Objective To systematically analyze the characteristics of the disease burden of hypertensive heart disease (HHD) in the elderly (≥60 years) globally and in China from 1990 to 2021, and to predict its future trends from 2022 to 2040, with the aim of providing data support for optimizing comprehensive prevention and control strategies for HHD. Methods Based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database, the number of prevalent cases and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of HHD in the elderly were extracted for the world, China, and five regions categorized by sociodemographic index (SDI). Joinpoint regression was used to analyze the temporal trends of age-standardized prevalence rate and age-standardized DALYs rate of HHD in the elderly. A three-factor decomposition method was applied to evaluate the relative contributions of aging, population growth, and epidemiological changes to the variations in the elderly HHD burden. Additionally, a Bayesian age-period-cohort model was used to predict the elderly HHD burden from 2022 to 2040. Results In 2021, the number of prevalent elderly HHD cases reached 10 283 000 globally and 3 412 400 in China, representing increases of 179.20% and 159.20% respectively, compared with 1990. The DALYs of elderly HHD were 18 812 700 person-years globally and 4 731 400 person-years in China, rising by 76.08% and 29.45% respectively from 1990. Meanwhile, the growth rates of the number of prevalent cases and DALYs of elderly HHD varied across different SDI regions. From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardized prevalence rate of elderly HHD in China, as well as the age-standardized DALYs rate of elderly HHD both globally and in China, showed significant downward trends (all average annual percentage changes<0, all P<0.001). In 2021, the 70-74 years age group accounted for the highest proportion of prevalent cases and DALYs of elderly HHD, both globally and in China. Decomposition analysis revealed that population growth was the dominant factor driving the increase in the elderly HHD burden across all regions. The prediction model results indicated that the number of prevalent cases and DALYs of elderly HHD would continue to rise globally and in China from 2022 to 2040, with the growth rate of the elderly HHD burden in China between 2021 and 2040 expected to exceed the global average. Conclusion Over the past 32 years, although the age-standardized disease rates of elderly HHD have mainly shown a downward trend globally and in China, the absolute number of the disease burden has increased substantially. The projection model indicates a continued upward trajectory, with the growth rate in China higher than the global average. Therefore, there is an urgent need to implement precise prevention and control strategies to effectively mitigate the disease burden of elderly HHD.

AIM: To compare the changes in corneal epithelial thickness(CET)after small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)and femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis(FS-LASIK).METHODS: A total of 187 patients(187 eyes)who underwent either SMILE or FS-LASIK at Urumqi Aier Eye Hospital between December 2022 and November 2023 were collected. The patients were divided into SMILE group and FS-LASIK group according to surgical methods. The CET of the patients was measured by optical coherence tomography(OCT)system before surgery and at 1 wk, 1, 3, and 6 mo postoperatively.RESULTS: Changes in corneal epithelial thickness(△CET)in the central, paracentral, and mid-peripheral regions were compared at 6 mo postoperatively. The SMILE group was characterized by the most significant thickening in the central area and the least thickening in the mid-peripheral area; while the FS-LASIK group was characterized by the most significant thickening in the paracentral area and the least thickening in the mid-peripheral region. At 1 wk, 1, 3, and 6 mo postoperatively, within the 0-7 mm corneal area, the △CET for both the SMILE and FS-LASIK groups was correlated with the preoperative spherical equivalent.CONCLUSION: Within 6 mo postoperatively, both SMILE and FS-LASIK showed a similar trend in epithelial thickening but with distinct characteristics. The change in corneal epithelial thickness for both procedures was positively correlated with the preoperative diopter.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the digestive system, characterized by high incidence and mortality rates. In recent years, with the rapid develop-ment of molecular immunology, the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in neoadju-vant therapy has significantly improved pathological response rates and survival outcomes for patients with resectable locally advanced gastric cancer. The authors systematically review current research progress on combination strategies involving immune checkpoint inhibitors in neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced gastric cancer, aiming to provide an evidence for optimizing individua-lized therapeutic regimens.

