Publications by authors named "Yu-Ching Chou"

Background: Geriatric hip fractures pose a significant health burden, and inflammation may play a role in the short- and long-term prognosis. However, the prognostic significance of hematologic inflammatory markers in geriatric patients with fractures is not understood. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the prognostic implications of systemic inflammatory markers on the long-term mortality of older patients with hip fractures.

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Purpose: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely prescribed for gastrointestinal disorders. Lansoprazole, a PPI, has been recognized for its potential effects of improving insulin resistance, reduction of oxidative stress, and improvement in atherosclerosis through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) induction. This study aims to investigate whether lansoprazole poses a distinct risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) compared to other PPIs.

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Background: We explored if the administration of fluoxetine, recognized for its potential in adipocyte browning, entails a differential risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in comparison to other SSRI medications.

Methods: Using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 2000 to 2013, we conducted a retrospective cohort study. The exposure cohort comprised individuals prescribed fluoxetine for over 90 days (n = 2,228).

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The journal retracts the article "Using Comorbidity Pattern Analysis to Detect Reliable Methylated Genes in Colorectal Cancer Verified by Stool DNA Test" [...

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Background: Disaster-related psychiatric disorders (DRPD) present a significant challenge to mental health professionals, yet there is a notable lack of emphasis on the preparedness of psychiatrists in managing these conditions within post-graduate medical education.

Methods: This study utilized a questionnaire to collect data from psychiatrists, focusing on their prior involvement in managing DRPD, perceived competence, medication preferences, and factors influencing their experiences in handling such disorders. Analysis included distribution and ranking of variables, alongside cross-analysis examining associations between demographic factors (age, gender, hospital levels, years of practice, board certification) and treatment experiences, as well as readiness for in-hospital or outside-hospital mobilization in DRPD management.

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Article Synopsis
  • Prolonged ventilation is a common issue for patients with spontaneous supratentorial hemorrhage, and this study aims to better understand the factors related to successful weaning from ventilation in this group.
  • The researchers analyzed data from 166 patients who underwent surgery from 2015 to 2021, focusing on various clinical factors like age, sex, GCS scores, and medical history.
  • Key findings indicate that successful weaning is more likely in patients who had stereotaxic surgery, fewer cardiovascular issues, a GCS score greater than 8 upon hospital admission, and an albumin level above 3.5 g/dL.
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Objective: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), particularly its exudative form, is a primary cause of vision impairment in older adults. As diabetes becomes increasingly prevalent in aging, it is crucial to explore the potential relationship between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and AMD. This study aimed to assess the risk of developing overall, non-exudative, and exudative AMD in individuals with DR compared to those without retinopathy (non-DR) based on a nationwide population study in Taiwan.

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Background And Hypothesis: Pruritus is a common and distressing symptom that affects patients with chronic kidney disease. The concentration of protein bounded uremic toxin was associated with the uremic pruritus. The aim is to assess the efficacy of AST-120 for uremic pruritus in hemodialysis patients.

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Most proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) inhibit the bioactivation of clopidogrel to its active metabolite. There is controversy concerning whether PPIs alter the effectiveness of clopidogrel in reducing the risk of ischemic stroke (IS). We therefore aimed to examine the risk of IS associated with concomitant use of clopidogrel and omeprazole, a PPI commonly used in clinical settings.

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In early-stage colorectal cancer (CRC), AQP8, GUCA2B, and SPIB were important suppressor genes and frequently co-expressed. However, the underlying co-regulation effect remains unknown and need to be elucidated. We aimed to investigate the co-regulatory network of AQP8, GUCA2B, and SPIB in CRC using in vitro and in silico methods.

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Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infection is common worldwide. Despite carbapenem resistance, standard-dose carbapenems are still used in clinical practice. Hence in this study, we aimed to compare the efficacy and outcomes of a regimen containing standard-dose carbapenems with those of a regimen lacking carbapenems during the treatment of critically ill patients with CRAB nosocomial pneumonia in the intensive care unit (ICU).

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Objectives: The study aimed to demonstrate the performance of anal atresia ultrasound screening in the second trimester and to describe associated experiences in a primary care fetal medicine clinic.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of fetuses who underwent a second-trimester screening at the Taiji clinic between November 2019 and May 2022. Fisher's exact test was conducted to investigate potential risk factors.

