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Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1538-1547

Laboratory of Centre for Preclinical Research, Department of Experimental and Clinical Physiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.

Background: Throughout the years significant progress has been observed in all medical fields. It was possible to achieve thanks to a wide range of scientists, including physician-scientists. However, in recent years their number is significantly declining. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1500-1510

Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to discover how considering multiplicative, additive, and interactive effects modifies results of a prospective cohort study on coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence and its main risk factors.

Material And Methods: The Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor (KIHD) Study provided the study material, 2682 Eastern Finnish middle-aged men, followed since the 1980s. We applied multiplicative and additive survival models together with different statistical metrics and confidence intervals for risk ratios and risk differences to estimate the nature of associations. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1520-1529

Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan.

Background & Aims: Soluble α-Klotho (s-Klotho) is a circulating protein with pleiotropic effects that mainly induce protective effects. Our study investigates the associations between s-Klotho and several established inflammatory biomarkers, with the aim of examining whether s-Klotho levels are representative of inflammatory states.

Methods: A total of 11,128 eligible participants from NHANES 2007-2016 were included in our study. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1452-1458

Heart Center, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are selected for oral anticoagulation based on individual patient characteristics. There is little information on how clinical AF burden associates with the risk of ischaemic stroke or systemic embolism (SSE). The aim of this study was to explore the association of the frequency of cardioversions (CV) as a measure of clinical AF burden on the long-term SSE risk, with a focus on patients at intermediate stroke risk based on CHADS-VASc score. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1473-1487

Centre Administratif du Botanique, Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE), Brussels, Belgium.

Background: After almost 2 years of fighting against SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the number of patients enduring persistent symptoms long after acute infection is a matter of concern. This set of symptoms was referred to as "long COVID", and it was defined more recently as "Post COVID-19 condition" by the World health Organization (WHO). Although studies have revealed that long COVID can manifest whatever the severity of inaugural illness, the underlying pathophysiology is still enigmatic. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1488-1499

Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.

Background: Accumulating data suggest antiviral effects of povidone-iodine against the Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. This narrative review aims to examine the antiviral mechanisms of povidone-iodine, efficacy of povidone-iodine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and safety of povidone-iodine to human epithelial cells and thyroid function.

Methods: We searched the electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1459-1472

Department of Physical Education, College of Education, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Eating less and moving more are the simplest and most common strategies to combat excessive weight. Several other lifestyle factors can also contribute to maintaining a healthy weight.

Objectives: The present study examined the effects of breakfast frequency, duration and quality of sleep, daily physical activity, sedentary behaviours, and school transportation on the BMI of Saudi students, aged 10-15 years. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1511-1519

Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.

Patients on maintenance dialysis therapy are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 and its complications. This study aimed to assess the incidence, epidemiological characteristics, and mortality rate of COVID-19 among maintenance dialysis patients. This retrospective observational chart review study included 548 patients from all dialysis units in the West Bank of Palestine who acquired COVID-19 between 5 March 2020, and 11 August 2021. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1432-1443

Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.

Background: Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are known to expose to atrial fibrillation (AF), cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and mortality. Metabolically healthy obesity refers to obesity without MetS. This study aimed to investigate how obesity and MetS modify the risk of CVD, AF and mortality in very long-time follow-up. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1395-1402

Department of Endocrinology, Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, China.

Background: Epidemiologic evidence of the effect of dietary selenium intake on stroke risk remains controversial. This study aimed to examine the cross-sectional correlation between dietary selenium intake and the risk of stroke in adults.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analysed 39,438 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2018, aged 20-85 years. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1423-1431

Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Department of Allied Medical Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.

Objectives: A well-balanced curriculum is critical for ensuring that students graduate with the necessary skills. There is growing interest in evaluating the functional value of non-clinical courses compared to clinical courses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the views of optometry and vision science professionals on the utility and relevance of optics-based courses. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1403-1422

Department of Psychology, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain.

Introduction: The pathophysiology of fibromyalgia (FM) is related to central sensitisation (CS) to pain. Algometry allows assessing CS based on dynamic evoked pain. However, current algometrýs protocols require optimising, unifying and updating. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1372-1384

Department of Gastroenterology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.

Background: Because trends in the epidemiology and burden of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are changing, reinvestigating the geographical differences and trend changes is essential. Here we evaluated the latest epidemiologic patterns and trends for GERD, using data from Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019.

Methods: Annual case numbers, age-standardized rates of prevalence, incidence, and years of life lived with disability (YLDs), and their estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) for GERD between 1990 and 2019 were derived from the GBD 2019 study. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1385-1394

Department of Healthcare Administration, Asia University, Wufeng, Taiwan.

Background: Longitudinal data on the association between smoking and glycemic control in men with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the extent of the association between smoking and glycemic control in this population.

Methods: The retrospective cohort study identified 3044 eligible men with T2DM in a medical centre in Taiwan between 2002 and 2017. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1357-1371

Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a critical regulator of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Bevacizumab (BEV) and apatinib (APA) are novel VEGF blockers that inhibit lung cancer cell proliferation and the development of pleural effusion.

