Time-dependent association between the economic activity restriction due to health condition and mental illness: Finding from 15-year prospective cohort study

Background and Objectives The Economic Activity Restriction (EAR) due to health conditions is being utilized as a foundational measure for the European indicator Healthy Life Years (HLY). The EAR group is experiencing limitations not only in economic activities but also in overall activities, and it is a population with a high likelihood of transitioning to mental illness due to health condition. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between EAR and mental illness. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the association between EAR due to health conditions and mental illness for those aged 45 and older in South Korea. Methods We obtained data from the 2006–2020 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. EAR was assessed using self-reported questionnaires based on the Global Activity Limitation Indicator. mental illness was assessed based on the diagnosis data for participants who had been diagnosed. After excluding missing values, the data of 9,574 participants were analyzed using the chi-square test, log-rank tests, and time-dependent Cox proportional hazard model to evaluate the association between EAR and mental illness. Results Out of the 9,574 participants gathered at baseline, the mental illness rate was 4.8 %. The hazard ratio (HR) of mental illness in those in the “very probable” of EAR was 2.351 times higher (p-value <0.0001) compared with “not at all” of EAR. In model 1 which includes under 64 years, HR of mental illness in “very probable” of EAR was 3.679 times higher (p-value: 0.000) and in “probable” of EAR was 2.535 time higher (p-value: 0.001) compared with “not at all” of EAR. Conclusion If we provide opportunities to participate in community activities or provide the mental health promotion programs for middle-aged population who are experiencing EAR due to health condition... (AU)

The impact of a biocellulose-based repair of fetal open spina bifida on the need to untether the cord: is it time to unify techniques for prenatal repair?

OBJECTIVE: To report the need for cord untethering after prenatal repair of open spina bifida using a unique biocellulose-based technique performed at a later gestational age. METHODS: An observational cohort study was conducted to determine the incidence of tethered cord syndrome. Between May 2013 and May 2022, we performed 172 procedures using the percutaneous fetoscopic approach in fetuses at 26-28 weeks of gestation. After placode dissection, a biocellulose patch was placed to cover the placode, a myofascial flap (when possible) was dissected, and the skin was closed. Owing to death or loss to follow-up, 23 cases were excluded. Cord tethering syndrome was defined as symptoms of medullary stretching, and the infants were evaluated and operated on by local neurosurgeons after an magnetic resonance imaging examination. Infants over 30-month had ambulation and neurodevelopment evaluations (PEDI scale). RESULTS: Among 172 cases operated at a median gestational age of 26.7 weeks and delivered at 33.2 weeks, 149 cases were available for postnatal follow-up, and cord untethering was needed in 4.4% of cases (6/136; excluding 13 cases younger than 12 months). Cerebrospinal fluid diversion and bladder catheterization were needed in 38% and 36% of cases, respectively. Of the 78 cases evaluated at 30 months, 49% were ambulating independently, and 94% had normal social function. CONCLUSION: The biocellulose-based technique was associated with a low rate of cord tethering, wich may be attributed to the lack of the duramater suture during prenatal repair, the formation of a neoduramater and/or later gestational age of surgery.

Serum Tau-A and Tau-C Levels and Their Association with Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Progression in a Memory Clinic Derived Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Serum-measured fragments of Tau cleaved by ADAM-10 (Tau-A) and Caspase-3 (Tau-C) have been found linked to change in cognitive function and risk of dementia. OBJECTIVES: 1) To determine the discriminatory abilities of Tau-A, and Tau-C in subjects with either mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) or AD dementia compared to a control group. 2) To determine if there is a relation between Tau-A, and Tau-C and established cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers of AD- ß-Amyloid1-42 (AB42), Phosphorylated-tau-181 (p-tau), and total-tau. 3) To determine if Tau-A and Tau-C are associated with progression rate from MCI due to AD to AD dementia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and a substudy using a retrospective cohort design. SETTING: Memory clinic derived subjects contributing to the Danish Dementia Biobank. PARTICIPANTS: Cognitively unimpaired subjects (n=49), patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD (n=45), and Alzheimer's dementia (n=52). MEASUREMENTS: Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-measured serum levels of Tau-A, and Tau-C. RESULTS: The ratio between Tau-A and Tau-C differed between the three groups (p=0.015). Age- and sex-adjusted Tau-A differed between groups with lower ratios being associated with more severe disease (p=0.023). Tau-C was trending towards significant correlation to CSF-levels of AB42 (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.164, p=0.051). Those with Tau-C-levels in the 2nd quartile had a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.91 (95% CI 1.01 - 8.44, p=0.04) of progression compared to those in the 1st quartile. Those in the 3rd quartile was found to have a borderline significant (p=0.055) HR of 2.63 (95% CI 0.98 - 7.05) when compared to those in the lowest quartile. CONCLUSIONS: Tau-A and the ratio between Tau-A and Tau-C showed significant differences between groups and were correlated to CSF-AB42. Tau-C values in the middle range were associated with faster progression from MCI to dementia. This pilot study adds to the mounting data suggesting serum-measured Tau-A and Tau-C as biomarkers useful in relation to diagnosis and progression rate in AD but need further validation.

