Relationship between visit-to-visit blood pressure variability and depressive mood in Korean primary care patients.

BACKGROUND: High blood pressure variability (BPV) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and may be better prognostic factor than blood pressure. Depressive mood is a common symptom among patients visiting primary care. This study aimed to investigate the association between depressive mood and high BPV among Korean primary care patients. METHODS: The Family Cohort Study in Primary Care (FACTS), conducted from April 2009 to November 2017, utilized a prospective cohort of Korean primary care patients, with a median follow-up period of 7.25 years. Depressive mood was assessed as a score of 21 points or more on the Korean-type Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. BP was measured at the initial visit and first and second follow-up visit. Visit-to visit SBP variability was analyzed using four metrics: intra-individual standard deviation, coefficient of variation, variation independent of mean, and average real variability. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association of high BPV with depressive mood and other variables. RESULTS: Among 371 participants, 43 (11.6%) had depressive mood based on depression scores. Older age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.07) were associated with high SBP variability regardless of taking antihypertensive medication. Among participants taking antihypertensive medication, those with depressive mood had twice the risk of high SBP variability compared with those who did not (OR: 2.95, 95% CI: 1.06-8.20). CONCLUSIONS: Depressive mood was associated with high visit-to-visit SBP variability in primary care patients taking antihypertensive medication, potentially indicating increased cardiovascular risk. Primary care physicians should therefore closely monitor BPV in patients with depressive symptoms and provide appropriate interventions.

Participant diversity in ACER: 2010-2022.

BACKGROUND: Increasing diversity has become a priority for all fields working with human subjects due to historic exclusions and misrepresentations of participants with minoritized identities. To create a more representative and generalizable science of alcohol use, the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) and its official journal, Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER), have increasingly incorporated diversity and inclusion into their posted values and programming. METHODS: We analyzed the content of articles published in ACER from 2010 through 2022 (6 years before and after the formation of RSA's Diversity Committee) to assess the reporting of participants' demographic information and whether there has been increased inclusion of diverse samples in alcohol research over time. Our team screened 3292 abstracts for data extraction; studies were included if they were primary analyses of data collected from human subjects (n = 1043). RESULTS: Reporting of all demographic variables increased over time, with significant increases in reporting for race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status (SES), income, and educational attainment. Demographic variables were also increasingly used in analyses. However, representation of research outside the United States diminished significantly over time. CONCLUSIONS: We provide recommended journal article reporting standards for ACER to continue the positive progress in reporting demographics in alcohol research and facilitate meta-analyses examining demographic modulation and the impact of social determinants of health.

Chemical stability of active ingredients in diluted veterinary disinfectant solutions under simulated storage conditions.

Introduction: The product labels of veterinary disinfectants specify their expiration dates to prevent the use of outdated products, as these may result in disinfection and biosecurity failures during outbreak situations. However, a clear standard for the storage conditions of diluted disinfectant solutions has not yet been established, and the effects of storage conditions have scarcely been investigated. To fill this research gap, our study examined the stability of the active ingredients of diluted veterinary disinfectants based on their change in concentrations when stored at various temperatures for various time periods. Methods: Twenty veterinary disinfectants effective against either foot-and-mouth disease or avian influenza viruses were selected. The disinfectants were diluted to effective concentrations following the manufacturer's instructions. Using selective analytical techniques, the concentrations of the active ingredients of the samples that had been stored for varying intervals at different temperatures (4, 20, 30, and 45°C) were determined. These samples included soaps and detergents, acids, oxidizing agents, aldehydes, and copper compounds. The active ingredient concentrations of two of the samples were determined following freezing/thawing cycle, to establish their stability when exposed to simulated winter conditions. Results: Our results showed that most of the active ingredients had concentrations of 90% or greater of their initial concentrations, indicating ≥90% stability over a 21-day period under the experimental storage conditions. However, there were some exceptions. Glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, and malic acid are over 90% stable at ≤ 30°C for 21 days, but their concentrations decreased to below 90% of their initial concentrations at 45°C, indicating a decline in stability when stored at 45°C for 21 days. The concentrations of potassium peroxymonosulfate and peracetic acid rapidly declined with increasing time and temperature to less than 90% of their initial concentrations. Discussion: Based on our findings, we propose that diluted disinfectant solutions should preferably be prepared daily. However, if the daily preparation of a diluted disinfectant solution is not feasible, then our results can be used as a reference, providing basic scientific data on the chemical stability of diluted disinfectant solutions commonly used in the veterinary field, thus indicating suitable storage conditions.

Elucidation of Phytochemicals Affecting Platelet Responsiveness in Dangguisu-san: Active Ingredient Prediction and Experimental Research Using Network Pharmacology.

Plant-derived phytochemicals are emerging as novel agents for protection against chronic disorders. Dangguisu-san is a herbal prescription to invigorate the blood and relieve pain. Among the numerous active constituents of Dangguisu-san, those expected to be effective at inhibiting platelet aggregation were predicted using a network pharmacological method, and their efficacy was experimentally demonstrated. All four identified chemical components, namely chrysoeriol, apigenin, luteolin, and sappanchalcone, suppressed the aggregation of platelets to a certain extent. However, we report, for the first time, that chrysoeriol acts as a strong inhibitor of platelet aggregation. Although additional in vivo studies are needed, among the complex constituents of herbal medicines, the components that exert an inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation were predicted using a network pharmacological method and experimentally confirmed with human platelets.

