Real world fracture prediction of fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX), osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians (OSTA) and one-minute osteoporosis risk test: An 11-year longitudinal study.

Introduction: Fractures affect people's quality of life especially in the elders. One of the most important risk factors is osteoporosis. There are many screening tools to predict osteoporosis and fractures. We aimed to compare the predictive validity of three commonly used screening tools: fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX), osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians (OSTA) and one-minute osteoporosis risk test. Among them, OSTA and one-minute osteoporosis risk test were originally developed to predict osteoporosis risks and FRAX was to predict fracture risks. Methods: This is an 11-year longitudinal study. We enrolled 708 senior people from health examinees in Taiwan in 2010. A standardized questionnaire and blood tests were provided. Annual telephone interview was conducted to assess the real fracture status. We calculated risk scores of FRAX, OSTA, and one-minute osteoporosis risk test and compared with real-world fracture records. Results: The mean age of the participants were 74.9 (SD 6.4). There were 356 (50.3 %) men. From 2010 to 2020, a total of 105 (14.8 %) persons suffered from fractures. Compared to people without fractures, people with fractures had higher FRAX major osteoporotic fracture risk scores (14.0 % ± 7.6 % vs.11.3 % ± 5.7 %), higher hip fracture risk scores, and higher OSTA risk (5.9 % ± 1.4 % vs. 5.3 % ± 1.3 %). Cox regression analysis showed that hazard ratios for fracture of high FRAX risk was 1.53 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.05-2.21), and for high OSTA risk was 1.37 (95 % CI 1.04-1.82). Conclusions: Only OSTA and FRAX scores were satisfactory in predicting 10-year fractures.

Role of the autonomic nervous system in young, middle-aged, and older individuals with essential hypertension and sleep-related changes in neurocardiac regulation.

Essential hypertension involves complex cardiovascular regulation. The autonomic nervous system function fluctuates throughout the sleep-wake cycle and changes with advancing age. However, the precise role of the autonomic nervous system in the development of hypertension during aging remains unclear. In this study, we characterized autonomic function during the sleep-wake cycle in different age groups with essential hypertension. This study included 97 men (53 with and 44 without hypertension) aged 30-79 years. They were stratified by age into young (< 40 years), middle-aged (40-59 years), and older (60-79 years) groups. Polysomnography and blood pressure data were recorded for 2 min before and during an hour-long nap. Autonomic function was assessed by measuring heart rate variability and blood pressure variability. Data were analyzed using t tests, correlation analyses, and two-way analysis of variance. During nonrapid eye movement (nREM), a main effect of age was observed on cardiac parasympathetic measures and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), with the highest and lowest levels noted in the younger and older groups, respectively. The coefficients of the correlations between these measures and age were lower in patients with hypertension than in normotensive controls. The BRS of young patients with hypertension was similar to that of their middle-aged and older counterparts. However, cardiac sympathetic activity was significantly higher (p = 0.023) and BRS was significantly lower (p = 0.022) in the hypertension group than in the control group. During wakefulness, the results were similar although some of the above findings were absent. Autonomic imbalance, particularly impaired baroreflex, plays a more significant role in younger patients with hypertension. The nREM stage may be suitable for gaining insights into the relevant mechanisms.

Association of the serum calcium level with metabolic syndrome and its components among adults in Taiwan.

Objective: An increasing amount of literature indicates that the serum calcium level may be related to metabolic syndrome (MetS) and obesity. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the serum calcium level and MetS in adults in Taiwan. Subjects and methods: We conducted a crosssectional study and enrolled 1,580 participants (54.4% women; mean age, 33.28 ± 12.21 years) who underwent health examinations in northern Taiwan between 2012 and 2016. Logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of MetS and its components in groups of patients in the tertiles of the serum calcium level. Results: In total, 167 participants (10.6%) had MetS. The odds of high systolic blood pressure (BP), blood glucose, and triglyceride (TG) levels significantly increased as the serum calcium level increased. Compared with the participants in the lowest tertile of the serum calcium level (tertile 1), those in the second tertile (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 0.97-2.23) and third tertile (OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.06-2.53) had a significantly higher risk of MetS. Further analyses revealed a significant association between MetS and an increased serum calcium level in those in the overweight and obese groups. However, there was no association between the serum calcium levels and MetS in those in the normal weight group. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that a higher serum calcium level is associated with an increased risk of MetS and its components in adults with overweight and obesity.

