Does Tweeting Improve Citations? One-Year Results From the TSSMN Prospective Randomized Trial

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Patterns of Use of Induction Therapy for T2N0 Esophageal Cancer

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Clearing hepatitis C virus with direct antiviral agents reduces cardiovascular events in patients with prediabetes. Commentary to Sasso and colleagues

Liver health is a key determinant of cardiovascular risk (CVR). Hepatic fibrosis is the shared common result of chronic hepatitis, irrespective of aetiology. Fibrosis profoundly distorts liver tissue architecture and perturbs hepatic physiology, dictates the course of chronic liver disease and is increasingly recognized as a CVR factor. The relative weights of pre-diabetes and hepatic fibrosis as risk factors for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with HCV remain an open issue. Sasso and Colleagues answered this research question by treating approximately half of 770 HCV positive pre-diabetic patients with direct antiviral agents (DAAs), while the rest served as historical controls. Data have shown that achieving HCV clearance with DAAs was associated with a 60% reduced risk of MACE, thereby implying that this antiviral strategy is recommended in HCV positive pre-diabetic patients, regardless of the severity of liver disease and concurrent CVR factors. This study paves the way for additional studies addressing the molecular patho-mechanisms and changes in the clinical spectrum involved in cardio-metabolic protection following HCV eradication in patients with pre-diabetes.     

Frequency of Consumption of Whole Fruit,Not Fruit Juice,Is Associated with Reduced Prevalence of Obesity in Korean Adults

BackgroundFruit consumption is known to be beneficial to health. However, the health benefits of fruit juice are controversial due to its high sugar content.ObjectivesTo examine the associations of frequency of consumption of whole fruit and fruit juice with obesity and metabolic syndrome.DesignThis cross-sectional study used data from the 2012-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.ParticipantsA total of 10,460 adults (4,082 men and 6,378 women) aged 19 to 64 years were included in the study.Main outcome measuresFrequency of consumption of whole fruit and fruit juice was evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire, and dietary sugar intake was calculated using a 24-hour recall. Obesity and abdominal obesity were determined using body mass index and waist circumference, respectively. Metabolic syndrome was defined on the basis of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III.Statistical analyses performedMultiple logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the associations between frequency of whole fruit or fruit juice consumption and obesity and metabolic syndrome abnormalities.ResultsThe percentage of participants who consumed whole fruit daily was 32.6%, whereas 52.3% consumed fruit juice rarely. The average intake of total sugars was 14.9% of total energy, which was within the recommend range (<20% of total energy) for Koreans. Consuming whole fruit ≥1 time/day was associated with reduced prevalence of obesity, abdominal obesity, and elevated blood pressure compared with consuming whole fruit ≤1 time/wk. However, frequency of fruit juice consumption showed no association with obesity, abdominal obesity, and metabolic syndrome.ConclusionsFrequency of whole fruit consumption was associated with reduced prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome abnormalities among Korean adults with average total sugar intake within the recommended range.