BACKGROUND:Alzheimer's disease has been associated with sarcopenia,but a causal relationship has not been established.Exploring the causal relationship between the two most common disability-burdening diseases in the aging population-Alzheimer's disease and sarcopenia-and their potential mediating factors holds certain implications for further alleviating the healthcare costs and socioeconomic burden for older adults in China.OBJECTIVE:To explore the potential causal relationship between Alzheimer's disease and sarcopenia in the general population using a Mendelian randomization study and to explore the role of body mass index in this context.METHODS:Two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis based on published genome-wide association studies(GWAS)were used to infer causality,and univariate Mendelian randomization and mediation analyses were used in the study design.Through the Integrative Epidemiology Unit(IEU)database,ieu-b-2 was selected as the Alzheimer's disease dataset(sample size:63 926),ieu-b-4816 as the body mass index dataset(99 998),ebi-a-GCST90000027 as the appendicular lean mass dataset(244 730),ukb-b-7478 as the left hand grip strength dataset(461 026),ukb-b-10215 as the right hand grip strength dataset(461 089)and ukb-b-4711 as the walking pace dataset(459 915).Inverse-variance weighting was used as the primary analysis method,and the results were validated by pleiotropy and heterogeneity analysis.The Steiger Directionality Test was performed to validate the reasonableness of the causal direction.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The Mendelian randomization analyses provided evidence that Alzheimer's disease predicted the risk of appendicular lean mass[odds ratio(OR)=1.009;95％confidence interval(Cl),1.001-1.017;P=0.023),and walking pace(OR=1.010;95％Cl,1.003-1.017;P=0.008).No correlation with hand grip strength was observed.(2)Alzheimer's disease was negatively correlated with body mass index(OR=0.893;95％Cl,0.811-0.984;P=0.022);body mass index was positively correlated with appendicular lean mass(OR=1.084;95％Cl,1.031-1.141;P=0.002)and negatively correlated with walking pace(OR=0.975;95％Cl,0.969-0.980;P＜0.001).(3)Mediation analyses showed that the causal relationship between Alzheimer's disease and appendicular lean mass and walking pace was partially mediated by body mass index,with the proportion of mediations being 50.25％and 32.11％,respectively.(4)The results of this study suggest that based on large-scale population studies,genetic prediction of Alzheimer's disease is a potential risk factor for sarcopenia,in which body mass index plays an important mediating role.This suggests that in clinical practice,attention should be paid to the muscle condition of patients with Alzheimer's disease,and weight management should be implemented,as maintaining a body mass index within the normal high range may have a preventive effect on the occurrence of sarcopenia in patients with Alzheimer's disease.However,further research is needed to verify the applicability of this conclusion to other ethnic groups.This study utilized an international public database for analysis,providing a reference for research on the correlation between Alzheimer's disease and sarcopenia in the Chinese population.It also highlights the significant mediating role of body mass index,offering insights for further prevention and treatment of sarcopenia among Chinese individuals.

