Association between internet use and annual health checkups among older Japanese adults: propensity score-matched analysis, Japan gerontological evaluation study cross-sectional study 2016.

BACKGROUND: The integration of the Internet into daily life has potential implications for public health, especially in promoting preventive healthcare measures like annual health checkups. This study explores the association between Internet use and the likelihood of participating in these checkups among older Japanese citizens. METHODS: Participants aged 65 and older were randomly selected from 37 municipalities in Japan, ensuring they required no long-term care. Out of 24,313 responses to a postal questionnaire, 11,495 participants were deemed eligible for analysis, achieving a valid participation rate of 70.1%. We applied propensity score matching to balance Internet users and non-users, resulting in 6,504 matched cases. Poisson regression analysis was then used to adjust for demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral variables that could act as potential confounders. RESULTS: Our findings show that 55.1% of participants used the Internet several times a month, and among these, 63.5% had attended an annual health checkup in the preceding year. After adjusting for potential confounders, Internet users were found to be 9% more likely to participate in annual health checkups compared to non-users (95% Confidence Interval: 1.02-1.15). CONCLUSIONS: This study concludes that there is a positive association between Internet use and participation in annual health checkups among older individuals in Japan. The results suggest that Internet use may serve as a tool to promote preventive healthcare practices in older populations. However, the study underscores the need for further investigation to understand the underlying mechanisms of this association and to establish a causal relationship.

Subacute Thyroiditis after COVID-19: A Literature Review.

Subacute thyroiditis (SAT), potentially caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, has been reported as a complication of COVID-19 since 2020. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of SAT after COVID-19 remain incompletely defined. Therefore, we aimed to collect and survey case reports of SAT after COVID-19. We performed a systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The keywords and MeSH terms used for the searches were "subacute thyroiditis" and "COVID-19." A total of 38 patients from 26 case reports, case series, and letters on SAT associated with COVID-19 were included and analyzed. The most frequent SAT symptom was neck pain (27 cases), followed by fever (22 cases). Of the 25 cases with information on the duration between onset of COVID-19 symptoms and onset of SAT symptoms, the shortest was simultaneous occurrence, and the longest was 4 months. In most cases, patients developed SAT at several days or weeks after the onset of COVID-19. All patients with SAT recovered with no severe complications or sequelae. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of SAT development in patients with neck pain and fever following COVID-19. Further research is necessary to determine the relationship between SAT and COVID-19.

Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome: A Review of the Literature.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a group of clinical syndromes typically characterized by bilateral reversible vasogenic edema of the subcortical white matter in the parieto-occipital region on neuroimaging that causes a wide variety of acute or subacute neurological symptoms, including headache, mental status alteration, seizures, and visual dysfunction. PRES is classically suspected in patients with severe hypertension, renal failure, autoimmune disorders, eclampsia, or immunosuppressant medications. Frequent neurological evaluations and neuroimaging examinations by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging are required for both the diagnosis and assessment of the condition. Early detection of the disease is key for a rapid recovery and good prognosis.

Frequent occurrence of postbreakfast syncope due to carotid sinus syndrome after surgery for hypopharyngeal cancer: A case report.

RATIONALE: Syncope often occurs in patients with advanced head and neck cancers due to the stimulation of the autonomic nervous system by the tumor. Here, we describe a case of frequent syncopal episodes after laryngopharyngectomy for hypopharyngeal cancer. As all syncopal episodes were observed during the forenoon, we also evaluated the heart rate variability using ambulatory electrocardiography to determine why the syncopal episodes occurred during a specified period of the day. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 73-year-old Japanese man who underwent laryngopharyngectomy for recurrent hypopharyngeal cancer started experiencing frequent episodes of loss of consciousness that occurred during the same time period (10:00-12:00). He had never experienced syncopal episodes before the operation. From 23 to 41 days postoperatively, he experienced 9 syncopal episodes that occurred regardless of his posture. DIAGNOSES: Pharyngo-esophagoscopy revealed an anastomotic stricture between the free jejunum graft and the upper esophagus. Swallowing videofluoroscopy confirmed the dilatation of the jejunal autograft and a foreign body stuck on the oral side of the anastomosis. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed that the carotid artery was slightly compressed by the edematous free jejunum. The patient was diagnosed with carotid sinus syndrome (CSS) as the free jejunum was dilated when consuming breakfast, which may have caused carotid sinus hypersensitivity and induced a medullary reflex. INTERVENTIONS: Administration of disopyramide was effective in preventing syncope. Heart rate variability analysis using ambulatory electrocardiography showed that parasympathetic dominancy shifted to sympathetic dominancy during 10:00 to 12:00. The significant time regularity of the syncopal episodes may have been affected by modified diurnal variation in autonomic tone activity. OUTCOMES: After the surgical release and re-anastomosis of the pharyngoesophageal stenosis via an open-neck approach, no recurrent episodes of syncope were reported. LESSONS: We reported a case of frequent syncopal episodes limited to the forenoon due to CSS after surgery for hypopharyngeal carcinoma. The patient was treated with anticholinergics followed by the release and re-anastomosis of the pharyngoesophageal stenosis. When syncope occurs after surgery for head and neck lesions, CSS due to postoperative structural changes should be considered as a differential diagnosis of syncope.