Effect of CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 Genotypes on the Efficacy of Cholinesterase Inhibitors in Southern Chinese Patients With Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia, and age is strongly associated with the incidence of AD. This study aimed to investigate the association between the genotypes of CYP2D6, CYP3A4, and CYP2C9 genes to the clinical efficacy and tolerability of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) in Chinese patients with AD. One hundred seventy-nine patients with AD with newly prescribed with ChEIs were recruited. The clinical response and tolerability were evaluated at baseline, 3rd-, 6th-, and 12th-month follow-ups and were compared according to their genotypes of CYP2D6, CYP3A4, and CYP2C9. Among patients prescribed with donepezil/galantamine, CYP2D6*10 carriers showed significantly less side effects (P = .009). CYP2D6*10 carriers responded better to ChEIs and resulted in better improvement in Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale (P = .027) and Mini-Mental State Examination (P = .012). Further study is required to replicate the finding, and it might be useful for clinicians to decide the medication based on the patients' CYP genotypes.

Factors influencing patients' contract choice with general practitioners in Shanghai: a preliminary study.

The general practitioner (GP) system has been widely applied around the world and experimented with in Shanghai, China. To analyze some of the influencing factors on patient-GP contracts, we developed a questionnaire and conducted site investigations in 2011 and 2012 to 1200 patients by random sampling from 6 pilot community health service (CHS) centers in Pudong, Shanghai. The t test, χ(2) test, factor analysis, and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The factors influencing patients' contract behavior were age (OR = 1.03; 95%CI = 1.02-1.04), education level (OR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.75-0.93), social interaction of social capital (OR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.15-1.56), acceptance of first contact in community (OR = 3.25; 95% CI = 2.07-5.12), the year of investigation (OR = 2.58; 95% CI = 1.92-3.47), and the exposure to publicity (OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.39-1.85). Elderly patients formed a focus group to sign contracts with GPs. To increase trust in GPs by patients, it is recommended to improve the level of CHSs, strengthen publicity, and cultivate social capital among patients.

Prevalence of Bipolar Disorder symptoms in Primary Care (ProBiD-PC): A Canadian study.

Objective To describe the prevalence of patients who screen positive for symptoms of bipolar disorder in primary care practice using the validated Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ). Design Prevalence survey. Setting Fifty-four primary care practices across Canada. Participants Adult patients presenting to their primary care practitioners for any cause and reporting, during the course of their visits, current or previous symptoms of depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Main outcome measures Subjects were screened for symptoms suggestive of bipolar disorder using the MDQ. Health-related quality of life, functional impairment, and work productivity were evaluated using the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey and Sheehan Disability Scale. Results A total of 1416 patients were approached to participate in this study, and 1304 completed the survey. Of these, 27.9% screened positive for symptoms of bipolar disorder. All 13 items of the MDQ were significantly associated with screening positive for bipolar disorder (P < .05). Patients screening positive were significantly more likely to report depression, anxiety, substance use, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, family history of bipolar disorder, or suicide attempts than patients screening negative were (P < .001). Health-related quality of life, work or school productivity, and social and family functioning were all significantly worse in patients who screened positive (P < .001). Conclusion This prevalence survey suggests that more than a quarter of patients presenting to primary care with past or current psychiatric indices are at risk of bipolar disorder. Patients exhibiting a cluster of these symptoms should be further questioned on family history of bipolar disorder and suicide attempts, and selectively screened for symptoms suggestive of bipolar disorder using the quick and high-yielding MDQ.

Post-traumatic Vertebral Compression Fracture Treated with Minimally Invasive Biologic Vertebral Augmentation for Reconstruction.

In the United States, there is a high incidence of motor vehicle and sports injuries among the active population causing symptomatic post-traumatic vertebral compression fracture. At our institution, 28 cases of painful post-traumatic vertebral compression fractures (PPT-VCFs) were successfully treated with percutaneous vertebral augmentation (VA) for stabilization and reconstruction with intravertebral polyethylene mesh sac (OptiMesh®, Spineology, Inc., Stillwater, MN) and biological morcelized bone graft. The surgical approach provides an efficacious and controlled minimally invasive delivery mechanism to stabilize and reconstruct VCFs, as well as avoiding serious complications from Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. The construct for biological bone graft/vertebral augmentation is osteoconductive and osteoinductive, and is used to create biologic vertebral stabilization and reconstruction. The adjacent vertebra integrity is protected by the construct with similar elasticity and physical characteristics of the biologic morcelized bone, more matched to that of adjacent bone than PMMA. The surgical techniques are described herein.

