A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effect of VCO in Reducing Glucose and Body Weight in Post-Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: A Pilot Study

The aims of this paper were to determine the effect of virgin coconut oil (VCO) on bodyweight and serum glucose level among acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. Various clinical trials on animal studies have found that the VCO has many beneficial effects on health. However, there have been limited published human studies on the pharmacological properties of VCO. Investigation on human subjects is extremely required in order to provide more empirical evidence to show the effect of VCO for ACS patients. Randomised single blind study conducted between March 2018 and April 2018. RCT was conducted among 70 ACS patients for 30 days. Participants in group A received their bottles containing 100 pieces of virgin coconut oil soft gels and were required to ingest 10 capsules per day (5 mL/5 gm) and continue routine treatment (diabetic diet and diabetic medication). Group B participants continued receiving routine treatment. Changes in serum fating blood sugar and body weight were identified using a paired t-test and independent t-test. A total of 70 patients participated with ages of 51 years old and older and were mostly male. The serum FBS and body weight of the intervention group that received VCO were reduced about 13.6% on day 30, from the baseline on day 1. They also had body weight reduction of about 2% with p value of less than 0.05. In contrast, the control group that only received routine treatment showed an increment of 12.1% in their serum FBS and had no changes in body weight. These reductions were noted within 30 days of consuming a daily dose of VCO (5 g every day). The properties of lauric acid and antioxidants present in the VCO composition were key players in the reduction of serum glucose levels and body weight. VCO can reduce serum glucose levels and body weight with 5 mL (5 g) of VCO per day for 30 days. Also, VCO may have a positive effect towards the glucose level and other cardiovascular risk factors.

Correlation between Changes in Serum RBP4, hs-CRP, and IL-27 Levels and Rosuvastatin in the Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease

Objective. To investigate the correlation between changes in serum RBP4, hs-CRP, and IL-27 levels and rosuvastatin in the treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods. One hundred and twenty patients with CHD admitted in our hospital were selected as the research object, including 60 patients with acute coronary syndrome as the ACS group, and 60 patients with stable angina as the SA group. Another 60 patients without CHD who were examined in our hospital at the same time were included in the non-CHD group. The patients with CHD were further divided into the control group (CG) (n = 42, with routine treatment) and the study group (SG) (n = 78, with routine treatment and rosuvastatin) to measure serum RBP4, hs-CRP, and IL-27 levels and analyze the correlation between each index and rosuvastatin in the treatment of CHD. Results. After retrospective analysis, no significant difference was found among the ACS group, the SA group, and the non-CHD group ( P > 0.05). As for serum RBP4, hs-CRP, and IL-27 levels, ACS group > SA group > non-CHD group, with obvious differences among groups ( P < 0.05). After Spearman correlation analysis, a positive correlation was observed between Gensini score and serum RBP4, hs-CRP, and IL-27 levels in patients with CHD ( P < 0.05). After treatment, serum RBP4, hs-CRP, and IL-27 levels were gradually reduced. At 4 weeks after treatment, serum RBP4, hs-CRP, and IL-27 levels of the CG and the SG were decreased conspicuously, and compared with the control, each index of the SG was obviously lower ( P < 0.05). Conclusion. Serum RBP4, hs-CRP, and IL-27 play an important role in the occurrence and development of CHD, with a positive correlation to the Gensini score, which can indicate the severity of cardiovascular disease to a certain extent. Meanwhile, rosuvastatin can remarkably reduce serum RBP4, hs-CRP, and IL-27 levels, which is of significance for prognosis.

E-cadherin on epithelial–mesenchymal transition in thyroid cancer

Thyroid carcinoma is a common malignant tumor of endocrine system and head and neck. Recurrence, metastasis and high malignant expression after routine treatment are serious clinical problems, so it is of great significance to explore its mechanism and find action targets. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with tumor malignancy and invasion. One key change in tumour EMT is low expression of E-cadherin. Therefore, this article reviews the expression of E-cadherin in thyroid cancers (TC), discuss the potential mechanisms involved, and outline opportunities to exploit E-cadherin on regulating the occurrence of EMT as a critical factor in cancer therapeutics.

Efficacy and potential mechanisms of Chinese herbal compounds in coronavirus disease 2019: advances of laboratory and clinical studies

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is still spread and has made a severe public health threat around the world. To improve disease progression, emerging Chinese herbal compounds were used in clinical practice and some agents have proven beneficial in treating COVID-19. Here, the relevant literature from basic researches to clinical application were identified and comprehensively assessed. A variety of Chinese herbal compounds have been reported to be effective in improving symptoms and outcomes in patients with COVID-19, particularly together with routine treatment strategy. The pharmacological activities were mainly attributed to the relief of clinical symptoms, inhibition of cytokine storm, and improvement of organ function. Besides, the development of novel antiviral drugs from medicinal herbs were further discussed. The updated laboratory and clinical studies provided the evidence of Chinese herbal compounds such as Lianhua Qingwen prescription, Shufeng Jiedu prescription, and Qingfei Paidu Tang for the relief of COVID-19. However, both of the randomized controlled trials and real world researches need to be done for supporting the evidence including the efficacy and safety in fighting COVID-19.