Objective To evaluate answers to typical clinical questions related to neuro-ophthalmology generated by Artificial Intelligence(AI)Large Language Models(LLM)and to explore the performance of neuro-ophthalmology-related questions on LLM in a multidimensional manner using objective and expert assessment.Methods Multicenter,random-ized,cross-sectional pilot study.Thirty typical questions related to neuro-ophthalmology were selected based on four per-spectives:definition,etiology,clinical manifestations and signs,and treatment and prognosis,and were analyzed quantita-tively using Deepseek,Wenxin Yiyin 4.0,Doubao,and Kimi 1.5,which are four open-source LLMs in China,and quantita-tively analyzed with objective assessment;and quantitatively rated by three ophthalmologists using expert assessment for 120 answer texts.Three ophthalmology experts quantitatively scored the 120 answer texts.Three ophthalmologists quantita-tively scored the 120 answer texts.Level 3,5,and 4 Likert scales were developed according to the completeness,accura-cy,professionalism,relevance,and criticality of the question texts,respectively.The best-performing LLM was selected,and its performance was observed across the four types of questions.Additionally,three other experts assessed whether the best-performing one could be evaluated as a substitute for real-world doctor-patient communication.Results In the objective Chinese text reading difficulty analysis,the differences in total word count among the four LLMs were statistically significant(all P＜0.001).Of the four LLMs,Kimi 1.5 performed the best,with frequencies of 61％,29％,and 41％for the highest scores in completeness(3),accuracy and professionalism(5),and relevance and usefulness(4),respective-ly.Kimi 1.5 performed more consistently on the questions on the four areas of neuro-ophthalmologic disorders:definition,etiology,clinical manifestations and signs,treatment,and prognosis,with no between-group differences(P＞0.05).Con-clusion Chinese language LLMs have great potential in the clinical application of neuro-ophthalmology.Kimi 1.5 outper-forms other LLMs in terms of completeness,accuracy,professionalism,relevance,and usefulness,but it still cannot re-place real-world doctor-patient communication.There is a need to explore new diagnostic and therapeutic model of AI+physician in the future.

Objective To comparatively observe the value of 131I whole-body scanning(WBS)and 131I-SPECT/CT for evaluating residual thyroid tissue,lymph node and distant metastasis,as well as risk of recurrence of differentiated thyroid cancer(DTC)after surgical resection and initial radioactive iodine(RAI)treatment.Methods Totally 367 DTC patients who underwent initial RAI treatment after surgical resection and then 131I-WBS and 131I SPECT/CT scanning were retrospectively collected.131I-WBS and 131I SPECT/CT were compared for identifying residual thyroid,lymph node and distant metastases.According to follow-up results,the risk of DTC recurrence was evaluated based on 131I-WBS and 131I-SPECT/CT,respectively.Results Residual thyroid was detected in 353 cases and suspected in 3 cases with 131 I-WBS,which was diagnosed in 349 cases with 131I-SPECT/CT,and no significant difference was found between 2 methods(P=0.289).131I-WBS detected 36 cases with and suspected 67 cases with lymph node metastases,312 without distant metastases,while 131I-SPECT/CT diagnosed lymph node metastases in 52 cases;131I-WBS detected 20 cases with and suspected 35 cases with distant metastases,while 131I-SPECT/CT diagnosed 60 cases with distant metastases but could not diagnose in 3 cases,304 without distant metastases.The detection rate of 131I-SPECT/CT for lymph node and distant metastasis were both higher than that of 131I-WBS(P=0.018,P＜0.001).During follow-up period,there were 94 cases with low risk,155 with medium risk and 118 with high risk of DTC recurrence according to 131I-SPECT/CT,while 116 cases of low risk,137 of medium risk and 114 of high risk based on 131I-SPECT/CT,and the evaluating results were different between 2 methods in 40 cases(40/367,10.90％).Conclusion Compared with 131I-WBS,131I-SPECT/CT had better clinical value for evaluating lymph node and distant metastases and assessing recurrence risk of DTC after initial RAI treatment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)expresses abundant glycolytic enzymes and displays comprehensive glucose metabolism reprogramming.Aldolase A(ALDOA)plays a prominent role in glycolysis;however,little is known about its role in HCC development.In the present study,we aim to explore how ALDOA is involved in HCC proliferation.HCC proliferation was markedly suppressed both in vitro and in vivo following ALDOA knockout,which is consistent with ALDOA overexpression encouraging HCC prolifera-tion.Mechanistically,ALDOA knockout partially limits the glycolytic flux in HCC cells.Meanwhile,ALDOA translocated to nuclei and directly interacted with c-Jun to facilitate its Thr93 phosphorylation by P21-activated protein kinase;ALDOA knockout markedly diminished c-Jun Thr93 phosphorylation and then dampened c-Jun transcription function.A crucial site Y364 mutation in ALDOA disrupted its interaction with c-Jun,and Y364S ALDOA expression failed to rescue cell proliferation in ALDOA deletion cells.In HCC patients,the expression level of ALDOA was correlated with the phosphorylation level of c-Jun(Thr93)and poor prognosis.Remarkably,hepatic ALDOA was significantly upregulated in the promotion and progression stages of diethylnitrosamine-induced HCC models,and the knockdown of Aldoa strikingly decreased HCC development in vivo.Our study demonstrated that ALDOA is a vital driver for HCC development by activating c-Jun-mediated oncogene transcription,opening additional avenues for anti-cancer therapies.

