Diagnostic performance of intravascular ultrasound-based fractional flow reserve in evaluating of intermediate left main stenosis.

BACKGROUND: The recently introduced ultrasonic flow ratio (UFR), is a novel fast computational method to derive fractional flow reserve (FFR) from intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images. In the present study, we evaluate the diagnostic performance of UFR in patients with intermediate left main (LM) stenosis. METHODS: This is a prospective, single center study enrolling consecutive patients with presence of intermediated LM lesions (diameter stenosis of 30%-80% by visual estimation) underwent IVUS and FFR measurement. An independent core laboratory assessed offline UFR and IVUS-derived minimal lumen area (MLA) in a blinded fashion. RESULTS: Both UFR and FFR were successfully achieved in 41 LM patients (mean age, 62.0 ± 9.9 years, 46.3% diabetes). An acceptable correlation between UFR and FFR was identified (r = 0.688, P < 0.0001), with an absolute numerical difference of 0.03 (standard difference: 0.01). The area under the curve (AUC) in diagnosis of physiologically significant coronary stenosis for UFR was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.87-1.01), which was significantly higher than angiographic identified stenosis > 50% (AUC = 0.66, P < 0.001) and numerically higher than IVUS-derived MLA (AUC = 0.82; P = 0.09). Patient level diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity for UFR to identify FFR ≤ 0.80 was 82.9% (95% CI: 70.2-95.7), 93.1% (95% CI: 82.2-100.0), 58.3% (95% CI: 26.3-90.4), respectively. CONCLUSION: In patients with intermediate LM diseases, UFR was proved to be associated with acceptable correlation and high accuracy with pressure wire-based FFR as standard reference. The present study supports the use of UFR for functional evaluation of intermediate LM stenosis.

The prognostic value of collateral circulation in coronary chronic total occlusion underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of coronary collateral circulation (CC) in patients undergoing chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is underdetermined. The purpose of the study was to assess the prognostic value of current two CC grading systems and their association with long-term outcomes in patients with CTO underwent PCI. METHODS: We consecutively enrolled patients with single-vessel CTO underwent PCI between January 2010 and December 2013. All patients were categorized into well-developed or poor-developed collaterals group according to angiographic Werner's CC (grade 2 vs. grade 0-1) or Rentrop (grade 3 vs. grade 0-2) grading system. The primary endpoint was 5-year cardiac death. RESULTS: Of 2452 enrolled patients, the overall technical success rate was 74.1%. Well-developed collaterals were present in 686 patients (28.0%) defined by Werner's CC grade 2, and in 1145 patients (46.7%) by Rentrop grade 3. According to Werner's CC grading system, patients with well-developed collaterals had a lower rate of 5-year cardiac death compared with those with poor-developed collaterals (1.6% vs. 3.3%, P = 0.02), those with suboptimal recanalization was associated with higher rate of 5-year cardiac death compared with optimal recanalization (4.7% vs. 0.8%, P = 0.01) and failure patients (4.7% vs. 1.6%, P = 0.12). However, the similar effect was not shown in Rentrop grading system. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with the single-vessel CTO underwent PCI, well-developed collaterals by Werner's CC definition were associated with lower rate of 5-year cardiac death. Werner's CC grading system had a greater prognostic value than Rentrop grading system in patients with CTO underwent PCI.

Effectiveness of single-lead ECG devices for detecting atrial fibrillation: An overview of systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with atrial fibrillation (AF) are at an increased risk for stroke. Early detection of undiagnosed AF by screening is recommended. Single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is the most widely used technology in AF detection. Several systematic reviews on the diagnostic accuracy of single-lead ECG devices for AF detection have been performed but have yielded inconclusive results. AIMS: The aim of this study was to synthesize the available evidence on the effectiveness of single-lead ECG devices in detecting AF. METHODS: An overview of systematic reviews was conducted. Five English databases (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed, Embase, Ovid, and Web of Science) and two Chinese databases (Wanfang and CNKI) were searched from inception to July 31, 2021. Systematic reviews that examined the accuracy of tools based on single-lead ECG technology for detecting AF were included. A narrative data synthesis was performed. RESULTS: Eight systematic reviews were finally included. Systematic reviews with meta-analysis showed that single-lead ECG-based devices had good sensitivity and specificity (both ≥90%) in detecting AF. According to subgroup analysis, the sensitivities of tools used in populations with a history of AF were all >90%. However, among handheld and thoracic placed single-lead ECG devices, large variations in diagnostic performance were observed. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Single-lead ECG devices can potentially be used for AF detection. Due to the heterogeneity in the study population and tools, future studies are warranted to explore the suitable circumstances in which each tool could be applied for AF screening in an effective and cost-effective manner.

