Observation of the effects of moxibustion on acute and chronic radiation enteritis in cervical patients

Abstract BackgroundThe present prospective, observational study evaluated the safety and efficacy of moxibustion in preventing acute and chronic radiation enteritis post-radiation in patients with cervical cancer.MethodsBetween March 2015 and October 2018, 90 patients with stage I-IV cervical cancer were treated with radiation at the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine Second Affiliated Hospital (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine). The patients were randomly divided into a moxibustion group and a control group. The moxibustion group received moxibustion on Guānyuán (RN4), Qìhǎi (RN6), Shénquē (RN8) and Tiānshū (ST25) during radiation. The control group received radiotherapy only. We observed and compared the occurrence of acute radiation enteritis (ARE) between the two groups of patients during radiotherapy. Then, the patients were followed-up 1-1.5-year after radiation, and we observed and compared the occurrence of chronic radiation enteritis (CRE) between the two groups.ResultsThe incidence of ARE was significantly lower in the moxibustion group (10.9%) than the control group (36.4%; P < 0.05). At follow-up post-radiotherapy, the incidence of CRE was significantly reduced (15.2%) in the moxibustion group compared with the control group (35.7%; P < 0.05).ConclusionsMoxibustion significantly improved physical function and reduce the gastrointestinal response caused by radiotherapy, thus the occurrence of acute and chronic radiation enteritis was reduced. These results can improve the therapeutic effect of radiation and improve the patient’s quality of life.Trial registrationProspective clinical trial for the effects of moxibustion on acute and chronic radiation enteritis in cervical patients. ChiCTR2000029650. Registered: February 9, 2020-Retrospectively registered.

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Patients with recurrent syncope and implantable loop recorder exhibit better survival than the control group without implantable loop recorder

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/ehjci/ehaa946.3546 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

C Perings ◽

C Wolff ◽

A Wilk ◽

A Witthohn ◽

R Voss ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Life Expectancy ◽

Control Group ◽

Funding Source ◽

Implantable Loop Recorder ◽

Loop Recorder ◽

Cardiac Device ◽

Unexplained Syncope ◽

Care Costs

Abstract Introduction In 30% of patients with syncope, the underlying cause remains unexplained after clinical investigations. Unexplained syncope tends to recur, significantly impacting patients' quality of life of patients and mortality. Thus, there is a need for timely and more accurate diagnosis to initiate treatment. Dedicated care pathways are recommended by ESC guidelines. Purpose Patients with recurrent syncope were followed over time and patient outcomes with ILR were compared to patients with the same syncope burden, age, gender and mortality risk score who did not receive an ILR. Method A representative database of 4.9 million patients insured by German company statuary health insurances (BKK) was analysed over a time period of 10 years, 2007–17. Patients with recurrent syncope (two times ICD-10 GM diagnosis codes R55), age between 45–84 and no diagnosis code for the syncope were included in the analysis and followed for at least 2 years. Patients with ILR were matched to patients without ILR based on age, gender and Charlson Comorbidity index (CCI) using mahalanobis distances. The index event was the device implant in the ILR group and the second syncope event in the control group. Life expectancy, syncope hospitalisations, fall related injuries, health care costs, diagnoses and treatment rates were compared between the groups. Results A total of 412 patients with ILR for recurrent unexplained syncope were matched to the control group. Overall mean age was 68, mean was CCI 2.7, 42% were females. The risk of death was 2.35 times higher in the control group during follow up as shown in Figure 1 (p-value logrank test <0.0001). Cardiovascular related diagnosis and treatment rates were higher in the ILR group with 69% of patients having a cardiology diagnosis compared to 41% in the control group. Over a quarter (27%) of ILR patients received an implantable cardiac device compared to 5% in the control group. Ablation rates were 7% in the ILR group compared to 0% in the control group. Median health care costs were € 3,847 higher in the ILR group including the costs of the ILR implant, follow up and higher rates of cardiac treatments. These extra costs appear moderate given the substantially higher mortality risk in the control group. Conclusion This study of patients with recurrent unexplained syncope shows a remarkable difference in life expectancy in patients with ILR compared to a matched control group. Two large claim data analysis have recently shown higher rates of cardiovascular death as well as all-cause mortality in patients with unexplained syncope. A more vigilant cardiac workup might be needed to identify a possible underlying cardiac condition. Higher rates of cardiac device therapy in the ILR group were likely to play an important role for their better life expectancy. Cardiac therapies such as pacemakers, defibrillators and ablation have also been shown to significantly improve patients' quality of life. Life Expectancy Comparison Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): The data analysis was funded by Medtronic

