Estimating the decline in excess risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease following quitting smoking – A systematic review based on the negative exponential model

We quantified the decline in COPD risk following quitting using the negative exponential model, as previously carried out for other smoking-related diseases. We identified 14 blocks of RRs (from 11 studies) comparing current smokers, former smokers (by time quit) and never smokers, some studies providing sex-specific blocks. Corresponding pseudo-numbers of cases and controls/at risk formed the data for model-fitting. We estimated the half-life (H, time since quit when the excess risk becomes half that for a continuing smoker) for each block, except for one where no decline with quitting was evident, and H was not estimable. For the remaining 13 blocks, goodness-of-fit to the model was generally adequate, the combined estimate of H being 13.32 (95% CI 11.86–14.96) years. There was no heterogeneity in H, overall or by various studied sources. Sensitivity analyses allowing for reverse causation or different assumed times for the final quitting period little affected the results. The model summarizes quitting data well. The estimate of 13.32 years is substantially larger than recent estimates of 4.40 years for ischaemic heart disease and 4.78 years for stroke, and also larger than the 9.93 years for lung cancer. Heterogeneity was unimportant for COPD, unlike for the other three diseases.     

补阳还五汤联合长针阴阳透刺治疗脑卒中后遗症随机平行对照研究

[目的]观察补阳还五汤联合长针阴阳透刺治疗脑卒中后遗症疗效。[方法]使用随机平行对照方法,将82例住院患者按就诊顺序编号法分为两组。对照组41例长针阴阳透刺,患者取侧卧或仰卧位,使用捻转补虚泻实法,得气之后留针30min,1次/d,透刺10d后隔1d再透刺10d;取穴:曲池透少海,外关透内关,合谷透劳宫,绝骨透三阴交,阳陵泉透阳陵泉,梁丘透血海。治疗组41例补阳还五汤(白芍、牛膝、桑寄生、丹参各15g,桃仁10g,红花15g,大黄制6g,地龙10g,三七6g,鸡血藤10g,赤芍15g,黄芪60g,当归15g;气虚加太子参或党参),1剂/d,水煎200mL,早晚口服;长针阴阳透刺治疗同对照组。连续治疗14d为1疗程。观测临床症状、不良反应。治疗1疗程,判定疗效。[结果]治疗组显效21例,有效16例,无效4例,总有效率90.24%。对照组显效14例,有效16例,无效11例,总有效率73.17%。治疗组疗效优于对照组(P0.05)。[结论]补阳还五汤联合长针阴阳透刺治疗脑卒中后遗症效果显著,值得推广。     

Factors related to taste sensitivity in elderly: cross‐sectional findings from SONIC study

The sense of taste is important, as it allows for assessment of nutritional value, as well as safety and quality of foods, with several factors suggested to be associated with taste sensitivity. However, comprehensive variables regarding taste and related factors have not been utilised in previous studies for assessments of sensitivity. In the present study, we performed cross‐sectional analyses of taste sensitivity and related factors in geriatric individuals who participated in the SONIC Study. We analysed 2 groups divided by age, 69–71 years (young–old, n = 687) and 79–81 years (old–old, n = 621), and performed a general health assessment, an oral examination and determination of taste sensitivity. Contributing variables were selected by univariate analysis and then subjected to multivariate logistic regression analysis. In both groups, females showed significantly better sensitivity for bitter and sour tastes. Additionally, higher cognitive scores for subjects with a fine taste for salty were commonly seen in both groups, while smoking, drinking, hypertension, number of teeth, stimulated salivary flow salt intake and years of education were also shown to be associated with taste sensitivity. We found gender and cognitive status to be major factors affecting taste sensitivity in geriatric individuals.     

江苏省医药上市公司资本配置效率分析

本文对江苏省医药上市公司资本配置效率进行了实证分析，并将江苏省医药上市公司与浙江省、上海市等长三角地区的医药上市公司进行了比较研究，分析江苏省医药上市公司与其它地区资本配置存在的差异，并在此基础上提出优化企业资本配置效率的建议。     

葛根素联合纳洛酮治疗椎基底动脉供血不足随机平行对照研究

[目的]观察葛根素联合纳洛酮治疗椎基底动脉供血不足疗效。[方法]使用随机平行对照方法,将40例住院患者按随机数字表法随机分为两组。对照组20例口服阿司匹林,0.4mg/次,3次/d。治疗组20例葛根素,0.4mg/次,1次/d,静滴;纳洛酮,0.8mg/次,1次/d,静滴。均连续治疗20d为1疗程。观测临床症状、体征、不良反应。连续治疗2疗程,判定疗效。[结果]治疗后,治疗组痊愈10例,显效5例,有效2例,无效1例,总有效率95.00%。对照组痊愈8例,显效4例,有效1例,无效7例,总有效率65.0%。治疗组疗效优于对照组(P0.05)。[结论]葛根素联合纳洛酮治疗椎基底动脉供血不足效果显著,值得推广。     

Changes in cardiovascular risk profile in women after menopause (Prague Pre and Post Menopausal Female study)

IntroductionAtherosclerosis is the main cause of mortality in the Czech Republic. In our previous cross-sectional studies, we detected a high prevalence of metabolic cardiovascular risk factors in women before and after menopause and found menopausal transition to be critical period for atherosclerosis acceleration. In the present longitudinal study, we studied changes of main cardiovascular risk factors in women after transition to menopause.MethodsWe analyzed data of 195 women who became menopausal and 292 women who stayed in menopause during 6-year period. The cardiovascular risk factors under study were as follows: smoking, body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, plasma lipids including apolipoprotein B and A1 and fasting glycemia.ResultsThe most striking differences between newly and steadily menopausal women were found in changes of plasma lipids. With the exception of HDL cholesterol all changes were less favorable in newly menopausal women and were not associated with treatment with statins. No significant differences between both groups were found for changes in body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure and fasting glycemia.ConclusionsIn longitudinal study we confirmed that time around menopausal transition is one of the most dynamic periods regarding changes of cardiovascular risk factors, mainly plasma lipids.     

Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and dementia

Dementia is the severe loss of global cognitive ability in a previously healthy person. This study examined the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection (HP-I) and non-Alzheimer’s dementia (non-AD) using a nationwide population-based dataset. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes for dementia were used to define dementia patients; in addition, we examined the association of dementia with other comorbidities. Patients aged ⩾40 years with newly diagnosed HP-I (ICD-9 code 041.86) during 1998–2010 were identified as the HP-I cohort. The comparison cohort consisted of people aged ⩾40 years without HP-I (non-HP-I) randomly selected from the database at a ratio of 1:4 in the same time period. The controls were frequency matched according to the age (every 5 years), sex, and index year of patients in the HP-I cohort. Follow-up was performed for all patients until the date of dementia diagnosis (ICD-9 codes 290.0–290.4, 294.1, 331.0–331.2), date of withdrawal from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance program, date of death, or until December 31 2010. Compared with patients without HP-I, HP-I patients were 1.60-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32–1.95) more likely to develop non-AD. There was no statistical association between HP-I and AD. The adjusted hazard ratio of dementia increased from 1.48 (95% CI 1.22–1.79) for patients who had HP-I once to 2.19 (95% CI 1.13–4.25) for patients who had HP-I two or more times. Our study revealed that HP-I may be a critical risk factor for the development of non-AD. Further investigation, including clinical trials, to examine the microbe–dementia connection may provide further proof of the association between HP-I and dementia.