First-principles prediction of superconducting properties of monolayer 1T'-WS2 under biaxial tensile strain.

High-purity 1T'-WS2 film has been experimentally synthesized [Nature Materials, 20, 1113-1120 (2021)] and theoretically predicted to be a two-dimensional (2D) superconducting material with Dirac cones [arXiv:2301.11425]. In the present work, we further study the superconducting properties of monolayer 1T'-WS2 by applying biaxial tensile strain. It is shown that the superconducting critical temperature Tc firstly increases and then decreases with respect to tensile strains, with the highest superconducting critical temperature Tc of 7.25 K under the biaxial tensile strain of 3%. In particular, we find that Dirac cones also exist in several tensile strained cases. Our studies show that monolayer 1T'-WS2 may provide a good platform for understanding the superconductivity of 2D Dirac materials.

Traditional Chinese medicine for smoking cessation: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may have special advantages in facilitating smoking cessation, but consensus on effectiveness is lacking. We aim to comprehensively review, update, and refine current evidence on TCM effectiveness and safety. METHODS: Nine databases were searched from their inception up to 28 February 2023. Systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analysis of TCM for smoking cessation were identified and retrieved. Additional databases and hand searches of RCTs from included SRs were performed for data pooling. Cochrane ROB tools and AMSTAR-2 were used to evaluate the methodological quality of RCTs and SRs, respectively. RCT data are presented as relative risks (RR) or mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using RevMan 5.4. RESULTS: Thirteen SRs involving 265 studies with 33081 participants were included. Among these 265 studies, 157 were duplicates (58.36%) and 52 were non-RCTs (19.62%). Combined with the remaining 56 RCTs identified through hand searches, 88 RCTs involving 12434 participants were finally included for data synthesis. All the SRs focused on acupoint stimulation, and the majority were of low or very low quality. The methodological quality of RCTs was either unclear or high risk. For continuous abstinence rate, TCM external interventions were better than placebo in 6 months to 1 year (RR=1.60; 95% CI: 1.14-2.25; I2=27%; n=5533 participants). Compared with placebo, TCM external application was effective in reducing nicotine withdrawal symptoms, and the effect was gradually stable and obvious in the fourth week (MD= -4.46; 95% CI: -5.43 - -3.49; n=165 participants). Twelve RCTs reported adverse events as outcome indicators for safety evaluation, and no serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the methodological limitations of the original studies, our review suggests that TCM intervention shows potential effectiveness on the continuous abstinence rate. Extending the intervention time can enhance the effect of TCM on nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Referred to adverse events, more data for safety evaluation are required.

Long-Term Prognosis of Different Reperfusion Strategies for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Chinese County-Level Hospitals: Insight from China Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term prognosis of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with different reperfusion strategies in Chinese county-level hospitals. Methods: A total of 2,514 patients with STEMI from 32 hospitals participated in the China Acute Myocardial Infarction registry between January 2013 and September 2014. The success of fibrinolysis was assessed according to indirect measures of vascular recanalization. The primary outcome was 2-year mortality. Results: Reperfusion therapy was used in 1,080 patients (42.9%): fibrinolysis ( n= 664, 61.5%) and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) ( n= 416, 38.5%). The most common reason for missing reperfusion therapy was a prehospital delay > 12 h (43%). Fibrinolysis [14.5%, hazard ratio ( HR): 0.59, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.44-0.80] and primary PCI (6.8%, HR= 0.32, 95% CI: 0.22-0.48) were associated with lower 2-year mortality than those with no reperfusion (28.5%). Among fibrinolysis-treated patients, 510 (76.8%) achieved successful clinical reperfusion; only 17.0% of those with failed fibrinolysis underwent rescue PCI. There was no difference in 2-year mortality between successful fibrinolysis and primary PCI (8.8% vs. 6.8%, HR = 1.53, 95% CI: 0.85-2.73). Failed fibrinolysis predicted a similar mortality (33.1%) to no reperfusion (33.1% vs. 28.5%, HR= 1.30, 95% CI: 0.93-1.81). Conclusion: In Chinese county-level hospitals, only approximately 2/5 of patients with STEMI underwent reperfusion therapy, largely due to prehospital delay. Approximately 30% of patients with failed fibrinolysis and no reperfusion therapy did not survive at 2 years. Quality improvement initiativesare warranted, especially in public health education and fast referral for mechanical revascularization in cases of failed fibrinolysis.

