Biological research for nursing最新文献

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of different types of physiotherapy interventions in people with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods: Five databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and Web of Science Core Collection) were searched for relevant RCTs published from database inception to July 14, 2022. Reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the literature quality according to the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool and PEDro Scale. This meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4.1 and reported in compliance with the PRISMA statement.

Results: Forty-two RCTs with 2,530 participants were included. Across all types of physiotherapy, strength training, mind-body exercise, aerobic exercise, and non-invasive brain stimulation (NiBS) were effective in improving motor symptoms as measured by the (Movement Disorders Society-) Unified PD Scale, whereas balance and gait training (BGT) and acupuncture were not. The pooled results showed that the change in mind-body exercise (MD = -5.36, 95% CI [-7.97 to -2.74], p < .01, I² = 68%) and NiBS (MD = -4.59, 95% CI [-8.59 to -0.59], p = .02, I² = 78%) reached clinical threshold, indicating clinically meaningful improvements. Considering the effectiveness of the interventions on motor symptoms, balance, gait and functional mobility, mind-body exercise was recommended the most.

Conclusions: Exercise appears to be a better form of physiotherapy than NiBS and acupuncture for improving motor function. Mind-body exercise showed beneficial effects on motor symptoms, balance, gait and functional mobility in people with PD, and is worthy of being promoted.

Background: Cardiac cachexia (CC) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in persons with heart failure (HF). Compared to the biological underpinning of CC, little is known about the psychological factors. Thus, the overarching objective of this study was to determine whether depression predicts the onset of cachexia at 6 months in patients with chronic HF.

Methods: 114 participants with a mean age of 56.7 ± 13.0 years, LVEF of 33.13 ± 12.30% and NYHA class III (48.0%) were assessed for depression using the PHQ-9. Body weight was measured at baseline and at 6 months. Patients who had ≥6% non-edematous unintentional weight loss were classified as cachectic. Univariate and logistic multivariate regression were used to examine the relationship between CC and depression, controlling for clinical and demographic variables.

Results: Cachectic patients (11.4%) had significantly higher baseline BMI levels (31.35 ± 5.70 vs. 28.31 ± 4.73; p = .038), lower LVEF (mean = 24.50 ± 9.48 vs. 34.22 ± 12.18, p = .009), and depression scores (mean = 7.17 ± 6.44 vs. 4.27 ± 3.98, p = .049) when compared to their non-cachectic counterparts. In multivariate regression analysis, depression scores (β = 1.193, p = .035) and LVEF (β = .835, p = .031) predicted cachexia after controlling for age, gender, body mass index, VO₂ max, and New York Heart Association class and accounted for 49% of the variance in Cardiac cachexia. When depression was dichotomized, depression and LVEF predicted 52.6% of the variance in CC.

Conclusion: Depression predicts CC in patients with HF. Additional studies are needed to expand the knowledge of the role of the psychological determinants of this devastating syndrome.

Objectives: To explore whether tai chi can improve lung function, exercise capacity, and health-related outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP) databases were searched from inception to January 5, 2023. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions criteria. Results: A total of 1430 participants from 20 randomized controlled trials were included in this review. The results indicated significant effects of tai chi on FEV1, 6WMD, anxiety, and quality of life (p < 0.01), but not on FEV1%, FEVI/FVC, depression, and social support. Conclusions: Tai chi might be a potential alternative therapy to improve FEV1, 6WMD, anxiety, and quality of life for patients with COPD.

Background: Previous studies have shown that metabolic diseases are risk factors for thyroid disease; most studies are cross-sectional design. We aimed to evaluate the causal relationship between thyroid and metabolic diseases in a cohort of Chinese nurses.

Methods: We conducted an ambispective cohort study of the National Nurses' Health Study. Thyroid disease data based on ultrasonography from 2017 to 2021 were collected. We described thyroid disease incidence and the risk factors associated with a cluster of metabolic factors. We used the Mann‒Whitney U test, repeated-measures ANOVA and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression to analyze the data.