BACKGROUND:Alzheimer's disease has been associated with sarcopenia,but a causal relationship has not been established.Exploring the causal relationship between the two most common disability-burdening diseases in the aging population-Alzheimer's disease and sarcopenia-and their potential mediating factors holds certain implications for further alleviating the healthcare costs and socioeconomic burden for older adults in China.OBJECTIVE:To explore the potential causal relationship between Alzheimer's disease and sarcopenia in the general population using a Mendelian randomization study and to explore the role of body mass index in this context.METHODS:Two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis based on published genome-wide association studies(GWAS)were used to infer causality,and univariate Mendelian randomization and mediation analyses were used in the study design.Through the Integrative Epidemiology Unit(IEU)database,ieu-b-2 was selected as the Alzheimer's disease dataset(sample size:63 926),ieu-b-4816 as the body mass index dataset(99 998),ebi-a-GCST90000027 as the appendicular lean mass dataset(244 730),ukb-b-7478 as the left hand grip strength dataset(461 026),ukb-b-10215 as the right hand grip strength dataset(461 089)and ukb-b-4711 as the walking pace dataset(459 915).Inverse-variance weighting was used as the primary analysis method,and the results were validated by pleiotropy and heterogeneity analysis.The Steiger Directionality Test was performed to validate the reasonableness of the causal direction.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The Mendelian randomization analyses provided evidence that Alzheimer's disease predicted the risk of appendicular lean mass[odds ratio(OR)=1.009;95％confidence interval(Cl),1.001-1.017;P=0.023),and walking pace(OR=1.010;95％Cl,1.003-1.017;P=0.008).No correlation with hand grip strength was observed.(2)Alzheimer's disease was negatively correlated with body mass index(OR=0.893;95％Cl,0.811-0.984;P=0.022);body mass index was positively correlated with appendicular lean mass(OR=1.084;95％Cl,1.031-1.141;P=0.002)and negatively correlated with walking pace(OR=0.975;95％Cl,0.969-0.980;P＜0.001).(3)Mediation analyses showed that the causal relationship between Alzheimer's disease and appendicular lean mass and walking pace was partially mediated by body mass index,with the proportion of mediations being 50.25％and 32.11％,respectively.(4)The results of this study suggest that based on large-scale population studies,genetic prediction of Alzheimer's disease is a potential risk factor for sarcopenia,in which body mass index plays an important mediating role.This suggests that in clinical practice,attention should be paid to the muscle condition of patients with Alzheimer's disease,and weight management should be implemented,as maintaining a body mass index within the normal high range may have a preventive effect on the occurrence of sarcopenia in patients with Alzheimer's disease.However,further research is needed to verify the applicability of this conclusion to other ethnic groups.This study utilized an international public database for analysis,providing a reference for research on the correlation between Alzheimer's disease and sarcopenia in the Chinese population.It also highlights the significant mediating role of body mass index,offering insights for further prevention and treatment of sarcopenia among Chinese individuals.

BACKGROUND:Differentially expressed RNA-binding proteins in the intervertebral disc plays a key role in intervertebral disc degeneration,and decreased levels of the RNA-binding protein KRT18 are associated with degenerative disc disease,but its specific role in the nucleus pulposus cells has not yet been fully determined. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the interaction of KRT18 with mRNA and long non-coding RNA on nucleus pulposus cells of the intervertebral disc and its mechanism. METHODS:Normal and degenerated nucleus pulposus cells were obtained from nucleus pulposus samples of patients undergoing interbody fusion for lumbar fracture or intervertebral disc degeneration.iRIP-seq,functional enrichment analysis,and DNA microarray analysis were performed to identify the mRNA and long non-coding RNA binding with KRT18.Subsequently,KRT18 was knocked down in nucleus pulposus cells based on the analysis results,and the expression levels of related genes were detected at the protein and RNA levels through protein immunoblotting and qRT-PCR,respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Through iRIP-seq analysis,we identified abundant KRT18 binding sites within the GUAAUC and AGCCUC sequences,indicating that KRT18 may be involved in regulating RNA transcription,translation,stability or play a role in cell signaling pathways.It can stably bind to mature mRNA,among which highly expressed genes include CRLF1,IGFBP4,etc.At the same time,the peak genes of long non-coding RNA binding with it include SNHG25,SNHG12,NEAT1,USP32,EIF4A2 and CDH4.Most of these genes are involved in various biological processes such as apoptosis and inflammation,and can mediate related pathways of extracellular matrix metabolism.KRT18 can regulate their stability,transport,translation,splicing and other functions,thus affecting gene expression and cell function.We further verified through experiments the knockdown of KRT18 in nucleus pulposus cells,and found that the level of extracellular matrix metabolism was inhibited and unbalanced,resulting in intervertebral disc degeneration in vitro.This study investigated the regulatory mechanism of KRT18 from the perspective of its binding with mRNA and long non-coding RNA for the first time,and speculated the potential function of KRT18 in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration,laying a foundation for future research on the key functions of KRT18.

