Annals of medicine
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Circadian rhythms are a critical part of the body's homeostatic mechanisms. These rhythms repeat with a cycle-length of approximately 24 h and are generated by a transcriptional-translational feedback loop. These rhythms are critical for proper behavioral, physiological, and molecular functions. ⋯ Key messages Chrono is a circadian clock gene whose transcription exhibits a robust circadian oscillation. CHRONO is a repressor of circadian transcriptional/translational feedback loops. CHRONO may function to link epigenetic control mechanisms to stress responses.
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The burden of stroke is increasing globally. Reports on seasonal variations in stroke occurrence are conflicting and long-term data are absent. ⋯ All major stroke subtypes occurred most commonly in autumn and most infrequently in summer. Seasonality of in-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay appears to vary by stroke subtype. The seasonal pattern of ischemic stroke occurrence appears to have changed during the past decades. Key messages All major stroke subtypes (ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage) occurred most frequently in autumn and least frequently in summer. Seasonal patterns of in-hospital mortality and length of stay differed markedly by stroke subtype. The seasonal pattern of ischemic stroke occurrence in Finland seems to have changed compared to 1982-1992.
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Review Meta Analysis
Markers of atherosclerosis in patients with Cushing's syndrome: a meta-analysis of literature studies.
Several studies reported an increased cardiovascular (CV) risk in Cushing's syndrome (CS). We performed a meta-analysis on the impact of CS on major markers of atherosclerosis. ⋯ CS is significantly associated with markers of subclinical atherosclerosis and CV risk. These findings could help establish more specific CV prevention strategies in this clinical setting. Key messages A series of studies reported an increased cardiovascular risk in patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS). In the present meta-analysis we demonstrated that CS is associated with an increased intima-media thickness, higher prevalence of carotid plaques, and lower flow-mediated dilation as compared with controls. These data consistently suggest the need for a strict monitoring of early signs of subclinical atherosclerosis in CS patients.
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Review Meta Analysis
Global epidemiology of diabetic foot ulceration: a systematic review and meta-analysis †.
Diabetic foot is a severe public health issue, yet rare studies investigated its global epidemiology. Here we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis through searching PubMed, EMBASE, ISI Web of science, and Cochrane database. We found that that global diabetic foot ulcer prevalence was 6.3% (95%CI: 5.4-7.3%), which was higher in males (4.5%, 95%CI: 3.7-5.2%) than in females (3.5%, 95%CI: 2.8-4.2%), and higher in type 2 diabetic patients (6.4%, 95%CI: 4.6-8.1%) than in type 1 diabetics (5.5%, 95%CI: 3.2-7.7%). ⋯ Key messages Global prevalence of diabetic foot is 6.3% (95%CI: 5.4-7.3%), and the prevalence in North America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania was 13.0% (95%CI: 10.0-15.9%), 5.5% (95%CI: 4.6-6.4%), 5.1% (95%CI: 4.1-6.0%), 7.2% (95%CI: 5.1-9.3%), and 3.0% (95% CI: 0.9-5.0%). Diabetic foot was more prevalent in males than in females, and more prevalent in type 2 diabetic foot patients than in type 1 diabetic foot patients. The patients with diabetic foot were older, had a lower body mass index, longer diabetic duration, and had more hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, and smoking history than patients without diabetic foot.
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Review Meta Analysis
Effect of uric acid-lowering therapy on blood pressure: systematic review and meta-analysis.
The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine if uric acid-lowering therapy is associated with a decrease in blood pressure (BP) and serum creatinine levels. ⋯ These results support that allopurinol decreases BP and creatinine levels in patients with hyperuricemia. KEY MESSAGES Allopurinol decreases SBP and DPB, and creatinine levels in patients with hyperuricemia. Allopurinol resulted in a significant decrease in SBP in patients with or without treatment of antihypertensive drugs. A dose of allopurinol of ≤300 mg per day might be more effective than a higher dose.