Objective To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of vericiguat tablets combined with sacubitril valsartan sodium(Sac/Val)tablets in the treatment of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF).Methods The HFrEF patients were divided into control group and treatment group according to the cohort method.The control group was treated with Sac/Val tablets 200 mg per time,bid,orally.On the basis of control group,the treatment group was treated with vericiguat tablets 2.5 mg per time,qd,taken with meal.Two groups were treated for 3 months.The clinical efficacy,left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular end-diastolic dimension(LVEDD)and end-systolic diameter(LVESD),levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),interleukin-6(IL-6),nitric oxide(NO),N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),blood urea nitrogen(BUN)and serum creatinine(SCr),and safety were compared between the two groups.During follow-up,the heart failure rehospitalization rates and major adverse cardiovascular events were compared between the two groups.Results Treatment group was enrolled 53 patients,control group was enrolled 53 patients.After treatment,the total effective rates of treatment and control groups were 94.34％(50 cases/53 cases)and 81.13％(43 cases/53 cases)with statistical significant difference(P＜0.05).After treatment,the LVEF of treatment and control groups were(48.02±5.20)％and(43.02±4.33)％,the LVEDDs were(52.85±6.30)and(55.63±6.88)mm,the LVESDs were(41.64±6.40)and(44.22±5.85)mm,the levels of hs-CRP were(10.22±2.63)and(14.60±2.98)mg L-1,the levels of IL-6 were(14.48±2.40)and(17.36±2.52)pg·mL-1,the levels of NO were(102.60±20.16)and(92.16±16.33)μmol·L-1,the levels of NT-proBNP were(898.74±102.20)and(1315.60±182.64)ng·L-1,the levels of BUN were(12.02±2.28)and(13.45±2.33)mmol·L-1,the levels of SCr were(82.22±5.89)and(85.64±6.03)μmol·L-1,the heart failure rehospitalization rates were 5.66％and 13.21％,respectively;the differences were statistical significant between two groups(all P＜0.05).The adverse drug reactions of treatment group were hyperkalemia,hypotension,renal dysfunction,dizziness and headache,while those in control group were renal dysfunction,hyperkalemia,and hypotension.The major adverse cardiovascular events of treatment group were angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction,while those in control group were angina pectoris,acute myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation.The incidences of total adverse drug reactions in treatment and control groups were 13.21％and 7.55％,the incidences of major adverse cardiovascular events were 5.66％and 13.21％,respectively,without statistically significant differences(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Vericiguat tablets combined with Sac/Val tablets have a definitive clinical efficacy in the treatment of HFrEF patients,which can improve cardiac and endothelial function,reduce inflammatory response and readmission times,without increasing the incidences of adverse drug reactions.

BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of vericiguat tablets combined with sacubitril valsartan sodium(Sac/Val)tablets in the treatment of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF).Methods The HFrEF patients were divided into control group and treatment group according to the cohort method.The control group was treated with Sac/Val tablets 200 mg per time,bid,orally.On the basis of control group,the treatment group was treated with vericiguat tablets 2.5 mg per time,qd,taken with meal.Two groups were treated for 3 months.The clinical efficacy,left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular end-diastolic dimension(LVEDD)and end-systolic diameter(LVESD),levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),interleukin-6(IL-6),nitric oxide(NO),N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),blood urea nitrogen(BUN)and serum creatinine(SCr),and safety were compared between the two groups.During follow-up,the heart failure rehospitalization rates and major adverse cardiovascular events were compared between the two groups.Results Treatment group was enrolled 53 patients,control group was enrolled 53 patients.After treatment,the total effective rates of treatment and control groups were 94.34％(50 cases/53 cases)and 81.13％(43 cases/53 cases)with statistical significant difference(P＜0.05).After treatment,the LVEF of treatment and control groups were(48.02±5.20)％and(43.02±4.33)％,the LVEDDs were(52.85±6.30)and(55.63±6.88)mm,the LVESDs were(41.64±6.40)and(44.22±5.85)mm,the levels of hs-CRP were(10.22±2.63)and(14.60±2.98)mg L-1,the levels of IL-6 were(14.48±2.40)and(17.36±2.52)pg·mL-1,the levels of NO were(102.60±20.16)and(92.16±16.33)μmol·L-1,the levels of NT-proBNP were(898.74±102.20)and(1315.60±182.64)ng·L-1,the levels of BUN were(12.02±2.28)and(13.45±2.33)mmol·L-1,the levels of SCr were(82.22±5.89)and(85.64±6.03)μmol·L-1,the heart failure rehospitalization rates were 5.66％and 13.21％,respectively;the differences were statistical significant between two groups(all P＜0.05).The adverse drug reactions of treatment group were hyperkalemia,hypotension,renal dysfunction,dizziness and headache,while those in control group were renal dysfunction,hyperkalemia,and hypotension.The major adverse cardiovascular events of treatment group were angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction,while those in control group were angina pectoris,acute myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation.The incidences of total adverse drug reactions in treatment and control groups were 13.21％and 7.55％,the incidences of major adverse cardiovascular events were 5.66％and 13.21％,respectively,without statistically significant differences(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Vericiguat tablets combined with Sac/Val tablets have a definitive clinical efficacy in the treatment of HFrEF patients,which can improve cardiac and endothelial function,reduce inflammatory response and readmission times,without increasing the incidences of adverse drug reactions.

