Journal of the Formosan Medical Association最新文献

{"title":"Recent trends of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol control and lipid-lowering therapy in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in Taiwan: 2015-2020.","authors":"Tzu-Yang Chen, Yu-Chung Hsiao, Yen-Wen Wu, Tsung-Hsien Lin, Wayne Huey-Herng Sheu, Thung-Lip Lee, I-Chang Hsieh, Yi-Heng Li, Wei-Hsian Yin, Hung-I Yeh, Jaw-Wen Chen, Fang-Ju Lin, Chau-Chung Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimd to assess recent trends in the control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and the utilization of lipid-lowering drugs (LLD) among patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in Taiwan.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients with ASCVD and without a history of hemorrhagic stroke were identified from the Taiwanese Secondary Prevention for patients with AtheRosCLErotic disease (T-SPARCLE) Registry. ASCVD patients were stratified into four categories: those who ever had acute coronary syndrome (ACS), those who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting (PCI/CABG) without ACS, those who ever had an ischemic stroke (IS) without ACS or PCI/CABG, and other ASCVD cases. We assessed their latest recorded LDL-C levels for the periods 2015-16, 2017-18, and 2019-20. LLD therapy patterns were presented as monotherapy, dual therapy, or combination therapy of three or more drugs, with statin use classified by intensity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We identified 3831 ASCVD patients in 2015-16, 3531 in 2017-18, and 1231 in 2019-20. LLD utilization rose from 58.4% in 2015-16 to 73.2% in 2019-20. The proportions of patients achieving LDL-C goals in 2015-16, 2017-18, and 2019-20 were 21.5%, 25.8%, and 33.3% in the ACS cohort (goal <70 mg/dL); 20.4%, 26.1%, and 39.0% in the PCI/CABG cohort (goal <70 mg/dL); 54.4%, 58.5%, and 58.9% in the IS cohort (goal <100 mg/dL); and 60.0%, 65.5%, and 67.0% in the other ASCVD cohort (goal <100 mg/dL), respectively. Over half of the patients were prescribed moderate-intensity statins. Statin use, age, history of diabetes mellitus, and hypertension were important factors for attaining LDL-C goal in ACS patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Despite improvements in LDL-C management observed over recent years, significant gaps remain in guideline adherence, especially for patients with ACS or PCI/CABG in Taiwan, with over 60% not meeting LDL-C targets. Intensifying efforts to align clinical practice with guidelines are imperative.</p>","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142502845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of deep learning reconstruction in abdominal magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography for image quality improvement and acquisition time reduction.","authors":"Po-Ting Chen, Chen-Ya Yeh, Yu-Chien Chang, Pohua Chen, Chia-Wei Lee, Charng-Chyi Shieh, Chien-Yuan Lin, Kao-Lang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To compare deep learning (DL)-based and conventional reconstruction through subjective and objective analysis and ascertain whether DL-based reconstruction improves the quality and acquisition speed of clinical abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The 124 patients who underwent abdominal MRI between January and July 2021 were retrospectively studied. For each patient, two-dimensional axial T₂-weighted single-shot fast spin-echo MRI images with or without fat saturation were reconstructed using DL-based and conventional methods. The subjective image quality scores and objective metrics, including signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) of the images were analysed. An explorative analysis was performed to compare 20 patients' MRI images with site routine settings, high-resolution settings and high-speed settings. Paired t tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used for subjective and objective comparisons.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 144 patients were evaluated (mean age, 62.2 ± 14.1 years; 83 men). The MRI images reconstructed using DL-based methods had higher SNRs and CNRs than did those reconstructed using conventional methods (all p < 0.01). The subjective scores of the images reconstructed using DL-based methods were higher than those of the images reconstructed using conventional methods (p < 0.01), with significantly lower variation (p < 0.01). Exploratory analysis revealed that the DL-based reconstructions with thin slice thickness and higher temporal resolution had the highest image quality and were associated with the shortest scan times.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>DL-based reconstruction methods can be used to improve the quality with higher stability and accelerate the acquisition of abdominal MRI.</p>","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142502842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comment on \"Update on the M-pox virus and safety measures taken against it globally\".","authors":"Gayathri Rengasamy, Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.014","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142502844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving lung function capacity in patients with chronotropic incompetence using closed loop stimulation: A randomized crossover study.","authors":"Wen-Ling Chen, Lung-Ching Chen, Pei-Sung Hsu, Kou-Gi Shyu, Huei-Fong Hung, Shih-Huang Lee, Tzu-Lin Wang, Wei-Ting Lai, Kuan-Jen Chen, Zhen-Yu Liao, Cheng-Yen Chuang, Ching-Yao Chou, Su-Kiat Chua","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chronotropic incompetence (CI) severely limits exercise tolerance due to impaired heart rate responses. This study investigated whether pacemaker with closed-loop stimulation (DDD-CLS) pacing, which provides rate acceleration in response to exertion, could enhance lung function and cardiopulmonary capacity compared pacemaker without CLS pacing in patients with CI.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This randomized crossover trial included 32 patients with CI who were compared to each CLS and DDD pacing over 2 months. Spirometry was used to assess the forced vital capacity (FVC). Cycling-based cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) measured peak oxygen uptake (peak VO₂).