Astragaloside IV antagonizes the malignant progression of breast cancer induced by macrophage M2 polarization through the TGF-ß-regulated Akt/Foxo1 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Astragaloside IV (AS­IV) was used for breast cancer (BC) treatment in China from ancient times; however, the mechanism of the prevention effect of AS-IV on BC remains not entirely clear. METHODS: qRT-PCR, western blot and flow cytometry were employed to validate the expression of gene and protein expressions. CCK-8 assay, scratch assay, and transwell assay were used to assess the BC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Co-culture of conditional medium from macrophages and BC were performed. RESULTS: AS-IV suppressed macrophage polarized to M2 phenotype and thereby inhibited M2 macrophage-induced BC progression. The inhibitory effect of AS-IV on M2 macrophage polarization was exerted via the deactivation of the Akt/Foxo1 signaling pathway in macrophages by suppressing TGF-ß. The addition of TGF-ß or the treatment with Akt activator SC79 reversed the regulatory effect of AS-IV on M2 macrophage polarization, which increased M2 macrophage polarization-induced BC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. CONCLUSION: This present study revealed a new mechanism of AS-IV inhibited M2 macrophage polarization-induced BC progression and may provide a potential target for the treatment of BC.

Superconductivity of monolayer functionalized biphenylene with Dirac cones.

Monolayer biphenylene is a new two-dimensional (2D) carbon allotrope, which has been experimentally synthesized and theoretically predicted to show superconductivity. In this work, we investigate functionalized biphenylene with the adsorption of Li. The superconducting critical temperature (Tc) can be pushed from 0.59 K up to 3.91 K after Li adsorption. Our calculations confirm that the adsorption pushes the peak showing a high electronic density of states closer to the Fermi level, which usually leads to a larger Tc. Furthermore, the application of biaxial tensile strain can soften phonons and further enhance the Tc up to 15.86 K in Li-deposited biphenylene. Interestingly, a pair of type-II Dirac cones below the Fermi level has been observed, expanding the range of Dirac materials. It suggests that monolayer biphenylene deposited with Li may be a material with potential applications and improves the understanding of Dirac-type superconductors.

Prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent implantation improves long-term prognosis for acute coronary syndrome: five-year results from a large cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the most appropriate dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in the largest cardiovascular center of China. METHODS: We enrolled 5,187 consecutive patients with ACS who received DES from January to December 2013. Patients were divided into four groups based on DAPT duration: standard DAPT group (11-13 months, n=1,568) and prolonged DAPT groups (13-18 months [n=308], 18-24 months [n=2,125], and >24 months [n=1,186]). Baseline characteristics and 5-year clinical outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar across the four groups. Among the four groups, those with prolonged DAPT (18-24 months) had the lowest incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) (14.1% vs. 11.7% vs. 9.6% vs. 24.2%, P<0.001), all-cause death (4.8% vs. 3.9% vs. 2.1% vs. 2.6%, P<0.001), cardiac death (3.1% vs. 2.6% vs. 1.4% vs. 1.9%, P=0.004), and myocardial infarction (MI) (3.8% vs. 4.2% vs. 2.5% vs. 5.8%, P<0.001). The incidence of bleeding was not different among the four groups (9.9% vs. 9.4% vs. 11.0% vs. 9.4%, P=0.449). Cox multivariable analysis showed that prolonged DAPT (18-24 months) was an independent protective factor for MACCEs (hazard ratio [HR] 0.802, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.729-0.882, P<0.001), all-cause death (HR 0.660, 95% CI 0.547-0.795, P<0.001), cardiac death (HR 0.663, 95% CI 0.526-0.835, P<0.001), MI (HR 0.796, 95% CI 0.662-0.957, P=0.015), and target vessel revascularization (HR 0.867, 95% CI 0.755-0.996, P=0.044). Subgroup analysis for high bleeding risk showed that prolonged DAPT remained an independent protective factor for all-cause death and MACCEs. CONCLUSION: For patients with ACS after DES, appropriately prolonging the DAPT duration may be associated with a reduced risk of adverse ischemic events without increasing the bleeding risk.