Foster Care and Health in Medicaid-Enrolled Children Experiencing Parental Opioid Use Disorder.

Importance: The burden of the US opioid crisis has fallen heavily on children, a vulnerable population increasingly exposed to parental opioid use disorder (POUD) in utero or during childhood. A paucity of studies have investigated foster care involvement among those experiencing parental opioid use during childhood and the associated health and health care outcomes. Objective: To examine the health and health care outcomes of children experiencing POUD with and without foster care involvement. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cohort study used nationwide Medicaid claims data from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2020. Participants included Medicaid-enrolled children experiencing parental opioid use-related disorder during ages 4 to 18 years. Data were analyzed between January 2023 and February 2024. Exposure: Person-years with (exposed) and without (nonexposed) foster care involvement, identified using Medicaid eligibility, procedure, and diagnostic codes. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcomes included physical and mental health conditions, developmental disorders, substance use, and health care utilization. The Pearson χ2 test, the t test, and linear regression were used to compare outcomes in person-years with (exposed) and without (nonexposed) foster care involvement. An event study design was used to examine health care utilization patterns before and after foster care involvement. Results: In a longitudinal sample of 8 939 666 person-years from 1 985 180 Medicaid-enrolled children, 49% of children were females and 51% were males. Their mean (SD) age was 10 (4.2) years. The prevalence of foster care involvement was 3% (276 456 person-years), increasing from 1.5% in 2014 to 4.7% in 2020. Compared with those without foster care involvement (8 663 210 person-years), foster care involvement was associated with a higher prevalence of developmental delays (12% vs 7%), depression (10% vs 4%), trauma and stress (35% vs 7%), and substance use-related disorders (4% vs 1%; P < .001 for all). Foster children had higher rates of health care utilization across a wide array of preventive services, including well-child visits (64% vs 44%) and immunizations (41% vs 31%; P < .001 for all). Health care utilization increased sharply in the first year entering foster care but decreased as children exited care. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of Medicaid-enrolled children experiencing parental opioid use-related disorder, foster care involvement increased significantly between 2014 and 2020. Involvement was associated with increased rates of adverse health outcomes and health care utilization. These findings underscore the importance of policies that support children and families affected by opioid use disorder, as well as the systems that serve them.

Preexisting Diabetes and Breast Cancer Treatment Among Low-Income Women.

IMPORTANCE: Diabetes is associated with poorer prognosis of patients with breast cancer. The association between diabetes and adjuvant therapies for breast cancer remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively examine the associations of preexisting diabetes with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy in low-income women with breast cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This population-based cohort study included women younger than 65 years diagnosed with nonmetastatic breast cancer from 2007 through 2015, followed up through 2016, continuously enrolled in Medicaid, and identified from the linked Missouri Cancer Registry and Medicaid claims data set. Data were analyzed from January 2022 to October 2023. EXPOSURE: Preexisting diabetes. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of utilization (yes/no), timely initiation (≤90 days postsurgery), and completion of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as well as adherence (medication possession ratio ≥80%) and persistence (<90-consecutive day gap) of endocrine therapy in the first year of treatment for women with diabetes compared with women without diabetes. Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic and tumor factors. RESULTS: Among 3704 women undergoing definitive surgery, the mean (SD) age was 51.4 (8.6) years, 1038 (28.1%) were non-Hispanic Black, 2598 (70.1%) were non-Hispanic White, 765 (20.7%) had a diabetes history, 2369 (64.0%) received radiotherapy, 2237 (60.4%) had chemotherapy, and 2505 (67.6%) took endocrine therapy. Compared with women without diabetes, women with diabetes were less likely to utilize radiotherapy (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.53-0.86), receive chemotherapy (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.48-0.93), complete chemotherapy (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.50-0.99), and be adherent to endocrine therapy (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56-0.91). There were no significant associations of diabetes with utilization (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.71-1.28) and persistence (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.88-1.36) of endocrine therapy, timely initiation of radiotherapy (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.86-1.38) and chemotherapy (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.77-1.55), or completion of radiotherapy (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 0.91-1.71). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study, preexisting diabetes was associated with subpar adjuvant therapies for breast cancer among low-income women. Improving diabetes management during cancer treatment is particularly important for low-income women with breast cancer who may have been disproportionately affected by diabetes and are likely to experience disparities in cancer treatment and outcomes.