Results: A total of 1529 female nurses without thyroid disease were enrolled in 2017, of which, complete data were available for 1269 nurses. In 2018-2020, thyroid nodule incidence ranged from 32.8%-46.3%, thyroiditis incidence was 13.4%-14.3%, and goiter incidence was 4.1%-29.1%, thyroid adenoma and thyroid tumors incidence were 0.1%-0.5% and 1%-1.5%. We also found that NAFLAD was an independent risk factor for thyroid adenoma (p = .003). The age at diagnosis was an independent risk factor for goiter (p <. 001) and thyroid nodules (p < .001). Fasting blood glucose was an independent risk factor for thyroid tumors (p = .004). The age at diagnosis (p = .003), Body Mass Index (p = .006) and menopause (p = .031) were risk factors for thyroiditis.

Conclusion: Thyroid disease incidence among nurses is increasing. Age at diagnosis, BMI, fasting blood glucose, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are independent risk factors for different types of thyroid disease. This study provides evidence for future studies to further explore the pathogenesis and prevention of thyroid diseases.

Background: Nursing home residences suffered a lockdown from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study prospectively evaluates the frailty, functional, and nutritional statuses of nursing home residents.

Methods: Three hundred and one residents from three nursing homes took part in the study. Frailty status was measured using the FRAIL scale. Functional status was evaluated using the Barthel Index. Additionally, Short Physical Performance Batter (SPPB), SARC-F, hand-grip strength, and gait speed were also evaluated. Nutritional status was determined using the mini nutritional assessment test (MNA) and several anthropometrical and biochemical markers.

Results: Mini Nutritional Assessment test scores decreased in 20% throughout the confinement (p < .001). Barthel index, SPPB and SARC-F scores also decreased, although to a lesser extent, reflecting a decrease in functional capacity. However, both anthropometric parameters, hand grip strength and gait speed, remained stable throughout confinement (p > .050 in all cases). Morning cortisol secretion significantly decreased by 40% from baseline to post-confinement. A significant reduction in daily cortisol variability was observed, which may suggest increased distress. Fifty-six residents died during the period of confinement (81.4% survival rate). Sex, FRAIL and Barthel Index scores were significant predictors of resident survival.

Conclusion: After the first COVID-19 blockade, several alterations in residents' frailty markers were observed, which were small and potentially reversible. However, many of the residents were pre-frail after the lockdown. This fact highlights the need for preventive strategies to reduce the impact of future social and physical stressors on these vulnerable individuals.

Objective: A 6-month longitudinal surveillance study of asymptomatic healthcare providers (HCP) was carried out at a large urban academic medical center in the United States to assess whether their job occupation with higher exposure risks to SARS-CoV-2 would equate with higher risk of contracting COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic before COVID-19 vaccines were available.

Methods: A longitudinal cohort study design was used to collect and analyze immunological and virological monitoring data and self-report survey assessments of personal protective equipment (PPE) availability, adherence to infection control guidelines, and time spent on COVID-19 wards.

Results: Among 289 eligible participants, SARS-CoV-2 exposure risk was high with 48-69% participants working in COVID-19 units and more than 30% of them caring for COVID-19 patients. However, the seroconversion rate was low with only 2.1% of participants developing humoral or cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusion: Our study findings suggest that, for this HCP cohort working at a large urban academic medical center, a low incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection could be maintained under conditions of strict infection prevention protocols and reliable PPE availability.

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a multifunctional and multisystem disorder. Several factors favor the development of PE, including obesity. Cytokines are also expressed in the placenta, predisposing to local alterations that favor the development of distinct pathological processes, including PE. This study aimed to evaluate the apelin and visfatin mRNA expression in the placental tissue of women with preeclampsia and overweight/obesity and correlates with maternal and fetal variables.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was performed with 60 pregnant women and their newborns. Clinical, anthropometric, and laboratory variables were collected. Placental tissue samples were obtained, and the apelin and visfatin mRNA expression levels were assessed by qRT-PCR.

Results: The main findings evidenced lower levels of apelin expression in overweight/obese women, accompanied by a negative correlation with BMI and pre-pregnancy weight; a higher expression of apelin was also observed in women with late PE and no personal history of PE. For visfatin levels, higher expression levels were observed in women with late PE and term delivery. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between visfatin levels and fetal anthropometric parameters, such as weight, length, and head circumference.

