Hydrocephalus following spontaneous aneurysmal sub-arachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is often associated with unfavorable outcome. This study aimed to determine the potential risk factors and outcomes of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus in aneurysmal SAH patients but without hydrocephalus upon arrival at the hospital.

Background: Vascular abnormalities are the predominant histologic changes associated with radiation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study examined if the duration after radiotherapy correlates with the progression of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and investigated its relationship with inflammatory markers. Methods: One hundred and five NPC patients post-radiotherapy for more than one year and 25 healthy control subjects were examined by B-mode ultrasound for IMT measurement at the far wall of the common carotid artery (CCA). Surrogate markers including lipid profile, HbA1c, and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were assessed. Results: The IMT of CCA was significantly increased in NPC patients and carotid plaque was detected in 38 NPC patients (38/105, 36.2%). Significant risk factors for carotid plaques included age, duration after radiotherapy, and HbA1c levels. Age, duration after radiotherapy, hs-CRP, HbA1c, and platelet count positively correlated with IMT. The cut-off value of age and duration after radiotherapy for the presence of plaque was 52.5 years and 42.5 months, respectively. In NPC subjects, multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age, gender, duration after radiotherapy and platelet counts were independently associated with CCA IMT. After adjustments for age, gender and platelet counts, IMT increased in a linear manner with duration after radiotherapy. Conclusions: Radiation-induced vasculopathy is a dynamic and progressive process due to late radiation effects. Extra-cranial color-coded duplex sonography can be part of routine follow-up in NPC patients aged ≥50 years at 40 months post-radiotherapy.

Background. Glycemic variability is associated with higher risk of microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes. Aim. To test the hypothesis that glycemic variability can contribute to progression to macroalbuminuria in normal or microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. Design. This prospective study enrolled 193 patients with type 2 diabetes at a tertiary medical center. Methods. For each patient, the intrapersonal glycemic variability (mean, SD, and coefficient of variation of HbA1c) was calculated using all measurements obtained three years before the study. Patients were divided into four groups stratified by both urine albumin/creatinine ratio and HbA1c‐SD. The presence of macroalbuminuria was assessed with Kaplan–Meier plots and compared by log‐rank test. Results. Of the 193 patients, 83 patients were in the macroalbuminuria state. Patients in the initial macroalbuminuria group after enrollment had the highest diabetes duration, mean, CV‐HbA1c and HbA1c‐SD, and uric acid level, and the lowest estimate glomerular filtration rate, followed by subsequent macroalbuminuria and without macroalbuminuria groups. Patients with microalbuminuria and high HbA1c‐SD showed the highest progression rate to macroalbuminuria, after a six‐year follow‐up study by Kaplan–Meier Plots and compared by log‐rank test. Conclusions. Higher HbA1C variability is more likely to progress to macroalbuminuria in those patients who are already in a microalbuminuria state. We recommend that clinicians should aggressively control blood glucose to an acceptable range and avoid blood glucose fluctuations by individualized treatment to prevent renal status progression.

The shuffling gait with slowed speed and reduced stride length has been considered classic clinical features in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD), and the risk of falling increases as the disease progresses. This raises the possibility that clinical disease severity might mediate the relationship between stride length and speed and the risk of falling in patients with PD. Sixty-one patients with PD patients underwent the clinical scores as well as quantitative biomechanical measures during walking cycles before and after dopamine replacement therapy. Mediation analysis tests whether the direct effect of an independent variable (stride length and speed) on a dependent variable (three-step fall prediction model score) can be explained by the indirect influence of the mediating variable (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) total scores). The results demonstrate that decreased stride length, straight walking speed, and turning speed is associated with increased three-step fall prediction model score (r = −0.583, p < 0.0001, r = −0.519, p < 0.0001, and r = −0.462, p < 0.0001, respectively). We further discovered that UPDRS total scores value is negatively correlated with stride length, straight walking, and turning speed (r = −0.651, p < 0.0001, r = −0.555, p < 0.0001, and r = −0.372, p = 0.005, respectively) but positively correlated with the fall prediction model score value (r = 0.527, p < 0.0001). Further mediation analysis shows that the UPDRS total score values serve as mediators between lower stride length, straight walking, and turning speed and higher fall prediction model score values. Our results highlighted the relationship among stride length and speed, clinical disease severity, and risk of falling. As decreased stride length and speed are hallmarks of falls, monitoring the changes of quantitative biomechanical measures along with the use of wearable technology in a longitudinal study can provide a scientific basis for pharmacology, rehabilitation programs, and selecting high-risk candidates for surgical treatment to reduce future fall risk.

Background. Several comorbidities contribute to an increased risk of infections in Parkinson’s disease (PD) as the disease progresses. However, few studies have examined the correlation between sepsis and PD. Aim. The aim of this study is to disclose the presentation and outcome of serious infection in patients with PD in the emergency department. Methods. This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with PD who had serious infection and were admitted to the emergency department between January 2007 and December 2013. For clinical comparison, we compared the clinical features, laboratory data, and outcomes with those of age- and sex-matched patients who had serious infection but not PD. Results. There were a total of 1,200 episodes of infected PD patients and 2,400 age- and sex-matched infected patients without PD as disease controls. PD patients had fewer comorbidities and lower severity of infectious disease but longer hospital stays than control group patients. The incidences of respiratory tract and urinary tract infections were higher in PD patients. The levels of inflammatory and organ dysfunction biomarkers in PD were lower and compatible with the severity of infectious disease. A total of 86 (7.2%) infected PD patients died during the 28-day admission compared to 339 (14.1%) in non-PD patients. Serum C-reactive protein, bandemia, and lactate could be used to predict mortality in infected PD patients. Conclusions. In infected patients with PD, respiratory and urinary tract infections were the two most common infectious sources. Empiric therapy based on experience could treat both respiratory and urinary tract infections. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for survival.