Ventricular Arrhythmias After Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for STEMI.

Importance: Currently, mortality risk for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with an uncomplicated postprocedure course is low. Less is known regarding the risk of in-hospital ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF). Objective: To evaluate the risk of late VT and VF after primary PCI for STEMI. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included adults aged 18 years or older with STEMI treated with primary PCI between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2018, identified in the US National Cardiovascular Data Registry Chest Pain-MI Registry. Data were analyzed from April to December 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures: Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the risk of late VT (≥7 beat run of VT during STEMI hospitalization ≥1 day after PCI) or VF (any episode of VF≥1 day after PCI) associated with cardiac arrest and associations between late VT or VF and in-hospital mortality in the overall cohort and a cohort with uncomplicated STEMI without prior myocardial infarction or heart failure, systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg, cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, reinfarction, or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 40%. Results: A total of 174 126 eligible patients with STEMI were treated with primary PCI at 814 sites in the study; 15 460 (8.9%) had VT or VF after primary PCI, and 4156 (2.4%) had late VT or VF. Among the eligible patients, 99 905 (57.4%) at 807 sites had uncomplicated STEMI. The median age for patients with late VT or VF overall was 63 years (IQR, 55-73 years), and 75.5% were men; the median age for patients with late VT or VF with uncomplicated STEMI was 60 years (IQR, 53-69 years), and 77.7% were men. The median length of stay was 3 days (IQR, 2-7 days) for the overall cohort with late VT or VF and 3 days (IQR, 2-4 days) for the cohort with uncomplicated STEMI with late VT or VF. The risk of late VT or VF was 2.4% (overall) and 1.7% (uncomplicated STEMI). Late VT or VF with cardiac arrest occurred in 674 patients overall (0.4%) and in 117 with uncomplicated STEMI (0.1%). LVEF was the most significant factor associated with late VT or VF with cardiac arrest (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] for every 5-unit decrease ≤40%: 1.67; 95% CI, 1.54-1.85). Late VT or VF events were associated with increased odds of in-hospital mortality in the overall cohort (AOR, 6.40; 95% CI, 5.63-7.29) and the cohort with uncomplicated STEMI (AOR, 8.74; 95% CI, 6.53-11.70). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, a small proportion of patients with STEMI treated with primary PCI had late VT or VF. However, late VT or VF with cardiac arrest was rare, particularly in the cohort with uncomplicated STEMI. This information may be useful when determining the optimal timing for hospital discharge after STEMI.

Estimation of cause-specific mortality in Rakai, Uganda, using verbal autopsy 1999-2019.

BACKGROUND: There are scant data on the causes of adult deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. We estimated the level and trends in adult mortality, overall and by different causes, in rural Rakai, Uganda, by age, sex, and HIV status. OBJECTIVES: To estimate and analyse adult cause-specific mortality trends in Rakai, Uganda. METHODOLOGY: Mortality information by cause, age, sex, and HIV status was recorded in the Rakai Community Cohort study using verbal autopsy interviews, HIV serosurveys, and residency data. We estimated the average number of years lived in adulthood. Using demographic decomposition methods, we estimated the contribution of each cause of death to adult mortality based on the average number of years lived in adulthood. RESULTS: Between 1999 and 2019, 63082 adults (15-60 years) were censused, with 1670 deaths registered. Of these, 1656 (99.2%) had completed cause of death data from verbal autopsy. The crude adult death rate was 5.60 (95% confidence interval (CI): 5.33-5.87) per 1000 person-years of observation (pyo). The crude death rate decreased from 11.41 (95% CI: 10.61-12.28) to 3.27 (95% CI: 2.89-3.68) per 1000 pyo between 1999-2004 and 2015-2019. The average number of years lived in adulthood increased in people living with HIV and decreased in HIV-negative individuals between 2000 and 2019. Communicable diseases, primarily HIV and Malaria, had the biggest decreases, which improved the average number of years lived by approximately extra 12 years of life in females and 6 years in males. There were increases in deaths due to non-communicable diseases and external causes, which reduced the average number of years lived in adulthood by 2.0 years and 1.5 years in females and males, respectively. CONCLUSION: There has been a significant decline in overall mortality from 1999 to 2019, with the greatest decline seen in people living with HIV since the availability of antiretroviral therapy in 2004. By 2020, the predominant causes of death among females were non-communicable diseases, with external causes of death dominating in males.