The optimal dose of oral tranexamic acid in melasma: A network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Melasma is a chronic skin condition that adversely impacts quality of life. Although many therapeutic modalities are available there is no single best treatment for melasma. Oral tranexamic acid has been used for the treatment of this condition but its optimal dose is yet to be established. OBJECTIVES: We used network meta-analysis to determine the optimal dose of oral tranexamic acid for the treatment of melasma. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of all studies of oral tranexamic acid for the treatment of melasma up to September 2020 using PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library database. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Jadad score and the Cochrane's risk of bias assessment tool. Only high quality randomised controlled trials were selected. Some studies lacked standard deviation of changes from baseline and these were estimated using the correlation coefficient obtained from another similar study. RESULTS: A total of 92 studies were identified of which 6 randomized controlled trials comprising 599 patients were included to form 3 pair-wise network comparisons. The mean age of the patients in these studies ranged from 30.3 to 46.5 years and the treatment duration ranged from 8 to 12 weeks. The Jadad scores ranged from 5 to 8. The optimal dose and duration of oral tranexamic acid was estimated to be 750 mg per day for 12 consecutive weeks. LIMITATIONS: Some confounding factors might not have been described in the original studies. Although clear rules were followed, the Melasma Area and Severity Index and the modified Melasma Area and Severity Index were scored by independent physicians and hence inter-observer bias could not be excluded. CONCLUSION: Oral tranexamic acid is a promising drug for the treatment of melasma. This is the first network meta-analysis to determine the optimal dose of this drug and to report the effects of different dosages. The optimal dose is 250 mg three times per day for 12 weeks, but 250 mg twice daily may be an acceptable option in poorly adherent patients. Our findings will allow physicians to balance drug effects and medication adherence. Personalized treatment plans are warranted.

Association of the serum calcium level with metabolic syndrome and its components among adults in Taiwan

ABSTRACT Objective: An increasing amount of literature indicates that the serum calcium level may be related to metabolic syndrome (MetS) and obesity. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the serum calcium level and MetS in adults in Taiwan. Subjects and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study and enrolled 1,580 participants (54.4% women; mean age, 33.28 ± 12.21 years) who underwent health examinations in northern Taiwan between 2012 and 2016. Logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of MetS and its components in groups of patients in the tertiles of the serum calcium level. Results: In total, 167 participants (10.6%) had MetS. The odds of high systolic blood pressure (BP), blood glucose, and triglyceride (TG) levels significantly increased as the serum calcium level increased. Compared with the participants in the lowest tertile of the serum calcium level (tertile 1), those in the second tertile (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 0.97-2.23) and third tertile (OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.06-2.53) had a significantly higher risk of MetS. Further analyses revealed a significant association between MetS and an increased serum calcium level in those in the overweight and obese groups. However, there was no association between the serum calcium levels and MetS in those in the normal weight group. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that a higher serum calcium level is associated with an increased risk of MetS and its components in adults with overweight and obesity.

Effects of age and sex on vasomotor activity and baroreflex sensitivity during the sleep-wake cycle.

