Evaluating the role of toe grip strength and anthropometric measures in diagnosing sarcopenia: A predictive model for middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan.

Background: Sarcopenia, characterized by the loss of muscle mass and strength, is a major health concern among older adults, contributing to disability and mortality. Early identification is crucial for timely intervention. This study evaluated the role of toe grip strength (TGS) for diagnosing sarcopenia and developed a simplified diagnostic algorithm that reduces reliance on tools such as bioelectrical impedance analysis and handgrip strength.

Validation of novel exosomal miRNAs identified by next-generation sequencing in coronary artery disease.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) play a role in vascular atherosclerosis and are involved in the pathophysiology of CAD. This study aimed to validate the associations of eight exosomal miRNAs with CAD and assess their relevance to disease severity.

Long Dosing Intervals of Parenteral Antiosteoporosis Medications and the Decrease in Societal Fracture Risk: An 11-Year Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between different dosing intervals of antiosteoporosis medications (AOMs) and the subsequent fracture risk among patients with newly initiated AOM therapies.

Patients And Methods: In a nationwide population-based cohort study based on Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, osteoporosis patients with 50 years of age or older who newly initiated AOM from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2018 (n=336,229) were included. We categorized AOMs into short dosing intervals (oral AOMs) or long dosing intervals (parenteral AOMs).

Real world clinical outcomes when discontinuing denosumab or bisphosphonates in patients with surgically managed osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: a population-based cohort study.

Background Context: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) are common fragility fractures. Patients who undergo surgical treatment for their initial OVCFs warrant particular attention because there is an elevated risk of subsequent vertebral fractures and other types of fragility fractures. However, the optimal osteoporosis treatment for this specific patient group is less investigated.

Hypogonadism among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in Taiwan: Prevalence and associated factors.

Background: Male hypogonadism is not uncommon in people with HIV (PWH), with estimated prevalence ranging from 9% to 16%. Existing data are limited on the serum testosterone levels in PWH in Asian populations.

Methods: We enrolled HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) and had been on stable antiretroviral therapy and MSM without HIV between February 2021 and November 2022.

Digital health interventions to promote healthy lifestyle in hemodialysis patients: an interventional pilot study.

Low physical activity has been associated with poor prognosis in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Interventions to maintain healthy lifestyle in this population are important to reduce mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of digital health interventions (DHIs) for improving the physical activity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in HD patients.

Association of exosomes in patients with compromised myocardial perfusion on functional imaging.

Background: Exosomes are membrane vesicles that are actively secreted in response to microenvironmental stimuli. In this study, we quantified the amount of exosomes in patients with significant coronary artery disease (CAD) and evaluated its relationship with myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) results.

Methods: Patients who underwent both MPI and coronary angiography were recruited.

Association Between Use of Fluoroquinolones and Risk of Mitral or Aortic Valve Regurgitation: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Biological plausibility suggests that fluoroquinolones may lead to mitral valve regurgitation or aortic valve regurgitation (MR/AR) through a collagen degradation pathway. However, available real-world studies were limited and yielded inconsistent findings. We estimated the risk of MR/AR associated with fluoroquinolones compared with other antibiotics with similar indications in a population-based cohort study.

Urine output as one of the most important features in differentiating in-hospital death among patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a random forest approach.

Background: It is common to support cardiovascular function in critically ill patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The purpose of this study was to identify patients receiving ECMO with a considerable risk of dying in hospital using machine learning algorithms.

Methods: A total of 1342 adult patients on ECMO support were randomly assigned to the training and test groups.

Cost and effectiveness analyses of the anti-osteoporosis medication in patients with hip fracture in Taiwan: A population-based national claims database analysis.

Background: Real-world cost and effectiveness analyses of the anti-osteoporosis medications (AOM) using a nationwide database in Asia were limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost and effectiveness of AOMs therapy under the reimbursement of National Health Insurance in Taiwan.

Methods: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, patients who had hospitalization due to incident hip fractures with related operation between 2008 and 2017 were identified as our study population.

Eleven years secular trend of the initiation of anti-osteoporosis medications and subsequent fractures in Taiwan: From 2008 to 2018.

Background: Osteoporosis is a common metabolic bone disease that benefits from many newly developed anti-osteoporosis medications (AOMs). Reimbursement policies need to allocate medical budgets properly based on evidence-based data. This study aimed to investigate the 11-year secular trend, focusing on older age and males in this adjustment wave of the National Health Insurance reimbursement.

