Statins and Pacing-Induced Atrial Myopathy: Unraveling Their Role in Atrioventricular Block Patients with Permanent Pacemakers.

Left atrial (LA) myopathy from interventricular dyssynchrony often precedes atrial fibrillation (AF) in atrioventricular block (AVB) patients with frequent right ventricular (RV) pacing, but the role of statin therapy in preventing LA myopathy and associated arrhythmias remains debated. This study investigated the mechanisms of LA myopathy and the clinical outcomes of statin therapy in AVB patients with permanent pacemakers (PPMs). The study comprised an animal, cell, and clinical cohort study.

Outcome of T2 Glottic Cancer Treated with Radiotherapy Alone or Concurrent Chemo-Radiotherapy.

Laryngeal cancer accounts for 10% of head and neck cancers, with glottic cancers comprising two-thirds of cases in our country [...

Association between galectin-3 and hepatosteatosis in a community-based cross-sectional study.

Background: Hepatosteatosis is a common condition that can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Galectin-3 (GAL-3) has been implicated in liver fibrosis and inflammation.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between GAL-3 and hepatosteatosis.

The Relationship Between Carotid Artery Stenosis and the Development of Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Long-term Cohort Study in Taiwan.

Purposes: To determine the relationship between carotid artery stenosis (CAS) and the development of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in the Taiwanese population.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using Chang Gung Research Database. Cox-proportional hazards model was applied to calculate the hazard ratio for OAG between CAS and the control cohort.

Major adverse cardiovascular events in advanced-stage lung cancer: a multicenter cohort study.

Background: Lung cancers are common worldwide. First-line targeted therapy and chemotherapy are both standard treatments in the current guidelines. With the development of new anticancer therapy, the lifespan of patients with late-stage lung cancer has increased.

The IFSD Score-A Practical Prognostic Model for Invasive Fungal Spondylodiscitis.

Invasive fungal spondylodiscitis (IFSD) is rare and could be lethal in certain circumstances. The previous literature revealed limited data concerning its outcomes. This study aimed to establish a risk-scoring system to predict the one-year mortality rate of this disease.

Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 4 Induces Gastric Cancer Progression and Resistance to Cisplatin and Oxaliplatin via β-Catenin Dysregulation.

Introduction: Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer and third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. There are three main ways to treat gastric cancer: surgical resection, radiation therapy, and drug therapy. Furthermore, combinations of two to three regimens can improve survival.

Mandatory monthly outpatient visits could improve therapeutic inertia in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes.

Aims/introduction: Delayed intensification of treatment, or therapeutic inertia, increases the risk of diabetic complications and death. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of mandatory monthly outpatient visits on therapeutic inertia in patients with suboptimal control of type 2 diabetes.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Chang Gung Research Database and defined two study periods: the baseline period and the intervention period.

Analysis of effectiveness and outcome of traumatic brain injury treatment in ED during COVID-19 pandemic: A multicenter in Taiwan.

The coronavirus disease 2019 has become a threat to global healthcare because of its rapid spread and evolution. In severe cases, the initial management of the disease is mainly supportive therapy and mechanical ventilation. Therefore, we investigated whether a modified emergency department workflow affects the efficacy will influence the efficacy and patient outcomes of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Taiwan.

Cardiovascular outcomes in hepatitis C virus infected patients treated with direct acting antiviral therapy: a retrospective multi-institutional study.

Background: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with increased cardiovascular risks. We aimed to investigate the impact of direct acting antiviral (DAA) on HCV-associated cardiovascular events.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, patients with the diagnosis of chronic HCV were retrieved from multi-institutional electronic medical records, where diagnosis of HCV was based on serum HCV antibody and HCV-RNA test.

Functional and Anatomical Outcomes of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Treatment for Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration with or without Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

(1) To investigate the functional and anatomical outcomes of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with or without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); (2) In total, 65 patients with AMD with or without OSA who received three consecutive doses of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections were enrolled. The primary outcomes-best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT)-were assessed at 1 and 3 months. Moreover, morphological changes observed through optical coherence tomography were analyzed; (3) In total, 15 of the 65 patients had OSA and were included in the OSA group; the remaining 50 patients were included in the non-OSA (control) group.