Objective To observe the effects of Ditan Yizhi Decoction on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and mitochondrial autophagy in vascular dementia(VD)rats.Methods Totally 70 male SD rats were randomly selected as the sham-operation group,with only the common carotid artery isolated and not ligated,and the rest of the rats were used to prepare a rat model of VD by the modified bilateral common carotid artery permanent ligature method.The successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into model group,donepezil group,agonist group and Ditan Yizhi Decoction low-,medium-and high-dosage groups and were given corresponding interventions for 4 weeks.Morris water maze experiment was used to assess the learning and memory ability of rats,HE staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphology of hippocampal tissue,transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure of hippocampal neuron,Western blot was used to detect the expressions of PINK1,Parkin,p62,Beclin-1,LC3BⅡ/Ⅰ,β-catenin,GSK-3β,p-GSK-3β protein.Results Compared with the sham-operation group,rats in the model group had a prolonged escape latency(P<0.01),a reduced number of crossing platforms(P<0.01);neuronal gaps in the CA1 area of the hippocampus were enlarged,with irregular cell morphology and blurred borders,neuronal solidification,Nissl bodies dissolution and fragmentation,reduced quantity,mitochondrial cristae disorder,and disruption of the structure of the bilayer membrane,with a greater number of autophagosomes in the surroundings;the expressions of PINK1,Parkin,Beclin-1,LC3BⅡ/I,β-catenin,p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β protein were significantly increased(P<0.01),and p62 protein expression was significantly decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the escape latency of rats in donepezil group,agonist group and Ditan Yizhi Decoction low-,medium-and high-dosage groups were significantly shortened(P<0.01),and the number of crossing platforms significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01);the number of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region increased,with normal morphology and orderly arrangement,Nissl bodies were abundant,and transmission electron microscopy showed that mitochondrial morphology recovered,rupture decreased,and autophagosomes around mitochondria decreased,the protein expressions of PINK1,Parkin,Beclin-1,LC3BⅡ/Ⅰ,β-catenin and p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β in hippocampal tissue were significantly decreased(P<0.01),the protein expression of p62 significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Ditan Yizhi Decoction can improve learning memory ability and neuronal morphology in VD rats,and its mechanism may be related to the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to inhibit mitophagy.

The development of new quality productive forces is an inherent requirement for achieving high-quali-ty development in China's medical and health fields,and is also an important driving force for building a healthy Chi-na.The new quality productivity of medical and health care is high technology,high efficiency,with the basic pur-pose of providing high quality and efficient medical and health services,and has the characteristics of innovation,in-tegration,digital intelligence and leadership.To accelerate the formation of new quality productivity in medical and health care,it needs to start with the reaction of production relations on productivity and the three factors of produc-tivity,deepen the reform of institutional mechanisms,consolidate the foundation of talent training,promote the construction of digital health care,and innovate the collaborative management model.

Objective To understand the medical decision-making preferences of doctors in tertiary grade A hospitals,providing evidence to promote clinical guidelines and improve healthcare service value.Methods A discrete choice model was constructed using the Delphi method.A total of 106 valid samples were collected via a questionnaire survey.The mixed logit model was used to assess doctors' preferences in medical decision-making across scenarios of hypertension,abdominal infection,and IgA nephropathy,analyzing heterogeneity in decision-making preferences based on doctors' characteristics.Results Overall,treatment efficacy,patient preference,and the value of medical exploration significantly influenced doctors' decision-making preferences(P＜0.05).In hypertension and IgA nephropathy scenarios,adverse reactions had a significant impact on decision-making preferences(P＜0.001).The relative importance of decision-making attributes was treatment efficacy＞adverse reactions＞patient preference＞medical exploration value＞cost control.Doctors with higher education levels valued treatment efficacy more in abdominal infection and IgA nephropathy scenarios(P＜0.05)and adverse reactions more in hypertension scenarios(P＜0.05).Conclusion Treatment efficacy is the primary factor in medical decision-making.Cost control plays a limited role in current decision-making,and preferences vary by disease specificity across different clinical practice scenarios.

Objective To explore primary care physicians' attitudes toward the use of AI-CDSS,and to examine the relationships and underlying mechanisms among AI system explainability,physicians' trust in AI-CDSS,and their willingness to use it.It aims to provide a reference for promoting AI-CDSS in primary healthcare institutions and better leveraging AI technology to empower primary healthcare services.Methods Primary care physicians in Tongling City,Anhui Province,were surveyed using standardized scales to collect data on AI system explainability,trust in AI-CDSS,and willingness to use it.Descriptive statistics,correlation analysis,and mediation effect testing were conducted using SPSS 26.0 software.Results AI system explainability,trust,and willingness to use were all positively correlated(r=0.788,0.865,P＜0.01),and AI system explainability was also positively correlated with trust(r=0.776,P＜0.01).Trust in the AI system partially mediated the relationship between system explainability and willingness to use,with a mediation effect value of 0.568(95％CI=0.373～0.669).Conclusion When promoting AI-CDSS,primary healthcare institutions should prioritize the adoption of AI systems with high explainability to enhance physicians' trust,thereby increasing their willingness to use such systems and ultimately promoting the effective application of AI technology in primary healthcare services.

