J Formos Med Assoc
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Hyperendemic townships of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection should devote extra efforts to eliminate HCV. We aimed to evaluate efficacy of the screening and linkage to care in two HCV hyperendemic townships. ⋯ Since NNT was low, it was worthwhile conducting intensive screening in these hyperendemic townships. For high treatment rate, accessible outreach hepatology clinic is feasible especially in areas without adequate medical resources.
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Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) could increase mortality risk in people with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, whether NPS affects mortality risk in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and whether any specific syndrome of NPS influences this risk are still unclear. ⋯ Mortality risk is high for patients with AD. Not only for AD, patients with MCI presenting with NPS, particularly mood symptoms, have high death risk.
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The beneficial effects of urban open green space on residential health had few investigations in Taiwan. ⋯ Proximity to SPUOS or schools is associated with lower risk of CKD for adults living in the Metropolitan area in New Taipei City.
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Functional somatic syndromes (such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome) are often comorbid. Whether these syndromes are distinct constructs and whether they have different psychological features are interesting questions. We perform a cluster analysis based on a nationwide survey in Taiwan to answer these questions. ⋯ The results of this population-based analysis supported the existence of distinct somatic syndromes that are not parts of a single whole somatic syndrome and have different psychological features.
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Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, alirocumab and evolocumab, are currently approved for clinical use by Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) in patients who had a recent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with persistent LDL-C levels >135 mg/dL despite high-intensity statin (HIS) or maximally tolerated statin in combination with ezetimibe treatment. Since January 2020 to July 2020, total of 10 patients who had received coronary revascularization received NHI-approved alirocumab or evolocumab in our institution. ⋯ The patients in our study were younger, had more frequently received HIS/ezetimibe, and had higher baseline LDL-C levels with a greater LDL-C reduction following PCSK9 inhibitors treatment compared with those patients in previously studies. Our findings highlight that the NHI's regulation of PCSK9 inhibitors application should be re-evaluation to increase the use of NHI-approved PCSK9 inhibitors in high-risk patients.