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The authors conducted a national cross-sectional cohort study to evaluate the associations between pulse pressure (PP) and body mass index (BMI) and sex, according to blood pressure (BP) status. A total of 18 812 patients without a history of antihypertensive medication and cardiovascular disease were selected. There was good concordance between PP and the selected cardiovascular risk factors. PP increased with high BMI among patients with normal BP, but decreased with high BMI among patients with hypertension (HTN). BMI (ß, -0.260; SE, 0.039 [P<.001]) and male sex (ß, -4.727; SE, 1.100 [P<.001]) were negatively correlated with PP in a multivariate model adjusted for several risk factors in patients with HTN. In conclusion, PP was negatively correlated with BMI in patients with HTN, which may explain the higher cardiovascular risk in lean persons and women with HTN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian chlamydiosis is an acute or chronic bacterial disease of birds. Chlamydia psittaci is the primary agent of the disease. It is also an important zoonotic pathogen. Chlamydia avium and Chlamydia gallinacea have also been recognized as potential causative agents of the disease. Clinical signs of this disease can vary in severity. Asymptomatic infections of Chlamydia have commonly been reported in various birds worldwide. In this study, we investigated the distribution of Chlamydia species in healthy psittacine birds in Korea. A total of 263 samples (pharyngeal/cloacal swabs and faeces) were collected from psittacine birds of 26 species in five zoos, five parrot farms and seven parrot cafes between 2020 and 2021. Ages of these birds had a wide range (1 month to 30 years). During sample collection, no bird showed any clinical signs indicating diseases such as chlamydiosis. Samples were tested for the presence of Chlamydia spp. using real‐time PCR assays. Chlamydia spp. were detected in 168 (63.9%) samples and C. psittaci was detected in 96 (36.5%) samples. However, C. avium and C. gallinacea were not detected. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of asymptomatic infections in birds among three types of housing environments. Regarding ompA genotypes, 87 C. psittaci‐positive samples had genotype A based on sequence analysis (n = 28) and genotype‐specific real‐time PCR (n = 59). Other positive samples were untyped (n = 9). Overall findings showed high prevalence of asymptomatic infections of C. psittaci in psittacine birds in Korea, posing a significant hazard to public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Postmenopausal women have a higher prevalence of cataract than similar‐aged men. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of menopausal hormone therapy on lens opacity in postmenopausal women. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analysed population‐based health insurance data in South Korea collected from 2002 to 2019. To determine the risk factors associated with cataract, postmenopausal women (N = 2 506 271) were grouped according to postmenopausal hormone therapy use. The treatment group was further divided into the following subgroups: tibolone, combined oestrogen plus progestin by manufacturer, oral oestrogen, combined oestrogen plus progestin by physician, and topical oestrogen groups. The main outcome measure was the prevalence of cataract. Results: The control group comprised 463 151 postmenopausal women who had never used menopausal hormone therapy after menopause, while the treatment group included 228 033 postmenopausal women who had used menopausal hormone therapy continuously for at least 6 months. The treatment group had a higher incidence of cataract than the control group based on Cox proportional hazards ratio analysis. Low socioeconomic status and high parity were identified as risk factors for cataract, and reduced risk of cataract was associated with living in rural areas and drinking. Conclusions: Women undergoing postmenopausal hormone therapy, including tibolone, had a higher incidence of cataract than those who were not. Old age, low socioeconomic status, and high parity were risk factors for cataract. Our findings may help physicians identify postmenopausal women at a greater risk of developing cataract. References 1. Eisner A & Luoh SW. Breast cancer medications and vision: effects of treatments for early‐stage disease. Curr Eye Res 36, 867–885 (2011). 2. Spinelli MG. Depression and hormone therapy. Clin Obstet Gynecol 47, 428–436 (2004). 3. Freedman RR. Physiology of hot flashes. Am J Hum Biol 13, 453–464 (2001). 4. Abraham S, Perz J, Clarkson R & Llewellyn‐Jones D. Australian women's perceptions of hormone replacement therapy over 10 years. Maturitas 21, 91–95 (1995). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Results from previous studies on the relationship between female reproductive hormones, especially oestrogen, and the incidence of cataracts are limited. This study sought to evaluate the effects of hysterectomy on the risk of lens opacity in Korean women. Methods: This retrospective cohort utilized data collected from 2007 to 2020 from the Korean National Health Insurance database. A total of 255 576 postmenopausal women were included. Participants were divided into those who did and did not undergo hysterectomy. The hysterectomy group was further divided into two subgroups according to the adnexal surgery performed. Comparison of the prevalence of cataract between the control group, hysterectomy alone group, and hysterectomy with adnexal surgery group was performed. Results: The control group included 137 999 participants who did not undergo hysterectomy. The treatment group consisted with 93 719 women who underwent hysterectomy alone or hysterectomy with adnexal surgery. The control group showed a higher incidence of cataracts than the treatment group, as analysed by the 1:1 propensity score matching method and adjusted for variables. Conclusions: All participants in the treatment group had a lower incidence of cataract than those in the control group. These findings may help physicians identify the role of female reproductive hormones in cataract development. References 1. Hiller R, Sperduto RD, Ederer F. Epidemiologic associations with nuclear, cortical, and posterior subcapsular cataracts. Am J Epidemiol 1986;124:916–25. 2. Gavin KM, Jankowski C, Kohrt WM, Stauffer BL, Seals DR, Moreau KL. Hysterectomy is associated with large artery stiffening in oestrogen‐deficient postmenopausal women. Menopause 2012;19:1000–7. 3. Chang HJ, Han SH, Lee JR, et al. Impact of laparoscopic cystectomy on ovarian reserve: serial changes of serum anti‐Müllerian hormone levels. Fertil Steril 2010;94:343–9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]