Conclusion: Apelin levels were less expressed in overweight/obese women. Apelin and visfatin levels were correlated/associated with maternal-fetal variables.

Background: Low back pain is a common, multifaceted disorder that directly affects diverse aspects of people's lives in terms of health, personal and social lives. A variety of pathological disorders, including low back pain, may benefit from hydrotherapy.

Objective: This study aimed to systematically analyze the efficacy of aquatic exercise on pain intensity, disability, and quality of life among adults with low back pain.

Data sources: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, and Scopus up to February 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that which examined the impact of aquatic exercise. The most relevant articles were selected based on research criteria. The PEDro scale was applied to assess the quality of the included studies. Review Manager 5.3 was used for conducting all analyses.

Study selection: Out of 856 articles, 14 RCTs (n = 484 participants; 257 in the experimental groups and 227 in the control groups) met our inclusion criteria.

Results: Pooled results illustrated that aquatic exercises significantly reduced pain (mean differences (MD): -3.82; p < 0.00,001), improved disability (standardized mean differences (SMD): 1.65; p < 0.00,001), and improved quality of life in both the physical component score (mean difference (MD), 10.13; p < 0.00,001) and the mental component score (MD, 6.45; p < 0.0001) when compared with a control group.

Conclusion: The current review showed that aquatic exercise regimens were effective among adults with low back pain. High-quality clinical investigations are still needed to support the use of therapeutic aquatic exercise in a clinical setting.

Preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks gestation) rates have increased for 5 of the last 6 consecutive years in the United States. These rates are particularly alarming for U.S. non-Hispanic Black women who give birth prematurely at 1.5 times the rate of non-Hispanic White women. Previous research suggests that psychological stress is associated with PTB in Black women. However, the biological pathways by which stress alters birth timing are not clear. We examined DNA methylation (DNAm) in peripheral blood leukocytes in 6 glucocorticoid, stress-related genes in 44 (22 PTB; 22 term birth) pregnant Black women. Four cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites were identified as differentially methylated (p < 0.05) between women with PTB and women with term births. The ability to identify stress-related biological markers that are associated with PTB among Black women would provide a critical step toward decreasing the PTB disparity among these women. Future studies should include larger sample sizes and gene expression analyses of the stress-related biological pathways to PTB.

Purpose: Studies examining biomarkers associated with fatigue in breast cancer survivors treated with radiation are limited. Therefore, we examined the longitudinal association between serum biomarkers and post-breast cancer fatigue in survivors treated with radiation: [oxidative stress] 8-hydroxyguanosine, myeloperoxidase; [inflammation] interleukin-6 (IL-6), c-reactive protein, growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), placental growth factor, transforming growth factor-beta, [cardiac damage] cystatin-C, troponin-I.

Methods: In a secondary analysis, we included participants from the Women's Health Initiative if they had: a previous breast cancer diagnosis (stages I-III), no prior cardiovascular diseases, pre-and post-breast cancer serum samples drawn approximately 3 years apart, and fatigue measured using the Short-Form 36 vitality subscale at both serum collections. Biomarkers were measured using ELISA or RT-qPCR and modeled as the log₂ post-to pre-breast cancer ratio.

Results: Overall, 180 women with a mean (SD) age of 67.0 (5.5) years were included. The mean (SD) vitality scores were 66.2 (17.2) and 59.7 (19.7) pre- and post-breast cancer, respectively. Using multivariable weighted linear regression, higher biomarker ratios of cystatin-C, IL-6, and GDF-15 were associated with a lower vitality score (i.e., higher fatigue). For example, for each 2-fold difference in cystatin-C biomarker ratio, the vitality score was lower by 7.31 points (95% CI: -14.2, -0.45).

Conclusion: Inflammatory and cardiac damage biomarkers are associated with fatigue in breast cancer survivors treated with radiation; however, these findings should be replicated in a larger sample. Biomarkers could be measured in clinical practice or assessed in risk prediction models to help identify patients at high risk for fatigue.