Main findings: There are significant declines in mortality in people living with HIV. However, mortality in HIV-negative people increased due to non-communicable diseases in females, and injuries and external causes of death among males.Added knowledge: In this HIV-endemic area, decreasing adult mortality has been documented over the last 20 years. This paper benchmarks the changes in cause-specific mortality in this area.Global health impact for policy action: As in many African countries, more effort is needed to reduce mortality for non-communicable diseases, injuries, and external causes of death as these seem to have been neglected.

Tinnitus: an underreported condition following microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm.

PURPOSE: While hearing loss is a well-known condition following microvascular decompression (MVD) for hemifacial spasm (HFS), tinnitus is an underreported one. This study aims to identify prevalence, characteristics, severity, and predictors of tinnitus following MVD for HFS. METHODS: A single-center cohort of 55 HFS patients completed a questionnaire approximately 5 years following MVD. Data encompassed tinnitus presence, side, type, onset, and severity measured by a 10-point Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Descriptive, correlation, and logistic regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS  : At surgery, participants' median age was 58 years (IQR 52-65). The median duration of HFS symptoms before surgery was 5 years (IQR 3-8), slightly predominant on the left (60%). Postoperative tinnitus was reported by 20 patients (36%), versus nine (16%) that reported preoperative tinnitus. Postoperative tinnitus was ipsilateral on the surgical side in 13 patients (65%), bilateral in six (30%), and contralateral in one (5%). Among patients with bilateral postoperative tinnitus, 33% did not have this preoperatively. Tinnitus was continuous in 70% of cases and pulsatile in 30%. Onset of new tinnitus was in 58% immediately or within days, in 25% within three months, and in 17% between three months and one year after surgery. The mean severity of postoperative tinnitus was 5.1 points on the VAS. Preoperative tinnitus and presence of arachnoid adhesions had suggestive associations with postoperative tinnitus in initial analyses (p = 0.005 and p = 0.065). However, preoperative tinnitus was the only significant predictor of postoperative tinnitus (p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: Tinnitus is a common condition following MVD for HFS, with a moderate overall severity. Causes behind postoperative tinnitus remain obscure but could be related to those of postoperative hearing loss in this patient population. Clinicians should be aware of tinnitus following MVD and vigilantly monitor its occurrence, to facilitate prevention efforts and optimize outcome for HFS patients undergoing MVD.

Long-term exposure to PM2.5 and mortality in a national cohort in South Korea: effect modification by community deprivation, medical infrastructure, and greenness.

BACKGROUND: Long-term exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to increased mortality risk. However, limited studies have examined the potential modifying effect of community-level characteristics on this association, particularly in Asian contexts. This study aimed to estimate the effects of long-term exposure to PM2.5 on mortality in South Korea and to examine whether community-level deprivation, medical infrastructure, and greenness modify these associations. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide cohort study using the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. A total of 394,701 participants aged 30 years or older in 2006 were followed until 2019. Based on modelled PM2.5 concentrations, 1 to 3-year and 5-year moving averages of PM2.5 concentrations were assigned to each participant at the district level. Time-varying Cox proportional-hazards models were used to estimate the association between PM2.5 and non-accidental, circulatory, and respiratory mortality. We further conducted stratified analysis by community-level deprivation index, medical index, and normalized difference vegetation index to represent greenness. RESULTS: PM2.5 exposure, based on 5-year moving averages, was positively associated with non-accidental (Hazard ratio, HR: 1.10, 95% Confidence Interval, CI: 1.01, 1.20, per 10 µg/m3 increase) and circulatory mortality (HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.47). The 1-year moving average of PM2.5 was associated with respiratory mortality (HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.67). We observed higher associations between PM2.5 and mortality in communities with higher deprivation and limited medical infrastructure. Communities with higher greenness showed lower risk for circulatory mortality but higher risk for respiratory mortality in association with PM2.5. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found mortality effects of long-term PM2.5 exposure and underlined the role of community-level factors in modifying these association. These findings highlight the importance of considering socio-environmental contexts in the design of air quality policies to reduce health disparities and enhance overall public health outcomes.