Cardiovascular function is related to age, sex, and state of consciousness. We hypothesized that cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) demonstrates different patterns in both sexes before and after 50 years of age and that these patterns are associated with patterned changes during the sleep-wake cycle. We recruited 67 healthy participants (aged 20-79 years; 41 women) and divided them into four age groups: 20-29, 30-49, 50-69, and 70-79 years. All the participants underwent polysomnography and blood pressure measurements. For each participant, we used the average of the arterial pressure variability, heart rate variability (HRV), and BRS parameters during the sleep-wake stages. BRS and HRV parameters were significantly negatively correlated with age. The BRS indexes were significantly lower in the participants aged ≥ 50 years than in those aged < 50 years, and these age-related declines were more apparent during non-rapid eye movement sleep than during wakefulness. Only BRS demonstrated a significantly negative correlation with age in participants ≥ 50 years old. Women exhibited a stronger association than men between BRS and age and an earlier decline in BRS. Changes in BRS varied with age, sex, and consciousness state, each demonstrating a specific pattern. The age of 50 years appeared to be a crucial turning point for sexual dimorphism in BRS. Baroreflex modulation of the cardiovascular system during sleep sensitively delineated the age- and sex-dependent BRS patterns, highlighting the clinical importance of our results. Our findings may aid in screening for neurocardiac abnormalities in apparently healthy individuals.

Roles of sleep-related cardiovascular autonomic functions in voluntary-exercise-induced alleviation of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Autonomic dysfunction and sleep problems are closely associated with hypertension and predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Animal studies and clinical observations have identified exercise as an important factor in preventing and treating hypertension. However, the roles of autonomic function and sleep in the antihypertensive mechanisms of exercise are still not fully understood. This study aimed to clarify the physiological mechanisms associated with autonomic function and sleep through wheel exercise. Male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were grouped into a wheel-exercised group and a sedentary group (controls). Electroencephalogram, electromyogram, electrocardiogram, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were recorded simultaneously for 24 h once a week over 11 weeks. Wheel exercise was initiated in the SHRs at 12 weeks old and continued for another eight weeks. A significant suppression in the age-related elevation of MAP was noted in the SHRs undergoing wheel exercise. The reduction in MAP was correlated with increased parasympathetic activity and baroreflex sensitivity and decreased sympathetic activity, mainly during quiet sleep. Exercise increased the paradoxical sleep time and theta power (associated with cognitive function) but not the delta power (an indicator of sleep depth) or the attenuation of circadian rhythm flattening (characterized by increased wakefulness and less sleep during the light period and the opposite during the dark period). Furthermore, the exercise-induced changes in autonomic function occurred before those in sleep patterns, which were dependent on each other. In conclusion, wheel exercise can modulate sleep-related cardiovascular dysfunction and the flattening of circadian rhythm, preventing the progression of hypertension, which reduces the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

Ten-year trends in lifestyle habits among community-dwelling older people in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: Different lifestyles may contribute to chronic diseases or a health condition. We aimed to study trends in lifestyle habits among community-dwelling older people. METHODS: This retrospective time-trend study enrolled 429 108 participants from the Senior Citizen Health Examination in Taiwan over ten years (2001-2010). We analysed lifestyle habits including smoking, alcohol, betel nut chewing, milk drinking, fruit and vegetable intake, car driving and motorcycle riding. Joinpoint regression was used to identify changes in trend. RESULTS: The overall rate of smoking, alcohol and betel nut chewing was 8.2%, 18.1% and 0.3%, respectively. Smoking rates decreased gradually, but alcohol and betel nut chewing increased. We found that milk drinking, fruit and vegetable intake and car driving initially increased and then later decreased. The change in the trend was in 2003. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant turning points in milk drinking, fruit and vegetable intake and car driving. Implementation of strategies to change the behaviors of citizens about the intake of fruit and vegetable and milk drinking is important.