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A Comparison of the Effect of Two Types of Whole Body Vibration Platforms on Fibromyalgia. A Randomized Controlled Trial

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18063007 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (6) ◽

pp. 3007

Author(s):

José Antonio Mingorance ◽

Pedro Montoya ◽

José García Vivas Miranda ◽

Inmaculada Riquelme

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Motor Function ◽

Whole Body Vibration ◽

Whole Body ◽

Control Group ◽

Body Vibration ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Therapy Program

Whole body vibration has been proven to improve the health status of patients with fibromyalgia, providing an activation of the neuromuscular spindles, which are responsible for muscle contraction. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two types of whole body vibrating platforms (vertical and rotational) during a 12-week training program. Sixty fibromyalgia patients (90% were women) were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: group A (n = 20), who performed the vibration training with a vertical platform; group B (n = 20), who did rotational platform training; or a control group C (n = 20), who did not do any training. Sensitivity measures (pressure pain and vibration thresholds), quality of life (Quality of Life Index), motor function tasks (Berg Scale, six-minute walking test, isometric back muscle strength), and static and dynamic balance (Romberg test and gait analysis) were assessed before, immediately after, and three months after the therapy program. Although both types of vibration appeared to have beneficial effects with respect to the control group, the training was more effective with the rotational than with vertical platform in some parameters, such as vibration thresholds (p < 0.001), motor function tasks (p < 0.001), mediolateral sway (p < 0.001), and gait speed (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, improvements disappeared in the follow-up in both types of vibration. Our study points out greater benefits with the use of rotational rather than vertical whole body vibration. The use of the rotational modality is recommended in the standard therapy program for patients with fibromyalgia. Due to the fact that the positive effects of both types of vibration disappeared during the follow-up, continuous or intermittent use is recommended.

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Fatigue, mood and quality of life improve in MS patients after progressive resistance training

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/1352458509360040 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 480-490 ◽

Cited By ~ 129

Author(s):

U. Dalgas ◽

E. Stenager ◽

J. Jakobsen ◽

T. Petersen ◽

HJ Hansen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Resistance Training ◽

Beneficial Effect ◽

Control Group ◽

Progressive Resistance Training ◽

Multiple Sclerosis Patients ◽

Progressive Resistance

Fatigue occurs in the majority of multiple sclerosis patients and therapeutic possibilities are few. Fatigue, mood and quality of life were studied in patients with multiple sclerosis following progressive resistance training leading to improvement of muscular strength and functional capacity. Fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale, FSS), mood (Major Depression Inventory, MDI) and quality of life (physical and mental component scores, PCS and MCS, of SF36) were scored at start, end and follow-up of a randomized controlled clinical trial of 12 weeks of progressive resistance training in moderately disabled (Expanded Disability Status Scale, EDSS: 3—5.5) multiple sclerosis patients including a Control group ( n = 15) and an Exercise group ( n = 16). Fatigue (FSS > 4) was present in all patients. Scores of FSS, MDI, PCS—SF36 and MCS—SF36 were comparable at start of study in the two groups. Fatigue improved during exercise by —0.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) —1.4 to 0.4) a.u. vs. 0.1 (95% CI —0.4 to 0.6) a.u. in controls ( p = 0.04), mood improved by —2.4 (95% CI —4.1 to 0.7) a.u. vs. 1.1 (—1.2 to 3.4) a.u. in controls ( p = 0.01) and quality of life (PCS—SF36) improved by 3.5 (95% CI 1.4—5.7) a.u. vs. —1.0 (95% CI —3.4—1.4) a.u. in controls ( p = 0.01). The beneficial effect of progressive resistance training on all scores was maintained at follow-up after further 12 weeks. Fatigue, mood and quality of life all improved following progressive resistance training, the beneficial effect being maintained for at least 12 weeks after end of intervention.