Update on benign convulsions with mild gastroenteritis.

Benign convulsions with mild gastroenteritis (CwG) are characterized by afebrile convulsions associated with viral gastroenteritis in previously healthy infants and children. The main causative pathogens are rotavirus and norovirus. CwG occurs frequently in both East Asian and Western countries. The prevalence of CwG was reportedly not decreased by the introduction of rotavirus vaccines, and the prevalence of norovirus-associated CwG has been increasing annually. Convulsions in CwG are usually clustered, do not last longer than 5 minutes, and are mostly generalized. Laboratory diagnostics, electroencephalography (EEG), and imaging findings are usually normal. There is a probability of mild, transient abnormal findings on EEG or imaging limited to the acute disease phase. Although several reports have suggested that pathogens that affect the central nervous system through direct or indirect mechanisms could be related to the pathophysiology of CwG, its mechanism is not fully understood. Several antiepileptic drugs are effective during convulsions; however, long-term antiepileptic treatment is not required as CwG usually has a good prognosis.

Effects of Indoor Air Purifiers on Children with Asthma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of air purifiers on the concentrations of indoor air pollutants and on asthma control in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this randomized crossover trial, daily use of an air purifier filter was compared with a matched placebo with the filter off. Thirty elementary school students who had asthma were enrolled and randomly allocated to one of two groups. The primary endpoints were changes in indoor air quality, asthma severity, lung function, airway inflammatory, urine microbiome, and phthalate after the installation of air purifiers. PM2.5 and CO2 were measured as indoor air pollutants. Asthma severity was assessed in terms of both symptom and medication scores acquired using a daily questionnaire. The higher the score, the better the symptom or the less frequent the use of medication. Peak expiratory flow rate and fractional exhaled nitric oxide were also measured. RESULTS: The mean age of the enrolled patients was 9.2±1.98 years. The mean concentration of PM2.5 was 17.0 µg/m³ in the filter-off condition, but significantly lower at 9.26 µg/m³ in the filter-on condition. Medication scores were 6.9 for the filter-off and 7.12 for the filter-on conditions, reflecting a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of medications used during air purifier operation. Bacterial richness, as determined using the Chao 1 index, was markedly lower in the filter-on than the filter-off condition. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that air purifiers benefit medication burden in children with asthma by reducing PM2.5 levels.

Successfully treated isolated renal artery pseudoaneurysm in a patient with Behçet's disease.

Renal artery aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms are an uncommon clinical problem with a low incidence rate. They are abnormal dilatations of the vessel lumen with some different natures. However, the rupture of an aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm is the most dreaded complication because it causes death of the patient. There are many causes of renal artery aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm, including Behçet's disease; however, renal involvement in Behçet's disease is less frequent. We report a case of renal artery pseudoaneurysm induced by Behçet's disease and treated successfully with coil embolization. A 56-year-old woman with Behçet's disease presented with an incidental left renal artery pseudoaneurysm measuring 18 mm. We successfully performed endovascular treatment with coil embolization instead of surgical treatment.

Renal Infarction Caused by Isolated Spontaneous Renal Artery Intramural Hematoma.

BACKGROUND: Acute renal infarction is an uncommon condition resulting from an obstruction or a decrease in renal arterial blood flow. Isolated spontaneous renal artery intramural hematoma is a rare cause of renal infarction. CASE REPORT: A 46-year-old healthy man presented to our emergency room because of sudden onset of severe right flank pain. An enhanced abdominal computed tomography scan showed a low-attenuated lesion in the lateral portion of the right kidney but no visible thromboembolisms in the main vessels. Computed tomography angiography revealed acute infarction resulting from intramural hematoma of the anterior segmental artery of the right kidney, with distal occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: The rarity and non-specific clinical presentation of renal infarction often lead to a delayed diagnosis that may result in impaired renal function. Clinical suspicion is important in the early diagnosis, and intramural hematoma of the renal artery should be considered the cause of renal infarction even in healthy patients without predisposing factors.

Stroke in a Young Individual with Left Ventricular Noncompaction and Left Atrium Standstill.

Isolated left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a rare cardiomyopathy with morphologic characteristics of two distinct myocardial layers i.e., thin compacted epicardial and thick noncompacted endocardial layers. The noncompacted myocardium consists of prominent ventricular trabeculae and deep intertrabecular recesses. It can lead to arrhythmias, heart failure or systemic embolisms. Electrocardiographic patterns of patients with LVNC are various and non-specific; however, the most common findings are intraventricular conduction delay, left ventricular hypertrophy, and repolarization abnormalities. We reported the first case, to the best of our knowledge, of a 29-year-old man who had recent cerebral infarction and incidental LVNC with spontaneous left atrial standstill.

A case of ampullary gangliocytic paraganglioma.

Gangliocytic paragangliomas (GPs) are rare tumors of the duodenum, presenting as single sessile or pedunculated polypoid masses. Clinical manifestations of duodenal GPs can vary from an incidental finding at endoscopy to frequent upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by mucosal ulceration and abdominal pain. GPs are considered benign, but the disease can recur and spread to regional lymph nodes. A 41-year-old female presented with abdominal pain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a subepithelial tumor of the ampulla of Vater in the second portion of the duodenum. The tumor was resected using the endoscopic mucosal resection technique. The tumor was diagnosed as benign GP of the duodenum using histological and immunohistochemical staining procedures.