Epidemiology of pulmonary embolism in China, 2021: a nationwide hospital-based study.

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) as a preventable and potentially fatal noncommunicable disease was believed to have a lower incidence in Asian populations compared to Western populations. However, the incidence and mortality rates of PE in China and the impact of venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention system constructions on PE still lack nationwide evidence.

Methods: For this nationwide hospital-based observational study, we used data from the National Hospital Quality Monitoring System (HQMS) and public database in China.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms: Implications in the early diagnosis and targeted intervention of coronary microvascular dysfunction.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a clinical syndrome of myocardial ischemia caused by structural and/or functional abnormalities of pre-coronary arterioles and arterioles. While genetics and other factors play a role in CMD etiology, the key pathogenic mechanism remains unclear. Currently, the diagnostic procedure for CMD is still cumbersome, and there is a lack of effective targeted interventions.

Using Contemplative Medicine to Harness Compassion in the Palliative Care Setting: Lessons Learned.

Background: Burnout is common among palliative care clinicians caring for patients with a serious illness. Contemplative medicine is an emerging approach that aims to utilize Buddhist concepts of mindfulness, insight, and compassion to address unspoken suffering in clinicians.

Objectives: To introduce and share contemplative medicine practices with Hospice Palliative Medicine (HPM) fellows participating in two academic programs in New York.

Understanding Loneliness in an Aging Population of San Vito de Coto Brus, Costa Rica.

As trends in life expectancy continue to improve, the burden of loneliness in geriatric populations on a global scale is increasing. With advancing age comes an increase in the number of life events that can perpetuate a state of loneliness such as losing a life partner, dwindling social networks, and deteriorating health conditions. This burden can manifest in a variety of mental and physical consequences.

Feasibility of a Low-Intensity Intervention to Influence Antibiotic Prescribing Rates Use in Outpatient Settings: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Background: Primary care providers (PCPs) may modify their antibiotic prescription practices if aware of their potentially damaging impact.

Methods: We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial at 12 Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinics. PCPs at clinics randomized to the intervention group received quarterly antibiotic use reports with feedback about antibiotics prescribed for acute respiratory infections and adverse event letters alerting about infection or antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria among their patients.

Association of Pretreatment Albumin-bilirubin Grade With Hepatotoxicity and Efficacy in EGFR-TKIs Therapy for NSCLC.

Background/aim: The albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade is an assessment tool for hepatic function and prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its significance in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) remains unclear. We retrospectively investigated the relationship between pre-treatment ALBI grade and hepatotoxicity and treatment efficacy in patients with NSCLC receiving EGFR-TKIs.

Scale-based screening and assessment of age-related frailty.

As the population ages, the prevalence of age-related frailty increases sharply, which increases the risk of poor health status of older adults, such as disability, falls, hospitalization, and death. Across the globe, frailty is moving toward the forefront of health and medical research. Currently, frailty is believed to be preventable and reversible, so the early identification of frailty is critical.

A Novel Integrated Geriatric Services Hub for Frailty Identification and Comprehensive Management of Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Singapore: Impact on Health Service Utilization.

Background: Healthcare systems need to address the high healthcare use of frail older adults. The Geriatric Services Hub (GSH) is a novel program in Singapore that delivers frailty screening, comprehensive geriatric assessment and coordinated care for community-dwelling older persons with bio-psycho-social needs. We aimed to evaluate the effects of the GSH on healthcare use.

The impact of inflammatory response on psychological status of medical staff during COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Limited research has been conducted on the relationship between inflammatory markers and psychological status in medical staff fighting COVID-19.

Objective: This article examines the psychological and inflammatory conditions of medical personnel working on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19.

Methods: A total of 102 clinical staff members were included in this study.

Masticatory performance indicates the development of psychological frailty: A 6-year prospective cohort study by the SONIC study group.

Purpose: Although the association between oral health and physical frailty is well established, psychological frailty has not been investigated. Therefore, this prospective cohort study was conducted to examine the association between masticatory performance and psychological frailty in older community-dwelling Japanese individuals.

Methods: The participants included 498 older adults who completed baseline and 3- and 6-year follow-up surveys.

Association between underlying conditions, multimorbidity, and COVID-19 vaccination status of adults aged ≥80 years old in Beijing, China.

Background: Promoting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination is crucial among older adults, particularly those geriatric. This study aimed to analyze the association between chronic conditions, multimorbidity, and vaccination status in adults aged ≥80 years old to provide recommendations for vaccine-preventable diseases.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Beijing from April 5, 2023, to May 5, 2023, including participants aged ≥80 years old who did not receive the booster COVID-19 vaccination.

Adherence to institutional stroke alert criteria in an academic adult emergency department population.

