Medicine
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Observational Study
Renal function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients on long-term treatment with edaravone.
Edaravone, a free radical-scavenger, was approved in Japan for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the effect of the drug on renal function in ALS patients remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate renal function in ALS patients on long-term treatment with edaravone by measuring the serum estimated glomerular filtration rate based on cystatin C (eGFR-CysC). ⋯ However, no patients discontinued edaravone treatment because of renal dysfunction. The average variation rate of eGFR-CysC was not different between the long-term edaravone group (0.29 ± 1.07) and the control group (-0.34 ± 0.40). This retrospective, single-center analysis showed no clinical exacerbation of renal function in ALS patients who received long-term treatment with edaravone.
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Infections with hepatitis C virus (HCV) represent a substantial national and international public health burden. HCV has been associated with numerous extrahepatic conditions and can lead to metabolic derangements that are associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether HCV infection is associated with an increased number of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) events among hospitalized patients in an inner-city tertiary hospital. ⋯ In adjusted models, there was no significant association found between experiencing an ACS event in those with HCV infection compared to those without HCV infection (odds ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.45-1.11). We found no significant association between HCV infection and ACS in our study population. However, given the mixed existing literature, the association between HCV and ACS warrants further investigation in future prospective cohort and/or interventional studies.
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Comparative Study
Stent insertion for inoperable hilar cholangiocarcinoma: Comparison of radioactive and normal stenting.
To assess effectiveness and safety associated with radioactive stenting for hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) patients. This single-center retrospective study compared baseline and treatment data of recruited consecutive patients with HCCA underwent either normal or radioactive stenting between January 2016 and December 2019. Clinical success was defined by total bilirubin (TBIL) levels falling below 70% of the preoperative baseline within 2 weeks post stent insertion. ⋯ During follow-up, all patients died from tumor progression, with respective median survival of 198 days (normal group) and 256 days (radioactive group) (P < .001). Seven and 5 patients in the normal and radioactive groups suffered from stent-related complications (P = .730). Radioactive stenting is effective and safe for inoperable HCCA patient and may prolong stent patency and survival.
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Among the main types of neoplasms in the female population, breast and cervical cancers are the most important due to their high morbidity and mortality rates. The mortality has been proportionally higher in developing countries. Analysis of the trend of cancer mortality in Brazil revealed a considerable difference in the pattern of deaths between the regions. ⋯ Breast cancer mortality rate varied from 3.81 to 11.47 per 100,000 women from 1981 to 2014, indicating a growing trend. There is a significant increase in the mortality rate for breast cancer and stability of cervical cancers in the State of Acre from 1980 to 2014, evidencing a concern in their care and monitoring. Above all, guaranteed access, especially to the population of women at social risk, and the search for effective screening should be emphasized in the formation of the care line and the Health Care Network in the State of Acre.
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This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of low health literacy in Hebei Province of China, and to investigate its socio-demographic risk factors. This study was a community-based, cross-sectional questionnaire survey with a multiple-stage randomization design and a sample size of 10,560. Participants' health literacy status was evaluated by a questionnaire based on the 2012 Chinese Resident Health Literacy Scale. ⋯ Further multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that higher age, male, lower education level, lower annual household income, and rural area were closely correlated with the risks of low total health literacy or low health literacy in subscales in Hebei Province. The prevalence of low health literacy is 81.0% in Hebei Province. Meanwhile, higher age, male, lower education level, lower annual household income, and rural area closely associate with low health literacy risk.