The effect of home visits on healthcare resource utilisation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Home visits may change patients' healthcare resource utilisation, including hospital admission, medications, outpatient and emergency room visits. The aim of the present study was to report changes in healthcare resource utilisation after the provision of home healthcare services. METHOD: This was a multicentre follow-up study. Data on health and functional statuses were collected during home visits. Electronic medical records of 12 medical institutions were retrieved (outpatient visits, emergency care use, hospital admissions and prescription medications). The researchers analysed healthcare utilisation and medications before and after enrolment. RESULTS: There were 246 participants. The mean age was 85.5 years (52% men). There was an increase in annual outpatient visits and a decrease in hospital admission days after enrolment (13.7-15.3 visits/year and 17.5-15 days/year, respectively). The number of medical institutions visited increased, but specialties and doctors visited decreased. Oral medications also increased (3.3-4.3 types). DISCUSSION: Home visits help decrease days of hospital admission, but not medications or outpatient or emergency room visits.

The relationship between anthropometric factors and hyperuricemia in adolescent athletes.

PURPOSE: Hyperuricemia has been increasingly prevalent and linked to future cardio-metabolic risks in adolescent population. The study aims to explore the relationship between anthropometric indices and hyperuricemia among adolescent athletes. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 387 student athletes (218 males and 169 females; mean age, 17.4 ± 1.3 years) in Northern Taiwan in 2013-2015. We exhibited the prevalence of hyperuricemia among this population, and tested the association of serum uric acid levels with different anthropometric parameters in males and females respectively. RESULTS: A total of 59 (27.1%) male and 37 (21.8%) female adolescent athletes had hyperuricemia. Both in male and female adolescents, several obesity-related anthropometric parameters were significantly higher in hyperuricemia groups than in non-hyperuricemia groups. The odds of having hyperuricemia significantly increased with increasing BMI, BMI z-score, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio in logistic regression analysis. There was a U-shaped association between uric acid level and body fat percentage (BF%) in both genders. Subjects whose BF% in lowest-body-fat-percentage quintile (quintile 1) and highest-body-fat-percentage quintile (quintile 5) had higher mean serum uric acid level than subjects whose BF% in the middle three quintiles. In both genders, the odds ratio (OR) of having hyperuricemia in subjects whose BF% in quintile 1 remained significantly higher than the OR in the middle three quintiles (the reference) after adjusting for age and BMI z-score. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the positive association between obesity and hyperuricemia, there is a U shape association between BF% and prevalence of hyperuricemia among adolescent athletes of both genders.

Adolescent Tri-ponderal Mass Index Growth Trajectories and Incident Diabetes Mellitus in Early Adulthood.

PURPOSE: Studies have reported the influence of adolescent obesity on development of adult diabetes, but the effect of the growth pattern during this period has rarely been explored. Also, the tri-ponderal mass index (TMI) was thought to be a better estimation of adolescent body fat levels than the body mass index (BMI), so we sought to investigate whether growth trajectories derived by these two indices could predict incident diabetes. METHODS: We conducted a study by using the Taipei City Hospital Radiation Building Database, a longitudinal cohort established in 1996. Physical exam results including blood test results were collected annually and the BMI z-score/TMI growth trajectory groups during 13 to 18 years of age were identified using growth mixture modeling. A Cox proportional hazard model for incident diabetes was used to examine the risk of baseline obese status and different BMI/TMI growth trajectories. RESULTS: Five growth trajectory groups were identified for the BMI z-score and the TMI. During approximately 20 400 person-years follow-up, 33 of 1387 participants developed diabetes. Baseline obesity defined by the BMI z-score and the TMI were both related to adult diabetes. The persistent increase TMI growth trajectory exhibited a significantly increased risk of diabetes after adjusting for baseline obese status and other correlated covariates (hazard ratio: 2.85, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-8.09). There was no association between BMI growth trajectory groups and incident diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: A specific TMI growth trajectory pattern during adolescence might be critical for diabetes prevention efforts.

Roles of cardiovascular autonomic regulation and sleep patterns in high blood pressure induced by mild cold exposure in rats.

