Treatment Strategies to Control Blood Pressure in People With Hypertension in Tanzania and Lesotho: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Hypertension is the primary cardiovascular risk factor in Africa. Recently revised World Health Organization guidelines recommend starting antihypertensive dual therapy; clinical efficacy and tolerability of low-dose triple combination remain unclear.

Objectives: To compare the effect of 3 treatment strategies on blood pressure control among persons with untreated hypertension in Africa.

Comparative Efficacy and Acceptability of Non-surgical Treatments with or without Exercise for Diastasis Recti Abdominis in Postpartum Women: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Diastasis recti abdominis (DRA), commonly occurring in postpartum women, is not only an aesthetic issue but is also highly associated with functional impairments. Various conservative treatment modalities have been employed in clinical practice to alleviate DRA. However, the comparative efficacy of these non-surgical treatments for improving the inter-recti distance (IRD) remains to be determined.

Tackling chronic kidney disease in Nepal: from evidence to action.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses a significant burden in Nepal. We reviewed the epidemiology of CKD in Nepal and proposed strategies to mitigate its burden. A nationwide survey of non-communicable diseases in 2019 reported CKD prevalence of 6.

Baseline Alpha-Fetoprotein Elevation and the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Chronic Hepatitis B: A Multicentre Cohort Study.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level and its changes in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) may influence the risk of future hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to evaluate the HCC risk in CHB patients with no overt HCC but with elevated AFP level and to explore the prognostic role of longitudinal changes in AFP and liver-related laboratory values. This multicentre cohort study included 10,639 CHB patients without a history of HCC from seven medical facilities in South Korea.

Assessment of self-management questionnaire in diabetes mellitus (ASQ-DM-EX)-the validation of novel lived experience inventory.

Background: The optimal control of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is defined by the innate mastery of self-management behaviours. This study is designed to condense the lived experiences of people with T2D in relation to factors 'exterior' to themselves into a universal self-management inventory (Assessment of Self-Management Questionnaire in Diabetes Mellitus-External Reality; ASQ-DM-EX).

Methods: We collected responses to an online and physical survey from people living with T2D through a quantitative cross-sectional study.

Effect of virtual reality intervention on hospitalized patients with acute pain after thoracoscopic surgery: a pilot randomized clinical trial.

The study investigates the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality (VR) as a nonpharmaceutical approach to manage postoperative pain in patients following thoracoscopic surgery. In this single-center, triple-arm pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT), 61 postsurgical patients with a postoperative pain numerical rating scale (NRS) score ≥4 after receiving standard analgesia were included and assigned to either a quantum clinics-VR (QTC-VR) group, a Placebo-VR group, or a control group. The QTC-VR group engaged in a daily 10-minute interactive pain relief 3D-VR program, while the Placebo-VR group watched a daily 10-minute relaxation-based 2D film through VR headsets for three days following surgery.

Neural Correlates of Narrative Reading Development: A Comparative fMRI Study of Adults and Children Using Time-Locked Inter-Subject Correlation Analyses.

The naturalistic paradigm and analytical methods present new approaches that are particularly suitable for research concentrating on narrative reading development. We analyzed fMRI data from 44 adults and 42 children engaged in story reading using time-locked inter-subject correlation (ISC), inter-subject representation similarity analysis (IS-RSA), and inter-subject functional correlation (ISFC). The ISC results indicated that for both children and adults, narrative reading recruited not only traditional reading areas but also regions that are sensitive to long-time-scale information, such as the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, which increased involvement from children to adults.

Demography, Pleasure, State, and Market in Socialist Sexology: Medical-Sexological and Sexual-Psychological Public Discourse in Socialist Hungary Through Counseling Books From a Social-Political Perspective.

This paper analyzes medical-sexological and sexual-psychological public discourse in Hungary between the Second World War and the regime change, through counseling and science communication books. It engages with works on the history of Hungarian socialist sexual discourse. It differs from such works in two main respects.

Flaxseed powder supplementation in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a growing public health problem worldwide, and dietary interventions have important potential in the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. Moreover, previous animal studies have shown that flaxseed has a good improvement effect in animal NAFLD models. : Assess whether flaxseed powder could improve the liver lipid content in patients with NAFLD.

Cross-cultural validation of plasma p-tau217 and p-tau181 as precision biomarkers for amyloid PET positivity: An East Asian study in Taiwan and Korea.

Introduction: Plasma phosphorylated tau (p-tau) biomarkers have improved Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis, but data from diverse Asian populations are limited. This study evaluated plasma p-tau217 and p-tau181 levels in Korean and Taiwanese populations.

Methods: All participants (n = 270) underwent amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) and blood tests.

Budget impact analysis of insulin glargine vs. isophane protamine insulin treatment for patients with type-2 diabetes and severe hypoglycemia in Thailand.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the financial impact of different adoption rates of insulin glargine (IGlar) treatment compared to isophane protamine (neutral protamine hagedorn [NPH]) insulin treatment for patients with type-2 diabetes (T2D) and severe hypoglycemia in Thailand from the payer's perspective.

Methods: The budget impact analysis (BIA) model over a period of 5 years was used to estimate the net budget impact (NBI) of IGlar treatment by comparing the total budget expenditures under two scenarios: scenario 1 involved only NPH insulin and scenario 2 included the introduction of IGlar. The total budget included either the cost of insulin or a combination of the costs of insulin and the expense related to severe hypoglycemia.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Mumps Cases in the Kingdom of Bahrain From 2012 to 2022.

