Prospective Participants Research Articles

Asking questions that matter - Question prompt lists as tools for improving the consent process for neurotechnology clinical trials.

Implantable neurotechnology devices such as Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) and Deep Brain Stimulators (DBS) are an increasing part of treating or exploring potential treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders. While only a few devices are approved, many promising prospects for future devices are under investigation. The decision to participate in a clinical trial can be challenging, given a variety of risks to be taken into consideration. During the consent process, prospective participants might lack the language to consider those risks, feel unprepared, or simply not know what questions to ask. One tool to help empower participants to play a more active role during the consent process is a Question Prompt List (QPL). QPLs are communication tools that can prompt participants and patients to articulate potential concerns. They offer a structured list of disease, treatment, or research intervention-specific questions that research participants can use as support for question asking. While QPLs have been studied as tools for improving the consent process during cancer treatment, in this paper, we suggest they would be helpful in neurotechnology research, and offer an example of a QPL as a template for an informed consent tool in neurotechnology device trials.

Cost-Effectiveness of Polygenic Risk Scores to Guide Statin Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are leading causes of death despite effective therapies and result in unnecessary morbidity and mortality throughout the world. We aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of polygenic risk scores (PRS) to guide statin therapy for Canadians with intermediate CVD risk and model its economic outlook. This cost-utility analysis was conducted using UK Biobank prospective cohort study participants, with recruitment from 2006 to 2010, and at least 10 years of follow-up. We included nonrelated white British-descent participants (n=96 116) at intermediate CVD risk with no prior lipid lowering medication or statin-indicated conditions. A coronary artery disease PRS was used to inform decision to use statins. The effects of statin therapy with and without PRS, as well as CVD events were modelled to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio from a Canadian public health care perspective. We discounted future costs and quality-adjusted life-years by 1.5% annually. The optimal economic strategy was when intermediate risk individuals with a PRS in the top 70% are eligible for statins while the lowest 1% are excluded. Base-case analysis at a genotyping cost of $70 produced an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $172 906 (143 685 USD) per quality-adjusted life-year. In the probabilistic sensitivity analysis, the intervention has approximately a 50% probability of being cost-effective at $179 100 (148 749 USD) per quality-adjusted life-year. At a $0 genotyping cost, representing individuals with existing genotyping information, PRS-guided strategies dominated standard care when 12% of the lowest PRS individuals were withheld from statins. With improved PRS predictive performance and lower genotyping costs, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio demonstrates possible cost-effectiveness under thresholds of $150 000 and possibly $50 000 per quality-adjusted life-year. This study suggests that using PRS alongside existing guidelines might be cost-effective for CVD. Stronger predictiveness combined with decreased cost of PRS could further improve cost-effectiveness, providing an economic basis for its inclusion into clinical care.

Pendampingan dan Pelatihan Upgrading Packaging dalam Pembuatan Jamu KWT Al-Ittihad di Motong Irok, Desa Darmaji, Kecamatan Kopang, Kabupaten Lombok Tengah, NTB

Traditional herbs are natural or herbal medicines that have been used for a long time and have been proven to be good for health, because they do not contain chemicals. Indonesia has a diversity of ethnobotany (medicinal plants) that are spread out in all regions. Darmaji Village is a village in Kopang District, Central Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, with a very diverse community livelihood, ranging from farmers, breeders, and various types of micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). These potentials have not been used to prosper the life of the Darmaji village community, because of the large income inequality for the village community. This community service aims to increase awareness of the Darmaji village community about their potentials, one of which is MSMEs such as processing traditional herbal medicine. This activity is divided into 5 (five) stages, namely (1) the survey phase, this activity is an initial activity to conduct a feasibility study of local potentials and participants who will be involved in the activity, (2) the socialization phase in which the community service team provides relevant information. clearly related to the training program that will be held for prospective training participants, (3) The stage of procurement of tools and goods, the community service team procures the right goods according to the aspects of need, price, efficiency and transparency of use in supporting community service activities, (4) Stage technical training, this activity is a core activity consisting of theoretical and practical activities, and (5) the mentoring stage, namely continuous and systematic assistance carried out to ensure product quality is worthy of being marketed

