scholarly journals Radiographic lumbosacral vertebral abnormalities and constipation in cats

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 492-498
Author(s):  
Chutimon Thanaboonnipat ◽  
Kamonchanok Kumjumroon ◽  
Kamonwan Boonkwang ◽  
Natthacha Tangsutthichai ◽  
Wassapon Sukserm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Bowel ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Lumbar Vertebrae ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Bowel Dysfunction ◽  
Intervertebral Disk ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Abdominal Radiographs ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Spondylosis Deformans

Background and Aim: Lumbosacral intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) in cats usually develops concurrent with constipation, spondylosis deformans, and sacralization. However, the prevalence of lumbar IVDD in cats was considered low, and there was less information on the incidence of non-traumatic lumbosacral vertebral abnormalities that may affect large bowel dysfunction. This study aimed to retrospectively investigate the relationship between non-traumatic lumbosacral vertebral abnormalities, both congenital and acquired, and large bowel dysfunction in cats. Materials and Methods: Of 3108 cats that were presented to the Diagnostic Imaging Unit, the Small Animal Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, between March 2016 and February 2018, 1365 cats met the inclusion criteria. All abdominal radiographs were reviewed, and all subsequent data were recorded, including the presence of congenital or acquired lumbosacral lesions, number of lumbar vertebrae, and length of the second, fifth, and last lumbar vertebrae, including the type of lumbar abnormalities. Moreover, radiographic information relating to constipation and megacolon was also collected. Results: Non-traumatic lumbosacral vertebral abnormalities were observed in 29.74% of cats. The most common congenital lumbosacral vertebral abnormalities were six lumbar vertebrae, sacralization, and lumbarization, whereas most common acquired lumbosacral abnormalities were bone spur, narrowing disk space, spondylosis deformans, and lumbosacral degeneration, respectively. Cats with abnormal lumbosacral vertebrae are prone to have more problems with the large bowel (p=0.0057; odds ratio=1.731). Moreover, congenital and acquired lumbosacral abnormalities were also at risk of large bowel abnormalities (p=0.0069; odds ratio=1.920 and p<0.0001; odds ratio=4.107, respectively). Conclusion: This study revealed the evidence and distribution of the variation in feline lumbar anatomy and also elucidated that cats with abnormal lumbar vertebral columns were more likely to have problems with distal gastrointestinal tracts than those without.

scholarly journals Osteoarthritis, mobility-related comorbidities and mortality: an overview of meta-analyses

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 1759720X2098121
Author(s):  
Gustavo Constantino de Campos ◽  
Raman Mundi ◽  
Craig Whittington ◽  
Marie-Josée Toutounji ◽  
Wilson Ngai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Ischemic Attack ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Related Mortality

Aims: The objective of this review was to examine the relationship between osteoarthritis (OA) and mobility-related comorbidities, specifically diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). It also investigated the relationship between OA and mortality. Methods: An overview of meta-analyses was conducted by performing two targeted searches from inception to June 2020. The association between OA and (i) DM or CVD ( via PubMed and Embase); and (ii) mortality ( via PubMed) was investigated. Meta-analyses were selected if they included studies that examined adults with OA at any site and reported associations between OA and DM, CVD, or mortality. Evidence was synthesized qualitatively. Results: Six meta-analyses met inclusion criteria. One meta-analysis of 20 studies demonstrated a statistically significant association between OA and DM, with pooled odds ratio of 1.41 (95% confidence interval: 1.21, 1.65; n = 1,040,175 patients). One meta-analysis of 15 studies demonstrated significantly increased risk of CVD among OA patients, with a pooled risk ratio of 1.24 (1.12, 1.37, n = 358,944 patients). Stratified by type of CVD, OA was shown to be associated with increased heart failure (HF) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) and reduced transient ischemic attack (TIA). There was no association reported for stroke or myocardial infarction (MI). Three meta-analyses did not find a significant association between OA (any site) and all-cause mortality. However, OA was found to be significantly associated with cardiovascular-related death across two meta-analyses. Conclusion: The identified meta-analyses reported significantly increased risk of both DM and CVD (particularly, HF and IHD) among OA patients. It was not possible to confirm consistent directional or causal relationships. OA was found to be associated with increased mortality, but mostly in relation to CVD-related mortality, suggesting that further study is warranted in this area.

