Background: Postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction (PGID) is a common complication arising from colorectal cancer surgery. Attributing factors, such as anesthesia, surgical retraction, and early intake of water, can inhibit gastrointestinal motility, causing constipation, reduction or absence of bowel sounds, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms. Delayed recovery in gastrointestinal function can lead to intestinal obstructions or paralysis, anastomotic leaks, and other complications, affecting the patient’s recovery and quality of life negatively. Due to its complex pathophysiology, treatment for PGID in colorectal patients has remained a challenge. Acupuncture is an alternative therapy commonly used for postoperative recovery. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of acupuncture on PGID. Through the complementation of acupuncture and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, the advantages of acupuncture treatments could be demonstrated to promote its application in future clinical practice. Methods: The study design is a prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT). One hundred sixty postoperative colorectal cancer patients will be recruited from Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CICAMS). Subjects who fulfill inclusion criteria will be randomly assigned into the acupuncture group (AG) (n = 80) or control group (CG) (n = 80). AG will receive acupuncture treatment and perioperative care guided by ERAS protocols, and CG will only receive perioperative care guided by ERAS protocols. The intervention will begin on the first day post-surgery, continuing for 4 days, with a follow-up assessment in a month. Time of first postoperative flatus would be the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures include the time of first postoperative defecation, time of first fluid intake, time of first ambulation, postoperative hospital stay, gastrointestinal reaction score, acupuncture sensation evaluation scale, laboratory tests, postoperative quality of life, readmission rate, and postoperative complications. All results are evaluated from baseline, post-treatment, and upon follow-up. Discussion: The results of the study would help elucidate evidence of the therapeutic effects of acupuncture on the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function. The objective of the study aims for the eventual inclusion of acupuncture in the ERAS protocol, allowing for wider application in clinical practice. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ChiCTR2000036351. Registered on August 22, 2020

And purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of applying a partially randomized patients' preference (PRPP) trial in the clinical evaluation of acupuncture versus cupping therapy for fibromyalgia. The final study included 126 participants. Participants without a treatment modality preference were randomly assigned to either the cupping therapy group or the acupuncture group. Patients with strong preferences were assigned to their treatment modality of choice. Ashi points were used for treatment. Outcome measures were both qualitative (patient expectation and satisfaction) and quantitative (drop-out rate, pain intensity, quality of life, depression assessment). The recruitment of the non-randomized participants was completed 8 months before the randomized participants were recruited. There was no statistical difference related to the grouping method in the adjusted drop-out rate, patient expectation, and satisfaction. The PRPP model is suitable for use in the clinical evaluation of non-pharmaceutical therapies.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of 13 obesity and dyslipidemia-related indicators in predicting post-stroke depression (PSD) and to determine the optimal cutoff values for these indicators in middle-aged and elderly Chinese populations. This study utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) spanning 2011 to 2020, which included 3912 participants aged 45 years and older. Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC), Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR), Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI), Adiposity Body Shape Index (ABSI), Body Roundness Index (BRI), Lipid Accumulation Score (LAP), Cone Index (CI), Chinese Visceral Adiposity Index (CVAI), Triglyceride-Glucose (TyG) Index, and its related indices (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR). Logistic regression analysis assessed the unadjusted and adjusted associations between these indicators and PSD. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was calculated for each indicator as a predictor of PSD capability to compare predictive performance and determine optimal cutoff values. After adjusting for confounding factors, 12 obesity and dyslipidemia-related indices were independently associated with PSD risk in women (p < 0.05), with 11 indicators demonstrating predictive value for PSD (all AUC > 0.6). Among these, the CVAI index exhibited the highest predictive efficacy (AUC = 0.693, 95% CI: 0.602-0.757, optimal cutoff = 128.031). Among men, 12 obesity and lipid-related indices were independently associated with PSD risk (p < 0.05), but all indices demonstrated poor predictive value for PSD (AUC < 0.6). PSD risk significantly increased with higher obesity and lipid indices. Among the 12 obesity-related lipid parameters excluding ABSI, all were effective predictors of PSD risk in middle-aged and elderly Chinese women, with CVAI being the optimal predictor. These indices can serve as simple screening tools to identify PSD risk and facilitate early intervention. Effective predictors for male PSD require further exploration.

Background: Notwithstanding the acknowledged interplay between atrial fibrillation (AF) and the emergence of digestive system neoplasms, the intricacies of this relationship remain ambiguous. By capitalizing univariable Mendelian Randomization (MR) complemented by a mediated MR tactic, our pursuit was to elucidate the causative roles of AF in precipitating digestive system malignancies and potential intermediary pathways.Method: This research endeavor seeks to scrutinize the causal clinical implications of whether genetic predispositions to AF correlate with an increased risk of digestive system malignancies, employing MR analytical techniques. Utilizing a dataset amalgamated from six studies related to AF, encompassing over 1,000,000 subjects, we performed univariable MR assessments, employing the random-effects inverse-variance weighted (IVW) methodology as our principal analytical paradigm. Subsequently, a mediated MR framework was employed to probe the potential mediating influence of AF on the nexus between hypertension (HT), heart failure (HF), ischemic stroke (IS), coronary artery disease (CAD), and digestive system neoplasms.Result: The univariable MR evaluation unveiled a notable causal nexus between the genetic inclination toward AF and the genetic susceptibility to colon, esophageal, and small intestine malignancies. The mediated MR scrutiny ascertained that the genetic inclination for AF amplifies the risk profile for colon cancer via IS pathways and partially explains the susceptibility to esophageal and small intestine tumors through the HF pathway.Conclusion: Our investigative endeavor has highlighted a definitive causative association between genetic inclination to AF and specific digestive system neoplasms, spotlighting IS and HF as instrumental mediators. Such revelations furnish pivotal perspectives on the complex genetic interconnections between cardiovascular anomalies and certain digestive tract tumors, emphasizing prospective therapeutic and diagnostic worthy of pursuit.