Hyperpolarized 129Xe MR Spectroscopy in the Lung Shows 1-year Reduced Function in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a temporally and spatially heterogeneous lung disease. Identifying whether IPF in a patient is progressive or stable is crucial for treatment regimens. Purpose To assess the role of hyperpolarized (HP) xenon 129 (129Xe) MRI measures of ventilation and gas transfer in IPF generally and as an early signature of future IPF progression. Materials and Methods In a prospective study, healthy volunteers and participants with IPF were consecutively recruited between December 2015 and August 2019 and underwent baseline HP 129Xe MRI and chest CT. Participants with IPF were followed up with forced vital capacity percent predicted (FVC%p), diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide percent predicted (DLco%p), and clinical outcome at 1 year. IPF progression was defined as reduction in FVC%p by at least 10%, reduction in DLco%p by at least 15%, or admission to hospice care. CT and MRI were spatially coregistered and a measure of pulmonary gas transfer (red blood cell [RBC]-to-barrier ratio) and high-ventilation percentage of lung volume were compared across groups and across fibrotic versus normal-appearing regions at CT by using Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Results Sixteen healthy volunteers (mean age, 57 years ± 14 [SD]; 10 women) and 22 participants with IPF (mean age, 71 years ± 9; 15 men) were evaluated, as follows: nine IPF progressors (mean age, 72 years ± 7; five women) and 13 nonprogressors (mean age, 70 years ± 10; 11 men). Reduction of high-ventilation percent (13% ± 6.1 vs 8.2% ± 5.9; P = .03) and RBC-to-barrier ratio (0.26 ± 0.06 vs 0.20 ± 0.06; P = .03) at baseline were associated with progression of IPF. Participants with progressive disease had reduced RBC-to-barrier ratio in structurally normal-appearing lung at CT (0.21 ± 0.07 vs 0.28 ± 0.05; P = .01) but not in fibrotic regions of the lung (0.15 ± 0.09 vs 0.14 ± 0.04; P = .62) relative to the nonprogressive group. Conclusion In this preliminary study, functional measures of gas transfer and ventilation measured with xenon 129 MRI and the extent of fibrotic structure at CT were associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis disease progression. Differences in gas transfer were found in regions of nonfibrotic lung. © RSNA, 2022 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Gleeson and Fraser in this issue.

Promoting the Pipeline of Diverse Individuals Within Gastroenterology: Reflections From AGA FORWARD Program Scholars

Promoting the Pipeline of Diverse Individuals Within Gastroenterology: Reflections From AGA FORWARD Program Scholars

Optimalisasi Web Desa Guna Penyampaian Informasi Perkembangan dan Kegiatan Desa

The village website is one of the infrastructures that must be provided by the local government to convey information related to village development, village potentials, and their activities to the society. However, most village websites in Rogojampi District have a very minimal frequency of updating information. This community service aims to equip village officials with the skills to present data digitally so that information updating activities can be improved. This activity is carried out in three stages, which are preparation, workshop, and evaluation - mentoring. At the preparation stage, coordination with partners is carried out to map the initial skills of prospective participants and the material to be provided. At the workshop stage, participants are equipped with the skills to design infographics using Canva and the application of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques on websites. Participants are accompanied for one month to update information on the village website. As many as 90% of village officials who participated in the training have updated the information on their website. Thus the service activities have been successful

Recruiting Participants with Complex Communication Access Needs in Social Science Research: Issues of Capacity and Consent

Qualitative research assumes verbal and written communication ability from participants. Legitimised by the ethical pillars of ‘capacity’ and ‘consent’, articulate speech acts are the hidden ticket to research inclusion. The knowledge contribution of people with complex communication access needs is left off; a situation that undermines social science, reinforces disability exclusion paradigms and bypasses opportunities to remediate the problem. In this study, an important part of capacity assessment was transferred from the researcher to the prospective participants to sign off on the investigators’ capacity to communicate using alternative augmentative communication. The article begins with an exploration of the problem before describing the adaptations made and implemented in this study and their implications for social science.

