Exploring the Relationship Between Visceral Fat and Coronary Artery Calcification Risk Using Metabolic Score for Visceral Fat (METS-VF).

Background: Metabolic Score for Visceral Fat (METS-VF) is a novel indicator for estimating intra-abdominal fat, yet its connection with coronary artery calcification (CAC) remains uncharted. Our research aims to explore the novel METS-VF indicator's link to CAC while comparing its performance against relevant anthropometric indices.

Methods: This study enrolled participants who underwent health checkups and computed tomography scans for categorizing severity of CAC using the coronary artery calcium score.

Positive vaccine beliefs linked to reduced mental stress in healthcare professionals during COVID-19: a retrospective study.

Background And Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant adverse effect on the mental health of healthcare professionals. This study aims to assess the effects of the prolonged pandemic on burnout and mood disorders and to evaluate the influence of positive vaccination beliefs on these factors at a medical center during the extended COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the results of an online questionnaire survey including burnout status and mood disorders from 2020 to 2022.

Development of a Predictive Model for Potentially Inappropriate Medications in Older Patients with Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: Older patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are highly susceptible to adverse drug reactions due to age-related physiological changes and the presence of multiple comorbidities, polypharmacy, and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs).

Objective: This study aimed to develop a predictive model to identify the use of PIMs in older patients with CVD.

Methods: Data from 2012 to 2021 from the Changhua Christian Hospital Clinical Research Database (CCHRD) and the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital Research Database (KMUHRD) were analyzed.

Identification of Gut Microbiome Signatures Associated with Indole Pathway in Tryptophan Metabolism in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis.

Microbiota tryptophan metabolism and the biosynthesis of indole derivatives play an important role in homeostasis and pathogenesis in the human body and can be affected by the gut microbiota. However, studies on the interplay between gut microbiota and tryptophan metabolites in patients undergoing dialysis are lacking. This study aimed to identify the gut microbiota, the indole pathway in tryptophan metabolism, and significant functional differences in ESRD patients with regular hemodialysis.

Cerebral white matter burden is linked to cognitive function in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease is related to neurodegeneration and structural changes in the brain which might lead to cognitive decline. The Fazekas scale used for assessing white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) was associated with poor cognitive performance. Therefore, this study investigated the associations between the mini-mental status examination (MMSE), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), cognitive abilities screening instrument (CASI), and Fazekas scale in patients under hemodialysis (HD).

Exploring the Relationship between Gut Microbiome Composition and Blood Indole-3-acetic Acid in Hemodialysis Patients.

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), a protein-bound uremic toxin resulting from gut microbiota-driven tryptophan metabolism, increases in hemodialysis (HD) patients. IAA may induce endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress, elevating cardiovascular and cognitive risk in HD patients. However, research on the microbiome-IAA association is limited.

Performance of nonalcoholic fatty liver fibrosis score in estimating atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk.

Background And Aims: It is currently unclear whether the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) fibrosis score, when compared to major anthropometric indices, is useful in estimating the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

Methods And Results: This study included 3886 adults undergoing a health checkup. An elevated risk of ASCVD was determined as a 10-year ASCVD risk ≥7.

Linking metabolic syndrome with low bone mass through insights from BMI and health behaviors.

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS), and bone density in a 30- to 50-year-old Taiwanese population, and to explore the combined effects of BMI and health behaviors on this association. A total of 52,912 individuals aged 30-50 years from the Taiwan Biobank were included in this cross-sectional study. Bone density status was assessed using quantitative ultrasound (QUS).

Exposure to bisphenol A associated with multiple health-related outcomes in humans: An umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic endocrine disruptor, is widely distributed in the environment, and the effects of BPA exposure on human health outcomes are a critical issue. The objective of this study was to perform an umbrella review of published meta-analyses investigating the associations between BPA exposure and human-related health outcomes. The relevant reports were searched from three electronic databases from inception to July 12, 2023 including PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Embase.

Decreased levels of perfluoroalkyl substances in patients receiving hemodialysis treatment.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been reported to be harmful to multiple organs in the human body. Based on a previous study suggesting that hemodialysis (HD) may be a means of eliminating PFAS from the human body, we aimed to compare the serum PFAS concentrations of patients undergoing regular HD, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and controls. Additionally, we also investigated the correlation between PFAS and biochemical data, as well as concurrent comorbidities.

Breast Cancer Incidence among Female Workers by Different Occupations and Industries: A Longitudinal Population-Based Matched Case-Control Study in Taiwan.

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer incidence worldwide and in Taiwan. The relationship between breast cancer and occupational types remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate lifetime breast cancer incidence by different occupational industries among female workers in Taiwan.

Breast cancer incidence in a national cohort of female workers exposed to special health hazards in Taiwan: a retrospective case-cohort study of ~ 300,000 occupational records spanning 20 years.

Objective: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. In Taiwan, workers exposed to any of 31 hazardous chemicals or carcinogens in the work environment are designated as especially exposed workers (EEWs) by Taiwan's Ministry of Labor. We assessed the risk of breast cancer in this nationwide female EEW cohort.

Association between two common environmental toxicants (phthalates and melamine) and urinary markers of renal injury in the third trimester of pregnant women: The Taiwan Maternal and Infant Cohort Study (TMICS).

Background: Exposure to either melamine or phthalate, two common toxicants, during pregnancy may cause adverse health effects, including kidney damage.

Objectives: We investigated the independent and interactive effect of exposure to melamine and phthalates, particularly di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), on markers of early renal injury in women their third trimester of pregnancy in one nationwide birth cohort, the Taiwan Maternal and Infant Cohort Study (TMICS).