Objective To explore the service quality of video consultation from the patient's perspective and its in-fluencing factors,and to provide theoretical basis and practical reference for public hospitals to promote the develop-ment of video consultation.Methods Based on the video consultation service quality questionnaire designed by the SUTAQ scale,a questionnaire survey was conducted with 345 patients who participated in the video consultation field trial,and the influencing factors were analyzed by using multiple linear regression.Results The total score of pa-tients' video consultation service quality was 14.80±3.43,and the dimensional scores,from lowest to highest,con-tinue using,and immediacy of consultation.The results of multiple linear regression showed that the differences in the effects of marital status,education,willingness to pay and waiting time on the quality of video consultation ser-vice were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion Patients' evaluation of the service quality of video consulta-tion is good overall,and there are differences in the scores of each dimension,in which the immediacy of diagnosis and treatment is the most prominent value of video consultation,and the patient's perceived risk is a non-negligible problem.It is recommended to strengthen risk regulation and privacy protection,focus on group heterogeneity and synergize with family doctors,and optimize service pricing and waiting process to enhance patients' trust and ex-perience and promote the healthy and sustainable development of video consultation.

Objective Based on clinical consultation practices,it systematically evaluates the outcomes of remote video consultation services,identifies key factors influencing these outcomes,and provides empirical evidence for optimizing telemedicine services.Methods It recruited 201 patients nationwide requiring video consultations,objectively recorded diagnostic outcomes,and analyzed influencing factors using hierarchical regression.Results Among the 201 participants,62(30.84％)achieved effective diagnosis and treatment,while 139(69.16％)did not meet expected outcomes.Hierarchical regression results revealed that disease category,physician title,availability of auxiliary diagnostic information,and presence of assisting personnel significantly impacted consultation outcomes(P＜0.05).Higher physician titles,richer auxiliary diagnostic information provided by patients,and involvement of assisting personnel correlated with better alignment of outcomes with expectations.Conclusion Significant variations in video consultation outcomes were observed,primarily influenced by assisting personnel,physician qualifications,auxiliary diagnostic information and disease category.It is suggested to introduce a large artificial intelligence model for pre-triage,set up standardized video consulting rooms in primary medical and health institutions and configure collaborative personnel,and build a regional patient information sharing platform,so as to improve patient satisfaction during treatment and promote the further development and optimization of video consultation.

Objective To explore the economic impact and ecological value of video consultations on hospitals and patients,providing a reference for the development of video consultation services.Methods A total of 345 patients and 31 physicians who participated in video consultation practices in 2024 were surveyed using questionnaires and in-terviews.The economic impacts,social benefits,and potential risks and challenges of video consultations for hospi-tals and patients were analyzed.Independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare the differences in video consultation evaluations between patients and physicians.Results During the experimental period,video consulta-tions resulted in a minimum revenue loss of 18 375 yuan for various hospital departments.However,each patient saved no less than 1 000 yuan in transportation,accommodation,and wage loss expenses.Patients' overall satis-faction and timeliness ratings were significantly higher than those of physicians(P＜0.05),while patients' willing-ness to continue using video consultations was significantly lower than that of physicians(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference between patients and physicians in terms of perceived effectiveness(P＞0.05).Conclusion Video consultations effectively reduce patients' economic burden and improve the accessibility of health-care services.The revenue loss for hospitals stems primarily from low service efficiency and the shift of income from pharmaceuticals and diagnostic services.Disease types play a critical role in influencing consultation efficiency and economic outcomes.It is recommended to introduce intelligent triage systems,establish an integrated online and of-fline service model,enhance patient operational experience,and improve regulatory mechanisms to promote the high-quality development of video consultations.