A critical review on cancer vaccines: a promising immunotherapy

Cancer vaccines are a type of immunotherapy that can assist in educating the immune system about what cancer cells "look like" so that it can practively destroy them. A lack of an efficient adjuvant and insufficient efficacy hurdles the development of cancer vaccines based on tumor-associated antigens. To improve the efficacy of vaccines, a genetically engineered method was reviewed to achieving the codelivery of antigen and adjuvant to enhance immune responses. For more than 25 years, the development of cancer vaccines has been at the forefront of cancer research. The main emphasis has been on delivery strategies used to promote strong and long-lasting immune responses. Recent developments have made it possible to advance the engineering of therapeutic cancer vaccines. Target selection, vaccine development and techniques for overturning immunosuppressive systems used by malignancies have all made significant strides. To accelerate future developments and provide guidance to the prospective participants in this field, this commentary-style review provides an overview of recent developments in therapeutic, HPV and DNA cancer vaccines especially focusing on modeling and simulation advances to date.

Exploring perceptions and experiences of female secondary school singers in Aotearoa New Zealand

Female adolescent voice change (FAVC) is characterized by objectively measurable developments in both physiological and acoustical aspects of voice. Despite these observable changes, this period of vocal development has had little representation in both scientific and pedagogical research. Furthermore, few studies have articulated the perceptions and experiences of FAVC from the point of view of the singers themselves. This exploratory study collected data pertaining to vocal function and voice-learning experiences during adolescence from an anonymous cohort of female adolescent singing students in Aotearoa New Zealand. A link to an anonymous online questionnaire was disseminated through national online advertising and snowballing to prospective participants (cis-gender female adolescent singers aged 16–19 years). Using nonparametric statistical tests and qualitative analyses, significant associations were found between objective and perceptual measures of vocal function, voice-learning experience, and lesson delivery context. Participants who take individual singing lessons reported greater self-perceived ease of vocal function than those who take small group lessons. The FAVC is a stage of vocal and psycho-emotional development that may be either healthily facilitated or hindered by the level of student understanding of normal vocal-developmental characteristics as well as lesson delivery format. Data from this study add to a limited pool that aims to quantify the FAVC experience from an experiential perspective and will assist in refining pedagogical strategies for working with female adolescent singers.

Pelatihan Kelompok Sadar Wisata: Pembuatan Brosur Desa Wisata Berbahasa Inggris

TRAINING FOR TOURISM AWARENESS GROUPS: MAKING TOURISM VILLAGE BROCHURES IN ENGLISH. The community service activity was conducted in the form of online training intended for representatives of tourism awareness groups (Pokdarwis). Focusing on enabling the participants to create English brochures promoting their respective tourism villages, the rationale of conducting this training was to empower the participants to be able to advertise the potential of their respective tourism villages to foreigners. The training was conducted in seven sessions from 6 October 2021 up to 1 December 2021. The first session was on the principles of good brochures in terms of design, whilst the next six sessions were on how to write the sections of the brochure in English. The second session was on how to write about villages’ profiles and potentials. The third was on villages’ history and uniqueness. The fourth, fifth, and sixth were on various activities available for visiting tourists. The seventh or last session was the celebration of learning. In conclusion, the training was sufficiently successful despite the low attendance rate. Future programmes could be preceded with more sound needs analysis to ensure not only the relevance of the training materials but also the prospective participants;’ interests in joining such programmes.