Innovative grid positioning system (GPS) guidance for minimally invasive spinal surgery.

Symptomatic degenerated spinal discs and spinal stenosis are common problems that can often be treated conservatively, but some require decompressive spinal surgery for relief. Traditional open spinal discectomy is associated with significant tissue trauma, higher morbidity and complication rates, a longer convalescence, and even destabilization of the spine. The trend of spinal surgery is rapidly moving toward less traumatic minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS).1,2 The problem that faces the surgeon performing endoscopic MISS is that it is done with limited surgical exposure and visualization of the surgical field. The surgical field can only be viewed through an endoscope to correlate the lesion/pathology in relationship to imaging studies aided by C-arm fluoroscopy. In response, a logical and simple Grid Positioning System (GPS) was developed to provide a precise surgical trajectory/approach for the disc lesion to undergo decompression. GPS involves 3D geometric triangulation of 3 different planes guided by fluoroscopy for introduction of surgical instruments along a geometric line toward the lesion without compromising healthy anatomical structures. This system facilitates MISS, especially in the morbidly obese. In this chapter, we will describe the GPS system and its application to aid in facilitating minimally invasive decompressive spine surgery for alleviating symptoms of degenerative spinal disease, herniated disc, and spinal stenosis, while avoiding the complications and risks of conventional more traumatic spinal surgery and fusion.

Cardiovascular risk profiles and outcomes of Chinese living inside and outside China.

AIM: To assess whether cardiovascular risk differs among the Chinese living inside and outside mainland China. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three thousand, four hundred and eighty-two East Asians were enrolled in the REduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health Registry in mainland China, Hong Kong/Singapore/Taiwan, Western Europe, and North America. Baseline demographics, medication use, risk factor control, and 30-month cardiovascular outcomes of the 2938 patients with atherothrombotic disease were compared. Rates of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, abdominal obesity, and body mass index ≥25 kg/m² were lowest in mainland China, were increased in Hong Kong/Singapore/Taiwan, and were highest in Western Europe and North America. Diabetes prevalence was 23% in mainland China, approximately two-fold lower than the other regions. Antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and antiplatelet agent use was similar in all regions. Risk factor control was significantly poorer in Western Europe and, except for glucose control, significantly better in North America. Thirty-month nonfatal stroke rates were highest in mainland China and fell in a stepwise manner in more westernized societies. Conversely, nonfatal myocardial infarction rates increased in more westernized societies. CONCLUSION: Obesity and other risk factors progressively worsen as patients move from mainland China to Hong Kong/Singapore/Taiwan and overseas. Despite similar medication use, risk factor control and cardiovascular outcomes were significantly different. The magnitude of these changes is larger than formerly estimated, suggesting population differences in cardiovascular risk and disease prevalence, likely to be more closely associated with lifestyle and cultural habits than genetic differences.

Evolving minimally invasive spine surgery: a surgeon's perspective on technological convergence and digital or control system.

Degenerated spinal disc and spinal stenosis are common problems requiring decompressive spinal surgery. Traditional open spinal discectomy is associated with significant tissue trauma, greater morbidity/complications, scarring, often longer term of convalescence, and even destabilization of the spine. Therefore, the pursuit of less traumatic minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) began. The trend of spinal surgery is rapidly moving toward MISS. MISS is a technologically dependent surgery, and requires increased utilization of advanced endoscopic surgical instruments, imaging-video technology, and tissue modulation technology for performing spinal surgery in a digital operating room (DOR). It requires seamless connectivity and control to perform the surgical procedures in a precise and orchestrated manner. A new integrated DOR, the technological convergence and control system SurgMatix(R), was created in response to the need and to facilitate MISS with "organized control instead of organized chaos" in the endoscopic OR suite. It facilitates the performance, training, and further development of MISS.

A multimedia electronic patient record (ePR) system for image-assisted minimally invasive spinal surgery.

