Increased arterial stiffness in subjects with pre-diabetes among middle aged population in Beijing, China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between arterial stiffness and pre-diabetes when assessed by the new glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) 5.7%-6.4% criterion or by impaired fasting glucose in middle aged Chinese.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>1122 adults aged 55 years or younger in the health examination centers for physical check-ups were enrolled in the two large-sized Tertiary Comprehensive Hospitals in Beijing from June 2011 to June 2012 after excluding those who previously had been diagnosed or treated as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Subjects with a diagnosis of pre-diabetes according to impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels at 5.6-6.9 mmol/L), HbA1c levels at 5.7%-6.4%, or both, were classified into four groups for observation: (1) Normoglycaemia (HbA1c<5.7% and FPG <5.6 mmol/L); (2) IFG alone (FPG levels at 5.6-6.9 mmol/L and HbA1c<5.7% ); (3) HbA1c 5.7%-6.4% alone (HbA1c levels at 5.7%-6.4% and FPG <5.6 mmol/L); and (4) both HbA1c 5.7%-6.4% and IFG (HbA1c levels at 5.7%-6.4% and FPG levels at 5.6-6.9 mmol/L). All subjects were measured for weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean values of baPWV were 1282±8, 1311±10, 1398±30, and 1418±27 cm/s (Mean±SE) in Normoglycaemia, HbA1c 5.7%-6.4% alone, IFG alone and the both HbA1c 5.7%-6.4% and IFG groups, respectively. After adjusting for age, gender, blood pressure, BMI and triglyceride, baPWV was significantly higher in subjects with both HbA1c 5.7%-6.4% and IFG compared among the subjects with Normoglycaemia (1350±14 vs. 1301±6 cm/s, P=0.002) and HbA1c 5.7%-6.4% alone (1350±14 vs. 1309±8 cm/s, P=0.013).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Subjects with pre-diabetes exhibited a greater arterial stiffness.</p>

Clinical improvement in the therapy of aural keloids / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Keloids have a predilection for the aural region because of the special shape of the pinna. It is difficult to resect keloids entirely and maintain a satisfactory pinnal shape. Surgical excision in combination with radiotherapy is considered to be the most efficacious treatment available for severe keloids. This study was conducted to evaluate the treatment of aural keloids with intralesional excision and immediate postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-six patients with a combined total of 74 aural keloids were treated by intralesional excision and immediate postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy. All patients received a total dose of 20 Gy in 10 consecutive days. The time interval between keloid excision and delivery of the first radiotherapy fraction was < 24 hours in all cases. The median follow-up was 2.2 years.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Twenty-nine patients with 48 keloids (64.9%) were highly satisfied with their outcome, and were rated as good by the surgeon. Six patients with 12 keloids (16.2%) showed general satisfaction but wanted aesthetic refinement, and these patients were rated as fair by the surgeon. Three patients with four keloids (5.4%) showed no evidence of recurrence after surgery, but disliked the result because of the discoloration and irregularity of the scar surface. These patients were rated as poor by the surgeon. Partial recurrence occurred in 8 patients with 10 keloids (13.5%). No major complications were observed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Intralesional excision and immediate postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy is well tolerated and very effective in preventing recurrence of aural region keloids.</p>