Hubungan sosio demografi dan pendapatan dengan kepatuhan membayar iuran PBPU pekerja mandiri di BPJS kesehatan KC Jambi

Abstract
 Background : Payment of BPJS Health contributions to PBPU-independent workers is a major challenge for BPJS Health, because there is no agency responsible for consistent payment of contributions to these participants. High levels of non-compliance with payment of contributions can reduce the collectability of contributions and pose a significant financial risk to BPJS Kesehatan. Nationally, the highest arrears of participant contributions were PBPU participants-independent workers (Rp. 5,654,930,976,944,-), which was 86.88% of the total arrears of contributions for BPJS Health participants. Meanwhile, the arrears of participant contributions in the BPJS Kesehatan Jambi Branch Office as of December 4, 2020 were around 215,369 people with a total of Rp. 161,513,573,648,-. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between sociodemographic factors and compliance with paying BPJS Health contributions to PBPU participants-Independent Workers in the Jambi Branch Office working area.
 Method : This study is a descriptive study using a cross-sectional design. The research population is PBPU participants- BPJS Health independent workers in the Jambi Branch Office working area. The sample calculation uses the Lemeshow formula, which is as many as 192 samples. The research instrument used a questionnaire, while data processing was done by editing data, data coding, data entry, data cleaning, and data processing, then analyzed univariate and bivariate with chi-square test.
 Results : The results showed that there was a significant relationship between income and compliance with paying BPJS Health contributions (p-value = 0.045) and there was no significant relationship between age (p-value = 0.120), gender (p-value = 0.705) , education (p-value=0.089), and number of family members (p-value=0.051) with compliance in paying BPJS Health contributions to PBPU participants-independent workers in the Jambi Branch Office working area. 
 Conclusion : There is a relationship between income and compliance with paying contributions, and there is no relationship between age, gender, education, and number of family members with compliance with paying BPJS Health contributions to PBPU participants-independent workers in the Jambi Branch Office working area. BPJS Kesehatan is expected to be able to profile and switch contributions for BPJS Health participants and prospective participants, especially for PBPU-independent workers.
 Keywords : contributions, PBPU-Independent Workers, Compliance.

Hukum Pemanfaatan Dana Zakat untuk Melaksanakan Pernikahan Massal (Studi Kasus Wahdah Inspirasi Zakat Wahdah Islamiyah Makassar)

This study aims to: 1) find out how the mechanism for utilizing zakat funds for jama'i/e.g. weddings: 2) find out to what extent the use of zakat funds for mass weddings/jama'i is on target: and 3) explain Islamic law regarding the use of funds. zakat for jama`i/mass marriages. This research is a field research (field research). The subject of this research is WIZ Wahdah Islamiyah. Data collection methods in this study are interviews, direct observation or observation, and documentation. The results of the study can be concluded that: 1) The mechanism for implementing the use of zakat funds to carry out jama`iyah weddings/mass weddings at WIZ Wahdah is the distribution of circulars by the Wahdah Islamiyah Central Executive Board to the Wahdah Islamiyah Regional Leadership Councils in various regions and higher education institutions that under the auspices of the Wahdah Education Foundation, the opening of registration of prospective participants for jama'i/mass marriage activities and selection of file requirements and general requirements for activities, WIZ Wahdah Islamiyah conducts direct surveys, submits proposals for activity funds to WIZ Wahdah Islamiyah, conducts pre-wedding cycles, and qabul consent and walimah jama'i reception. 2) Utilization of zakat funds for jama`i/mass weddings at WIZ Wahdah has been carried out three times, namely in 2015, 2018, and 2019 using free infaq funds, using these funds to carry out walimah jama'i receptions. 3) The legal stipulation of the use of zakat funds to carry out jama'i/mass marriages is taken from the ijtihad of the ulama and the agreement of the WIZ Wahdah Islamiyah sharia board, namely it is permissible to use zakat funds for jama'i/mass marriages.

