Wagnermeadows6807

Background We previously reported the effect of sitagliptin or glimepiride treatment for 24 weeks on body composition in Japanese overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Although the degree of HbA1c reduction was similar between the two groups, significant reduction of intrahepatic lipid (IHL), determined by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRCP), and fat mass (FM), determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), was observed in the sitagliptin group but not in the glimepiride group. As both IHL and FM are known as associating factors of insulin resistance, these reductions may lead to improvement of insulin sensitivity, which in turn may contribute to sitagliptin-induced amelioration of glycemic control. On the other hand, muscle and muscle/fat ratio were also reported to be positively correlated with insulin sensitivity, but we did not evaluate these factors. Methods DXA separates the whole body into three major components, bone mass (BM), FM and fat and bone-free mass (FBFM), antly explain the mechanism underlining sitagliptin-induced improvement of glycemic control. Copyright 2020, Ishii et al.Background Since 2012, Tama City has promoted the early detection of chronic kidney disease (CKD), through an initiative that measures serum creatinine as part of the specific health checkups. We examined preventive measures against CKD deterioration based on the outcomes of this initiative. Methods The complications, medication status, body mass index, smoking status and other determining factors were surveyed among CKD-diagnosed participants over 3 years between 2013 and 2015. Moreover, factors aggravating CKD were investigated via a survey of medical and dental visits based on health insurance claim data over the same period. Results There was an increased rate of comorbid hypertension with each increase in the CKD stage. Comorbidity rates of diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, obesity, and smoking increased until CKD stage G4, and then decreased from stage G5. A substantial number of participants with CKD stage G3b and above were not medicated despite comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. While the rate of regular visits at medical institutions was seen to increase significantly in accordance with the worsening degree of CKD, there were also individuals who, despite having severe CKD, did not visit medical institutions specializing in internal medicine. The rate of dental visits decreased as the CKD stage increased, and further decreased as the diabetic control status worsened. Conclusions CKD patients should become aware of the importance of the dental visit because only a limited number of patients with advanced CKD received dental care. Copyright 2020, Kaneko et al.Background Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most common daily operations in general surgery. However, the anatomical structures of the region, such as the corona mortis (the crown of death), make this procedure quite challenging. A comprehensive knowledge of its anatomy is essential, since massive hemorrhage may occur if the vessel is injured. The current review of the literature aimed to report the frequency and anatomical variations of vascular corona mortis. Methods A substantial study was coordinated through PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar. The Prisma guidelines were used for the systematic review of the articles found. A total of 13 studies and 1,455 patients were included for the statistical analysis. Results The results showed that corona mortis was present in about half the hemi-pelvises, and to be more accurate, the prevalence was 46%. Venous corona mortis was more frequent than the arterial type (42% vs. 25%). Conclusions Considering the percentages mentioned above, every surgeon who schedules an operation on the retro-pubic area, especially during a hernioplasty procedure, should evaluate the possibility of the presence of corona mortis. Anatomical knowledge of the region is vital for attempting to eliminate the risk of injuring the corona mortis during surgery. Copyright 2020, Noussios et al.Background The peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) is primarily an index of the reservoir function of atrial chambers. The conceptual basis exists to hypothesize that sacubitril/valsartan improves the expandability of atrial chambers in the reservoir phase of the atrial mechanical cycle, as a consequence of its effect of prolonging the half-life of natriuretic peptides. Therefore in this retrospective study we evaluated the repercussions of the administration of sacubitril/valsartan maintained for at least 12 months on the PALS. Methods In our retrospective study a cohort of 40 patients treated with sacubitril/valsartan has been compared with a second cohort subjected to the conventional treatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker. A general criterion to be satisfied was the presence of at least one episode of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the history of the enrolled patients. The study population was composed of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II/IPALS after 1 year of therapy significantly greater (P less then 0.001) compared to the patients taking the conventional drugs. Moreover, a risk significantly higher of AF recurrences (P = 0.001) was identified in the conventional therapy group compared to the sacubitril/valsartan group during a 12-month retrospective observation period. Conclusions In the present retrospective cohort study a higher increase of PALS has been shown in the cohort treated with sacubitril/valsartan. Moreover, a reduced risk of AF recurrences has been shown in the sacubitril/valsartan users compared to the patients with CHF subjected to conventional treatment. Copyright 2020, De Vecchis et al.Background Recently a prognostic score that predicts 12-month survival in patients treated with fractionated radiotherapy for painful bone metastases has been developed. Fractionated radiotherapy might cause unnecessary burden for patients with limited survival, thus estimation of survival is clinically relevant. The purpose of the present study was independent external validation of the new score and, in addition, its application in patients who received single fraction irradiation, a convenient option currently endorsed in several guidelines. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 270 patients, including 24% who had received single fraction irradiation. The three-tiered score was assigned as described in the development study, and included age, performance status and primary tumor type. read more Additional prognostic factors not studied in the development cohort, such as the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) and presence of liver metastases, were included in this validation study. Results The three-tiered score was valid in this independent cohort (12-month survival rates were 7%, 30% and 71%, respectively, P = 0.