While ground-glass opacity, consolidation, and fibrosis in the lungs are some of the hallmarks of acute SAR-CoV-2 infection, it remains unclear whether these pulmonary radiological findings would resolve after acute symptoms have subsided. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate chest computed tomography (CT) abnormalities stratified by COVID-19 disease severity and multiple timepoints post-infection. PubMed/MEDLINE was searched for relevant articles until 23 May 2023. Studies with COVID-19-recovered patients and follow-up chest CT at least 12 months post-infection were included. CT findings were evaluated at short-term (1–6 months) and long-term (12–24 months) follow-ups and by disease severity (severe and non-severe). A generalized linear mixed-effects model with random effects was used to estimate event rates for CT findings. A total of 2517 studies were identified, of which 43 met the inclusion (N = 8858 patients). Fibrotic-like changes had the highest event rate at short-term (0.44 [0.3–0.59]) and long-term (0.38 [0.23–0.56]) follow-ups. A meta-regression showed that over time the event rates decreased for any abnormality (β = −0.137, p = 0.002), ground-glass opacities (β = −0.169, p < 0.001), increased for honeycombing (β = 0.075, p = 0.03), and did not change for fibrotic-like changes, bronchiectasis, reticulation, and interlobular septal thickening (p > 0.05 for all). The severe subgroup had significantly higher rates of any abnormalities (p < 0.001), bronchiectasis (p = 0.02), fibrotic-like changes (p = 0.03), and reticulation (p < 0.001) at long-term follow-ups when compared to the non-severe subgroup. In conclusion, significant CT abnormalities remained up to 2 years post-COVID-19, especially in patients with severe disease. Long-lasting pulmonary abnormalities post-SARS-CoV-2 infection signal a future public health concern, necessitating extended monitoring, rehabilitation, survivor support, vaccination, and ongoing research for targeted therapies.

Background The National Medical Unified Examination (NMUE) is a milestone in the life of medical students in Syria. The selection for residency programs depends mainly on the NMUE score, where competitive specialties require higher scores. Therefore, preparation for the NMUE might be a source of anxiety and depression. This study aims at evaluating the impact of anxiety and depression on the NMUE score. A secondary objective is to determine the effect of some factors (i.e., exercise, having breakfast, adequate sleep, and social media) on anxiety and depression. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire and included medical students who were preparing for the October 2019 NMUE exam. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used to screen for anxiety and depression, respectively. NMUE scores were obtained from the official score report. Demographics and other potential confounding factors, such as Cumulative Grade Point Average, were obtained through the questionnaire. Results One hundred and thirty (n = 130) students participated in the study, 83 of them were women (63.8%). The prevalence of anxiety and depression were 59.2 and 58%, respectively, with no difference between men and women. Both anxiety and depression were negatively correlated with the NMUE score. However, this relationship did not persist after controlling for other important predictors through multiple regression. Only exercising was statically significant in reducing PHQ-9 scores. None of the studied factors were significant in reducing GAD-7 scores. Conclusion Although participants with higher anxiety/depression had lower NMUE scores, this association does not imply causation. The high prevalence of anxiety and depression (approximately two-thirds of the participants) is concerning and may pose a great threat to students' well-being and adversely affect the quality of care provided by them as future health care professionals. ^* These authors contributed equally to this work Article published online: 14 July 2022 © 2022. Syrian American Medical Society. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd. A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India

Hadidchi R, et al. J Clin Neurol. 2025 Jul;21(4):354-356. https://doi.org/10.3988/jcn.2025.0155

Background Japan’s ‘Health Japan 21’ initiative targets a reduction in adult smoking prevalence to 12% by 2032. This study evaluates the probability of meeting this target at both national and prefectural levels by estimating and comparing prevalence trends. Method Using crude smoking prevalence data from 2001 to 2022 for the whole nation and across Japan’s 47 prefectures, we used Bayesian linear regression to project future smoking trends up to 2100. We calculated the posterior probabilities of each prefecture achieving the target by 2032 and projected the timeline for meeting this target. We defined ‘meeting the target’ as having a 60% or higher probability. Results Nationally, 2022 smoking prevalence was 16.09%, accompanied by an annual reduction rate of 3.75%. There is a 64.3% probability of achieving the 12% smoking prevalence target by 2032, with considerable prefectural variation. Out of 47 prefectures, 19 are on track to meet the target by 2032, whereas 28 are predicted to lag this deadline. For example, Tokyo (99.3% probability) and Nara (98.0% probability) could potentially reach this target as early as 2026 whereas Fukushima, Iwate and Aomori have <1% probability of achieving the target by 2032 and are not projected to reach the target until 2046 or later. Conclusions While Japan may achieve its national smoking reduction target by 2032, there are large regional variations. This variability underscores the need for tailored public health strategies that address the unique challenges faced by each prefecture to ensure a cohesive and effective tobacco control approach across the nation.

Background: Breast cancer incidence has historically been higher in Western countries; however, rates have increased substantially in East Asia, with variation by age and generation. Direct comparisons between native Asians and their US counterparts remain limited. We examined the effects of age–period–cohort (APC) on breast cancer incidence among native Japanese women, with comparisons with Japanese Americans, native Korean women, Korean Americans, and US White and Black women. Methods: We analyzed population-based cancer registry data from Japan (1985–2019), Korea (1993–2017), Hawaii (1988–2017), Los Angeles County (1988–2017), and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 8 (1985–2019). Women 25 to 84 years of age were grouped into 5-year age groups and calendar periods, and APC analyses were conducted using the NCI APC web-based tool. Results: Incidence increased with age in all populations; however, the patterns differed. Native Japanese and Koreans had the lowest overall rates with an early-midlife peak, whereas Japanese Americans resembled US Whites, with incidence increasing into older ages. Period and cohort effects were strongest among native Japanese and Koreans, with sustained increases among women born after 1950. Annual incidence increases were highest among native Koreans (5.3%) and native Japanese (3.8%), followed by Korean Americans (2.8%) and Japanese Americans (1.6%), whereas US Whites were stable or declining and US Blacks showed modest increases. Conclusions: These findings indicate an ongoing epidemiologic transition in East Asia and demonstrate how migration and generational change shape breast cancer risk across populations. Impact: Direct comparison of native and US Asian populations reveals migration-related divergence in breast cancer risk.