The relationship between mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and mortality in hypertensive individuals: A population-based cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Hematology is an essential field for investigating the prognostic outcomes of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Recent research has suggested that mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) is associated with a poor prognosis in several CVDs. There is no evidence of a correlation between MCHC and hypertension. Therefore, our study aimed to analyze the association of MCHC with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in hypertensive patients. METHODS: We used cohort data from U.S. adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999-2014. COX regression was applied to analyze the relationship between MCHC and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. In addition, three models were adjusted to reduce confounding factors. We reanalyzed the data after propensity score matching (PSM) to inspect the stability of the results. Stratified analysis was additionally adopted to investigate the results of each subgroup. RESULTS: Our research included 15,154 individuals. During a mean follow-up period of 129 months, 30.6% of the hypertensive population succumbed to mortality. Based on previous studies, we categorized patients with MCHC ≤33mg/dl as the hypochromia group and those with >33mg/dl as the non-hypochromia group. After PSM, the hypochromia group had higher all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]:1.26, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]:1.11-1.43) and cardiovascular mortality (adjusted HR:1.42, 95%CI:1.12-1.80) than the non-hypochromia group. The results of the COX regression remain stable after matching. Stratified analyses before PSM revealed an interaction of anemia in the relationship between MCHC and mortality, whereas there was no significant interaction after matching. CONCLUSION: In hypertensive individuals, low MCHC was correlated with a poor prognosis. Further studies on MCHC are necessary to analyze the potential mechanisms of its poor prognosis in hypertensive populations.

Adherence to diabetes quality indicators in primary care and all-cause mortality: A nationwide population-based historical cohort study.

BACKGROUND: In the last three decades, much effort has been invested in measuring and improving the quality of diabetes care. We assessed the association between adherence to diabetes quality indicators and all-cause mortality in the primary care setting. METHODS: A nationwide, population-based, historical cohort study of all people aged 45-80 with pharmacologically-treated diabetes in 2005 (n = 222,235). Data on annual performance of quality indicators (including indicators for metabolic risk factor management and glycemic control) and vital status were retrieved from electronic medical records of the four Israeli health maintenance organizations. Cox proportional hazards and time-dependent models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality by degree of adherence to quality indicators. RESULTS: During 2,000,052 person-years of follow-up, 35.8% of participants died. An inverse dose-response association between the degree of adherence and mortality was shown for most of the quality indicators. Participants who were not tested for proteinuria or did not visit an ophthalmologist during the first-5-years of follow-up had HRs of 2.60 (95%CI:2.49-2.69) and 2.09 (95%CI:2.01-2.16), respectively, compared with those who were fully adherent. In time-dependent analyses, not measuring LDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, HbA1c, or HbA1c>9% were similarly associated with mortality (HRs ≈1.5). The association of uncontrolled blood pressure with mortality was modified by age, with increased mortality shown for those with controlled blood pressure at older ages (≥65 years). CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal adherence to diabetes quality indicators is associated with reduced all-cause mortality. Primary care professionals need to be supported by health care systems to perform quality indicators.

The risk of open angle glaucoma in young adults with allergic diseases: a Nationwide cohort study.

This study investigated the potential associations between allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis) and the development of primary open-angle glaucoma. We utilized authorized data from the Korean National Health Information Database (KNHID), which provides comprehensive medical claims data and information from the National Health Screening Program. We compared the baseline characteristics of subjects with and without allergic diseases and calculated the incidence and risk of glaucoma development. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to determine the risk of glaucoma development in subjects with allergic diseases. A total of 171,129 subjects aged 20-39 with or without allergic diseases who underwent a general health examination between 2009 and 2015 were included. Subjects with allergic diseases exhibited a higher incidence of glaucoma compared to the control group. The hazard ratio (HR) of glaucoma onset was 1.49 and 1.39 in subjects with at least one allergic disease before and after adjusting for potential confounding factors, respectively. Among allergic diseases, atopic dermatitis showed the highest risk for glaucoma development (aHR 1.73) after adjusting for confounders. Allergic rhinitis showed an increased risk for incident glaucoma after adjustment (aHR 1.38). Asthma showed the lowest but still increased risk for glaucoma (aHR 1.22). The associations were consistent in all subgroup analyses stratified by sex, smoking, drinking, exercise, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, or history of steroid. In conclusion, allergic diseases are associated with increased risk of glaucoma development. Among allergic diseases, atopic dermatitis showed the highest risk for glaucoma development followed by allergic rhinitis and asthma.

