Medicine
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This study investigated the potential association between uranium exposure and mortality from cerebrovascular diseases, with a focus on the mediating effects of lipid indicators. Employing recommended sampling weights to account for National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey' complex survey design, this analysis drew from data collected between 2005 and 2016. The study examined the impact of uranium on mortality from cerebrovascular diseases using various statistical approaches, including Cox regression to assess linear relationships within metal mixtures. ⋯ The study encompassed 4312 participants and established a significant direct link between uranium levels and mortality from cerebrovascular diseases (hazard ratio (95%CI) = 20.4243 (20.1347-20.7181), P = .0266). It also identified LAP as a mediating factor in the relationship, accounting for a mediated proportion of 1.35%. The findings highlight a pivotal connection between uranium exposure and increased mortality due to cerebrovascular diseases, with LAP playing a significant intermediary role.
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Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) affects quality of life of many women. This paper aims to identify the experience of postmenopausal women in treatment decision-making process about POP before gynecological surgery. The characteristics of twelve postmenopausal women with stage II, III and IV POP, such as age, body mass index (BMI), physical exercise, education, parity, abortions, comorbidities, previous surgical interventions, and smoker/nonsmoker were evaluated. ⋯ After constant comparison of the data using qualitative descriptive design, 7 dominant themes were obtained, namely: lack of information about prolapse; the decisive moment for the choice of treatment; the most disturbing symptoms; sources of information on prolapse; decisions regarding the treatment; preferences for conservative treatment; and uncertainty about treatment options. Most of the postmenopausal women stated that treatment decision-making process was mainly influenced by the physician, while supervised pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training was seen as an alternative to surgical treatment (58.33%). Therefore, it is essential to inform in time such women about different treatment options, allowing to decide on their preferred treatment.
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Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are chronic hematological disorders marked by the abnormal proliferation of bone marrow cells. The most commonly encountered forms are polycythemia vera (PV), primary myelofibrosis (PMF), and essential thrombocythemia (ET). These disorders are generally associated with increases in blood components, which can lead to conditions like splenomegaly, thrombosis, bleeding tendencies, and a heightened risk of progressing to acute leukemia. ⋯ Upon adjusting the significance threshold to PFDR < 0.20, 16 immune cell phenotypes were significantly associated with MPN. Among these, 11 were found to exert a protective effect against MPN, 5 phenotypes were associated with an elevated risk of MPN. This research highlights a significant association between various immune cell phenotypes and the risk of developing MPN, thereby advancing our understanding of the intricate interplay between immune cell traits and the progression of MPN.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Comparative effectiveness of Korean medicine treatment for idiopathic central precocious puberty: A Bayesian network meta-analysis.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the comparative effect of the Korean medicine treatment for idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) using Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA). ⋯ The combination of HM and GnRHa generally showed greater effectiveness compared to GnRHa monotherapy or HM monotherapy. Although there have been few reports of adverse events related to HM, additional research and practical experience are needed. Further diverse studies should be conducted to support the decision-making process of patients and clinicians during the diagnosis and treatment of ICPP.
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More and more studies have shown that Chinese medicine can effectively and safely treat allergic rhinitis (AR) in children. This meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy and safety differences between conventional therapy and the Chinese herbal medicine Cang-Er-Zi-San (CEZS) from an evidence-based perspective, and guide the clinical treatment of pediatric AR. ⋯ CEZS has a definite therapeutic effect on children with AR and is an effective method for treating it. However, due to biased results and limited research, a large number of high-quality studies are needed to validate the effectiveness of CEZS and provide new treatments for clinical reference.