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Background: Hypertension is prevalent in older women and is associated with increased cognitive impairment. Exercise has demonstrated beneficial effects on cognitive function, but the impact of exercise on older hypertensive women remains unclear. We investigated the effects of an aerobic walking program on memory, subjective cognitive complaints, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in older hypertensive women. Methods: A quasi-experimental study with a pretest–posttest design was conducted. Older hypertensive women were randomly assigned to the aerobic walking group or a control group with routine care. The intervention group received a 24-week aerobic walking program. Data were collected at baseline and 24 weeks after enrollment. Participants' characteristics, memory, subjective cognitive complaints, and plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor were analyzed. Results: The aerobic walking group (n = 30) reported improvements in total recall, delayed recall, and subjective cognitive impairment after 24 weeks of aerobic walking. Compared to the control group (n = 28), the aerobic walking group showed significantly greater improvement in delayed recall at 24 weeks. However, aerobic walking had no significant effect on subjective cognitive complaints or brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Conclusion: The aerobic walking training significantly improved memory performance among older women with hypertension. A longer randomized controlled trial with a larger sample is necessary to confirm and further explore the effects of this intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) as an intervention for anxiety, psychotic symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Design and methods: Eighty patients were recruited from a Taiwanese psychiatry ward. The intervention group received group PMR; control group received treatment‐as‐usual. Results: The results indicated that PMR might have a short‐term effect on reducing anxiety, improving psychotic syndromes, and QOL among patients with chronic schizophrenia; however, the effectiveness at the 3‐month follow‐up was not evident. Practice Implications: Both the psychiatric patients and the health institutions may be able to list PMR as a clinical routine care, and then become a mental health practice strategy for mental patients to improve the quality of mental care. Implications for Nursing Practice: Our studies suggest that prevention of severe mental illness among patients with schizophrenia requires PMR interventions. PMR had an immediate effect, and it is possible that a shorter intervention period using this approach would also be successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To investigate the distribution and risk factors associated with undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea among hypertensive patients. Background: Obstructive sleep Apnoea has been deemed a cardinal risk factor affecting cardiovascular event, and the condition is still frequently overlooked clinically. The lack of advanced diagnosis often causes hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnoea to miss opportunities for preventing chronic diseases. Design: A cross‐sectional design. Methods: A total of 215 hypertensive participants were recruited from the cardiovascular outpatients of medical centre in northern and middle Taiwan. The Chinese version of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Chinese version of the Epworth Sleep Scale and a portable sleep monitoring device were used for data collection. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors affecting hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnoea, and a multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine the major influence factors for each obstructive sleep apnoea severity level. Results: 81.9% of the hypertensive participants were found having obstructive sleep apnoea. Concerning to the obstructive sleep apnoea severity, 50.0% of participants had mild obstructive sleep apnoea. After controlling the confounding variables, the supine position (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01–1.07), SO2 (odds ratio, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.38–0.89) and oxygen desaturation index (odds ratio, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.18–6.18) were significantly associated with obstructive sleep apnoea. Furthermore, severe obstructive sleep apnoea was significantly correlated with gender (odds ratio, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.00–0.66), excessive daytime sleepiness (odds ratio, 20.27; 95% CI, 1.58–26.97) and oxygen desaturation index (odds ratio, 4.05; 95% CI, 1.86–8.81). Conclusions: Nearly 82% of the hypertensive participants were found having undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea, and 80% of them were mild or moderate severity. Oxygen desaturation index, SO2 and the supine position were found to be major predictors for obstructive sleep apnoea. Remarkably, oxygen desaturation index was the most significant predictor for mild, moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnoea. Relevance to clinical practice: Healthcare providers should enhance their sensitivities to hypertensive patients at a high risk for obstructive sleep apnoea by actively assessing common obstructive sleep apnoea symptoms and providing strategies to alleviate obstructive sleep apnoea symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGB) on major periodontal pathogens in subgingival plaque. Methods: Sixty patients with moderate to severe periodontitis were selected and randomly assigned to 3 groups: EGB group, a positive (periocline) and a negative control groups. Subgingival plaque samples were collected before treatment and 1 week, 2 months and 4 months after treatment. The detection rates of 4 major periodontal pathogens- Treponema denticola (Td), Tannerella forsythus (Tf), Prevotella