Total knee arthroplasty: does ultra-early physical therapy improve functional outcomes and reduce length of stay? A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society recommends that after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), patients should be mobilized early. However, there is no consensus on how early physical therapy should be commenced. We aim to investigate whether ultra-early physical therapy (< 12 h postoperatively) leads to better outcomes. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of 569 patients who underwent primary TKA from August 2017 to December 2019 at our institution. We compared patients who had undergone physical therapy either within 24 h or 24-48 h after TKA. Further subgroup analysis was performed on the < 24 h group, comparing those who had undergone PT within 12 h and within 12-24 h. The outcomes analyzed include the Oxford Knee Scoring System score, Knee Society Scores, range of motion (ROM), length of stay (LOS) and ambulatory distance on discharge. A student's t test, chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test was used where appropriate, to determine statistical significance of our findings. RESULTS: LOS in the < 24 h group was shorter compared to the 24-48 h group (4.87 vs. 5.34 days, p = 0.002). Subgroup analysis showed that LOS was shorter in the ultra-early PT (< 12 h) group compared to the early PT (12-24 h) group (4.75 vs. 4.96 days, p = 0.009). At 3 months postoperatively, there was no significant difference in ROM, ambulatory distance or functional scores between the < 24 h group and 24-48 h group, or on subgroup analysis of the < 24 h group. CONCLUSION: Patients who underwent physical therapy within 24 h had a shorter length of stay compared to the 24-48 h group. On subgroup analysis, ultra-early (< 12 h) physical therapy correlated with a shorter length of stay compared to the 12-24 h group (4.75 vs. 4.96 days, p = 0.009) - however, the difference is small and unlikely to be clinically significant. Ultra-early (< 12 h) physical therapy does not confer additional benefit in terms of functional scores, ROM or ambulatory distance. These findings reinforce the importance of early physical therapy after TKA in facilitating earlier patient discharge.

The role of clinical breast examination and fine needle aspiration cytology in early detection of breast cancer: A cross-sectional study nested in a cohort in a low-resource setting.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is prevalent worldwide, with disparities in screening, diagnosis, treatment outcomes, and survival. In Africa, the majority of women are diagnosed at advanced stages, affecting treatment outcomes. Screening is one of the best strategies to reduce mortality rates caused by this cancer. Yet in a resource-constrained setting, there is limited access to screening and early detection services, which are available only at a few referral hospitals. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and screening results of breast cancer using clinical breast examination coupled with fine needle aspiration cytology in a resource-constraint setting. DESIGN: A combined cross-sectional and cohort study. METHODS: Women at risk of developing breast cancer in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania were invited, through public announcements, to their primary healthcare facilities. A questionnaire was used to assess the participants' characteristics. The women received a clinical breast examination, and detectable lesions were subjected to a confirmatory fine needle aspiration cytology or an excisional biopsy. Preliminary data from this ongoing breast cancer control program were extracted and analyzed for this study. RESULTS: A total of 3577 women were screened for breast cancer; their mean age was 47 ± 7.53 years. About a third of them (1145, 32%) were practicing self-breast examination at least once a month. Of 200 (5.6%) with abnormal clinical breast examination, 18 (9%) were confirmed to be breast cancer, making the prevalence to be 0.5%. The vast majority of participants with breast cancer (13, 72.2%) had early disease stages, and infiltrating ductal carcinoma, no special type, was the most common (15, 83.3%) histopathology subtype. Hormonal receptor status determination results indicated that 11 (61.1%), 7 (38.9%), and 5 (27.8%) of the tumors overexpressed estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal receptor-2, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates 5.6% of Tanzanian women have abnormal clinical breast examination findings, with 9% having breast cancer. Nearly three-quarters (72.2%) of breast cancer screened for early disease were detected in the early disease stages. This finding suggests that organized screening with clinical breast examination coupled with fine needle aspiration cytology, which is a simple and cost-effective screening method, has the potential to improve early detection and outcomes for breast cancer patients in a resource-constraint setting.

Cross-cohort replicable resting-state functional connectivity in predicting symptoms and cognition of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a debilitating mental illness characterized by adolescence or early adulthood onset of psychosis, positive and negative symptoms, as well as cognitive impairments. Despite a plethora of studies leveraging functional connectivity (FC) from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to predict symptoms and cognitive impairments of SZ, the findings have exhibited great heterogeneity. We aimed to identify congruous and replicable connectivity patterns capable of predicting positive and negative symptoms as well as cognitive impairments in SZ. Predictable functional connections (FCs) were identified by employing an individualized prediction model, whose replicability was further evaluated across three independent cohorts (BSNIP, SZ = 174; COBRE, SZ = 100; FBIRN, SZ = 161). Across cohorts, we observed that altered FCs in frontal-temporal-cingulate-thalamic network were replicable in prediction of positive symptoms, while sensorimotor network was predictive of negative symptoms. Temporal-parahippocampal network was consistently identified to be associated with reduced cognitive function. These replicable 23 FCs effectively distinguished SZ from healthy controls (HC) across three cohorts (82.7%, 90.2%, and 86.1%). Furthermore, models built using these replicable FCs showed comparable accuracies to those built using the whole-brain features in predicting symptoms/cognition of SZ across the three cohorts (r = .17-.33, p < .05). Overall, our findings provide new insights into the neural underpinnings of SZ symptoms/cognition and offer potential targets for further research and possible clinical interventions.