PURPOSE: This paper presents the concept of bridging the gap between diagnostic images and image-assisted surgical treatment through the development of a one-stop multimedia electronic patient record (ePR) system that manages and distributes the real-time multimodality imaging and informatics data that assists the surgeon during all clinical phases of the operation from planning Intra-Op to post-care follow-up. We present the concept of this multimedia ePR for surgery by first focusing on image-assisted minimally invasive spinal surgery as a clinical application. METHODS: Three clinical phases of minimally invasive spinal surgery workflow in Pre-Op, Intra-Op, and Post-Op are discussed. The ePR architecture was developed based on the three-phased workflow, which includes the Pre-Op, Intra-Op, and Post-Op modules and four components comprising of the input integration unit, fault-tolerant gateway server, fault-tolerant ePR server, and the visualization and display. A prototype was built and deployed to a minimally invasive spinal surgery clinical site with user training and support for daily use. SUMMARY: A step-by-step approach was introduced to develop a multimedia ePR system for imaging-assisted minimally invasive spinal surgery that includes images, clinical forms, waveforms, and textual data for planning the surgery, two real-time imaging techniques (digital fluoroscopic, DF) and endoscope video images (Endo), and more than half a dozen live vital signs of the patient during surgery. Clinical implementation experiences and challenges were also discussed.

Endoscopic assisted microdecompression of cervical disc and foramen.

The anterior endoscopic cervical microdecompression (AECM) of disc and foramen with added application of nonablative lower holmium laser energy for disc shrinkage (laser thermodiskoplasty) has proven to be safe, less traumatic, easier, and more efficacious than conventional methods with significant economic savings. It preserves spinal motion and provides a channel for spinal arthroplasty. It is an effective alternative or replacement for conventional open cervical spinal surgery for discectomy, and can decompress spinal stenosis and degenerative spine conditions.

Endoscopic assisted lumbar microdecompressive spinal surgery with a new SMART endoscopic spine system.

In response to the rapid development and demand of outpatient endoscopic minimally invasive lumbar surgical technique, the SMART endoscopic spine system was developed for neurodecompression. This lumbar spine surgery is performed with a small skin incision, dilatation surgical technology, and an endoscopic-assisted spinal surgical system with progressive serial tubular retractors providing superior lighting and better visualization of the operative field for performing minimally invasive spinal surgery (MISS). The SMART system incorporates the advantages of posterior paramedian endoscopic assisted microdecompressive surgical spinal system and posterolateral endoscopic lumbar system. This versatile SMART endoscopic spine system with various sized working channels provides a generous and optimal access for endoscopic MISS of microdecompression of herniated lumbar disc, degenerative spinal disease, spinal stenosis, and removal of intraspinal lesions as well as creating an access for spinal arthroplasty and spinal fixation. With the unique features of the SMART system, the surgeon can take advantage of microscopic, endoscopic, or direct vision for microdecompressive spinal surgery, bridging endoscopic and conventional spinal surgery. It appears easy, safe, and efficacious. This less traumatic and easier outpatient MISS treatment leads to excellent result speedier recovery, and significant economic savings. The SMART endoscopic spine system, surgical indications, operative techniques, and the potential complications and their avoidance are described and discussed herein.

Interspinous process decompression (IPD) system (X-STOP) for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis.

With increased life expectancy and an aging population, many patients suffering from progressive lumbar spinal stenosis with symptomatic neurogenic intermittent claudication (NIC) have been limited to a choice between nonsurgical therapies or a more traumatic decompressive surgical procedure, with or without lumbar fusion. The interspinous process decompression (IPD) system, the X-STOP implant, was developed to provide a minimally invasive alternative therapeutic treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. The X-STOP IPD system, surgical indications, operative techniques, and the potential complications and their avoidance are described and discussed herein.

Effect of statin therapy on risk of ventricular arrhythmia among patients with coronary artery disease and an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

Hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase inhibitors, or statins, have been shown to decrease mortality rates in patients who have coronary artery disease. It has been postulated that part of the mortality benefit conferred by statins is due to a decrease in ventricular arrhythmias. We assessed the effect of statin therapy on recurrent ventricular arrhythmias in 281 patients who developed coronary artery disease after implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement. Statin therapy was associated with a significant decrease in the risk of ventricular arrhythmia that would require implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy.