scholarly journals Association between Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Incident Hypertension in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 3318
Author(s):  
Jean Kim ◽  
Narut Prasitlumkum ◽  
Sandeep Randhawa ◽  
Dipanjan Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Subclinical Hypothyroidism ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Age Effect ◽  
Random Effects Model ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Model Studies ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Relationship

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) has been found to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, there is no clear consensus on the relationship between SCH and hypertension (HTN). We sought to investigate the association between SCH and incident HTN in women. MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for studies that reported the incidence of HTN in females with SCH versus without SCH. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the outcome were obtained using a random-effects model. Studies were also divided into the middle-aged (mean age < 65) and the older (mean age ≥ 65) subgroups, and a subgroup analysis was performed to examine the potential age-effect on the association between SCH and HTN. Nine studies with a total of 21,972 subjects met the inclusion criteria. SCH was found to be positively associated with HTN (OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.02–1.71). Such association varied depending on the age of women. In the middle-aged subgroup, SCH was more positively associated with HTN (OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.18–2.27), while there was no significant association in the older subgroup (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.80–1.16). Our study showed that the middle-aged females with SCH had an increased risk of HTN, while there was no significant association in the older females with SCH.

Terson sign:

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-43
Author(s):  
Luiz Severo Bem Junior ◽  
Gustavo De Souza Andrade ◽  
Joao Ribeiro Memória Júnior ◽  
Hildo Rocha Cirne de Azevedo Filho
Keyword(s):  
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Clinical Status ◽  
Vitreous Hemorrhage ◽  
Anterior Communicating Artery ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Terson's sign (TS) is classically defined as vitreous hemorrhage associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage of aneurysmal origin, being an important predictor of severity, indicating greater morbidity and mortality when compared to patients without the sign. The objective of this study is to review the relationship of Terson syndrome/Terson sign with the prognosis of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. A search for original articles, research and case reports was performed on the PubMed, Scielo, Cochrane and ScienceDirect platform, with the following descriptors: Terson sign and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Retrospective, prospective articles and case reports published in the last 5 years and which were in accordance with the established objective and inclusion criteria were selected. Ten (10) articles were selected, in which the available results show an unfavorable prognostic relationship of TS and subarachnoid hemorrhage, because these patients had a worse clinical status assessed on the Glasgow scales ≤ 8, Hunt & Hess > III, Fisher > 3, in addition to intracranial hypertension and location of the aneurysm in the anterior communicating artery complex. The early recognition of this condition described by Albert Terson in 1900 brought an important contribution to neurosurgery, being recognized until nowadays.

Is there a relationship between gestational diabetes and postpartum depression?

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salman Khazaei ◽  
Erfan Ayubi ◽  
Saeid Bashirian ◽  
Ronak Hamzehei ◽  
Ensiyeh Jenabi
Keyword(s):  
Gestational Diabetes ◽  
Postpartum Depression ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
University Education ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Relationship

Background: The relationship between gestational diabetes and postpartum depression (PPD) is poorly understood and seldom studied. Objective: In an effort to explore this issue, the present study investigated the relationship between gestational diabetes and PPD. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was performed with 342 women who were referred to four urban health centers of Hamadan city, west of Iran. We used convenience sampling as a method to recruit women in each health center. We used a researcher-made checklist for gathering data on socio-demographic characteristics and potential risk factors of PPD. The Persian validated version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to assess PPD. Univariate and multivariable binary logistic regression was applied to estimate the odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]). Results: Gestational diabetes was identified as the most important risk factor for PPD with OR (95% CI) of 2.19 (1.11, 4.31); P-value=0.02 after adjusting for other variables. Moreover, the adjusted odds ratio showed that PPD among lesseducated women (primary school) was 3.5 times higher compared to women with a university education (OR=3.54, 95% CI: 1.27, 9.84; P-value=0.01). Conclusion: Our findings suggested that PPD is more likely among women with gestational diabetes and those who were less educated. Interventional and educational activities for reducing the risk of PPD can be targeted for use with this population.

