As the rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) continue to increase globally, so does the prevalence of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Currently, 38% of all adults and 7–14% of children and adolescents have MASLD. By 2040, the MASLD prevalence rate for adults is projected to increase to more than 55%. Although MASLD does not always develop into progressive liver disease, it has become the top indication for liver transplant in the United States for women and those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nonetheless, the most common cause of mortality among patients with MASLD remains cardiovascular disease. In addition to liver outcomes (cirrhosis and HCC), MASLD is associated with an increased risk of developing de novo T2D, chronic kidney disease, sarcopenia, and extrahepatic cancers. Furthermore, MASLD is associated with decreased health-related quality of life, decreased work productivity, fatigue, increased healthcare resource utilization, and a substantial economic burden. Similar to other metabolic diseases, lifestyle interventions such as a heathy diet and increased physical activity remain the cornerstone of managing these patients. Although several obesity and T2D drugs are available to treat co-morbid disease, resmetirom is the only MASH-targeted medication for patients with stage 2–3 fibrosis that has approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States. This review discusses MASLD epidemiology and its related risk factors and outcomes and demonstrates that without further global initiatives, MASLD incidence could continue to increase.

As the rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) continue to increase globally, so does the prevalence of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Currently, 38% of all adults and 7–14% of children and adolescents have MASLD. By 2040, the MASLD prevalence rate for adults is projected to increase to more than 55%. Although MASLD does not always develop into progressive liver disease, it has become the top indication for liver transplant in the United States for women and those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nonetheless, the most common cause of mortality among patients with MASLD remains cardiovascular disease. In addition to liver outcomes (cirrhosis and HCC), MASLD is associated with an increased risk of developing de novo T2D, chronic kidney disease, sarcopenia, and extrahepatic cancers. Furthermore, MASLD is associated with decreased health-related quality of life, decreased work productivity, fatigue, increased healthcare resource utilization, and a substantial economic burden. Similar to other metabolic diseases, lifestyle interventions such as a heathy diet and increased physical activity remain the cornerstone of managing these patients. Although several obesity and T2D drugs are available to treat co-morbid disease, resmetirom is the only MASH-targeted medication for patients with stage 2–3 fibrosis that has approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States. This review discusses MASLD epidemiology and its related risk factors and outcomes and demonstrates that without further global initiatives, MASLD incidence could continue to increase.

As the rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) continue to increase globally, so does the prevalence of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Currently, 38% of all adults and 7–14% of children and adolescents have MASLD. By 2040, the MASLD prevalence rate for adults is projected to increase to more than 55%. Although MASLD does not always develop into progressive liver disease, it has become the top indication for liver transplant in the United States for women and those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nonetheless, the most common cause of mortality among patients with MASLD remains cardiovascular disease. In addition to liver outcomes (cirrhosis and HCC), MASLD is associated with an increased risk of developing de novo T2D, chronic kidney disease, sarcopenia, and extrahepatic cancers. Furthermore, MASLD is associated with decreased health-related quality of life, decreased work productivity, fatigue, increased healthcare resource utilization, and a substantial economic burden. Similar to other metabolic diseases, lifestyle interventions such as a heathy diet and increased physical activity remain the cornerstone of managing these patients. Although several obesity and T2D drugs are available to treat co-morbid disease, resmetirom is the only MASH-targeted medication for patients with stage 2–3 fibrosis that has approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States. This review discusses MASLD epidemiology and its related risk factors and outcomes and demonstrates that without further global initiatives, MASLD incidence could continue to increase.

Background: Techniques to accelerate tooth movement have been a topic of interest in orthodontics over the past decade. As orthodontic treatment time is linked to potential detrimental effects, such as increased decalcification, dental caries, root resorption, and gingival inflammation, the possibility of reducing treatment time in orthodontics may provide multiple benefits to the patient. Another reason for the surge in interest in accelerated tooth movement has been the increased interest in adult orthodontics.ReviewThis review summarizes the different methods for surgical acceleration of orthodontic tooth movement. It also describes the advantages and limitations of these techniques, including guidance for future investigations. Conclusions Optimization of the described techniques is still required, but some of the techniques appear to offer the potential for accelerating orthodontic tooth movement and improving outcomes in well-selected cases.

Objective. Several studies showed that genetic factors affect responsiveness to statins among different populations. This study investigated the associations of candidate genetic variants with poor response to statins among Filipinos.

Methods. In this unmatched case-control study, dyslipidemic participants were grouped into statin responders and poor responders based on the degree of reduction in LDL-c from baseline. DNA from blood samples were genotyped and analyzed. The association of candidate variants with statin response was determined using chi-square and logistic regression analysis.

Results. We included 162 adults on statins (30 poor responders as cases, 132 good responders as controls). The following variants are nominally associated with poor response to statin among Filipinos at a per-comparison error rate of 0.05: rs173539 near CETP (OR=3.05, p=0.015), rs1800591 in MTTP (OR=3.07, p=0.021), and rs1558861 near the BUD13-ZPR1-APOA5 region (OR=5.08, p=0.004).

Conclusion. Genetic variants near CETP, MTTP and the BUD13-ZPR1-APOA5 region are associated with poor response to statins among Filipinos. Further study is recommended to test the external validity of the study in the general Filipino population.

Background. Low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) is a well-recognized risk factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Associated gene variants for low HDL-c have already been demonstrated in various populations. Such associations have yet to be established among Filipinos who reportedly have a much higher prevalence of low HDL-c levels compared to other races.

Objective. To determine the association of selected genetic variants and clinical factors with low HDL-c phenotype in Filipinos.