Percutaneous vertebral augmentation and reconstruction with an intravertebral mesh and morcelized bone graft.

Percutaneous vertebral augmentation (VA) and reconstruction with intravertebral polyethylene mesh sac (OptiMesh) and morcelized bone graft provided a minimally invasive efficacious and controlled delivery mechanism to stabilize and treat painful osteoporotic, traumatic and neoplastic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), as well as avoided serious complications from Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) of Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty. Osteoconductive and osteoinductive and can be used to create biologic vertebral reconstruction. The adjacent vertebra integrity should be more protected by the construct with a similar elasticity and physical characteristics of the morcelized bone, more matched to that of adjacent bone than PMMA. The indications and surgical techniques are described herein.

Junctional disc herniation syndrome in post spinal fusion treated with endoscopic spine surgery.

Fusions of the cervical and lumbar spine are often followed within months or several years by protrusion of discs at the adjacent level or levels. Biomechanical alterations and mobility lost at the fused levels are thought to be transferring the stress to the adjacent segments or discs, which results in accelerated degeneration of the discs and causes disc protrusion. This post-spinal fusion "junctional disc herniation syndrome" (JDHS), or the post-spinal fusion "adjacent segment disease (ASD)" can occur from 15% to 52% of post-spinal fusion, in both superior and/or inferior adjacent levels. The ways in which endoscopic minimally invasive spinal discectomy procedure can be used to treat this JDHS and preserve spinal segmental motion are discussed herein. Also, case illustrations are presented.

Impact of female sex on outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Prior reports have suggested that women have increased mortality compared to men following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It remains unclear if this difference is secondary to sex or other confounding variables. METHODS: We sought to examine the characteristics and outcomes of 18039 consecutive women and men undergoing PCI at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation from 1992-2002. RESULTS: Procedural success rates were similar in both sexes, but the female cohort had a greater incidence of access site hematoma (5% vs. 2%, P < .0001) and blood product transfusion (12% vs. 4%, P < .0001) following PCI. The rate of myocardial infarction (MI) at 1 year was slightly higher among females (10% vs. 9%, P = .004), but revascularization rates were not significantly different between sexes. One-year mortality was also higher in the female cohort (7% vs. 5%, P < .0001). After adjustment in a multivariate model, the Cox proportional hazard ratio for mortality in females was 1.01 (95% CI 0.93-1.11, P = .78). The hazard ratio for the combined endpoint of death or MI was 1.05 (95% CI 0.97-1.13, P = .23). CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment for differences in comorbidities, the risk for long-term mortality is not significantly different between sexes following PCI. However, there is a greater incidence of post-procedural bleeding complications among women.

Evolving transforaminal endoscopic microdecompression for herniated lumbar discs and spinal stenosis.

The objective of this chapter was to demonstrate evolving transforaminal endoscopic microdecompression for herniated lumbar discs and spinal stenosis, and to become accomplished with endoscopic micro spinal instruments and laser application. Since 1993, 2000 patients with 3421 herniated lumbar discs were diagnosed with symptomatic lumbar single and multiple herniated intervertebral discs. Progressive series of different diameters endoscopic-assisted tubular retractors, with appropriate-sized dilators and more aggressive saw-toothed trephines, and laser were used to perform transforaminal endoscopic micro-decompression, in addition to the posterior-lateral foraminoscope and endoscopic-assisted spinal operating systems. No postoperative mortalities occurred, and the morbidity rate was less than 1%, in the 2000 patients. For a single level, 94% of the patients had good or excellent results; 6% had some residual symptoms although improved overall. Transforaminal endoscopic laser microdecompression can effectively decompress herniated lumbar discs and spinal stenosis, when foraminoplasty is performed, which provides a safe and effective modality to achieve results in effective spinal decompression, preserves spinal motion, and creates a channel for spinal arthroplasty.

Peripheral vascular disease and one-year mortality following percutaneous coronary revascularization.

The association between peripheral vascular disease and outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention was examined in the Do Tirofiban and Reopro Give Similar Efficacy Outcome Trial (TARGET). After adjustments in a multivariate model, a history of peripheral vascular disease was found to be associated with a two- to threefold increase in mortality at 1 year after coronary stent placement.