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>DDD-CLS pacing yielded significantly higher FVC (2.2 ± 0.8 L) versus DDD pacing (2.0 ± 0.7 L), p = 0.036, a 3.2% improvement. Moreover, those in the DDD-CLS mode showed a significantly higher FEV1 of 1.8 ± 0.6 L compared to the DDD mode of 1.7 ± 0.5 L (p = 0.03). Compared with DDD pacing, DDD-CLS pacing also achieved superior peak VO₂ (14.9 ± 4.0 vs 12.2 ± 3.7 mlO₂/kg/min, p < 0.001) and peak heart rate (106.9 ± 9.7 vs 98.3 ± 19.8 bpm, p = 0.013). DDD-CLS and DDD pacing modes showed significant correlations between FVC and peak VO₂ and between peak VO₂ and peak heart rate during CPET.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Compared with DDD mode, DDD-CLS pacing provided physiological chronotropic support to improve cardiopulmonary function during exertion, which enhanced lung capacity in patients with CI.</p>","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142468662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Increased post-COVID-19 behavioral, emotional, and social problems in Taiwanese children.","authors":"Chi-Yung Shang, Luan-Yin Chang, Yu-Tzu Chang, Diana Chia-Yu Kuo, Chun-Yi Lu, Ting-Yu Yen, Susan Shur-Fen Gau","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has remarkably impacted children's mental health. Investigating whether COVID-19-related behavioral changes persist after recovery from the acute phase of infection warrants investigation. The present study aimed to identify children's behavioral/emotional and social adjustment problems after SARS-CoV-2 infection.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>84 children aged 6-16 received assessments within 6 months after being tested positive for COVID-19. Their parents reported observations about their children 3 months before SARS-CoV-2 infection (pre-COVID condition) and the most recent 2 weeks (post-COVID condition) on a wide range of psychopathologies and social functional impairments. A control group consisted of 84 age-, sex-, and IQ-matched healthy children, with the same measures as those employed in the COVID group.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared with the control group, the COVID group in the post-COVID condition had more severe symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, opposition, a wide range of emotional and behavioral problems, and poor school functions, school attitude, social interaction, school behavioral problems, and interaction problems with their parents. Compared with the pre-COVID condition, the COVID group had greater severity of inattention, somatic complaints, thought problems, internalizing problems, poor school functions, and interaction problems with their parents in the post-COVID condition.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The present study identified a significant link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and various post-COVID mental health sequelae in children, including behavioral/emotional and social adjustment challenges. Our results underline the importance of raising awareness about ongoing post-COVID mental health concerns in children.</p>","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142468663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Concerns about the propensity score matching in Cheng et al.'s study.","authors":"Lihua Yang, Yuan Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.015","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142468660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term surgical outcomes of hemiarthroplasty for patients with femoral neck fracture with metal versus ceramic head in Taiwan.","authors":"Chi-Ching Huang, Shau-Huai Fu, Yu-Hsuan Liao, Jung-Der Wang, Shu-Han Hsu, Chih-Wei Chang, Li-Jung Elizabeth Ku","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>Hip fractures are a significant health concern, especially in the elderly. Hemiarthroplasty has been the preferred treatment for displaced femoral neck fractures. The use of ceramic femoral heads has recently become popular due to their claimed durability. This study aimed to determine long-term outcomes associated with different implant choices in hemiarthroplasty.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study sample included patients aged 50 years and above, with an index femoral neck fracture admission and hip hemiarthroplasty identified from Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data (2009-2019). To compare two groups of users of different heads, we performed 1:2 matching of the ceramic group versus metal group according to age, gender, index year, and six major comorbidities. Cumulative incidence rates were assessed for revision, post-operative complications, and medical complications. Cause-Specific hazard Cox models were used to estimate the hazard ratios for the two different implants groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 47,158 patients, 2559 out of 2637 who received ceramic head hemiarthroplasty with co-payment, were successfully matched with 5118 receiving metal head prostheses fully covered by the NHI. Over a mean follow-up of 3.12 years, no significant differences were observed in revision rates between the ceramic and metal head groups. The ceramic head group demonstrated significantly lower risks of postoperative complications and medical complications within 90 days than the metal head group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study found ceramic implant had lower postoperative complications and medical complication rates than metal head implant in hip hemiarthroplasty, but there was no difference in the revision rates between the two heads.</p>","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142468664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revolutionary breakthrough unveiled: The combination of antibody-drug conjugates and immune checkpoint blockade sheds new light on advanced urothelial carcinoma.","authors":"Fu-Jen Hsueh, Yu-Chieh Tsai","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2024.10.006","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142468666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Checklist","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S0929-6646(24)00468-6","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S0929-6646(24)00468-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142441246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Authorship statement","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S0929-6646(24)00469-8","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S0929-6646(24)00469-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142441247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}