Background Acute coronary syndromes mainly result from abrupt thrombotic occlusion caused by atherosclerotic vulnerable plaques (VPs) that suddenly rupture or erosion. Fibrous cap thickness (FCT) is a major determinant of the propensity of a VP to rupture and is recognized as a key factor. The intensive use of statins is known to have the ability to increase FCT; however, there is a risk of additional adverse effects. However, lower dose statin with ezetimibe is known to be tolerable by patients. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of intensive statin vs. low-dose stain + ezetimibe therapy on FCT, as evaluated using optical coherence tomography. Method Patients who had VPs (minimum FCT <65 μm and lipid core >90°) and deferred from intervention in our single center from January 2014 to December 2018 were included in the trial. They were divided into the following two groups: intensive statin group (rosuvastatin 15–20 mg or atorvastatin 30–40 mg) and combination therapy group (rosuvastatin 5–10 mg or atorvastatin 10–20 mg + ezetimibe 10 mg). At the 12-month follow-up, we compared the change in the FCT (ΔFCT%) between the two groups and analyzed the association of ΔFCT% with risk factors. Fisher exact test was used for all categorical variables. Student's t test or Mann-Whitney U -test was used for analyzing the continuous data. The relationship between ΔFCT% and risk factors was analyzed using linear regression analysis. Result Total 53 patients were finally enrolled, including 26 patients who were in the intensive statin group and 27 who were in the combination therapy group. At the 12-month follow-up, the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), total triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) levels were reduced in both the groups. The ΔTC%, ΔLDL-C%, and ΔLp-PLA2% were decreased further in the combination therapy group. FCT was increased in both the groups (combination treatment group vs . intensive statin group: 128.89 ± 7.64 vs. 110.19 ± 7.00 μm, t = −9.282, P < 0.001) at the 12-month follow-up. The increase in ΔFCT% was more in the combination therapy group (123.46% ± 14.05% vs. 91.14% ± 11.68%, t = −9.085, P < 0.001). Based on the multivariate linear regression analysis, only the serum Lp-PLA2 at the 12-month follow-up ( B = −0.203, t = −2.701, P = 0.010), ΔTC% ( B = −0.573, t = −2.048, P = 0.046), and Δhs-CRP % ( B = −0.30...
Background COVID-19 is erupting globally. Mass quarantine had been implemented all around China which could influence the psychological status of patients with memory disorders and their caregivers. Aim To investigate the psychological impact of mass quarantine on patients with memory disorders and their caregivers in China. Methods We completed a cross-sectional study in 787 patients and their caregivers registered from 2010 to 2019 in Memory Clinic, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, by telephone interviews. The performance in neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs), sleep, nutrition, chronic diseases of patients, and the burden of care, anxiety and depression of caregivers was assessed by six assessment scales (MNA-SF, PSQI, NPI, RSS, PHQ-9 and GAD-7). Results Only 68 (8.6%) patients worried about the outbreak of COVID-19. The prevalence of NPSs among all subjects was nearly 60.0%. Approximately 50.0% of the caregivers reported distress. More than 70.0% of patients remained stable in NPSs. However, anxiety, depression, aberrant motor disorder and delusion were exacerbated (22.9%, 18.6%, 17.1% and 16.8%, respectively). Appetite and eating disorder led alleviation rate by 25.8% while disappearing rate of agitation led by 5.8%. 7.5% of caregivers manifested depressive symptoms while 4.9% expressed anxiety symptoms, and 40.8% showed care burden. The coefficients of RSS and PHQ-9, RSS and GAD-7, RSS and NPI-D, PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were 0.7, 0.5, 0.5 and 0.6, respectively ( p < 0.01). Conclusion Changes in NPSs during COVID-19 were observed in some patients with memory disorders and their caregivers, and adherence to medication contributed to the stabilization of NPSs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40520-021-01911-1.
Background: Cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are main clinical manifestations in Alzheimer disease (AD). It is unclear whether the link between specific NPS and cognitive domains exists in AD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Our study aimed to examine the association between specific cognitive domain and NPS in AD and MCI, and to evaluate whether this association showed variety in different stages of cognitive impairment. Methods: A total of 458 patients diagnosed as AD or MCI were included in this study. Neuropsychological batteries were applied in the study. The association between NPS and cognitive function were evaluated by multiple linear regression, and its correlation was evaluated by Spearman correlation coefficient.Results: The prevalence of NPS increased with the severity of cognitive impairment, and there were significant differences between MCI and AD. NPS were predominantly associated with cognitive domains, including memory, language, attention, and executive function. Both regression liner analysis and correlation analysis showed delusion, hallucination, and aberrant motor behaviour (AMB) were linked to language and attention. In addition, regression liner analysis illustrated depression, anxiety, and apathy were related to learning and episodic memory. Generally, the delusion, hallucination, and AMB have the broadest impact on cognition. Conclusion: Specific NPS was predominantly associated with different cognitive domains. Symptoms of agitation, delusion and irritability indicate worse cognitive performance. Therefore, cognitive improvement should be a therapeutic strategy in managing NPS in AD.
BackgroundThe existing literature has repeatedly assessed the association between sugar-sweetened beverages and depressive symptoms, but studies of the association of total dietary sugar with depressive symptoms and of this association in obese adults are scarce. Thus, the purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the association between total sugar consumption and depressive symptoms in the study population and then in the population stratified by body mass index.MethodsThis study was conducted in a nationally representative sample of 16,009 adults from the 2011–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the US. Total sugar intake was assessed by 24 h dietary recalls, and depressive symptoms were assessed by the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between total sugar consumption and depressive symptoms.ResultsTotal sugar intake was positively associated with higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, and the adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of depressive symptoms for the highest vs. lowest quintile of total sugar intake was 1.56 (1.18, 2.05). In stratified analysis, we found a positive association between total sugar intake and depressive symptoms in adults with body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 (P for trend = 0.013), whereas no association was found in normal weight or overweight adults.ConclusionsA higher intake of total sugar was associated with increased odds of clinically relevant depressive symptoms among obese adults. Further studies are necessary to confirm the role of total sugar in depressive symptoms among obese adults.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.