Healthcare knowledge of relationship between time series electrocardiogram and cigarette smoking using clinical records.

Background: In the few studies of clinical experience available, cigarette smoking may be associated with ischemic heart disease and acute coronary events, which can be reflected in the electrocardiogram (ECG). However, there is no formal proof of a significant relationship between cigarette smoking and electrocardiogram results. In this study, we therefore investigate and prove the relationship between electrocardiogram and smoking using unsupervised neural network techniques.

Clustering Analysis of Aging Diseases and Chronic Habits With Multivariate Time Series Electrocardiogram and Medical Records.

Background: With recent technology, multivariate time-series electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis has played an important role in diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. However, discovering the association of wide range aging disease and chronic habit with ECG analysis still has room to be explored. This article mainly analyzes the possible relationship between common aging diseases or chorionic habits of medical record and ECG, such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, or the habit of smoking.

Application of qualitative response models in a relevance study of older adults' health depreciation and medical care demand.

Aim: The effect of health depreciation in older people on medical care demand is not well understood. We tried to assess the medical care demand with length of hospitalization and their impact on profits as a result of health depreciation.

Methods: All participants who underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment were from a prospective cohort study at a tertiary hospital.

Late-career unemployment and all-cause mortality, functional disability and depression among the older adults in Taiwan: A 12-year population-based cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate whether late-career unemployment is associated with increased all-cause mortality, functional disability, and depression among older adults in Taiwan.

Method: In this long-term prospective cohort study, data were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging. This study was conducted from 1996 to 2007.

Is Zolpidem Associated with Increased Risk of Fractures in the Elderly with Sleep Disorders? A Nationwide Case Cross-Over Study in Taiwan.

Background: We conducted a study using a case-crossover design to clarify the risk of acute effects of zolpidem and benzodiazepine on all-sites of fractures in the elderly.

Design Of Study: Case-crossover design.

Methods And Materials: Elderly enrollees (n = 6010) in Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database with zolpidem or benzodiazepine use were analyzed for the risk of developing fractures.

Effect of the herbal drug guilu erxian jiao on muscle strength, articular pain, and disability in elderly men with knee osteoarthritis.

Background. Guilu Erxian Jiao (GEJ) is a widely used Chinese herbal remedy for knee osteoarthritis, but its clinical efficacy is unknown. Methods.

Allyl isothiocyanate inhibits cell metastasis through suppression of the MAPK pathways in epidermal growth factor‑stimulated HT29 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells.

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) has been found to present sources from consumed cruciferous vegetables. AITC is known to possess pharmacological and anticancer activities. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that AITC suppressed the invasion and migration of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated HT29 cells and to elucidate the mechanisms for the antimetastatic abilities in vitro.

Falls and Atrial Fibrillation in Elderly Patients.

Background: Atrial fibrillation is a common heart rhythm disorder in older adults, and its prevalence has increased rapidly in recent years. The health issues associated with atrial fibrillation are not limited to physiological problems, as it also contributes to an increased risk of falls, which may be related to cardiovascular co-morbidities and medication use. The aim of this study was to determine which cardiovascular co-morbidities and medication use are associated with falls in older adults with atrial fibrillation.

In-hospital mortality risk estimation in patients with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding undergoing hemodialysis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a major cause of clinical bleeding among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This study aimed to investigate the association between mortality and UGIB in patients with uremia.

Methods: From 2004 to 2010, a tertiary hospital-based retrospective cohort comprising 322 patients undergoing hemodialysis was investigated.

Progression of cognitive dysfunction in elderly chronic kidney disease patients in a veteran's institution in central Taiwan: a 3-year longitudinal study.

Objective: A strong positive correlation between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) multiplied by follow-up time and memory function has been demonstrated previously. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting progression of cognitive dysfunction in the elderly with different levels of kidney function.

Methods: In April 2002, a prospective study on progression of cognitive function was conducted on 356 elderly people.

How family support affects physical activity (PA) among middle-aged and elderly people before and after they suffer from chronic diseases.

The more support elderly people have from their family, the less likely they are to suffer from chronic diseases. The objective of this study is to investigate how family support affects the PA middle-aged and elderly people engage in before and after they suffer from chronic diseases. We interviewed 428 middle-aged and elderly people using a structured questionnaire to measure their aerobic PA.

Houttuynia cordata Thunb extract inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in human primary colorectal cancer cells.

It is reported that Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (HCT), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has many biological properties such as antiviral, antibacterial and antileukemic activities. However, the molecular mechanisms of cytotoxicity and apoptosis in human primary colorectal cancer cells are not clear.

Danthron induces DNA damage and inhibits DNA repair gene expressions in GBM 8401 human brain glioblastoma multiforms cells.

Our primary studies had shown that danthron induced cytotoxic effects, including apoptosis and inhibition of migration and invasion. However, danthron-affected DNA damage and repair gene expressions are not clear. In this study, we investigated to examine whether or not danthron induced DNA damage and inhibited DNA repair gene expression in human brain glioblastoma multiforms (GBM 8401) cells.