Dubious effect of the high biventricular paced beats percentage itself on the cardiac resynchronization efficacy in patients with atrial fibrillation. The randomized Pilot-CRAfT Study results

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Institute of Cardiology statutory grant Background The presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) recipients is common and AF is a marker of poorer CRT response. The negative influence of AF on CRT efficacy is belived to be mediated mainly by the drop of effectively captured biventricular paced beats percentage (BiVp%). According to observational trials, the minimal BiVp associated with better outcomes is 95-98%, however there is lack of randomized trials to confirm this findings. Purpose The purpose of the study was to assess the influence of BiVp% itself on the clinical outcomes in the population CRT patients with atrial fibrillation in a prospective, randomized cohort. Methods The study included the prospective Pilot-CRAfT study participants that is patients with CRT and permanent or persistent AF lasting for ≥6 months that were randomly assigned to rhythm or rate control strategy. We divided the whole study population according to their BiVp at the 12 month follow-up with two borderline BiVp values (BiVp >98% vs <98% and >95% vs <95%) and analysed the echocardiographic indices, exercise tolerance and quality of life between the prespecified groups. Results The study included 43 CRT patients (97,7% males) aged 68,4 (SD: ±8,3) years with mean BiVp% 82,4% ±9,7% at baseline. The mean baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) were: 30 ±8%, 65 ±8 mm, 14 ±5 mL/(kg*min), respectively. In both of the study arms the BiVp% raised significantly reaching 98,1 ±2,3% and 96,3 ±3,9% in the rhythm control and the rate control arms respectively (P=0,093). As a result the were overall 21 patients with BiVp >98% and 29 patients with BiVp >95% at the end of the study. The BiVp groups >98% vs <98% and >95% vs <95% did not differ as to baseline characteristics and we have not observed any differences in the mean LVEF, mean LVEDD, mean VO2max, and quality of life in the prespecified BiVp% groups at the end of the follow up. Moreover no linear correlations between the BiVp% and LVEF, LVEDD, VO2max values were observed. However, in the rate control group patients with AVNA performed had lower LVEDD at the end of the study (57,7 ±3,0 vs 65,4 ±7,0 p=0,007) and significant decrease in the LVEDD after AVNA was observed (-8,6 95%CI [-14,9; -2,3]). Conclusions The BiVp >98% or >95% alone does not seem to warrant good response to cardiac resynchronization in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation as assessed in the prospective randomized cohort. However, performing AVNA in this group of patients may be beneficial in terms of LVEDD decrease.

Advancing the smart city objectives of electric demand management and new services to residents by home automation—learnings from a case

Smart city projects explore solutions to improve the sustainability of urban infrastructure. In Kalasatama, a new smart city district being built in Helsinki, a solution to excite the availability of electric demand management and other energy-related services for residents is being tested. The city has made installing a specified minimum set of home automation devices obligatory in each apartment in the district, with the intention that entrepreneurial companies would start to offer energy management solutions based on that automation. This case study examines the utilisation of home automation in energy management at a point in time when approximately one-third of the dwellings in the smart city district are complete. According to the results of the study, companies developing and building apartments in the area of Kalasatama do not seem to find the regulation concerning home automation to be directly beneficial. Also, the availability of energy management services, based on the home automation solution, seems to remain low for the residents of the district. Based on these findings, we propose that similar smart city projects should be subject to a wider dialogue between policymakers and prospective market participants in the project conceptualisation phase.

Workplace contact patterns in England during the COVID-19 pandemic: Analysis of the Virus Watch prospective cohort study.