The Challenges Faced By Long-Term Care Residents and Their Families During COVID-19

The present research aims to examine the effects of protective measures due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) within long-term care (LTC) settings on the residents and their family members. Open-ended qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 family members of older adults who resided in LTC settings during the first wave of the pandemic in Israel. The first theme identified is Rupture, including physical disconnect; the disruption in routine treatment to residents; and decline in the satisfaction with the setting. The second theme is Response, including sharing viewpoints and involvement in decision making, as well as an intense ambivalence shared by family members. Our findings highlight the distress caused to residents and family members by the isolation and restrictions in LTC settings during the pandemic, and underscore values and priorities that are central to them and their family members, including maintaining continuity, transparency, and working in unison with their families.

Non-functional pituitary carcinoma

We present as case to review and present the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of non-functional pituitary carcinoma (NFPC). We operated on a case of NFPC. After surgery, gamma knife therapy, temozolomide chemotherapy and whole craniospinal irradiation, the patient still had poor tumor control and died 7 months after operation. FPC is very rare. It needs to be diagnosed with a combination of clinical suspicion, imaging and dynamic monitoring. It is necessary to find more effective methods to control the progress of tumor while routine treatment fails.

Therapeutic Effect Analysis of Sodium Aescinate Tablets on Knee Osteoarthritis Combined with Synovitis

Objective: To observe therapeutic effect of sodium aescinate Tablets on knee osteoarthritis complicated with synovitis. Methods: 86 patients with knee osteoarthritis combined with synovitis treated in the Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi’an Jiaotong University from January 2018 to December 2019 were randomly divided into control group and intervention group, with 43 cases in each group. The control group was given routine treatment, and the intervention group was given sodium aescinate Tablets orally on the basis of routine treatment, twice a day, 2 tablets each time. The curative effect was evaluated after 2 weeks of treatment. The knee pain and joint function of the two groups were evaluated by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), and the clinical effects of the two groups were compared. Results: Before treatment, there was no significant difference in general information, VAS and WOMAC scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, the VAS and WOMAC scores of the two groups were both lower than those before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The vas and WOMAC scores of the intervention group were lower than those of the control group (VAS, 1.87 ± 0.79 vs 3.38 ± 0.81. In this study, sodium aescinate tablets were applied to the treatment of KOA combined with synovitis. The results showed that the intervention group was better than the control group in alleviating knee pain, improving joint function and improving clinical efficacy, and the difference was statistically significant. The total effective rate of the intervention group was higher than that of the control group (100% vs 86.05%), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Sodium aescinate tablet in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis combined with synovitis can effectively alleviate knee pain, improve joint function and improve clinical efficacy.

Meta-analysis of the Effect of Shenfu Injection on Immune Function in Patients with Sepsis

Objective: To systematically evaluate the effects of Shenfu Injection on immune function of sepsis patients by meta-analysis. Methods: The randomized controlled trials of Shenfu Injection in the treatment of sepsis published from 2000 to February 2021 were searched in CNKI, WanFang database and VIP database. The control group was treated with routine treatment; The experimental group was treated with Shenfu Injection on the basis of routine treatment. The included literature was evaluated by Cochrane bias risk evaluation table, and Shenfu Injection was used to treat patients with sepsis with RevMan 5.3 software. The results of meta-analysis were as reported. Conclusion: However, due to the limitation of the quality and quantity of the included research, multi center, large sample volume and high-quality RCT are still needed to verify the research results.

Cost-Effectiveness of Stroke Unit Compared With Routine Treatment For Stroke Patients In Iran

Background: Two approaches including stroke unit and routine treatment, are used to address stroke patients. Although stroke unit is a new intervention in Iran and its effectiveness has been proven, but there is little information on its costs. It is necessary to utilize the results of the studies of economic evaluation in order to choose the better treatment option between two alternatives. Due to the lack of studies in this field in Iran, the current study was conducted to assess the cost-effectiveness of stroke unit and routine treatment. Methods: A Markov model incorporating three health states of independent, dependent and death for a time horizon of 10 years with a 3-month cycle length was applied. Direct medical and non-medical costs, including pharmaceutical and hospital expenses, were calculated based on 2018 data from a health system perspective. Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were taken as the outcome measure. The analysis of cost-effectiveness and sensitivity for uncertain parameters was carried out using TreeAge 2020. Results: The stroke unit had more costs and QALYs gain in comparison with routine treatment, and it was cost-effective with an ICER of 551 PPP dollars per QALY. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that stroke unit cost-effectiveness probability is 78 percent, in the threshold of willingness to pay three times GDP per capita. Conclusion: Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of stroke unit is far less than the threshold of willingness to pay, indicating the strategy is cost-effective. Therefore, implementing stroke unit in Iran health system leads to optimal use of resources.