Increased blood pressure (BP) caused by exposure to cold temperatures can partially explain the increased incidence of cardiovascular events in winter. However, the physiological mechanisms involved in cold-induced high BP are not well established. Many studies have focused on physiological responses to severe cold exposure. In this study, we aimed to perform a comprehensive analysis of cardiovascular autonomic function and sleep patterns in rats during exposure to mild cold, a condition relevant to humans in subtropical areas, to clarify the physiological mechanisms underlying mild cold-induced hypertension. BP, electroencephalography, electromyography, electrocardiography, and core body temperature were continuously recorded in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats over 24 h. All rats were housed in thermoregulated chambers at ambient temperatures of 23, 18, and 15 °C in a randomized crossover design. These 24-h physiological recordings either with or without sleep scoring showed that compared with the control temperature of 23 °C, the lower ambient temperatures of 18 and 15 °C not only increased BP, vascular sympathetic activity, and heart rate but also decreased overall autonomic activity, parasympathetic activity, and baroreflex sensitivity in rats. In addition, cold exposure reduced the delta power percentage and increased the incidence of interruptions during sleep. Moreover, a correlation analysis revealed that all of these cold-induced autonomic dysregulation and sleep problems were associated with elevation of BP. In conclusion, mild cold exposure elicits autonomic dysregulation and poor sleep quality, causing BP elevation, which may have critical implications for cold-related cardiovascular events.

Association between real-world home blood pressure measurement patterns and blood pressure variability among older individuals with hypertension: A community-based blood pressure variability study.

Home blood pressure (BP) monitoring is a useful tool for hypertension management. BP variability (BPV) has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. However, little is known about the correlation between BPV and different measurement patterns of long-term home BP monitoring. This longitudinal cohort study aimed to assess the associations between dynamic BP measurement patterns and BPV. A total of 1128 participants (mean age, 77.4 ± 9.3 years; male, 51%) with 23 269 behavior measuring units were included. We used sliding window sampling to classify the home BP data with a regular 6-month interval into units in a sliding manner until the data are not continuous. Three measurement patterns (stable frequent [SF], stable infrequent [SI], and unstable [US]) were assessed based on the home BP data obtained within the first 3 months of the study, and the data in the subsequent 3 months were used to assess the BPV of that unit. We used linear mixed-effects model to assess the association between BP measurement patterns and BPV with adjustment for possible confounding factors including average BP. Average real variability and coefficient variability were used as measures of the BPV. No significant differences were observed in average BP between the SF, SI, and US patterns. However, BPV in the SF group was significantly lower than that in the US and SI groups (all p-values < .05). The BPV in SI and US groups was not significantly different. A stable and frequent BP measuring pattern was independently associated with a lower BPV.

Failure to de-arouse during sleep-onset transitions in the heart rates of individuals with sleep-onset insomnia.

OBJECTIVE: Increased cardiovascular risk associated with sleep-onset insomnia has been reported, but the patterns of heart rate (HR) transitions during sleep onset in individuals with sleep-onset insomnia remain uncertain. This study explored the HR dynamics during objective and subjective sleep onset transitions among sleep-onset insomnia. METHODS: Seventeen good sleepers and 17 individuals with sleep-onset insomnia had their night-time HR measured. HR and heart rate variability (HRV) were analyzed within 8-min periods of pre- and post-transition of stage N1, stage N2 and subjective sleep onset. RESULTS: A significantly higher low-frequency percentage of HRV was observed in pre-N1 period among insomnia group, compared with good sleepers. Decline in HR begins in 160 s prior to N1 onset among good sleepers, whereas the HRs of insomnia group were reduced only after N1 onset in comparison to their HRs at the time of N1 onset. The good sleepers and insomnia group both had their HRs dropped to a level comparable to their HRs at respective stage N2 onset at 220 s and 80 s prior to N2 onset. No differences in HR was found during subjective sleep onset transition in both groups. CONCLUSION: During the wake-to-sleep transition, a low and stable HR was observed before cortical alternations in good sleepers; however, a consistently high HR until N1 onset was shown among sleep-onset insomnia. This finding suggests a state-dependent and failure to de-arouse from the high arousal level of wakefulness into light sleep is associated with sleep initiation difficulty.