SummaryBackgroundWorkplaces are an important potential source of SARS-CoV-2 exposure; however, investigation into workplace contact patterns is lacking. This study aimed to investigate how workplace attendance and features of contact varied between occupations across the COVID-19 pandemic in England.MethodsData were obtained from electronic contact diaries (November 2020-November 2021) submitted by employed/self-employed prospective cohort study participants (n=4,616). We used mixed models to investigate the effects of occupation and time for: workplace attendance, number of people sharing workspace, time spent sharing workspace, number of close contacts, and usage of face coverings.FindingsWorkplace attendance and contact patterns varied across occupations and time. The predicted probability of intense space sharing during the day was highest for healthcare (78% [95% CI: 75–81%]) and education workers (64% [59%–69%]), who also had the highest probabilities for larger numbers of close contacts (36% [32%–40%] and 38% [33%–43%] respectively). Education workers also demonstrated relatively low predicted probability (51% [44%–57%]) of wearing a face covering during close contact. Across all occupational groups, workspace sharing and close contact increased and usage of face coverings decreased during phases of less stringent restrictions.InterpretationMajor variations in workplace contact patterns and mask use likely contribute to differential COVID-19 risk. Patterns of variation by occupation and restriction phase may inform interventions for future waves of COVID-19 or other respiratory epidemics. Across occupations, increasing workplace contact and reduced face covering usage is concerning given ongoing high levels of community transmission and emergence of variants.FundingMedical Research Council; HM Government; Wellcome Trust

Assessment of knowledge, concerns and support of physicians towards biobanks in Pakistan, and their willingness to donate

Biospecimen collection and storage and biobank data have numerous ethical issues. Physicians are key stakeholders because they may contact prospective participants and become biobank users. This research aims to assess Pakistani doctors' views and knowledge regarding biobanking and willingness to donate. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted. 473 doctors completed the questionnaire. Participants had sufficient knowledge of biobanking. Of those, 74.2% heard of the term "Human Genome Project," while 72.5% were familiar with the term. 61.5% showed their willingness to donate biospecimens. Marital status (0.001), faculty (0.001), involvement in research (0.038), blood and tissue testing in recent years (0.420) and demonstrated a significant relationship with willingness to donate. Although 65.8% agreed biobanks should be able to exchange biospecimens with foreign research groupsand, only 49.5% agreed on collaboration with pharmaceutical companies. Although over half of Pakistani doctors heard of biobanking, the presence of biobanks in Pakistan was restricted. They were concerned about marketing, widespread consent and confidentiality. There is a great gap of knowledge and awareness among stakeholders that should encompass several educational initiatives. Community conversations on the problems of marketing and the return of research findings should begin to achieve an agreement.

Attitudes Toward Payment for Research Participation: Results from a U.S. Survey of People Living with HIV

Little is known about how payment affects individuals' decisions to participate in HIV research. Using data from a U.S. survey of people living with HIV (N = 292), we examined potential research participants’ attitudes toward payment, perceived study risk based on payment amount, and preferred payment forms, and how these factors vary by sociodemographic characteristics. Most respondents agreed people should be paid for HIV research participation (96%) and said payment would shape their research participation decisions (80%). Men, less formally educated individuals, and members of some minoritized racial-ethnic groups were less likely to be willing to participate in research without payment. Higher payment was associated with higher perceived study risks, while preferences for form of payment varied by age, gender, education, race-ethnicity, and census region of residence. Findings suggest payment may influence prospective research participants’ risk–benefit calculus and participation, and that a one-size-fits-all approach to payment could differentially influence participation among distinct sociodemographic groups.

Supermarket/Hypermarket Opportunistic Screening for Atrial Fibrillation (SHOPS-AF): A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study Protocol.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and a key risk factor for ischaemic stroke. Following AF detection, treatment with oral anticoagulation can significantly lower mortality and morbidity rates associated with this risk. The availability of several hand-held devices which can detect AF may enable trained health professionals to adopt AF screening approaches which do not interfere with people’s daily routines. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a hand-held device (the MyDiagnostick single-lead Electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor) in screening for AF when embedded into the handles of supermarket trolleys. Methods: A mixed methods two-phase approach will be taken. The quantitative first phase will involve the recruitment of 2000 participants from a convenience sample at four large supermarkets with pharmacies. Prospective participants will be asked to conduct their shopping using a trolley embedded with a MyDiagnostick sensor. If the device identifies a participant with AF, the in-store pharmacist will be dispatched to take a manual pulse measurement and a static control sensor reading and offer a cardiologist consultation referral. When the sensor does not detect AF, a researcher will confirm the reading with a manual pulse measurement. ECGs will be compiled, and the sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values will be determined. A qualitative second phase will consist of semi-structured interviews carried out with those pharmacists and store managers in-store during the running of the trial period. These will explore the perceptions of staff regarding the merits of embedding sensors in the handles of supermarket trolleys to detect AF. Conclusion: This feasibility study will inform a larger future definitive trial.