Methods: Between October, 2012 and May, 2015, participants were administered questionnaires, physical examinations, and blood and urine tests during their third trimester.

Longitudinal changes in oxidative stress and early renal injury in children exposed to DEHP and melamine in the 2011 Taiwan food scandal.

In 2011, phthalates, mainly di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), were found to have been added to a variety of foods in Taiwan, increasing the risk of microalbuminuria in children. Exposure to melamine perhaps modifies that risk. This prospective cohort study investigates whether renal injury resulting from exposure to DEHP-tainted foods from the 2011 Taiwan Food Scandal is reversed over time.

Factors associated with do-not-resuscitate document completion among patients hospitalized in geriatric ward.

Background: With a rapidly aging population, there is an increasing need for do-not-resuscitate (DNR) and advance care planning (ACP) discussions. This study investigated the factors associated with signing DNR documents of older patients in the geriatric ward.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a geriatric ward in a tertiary hospital in Southern Taiwan.

Breast Cancer Risk Among Female Health Professionals: A 35-Year Population-Based Longitudinal Cohort Study in Taiwan.

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. Previous studies have found a higher risk in nurses but no clear relationship among other health professionals. This study aims to investigate the risks of incident breast cancer among female health professionals compared with that among nonhealth professionals in Taiwan.

Exploring the Impact of Different Types of Do-Not-Resuscitate Consent on End-of-Life Treatments among Patients with Advanced Kidney Disease: An Observational Study.

: Patients with advanced kidney disease have a symptomatic and psychological burden which warrant renal supportive care or palliative care. However, the impact of do-not-resuscitate consent type (signed by patients or surrogates) on end-of-life treatments in these patients remains unclear. : We aim to identify influential factors correlated with different do-not-resuscitate consent types in patients with advanced kidney disease and the impact of do-not-resuscitate consent types on various life-prolonging treatments.

A Comparison of the Survival, Place of Death, and Medical Utilization of Terminal Patients Receiving Hospital-Based and Community-Based Palliative Home Care: A Retrospective and Propensity Score Matching Cohort Study.

Evidence shows that community-based palliative home care (PHC) provision enhances continuous care and improves patient outcomes. This study compared patient survival, place of death, and medical utilization in community- versus hospital-based PHC. A retrospective cohort study was conducted of patients aged over 18 referred to either community- or hospital-based PHC from May to December 2018 at a tertiary hospital and surrounding communities in Southern Taiwan.

COVID-19 Pandemic Is Associated with an Adverse Impact on Burnout and Mood Disorder in Healthcare Professionals.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic results in a profound physical and mental burden on healthcare professionals. This study aims to evaluate burnout status and mood disorder of healthcare workers during this period. An online questionnaire was voluntarily answered by eligible adult employees in a COVID-19 specialized medical center.

Differences in the Microbial Composition of Hemodialysis Patients Treated with and without β-Blockers.

β-blockers are commonly prescribed to treat cardiovascular disease in hemodialysis patients. Beyond the pharmacological effects, β-blockers have potential impacts on gut microbiota, but no study has investigated the effect in hemodialysis patients. Hence, we aim to investigate the gut microbiota composition difference between β-blocker users and nonusers in hemodialysis patients.

Risk of two common glandular cell-type cancers (breast and colorectal cancers) in Chinese occupational chefs: a nationwide ecological study in Taiwan.

Objectives: Cooking oil fumes (COFs) contain many carcinogens. We investigated the association between COFs and incidence risk of colorectal cancer and female breast in chefs.

Methods: We identified Chinese food chefs and non-Chinese food chefs from Taiwan's national database of certified chefs in 1984-2007.

Anti-Acid Drug Treatment Induces Changes in the Gut Microbiome Composition of Hemodialysis Patients.

Anti-acid drugs, proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and histamine-2 blocker (H-blocker), are commonly prescribed to treat gastrointestinal disorders. These anti-acid drugs alter gut microbiota in the general population, but their effects are not known in hemodialysis patients. Hence, we investigated the microbiota composition in hemodialysis patients treated with PPIs or H-blocker.

Endoscopic Surveillance for Metachronous Esophageal Squamous Cell Neoplasms among Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

Esophageal squamous cell neoplasms (ESCNs) are the most common second primary neoplasm in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and few studies have focused on metachronous ESCNs. We aimed to evaluate the incidence of and risk factors for metachronous ESCNs and to provide a reasonable endoscopic follow-up plan for HNSCC patients. We extended our prospective cohort since October 2008 by recruiting incident HNSCC patients.

Neural responses reveal associations between personal values and value-based decisions.

Personal values are thought to modulate value-based decisions, but the neural mechanisms underlying this influence remain unclear. Using a Lottery Choice Task functional brain imaging experiment, we examined the associations between personal value for hedonism and security (based on the Schwartz Value Survey) and subjective neurocognitive processing of reward and loss probability and magnitude objectively coded in stimuli. Hedonistic individuals accepted more losing stakes and showed increased right dorsolateral prefrontal and striatal and left parietal responses with increasing probability of losing.

High risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc), a life-threatening autoimmune disease characterized by vasculopathy. Numerous SSc patients demonstrate gastrointestinal (GI) involvement but the delicate GI bleeding risk remains sparse. We aimed to explore the role of SSc in determining the long-term risk of GI bleeding, including bleedings of upper (peptic and non-peptic ulcers) and lower GI tracts.