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Objective: The relationship between dental caries and stroke remains inconclusive. The aim of this study is to investigate whether different severities of dental caries affect the risk of stroke.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using the 2000-2013 Taiwan National Health Insurance Database.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study highlights the use of the "target sign" in prenatal ultrasound as a key tool for screening high anal atresia, while also discussing challenges in existing practices.
  • - Two case reports are presented: one involving a twin pregnancy with an absent "target sign" leading to a postnatal diagnosis of high-type anal atresia, and another where a visual misinterpretation of a "target sign" resulted in a later diagnosis of anal atresia.
  • - The findings suggest that the presence of a "target sign" on ultrasound does not rule out anal atresia, emphasizing the importance of thorough evaluation of its characteristics for accurate diagnosis.
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Background: Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), and may cause miscarriage and birth defects during pregnancy. This study aimed to assess the epidemiological features, epidemic trends, and correlations between the before number of confirmed toxoplasmosis cases in Taiwan from 2007 to 2020 in gender, age, season, and residential area, and hypothesized the environmental and climate factors also might affect the disease in Taiwan.

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Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are common and widely used for gastrointestinal-related disorders. Lansoprazole is one of PPIs with potential benefits of anti-inflammation, reduced oxidative stress, and anti-diabetes. The aims of this study are to determine whether lansoprazole imparts differential risk of type 2 diabetes as compared with other PPIs.

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health issue, and there are limited studies on the association between 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 4 (HSD17B4) polymorphism and CRC. We used two national databases from Taiwan to examine whether HSD17B4 rs721673, rs721675, and alcohol intake were independently and interactively correlated with CRC development. We linked the Taiwan Biobank (TWB) participants' health and lifestyle information and genotypic data from 2012 to 2018 to the National Health Insurance Database (NHIRD) to confirm their medical records.

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Unlabelled: Nifedipine is one of the common calcium channel blockers (CCBs) for hypertension that induce peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-α, which is envisioned as a potential therapeutic target in bone disease. The findings of this retrospective cohort study suggest that patients who receive nifedipine may have a potential protective effect on osteoporosis in comparison to other CCBs.

Introduction: Nifedipine was one L-type dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (CCB) that can improve bone loss.

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Background: Colorectal cancer is a frequent cause of cancer-related mortality in patients with lymph node or distant metastases. Pericolonic tumor deposits (TDs) are considered prognostically distinct from lymph node metastases.

Aim: To investigate risk factors for extranodal TDs in stage III colon cancer.

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Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) are both associated with significant morbidity and mortality in daily clinical practice, as well as in a critical care setting. It is unclear whether colistin susceptible-only Acinetobacter baumannii (CSO AB) is a unique phenotype separate from or a subset of CRAB-associated pneumonia. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of CSO AB pneumonia and compare the presentation and outcome between CSO AB and CRAB-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients.

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In Taiwan, the age-standardized incidence of EC, especially esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), has increased substantially during the past thirty years. We described the incidence trends of EC from 1985−2019 by an average annual percentage change (AAPC) and age-period-cohort model by using Taiwan Cancer Registry data. Age-period-cohort modeling was used to estimate the period and cohort effects of ESCC and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC).

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Background: Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) lansoprazole acts as a liver X receptor agonist, which plays a crucial role in the crosstalk of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in vitro and during bone turnover in vivo. However, epidemiological studies on the association between the use of lansoprazole and osteoporosis risk are limited. We aimed to determine the risk of developing osteoporosis in patients with lansoprazole use.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Individuals aged 20-39 made up the majority of cases for both diseases, indicating a trend, and risk factors identified included being male and residing in the Taipei metropolitan area.
  • * The vaccination coverage for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine improved significantly during the decade, while the COVID-19 pandemic led to a notable decrease in imported cases of both diseases.
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Article Synopsis
  • A study analyzed data from 2000-2013 in Taiwan to explore the link between HPV infection and colorectal cancer (CRC), comparing 358 HPV-infected patients to 1432 HPV-uninfected patients.
  • The findings showed that the HPV-infected group had a notably higher incidence of CRC, with an adjusted hazard ratio indicating a 63% increased risk of CRC associated with HPV.
  • This research provides evidence suggesting a connection between HPV and CRC, highlighting the need for further investigation into HPV's role in the development of colorectal cancer.
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