Unique dietary and oral hygiene behaviors in a cohort with clinically severe obesity: A cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: An association between increased risk of dental caries with increased levels of clinically severe obesity has been reported. Data linking body mass index (BMI) and dietary behaviors, including at-risk dietary factors and oral hygiene habits, are lacking in a cohort with clinically severe obesity. This study aimed to explore the dietary and oral hygiene behaviors in individuals with clinically severe obesity attending a hospital-based obesity service. METHODS: Adult patients attending a hospital-based obesity service in Greater Western Sydney with clinically severe obesity were invited to participate in a self-administered survey, which collected data on their nutritional and oral hygiene behaviors. Demographic data (age, gender) and BMI were extracted from the participants' medical records. The primary outcome was the relationship between BMI and frequency of toothbrushing. RESULTS: Of the 82 individuals who consented to participate, 81 (98.8%) completed the study questionnaire. The median BMI of the cohort was 49.1 kg/m2 (interquartile range [IQR]: 43.2-57.3 kg/m2) and median age 51 (IQR: 39-63) years. BMI was not significantly correlated with individual oral health behaviors (p > .05). Many participants reported dietary risk behaviors, which have the potential to influence their oral health. CONCLUSIONS: While oral health behaviors were not associated with increasing BMI, patients with clinically severe obesity in this study reported unique dietary behaviors and mixed oral hygiene habits that may complicate nutritional and dental management. Awareness of these behaviors among clinicians including dental professionals is required in this cohort.

A surge in food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cohort in Mexico City.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused tremendous loss of life and health but has also greatly disrupted the world economy. The impact of this disruption has been especially harsh in urban settings of developing countries. We estimated the impact of the pandemic on the occurrence of food insecurity in a cohort of women living in Mexico City, and the socioeconomic characteristics associated with food insecurity severity. METHODS: We analyzed data longitudinally from 685 women in the Mexico City-based ELEMENT cohort. Food insecurity at the household level was gathered using the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale and measured in-person during 2015 to 2019 before the pandemic and by telephone during 2020-2021, in the midst of the pandemic. Fluctuations in the average of food insecurity as a function of calendar time were modeled using kernel-weighted local polynomial regression. Fixed and random-effects ordinal logistic regression models of food insecurity were fitted, with timing of data collection (pre-pandemic vs. during pandemic) as the main predictor. RESULTS: Food insecurity (at any level) increased from 41.6% during the pre-pandemic period to 53.8% in the pandemic stage. This increase was higher in the combined severe-moderate food insecurity levels: from 1.6% pre-pandemic to 16.8% during the pandemic. The odds of severe food insecurity were 3.4 times higher during the pandemic relative to pre-pandemic levels (p<0.01). Socioeconomic status quintile (Q) was significantly related to food insecurity (Q2 OR = 0.35 p<0.1, Q3 OR = 0.48 p = 0.014, Q4 OR = 0.24 p<0.01, and Q5 OR = 0.17 p<0.01), as well as lack of access to social security (OR = 1.69, p = 0.01), and schooling (OR = 0.37, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Food insecurity increased in Mexico City households in the ELEMENT cohort as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These results contribute to the body of evidence suggesting that governments should implement well-designed, focalized programs in the context of economic crisis such as the one caused by COVID-19 to prevent families from the expected adverse health and well-being consequences associated to food insecurity, especially for the most vulnerable.

