Association of Body Mass Index and Risk Stratification of Thyroid Nodules in a Multi-center Healthy Population / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the relationship between body mass index(BMI)and risk levels of thyroid nodules in a multi-center healthy population. Methods A total of 6070 subjects were enrolled from five medical physical examination centers in China from January 2015 to December 2017. All the participants'general information and parameters were recorded. Thyroid nodules were detected by color Doppler ultrasonography. All ultrasound doctors received uniform training before study. Results Among all the subjects,5773(95.1%;with 4274 nodules identified in 2833 subjects)were from northern China and 297(4.9%,with 183 nodules identified in 158 subjects)from central China(χ=1.923,P=0.092). The nodules were single in 1479 of 2991 subjects(49.4%)and multiple in 1512 subjects(50.6%). Nodules larger than 1 cm accounted for 13.3% and nodules smaller than 1 cm accounted for 86.7%. Compared with the non-thyroid nodule group,the thyroid nodule group had significantly more women(χ=156.36,P=0.000),older age(t=-18.768,P=0.000),and higher fasting blood glucose(FBG) level(t=-3.808,P=0.000). Among all the nodules,the prevalence rates of benign,very-low-risk,low-risk,moderate risk,and high risk were 4.5%,6.6%,85.0%,0.1%,and 3.7%,respectively,according to the ATA guidelines. Notably,there were 4291 nodules at moderate or lower risks and 166 nodules at high risk. Compared with the former,patients with high-risk nodules had significantly lower BMI(χ=25.161,P=0.000)and high FBG(t=3.357,P=0.000). Multivariate non-conditional Logistic regression showed low BMI(OR=2.900,95%CI:1.461-5.783,P=0.002)and high FBG level(OR=0.803,95%CI:0.675-0.955,P=0.013)were independent risk factors for high-risk nodules. Compared with subjects with normal weight or obese populations,subjects with low BMI had significantly higher detection rate of high-risk nodules(χ=25.16,P=0.000). In ≥55 year-old group,significantly more high-risk nodules were detected in low BMI group(χ=44.868,P=0.000). Conclusion Low weight is associated with high-risk thyroid nodules among people ≥55 years old.

Progress of berberine for treatment of type 2 diabetes / 中国中药杂志

Berberine is the major component of Coptidis Rhizoma and it has been used as anti-infection, anti-inflammation drug for gastrointestinal diseases. In recent years, evidence showed that it could regulate glucose and lipid metabolism. Moreover, its activity had been tested by clinical trials and animal researches. The mechanisms of berberine in diabetes include: improving the function of beta-cell; prompting insulin secretion and islets regeneration, lowing lipid level, regulating glucose and lipid metabolic by influence transcriptional factors expression such as PPARgamma, C/EBPalpha, SREBP-1c, LXR, having the activities of anti-oxidation and inhibiting reductase to repress oxidative stress state and regulate metabolic signal pathway. Although numbers of data supported that berberine could improving insulin resistance by clinical trials and animal studies, the large scale, multicenter clinical trials are needed to evaluate the effects of berberine for diabetes and its complications in the time of evidence-based medicine.

Study on Correlation Between Air Pollution and Children Outpatient Visits in Taiyuan / 环境与健康杂志

Objective To study the adverse effects of air pollution on children's health. Methods Based on statistical data on monthly outpatient visits of Shanxi Provincial Children Hospital, the monitoring data on air pollution and meteorological factors during 1995～1997 in Taiyuan, a correlation analysis on the levels of air pollutants and monthly children outpatient visits was carried out. Results The monthly means of both TSP and SO2 were over the National Air Quality Standard of grade Ⅱ. The level of TSP in air was 1.77 times as high as the national standard. The children outpatient visits to department of internal medicine made up the largest proportion in the hospital (60.72%). Canonical correlation analysis revealed that the levels of SO2 in air gave a greatest contribution (?=0.9901), air temperature did less than air humidity, and the levels of air pollutants did more than meteorological factors to children health damage. Compared with different departments in hospital, the outpatients of department of internal medicine provided the largest share in the total outpatients visits (?=2.2793), then did the emergence department of internal medicine (?=1.9201). Conclusion The more close correlation of air pollution and the children outpatient visits was mainly observed between the levels of SO2 and the outpatient visits to the departments of emergency and internal medicine. The air pollution in Taiyuan had caused adverse effects on children's health to a certain extent.