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Effectiveness of a Mobile Device–Based Resilience Training Program in Reducing Depressive Symptoms and Enhancing Resilience and Quality of Life in Parents of Children With Cancer: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.27639 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yuanhui Luo ◽

Wei Xia ◽

Ankie Tan Cheung ◽

Laurie Long Kwan Ho ◽

Jingping Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Training Program ◽

Mobile Device ◽

Well Being ◽

Control Group ◽

Children With Cancer ◽

Resilience Training ◽

Experimental Group

BACKGROUND Caring for children with cancer can be a stressful experience for parents and may have negative effects on their physical and psychological well-being. Although evidence has shown that resilience is associated with positive psychological well-being, few interventions have been specifically designed to enhance the resilience of parents of children with cancer. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a mobile device–based resilience training program in reducing depressive symptoms and enhancing resilience and quality of life (QoL) in parents of children with cancer. METHODS Parents of children diagnosed with cancer were recruited from the pediatric oncology wards of 3 tertiary hospitals in China. The participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (52/103, 50.5%) to undergo an 8-week mobile device–based resilience training program or to the control group (51/103, 49.5%) to receive an 8-week program of placebo information. The study outcomes included resilience, depressive symptoms, and QoL, as measured by the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the Self-Rating Depression Scale, and the Short Form of the 6-Dimension Health Survey, respectively. All data were collected at baseline and at 2 and 6 months of follow-up. The data analysis followed the intention-to-treat principle. A generalized estimating equation was used to examine the effects of the intervention. RESULTS The participants were mostly female (72/103, 69.9%), and their mean age was 33.6 (SD 5.2) years. The participants in the experimental group showed significantly higher levels of resilience (mean 67.96, SD 15.8 vs mean 58.27, SD 19.0; P<.001) and lower levels of depressive symptoms (mean 40.17, SD 9.9 vs mean 46.04, SD 10.9; P<.001) than those in the control group at 6 months of follow-up. The intervention showed statistically significant effects in improving resilience (β=6.082; P=.01) and decreasing depressive symptoms (β=−2.772; P=.04) relative to the control group. The QoL score in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group at 6 months of follow-up (mean 0.79, SD 0.2 vs mean 0.76, SD 0.3; P=.07); however, no statistically significant intervention effect was detected (β=.020; P=.38). CONCLUSIONS The mobile device–based resilience training program effectively enhanced resilience and alleviated depressive symptoms in parents of children with cancer. It is highly recommended that health care professionals incorporate this resilience training program when providing psychological care to parents of children with cancer. CLINICALTRIAL Clinical.Trials.gov NCT04038242; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04038242

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Effectiveness of a Mobile Device–Based Resilience Training Program in Reducing Depressive Symptoms and Enhancing Resilience and Quality of Life in Parents of Children With Cancer: Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Medical Internet Research ◽

10.2196/27639 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (11) ◽

pp. e27639

Author(s):

Yuanhui Luo ◽

Wei Xia ◽

Ankie Tan Cheung ◽

Laurie Long Kwan Ho ◽

Jingping Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Training Program ◽

Mobile Device ◽

Well Being ◽

Control Group ◽

Children With Cancer ◽

Resilience Training ◽

Experimental Group

Background Caring for children with cancer can be a stressful experience for parents and may have negative effects on their physical and psychological well-being. Although evidence has shown that resilience is associated with positive psychological well-being, few interventions have been specifically designed to enhance the resilience of parents of children with cancer. Objective The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a mobile device–based resilience training program in reducing depressive symptoms and enhancing resilience and quality of life (QoL) in parents of children with cancer. Methods Parents of children diagnosed with cancer were recruited from the pediatric oncology wards of 3 tertiary hospitals in China. The participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (52/103, 50.5%) to undergo an 8-week mobile device–based resilience training program or to the control group (51/103, 49.5%) to receive an 8-week program of placebo information. The study outcomes included resilience, depressive symptoms, and QoL, as measured by the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the Self-Rating Depression Scale, and the Short Form of the 6-Dimension Health Survey, respectively. All data were collected at baseline and at 2 and 6 months of follow-up. The data analysis followed the intention-to-treat principle. A generalized estimating equation was used to examine the effects of the intervention. Results The participants were mostly female (72/103, 69.9%), and their mean age was 33.6 (SD 5.2) years. The participants in the experimental group showed significantly higher levels of resilience (mean 67.96, SD 15.8 vs mean 58.27, SD 19.0; P<.001) and lower levels of depressive symptoms (mean 40.17, SD 9.9 vs mean 46.04, SD 10.9; P<.001) than those in the control group at 6 months of follow-up. The intervention showed statistically significant effects in improving resilience (β=6.082; P=.01) and decreasing depressive symptoms (β=−2.772; P=.04) relative to the control group. The QoL score in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group at 6 months of follow-up (mean 0.79, SD 0.2 vs mean 0.76, SD 0.3; P=.07); however, no statistically significant intervention effect was detected (β=.020; P=.38). Conclusions The mobile device–based resilience training program effectively enhanced resilience and alleviated depressive symptoms in parents of children with cancer. It is highly recommended that health care professionals incorporate this resilience training program when providing psychological care to parents of children with cancer. Trial Registration Clinical.Trials.gov NCT04038242; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04038242