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated management model involving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), general hospitals, and community health service centers in improving outcomes for community-dwelling patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with the aim of optimizing existing COPD management strategies.Methods:This study was a cluster randomized controlled trial. From January to March 2022, a total of 236 patients with COPD were recruited from four communities in Chibi City, Hubei Province. Ultimately, 223 patients completed follow-up and participated in the intervention evaluation. The participants were cluster-randomized into an intervention group ( n=121) and a control group ( n=102). The intervention group received a one-year "trinity" integrated community management model, while the control group received only basic follow-up. Face-to-face questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention to collect data on demographics, disease awareness, risk factors, respiratory symptoms, medication use, and disease management. Quality of life scores and pulmonary function tests were also assessed. Pre-and post-intervention outcomes were compared using t-tests or chi-square tests. Results:The intervention group demonstrated significantly higher rates of COPD awareness and disease-related knowledge compared to the control group (94.12% vs 77.78% and 78.15% vs 49.49%; both P<0.05), along with lower overall smoking rate and current smoking rate (57.14% vs 70.71% and 29.41% vs 47.47%; both P<0.05). The intervention group showed reduced household polluting fuel use for heating (17.65% vs 28.93%; P<0.05), while the control group exhibited no significant change. Significant improvements were observed in the intervention group for inhaler medication usage (14.05% vs 2.94%), exercise training, and respiratory muscle training (22.31% vs 2.94% and 26.45% vs 0.98%)(all P<0.05). Additionally, the intervention group reported lower prevalence of chronic sputum production, wheezing, and dyspnea (12.40%, 0.83%, 27.27% vs 24.51%, 9.80%, 41.18%; all P<0.05) compared to controls. Pulmonary function tests revealed that the percentage of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1%predicted) was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group [(69.53±18.01)% vs (54.90±12.39)%; both P<0.05]. Conclusions:The "trinity" integrated management model effectively enhances health literacy, self-management capabilities, and quality of life among COPD patients, while reducing behavioral risk factors. This model aligns with the long-term and individualized management needs of COPD patients.

Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

Nitrogen oxides(NOx=NO+NO2)are important precursors of ozone(O3),and NOx and its oxides together constitute reactive nitrogen oxides(NOy)in the atmosphere.A comprehensive understanding of the total NOy level in the atmosphere is of great significance for a deeper understanding of the atmospheric nitrogen cycle and oxidation,as well as for formulating strategies for air pollution prevention and control.In this work,a thermal decomposition-broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy(TD-BBCEAS)technique for online measurement of total NOy in the atmosphere was developed.With this method,the NOy was efficiently converted into NO2,and the total NOy concentration in the atmosphere was indirectly obtained by measuring NO2.Focusing on the key factors affecting the measurement of total NOy,the influence of NO titration efficiency and other NOy component TD efficiency on measurement accuracy was emphasized.By changing the oxygen(O2)flow rate through the mercury lamp to alter the O3 concentration for titrating NO,the conversion efficiency of NO was evaluated.At O2 flow rate of 6 mL/min,the conversion efficiency of NO was greater than 99%.TD efficiency testing and analysis on NO2,peroxyacetyl nitrate(PAN),nitric acid(HNO3),and nitrous acid(HONO),which account for a large proportion of atmospheric NOy components,was carried out using 680℃as the optimal TD temperature for efficient conversion of NOy.With NO and HONO sample gases as typical verification gases,the conversion efficiency of NOy and the accuracy of NOy measurement by TD-BBCEAS system were verified by switching the on and off modes of mercury lamp and TD device.At integration time of 60 s,the detection limit of the system for NOy was 2.83×1010 molecules/cm3(60 s,2σ).A comparative measurement of actual atmospheric NOy was conducted between the TD-BBCEAS system and the NOy analyzer.The observation results showed a correlation coefficient(R2)of 0.98 and a slope of 0.93,further verifying the feasibility and accuracy of applying the TD-BBCEAS system to measurement of total NOy.