Introduction: Mumps is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by the paramyxovirus affecting the salivary gland and may be complicated by orchitis, oophoritis, and encephalitis. This study aims to describe the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and transmission of mumps cases in the Kingdom of Bahrain between 2012 and 2022.

Methodology: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using national surveillance data of confirmed mumps cases, including all age groups and both Bahraini and non-Bahraini nationals, from January 2012 to December 2022.

Effects of Low-Intensity Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Neuropsychological Development of Pediatric Subjects With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Longitudinal Retrospective Approach.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurobiological condition characterized by behavioral problems and delayed neurodevelopment. Although transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been proposed as an alternative treatment for patients with ASD because of its promising benefits in reducing repetitive behaviors and enhancing executive functions, the use of high-intensity pulses (Hi-TMS) appears to be related to the side effects of the therapy. Low-intensity TMS (Li-TMS) has been partially investigated, but it may have clinical effects on ASD and simultaneously increase treatment safety.

Heart Failure in Atrial Fibrillation Subtypes in Women and Men in the Tromsø Study.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) often coexist and impact morbidity and mortality. There is limited knowledge on the association of AF subtypes with HF according to sex.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore sex-specific associations between AF subtypes and subsequent HF, identifying HF risk factors in participants with AF, and exploring the combined impact on mortality.

Hydrocephalus, healing, and disrupted daily living: exploring maternal experiences at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi.

Background: Each year, nearly 400,000 new cases of paediatric hydrocephalus are estimated to occur worldwide, and almost half of these cases are expected to affect children in Africa. At Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), an urban tertiary hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, located in south-east Africa, around 200 children received neurosurgical treatment for hydrocephalus in 2023. These children require lifelong follow-up and care, which places significant demands on their caregivers.

Mindray CL-900i assay: An effective assay for hepatitis B surface antigen screening with superior specificity.

Objectives: The chemiluminescence immunoassay automated Abbott ARCHITECT hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) screening assay is globally recognized for its superior sensitivity but notably low specificity. This mandates positive results confirmation by another confirmatory assay, such as the widely used Abbott ARCHITECT HBsAg neutralizing assay. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the new chemiluminescence immunoassay, Mindray CL-900i HBsAg screening assay in comparison to the ARCHITECT neutralizing/confirmatory assay.

Epidemiology of measles clusters/outbreaks during 2016-2017 in Oman.

Objectives: The epidemiology of measles in Oman has shown a decreasing trend since the introduction of vaccines with high coverage, even at the district level. Oman achieved elimination status in 2019. Currently, measles epidemiology is characterized by a small number of imported and importation-related cases with limited spread in the community.

The graded heat-health risk forecast and early warning with full-season coverage across China: a predicting model development and evaluation study.

Background: Due to global climate change, high temperature and heatwaves have become critical issues that pose a threat to human health. An effective early warning system is essential to mitigate the health risks associated with high temperature and heatwaves. However, most of the current heatwave early warning systems are not adequately developed based on the heat-health risk model, and the health impact of hot weather has not been well managed in most countries.

A systematic review of the knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare professionals and healthcare professional students towards household pharmaceutical waste disposal.

Background: Active pharmaceutical residues introduced into the environment through irresponsible household disposal of unused and expired medication can damage nature and health. Through medication take-back programmes, these risks can be mitigated. However, healthcare professionals' neglect of their responsibility to ensure proper disposal practices has perpetuated subpar norms among the public.

Global and Indian Scenarios of Fatal and Non-fatal Occupational Injuries: A Secondary Data Analysis.

Introduction: Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries are one of the most important public health problems all over the world. Its number greatly varies from country to country over the years. Worldwide approximately 4% of global gross domestic product (GDP) is lost due to occupational injuries.

Quality of care delivery in patients with acute heart failure: insights from the international REPORT-HF registry.

Background: Heart Failure (HF) quality of care (QoC) is associated with clinical outcomes. Therefore, we investigated differences in HF QoC across worldwide regions (with differing national income) and the association of quality indicators with outcomes.

Methods: We examined the quality of care (QoC) in acute heart failure (HF) patients across different regions using quality indicators (QIs) from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) to evaluate QoC.

Knowledge and attitudes of health science students and medical interns at al Al-Baha University towards epistaxis first aid.

Epistaxis, or nosebleeds, is a common medical concern in emergency departments worldwide, often triggered by trauma, infections, allergies, and high blood pressure. Despite its frequency, there is limited research on the knowledge and attitudes of health-related students regarding the first aid management of epistaxis. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward first aid management of epistaxis among health-related specialty students at Al-Baha University, Saudi Arabia.

Knowledge, practice, and attitudes regarding breast cancer self-examination among women of reproductive age in Saudi Arabia: a community-based study.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among females worldwide and can often be detected at an early stage through breast self-examination (BSE). However, in many developing countries, most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of BSE among women of reproductive age in Saudi Arabia.

Emergency medicine pharmacists' interventions in the tertiary hospitals' emergency departments in Malaysia.

Background: The emergency medicine (EM) pharmacist is an integrated part of the Emergency Department (ED) interdisciplinary team in many countries, including Malaysia. The presence of EM pharmacists in the ED has positively impacted patient outcomes. Data on EM pharmacists' interventions is scarce in the Asian region.

Rethinking brachial plexus birth palsy: Beyond physician blame.

Brachial plexus birth palsy, a devastating injury affecting newborns, has long been a source of contention and misunderstanding. This article aims to dispel the myth that healthcare providers are solely responsible for these injuries, presenting evidence that highlights the complex interplay of maternal, fetal, and biological factors in their causation. By shifting the narrative away from blame and towards a more comprehensive understanding, we can foster a more supportive and informed approach to childbirth.