Role of visceral adipose tissue in osteoporosis: A longitudinal analysis in a Southern Taiwan medical Center's health management center.

Purpose: The relationship between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and bone mineral density (BMD) remains controversial. To further elucidate this association, a longitudinal cohort study to examine the association between VAT and BMD was conducted at a medical center in Southern Taiwan.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 3535 health checkup participants aged at least 50 years who initially underwent bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

A simple and user-friendly machine learning model to detect osteoporosis in health examination populations in Southern Taiwan.

Background: Osteoporosis is a growing public health concern in aging populations such as Taiwan, where limited utilization of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) often leads to underdiagnosis and even delayed treatment. Therefore, we leveraged machine learning (ML) and aimed to develop a simple and easily accessible model that effectively identifies individuals at high risk of osteoporosis.

Methods: This retrospective analysis enrolled 5510 men aged ≥50 years and 4720 postmenopausal women who underwent DXA at the Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, with another cohort of 610 men and 523 women for validation.

LASSO-derived model for the prediction of lean-non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in examinees attending a routine health check-up.

Background: Lean individuals with non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD) often have normal body size but abnormal visceral fat. Therefore, an alternative to body mass index should be considered for prediction of lean-NAFLD. This study aimed to use representative visceral fat links with other laboratory parameters using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method to construct a predictive model for lean-NAFLD.

Clinical Outcomes and Cost-Effectiveness of Osteoporosis Screening With Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for osteoporosis screening.

Materials And Methods: Eligible patients who had and had not undergone DXA screening were identified from among those aged 50 years or older at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan. Age, sex, screening year (index year), and Charlson comorbidity index of the DXA and non-DXA groups were matched using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) for propensity score analysis.

Non-fermented tea consumption protects against osteoporosis among Chinese male elders using the Taiwan biobank database.

Few studies compared the effects of non-fermented and fermented tea among the general population. We aimed to compare the risk of incident osteoporosis (OP) between non-fermented tea and fermented tea drinkers by this retrospective nationwide population-based analysis from the Taiwan Biobank. Participants ≥ 40 years who drink fermented tea (n = 2205) were compared with those who drink non-fermented tea (n = 1034) from 2008 to 2015 with a mean follow-up period of 3.

Impact of Rehabilitation Intensity on 3-Year Mortality among Children with Moderate to Severe Cerebral Palsy: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Though numerous studies demonstrated the positive effect of rehabilitation on cerebral palsy (CP) children, there was no literature addressing the role of rehabilitation on mortality among children with CP. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the impact of rehabilitation intensity on mortality among children with moderate to severe CP. This retrospective cohort study was conducted by National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan.

Effects of sex, tobacco smoking, and alcohol consumption osteoporosis development: Evidence from Taiwan biobank participants.

Introduction: Osteoporosis is major public health concern, but the long-term impacts of tobacco and alcohol consumption on its development are unclear. This study analyzed the relationship between tobacco and alcohol use and osteoporosis by using data from the Taiwan Biobank (TWB), established in 2012.

Methods: Participants in TWB were included in our study, with a total of 18394 respondents included for analysis.

Risk Prediction of Barrett's Esophagus in a Taiwanese Health Examination Center Based on Regression Models.

Determining the target population for the screening of Barrett's esophagus (BE), a precancerous condition of esophageal adenocarcinoma, remains a challenge in Asia. The aim of our study was to develop risk prediction models for BE using logistic regression (LR) and artificial neural network (ANN) methods. Their predictive performances were compared.

Associations between Lifestyle Habits, Perceived Symptoms and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Patients Seeking Health Check-Ups.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common diseases. It mainly causes the stomach contents to flow back to the esophagus, thereby stimulating the esophagus and causing discomfort. From the results of our research, we intend to provide the general public with information related to preventing gastroesophageal reflux disease and medical personnel with information on the treatment and care of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Nomogram for pneumonia prediction among children and young people with cerebral palsy: A population-based cohort study.

