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
Tag: statistics
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
Am J Sports Med. 2026 Mar 28:3635465261429493. doi: 10.1177/03635465261429493. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Horizontal cleavage tears (HCTs) comprise one-quarter of all diagnosed meniscal pathologies. Despite several static/quasi-static cadaveric studies showing that HCTs and their repairs do not change contact mechanics while leaflet resections do, it is unclear if these conclusions hold during activities of daily living.
HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to quantify the comparative biomechanical effects of meniscal HCT, HCT repair, and leaflet resection on joint contact forces throughout simulated gait. It was hypothesized that HCT repair would not change contact mechanics relative to the intact meniscus, while inferior meniscal leaflet resection would lead to increased contact stress and decrease contact areas throughout simulated gait.
STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study.
METHODS: Six human cadaveric knees were placed on a multidirectional dynamic simulator. Electronic pressure sensors were inserted across the medial tibial plateau, and contact forces throughout simulated gait were quantified. Contact stress, contact area, and percent meniscal loading were quantified for intact, HCT, HCT repair, and inferior leaflet conditions.
RESULTS: No significant differences in contact mechanics occurred between the intact meniscus and HCT or between the intact meniscus and HCT repair. Inferior leaflet resection resulted in a statistically significant decrease in contact area during the early, mid-, and late stance of the simulated gait cycle; a significant decrease in percent meniscal loading between 8% and 60% of simulated gait; and a small but significant increase in peak contact stress during the midstance phase of the simulated gait cycle between 19% and 30% of simulated gait.
CONCLUSION: The authors failed to reject the null hypothesis as there was no significant difference observed between meniscal HCT repair and the intact meniscus, while resection of the inferior leaflet was associated with a small but statistically significant increased peak contact stress, decreased contact area, and decreased percent meniscal loading during simulated gait. Taken together, these results support that when an HCR tear is symptomatic, meniscal preservation is preferable over inferior leaflet resection in the biomechanical management of horizontal cleavage meniscal tears.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These cadaveric tests suggest that horizontal cleavage meniscal tears of the medial meniscus posterior horn are not biomechanically detrimental to joint contact forces during simulated gait. If they must be surgically treated for symptomatic reasons, meniscal repair is biomechanically favorable over inferior leaflet resection.
PMID:41902557 | DOI:10.1177/03635465261429493
J Diabetes Investig. 2026 Mar 28. doi: 10.1111/jdi.70293. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of three fixed-ratio combination products-insulin degludec/liraglutide (IDegLira), insulin glargine/lixisenatide (iGlarLixi), and insulin degludec/insulin aspart (IDegAsp)-in patients with type 2 diabetes.
METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP up to July 2025 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the three combinations of primary interest (IDegLira, iGlarLixi, IDegAsp) and their individual components (insulin degludec, insulin glargine, liraglutide, and lixisenatide). Inclusion of the individual components enabled indirect comparisons. Data extraction, risk-of-bias assessment, and GRADE evaluation were performed. Network meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 14.0, with treatments ranked by the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA).
RESULTS: Twenty-one RCTs involving 12,815 patients were included. Both IDegLira (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.08-2.65) and iGlarLixi (OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.17-2.37) had a higher incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) than IDegAsp; no other significant pairwise differences were observed. Based on SUCRA values, which provide a probabilistic ranking (indicating the likelihood of being the best rather than direct statistical superiority), IDegLira had the highest probability of being optimal for reducing HbA1c (89.4%), fasting plasma glucose (81.8%), and incidence of hypoglycemic events (57.6%), while IDegAsp ranked highest regarding the incidence of TEAEs (97.9%). Inconsistency in the hypoglycemia network, likely due to varied definitions, warrants cautious interpretation.
CONCLUSIONS: Among the three fixed-ratio combination products, IDegLira appears most effective for glycemic control (in terms of HbA1c and FPG reduction), whereas IDegAsp demonstrates the best safety profile regarding incidence of TEAEs.
PMID:41902544 | DOI:10.1111/jdi.70293