ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced regular medical procedures and health-seeking behaviors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the presentation and prognosis of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients in county-level stroke centers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected AIS patients during the strict lockdown period (January 24, 2020, to March 27, 2020) and the corresponding "new normal" period (2021) of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients seen during the same timeframe in 2019 were enrolled as controls. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the clinical characteristics of AIS patients who presented during the lockdown and new normal periods and those who presented during the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period. RESULTS: A total of 134 AIS patients presented during the lockdown period (the 2020 group), 207 patients in the pre-COVID-19 period (the 2019 group) and 201 patients in the "new normal" period (the 2021 group). Compared to the 2019 group, there was approximately 1/3 reduction in the number of patients who presented during the lockdown period, while the number of patients who received IVT or EVT was similar between the two groups. The number of patients, baseline characteristics, workflow intervals and clinical outcomes presented during the "new normal" period were similar between the 2019 and 2021 groups. Logistic regression showed that lockdown or new normal status were not risk factors associated with a poor outcome at 90 days. CONCLUSIONS: In county-level city stroke centers, the COVID-19 lockdown resulted in a reduction in the number of patients with AIS admitted to the hospital but had no effect on patients treated with IVT or EVT. Lockdown or new normal status did not influence the prognosis of AIS patients.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Ischemic Stroke , Stroke , COVID-19/epidemiology , Communicable Disease Control , Humans , Ischemic Stroke/diagnosis , Ischemic Stroke/epidemiology , Pandemics , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Stroke/epidemiology , Stroke/therapyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Frailty is known to be influenced by genetics, however, little evidence on the association of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype and frailty exists which we aim to investigate. DESIGN: This study is a cross-sectional analysis from a prospective longitudinal study cohort. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling individuals aged 55 years and older from Beijing region in China. MEASUREMENTS: A total of 3,569 older adults with a mean age of 75.06(±6.79) years were included. We investigated the association between ApoE polymorphism and frailty syndrome using the frailty index (FI) and frailty phenotype (including association with individual components of the frailty phenotype). Logistic regressions were performed to investigate the relation between ApoE variants and frailty. RESULTS: There was no significant association between ApoE variants and frailty as assessed by the FI. In the age and sex-adjusted model, compared to the ApoE e3/e3 carriers ApoE e4 carriers had almost 1.5 times higher odds of being frail as assessed by the frailty phenotype. However, the significance was lost on the model with adjustment for cognitive impairment. Compared to the ApoE e3/e3 carriers ApoE e4 carriers had almost two times higher odds of fatigue. ApoE e4 heterozygotes had higher odds of fatigue compared to ApoE e4 non-carriers. No significant association was found between ApoE variants and other components of frailty phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings do not support an association between ApoE genotype and frailty irrespective of the frailty assessment tools. Fatigue in older adults is the only component of frailty phenotype influenced by ApoE genotype.
Subject(s)
Apolipoproteins E/genetics , Fatigue/genetics , Frail Elderly/statistics & numerical data , Frailty/genetics , Polymorphism, Genetic/genetics , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cohort Studies , Cross-Sectional Studies , Fatigue/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Independent Living , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
During these challenging and unprecedented times for the global communities as they battle the COVID-19 pandemic, we found a simple and effective way to prevent the goggles fogging. We hope that it will help the healthcare professionals who are still troubled by the problem of fogging goggles.