Lung adenocarcinoma promotion by air pollutants.

A complete understanding of how exposure to environmental substances promotes cancer formation is lacking. More than 70 years ago, tumorigenesis was proposed to occur in a two-step process: an initiating step that induces mutations in healthy cells, followed by a promoter step that triggers cancer development. Here we propose that environmental particulate matter measuring ≤2.

Sex-Specific Effect of Obesity on Epiblepharon in Different Age Groups: A Case-Control Study.

Obesity has been regarded as a risk factor for several ocular diseases. This study aims to investigate the age- and sex-specific relationship between epiblepharon and obesity in children. A retrospective case-control study was conducted using the Chang Gung Research Database.

Trends in Infectious Keratitis in Taiwan: An Update on Predisposing Factors, Microbiological and Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns.

Infectious keratitis (IK) represents a major cause of corneal blindness. This study aims to investigate the demographics, risk factors, microbiological characteristics and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of IK in Taiwan over the past 15 years. A retrospective population-based study was conducted using the Chang Gung Research Database.

Survival Impact of Nephroureterectomy for De Novo Stage IV Nonmetastatic and Metastatic Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma.

Background: Whether nephroureterectomy (NU) provides survival benefits in patients with stage IV upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) remains unclear. We compared the effect of chemotherapy (CT) alone with that of CT combined with NU (CT + NU) on the overall survival (OS) of patients with stage IV nonmetastatic UTUC (nmUTUC) and metastatic UTUC (mUTUC).

Patients And Methods: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included the data of patients with UTUC undergoing CT alone or CT + NU from the Chang Gung Cancer Database (2002-2015) and followed them until August 2017.

Prospective Evaluation of Taste Function in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Receiving Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy.

Importance: The majority of the patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) experience taste dysfunction (TD) during or after radiotherapy (RT). However, prospectively collected data for taste dysfunction have been limited, especially in the era of intensity-modulated RT (IMRT).

Objective: To evaluate the taste function in patients with HNC receiving IMRT by investigating the association between time course and recovery of TD in both acute and late phases.

Statins to prevent pacing-induced cardiomyopathy: Evidence from the bench applied to clinical studies.

Background: Pacing-induced cardiomyopathy is an undesired outcome in patients with atrioventricular block (AVB), and our animal model showed lipotoxic cardiomyopathy after pacing.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanisms and clinical outcomes of statins in AVB patients receiving pacing.

Methods: Rat ventricular cardiomyocytes were treated with atorvastatin, liver X receptor (LXR) agonist, and LXR antagonist during pacing.

Pathogens and Prognosis of Deep Neck Infection in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients.

Objectives/hypothesis: To examine the pathogenic bacterial spectra and prognosis of deep neck infection (DNI) in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with DNI between 2004 and 2015 in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital were enrolled and divided into three groups, namely ESRD-DNI, chronic kidney disease (CKD)-DNI, and non-CKD-DNI.

Epiglottitis in Patients With Preexisting Autoimmune Diseases: A Nationwide Case-Control Study in Taiwan.

Objectives: The role of autoimmune diseases on the risk for acute epiglottitis remains uncertain. This study aimed to delineate the association between epiglottitis and autoimmune diseases using population database.

Methods: A population-based retrospective study was conducted to analyze claims data from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database collected over January, 2000, to December, 2013.

Reduction in Short- and Long-term Pneumonia Rate With Laryngoplasty for Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis.

Objective: To examine the association of laryngoplasty, voice therapy, and pneumonia rate in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP).

Study Design: Population-based retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Data were collected from the LHID2000 (Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000), containing the information of 1 million randomly selected patients in Taiwan.

End-stage renal disease as a risk factor for epiglottitis: a population-based cohort study in Taiwan.

Objectives: Patients with uremia are prone to infection; however, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) as a risk factor for acute epiglottitis warrants study. We investigated the risk of severe epiglottitis requiring hospitalisation in patients with ESRD.

Setting: We conducted a retrospective matched cohort study by using the claims data of Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database.