Predictors of functional recovery (FR) for elderly hospitalized patients in a geriatric evaluation and management unit (GEMU) in Taiwan.

Elderly patients who are hospitalized with acute illnesses frequently have adverse outcomes. To maintain functional independence, the geriatric evaluation and management unit (GEMU) was established to provide the opportunity for functional recovery (FR). This study's aim was to investigate potential prognostic factors for functional improvement in a GEMU of Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan.

Relationship between hyperuricemia (HUC) and metabolic syndrome (MS) in institutionalized elderly men.

This study investigated the relationship between hyperuricemia (HUC) and the components of the metabolic syndrome (MS) among elderly institutionalized men. In addition, this study explored the relationship between HUC and serum inflammatory markers. A total of 333 participants from Chang-Hua Veterans Care Home were enrolled.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) is a valuable biomarker for predicting the metabolic syndrome (MS) in institutionalized elderly residents in Taiwan.

Circulating levels of inflammatory and prothrombotic factors are elevated in the metabolic syndrome (MS) and linked with the occurrence of cardiovascular events. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between inflammatory and prothrombotic markers and the MS in elderly institutionalized residents. A total of 326 non-diabetic residents of Chuang-Hua Veterans Care Home (age: 79.

First-ever ischemic stroke in Taiwanese elderly patients: predicting functional independence after a 6-month follow-up.

The incidence of ischemic stroke increases with age, and it has a great impact on patients' functional independence. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical features, laboratory findings, and stroke subtypes in different age subgroups and identify the predictive factors for functional independence 6 months after stroke. A total of 533 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke were enrolled in this study.

Houttuynia cordata Thunb extract induces apoptosis through mitochondrial-dependent pathway in HT-29 human colon adenocarcinoma cells.

The Houttuynia cordata Thunb (HCT) extract has been used as a traditional Chinese herb medicine and as well as an effective drug for treating allergic inflammation for thousands of years. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer activity of HCT and its molecular mechanisms in the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29. HCT inhibited HT-29 cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner by MTT assay.

Danthron induced apoptosis through mitochondria- and caspase-3-dependent pathways in human brain glioblastoma multiforms GBM 8401 cells.

Danthron (1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone), is one of component from Rheum palmatum L. (Polygonaceae), has been shown several biological activities but did not show to induce apoptosis in human brain tumor cells. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanisms by danthron for the induction of apoptotic potential on human brain glioblastoma multiforms GBM 8401 cell line.

Gallic acid inhibits murine leukemia WEHI-3 cells in vivo and promotes macrophage phagocytosis.

Gallic acid is a polyhydroxyphenolic compound which can be found in various natural products. It is recognized to be an excellent free radical scavenger and has been shown to induce apoptosis in lung cancer and leukemia cells. No report has addressed whether gallic acid affects mouse leukemia cells in vivo.

Involvement of reactive oxygen species and caspase-dependent pathway in berberine-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in C6 rat glioma cells.

The cytotoxicity of berberine on C6 rat glioma cells indicated that berberine induced morphological changes and caused cell death through G2/M arrest and apoptosis. While undergoing apoptosis, there was a remarkable accumulation of G2/M cells with the upregulatoin of Wee1 but it also inhibited cyclin B, CDK1 and Cdc25c that led to G2/M arrest. Along with cytotoxicity in C6 cells, several apoptotic events including mitochondrial cytochrome c release, activation of caspase-9, -3 and -8 and DNA fragmentation were induced.

Early Improvements in insulin sensitivity and inflammatory markers are induced by pravastatin in nondiabetic subjects with hypercholesterolemia.

Background: Statins may improve lipid profiles and inflammation-associated biomarkers, but the effect on insulin sensitivity is controversial. We investigated the effects of 2 doses of pravastatin (40 and 10 mg/day) on insulin sensitivity and serum inflammatory markers in nondiabetic hypercholesterolemic patients.

Methods: This was a randomized, parallel, comparative design study.

Effect of glyburide-metformin combination tablet in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of glyburide/metformin combined tablet compared to glyburide or metformin alone in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: In this 16-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, 4-arm and parallel clinical trial study, 100 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited and 76 patients were available for statistical analysis at the end of the study. After 1 week of placebo washout period, eligible patients were randomly assigned into 1 of 4 treatment groups: glyburide 5 mg b.

Positive associations of bone mineral density with body mass index, physical activity, and blood triglyceride level in men over 70 years old: a TCVGHAGE study.

It is known that osteoporosis decreases physical function in older males. However, the role of metabolic parameters and physical activity influencing older men's bone status remains unclear. Thus, this study was designed to evaluate calcaneus bone mass by ultrasonic screening and the associated physical and metabolic functions in older men.

Hypercholesterolemia, not metabolic syndrome, related to adhesion of monocytes to cultured endothelium in nondiabetic subjects.

The interaction of leukocytes and endothelium plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Previous studies found that adhesion of leukocytes to endothelium is greater in subjects with hypercholesterolemia. It is not clear if metabolic syndrome, a contributing risk factor of cardiovascular disease, is related to this adhesion.