Category: Statistics

Int J Retina Vitreous. 2026 Mar 28. doi: 10.1186/s40942-026-00816-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study analyzes the clinical features and surgical outcomes of combat blast-related traumatic full-thickness macular holes (BRTMH) secondary to war-related ocular trauma in Ukraine, managed at a single civilian center.

METHODS: Thirteen patients (14 eyes) with diagnosis of BRTMH treated with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) were recruited for this retrospective, consecutive case, interventional study. Surgery outcome-related factors including face-down positioning were assessed and statistically analyzed.

RESULTS: Blast trauma was the cause of injury in all (100%) of the MH cases, wearing no eye protection. Four eyes (28.6%) with MH were secondary to an open-globe, whereas ten eyes (71.4) were related to a closed-globe injury. MH closure was achieved in all cases (100%) after the primary surgery. The median (IQR) ocular trauma score (OTS) was 68 (56-75), while the time interval from injury to surgery was 41 (19 to 71) days. The median (IQR, interquartile range 25-75%) Minimum Linear Diameters of the MHs (µm) was 682 μm (532-889), while nine out of fourteen eyes (64.3%) had BRTMH > 600 μm. There was a direct correlation of postoperative visual acuity at 1 month with the OTS score (ρ = 0.51, p = 0.03) and preoperative visual acuity (LogMar) (ρ = 0.72, p = 0.002), and an inverse correlation with the size of the MH (ρ = -0.63 p = 0.008).

CONCLUSION: Combination of different surgical approaches with minimization of postoperative face-down position time allows to achieve high anatomical and functional results being safe and highly acceptable for wounded patients with BRTMH.

PMID:41904516 | DOI:10.1186/s40942-026-00816-3

BMC Pediatr. 2026 Mar 28. doi: 10.1186/s12887-026-06689-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity among children and adolescents, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were extracted from the NHANES conducted between 2009 and 2018. This study included a total of 7,451 children and adolescents aged 8 to 17 years. The statistical analyses employed in this research comprised descriptive statistics, weighted linear regression, multivariate logistic regression, and restricted cubic spline analysis.

RESULTS: Significant differences in baseline characteristics were observed across the quartiles of serum 25(OH)D levels. Higher levels of 25(OH)D were associated with a greater proportion of males, younger age groups (8-12 years), non-Hispanic whites, and non-poor. Logistic regression analysis indicated that individuals in the lowest quartile of 25(OH)D levels faced a higher odd of obesity (OR: 2.82, 95% CI: 2.08-3.83) and abdominal obesity (OR: 2.42, 95% CI: 1.97-2.98) after adjusting for covariates. Restricted cubic spline analysis showed a nonlinear association between serum 25(OH)D and obesity prevalence, with an inflection point near 56.51 nmol/L; this observation does not imply causality or directionality.

CONCLUSION: Lower serum levels of 25(OH)D are correlated with a higher prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity among children and adolescents. These findings underscore the need for longitudinal or intervention studies to determine whether maintaining adequate 25(OH)D levels can help lower obesity risk in this demographic.

PMID:41904476 | DOI:10.1186/s12887-026-06689-7

BMC Public Health. 2026 Mar 28. doi: 10.1186/s12889-026-27130-9. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41904449 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-026-27130-9

BMC Pediatr. 2026 Mar 28. doi: 10.1186/s12887-026-06587-y. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41904431 | DOI:10.1186/s12887-026-06587-y

BMC Nephrol. 2026 Mar 28. doi: 10.1186/s12882-026-04925-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Red blood cell distribution width to platelet count ratio (RPR) has garnered increasing attention as a novel inflammation marker. However, its association with cardiovascular events (CVE) in end-stage renal disease patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) is largely unknown.

METHOD: 1,222 PD patients, from 4 centers, were retrospectively recruited between January 1, 2012-December 31, 2017. Baseline data were collected ~ 3 months after starting PD treatment, and patients divided into 2 groups (low RPR [n = 710], high RPR [n = 512]), based on the optimal RPR cut-off of 0.084 identified by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The relationship between RPR with new CVE, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality was analyzed using restricted cubic spline (RCS) and Kaplan-Meier survival curve analyses. Associations between RPR and patient characteristics were identified using uni- and multi-variate Cox logistic regression analyses, adjusted for baseline patient characteristics, co-morbidities, and laboratory parameters. Competitive risk analysis was conducted to assess the effects of other follow-up endpoint events on CVEs.

RESULTS: 77 new CVEs and 212 deaths occurred during the follow-up period. High RPR, versus low, had significantly higher rates of new CVEs under Kaplan-Meier analysis; this was still present even after adjusting for specific baseline characteristics, co-morbidities, and laboratory parameters under multivariate Cox regression analysis. RCS analysis also revealed that the relationship between RPR and CVE was non-linear, with RPR ~ 0.06-0.15 being associated with higher CVE risk.

CONCLUSION: Higher RPR may serve as an independent prognostic marker for CVE risk in PD patients, providing a non-invasive, cost-effective marker for early CVE detection.

PMID:41904413 | DOI:10.1186/s12882-026-04925-x

Mol Med. 2026 Mar 28;32(1):45. doi: 10.1186/s10020-025-01420-1.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41904401 | DOI:10.1186/s10020-025-01420-1

Mol Med. 2026 Mar 28. doi: 10.1186/s10020-026-01453-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The global prevalence of dementia has increased substantially in recent decades, with elevated fasting plasma glucose (FPG) being identified as a potential modifiable risk factor in prior exploratory studies. This study assessed temporal trends in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias attributable to elevated FPG between 1990 and 2021 at global, regional, and national levels, using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study.