Association between left ventricular reverse remodeling and long-term outcomes after alcohol septal ablation for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

There is a paucity of data regarding the effect of left ventricular (LV) reverse remodeling (r-LVR) on diastolic function and outcomes after alcohol septal ablation (ASA) in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). The aim of this study was to identify the impact of r-LVR on the outcome and the predictors of such changes after ASA. Eighty-seven patients (57.5% men) were enrolled and underwent both echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging at baseline and 27 months after the procedure. The study population was divided into two groups by the degree of r-LVR. Compared to the greater r-LVR group, the lesser r-LVR group had a significantly larger LV mass (LVM) and lower diastolic function parameters at baseline. The greater r-LVR group had significantly greater LVM regression and improvement of diastolic function after ASA. Kaplan‒Meier analysis showed significantly worse composite events in the lesser r-LVR group after ASA (P = 0.016). After adjusting for multiple clinical variables, r-LVR was associated with an improved E/e' (ß = 0.390, p < 0.001) and reduced events (hazard ratio: 0.795; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.644-0.983; p = 0.034). Preablation LVM was associated with a decreased probability of r-LVR (ß = -0.228, p = 0.021) and diastolic function improvement (ß= -0.245, p = 0.006). r-LVR was associated with long-term outcome benefit in patients with HOCM. Preablation LVM prevented LV from favoring reverse remodeling and thus may be a potential parameter for risk stratification and prognosis after ASA treatment.

The effect of doping and strain on superconductivity of T-graphene.

As an allotrope of graphene, T-graphene was predicted to be an intrinsic two-dimensional (2D) superconductor with a superconducting critical temperature (Tc) of about 20.8 K [Gu et al., Chin. Phys. Lett. 36, 097401 (2019)]. In this work, based on first-principles calculations, hole doping and biaxial tensile strain (BTS) are considered to modulate the electron-phonon coupling (EPC) and superconductivity of T-graphene. It is found that the EPC constant of T-graphene is 0.807 and the calculated critical temperature Tc is 28.2 K at a doping level of 0.5 hole per unit cell (3.31 × 1014 cm-2) and 12% BTS. Furthermore, when 0.8 hole per unit cell (5.43 × 1014 cm-2) doping and 10% BTS are applied, the EPC constant is 0.939, and the Tc can be boosted to 35.2 K, which is higher than those of the pristine T-graphene and many other 2D carbon-based superconductors.

Analysis of the Correlation between Football Education Environment and Students' Psychology Health Based on Gauss Characteristics.

Campus football has become a core content of school physical education. Through football education, we can cultivate students' sound personality and promote students' all-round physical and mental development. At the same time, through psychological skills training methods, we can enrich the educational methods of football skills and provide theoretical reference for promoting educational reform. On the basis of Gaussian features, this paper combines the mixed Gaussian feature model to further describe the relationship between football education and students' psychology. At the same time, Apriori association rule algorithm in data mining is introduced, and Apriori algorithm is improved in parallel with Hadoop data processing platform. Several parallel association rule algorithms are emphatically studied and analyzed to strengthen the analysis of the relationship between football education and students' psychology. The results show that the average recognition rate of the correlation between football education and students' psychology based on Gaussian features is 17.91% higher than that of ordinary results, which obviously improves the correlation recognition result and has a good descriptive ability. Therefore, it has become an important issue for today's physical education workers to analyze the correlation between football education and students' psychology in order to cultivate students' sports and mental health.

Effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on long-term prognosis of patients with coronary heart disease post-percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular diseases are often comorbid conditions, their co-occurrence yields worse outcomes than either condition alone. This study aimed to investigate COPD impacts on the five-year prognosis of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: Patients with CHD who underwent PCI in 2013 were recruited, and divided into COPD group and non-COPD group. Adverse events occurring among those groups were recorded during the five-year follow-up period after PCI, including all-cause death and cardiogenic death, myocardial infarction, repeated revascularization, as well as stroke and bleeding events. Major adverse cardiac and cerebral events were a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, repeated revascularization and stroke. RESULTS: A total of 9843 patients were consecutively enrolled, of which 229 patients (2.3%) had COPD. Compared to non-COPD patients, COPD patients were older, along with poorer estimated glomerular filtration rate and lower left ventricular ejection fraction. Five-year follow-up results showed that incidences of all-cause death and cardiogenic death, as well as major adverse cardiac and cerebral events, for the COPD group were significantly higher than for non-COPD group (10.5% vs. 3.9%, 7.4% vs. 2.3%, and 30.1% vs. 22.6%, respectively). COPD was found under multivariate Cox regression analysis, adjusted for confounding factors, to be an independent predictor of all-cause death [odds ratio (OR) = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.15-2.70, P = 0.009] and cardiogenic death (OR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.21-3.39, P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: COPD is an independent predictive factor for clinical mortality, in which CHD patients with COPD are associated with worse prognosis than CHD patients with non-COPD.