Explore the Possible Impact of BCG Vaccination Policy on the Morbidity, Mortality, and Recovery Rates due to COVID-19 Infection. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue-Cune Chang
Keyword(s):  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Vaccination Policy ◽  
Bacille Calmette Guerin ◽  
Recovery Rates ◽  
Bcg Vaccination ◽  
The World ◽  
New Form ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Disease Specific

BACKGROUND The Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) is the new form of an acute infectious respiratory disease and has quickly spread over most continents in the world. Recently, it has been shown that Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) might protect against COVID-19. This study aims to investigate the possible correlation between BCG vaccination and morbidity/mortality/recovery rate associated with COVID-19 infection. OBJECTIVE Our findings confirm that the BCG vaccination might protect against COVID-19 virus infection. METHODS Data of COVID-19 confirmed cases, deaths, recoveries, and population were obtained from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ (Accessed on 12 June, 2020). To have meaningful comparisons among countries’ mortality and recovery rates, we only choose those countries with COVID-19 infected cases at least 200. The Poisson regression and logistic regression were used to explore the relationship between BCG vaccination and morbidity, mortality and recovery rates. RESULTS Among those 158 countries with at least 200 COVID-19 infected cases, there were 141 countries with BCG vaccination information available. The adjusted rates ratio of COVID-19 confirmed cases for Current BCG vaccination vs. non-Current BCG vaccination was 0.339 (with 95% CI= (0.338,0.340)). Moreover, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of death and recovery after coronavirus infected for Current BCG vaccination vs. non-Current BCG vaccination were 0.258 (with 95% CI= (0.254,0.261)) and 2.151 (with 95% CI= (2.140,2.163)), respectively. CONCLUSIONS That data in this study show the BCG might provide the protection against COVID-19, with consequent less COVID-19 infection and deaths and more rapid recovery. BCG vaccine might bridge the gap before the disease-specific vaccine is developed, but this hypothesis needs to be further tested in rigorous randomized clinical trials. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.14.20131268

scholarly journals Caffeine and Cognitive Functions in Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 868
Author(s):  
Jorge Lorenzo Calvo ◽  
Xueyin Fei ◽  
Raúl Domínguez ◽  
Helios Pareja-Galeano
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Reaction Time ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Caffeine Intake ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Research Protocols ◽  
The Relationship

Cognitive functions are essential in any form of exercise. Recently, interest has mounted in addressing the relationship between caffeine intake and cognitive performance during sports practice. This review examines this relationship through a structured search of the databases Medline/PubMed and Web of Science for relevant articles published in English from August 1999 to March 2020. The study followed PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were defined according to the PICOS model. The identified records reported on randomized cross-over studies in which caffeine intake (as drinks, capsules, energy bars, or gum) was compared to an identical placebo situation. There were no filters on participants’ training level, gender, or age. For the systematic review, 13 studies examining the impacts of caffeine on objective measures of cognitive performance or self-reported cognitive performance were selected. Five of these studies were also subjected to meta-analysis. After pooling data in the meta-analysis, the significant impacts of caffeine only emerged on attention, accuracy, and speed. The results of the 13 studies, nevertheless, suggest that the intake of a low/moderate dose of caffeine before and/or during exercise can improve self-reported energy, mood, and cognitive functions, such as attention; it may also improve simple reaction time, choice reaction time, memory, or fatigue, however, this may depend on the research protocols.

