Search

Aim: To identify the learning needs of patients with heart failure (HF) in China and to examine the relationships between learning needs and patients' characteristics. Background: Little information on the learning needs of patients with HF in China is known. Besides, it is important to identify the potential characteristics that may influence patients' perceived learning needs. Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in three university affiliated hospitals in Xi'an, Mainland China. A total of 347 HF patients selected by convenience sampling were investigated using the Chinese version of the HF learning needs inventory. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, Pearson correlation, and one-way analysis of variance were used for data analysis. Results: The mean scores rated by Chinese patients with HF were lower than the corresponding scores rated by patients of Western countries. Information on risk factors, prognosis, general HF information and medications were identified as the most important topics while lifestyle modification and psychological factors were regarded as the least important ones. Age negatively correlated with the learning needs on activity (r = -0.125) and prognosis information (r = -0.141). Educational level was significantly related to the learning needs about risk factors. Conclusion: Patients with HF in China considered most of the topics important for them to learn. Age and educational level were related with the learning needs on only three topics including activity, prognosis information and risk factors. Relevance to clinical practice: The study findings may be used by health professionals to develop tailored educational programme for patients with HF in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is highly prevalent with identifiable risk factors including obesity, hyperlipidemia and diabetes. A lipidomic approach was taken to quantify the major lipid classes in human serum. Comprehensive characterization of serum lipids determined by ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-mass spectrometry (MS) was performed in NAFLD patients and healthy controls. Nine lipid subgroups including lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), cholesterol ester (ChE), diacylglyceride (DG), triglyceride (TG), sphingomyelin (SM), and ceramide (Cer) were determined in the positive ionization mode. The current study further corroborates existing evidence that increased TG and DG accumulation is the hallmark. The results showed that compared with healthy controls, the abundance of PC in the sera of NAFLD patients decreased, and the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) level increased, resulting in a reduced PC/PE ratio in NAFLD patients. In NAFLD samples, Cer(18:0/16:0), Cer(18:1/24:0), and Cer(18:1/24:1) were present at significantly higher levels than in controls, while the Cer(18:0/14:0) and Cer(18:0/20:0) levels were lower. In addition, the determination of sphingolipids showed that the abundances of long-chain ceramides were significantly increased in NAFLD patients. These results demonstrate the identification of NAFLD using UPLC-MS lipidomics and provide insights into changes in lipids associated with this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To review the evidence and explore the association between obesity and depression in community-dwelling older adults. We searched 6 electronic databases from inception to November 28, 2019. Observational studies investigating the association between obesity and depression among community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or older were included. Two reviewers independently screened the studies, extracted the data and assessed the quality of the studies. The eligible studies were meta-analysed using the Comprehensive Meta-analysis Version 3.0. Among the 16,059 studies identified from these databases, 19 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included, of which 14 were meta-analysed. Meta-analyses showed that older adults who were overweight (pooled odds ratio: 0.847, 95% CI:0.789-0.908, p < 0.001) or obesity (pooled odds ratio: 0.795, 95% CI:0.658-0.960, p = 0.017) – assessed using the body mass index – were significantly less likely to be depressed than their counterparts with a normal weight. No significant association between obesity (as measured via waist circumference) and depression was detected (pooled odds ratio: 0.722, 95% CI:0.465-1.119, p = 0.145) in this group population. The subgroup analyses demonstrated that both female and male older adults with overweight/obesity were significantly less likely to have depression. The "jolly fat" hypothesis is deemed to be applicable among community-dwelling older adults. Older adults might, therefore, be encouraged to increase their body weight above the normal level to be mentally healthy. Monitoring intentional weight loss among older adults should be reinforced for public health strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron oxides nanoparticles (FeOX NPs), including α-Fe2O3, γ-Fe2O3, and Fe3O4, are employed in many technological applications. However, very few studies have investigated the embryonic developmental toxicity of FeOX NPs. In this study, metabolomics analysis were used to uncover the potential mechanisms of FeOX NPs developmental toxicity on embryo–larval zebrafish and mice. Our results indicated that γ-Fe2O3 NP treatment could cause increased mortality, dropped hatching rate, etc., while α-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 NPs showed no obvious effect. Through metabolomics analysis, a total of 42 metabolites were found to be significantly changed between the γ-Fe2O3 NP-treated group and the control group (p < 0.05). Pathway enrichment analysis indicated the impairment of mitochondria function. γ-Fe2O3 NP treatment caused abnormal mitochondrion structure and a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential in zebrafish embryos. Meanwhile, ATP synthesis was decreased while oxidative stress levels were affected. It is noteworthy that acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR) (p = 6.79E − 04) and l-carnitine (p = 1.43E − 03) were identified with minimal p values, the relationship between the two counter-balance was regulated by acetyltransferase (crata). Subsequently, we performed rescue experiments with ALCAR on zebrafish embryos, and found that the mortality rates reduced and hatching rates raised significantly in the γ-Fe2O3 NP-treated group. Additionally, γ-Fe2O3 exposure could lead to increased absorbed fetus rate, decreased placental weight, lower expression of acetyltransferase (Crat), reduced ATP synthesis as well as increased oxidative stress (p < 0.05). Our findings demonstrated that γ-Fe2O3 NP might affect the mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP synthesis by affecting the metabolism of ALCAR, thereby stimulating oxidative stress, cell apoptosis, and causing embryonic development toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The genetic mechanism of the racial distribution difference of intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) is unclear. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may be associated with different genetic susceptibility to ICAS. At present, the correlation between ADIPOQ gene SNPs and the risk of ICAS remains unknown.Methods: Continuous inpatients were selected and divided into ICAS group and control group. Computed tomography angiography was performed to observe intracranial arteries. ADIPOQ SNPs were detected using the ligase detection reaction-PCR. The correlation between the identified SNPs and ICAS was determined using the binary logistic regression analysis.Results: This study contained 602 patients in total, including 199 ICAS and 403 control cases. The binary logistic regression analysis showed that the AG/AA genotype of the rs2241767 (OR = 2.242, 95% CI: 1.037–4.878,P= 0.040) and the AG/GG genotype of the rs182052 (OR = 1.822, 95% CI: 1.111–2.987,P= 0.017) were closely related to the risk of ICAS after adjusting for conventional cardiovascular risk factors. The haploid analysis results indicated that the incidence of the A-G haplotype of the rs2241767 and rs182052 was higher in the ICAS group than in the control group (P= 0.026).Conclusions: The SNPs of the ADIPOQ gene are closely related to increased risk of ICAS in Chinese Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]