Background: Pneumonia is the leading cause of death among children and young people (CYP) with severe cerebral palsy (CP). Only a few studies used nomogram for assessing risk factors and the probability of pneumonia. Therefore, we aimed to identify risk factors and devise a nomogram for identifying the probability of severe pneumonia in CYP with severe CP.

The Trend of Aggressive Treatments in End-of-Life Care for Older People With Dementia After a Policy Change in Taiwan.

Objectives: We evaluated the trend of end-of-life healthcare utilization and life-sustaining interventions for older adults with dementia 3 to 4 years after the change in hospice policy.

Design: Population-based retrospective cohort study.

Setting And Participants: We used the National Health Insurance Research database of enrolled patients ≥65 years of age diagnosed with dementia who died in 2010-2013 (n = 2062).

Monitoring by viral load and quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen in patients with hepatitis B virus infection receiving immunosuppressive therapy.

Objectives: Hepatitis B virus reactivation in patients on immunosuppressive therapy is a critical issue. We aimed to verify the monitoring strategies of hepatitis B virus DNA and quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen in patients receiving therapies with moderate risk.

Methods: We enrolled 25 patients with autoimmune diseases receiving immunosuppressive therapy.

A national study on long-term osteoporosis therapy and risk of recurrent fractures in patients with hip fracture.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the impact of osteoporosis (OP) medication persistence on subsequent fractures and all-cause mortality in patients with hip fracture.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we included patients aged ≥ 40 years with fragility hip fracture from the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. OP medication persistence was categorized as yes (≥ 12 months) or no (< 12 months).

Risk factors for Barrett's esophagus in young adults who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in a health examination center.

Background: Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a premalignant condition with increased incidence worldwide both in old and young individuals. However, the role of certain potential risk factors remains unclear in young adults (< 50 years). We aimed to determine the risk factors of BE in young adults.

Prevalence and risk factors for colonization by extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing or ST 131 among asymptomatic adults in community settings in Southern Taiwan.

Fecal carriage of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESBL-EC) is common in Asia, especially in China and Southeast Asia. There are no data about fecal carriage of ESBL-EC and -positive in Taiwan, and few studies focusing on the risk factors of asymptomatic fecal carriage of epidemic ST131 have been published. From healthy inhabitants attending health examinations at a medical center in southern Taiwan in 2017, we collected 724 stool samples, which were examined for ESBL-EC fecal carriage using chromogenic medium.

Role of Fatty Liver Index and Metabolic Factors in the Prediction of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in a Lean Population Receiving Health Checkup.

Objectives: Some metabolic factors and noninvasive markers, including fatty liver index (FLI), are used to predict nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese patients. Despite the increasing prevalence of NAFLD in lean patients (lean-NAFLD), the risk factors and predictors are not well determined in this population. We investigated factors associated with lean-NAFLD and validated their predictive ability.

Risk of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in patients with depressive disorders: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Objective: The association between depression and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) remains debated. This study aimed to investigate the risk of BPPV in patients with depressive disorders.

Design: Longitudinal nationwide cohort study.

Should clinicians pay more attention to the potential underdiagnosis of osteoporosis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis? A national population-based study in Taiwan.

Objectives: There are limited studies describing the association between ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and osteoporosis. We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study to investigate this epidemiologic evidence.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD).

Long-term smoking cessation rates in elderly versus other adult smokers: A 3-year follow-up study in Taiwan.

Introduction: Smoking cessation improves life expectancy at any age. There is some evidence that elderly smokers have at least as good a chance of successfully stopping as other smokers but direct comparisons with long-term follow up are rare. This study aimed to compare success rates up to 3 years in smokers aged 65+ versus other adult smokers with and without adjustment for a range of other smoker characteristics.

Slow gait speed as a predictor of 1-year cognitive decline in a veterans' retirement community in southern Taiwan.

Aim: Slow gait speed has been associated with mortality, poor physical function and disability in older people. Our aim was to evaluate the association between slow gait speed and rapid cognitive decline among oldest-old men in Taiwan.

Methods: We carried out a longitudinal cohort study in a veterans' retirement community, and enrolled 249 male residents aged 80 years and older.