METHODS: Data from the GBD 2021 study were used to examine temporal trends in the burden of AD and other dementias attributable to elevated FPG, including age-standardized mortality rates and years lived with disability (YLDs). Analyses were stratified by age, sex, and sociodemographic index (SDI) to explore differential patterns across populations.

RESULTS: Between 1990 and 2021, the global age-standardized mortality rate and YLDs for AD and other dementias attributable to elevated FPG increased by 1.1% and 1.2% per year, respectively. Additionally, the age-standardized rates of dementia burden attributable to elevated FPG showed a numerically greater average annual increase in females compared with males, with no formal statistical comparisons conducted between sexes, while dementia-related mortality and disability rates per 100,000 population rose progressively with advancing age. Although countries with higher SDI scores demonstrated a slower increase in burden, this association did not reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the growing global impact of dementia associated with elevated FPG at the population level. While these observational trends require confirmation through longitudinal studies, they underscore the importance of prioritizing metabolic risk factors in public health strategies to address the potential future burden of dementia.

PMID:41904381 | DOI:10.1186/s10020-026-01453-0

BMC Infect Dis. 2026 Mar 28. doi: 10.1186/s12879-026-13044-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health issue, with an increasing impact among the elderly population. In Brazil, population aging poses additional challenges to disease control.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the socioepidemiological and clinical profile, as well as the temporal and spatial dynamics of tuberculosis among individuals aged 60 years or older in Brazil between 2001 and 2022.

METHODS: This ecological, population-based study used secondary data on TB cases among older adults reported to the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were described, and temporal trends were assessed using Joinpoint regression. Spatial dependence and clusters were analyzed using Global and Local Moran’s I statistics.

RESULTS: A total of 228,912 TB cases were reported among older adults during the study period. Most cases occurred in males (65.8%), individuals aged 60-69 years (57.9%), Black and Brown individuals (46.3%), and those with low or no formal education (53.6%). There was an average annual reduction of 2.37% in TB incidence among the elderly in the country. Of the 27 federative units, 21 showed a decreasing trend, particularly the Federal District (- 4.97%) and Goiás (- 4.03%). Six states showed a stationary trend (Acre, Roraima, Paraíba, Sergipe, Minas Gerais, and Espírito Santo), and none showed a significant increasing trend. Spatial analysis revealed a persistent concentration of high-priority municipalities, especially in the North and Northeast regions, which accounted for 25.4% of the cases.

CONCLUSIONS: Tuberculosis among older adults in Brazil demonstrated an overall declining trend over the past two decades, although with marked regional inequalities and persistent spatial concentration in historically vulnerable territories. These findings underscore the need for targeted strategies for surveillance, diagnosis, and care in priority territories, considering the specificities of population aging.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

PMID:41904380 | DOI:10.1186/s12879-026-13044-9

BMC Med Res Methodol. 2026 Mar 29. doi: 10.1186/s12874-026-02839-8. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41904370 | DOI:10.1186/s12874-026-02839-8

Saudi Dent J. 2026 Mar 28;38(4):40. doi: 10.1007/s44445-026-00163-x.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Facial symmetry is a key determinant of aesthetic balance and functional harmony. Unilateral vertical discrepancies in the maxillary dentition, particularly side-to-side discrepancy in the FH-referenced vertical position of the maxillary first molar (U6), has been hypothesized to be associated with functional mandibular deviation and skeletal asymmetry. However, the relationship between localized dentoalveolar vertical discrepancy and mandibular morphology remains poorly understood.

METHODS: Eighty-seven patients aged 16-35 years with mandibular asymmetry ≥ 2 mm on MSCT, operationally defined as a side-to-side difference in total mandibular length (ΔCo-Go-Gn) ≥ 2 mm, were included. Three-dimensional cephalometric analysis was performed using ProPlan CMF (Materialise, Belgium). Four variants of the Frankfort horizontal (FH) plane (FH1-FH4) were constructed to evaluate the influence of reference-plane definition on the measurements. Mandibular asymmetry was quantified by differences in ramus length (Co-Go), body length (Go-Gn), and total side length (Co-Go-Gn). The primary independent variable was the vertical discrepancy between FH and U6 (ΔFH-U6). In addition, a control group of patients (n = 63) with mandibular asymmetry (ΔCo-Go-Gn) < 2 mm was included for between-group comparison of ΔFH-U6.

RESULTS: Weak positive correlations were observed between ΔFH-U6 and mandibular asymmetry indices, particularly ΔCo-Go and ΔCo-Go-Gn (Spearman’s ρ = 0.21-0.28). ΔFH-U6 differed across FH-plane definitions (Friedman test, p = 0.012), but correlation estimates were comparable across FH constructions. However, the observed correlations were small, and none of the primary correlations remained statistically significant after Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) adjustment. Patients with mandibular asymmetry ≥ 2 mm showed a slightly greater ΔFH-U6 than controls with asymmetry < 2 mm (median [IQR]: 0.9 [0.45-1.75] mm vs 0.8 [0.2-1.3] mm; Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.049).

CONCLUSION: FH-referenced vertical discrepancy of the maxillary first molar may show a small exploratory association with mandibular asymmetry and was slightly greater in patients with clinically relevant mandibular asymmetry than in controls.

PMID:41904364 | DOI:10.1007/s44445-026-00163-x