The incidence and risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity in South Korea: A nationwide cohort study.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a major treatable cause of childhood blindness. Thus, epidemiological investigations are necessary for detecting and preventing ROP. Determining risk factors for ROP are also essential to improve screening methods. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of ROP in Korea. The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) covers almost all Koreans. Furthermore, the National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children (NHSPIC) is a government-run, health-screening program for children aged < 6 years. We used the NHIS-Infants and Children's Health Screening cohort database to evaluate the incidence of preterm infants and ROP. The database contains data on 84,005 participants, drawn from 5% of the NHSPIC survey on participants born annually during 2008 to 2012. Sociodemographic factors and systemic diseases were assessed as potential risk factors for ROP. We identified 2615 premature infants (3.11%); 846 of them had ROP (cumulative incidence: 32.4%). Although preterm births increased annually in 2008 to 2012, the ROP incidence in preterm infants did not increase by the birth year. Twenty patients (2.4%) with ROP underwent laser photocoagulation or surgery. Extremely low birth weight was a high risk factor (odds ratio [OR] = 49.86, P < .001). Moreover, chorioamnionitis (OR = 2.77, P = .028), respiratory distress syndrome (OR = 4.09, P < .001), apnea (OR = 1.59, P = .008), anemia (OR = 2.41, P < .001), and intraventricular hemorrhage (OR = 2.34, P < .001) were found to be risk factors for ROP. In conclusion, the incidence of premature babies increased between 2008 and 2012. However, the overall incidence of ROP among premature infants remained unchanged by birth year. Our findings revealed the roles of birth weight, respiratory conditions, anemia, and intraventricular hemorrhage in ROP.

Repeat Radiosurgery for Sporadic Vestibular Schwannoma After Primary Radiosurgical Failure: An International Multi-institutional Investigation.

OBJECTIVE: To describe outcomes of patients with sporadic vestibular schwannoma (VS) who underwent repeat stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) after primary SRS failure. STUDY DESIGN: Multi-institutional historical cohort study. SETTING: Five tertiary care referral centers. PATIENTS: Adults ≥18 years old with sporadic VS. INTERVENTION: Primary and repeat treatment with SRS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Microsurgery-free survival after repeat SRS. RESULTS: Across institutions, 32 patients underwent repeat SRS after primary SRS. Most patients (74%) had tumors with cerebellopontine angle extension at primary SRS (median size, 13.5 mm [interquartile range, 7.5-18.8] mm). After primary SRS, patients underwent repeat SRS at a median of 4.8 years (interquartile range, 3.2-5.7 yr). For treatment modality, 30 (94%) patients received gamma knife for primary treatment and 31 (97%) patients received gamma knife as their repeat treatment. Median tumor volume increased from 0.970 cm3 at primary SRS to 2.200 cm3 at repeat SRS. Facial nerve function worsened in two patients after primary SRS and in two patients after repeat SRS. There were no instances of intracranial complications after repeat SRS. Microsurgery-free survival rates (95% confidence interval; number still at risk) at 1, 3, and 5 years after repeat SRS were 97% (90-100%, 24), 84% (71-100%, 13), and 68% (48-96%, 6), respectively. There was one occurrence of malignancy diagnosed after repeat radiosurgery. CONCLUSION: Overall, repeat SRS for sporadic VS has comparable risk profile, but lower rates of tumor control, compared with primary SRS.

Epidemiology and Comorbidities of Vestibular Disorders: Preliminary Findings of the AVOCADO Study.

INTRODUCTION: Studies on incidence and prevalence of vestibular disorders tend to focus on small pockets of patients recruited from specialized clinics and often exclude measures of vestibular function. The objectives of the study were to characterize patients with common vestibular disorders, estimate the prevalence of common vestibular disorders, and ascertain whether patients with vestibular disorders experience increased risks of falls and morbidity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study includes both inpatient and outpatient routine clinical care data culled from a nationally representative, population-based sample. Patients were included if their record in the TriNetX Diamond Cohort comprised at least one vestibular function test or vestibular diagnosis. The main outcome measures were diagnosis with a vestibular disorder, a fall, or a common medical comorbidity (e.g., diabetes, cerebrovascular disease). RESULTS: The cohort includes n = 4,575,724 patients, of which 55% (n = 2,497,136) had a minimum of one vestibular diagnosis. Patients with vestibular diagnoses were 61.3 ± 16.6 years old (mean ± standard deviation), 67% women, 28% White race (69% unknown race), and 30% of non-Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (66% unknown ethnicity). The prevalence of vestibular disorders was estimated at 2.98% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.98-2.98%). Patients with vestibular diagnoses experienced a significantly greater odds of falls (odds ratio [OR] = 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02-1.05), cerebrovascular disease (OR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.40-1.43), ischemic heart disease (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.16-1.19), and diabetes (OR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.13-1.15), among others. DISCUSSION: Vestibular disorders affect an estimated 3% of the U.S. population, after weighting. Patients with these disorders are at greater risk for many common, consequential medical conditions.