Methods. An age- and sex-matched case-control study was conducted among adult Filipino participants with serum HDL-c concentration less than 35 mg/dL (n=61) and those with HDL-c levels of more than 40 mg/dL (n=116). Genotyping was done using DNA obtained from blood samples. Candidate variants were correlated with the low HDL-c phenotype using chi-squared test and conditional logistic regression analysis.

Results. Twelve single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with low HDL-c phenotype among Filipinos with univariate regression analysis. The variant rs1260326 of glucokinase regulator (GCKR) (CT genotype: adjusted OR=5.17; p-value=0.007; TT genotype: adjusted OR=6.28; p-value=0.027) remained associated with low HDL-c phenotype, together with hypertension and elevated body mass index, after multiple regression analysis.

Conclusion. The variant rs1260326 near GCKR is associated with low HDL-c phenotype among Filipinos. Its role in the expression of low HDL-c phenotype should be further investigated prior to the development of possible clinical applications.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for left main (LMCA) coronary artery disease (CAD) was found to be non-inferior and had similar major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). In the local setting, the clinical profile and MACE of patients who underwent either revascularization are, however, unknown. OBJECTIVES: To determine the clinical profile and in-hospital MACE of patients who underwent revascularization (PCI or CABG) for LMCA and left main equivalent CAD. METHODS: This is a prospective descriptive study. Clinical profile and in-hospital, 30-days and 90-days post revascularization MACE were determined. RESULTS: Thirty-seven (37) adults were included. Most were males, diabetics, dyslipidemics, smokers, with previous cardiovascular events and premature CAD. Hypertension was significantly prevalent in the CABG group (PCI=62.50% vs CABG=90.48%, p=0.04). Patients who underwent CABG mostly presented with stable angina (p=0.0453). The majority of the PCI (68.75%) was done as an emergent/urgent procedure, with clear indications for PCI (i.e. STEMI). In-hospital all-cause mortality was significantly higher in the PCI group (PCI=50% vs CABG=0%, p<<0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with LMCA and left main equivalent CAD were mostly males and had traditional CAD risk factors. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher among the PCI group; however, those who underwent PCI were unstable and unlikely to be good surgical candidates for CABG.
Coronary Artery Disease ' ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Cardiovascular System

Objective: Brainstem segmentation has been useful in identifying potential imaging biomarkers for diagnosis and progression in atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS). However, the majority of work has been performed using manual segmentation, which is time consuming for large cohorts. Methods: We investigated brainstem involvement in APS using an automated method. We measured the volume of the medulla, pons, superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP) and midbrain from T1-weighted MRIs in 67 patients and 42 controls. Diagnoses were corticobasal syndrome (CBS, n = 14), multiple system atrophy (MSA, n = 16: 8 with parkinsonian syndrome, MSA-P; 8 with cerebellar syndrome, MSA-C), progressive supranuclear palsy with a Richardson’s syndrome (PSP-RS, n = 12), variant PSP (n = 18), and APS not otherwise specified (APS-NOS, n = 7). Results: All brainstem regions were smaller in MSA-C (19–42% volume difference, p < 0.0005) and in both PSP groups (18–33%, p < 0.0005) than in controls. MSA-P showed lower volumes in all regions except the SCP (15–26%, p < 0.0005). The most affected region in MSA-C and MSA-P was the pons (42% and 26%, respectively), while the most affected regions in both the PSP-RS and variant PSP groups were the SCP (33% and 23%, respectively) and midbrain (26% and 24%, respectively). The brainstem was less affected in CBS, but nonetheless, the pons (14%, p < 0.0005), midbrain (14%, p < 0.0005) and medulla (10%, p = 0.001) were significantly smaller in CBS than in controls. The brainstem was unaffected in APS-NOS. Conclusion Automated methods can accurately quantify the involvement of brainstem structures in APS. This will be important in future trials with large patient numbers where manual segmentation is unfeasible.

OBJECTIVES: In the USA, certain races and ethnicities have a disproportionately higher gastric cancer burden. Selective screening might allow for earlier detection and curative resection. Among a USA-based multiracial and ethnic cohort diagnosed with non-cardia gastric cancer (NCGC), we aimed to identify factors associated with curable stage disease at diagnosis. METHODS: We retrospectively identified endoscopically diagnosed and histologically confirmed cases of NCGC at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Demographic, clinical, endoscopic and histologic factors, as well as grade/stage of NCGC at diagnosis were documented. The primary outcome was the frequency of curable-stage NCGC (stage 0-1a) at diagnosis in patients with versus without an endoscopy negative for malignancy prior to their index exam diagnosing NCGC. Additional factors associated with curable-stage disease at diagnosis were determined. RESULTS: A total of 103 racially and ethnically diverse patients were included. Nearly 38% of NCGC were stage 0-Ia, 34% stage Ib-III, and 20.3% stage IV at diagnosis. A significantly higher frequency of NCGC was diagnosed in curable stages among patients who had undergone an endoscopy that was negative for malignancy prior to their index endoscopy that diagnosed NCGC, compared to patients without a negative endoscopy prior to their index exam (69.6% vs. 28.6%, p=0.003). A prior negative endoscopy was associated with 94.0% higher likelihood of diagnosing curable-stage NCGC (p=0.003). No other factors analyzed were associated with curable-stage NCGC at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic screening and surveillance in select high-risk populations might increase diagnoses of curable-stage NCGC. These findings warrant confirmation in larger, prospective studies.
Cohort Studies ; Continental Population Groups ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Urban Population