Sex-related differences in left ventricular remodeling and outcome after alcohol septal ablation in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: insights from cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol septal ablation (ASA) has been proven to reverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, there are no studies on the effect of sex on LV remodeling after ASA. We aimed to investigate whether sex differences affect the process of LV remodeling and outcome after ASA. METHODS: A total of 107 patients with obstructive HCM (54 men and 53 women, mean age 51 ± 8 years) were recruited. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) was performed at baseline and 16 months after ASA. The extent of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was measured. RESULTS: Women had a higher indexed LV mass and smaller indexed LV end-systolic volumes than men at the time of ASA. After ASA, both men and women exhibited a regression of LV mass, and the percentage of mass regression was greater in men than women (15.3% ± 4.3% vs. 10.7% ± 1.8%, p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, male sex, higher reduction of LV outflow tract (LVOT) gradient and lower baseline LV mass index were independently associated with greater LV mass regression after ASA. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed significantly higher cardiovascular events in women than in men (p = 0.015). Female sex [hazard ratio (HR) 3.913, p = 0.038] and LV mass preablation (HR, 1.019, p = 0.010) were independent predictors of cardiovascular outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Males with HCM had favorable reverse remodeling with greater LV mass regression post-ASA than female patients. This favorable LV reverse remodeling might provide a mechanistic explanation for the survival advantage in men.

Clinical and prognostic features of Heidenhain variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: A retrospective case series study.

BACKGROUND: Heidenhain variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) remains a diagnostic challenge in clinical practice. We aimed to describe the clinical and prognostic features of Heidenhain cases, through a case series study. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the definite or probable CJD cases admitted to two tertiary referral university hospitals over a decade to identify Heidenhain cases and investigated their survival status by telephone follow-up. Their clinical characteristics, neuroimaging features, electroencephalography (EEG) results, cerebrospinal fluid profiles, and PRNP gene mutations were also analyzed. RESULTS: Of a total of 85 CJD cases, 20 (24%) Heidenhain cases (11 women [55%]; median age, 64 years [range, 44-72 years]) were identified. The median survival time was 22 weeks (range, 5-155 weeks). The median duration of isolated visual symptoms was 3 weeks (range, 1-12 weeks). The most common early visual symptom was blurred vision (16/20, 80%), followed by diplopia (6/20, 30%). The prevalence significantly increased for complex visual hallucination (p = 0.005) and cortical blindness (p = 0.046) as the disease progressed. The positive rate of serial magnetic resonance images (20/20, 100%) was higher than that of serial EEGs (16/20, 80%). Two patients (2/10, 20%) had pathogenic PRNP mutations, E196A and T188K, respectively. Heidenhain cases with PRNP mutations had significantly longer survival time than those without PRNP mutations (p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Besides blurred vision (80%), diplopia (30%) was also a frequent early visual symptom among Heidenhain cases. Heidenhain phenotype can occur in genetic CJD cases. PRNP mutation status might be an important prognostic factor for Heidenhain cases.

Adverse Effects of Andrographolide Derivative Medications Compared to the Safe use of Herbal Preparations of Andrographis paniculata: Results of a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Studies.