Constraining in reimbursement criteria and the adherence to anti-osteoporosis medications (AOMs) in Taiwan: Urbanization makes the difference.

Background: The Bureau of National Health Insurance in Taiwan implemented a new reimbursement scheme incorporating bone mineral density (BMD) criteria on Jan. 1, 2011. This study aimed to investigate a real-life 11-year secular trend of adherence in new AOMs users and evaluated the change of adherence to AOMs therapy in different urbanization areas after reimbursement criteria were restrained.

Epidemiology and clinical impact of osteoporosis in Taiwan: A 12-year trend of a nationwide population-based study.

Background: Osteoporosis increases the fracture and mortality risk of patients and has a higher disease burden than some cancers. Therefore, global concerns regarding the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis have been raised. However, fast-aging Taiwan lacks national epidemiological data on osteoporosis in recent years.

ER ribosomal-binding protein 1 regulates blood pressure and potassium homeostasis by modulating intracellular renin trafficking.

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have linked RRBP1 (ribosomal-binding protein 1) genetic variants to atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and serum lipoprotein levels. However, how RRBP1 regulates blood pressure is unknown.

Methods: To identify genetic variants associated with blood pressure, we performed a genome-wide linkage analysis with regional fine mapping in the Stanford Asia-Pacific Program for Hypertension and Insulin Resistance (SAPPHIRe) cohort.

Risk of major adverse limb events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus receiving sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Both sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) have cardiovascular protective effects in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the comparative risk of GLP-1RA versus SGLT-2i for major adverse limb events remains unknown. We studied a nationwide cohort involving 123,048 diabetes patients 20-100 years of age who initiated a SGLT-2i or GLP-1RA during 2012 and 2017.

Impact of duration of mechanical support on heart transplantation: Hasty transplantation may not have a good long-term outcome.

Background: Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) has been widely utilized in critically ill cardiac transplant candidates. Few studies have investigated the impact of duration of MCS before heart transplantation (HTx) on long-term patient survival.

Methods: A retrospective HTx database was reviewed between 2009 and 2019.

A genome-wide association study for melatonin secretion.

Melatonin exerts a wide range of effects among various tissues and organs. However, there is currently no study to investigate the genetic determinants of melatonin secretion. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for melatonin secretion using morning urine 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate-to-creatinine ratio (UMCR).

Association between glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and biliary-related diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes: A nationwide cohort study.

Study Objective: Clinical trials have suggested that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) may be associated with a higher risk of biliary-related diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes. Limited real-world studies have examined the comparative biliary safety of GLP-1RAs versus other antihyperglycemic drugs. We aimed to estimate the comparative risk of biliary-related diseases between GLP-1RAs and sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is), which are indicated for patients with similar diabetes severity in Taiwan.

Comparative cardiovascular effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists versus sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes: A population-based cohort study.

Aims: To examine the comparative effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for select cardiovascular outcomes and to examine whether the relative risks varied across different patient subgroups in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a nationwide cohort study of patients with type 2 diabetes who initiated GLP-1RAs or SGLT2 inhibitors between 2012 and 2018 in Taiwan. The study outcomes included myocardial infarction and total stroke, further classified into ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke.

Risk stratification and cost-effectiveness analysis of adult patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Rationale, Aims, And Objectives: A more effective allocation of critical care resources is important as the cost of intensive care increases. A model has been developed to predict the probability of in-hospital death among patients who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) were performed regarding the relationship between hospitalization expenses and predicted survival outcomes.

The Sequential Change in Left Ventricular Function among Various Cardiovascular Diseases: A 12-Year Study.

Background: This 12-year study aimed to compare the longitudinal change in left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) between healthy elderly, coronary artery disease (CAD), and hypertension (HTN) patients. Methods: From 2008 to 2020, 1476 patients were included, and 3181 echocardiography examinations were conducted. Finally, 130 participants (36 healthy elderly (79.

Long-term Evolution of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate in Patients With Antiviral Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

Background & Aims: Data regarding the long-term evolution of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients receiving antiviral treatment for hepatitis C virus are limited.

Methods: A total of 1987 patients with eGFR ≥15 mL/min/1.73m who received interferon or direct-acting antiviral treatment were prospectively enrolled in this cohort study.