scholarly journals Hispanic/Latino Ethnic Identity and Diabetes: An Examination of Underlying Acculturation Processes and the Hispanic/Latino Health Advantage

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-294
Author(s):  
Jeannie B. Concha ◽  
Kristen Kelly ◽  
Briana Mezuk
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Diabetes Prevalence ◽  
Physical Health Outcomes ◽  
The Relationship

Background. Hispanics/Latinos in the United States experience both a health advantage and disadvantage in developing diabetes. Ethnic identity, a predictor of psychological well-being, has not been widely applied to physical health outcomes. The objective of this study is to apply what is known regarding ethnic identity and psychological health to physical health outcomes (diabetes) and to explore the moderating effect of education as a possible underlying mechanism of the Hispanic Health Advantage/Disadvantage. Specifically, this study examines (a) the association between ethnic identity and diabetes prevalence among adult Hispanics/Latinos and (b) determines whether education modifies this relationship. Method. Data come from the nationally representative adult U.S. household study, National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), collected in 2001 to 2003 ( N = 1,746). Multiple logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationship between ethnic identity, education, and their interaction with likelihood of diabetes. Results. Hispanics/Latinos with high ethnic identity have a higher odds of reporting diabetes among those with 13 to 15 years of education (odds ratio: 1.84; 95% confidence interval: 1.16–2.92) and a lower odds among those with 16+ years of education (odds ratio: 0.53; 95% confidence interval: 0.34–0.84). Ethnic identity is associated with diabetes prevalence and the relationship is moderated by educational attainment. Conclusion. Given the growth, diversity, and diabetes disparities among Hispanics/Latinos, our buffering and exacerbating findings exemplify the complexity and fluidity of theory in understanding psychological/behavioral processes. The findings highlight the importance of designing targeted health interventions that take into account the diverse psychosocial and educational experiences of Hispanics/Latinos.

scholarly journals Factors associated with early reperfusion improvement after intra-arterial fibrinolytics as rescue for mechanical thrombectomy

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 2514183X2110173
Author(s):  
Johannes Kaesmacher ◽  
Giovanni Peschi ◽  
Nuran Abdullayev ◽  
Basel Maamari ◽  
Tomas Dobrocky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Clinical Effect ◽  
Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
Cardioembolic Stroke ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Early Reperfusion ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Interaction Terms

Objective: To identify factors associated with early angiographic reperfusion improvement (EARI) following intra-arterial fibrinolytics (IAF) after failed or incomplete mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Methods: A subset of patients treated with MT and IAF rescue after incomplete reperfusion included in the INFINITY (INtra-arterial FIbriNolytics In ThrombectomY) multicenter observational registry was analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with EARI. Heterogeneity of the clinical effect of EARI on functional independence (defined as modified Rankin Score ≤2) was tested with interaction terms. Results: A total of 228 patients (median age: 72 years, 44.1% female) received IAF as rescue for failed or incomplete MT and had a post-fibrinolytic angiographic control run available (50.9% EARI). A cardioembolic stroke origin (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39–10.0) and shorter groin puncture to IAF intervals (aOR 0.82, 95% CI 0.71–0.95 per 15-min delay) were associated with EARI, while pre-interventional thrombolysis showed no association (aOR 1.15, 95% CI 0.59–2.26). The clinical benefit of EARI after IAF seemed more pronounced in patients without or only minor early ischemic changes (Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) ≥9, aOR 4.00, 95% CI 1.37–11.61) and was absent in patients with moderate to severe ischemic changes (ASPECTS ≤8, aOR 0.94, 95% CI 0.27–3.27, p for interaction: 0.095). Conclusion: Early rescue and a cardioembolic stroke origin were associated with more frequent EARI after IAF. The clinical effect of EARI seemed reduced in patients with already established infarcts. If confirmed, these findings can help to inform patient selection and inclusion criteria for randomized-controlled trials evaluating IAF as rescue after MT.