Background and objective: Andrographis paniculata (AP) is a traditionally used herbaceous plant, whose main active constituent is andrographolide. Andrographolide derivative medications and herbal preparations of AP are often used to treat respiratory tract infections. This study aims to systematically evaluate the safety of andrographolide derivative medications and herbal preparations of AP based on clinical studies. Methods: English and Chinese databases were searched for all types of clinical studies that reported adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and adverse events (AEs) of andrographolide derivative medications and herbal preparations of AP. The ADRs and AEs were classified according to manifestations, and graded according to severity. Single-rate meta-analysis was performed for ADR incidence using R software. Results: A total of 262 studies were included, including 125 randomized controlled trials, 23 non-randomized controlled trials, 6 case series, and 108 case reports. In 9490 participants using andrographolide derivative injections, 383 (4.04%) reported ADRs. Meta-analysis showed that the ADR incidence of three most frequently used injections of andrographolide derivatives (andrographolide sulfonate, potassium sodium dehydroandrographolide succinate, and potassium dehydroandrographolide succinate) were 5.48% [95% CI (4.47%, 6.72%)], 3.69% [95% CI (2.59%, 4.94%)] and 5.33% [95% CI (3.68%, 7.72%)], respectively, which may be slightly higher than the actual ADR incidence, because only studies that reported the occurrence of ADRs or AEs were included, but studies without ADR and AE were not included. The ADRs of andrographolide derivative injections were mainly gastrointestinal, skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders, and anaphylaxis. Fifty-five patients experienced life-threatening anaphylactic shock, three patients died, and the causation attributed to the andrographolide derivative injection. Other ADRs were mild, moderate or medically significant. Nine herbal preparations of AP were tested in 10 studies, and the reported ADRs were mainly mild to moderate gastrointestinal, skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders. Except for five patients using andrographolide derivative injections eventually died, most of the ADRs were alleviated after drug withdrawal and symptomatic treatment. Conclusions: The ADRs of andrographolide derivative medications are few, but can be life-threatening, mainly gastrointestinal, skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders, and anaphylaxis. Injections of andrographolide derivatives should be used with caution. Herbal preparations of AP are essentially safe. Systematic Review Registration: [website], identifier [registration number].

Traditional Chinese Medicine for HIV-Associated Acute Herpes Zoster: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials.

BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster (HZ) is a common infection in individuals with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used widely in clinical practice for HZ, which remains not supportive of evidence. This review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TCM in treating HIV-associated HZ. METHODS: Nine electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing TCM in treating HIV-associated HZ. Data were extracted on citations, interventions, and outcomes, by two authors independently. For the quality evaluation, Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 2.0 was used. Meta-analyses were performed by Revman5.3 software. Effect estimation presented as risk ratio (RR) for dichotomous data and mean difference (MD) for continuous data with their 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Twelve RCTs (n = 644) were included; the majority of them had a high or unclear risk of bias. Meta-analysis showed that pain intensity (VAS 0-5) in the Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) group was lower than it in the drugs group (MD = -0.87, 95% CI [-1.69, -0.04], two trials, n = 93). Duration of herpes-related pain (days) of patients in the combination group was shorter than those in the drugs group (MD = -9.19, 95% CI [-16.73, -1.65], n = 144). The incidence of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in the combination group was lower than in the drugs group (RR = 0.49, 95% CI [0.25, 0.99], n = 202). As for cure rate (complete absence of pain and herpes), two trials showed that CHM was better than drugs (RR = 1.58, 95% CI [1.13, 2.22], n = 93), five trials showed combination treatment was better than drugs (RR = 1.40, 95% CI [1.08, 1.82], n = 224). The cure rate in the acupuncture group was more than that in the drugs group (RR = 1.99, 95% CI [1.18, 3.36], n = 120). Four trials reported adverse effects and found no serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION: CHM and acupuncture demonstrate more benefits than drugs in pain relief, cure rate improvement, and incidence reduction of PHN. However, given the data limitation and TCM therapies' diversity, the conclusions need to be verified in future trials.

Profile and outcomes of patients with mediastinal hematoma after cardiac catheterization: A retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive introduction of mediastinal hematoma. BACKGROUND: Mediastinal hematoma is a rare complication that is usually not considered in the differential diagnosis of chest pain after cardiac catheterization. METHODS: From January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2013, at Fuwai Hospital, 126,265 patients underwent coronary angiography (CAG); 121,215 of them underwent CAG via the radial artery. Ultimately, 10 patients with mediastinal hematoma due to cardiac catheterization were included. Patients' clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The incidences of mediastinal hematoma in cardiac catheterization and transradial cardiac catheterization were 0.79‱ and 0.74‱, respectively. A super slide hydrophilic guidewire was used in all 10 patients with mediastinal hematoma. These patients felt chest pain and dyspnea during/after the procedure, and computed tomography (CT) was used to diagnose mediastinal hematoma. Among them, two patients had a neck hematoma. The post-procedural hemoglobin level decreased substantially in all patients. Antiplatelet therapy was discontinued for 8-20 days in three patients without stents implanted, and then only oral aspirin was prescribed. Aspirin was transiently discontinued for 2 days in one patient undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The others continued taking dual antiplatelet drugs. Two patients received blood transfusion. There was no case of stent thrombosis, and surgery was not indicated for any patient. No complication was observed after discharge during the 9.0 ± 2.5-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: CT should be performed as early as possible in patients with suspected mediastinal hematoma. The prognosis of mediastinal hematoma is usually good with early diagnosis and suitable therapy.