intermedia (Pi), and Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg)-were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Clinical indicators were examined before treatment, 3 and 6 months after treatment. Results: EGB significantly decreased the detection rate of all the 4 pathogens 1 week after treatment, and then gradually increased at 2 and 4 months. EGB's inhibition effect was better than or comparable to periocline, except for Pg in short-term. The difference of plaque index (PLI) and bleeding index (BI) was not statistically significant among the groups, while for probing depth (PD) and attachment loss (AL), the difference was statistically significant between the EGB group and negative control group at 3 and 6 months after treatment. Conclusion: EGB significantly inhibited major periodontal pathogens and can be used as an adjuvant for periodontitis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives The specific aims of this study were as follows: (1) to describe psychosocial adjustment in adults with end-stage renal disease who underwent maintenance peritoneal dialysis; (2) to explore the influence of demographics, clinical variables, symptom distress and social support on psychosocial adjustment and (3) to determine predictive factors of psychosocial adjustment. Background Proper psychosocial adjustment is important for patients with end-stage renal disease to cope with multiple stressors of their disease and to balance their lives within the restrictions imposed by peritoneal dialysis treatment. Knowledge on psychosocial adjustment in patients receiving long-term peritoneal dialysis has been limited. Design The study was based on a predictive correlational design. Method One hundred peritoneal dialysis patients were recruited from outpatient peritoneal dialysis clinics of a general hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. Data were collected with the study questionnaires, including the Physical Symptom Distress Scale, the Social Support Scale and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale - self-report. Results The mean score on the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale was 359·7 ( SD = 40·0), indicating that these participants were moderately struggling in adjusting to their illness. Symptom distress, family social support and financial status explained 38·3% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment ( F3,96 = 21·5, p < 0·001). Conclusions The level of psychosocial adjustment in peritoneal dialysis patients is suboptimal. Overall, the patients with high physical symptom distress, weak family social support and poor financial status reported deficient psychosocial adjustment to their illness. Implications for practice The findings of this study are relevant to the understanding of preconditions that enable peritoneal dialysis patients to successfully adjust to the disease and its diverse consequences. Patients with insufficient income, higher symptom distress and less family social support have a greater risk of psychosocial maladjustment. Medical professionals may use these variables to identify higher risk groups for early intensive intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic asthma is characterized by airway inflammation and remodeling. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of zileuton on bronchial hyperresponsiveness, airway inflammation and airway smooth muscle (ASM) remodeling. Methods: Two experimental groups of brown Norway rats sensitized and repeatedly challenged with aerosolized ovalbumin (OA) were given oral zileuton (OA-zileuton group) and oral saline only (OA-saline group). A third, control group was sensitized and challenged by saline. The rats were anesthetized and paralyzed. Pulmonary function tests were performed at baseline and after varying doses of acetylcholine. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissues were examined. Results: Zileuton had beneficial effects on pulmonary function, airway inflammation and ASM remodeling in the OA-zileuton group compared to the OA-saline group. Zileuton inhibited an OA-stimulated increase in ASM by inhibiting hypertrophy, hyperplasia and increased extracellular matrix via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway, thereby reducing cyclin D1 expression and attenuating bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Conclusion: OA increases airway inflammation and ASM mass. Zileuton effectively prevents bronchial hyperresponsiveness, airway inflammation and ASM remodeling in sensitized rats through the PI3K/Akt pathway, which reduces cyclin D1 expression. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xiao-chai-hu-tang (XCHT) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine which has been demonstrated to exhibit antioxidant and hepatoprotective functions. To reduce the unpleasant dark brown color and precipitates during storage, the performances of membrane process on the clarification and antioxidant capability of XCHT was evaluated. A membrane system equipped with either a microfiltration membrane (0.45 urn) or one of four ultrafiltration membranes (UK 200, UK 50, UP 20 and UK 10) was used. Our results indicated that less total solid was filtered through the membranes and thus a higher degree of clarification degree was achieved in permeates. Higher concentrations of active compounds, such as total phenolic compounds, saikosaponins, glycyrrhizin and baicalin, were detected in permeate using membranes of smaller pore-size of membranes. Antioxidant capabilities, including scavenging of free radicals, reducing power and total antioxidant activity of permeates, increased as compared to those of feed, particularly of permeates obtained with a UK. 10 ultrafiltration membrane. Taken together, membrane process clarified aqueous herbal extract and selectively partitioned bioactive components in permeates, thus enhancing the feasibility of XCHT to be a commercial health drink product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]