Background: Timely recognition of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is essential to identify patients who may be eligible for acute intervention. Protocols to streamline systems-based care, such as "stroke alerts" in the emergency department (ED) can safely reduce time-to-care while enhancing safety. However, clinician adherence to stroke alert criteria is poorly described.

A randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of standardized tai chi in prefrail older adults with immunosenescence: design and protocol.

Background: Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome worldwide, and its early identification and intervention have important clinical significance. Resistance training has been recommended as an efficient means to combat loss of muscle strength and mass; however, it is often not a prioritized option for older adults. Tai chi is a well-known traditional Chinese exercise that has a beneficial impact on physical performance, balance ability, metabolism, and immune function.

Evolutionary study and structural basis of proton sensing by Mus GPR4 and Xenopus GPR4.

Animals have evolved pH-sensing membrane receptors, such as G-protein-coupled receptor 4 (GPR4), to monitor pH changes related to their physiology and generate adaptive reactions. However, the evolutionary trajectory and structural mechanism of proton sensing by GPR4 remain unresolved. Here, we observed a positive correlation between the optimal pH of GPR4 activity and the blood pH range across different species.

Tea consumption and cognitive health in Chinese older adults: A propensity score matching and weighting analysis.

Background: The association between tea consumption, especially different types, and cognitive function has not been adequately explored. This study aimed to investigate the associations of tea consumption, including status, frequency, and type, with cognitive function, considering selection bias.

Methods: We used data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) in 2018(N = 8498).

Trace phospholipid and fatty acid differences between dairy and plant-based milk products by H and P NMR spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical analysis.

With development of modern food industry, plant-based milk products are widely used to replace dairy products to cook different kinds of food. Due to different origins, it is necessary to assess the nutrition difference between dairy and plant-based milk products. Phospholipids and unsaturated fatty acids, as the important nutrients in cream and butter, were closely related to body development and health.

Updated Geriatrics Competencies for Graduating Medical Students: Training Physicians to Provide Age-Friendly Care.

Purpose: Medical student education in geriatrics is a critical need for every doctor-in-training as the population ages, with fewer than 7,000 geriatricians, and older patients, who now approach 20% of the U.S. population, having unique health care needs.

ChatGPT's Attitude, Knowledge, and Clinical Application in Geriatrics Practice and Education: Exploratory Observational Study.

Background: The increasing use of ChatGPT in clinical practice and medical education necessitates the evaluation of its reliability, particularly in geriatrics.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate ChatGPT's trustworthiness in geriatrics through 3 distinct approaches: evaluating ChatGPT's geriatrics attitude, knowledge, and clinical application with 2 vignettes of geriatric syndromes (polypharmacy and falls).

Methods: We used the validated University of California, Los Angeles, geriatrics attitude and knowledge instruments to evaluate ChatGPT's geriatrics attitude and knowledge and compare its performance with that of medical students, residents, and geriatrics fellows from reported results in the literature.

Antihypertensive Deprescribing and Functional Status in VA Long-Term Care Residents With and Without Dementia.

Background: Deprescribing antihypertensives is of growing interest in geriatric medicine, yet the impact on functional status is unknown. We emulated a target trial of deprescribing antihypertensive medications compared with continued use on functional status measured by activities of daily living (ADL) in a long-term care population.

Methods: We included 12,238 Veteran Affairs long-term care residents age 65+ who had a stay ≥ 12 weeks between 2006 and 2019.

The Cumulative Burden of Social Risk Factors and 10-Year Change in Quality of Life.

Background: Social risk factors are linked to adverse health outcomes, but their total impact on long-term quality of life is obscure. We hypothesized that a higher burden of social risk factors is associated with greater decline in quality of life over 10 years.

Methods: We examined associations between social risk factors count and decline >5 points in (i) physical component summary, and (ii) mental component summary scores from the Short Form-12 among Black and White participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study (n = 14 401).

LGR4 promotes proliferation and homing via activation of the NF‑κB signaling pathway in multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy characterized by clonal proliferation in the bone marrow (BM). Previously, it was reported that G‑protein‑coupled receptor 4 (LGR4) contributed to early hematopoiesis and was associated with poor prognosis in patients with MM. However, the mechanism of cell homing and migration, which is critical for MM progression, remains unclear.

Cardiorespiratory fitness, hippocampal subfield morphology, and episodic memory in older adults.

Objective: Age-related hippocampal atrophy is associated with memory loss in older adults, and certain hippocampal subfields are more vulnerable to age-related atrophy than others. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) may be an important protective factor for preserving hippocampal volume, but little is known about how CRF relates to the volume of specific hippocampal subfields, and whether associations between CRF and hippocampal subfield volumes are related to episodic memory performance. To address these gaps, the current study evaluates the associations among baseline CRF, hippocampal subfield volumes, and episodic memory performance in cognitively unimpaired older adults from the Investigating Gains in Neurocognition Trial of Exercise (IGNITE) (NCT02875301).