Does Prior Stroke Predict Long-Term Recurrent Stroke After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention? Five-Year Results From a Large Cohort Study.

Background: We found a positive correlation between the prior stroke history and recurrent stroke in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in our previous study, which indicated the close interaction of stroke and cardiovascular diseases. However, it is unclear whether prior stroke is still associated with worse prognosis at a longer follow-up period. Methods: A total of 10,724 coronary heart disease (CHD) patients who received PCI from January to December 2013 were prospectively enrolled and were subsequently divided into the prior stroke (n = 1,150) and non-prior stroke (n = 9,574) groups according to their history. Baseline characteristics and 5-year outcomes were recorded. Results: Patients with prior stroke had more clinical risk factors, as well as more extensive coronary artery lesions. Although in-hospital outcomes were similar between patients from the two groups, the 5-year follow-up result revealed that patients with prior stroke experienced higher incidence of stroke, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), all-cause death, and cardiac death (7.0 vs. 3.0%, p < 0.001; 25.9 vs. 20.3%, p < 0.001; 5.3 vs. 3.5%, p = 0.002; 3.1 vs. 2.1%, p = 0.032, respectively). After the propensity score matching, the 5-year stroke rate was still higher in the prior stroke group (6.8 vs. 3.4%, p = 0.001). The multivariable regression analysis also identified the prior stroke as a risk predictor of the 5-year stroke (HR = 2.011, 95% CI: 1.322-3.059, p = 0.001). Conclusions: Coronary heart disease patients with prior stroke who received PCI had a higher incidence of 5-year long-term adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, especially recurrent stroke. Prior stroke was a strong risk predictor of future stroke events.

[Two types of exercise-induced abnormal blood pressure response in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].

Objective: Insufcient exercise blood pressure response(blunted ABPR) and lower blood pressure during the recovery period (LBP)after exercise are common abnormalities in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The purpose of this study was to analyze the related factors of these two types of abnormal blood pressure response in HCM patients and their relationship with cardiopulmonary function. Methods: A total of 219 consecutive HCM patients who underwent CPET in Fuwai hospital were recruited from April 1, 2018 to Jan 31, 2020 with a complete clinical assessment, including electrocardiography, HOLTER, rest echocardiography and cardiac MRI. One hundred and eleven healthy age- and gender-matched volunteers enrolled as control group. Results: The incidences of blunted ABPR and LBP in HCM patients were much higher than normal control group (8.7% vs 1.8%, P=0.016; 6.8% vs 0.0%, P=0.003, respectively). In HCM group, patients with blunted ABPR combined more coronary artery disease (CAD) (P=0.029), pulmonary hypertension (PH) (P=0.002) and atrial fibrillation/flutter (P=0.036) compared with patients without blunted ABPR. Compared with HCM patients without LBP, the patients with LBP had higher rest left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient (P=0.017) and left ventricular ejection fraction (P=0.043), more incidence of LVOT obstructive (P=0.015) and systolic anterior motion (P=0.022). After Logistic regression analysis, CAD and PH were independent factor of blunted ABPR, while LBP was only independently associated with rest LVOT gradient. Blunted ABPR was associated with lower Peak VO2, peak heart rate and hear rate reserve, and higher NT-proBNP (P=0.019), VE/VO2 (P=0.000). LBP was not associated with any index of cardiopulmonary function. Conclusion: The incidences of blunted ABPR and LBP in HCM patients were much higher than normal control group. In HCM patients, CAD and PH were independent determinants of blunted ABPR, while LBP was only independently associated with rest LVOT gradient. Patients with blunted ABPR had lower cardiopulmonary function, but LBP was not associated cardiopulmonary function.