The Correlation Between Body Fat, Visceral Fat, and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the correlation between body fat, visceral fat, and the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, participants were required to be 20 years or older, and free of liver disease (comprising either the hepatitis C virus antibody or hepatitis B surface antigen), cirrhosis, and malignant or biliary diseases. A total of 2759 participants were collected for this study. Demographic and biochemical data were collected by chart review. For estimating body fat and visceral fat, anthropometric and bioelectrical impedance analyses were conducted, whereas fatty livers were diagnosed through an abdominal ultrasound. RESULTS: The waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), body fat, visceral fat, and metabolic syndrome (MS) were associated with NAFLD. A larger WC, higher BMI, higher levels of body and visceral fat, and the MS significantly correlated with the presence of a fatty liver. Additionally, the receiver operating characteristic suggested that the visceral fat cutoff point was 70.5 cm2 (Youden's index = 0.4352). CONCLUSIONS: Visceral fat is a strong predictor of NAFLD.

Bone health among older adults in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There has been much discussion about the risk factors for osteoporosis, but studies involving elderly population in Taiwan are minimal. We aimed to describe variables related to osteoporosis among community dwelling older people in Taiwan. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. The 671 participants were randomly selected from 3680 examinees of the annual Senior Citizens Health Examination in year 2010. Participants were interviewed with a detailed questionnaire, and 91 of them were invited for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Predictor variables included age, gender and clinical risk factors for osteoporosis. The main outcome was osteoporosis confirmed by DXA. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 75.7±6.4years old. Overall, the most prevalent variables for osteoporosis were height loss in adulthood (41.0%), lack of dairy products or calcium supplements (32.0%) and insufficient physical activity (10.4%). In multivariate models, we found that underweight (OR=9.80) and lack of dairy products/calcium supplements (OR=3.68) were the main variables for osteoporosis. In the subgroup analysis involving only women, underweight (OR=14.60) was the main variable. DISCUSSION: Among community-dwelling older people in Taiwan, osteoporosis was mainly associated with underweight and lack of dairy products or calcium supplements. CONCLUSION: We suggest using the key questions of underweight and dietary pattern in clinical settings to identify high risk people who are candidates for further BMD exam.

Sarcopenia Screened With SARC-F Questionnaire Is Associated With Quality of Life and 4-Year Mortality.

OBJECTIVES: There is no gold standard in diagnosing sarcopenia. We aimed to assess the validity of screening sarcopenia using SARC-F (sluggishness, assistance in walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs, falls). DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Community hospital in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling senior citizens. MEASUREMENTS: Participants were interviewed with a structured questionnaire annually. The questionnaire items were recoded into the 5 items of SARC-F (sluggishness, assistance in walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs, falls). In the baseline year, a subgroup was tested for grip strength and body composition. Healthcare utilization and mortality were based on self-report and hospital records. Our main outcome was 4-year mortality. Secondary outcomes included hospitalization, emergency care use, and quality of life (QOL) measured using the CASP-12 scale (control, autonomy, self-realization, pleasure (control, autonomy, self-realization, pressure). RESULTS: There were 670 participants. The mean age was 76.1 (standard deviation 6.36). One-half were men (n = 340, 50.7%). The prevalence of sarcopenia was 6.1% (n = 41). SARC-F scores were inversely associated with grip strength (P = .001) and skeletal muscle composition (P = .045). Participants with sarcopenia were mostly women (P = .005) and older (P < .001). In univariate analysis, sarcopenia was associated with 1- to 4-year mortalities (P = .033, .001, .001, <.001, respectively), overall hospitalization (P = .004), overall emergency care use (P = .017), and QOL (P < .001). In multivariate model, sarcopenia [odds ratio (OR) 7.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.67-20.18], age (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.09-1.29 for each year), and taking vitamin D supplements (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.11-0.74) were factors associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia screened using SARC-F was associated with subsequent QOL, overall hospitalization, overall emergency care use, and 4-year mortality. SARC-F can serve as a quick screening tool of sarcopenia.

