Efficacy and safety of empagliflozin in patients over 65 with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicating cardiorenal syndromes type II and IV.

Background: Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a complex clinical condition that leads to deterioration in both cardiac and renal functions. Empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, is a novel anti-diabetic drug that also improves cardiac and renal functions. However, little research exists on the efficacy and safety of empagliflozin in elderly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with CRS.

Vascular ultrasound in the monitoring of vascular injury in patients after intravenous chemotherapy.

This study investigated vascular injury incidence, symptoms, and changes in vascular wall thickness and blood flow in 140 chemotherapy patients. Vascular ultrasound and laboratory tests were conducted at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months post-chemotherapy. Results showed that vascular injury incidence increased over time (12.

Mendelian randomization analyses support causal relationship between brain imaging-derived phenotypes and risk of low back pain.

Low back pain (LBP) has long been the leading cause of worldwide productivity loss and the top cause of years lived with disability. Observational studies have reported associations between brain imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs) and LBP; however, it is uncertain whether these relationships are causal. Bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were applied to explore the causal relationship between IDPs and LBP.

Frailty, Genetic Risk, and Long-Term Risk of Venous Thromboembolism: Insight From a UK Biobank Study.

Frailty is more prevalent among venous thromboembolism (VTE) patients. However, the relationship between long-term VTE risk and frailty remained unexplored. This study included 315 523 participants recruited from UK Biobank between 2006 and 2010.

Assessing the impact of common pain medications on gut microbiota composition and metabolites: insights from a Mendelian randomization study.

The relationship between analgesic use and gut microbiota alterations has garnered increasing attention. However, the causal link between these two factors remains to be elucidated. Given the prevalence of analgesic use and the significant role of gut microbiota in human health, clarifying this relationship is of great importance.

Decoding crosstalk between neurotransmitters and α-synuclein in Parkinson's disease: pathogenesis and therapeutic implications.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, characterized by progressive worsening of motor symptoms. The primary pathological hallmark of PD is the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the presence of Lewy bodies, which are primarily composed of α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates. Both α-syn and various neurotransmitters, including catecholamines (catechols), play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of PD, although the precise pathogenic mechanisms remain incompletely understood.

Effects of poststroke heart rate variability on the neurological impairment severity and the prognosis among patients with ischaemic stroke: a scoping review.

Objectives: Changes in poststroke heart rate variability (HRV) might be helpful for early identification of patients with neurological impairment and poor prognosis, which could allow for early intervention to reduce adverse outcomes. The aim of this study is to perform a scoping review to identify the influence of poststroke HRV on the neurological impairment severity and the prognosis among patients with ischaemic stroke (IS).

Design: The study design allows us to examine existing research, identify the research gaps and target the important areas for future research.

Relationship Between Chronic Pain and Breast Cancer: Insight From Genetic Correlation Analyses and 2-Sample Mendelian Randomization.

Objective: To evaluate potential genetic causal relationships between chronic pain subtypes like migraine and multi-site chronic pain (MCP) and their impact on breast cancer occurrence and survival rates.

Background: The association between chronic pain and breast cancer was reported before, yet the causal nature between them remained uncertain.

Methods: Data on chronic pain and breast cancer were sourced from publicly available European genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets.

Discovering genetically-supported drug targets for multisite chronic pain through multi-omics Mendelian randomization and single-cell RNA-sequencing.

Multisite chronic pain (MCP) is a highly prevalent disorder with substantial unmet therapeutic needs.We conducted multi-omics Mendelian randomization and Bayesian colocalization to identify potential therapeutic targets for MCP. Summary-level data of gene expressions and protein abundance levels were obtained from corresponding quantitative trait loci studies, respectively.

Combination of Biological Aging and Genetic Susceptibility Helps Identifying At-Risk Population of Venous Thromboembolism: A Prospective Cohort Study of 394 041 Participants.

Phenotypic age acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel) is a novel clinical aging indicator. This study was carried out to investigate the relationship between PhenoAgeAccel and the incidence of VTE, as well as to integrate PhenoAgeAccel with genetic susceptibility to improve risk stratification of VTE. The study included 394 041 individuals from the UK Biobank.

Joint association of triglyceride glucose index (TyG) and a body shape index (ABSI) with stroke incidence: a nationwide prospective cohort study.

Background: Triglyceride glucose index(TyG) and a body shape index(ABSI) are both independent predictor of stroke incidence or adverse prognosis but these two indicators seldom were combined to predict. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the combination of TyG and ABSI better predict the incidence of stroke.

Methods: Based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS), 8,257 people aged 45 years and older without stroke were enrolled and followed up to 9 years.

Assessment of adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with Helicobacter pylori infection.

