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Objective: The effect of body composition change on the risk of dementia is not clear. This study analyzed the associations of changes in predicted lean body mass index (pLBMI), predicted appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (pASMI), and predicted body fat mass index (pBFMI) with the risk of dementia. Methods: In this nationwide cohort study, data were obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. The exposure was defined as changes in pLBMI, pASMI, and pBFMI derived from validated prediction equations. The outcome was dementia, defined based on the dementia diagnosis with prescription of anti‐dementia medication. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to obtain the hazard ratio with a 95% confidence interval for risk of dementia according to changes in predicted body composition. Results: A total of 13,215,208 individuals with no prior record of dementia who underwent health screenings twice between 2009–2010 and 2011–2012 were included. A 1‐kg/m2 increase in pLBMI and pASMI had an association with reduced risk of dementia (aHR: 0.85, 95% CI 0.84–0.87; aHR: 0.70, 95% CI 0.69–0.72, respectively for men, and aHR: 0.69, 95% CI 0.67–0.71; aHR: 0.59, 95% CI 0.57–0.61, respectively for women). A 1‐kg/m2 increase in pBFMI had an association with a raised risk of dementia (aHR: 1.19, 95% CI 1.17–1.21 for men and aHR: 1.53, 95% CI 1.48–1.57 for women). These results remained consistent regardless of sex or weight change. Interpretation: Increase in pLBMI or pASMI, or reduction in pBFMI was linked to lower risk of dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) are prevalent among the elderly, often leading to significant pain, morbidity, and mortality. Effective management of underlying osteoporosis is essential to prevent subsequent fractures. This study aimed to compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of teriparatide and denosumab treatments in patients with OVCFs to determine their relative effectiveness in improving patient outcomes. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 78 patients diagnosed with an acute thoracolumbar OVCF who received either teriparatide (35 patients) or denosumab (43 patients) within three months of a fracture. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) for back pain, Oswestry disability index (ODI), and EQ-5D quality of life scores at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Bone mineral density (BMD) and radiographic outcomes were evaluated initially and at 12 months post-treatment. Results: Both treatment groups demonstrated significant improvements in VAS, ODI, and EQ-5D scores over 12 months. No significant differences were observed between the teriparatide and denosumab groups in terms of clinical outcomes or radiographic measurements at any time point. Fracture union and BMD improvements were similarly observed in both groups. The teriparatide group had a lower baseline BMD, but this did not affect the overall outcomes. Conclusions: Both teriparatide and denosumab are effective in improving clinical and radiographic outcomes in patients with OVCFs. Despite concerns about denosumab's potential to hinder fracture healing, our study found no significant differences between the two treatments. These findings support the use of denosumab for early treatment of OVCFs to prevent subsequent fractures without compromising fracture healing. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies elucidate that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients may face a higher risk of cardiovascular complications. This study aimed to evaluate association of COVID‐19 with the risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This nationwide population‐based retrospective cohort study included Korean adult citizens between January 2021 and March 2022 from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency COVID‐19 National Health Insurance Service cohort. The Fine and Gray's regression with all‐cause death as a competing event was adopted to evaluate PE and DVT risks after COVID‐19. This study included a total of 1,601,835 COVID‐19 patients and 14,011,285 matched individuals without COVID‐19. The risk of PE (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 6.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.67–10.66; p < 0.001) and DVT (aHR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.75–5.29; p < 0.001) was higher in COVID‐19 group in individuals without complete COVID‐19 vaccination. In addition, individuals with complete COVID‐19 vaccination still had a higher risk of COVID‐19‐related PE (aHR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.15–1.88; p < 0.001). However, COVID‐19 was not a significant risk factor for DVT among those with complete COVID‐19 vaccination. COVID‐19 was identified as an independent factor that elevated PE and DVT risks, especially for individuals without complete COVID‐19 vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]