Association of Tai Chi exercise with physical and neurocognitive functions, frailty, quality of life and mortality in older adults: Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study.

real-world observations on the long-term benefits of Tai Chi (TC) exercise, in terms of physical and cognitive functioning, frailty, quality of life (QOL) and mortality are lacking. prospective cohort study participants were community-dwelling adults aged 55+, including 5,407 non-frequent TC participants (<1x/week) and 572 frequent TC participants (≥1x/week). Outcome measures at baseline and 3-5years follow-up included physical performance (Knee Extension Strength, POMA Balance and Gait, Timed-up-and-go, Gait Speed) and neurocognitive performance (attention and working memory, visual-motor tracking and mental flexibility, verbal learning and memory, visual memory, spatial and constructional ability), Frailty Index ≥0.10, impaired QOL (SF12 physical and mental component) and all-cause mortality from mean 13years follow-up. Effect estimates were adjusted for socio-demographics, other physical activities, nutritional risk and presence of cardiometabolic diseases. frequent TC participation was associated with 0.7-fold lower prevalence of impaired physical QOL [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.57-0.91], decreased 0.4-fold odds of incident prefrailty/frailty among robust participants at baseline and 0.7-fold odds of impaired mental QOL at follow-up among participants with normal mental QOL at baseline. Lower odds of mortality risk (HR = 0.89, 95%CI = 0.72-1.09) were not significant after controlling for socioeconomic, behavioural and health factors. Composite indexes of physical functional and neurocognitive performance were maintained at high level or increased at follow-up among frequent TC participants. TC exercise practised among community-dwelling older adults is associated with better physical, cognitive and functional wellbeing.

Investigating the inverse association between glycaemia and abdominal aortic dilatation in a large Chinese hypertensive population: a cross-sectional study.

BackgroundThere is epidemiological evidence that diabetes has a protective effect on the occurrence and development of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). However, information on the role of glucose level on abdominal aortic diameter is limited. This study sought to assess the relationship between fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and infra-renal aortic diameter in a Chinese hypertensive population.MethodsThe prospective participants comprised candidates from 2 large population-based studies on the clinical presentation and management of hypertension in China. In total, 18,034 hypertensive participants (6,942 male and 11,092 females, with a mean age of 64.72±7.41 years) were included in the study. The maximal diameter of the infra-renal aorta was measured by ultrasound scanning. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the specific association between FPG and abdominal aortic diameter. The interaction terms between the baseline covariables and the aortic diameter were used to determine if a variable affected the association between FPG and abdominal aortic diameter.ResultsOf these, 22 cases of AAA were identified, and the prevalence of diabetes was lower in those with AAA than those without. A significant negative association was also found between FPG and aortic diameter in both sexes. A dose-dependent decrease in the prevalence of diabetes across quartiles of aortic diameter was also observed, with an estimated odds ratio (OR) of 0.60 (95% CI: 0.50–0.72) for men and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.63–0.82) for women for the top quartiles compared to the bottom quartiles. Cigarette smoking only interacted with the association between FPG level and aortic diameter in women. The association did not differ with other subgroups.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that glycaemia may plays a protective role in the early stage of aortic dilatation in both sexes in a Chinese hypertensive population. Prospective studies need to be conducted to confirm our findings and explore the mechanism underlying this association in different populations.