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Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on Quality of Life (QOL) and Worry in Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

International Journal of Indian Psychology ◽

10.25215/0202.021 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Sheida Jabalameli ◽

Hamid Taher Neshat Doost ◽

Mohammad Bagher Kajbaf ◽

Hossein Molavi

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Behavioral Therapy ◽

Control Group ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

The Mean ◽

Experimental Group

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most common anxiety disorders. It has been reported that psychological treatments like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is effective for patients with GAD. The purpose of the present research was to investigate the effectiveness of CBT on Quality of Life (QOL) and worry in patients with GAD. A sample of 30 patients with GAD who had been referred to psychiatry offices in Isfahan, Iran were selected and assigned into an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15) randomly. The experimental group received CBT in 8 weekly sessions. All participants completed the World Health Organization Quality Of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) at pretest, posttest and follow up. The results of MANCOVA showed that the mean scores of QOL in the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group at the posttest and follow up (P<0.05) and the mean scores of worry in the experimental group was significantly lower than the control group at the posttest and follow up (P<0.05) It is concluded that CBT can be applied for the patients with GAD as a useful psychological treatment. In general, CBT can improve QOL and decrease worry in patients with GAD.

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Effect of a Sleep Hygiene Education Program Using Telephone Follow-up Method on the Sleep Quality of the Elderly

Salmand ◽

10.32598/sija.15.4.2895.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 484-495

Author(s):

Maryam Moradi ◽

◽

Hamideh Mohammadzadeh ◽

Reza Noori ◽

Kokab Basiri Moghadam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sleep Quality ◽

Education Program ◽

Intervention Group ◽

The Elderly ◽

Sleep Hygiene ◽

Control Group ◽

Hygiene Education ◽

And Control

Objectives: Low quality sleep is one of the most common problems in old age. The present study aims to determine the effect of a sleep hygiene education program using Telephone Follow-Up (TFU) method on the sleep quality of the elderly. Methods & Materials: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 80 eligible elderly people aged 60-74 years who were selected using a systematic random sampling method and were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received a one-hour face-to-face education session on sleep hygiene. The TFU were carried out two times per week in the first month and once a week in the second month after intervention. The control group received routine care. The data collection tools were a demographic form and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. The PSQI was completed for both groups immediately after the second month. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the mean PSQI score before intervention in the intervention (8.02) and control (7.47) groups (P=0.32), but after the intervention, the mean PSQI score in the intervention group (5.42) was significantly reduced compared to the control group (7.67) (P<0.001). Conclusion: Sleep hygiene education program based on TFU improves the sleep quality of the elderly. It is recommended that health care providers use this method to improve the sleep quality of the elderly.

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Comparison of the Effectiveness of MindfulnessBased Stress Reduction Group Therapy With Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Severity of Pain and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Migraine

International Clinical Neuroscience Journal ◽

10.15171/icnj.2019.21 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 111-117

Author(s):

Tahereh Haji Seyed Javadi ◽

Najmeh Aghareb Parast ◽

Sahar Shahsavani ◽

Mir Javad Chehraghi ◽

Leila Razavi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Stress Reduction ◽

Control Group ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Acceptance And Commitment ◽