Methods: In this study, we established Lewis lung cancer (LLC) xenograft mouse models to compare the therapeutic effect of APA and BEV in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) against MPE. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1350-1356

Department of Cancer Genetics with Cytogenetic Laboratory, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding, single-stranded RNAs (ribonucleic acids) that play important roles in many vital processes through their impact on gene expression. One such miRNA, miR210, represents a hypoxia-induced cellular miRNA group that hold a variety of functions. This review article highlights the importance of miR-210 in the development of pre-eclampsia. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1313-1319

Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Introduction: Mentorship increases trainee productivity, promotes career satisfaction and reduces burnout. Beginning in 2016, our Medicine-Paediatrics residency program developed and implemented a longitudinal mentorship curriculum among trainees. We report initial experiences with that program and discuss potential future directions. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1330-1338

Reproductive Medicine Center, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo 315010, Zhejiang, China.

Objective: To explore the role of postoperative gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) therapy before treatment with intrauterine insemination (IUI) for infertile females with stage I-II endometriosis.

Material And Methods: Ninety-seven patients diagnosed with stage I-II endometriosis before IUI were enrolled in this study. The clinical pregnancy rate, cumulative pregnancy rate, live birth rate and newborn conditions were compared between the two groups with and without GnRH-a therapy. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1339-1349

Department of Medicine I & CCC, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are regarded as a standard of care in multiple malignancies. We hypothesized that serum parameters are of prognostic value in ICI treated patients suffering from solid tumours.

Methods: Data from 114 patients treated with ICIs for solid malignancies from 2015 to 2019 at the Medical University of Vienna were collected retrospectively. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1303-1312

Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.

Breast cancer (BC) is a group of markedly heterogeneous tumours. There are many subtypes with different biological behaviours and clinicopathological characteristics, leading to significantly different prognosis. Despite significant advances in the treatment of BC, early metastatic is a critical factor for poor prognosis in BC patients. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1287-1296

MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute, Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Atherosclerotic heart disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the USA. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) has been the target for many hypolipidemic agents to modify atherosclerotic risk. Bempedoic acid is a novel hypolipidemic drug that inhibits the enzymatic activity of ATP citrate lyase in the cholesterol synthesis pathway. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1328-1329

Internal Medicine Department, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai/NYC H+H Queens, New York, NY, USA.

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1277-1286

Health Systems and Population Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.

The objectives of the present study are to understand the longitudinal variability in COVID-19 reported cases at the county level and to associate the observed rates of infection with the adoption and lifting of stay-home orders. The study uses the trajectory of the pandemic in a county and controls for social and economic risk factors, physical environment, and health behaviors to elucidate the social determinants contributing to the observed rates of infection. Results indicated that counties with higher percentages of young individuals, racial and ethnic minorities and, higher population densities experienced greater difficulty suppressing transmission. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1202-1211

Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

The East Africa Consortium was formed to study the epidemiology of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and cervical cancer and the influence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on HPV and cervical cancer, and to encourage collaborations between researchers in North America and East African countries. To date, studies have led to a better understanding of the influence of HIV infection on the detection and persistence of oncogenic HPV, the effects of dietary aflatoxin on the persistence of HPV, the benefits of antiretroviral therapy on HPV persistence, and the differences in HPV detections among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women undergoing treatment for cervical dysplasia by either cryotherapy or LEEP. It will now be determined how HPV testing fits into cervical cancer screening programs in Kenya and Uganda, how aflatoxin influences immunological control of HIV, how HPV alters certain genes involved in the growth of tumours in HIV-infected women. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1126-1139

School of Nursing and Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.

Background: Gender-Based (GB) intimate partner violence is a social and public health issue globally. Several risks of violence related to male sexual partners' perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) following the disclosure of their female intimate partners' HIV + status have been reported. No research has been conducted on male sexual partner's perspectives of perpetrating IPV following their female intimate partners' disclosure of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive status as a risk factor for the perpetration of IPV in Ghana. Read More

Ann Med 2022 12;54(1):1265-1276

Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Background: Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with higher mortality rates and the likelihood of receiving less evidence-based treatment after stroke. In contrast, little is known about the impact of SES on recovery after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of SES on long-term recovery after stroke. Read More

Ann Med 2022 12;54(1):1297-1302

Genetic Medical Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficiency of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in the prenatal diagnosis of foetuses with isolated absent or hypoplastic nasal bone (NB) in the first and second trimester.

Methods: From January 2015 to April 2021, foetuses with isolated absent or hypoplastic NB who received invasive prenatal diagnosis were enrolled. The results of CMA were analysed. Read More

Ann Med 2022 12;54(1):1320-1327

Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 701 Taiwan.

Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) often occur in patients with osteoporosis. These fractures can also lead to postural changes. Several studies have shown that patients with vertebral compression fractures have a restrictive pattern in their pulmonary function. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1255-1264

Servei Aparell Digestiu, Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Spain.

Background: Heterogeneity in the treatment of a disease is a marker of suboptimal quality of care. The aim of this study is to evaluate the heterogeneity in the treatment used and the outcomes for Crohn's disease (CD) in Catalonia.

Methods: All patients with CD included in the Catalan Health Surveillance System (data on more than seven million individuals from 2011 to 2017) were identified. Read More

Ann Med 2022 Dec;54(1):1221-1225

Department of Surgery, Center for Integrated Research on Cancer and Lifestyle, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggest that gut microbiota may impact urologic health including prostate cancer (PC), potentially affecting intestinal permeability (IP). Studies have indicated that disrupted IP may be improved by healthy diets and weight loss. In the Carbohydrate and Prostate Study 2 (CAPS2) clinical trial, which showed that a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) reduced weight significantly in men with PC and suggestively slowed PC disease progression, we explored the impact of LCD on an IP marker, zonulin and an inflammation marker, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). Read More