Cost-effectiveness of diabetic retinopathy screening for newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients: A nationwide population-based propensity score-matched cohort study.

Aims: This study investigated the association between the frequency of screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR) versus the development of DR and corresponding medical expenses among patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: This longitudinal, population-based study used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (2004 to 2020) as a data source. Propensity score matching (PSM) (sex, age, comorbidities and concurrent medication use) was employed in the grouping of T2DM patients according to different frequency of DR screening.

Effects of a 12-Week Pilates Program on Functional Physical Fitness and Basal Metabolic Rate in Community-Dwelling Middle-Aged Women: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Background: The aging society worldwide carries public and inevitable issues. Aging is accompanied by multiple diseases, and the health impacts challenge healthcare and social systems. In addition to medical treatment, exercise has been recognized as an effective strategy not only for disease prevention and alleviation, but also for multiple health benefits on health promotion.

Profiles of commensal and opportunistic bacteria in human milk from healthy donors in Taiwan.

Recent studies indicate that milk from healthy mothers may harbor potential probiotics. Nonetheless, the distribution of bacterial profiles in human milk samples in Taiwan is not fully understood. Therefore, with the aim to address this question, in this study, milk samples were collected from 33 healthy mothers (D1 to D33) visiting our hospital during a 6-month period.

Most commensally bacterial strains in human milk of healthy mothers display multiple antibiotic resistance.

Recent reports have shown that food-borne or commensal bacteria can function as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance. However, the antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial isolates of most milk samples or the total bacterial counts (TBC) in human milk from healthy donors, are not fully understood in Taiwan. Thus, five healthy mothers were randomly recruited each month, and totally 30 mothers without any symptoms of infection were recruited over 6 months.

Antibiotic Susceptibility of Commensal Bacteria from Human Milk.

Recent studies have focused on foodborne or commensal bacteria as vehicles of antibiotic resistance. However, the antibiotic resistance of milk bacteria from healthy donors is still vague in Taiwan. For this purpose, human milk samples were obtained from randomly recruited 19 healthy women between 3 and 360 days post-partum.