Reduced myocardial work in asymptomatic heavy alcohol use and its correlation with epicardial adipose tissue volume and serum biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether long-term heavy alcohol use leads to early cardiac function decline. HYPOTHESIS: Long-term heavy alcohol use developed reduced cardiac function in subclinical status by analyzing myocardial work (MW). Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and serum biomarkers contribute to identify potential factors sensitive in predicting early cardiac function decline. METHODS: We enrolled 31 asymptomatic participants with heavy alcohol use and 33 age and sex-matching nondrinking individuals. Participants underwent echocardiography, MW analysis, EAT volume measurement, serum biochemical examinations, and body composition assessment. We used multivariate linear regression to identify correlation between MW and total cholesterol (TC), EAT volume, and placental growth factor (PlGF). To determine global work efficiency (GWE) below the normal reference value of 96%, we developed receiver operating curves with area under curve (AUC) to compare different combinations of TC, EAT volume, and PlGF. RESULTS: All 64 participants were male. GWE was reduced in the alcohol use group compared with the control group (96, interquartile range [IQR] = [95-97.75] vs. 97, IQR = [97-98], p = .004). TC was positively associated with GWE (ß = .434, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.228 to 1.328, p = .008), whereas EAT volume (ß = -.398, 95% CI = -0.000446 to -0.000093, p = .005) and PlGF (ß = -.493, 95% CI = -1.010 to -0.230, p = .004) were inversely associated with GWE. The most significant AUC for reduced GWE was TC + EAT volume (0.851, 95% CI = 0.671 to 1, p = .006). CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic heavy alcohol use has shown early reduced cardiac function which can be associated with altered fat metabolism, suggesting individuals with alcohol use and abnormal fat metabolism need to be alert to heart damage.

The Efficacy of Atropine Combined With Orthokeratology in Slowing Axial Elongation of Myopia Children: A Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have found that atropine can slow axial elongation and control the progression of myopia. Some ongoing trials have applied atropine combined with orthokeratology for myopia control, but few studies explored the effect of the strategy on axial elongation. This meta-analysis made a preliminary evaluation of the effect of atropine combined with orthokeratology on axial elongation to provide a reference for further researches. METHODS: We performed a specific search on PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, Web of Science, Ovid and Chinese electronic databases of VIP and Wanfang for randomized controlled trials, cohort studies and case-control studies conducted up to December 2019. The weighted mean difference (WMD) of mean change in axial elongation between the combination group of atropine and orthokeratology and the orthokeratology group was used for evaluation. Publication bias was detected using the Funnel plots test. RESULTS: A total of five studies involving 341 participants younger than 18 years old met our inclusion criteria. The axial elongation was lower in the combination group of atropine and orthokeratology than that of the orthokeratology group (0.25 vs. 0.35; WMD=-0.09 mm, [95% confidence intervals, -0.15 to -0.04], Z=3.39, P=0.0007). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis demonstrates atropine combined with orthokeratology is effective in slowing axial elongation in myopia children. This effect may be superior to that of the orthokeratology alone.