Post Test ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

Background: Considering the prevalence of migraine and its detrimental effects on functioning, physical health, and quality of life as well as its psychosocial and social risks. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction treatment with treatment based on acceptance and commitment to the severity of pain and health-related quality of life in migraine patients. Methods: In this study, a semi-experimental design used with pre-test, post-test, a 3-month follow-up, and a control group. Using purposive sampling and considering the inclusion criteria, 45 patients with migraine diagnosis selected from among those referring to the neurology department of Imam Hossein hospital in Tehran. They were then randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group. The first experimental group received group therapy based on mindfulness (n = 15; 90-minute sessions), the second experimental group received acceptance and commitment based intervention (n = 15; 90-minute sessions), and the control group (n = 15) received no intervention. All subjects responded to pain intensity and health-related quality of life questionnaires before the intervention (pre-test), after the intervention (post-test), and 3 months after the intervention (follow-up). One-way ANOVA analyzed the collected data. Results: The findings showed that mean scores for the 2 experimental groups were significantly different from the control group in the post-test and follow-up phases in terms of severity of pain and health-related quality of life, while the mean scores for the two experimental groups did not differ significantly. The results emphasize the importance of these interventions for chronic diseases and offer new horizons in clinical interventions. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy could positively affect the severity of pain and health-related quality of life in migraine patients, and any of them can be used to improve the variables mentioned above.

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Using Telemedicine to Improve the Quality of Life of Parents of Infants With CHD Surgery After Discharge

International Journal for Quality in Health Care ◽

10.1093/intqhc/mzab133 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Qi-Liang Zhang ◽

Yu-Qing Lei ◽

Jian-Feng Liu ◽

Hua Cao ◽

Qiang Chen

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Congenital Heart Disease ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Congenital Heart ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Educational Levels ◽

Education Levels

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using telemedicine to improve the quality of life of parents of infants with congenital heart disease surgery after discharge. Methods A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted in a provincial hospital in China from November 2020 to April 2021 to compare the quality of life of parents of infants with congenital heart disease surgery after discharge between the WeChat follow-up group and the outpatient follow-up group. A total of 84 patients (42 in each group) and 168 parents (84 in each group) participated in this study. Results One month after discharge, the SAS and SDS scores of parents in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the SAS and SDS scores at discharge, the scores of parents in the intervention group were significantly lower at one month after discharge (P<0.05), while the scores of parents in the control group were similar at one month after discharge (P>0.05). At discharge, in both the intervention group and the control group, the SAS and SDS scores of the mothers were higher than those of the fathers (P<0.05). One month after discharge, in the control group, the SAS and SDS scores of the mothers were higher than those of the fathers (P<0.05). One month after discharge, in the intervention group, the SAS and SDS scores of the mothers were similar to those of the fathers (P>0.05). The comparison of the SAS and SDS scores of parents with different education levels showed that in both the intervention group and control group, the lower the parents’ educational levels were, the higher their SAS and SDS scores were (P<0.05). One month after discharge, in the control group, the lower the parents’ education levels were, the higher their SAS and SDS scores (P<0.05). One month after discharge, in the intervention group, the SAS and SDS scores were similar among parents with different educational levels. The results of the WHOQOL-BREF scale showed that the scores of the physiological, psychological, social and environmental fields at one month after discharge in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Providing health education and medical support to the parents of infants with congenital heart disease surgery after discharge via telemedicine can effectively relieve the parents’ anxiety and depression and improve their quality of life.

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The effectiveness of mindfulness on quality of life of women with premature menopause: a quasi-experimental study

10.21203/rs.2.22532/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Fatemeh Pyri ◽

Parvin Abedi ◽

Elham Maraghi ◽

Maryam Gholamzadeh Jashreh

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Experimental Study ◽

Hot Flashes ◽

Repeated Measure ◽

Control Group ◽

Premature Menopause ◽

Chi Square ◽

Quasi Experimental

Abstract Background: Premature menopause may impair the quality of life and expose women to disorders such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and depression. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness on the quality of life of women with premature menopause. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study in which 62 women were recruited and randomly allocated in two groups of mindfulness and control. The mindfulness group received eight sessions of training. A demographic questionnaire, Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) and a checklist (for assessing frequency and intensity of hot flashes) were used to collect data. The quality of life, frequency, and intensity of hot flashes measured at baseline, after eight weeks and in three months follow-up. The Independent t-test, the chi-square test, and the repeated measure test were used for analyzing data. Results: The score of quality of life was significantly improved after the intervention and in three months follow-up in the mindfulness group compared to the control group (p<0.001). The scores of vasomotor, psychological, physical, and sexual domains also improved significantly in the mindfulness group compared to the control group. The severity and the frequency of hot flashes were significantly reduced in the mindfulness group in comparison to the control group. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that eight weeks of mindfulness training could significantly improve the quality of life and also could reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flashes in women with premature menopause. Using mindfulness for women with premature menopause is recommended.

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