Cold Exposure Can Induce an Exaggerated Early-Morning Blood Pressure Surge in Young Prehypertensives.

Prehypertension is related to a higher risk of cardiovascular events than normotension. Our previous study reported that cold exposure elevates the amplitude of the morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) and is associated with a sympathetic increase during the final sleep transition, which might be critical for sleep-related cardiovascular events in normotensives. However, few studies have explored the effects of cold exposure on autonomic function during sleep transitions and changes of autonomic function among prehypertensives. Therefore, we conducted an experiment for testing the effects of cold exposure on changes of autonomic function during sleep and the MBPS among young prehypertensives are more exaggerate than among young normotensives. The study groups consisted of 12 normotensive and 12 prehypertensive male adults with mean ages of 23.67 ± 0.70 and 25.25 ± 0.76 years, respectively. The subjects underwent cold (16°C) and warm (23°C) conditions randomly. The room temperature was maintained at either 23°C or 16°C by central air conditioning and recorded by a heat-sensitive sensor placed on the forehead and extended into the air. BP was measured every 30 minutes by using an autonomic BP monitor. Electroencephalograms, electrooculograms, electromyograms, electrocardiograms, and near body temperature were recorded by miniature polysomnography. Under cold exposure, a significantly higher amplitude of MBPS than under the warm condition among normotensives; however, this change was more exaggerated in prehypertensives. Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in parasympathetic-related RR and HF during the final sleep transition and a higher early-morning surge in BP and in LF% among prehypertensives, but no such change was found in normotensives. Our study supports that cold exposure might increase the risk of sleep-related cardiovascular events in prehypertensives.

Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography of the liver in healthy patients: test location, reference range and influence of gender and body mass index.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the best test location and study factors associated with acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography measurements in healthy individuals. When ARFI elastography was performed on 68 healthy patients after controlling for all known test condition factors except segmental location, the median shear wave velocities (SWVs) derived from five valid measurements in the area between S5 and S8 in patients in the supine position had a significantly lower mean and the narrowest 95% confidence interval, followed by those for the S8 supine and S8 semidecubitus locations (p = 0.045). Analysis of mean SWVs revealed similar, although statistically insignificant, findings (p = 0.078). Male patients had significantly higher median SWVs (p = 0.0073) and mean SWVs (p = 0.0043) than female patients. Patients with body mass indexes >22 had significantly lower median SWVs (p = 0.0033) and mean SWVs (p = 0.0008) than those with body mass indexes ≤22. S5/8 supine was the better test location for ARFI. The reference ranges for median and mean SWV were 0.81-1.27 and 0.82-1.27 m/s, respectively. Gender and body mass index, but not age, were the significant factors associated with ARFI SWV values.

Knowledge of the new Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act is associated with smokers' behavior of seeking help in smoking cessation in Taiwan.

Evidence that smoking area restrictions and raising cigarette taxes affect smokers' behavior of seeking help in cessation is limited. The authors conducted a case-control study of 200 participants in Taipei City, Taiwan, from December 2008 to June 2009 to evaluate the association between knowledge on legislation and the behavior of seeking help in smoking cessation. They compared smokers who sought assistance in clinics/classes and smokers who did not, matching for age, gender, and recruitment time. In a univariate model, both banning smoking and increasing prices had positive effects on smokers' behavior, but the effect size of the latter was larger (P = .021). A better knowledge of the regulations was associated with cessation effort (odds ratio [OR] = 2.74; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.44-5.23), as were being more influenced by increased prices (OR = 2.44; 95% CI = 1.38-4.34) and by smoking bans (OR = 2.32; 95% CI = 1.29-4.16). Increased knowledge of the regulations is associated with seeking help for smoking.