test and economic costs in patients with schizophrenia.

The aim of the present study was to determine whether a relationship existed between the performance on the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and the economic costs of schizophrenic patients in Taiwan. Forty-six schizophrenic patients and their caregivers were enrolled. The CPT is a vigilance task requiring the monitoring of rapid information processing and the detection of briefly presented target stimuli.