Objective To comparatively observe the value of 131I whole-body scanning(WBS)and 131I-SPECT/CT for evaluating residual thyroid tissue,lymph node and distant metastasis,as well as risk of recurrence of differentiated thyroid cancer(DTC)after surgical resection and initial radioactive iodine(RAI)treatment.Methods Totally 367 DTC patients who underwent initial RAI treatment after surgical resection and then 131I-WBS and 131I SPECT/CT scanning were retrospectively collected.131I-WBS and 131I SPECT/CT were compared for identifying residual thyroid,lymph node and distant metastases.According to follow-up results,the risk of DTC recurrence was evaluated based on 131I-WBS and 131I-SPECT/CT,respectively.Results Residual thyroid was detected in 353 cases and suspected in 3 cases with 131 I-WBS,which was diagnosed in 349 cases with 131I-SPECT/CT,and no significant difference was found between 2 methods(P=0.289).131I-WBS detected 36 cases with and suspected 67 cases with lymph node metastases,312 without distant metastases,while 131I-SPECT/CT diagnosed lymph node metastases in 52 cases;131I-WBS detected 20 cases with and suspected 35 cases with distant metastases,while 131I-SPECT/CT diagnosed 60 cases with distant metastases but could not diagnose in 3 cases,304 without distant metastases.The detection rate of 131I-SPECT/CT for lymph node and distant metastasis were both higher than that of 131I-WBS(P=0.018,P＜0.001).During follow-up period,there were 94 cases with low risk,155 with medium risk and 118 with high risk of DTC recurrence according to 131I-SPECT/CT,while 116 cases of low risk,137 of medium risk and 114 of high risk based on 131I-SPECT/CT,and the evaluating results were different between 2 methods in 40 cases(40/367,10.90％).Conclusion Compared with 131I-WBS,131I-SPECT/CT had better clinical value for evaluating lymph node and distant metastases and assessing recurrence risk of DTC after initial RAI treatment.

The working principle of Bausch&Lomb BL11110 phacoemulsification system was described.Three cases of typical faults of the phacoemulsification system were introduced,and the causes were analyzed,then the maintenance measures were given accordingly.References were provided for diagnosing and eliminating the faults of the phacoemulsification system.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(4):118-120]

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of valve-in-valve transcatheter mitral valve replacement(ViV-TMVR)in patients with bioprosthetic valve degeneration who are at high surgical risk.Methods This study is a multi-center,retrospective cohort analysis of 20 consecutive patients who underwent transseptal ViV-TMVR using the Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve(THV).The primary endpoints include technical success and procedural success,both defined according to the Mitral Valve Academic Research Consortium(MVARC)criteria,as well as mortality and functional change assessed based on New York Heart Association(NYHA)classification at 30-days and six months post-procedure.Clinical follow-up assessments are conducted at 30-days and six months.Results From February 2021 to October 2022,a total of 20 patients with symptoms of bioprosthetic valve degeneration were enrolled across nine sites in China.The patients had a mean age of(73.5±5.5)years,with 85.0％being females and 70.0％classified as NYHA class Ⅲ/Ⅳ.The study achieved a 100.0％technical success rate and a 90.0％procedural success rate finally.All patients remained alive during the 30-day follow-up period.However,six months post-intervention,two patients(10.0％)were re-hospitalized due to heart failure,and sadly,one of them(5.0％)died.None of the patients reported any adverse events related to ViV-TMVR during the follow-up period.Notably,there was a significant improvement in NYHA class compared to baseline(P=0.0004)at six-month follow-ups.Conclusions The transseptal ViV-TMVR technique proved to be highly successful and was associated with significant improvement in NYHA class function.These findings strongly suggest that it serves as a safe and efficient treatment alternative for high-risk patients suffering from bioprosthetic valve degeneration.

Objective To analyse and explore whether there is a causal association without confounding factors between malignant haematological diseases and frailty based on a bidirectional Mendelian randomisation(MR)analysis,and to provide a theoretical basis for clinical management of the frailty associated with malignant haematological diseases.Methods In December 2023,the IEU OpenGWAS database(https://gwas.mrcieu.ac.uk/)was searched to acquire the datasets in genome-wide association studies(GWAS)derived from non-overlapping multi-ethnic populations based on Mendelian Randomisation(MR)analysis.The bidirectional causal association was verified utilising the two-sample MR approach.Single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)of the frailty index(FI)(n=175,226),haematological malignancies(n=212,453),multiple myeloma/malignant plasmacytoma(n=218,792),and follicular lymphoma(n=181,278)were used as the study instruments.Results The analysis with the statistic inverse variance weighted method(IVW)showed that haematological malignancies(OR=1.00,95%CI:0.98-1.00,P=0.797),multiple myeloma/malignant plasma cell tumours(OR=1.00,95%CI 0.99～1.01,P=0.982),and follicular lymphoma(OR=1.00,95%CI:0.99～1.01,P=0.314)were not causally associated with genetically predicted FI.Similarly,FI was not significantly or causally correlated with haematological malignancies(OR=0.89,95%CI:0.25～3.12,P=0.861),multiple myeloma/malignant plasma cell tumours(OR=0.52,95%CI:0.00～3.13,P=0.473),and follicular lymphoma(OR=1.06,95%CI:0.00～5.19,P=0.944).Conclusion No causal relationship between the malignant haematological diseases and frailty was found in this study.It suggests that other factors might exist to cause the malignant haematological frailty.