Both social support from family members and cognitive function appear to be key factors associated with quality of life among the very old in China. Further research is needed among very old populations to confirm the importance of these variables and to examine potential cross-cultural differences.

This study emphasizes the importance of geriatric conditions and their association with ADL disability among the oldest-old adult population.

Among Chinese nonagenarians and centenarians, CKD was not directly correlated with cognitive impairment.

Studies confirming a possible relationship of polymyositis within thyroid dysfunction, either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, are hardly available. To define the association, identify clinical, laboratory, electromyographic, and pathologic features in polymyositis (PM) patients with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, we conducted a MEDLINE and Chinese biomedicine database search to identify relevant literature published in the past 25 years. Seventeen cases were included. All patients were female (10 hypothyroidism patients, seven hyperthyroidism patients). The mean (SD) age of PM, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism at diagnosis was 54.8 (16.7), 55.5 (16.5), and 32.7 years (10.2), respectively. PM diagnosis can precede or parallel hypothyroidism while PM may occur following the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. The most common comorbidities were malignant tumors in these disorders, including thymoma, colon cancer, and thyroid cancer. Muscle weakness was described in 100% of patients. Other common manifestations included muscles' atrophy and pain, deep tendon reflexes, polyarthralgia, and dysphagia. Most patients had markedly elevated creatine kinase and the presence of anti-Sjogren's syndrome A (SSA) antibodies was also found in two cases. Malignancy associated with PM may more frequently occur in hypothyroidism than in hyperthyroidism. The abnormalities on electromyography and biopsy did not differ from those findings of PM. Therapy consisting of corticosteroids, thyroid hormone, or anti-thyroid drugs was administrated; however, poor prognosis seemed to be associated with malignant tumors as well as older age and the presence of anti-SSA antibodies. It is reasonable to suggest that those patients should be routinely evaluated for thyroid function, especially in older female and patients suffering from cancers.

FDCT PBV mapping is a useful method for evaluating the perfusion of hypervascular brain tumors and the efficacy of embolization. It can be used as a supplement to CT perfusion, MRI, and DSA in the evaluation of tumor embolization.

BackgroundLittle is known so far on the lipid profile in polymyositis (PM) patients. Our aim is to identify lipid profiles in untreated patients with early PM, to assess the association between lipid profiles and C-reactive protein (a sensitive marker of inflammation) in these patients.Methods and FindingsThis work was conducted as a case-control study. Sixty untreated patients with PM and 60 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. The duration of PM was less than six months, and none of them had received intermittent or regular corticosteroids or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or biological agents prior to the study. Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed using standard techniques. Thirty patients (50%) had a decreased level of HDL-C and 47% had an increased level of TG. The levels of HDL-C, LDL-C, and TC in PM were significantly lower than in controls (P<0.001, P<0.01, P<0.001, respectively). The level of TG was significantly higher in PM than in controls (P<0.001). The level of very low LDL-cholesterol (VLDL-C), and the ratios of VLDL-C/LDL-C, TC/HDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C were significantly higher than in controls (all P<0.001). Serum CRP levels correlated negatively with HDL-C (r = −0.352, P = 0.006) and TC (r = −0.262, P = 0.043). After adjustment for age, gender, smoking, drinking, body mass index, and pulmonary fibrosis/infection, linear regression model demonstrated that CRP is associated with HDL-C among PM patients (P = 0.028).ConclusionsDyslipidemia is a common feature in patients with PM that is characterized by a decrease in HDL-C and an increase in TG, suggesting a high risk of atherosclerosis. The Inflammatory condition in PM may account for the metabolism of HDL-C.

Prevalence of cancer in coexistent DM and AIT may be very low. Also, it is reasonable to suggest that DM patients with AIT should be routinely evaluated for thyroid function and the emergence of comorbidities. Moreover, corticosteroids combined with levothyroxine may be useful for these patients as a standard treatment.

The HLA-DRB1*1401 allele might be a risk factor for idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and HLA-DRB1*0901 and HLA-DRB1*0301 might protect humans from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.