The background of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is complex, and its influence on adverse pregnancy outcomes is inconsistently reported. We performed a multi-institutional, retrospective analysis using de-identified electronic health records from the TriNetX Research Network to compare various pregnancy outcomes in women with and those without H.

Global and regional trends and projections of chronic pain from 1990 to 2035: Analyses based on global burden of diseases study 2019.

Background: Chronic pain poses a significant public health challenge. We present the global and regional data on Prevalence, Incidence and Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) for Chronic pain from the Global burden of disease (GBD) study 2019 data and analyze their associations with Socio-demographic index (SDI), age, and gender, and the future trends from 2020 to 2035.

Methods: Regional trends in the burden of chronic pain and its association with age, gender, and SDI were assessed from 1990 to 2019.

Associations Between Advanced Lung Cancer Inflammation Index and Chronic Pain: Insights From National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2004.

Introduction: Nutrition and inflammation are known factors in chronic pain, but their combined influence is not fully understood. This study investigates the associations between advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) and various types of pain, including joint pain, neck pain, low back pain, and severe headaches and migraines.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 3842 participants were recruited from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2004.

Evolution of COVID-19 dynamics in Guangdong Province, China: an endemic-epidemic modeling study.

Background: From January 2020 to June 2022, strict interventions against COVID-19 were implemented in Guangdong Province, China. However, the evolution of COVID-19 dynamics remained unclear in this period.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the evolution of within- and between-city COVID-19 dynamics in Guangdong, specifically during the implementation of rigorous prevention and control measures.

Genetic liability to higher frailty index may increase the risk of ophthalmic disease.

Purpose: Frailty and age-related eye diseases are common in older people; however, whether there is a causal link remains unknown. We aimed to explore the causal associations between the frailty index (FI) and ophthalmic traits and identify modifiable mediators.

Methods: Linkage disequilibrium score regression and two-sample Mendelian randomization were applied to identify genetic correlations and causal associations between FI and ophthalmic traits.

Effectiveness of Lanzhou Lamb Rotavirus Vaccine and RotaTeq Against Hospitalized Rotavirus Infections Among Children During 2020-2023 in Guangdong Province, China: A Test-Negative Case-Control Study.

Introduction: The evidence regarding the effectiveness of Lanzhou Lamb Rotavirus Vaccine (LLR) and RotaTeq (RV5) against gastroenteritis (RVGE) caused by emerging genotypes in Chinese children remains limited.

Methods: We conducted a test-negative case-control study using gastroenteritis surveillance data from four cities (2020-2023) in Guangdong Province, China. Children aged 2 months to 5 years hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis were enrolled.

Unraveling fetal venous disorders: An integrated approach in fetal echocardiography and their clinical significance.

Objective: Fetal venous system malformations frequently coincide with cardiac or extracardiac anomalies. This study explores our experience with an integrated fetal echocardiography approach and analyzes the characteristics and outcomes of fetal venous system disorders.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective study with 7048 pregnant women (7255 fetuses) who underwent complete two-dimensional (2D) fetal echocardiographic examinations.

Establishment of discrete reference interval and next-generation reference interval for copper and zinc during pregnancy using real-world data.

Background: Copper and zinc are two trace elements that are essential to maintain normal pregnancy and fetal development. But only few research established specific reference intervals (RIs) for pregnant women. In this study, we aim to establish discrete RIs and next-generation RIs for copper and zinc during pregnancy by real-world data.

PAI-1 uncouples integrin-β1 from restrain by membrane-bound β-catenin to promote collagen fibril remodeling in obesity-related neoplasms.

The paracrine actions of adipokine plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) are implicated in obesity-associated tumorigenesis. Here, we show that PAI-1 mediates extracellular matrix (ECM) signaling via epigenetic repression of DKK1 in endometrial epithelial cells (EECs). While the loss of DKK1 is known to increase β-catenin accumulation for WNT signaling activation, this epigenetic repression causes β-catenin release from transmembrane integrins.

Urinary complement factor D is increased in primary malignant hypertension: a single-center, cross-sectional study.

Kidney injury is one of the detrimental consequences of primary malignant hypertension (pMHTN). There is a paucity of non-invasive biomarkers to enhance diagnosis and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. This study aims to explore urine protein biomarkers for pMHTN associated renal damage.

Plasma Steroid Profiling Combined With Machine Learning for the Differential Diagnosis in Mild Autonomous Cortisol Secretion From Nonfunctioning Adenoma in Patients With Adrenal Incidentalomas.

Objective: To assess the diagnostic value of combining plasma steroid profiling with machine learning (ML) in differentiating between mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) and nonfunctioning adenoma (NFA) in patients with adrenal incidentalomas.

Methods: The plasma steroid profiles data in the laboratory information system were screened from January 2021 to December 2023. EXtreme Gradient Boosting was applied to establish diagnostic models using plasma 24-steroid panels and/or clinical characteristics of the subjects.