FreshRSS

🔒
☐ ☆ ✇ PLOS ONE Medicine&Health

Serum 25(OH)D levels and mortality risk among middle-aged and elderly populations in the U.S.: A prospective cohort study

Por: Yaowen Hu · Faliang Gao · Yuan Yang · Wei Yang · Huibo He · Jie Zhou · Yujie Zhao · Xi Chen · Wenyan Zhao · Xiaopeng He — Julio 24th 2025 at 16:00

by Yaowen Hu, Faliang Gao, Yuan Yang, Wei Yang, Huibo He, Jie Zhou, Yujie Zhao, Xi Chen, Wenyan Zhao, Xiaopeng He

Objective

To investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its relationship with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among middle-aged and elderly populations in the U.S.

Methods

Data were sourced from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001–2018. A total of 22,130 participants aged 40–70 years were included. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations were measured and categorized. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and secondary outcomes were cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer mortality. Multivariable-adjusted models and various statistical analyses were employed.

Results

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (≤50.00 nmol/L) was 33.59%, and insufficiency (≤75.00 nmol/L) was 71.74%. For all-cause mortality, the multivariate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) across different 25(OH)D levels (p = 0.0069, 0.59 (0.49,0.72) p p  Conclusion

This study found that higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations are linked to lower all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. The relationship is nonlinear: increases in concentration reduce death risk below a certain threshold, but above it, the association weakens. Further research is needed to understand causal mechanisms.

☐ ☆ ✇ Journal of Clinical Nursing

Virtual reality‐based dementia educational programmes for formal and informal caregivers of people with dementia: A scoping review

Por: Shengze Zhi · Shizheng Gao · Juanjuan Sun · Dongfei Ma · Yanjie Zhao · Meng He · Xiangning Zhu · Yueyang Dong · Buheliqianmu Aini · Jiao Sun — Abril 30th 2024 at 08:13

Abstract

Aim

To map evidence of the existing virtual reality-based dementia educational programmes and the effects of these educational programmes on dementia formal and informal caregivers.

Design

A scoping review.

Methods

A comprehensive search of nine databases was conducted to find studies from the inception of the databases to October 2023. Two authors independently screened the titles and abstracts related to the eligibility criteria. Full texts of potentially relevant studies were read by one author and checked by a second. Data extraction and synthesis using NVivo 12 were undertaken by one author and checked by two other authors.

Results

Nineteen studies published between 2002 and 2022. The four randomised controlled studies and five qualitative studies were of moderate to good methodological quality. The 10 quasi-experimental studies were of weak to moderate quality. Fifteen virtual reality-based educational programmes had a positive influence on formal and informal caregivers, including improving caregivers' perceptions changing attitudes towards people with dementia, while the nursing competence of formal caregivers did not improve in short term. Educational programmes that covered dementia-related information and care strategies better improved the knowledge level of dementia formal and informal caregivers.

Conclusions

The qualitative and quantitative studies of moderate to good quality included in this study support the idea that virtual reality-based dementia educational programmes may be a safe and effective way and have potential benefits for improving knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and nursing competence.

Impact

This scoping review will provide an emerging teaching model for formal and informal caregivers of people with dementia and help them better understand the types and the influence of virtual reality-based dementia educational programmes.

Reporting Method

PRISMA-ScR.

No Patient or Public Contribution

Not required as this review in accordance with the aim to map existing literature from the dementia formal and informal caregivers' perspective.

☐ ☆ ✇ International Wound Journal

Efficacy and safety of oral probiotic supplementation in mitigating postoperative surgical site infections in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Por: Jiahong Chen · Jie Zhao · Hongfu Wu · Tao Wang · Cifeng Gao — Diciembre 29th 2023 at 05:44

Abstract

Surgical site infections (SSIs) pose significant risks to patients undergoing colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. With increasing evidence on the benefits of oral probiotics in various clinical contexts, there is a need to assess their efficacy and safety in reducing SSIs following CRC surgery. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in line with PRISMA guidelines using the PICO framework. On 19 September 2023, four major databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library) were searched without any temporal or language restrictions. Rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria were employed. Data extraction was independently undertaken by two assessors, and any discrepancies were discussed. The Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias instrument was utilized to assess study quality. The meta-analysis incorporated a fixed-effects model or random-effects model based on the I2 statistic to assess heterogeneity. The initial search yielded 1282 articles, of which 10 met the inclusion criteria and were analysed. Probiotic administration not only significantly reduced the incidence of SSIs but also curtailed the duration of hospital stays. Moreover, the subgroup analysis indicated that interventions employing multiple strains of probiotics were more effective in reducing postoperative infections than those utilizing a single strain. Probiotics effectively prevent postoperative infections and shorten hospital stays. Multi-strain probiotics outperform single strain in efficacy. Future studies should focus on their safety and optimal clinical use.

❌