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated management model involving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), general hospitals, and community health service centers in improving outcomes for community-dwelling patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with the aim of optimizing existing COPD management strategies.Methods:This study was a cluster randomized controlled trial. From January to March 2022, a total of 236 patients with COPD were recruited from four communities in Chibi City, Hubei Province. Ultimately, 223 patients completed follow-up and participated in the intervention evaluation. The participants were cluster-randomized into an intervention group ( n=121) and a control group ( n=102). The intervention group received a one-year "trinity" integrated community management model, while the control group received only basic follow-up. Face-to-face questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention to collect data on demographics, disease awareness, risk factors, respiratory symptoms, medication use, and disease management. Quality of life scores and pulmonary function tests were also assessed. Pre-and post-intervention outcomes were compared using t-tests or chi-square tests. Results:The intervention group demonstrated significantly higher rates of COPD awareness and disease-related knowledge compared to the control group (94.12% vs 77.78% and 78.15% vs 49.49%; both P<0.05), along with lower overall smoking rate and current smoking rate (57.14% vs 70.71% and 29.41% vs 47.47%; both P<0.05). The intervention group showed reduced household polluting fuel use for heating (17.65% vs 28.93%; P<0.05), while the control group exhibited no significant change. Significant improvements were observed in the intervention group for inhaler medication usage (14.05% vs 2.94%), exercise training, and respiratory muscle training (22.31% vs 2.94% and 26.45% vs 0.98%)(all P<0.05). Additionally, the intervention group reported lower prevalence of chronic sputum production, wheezing, and dyspnea (12.40%, 0.83%, 27.27% vs 24.51%, 9.80%, 41.18%; all P<0.05) compared to controls. Pulmonary function tests revealed that the percentage of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1%predicted) was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group [(69.53±18.01)% vs (54.90±12.39)%; both P<0.05]. Conclusions:The "trinity" integrated management model effectively enhances health literacy, self-management capabilities, and quality of life among COPD patients, while reducing behavioral risk factors. This model aligns with the long-term and individualized management needs of COPD patients.

Objective To analyze the genetic subtypes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the prevalence of pretreatment drug resistance in the newly reported HIV-infected men in Guangxi. Methods The stratified random sampling method was employed to select the newly reported HIV-infected men aged≥50 years old in 14 cities of Guangxi from January to June in 2020.The pol gene of HIV-1 was amplified by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and then sequenced.The mutation sites associated with drug resistance and the degree of drug resistance were then analyzed. Results A total of 615 HIV-infected men were included in the study.The genetic subtypes of CRF01_AE,CRF07_BC,and CRF08_BC accounted for 57.4% (353/615),17.1% (105/615),and 22.4% (138/615),respectively.The mutations associated with the resistance to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI),non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI),and protease inhibitors occurred in 8 (1.3%),18 (2.9%),and 0 patients,respectively.M184V (0.7%) and K103N (1.8%) were the mutations with the highest occurrence rates for the resistance to NRTIs and NNRTIs,respectively.Twenty-two (3.6%) patients were resistant to at least one type of inhibitors.Specifically,4 (0.7%),14 (2.3%),4 (0.7%),and 0 patients were resistant to NRTIs,NNRTIs,both NRTIs and NNRTIs,and protease inhibitors,respectively.The pretreatment resistance to NNRTIs had much higher frequency than that to NRTIs (2.9% vs.1.3%;χ²=3.929,P=0.047).The prevalence of pretreatment resistance to lamivudine,zidovudine,tenofovir,abacavir,rilpivirine,efavirenz,nevirapine,and lopinavir/ritonavir was 0.8%, 0.3%, 0.7%, 1.0%, 1.3%, 2.8%, 2.9%, and 0, respectively. Conclusions CRF01_AE,CRF07_BC,and CRF08_BC are the three major strains of HIV-infected men≥50 years old newly reported in Guangxi,2020,and the pretreatment drug resistance demonstrates low prevalence.
Male ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; HIV Infections/drug therapy* ; Drug Resistance, Viral/genetics* ; China/epidemiology* ; Mutation ; HIV-1/genetics* ; Protease Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Genotype

Humans ; Consensus ; Hypersensitivity ; Desensitization, Immunologic/adverse effects* ; Immunotherapy/adverse effects* ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Allergens