scholarly journals Covid-19 and acute conjunctivitis: Controversial data from a tertiary refferral Italian center

2021 ◽  
pp. 112067212199104
Author(s):  
Giuseppe D’Amico Ricci ◽  
Claudia Del Turco ◽  
Elena Belcastro ◽  
Marco Palisi ◽  
Mario R Romano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Time Span ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽  
Eye Disorders ◽  
Eye Examination ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Acute Conjunctivitis ◽  
Piedmont Region

Purpose: Although acute conjunctivitis has been listed from the beginning as a possible sign of COVID-19, the likelihood of this association remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 and conjunctivitis. Methods: In this retrospective, observational study, we recruited all patients with signs and symptoms of acute conjunctivitis seen at the Eye Emergency Department (ED), Turin Eye Hospital, between 01/01/2020 and 12/05/2020 and cross-checked our data with the Piedmont Region online COVID-19 registry in the same period. Results: Among 10,065 patients seen at our ED during the timespan considered, 88 underwent a nasopharyngeal swab (NS) for SARS-CoV-2 detection within 4 weeks before/after our examination. On average, NS was performed −0.72 ± 1.8 weeks before/after eye examination. Of the 77 patients with a negative NS, 26 (33.8%) had a diagnosis of acute conjunctivitis, whereas the remaining 51 (66.2%) had other eye disorders. Among the 11 patients with COVID-19, 7 (63,6%) had a diagnosis of acute conjunctivitis. We found a non-statistically significant increase in NS positivity rate (21.2%) among cases examined at our ED for acute conjunctivitis, compared to the NS positivity rate (7.3%) in patients examined for all other eye conditions ( p = 0.092). The Odds Ratio of having a positive NS in patients with acute conjunctivitis was 3.43 (95% I.C. = 0.9–12.8, p = 0.06). Considering online-registry data of Turin population during the same time-span, among 2441 positive NS cases only 27 (1.1%) presented with acute conjunctivitis. Conclusion: Our results do not reveal a statistically significant correlation between COVID-19 and acute conjunctivitis. Synopsis The present study analyzes retrospectively data from a tertiary eye referral center to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 infection and conjunctivitis.

scholarly journals Eosinophil-to-monocyte ratio is a potential biomarker in the prediction of functional outcome among patients with acute ischemic stroke

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuhong Yu ◽  
Yi Luo ◽  
Tan Zhang ◽  
Chenrong Huang ◽  
Yu Fu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Functional Outcome ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Poor Outcome ◽  
Net Reclassification Improvement ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Integrated Discrimination Improvement

Abstract Background It has been shown that eosinophils are decreased and monocytes are elevated in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), but the impact of eosinophil-to-monocyte ratio (EMR) on clinical outcomes among AIS patients remains unclear. We aimed to determine the relationship between EMR on admission and 3-month poor functional outcome in AIS patients. Methods A total of 521 consecutive patients admitted to our hospital within 24 h after onset of AIS were prospectively enrolled and categorized in terms of quartiles of EMR on admission between August 2016 and September 2018. The endpoint was the poor outcome defined as modified Rankin Scale score of 3 to 6 at month 3 after admission. Results As EMR decreased, the risk of poor outcome increased (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that EMR was independently associated with poor outcome after adjusting potential confounders (odds ratio, 0.09; 95% CI 0.03–0.34; p = 0.0003), which is consistent with the result of EMR (quartile) as a categorical variable (odds ratio, 0.23; 95% CI 0.10–0.52; ptrend < 0.0001). A non-linear relationship was detected between EMR and poor outcome, whose point was 0.28. Subgroup analyses further confirmed these associations. The addition of EMR to conventional risk factors improved the predictive power for poor outcome (net reclassification improvement: 2.61%, p = 0.382; integrated discrimination improvement: 2.41%, p < 0.001). Conclusions EMR on admission was independently correlated with poor outcome in AIS patients, suggesting that EMR may be a potential prognostic biomarker for AIS.

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