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Background: Despite the improved access to health services in China, inadequate diagnosis and management of dementia are common issues, especially in rural regions.Objective: The Hubei Memory & Aging Cohort Study was designed as a prospective study in Central China to determine the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among urban and rural older adults.Methods: From 2018-2020, participants aged ≥65 years were screened, and data regarding their life behaviors, families, socio-economic status, physical and mental health, social and psychological factors, and cognition were collected. Diagnoses of MCI and dementia were made via consensus diagnosis using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition criteria.Results: Of 8,221 individuals who completed their baseline clinical evaluation, 4,449 (54.1%) were women and 3,164 (38.4%) were from remote rural areas (average age: 71.96 years; mean education period: 7.58 years). At baseline, 25.98%(95%confidence interval [CI]: 24.99-26.96) and 7.24%(95%CI: 6.68-7.80) of the participants were diagnosed with MCI and dementia, respectively. Prevalence showed a strong relationship with age. The substantial disparities between rural and urban regions in MCI and dementia prevalence and multiple dementia-related risk factors were revealed. Especially for dementia, the prevalence rate in rural areas was 2.65 times higher than that in urban regions.Conclusion: Our results suggested that public health interventions are urgently needed to achieve equitable diagnosis and management for people living with dementia in the communities across urban and rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Aggrecan, encoded by the ACAN gene, is the main proteoglycan component in the extracellular cartilage matrix. Heterozygous mutations in ACAN have been reported to cause idiopathic short stature. However, the prevalence of ACAN pathogenic variants in Chinese short stature patients and clinical phenotypes remain to be evaluated.Objective: We sought to determine the prevalence of ACAN pathogenic variants among Chinese short stature children and characterize the phenotypic spectrum and their responses to growth hormone therapies.Patients and Methods: Over 1000 unrelated short stature patients ascertained across China were genetically evaluated by next-generation sequencing-based test.Result: We identified 10 novel likely pathogenic variants and 2 recurrent pathogenic variants in this cohort. None of ACAN mutation carriers exhibited significant dysmorphic features or skeletal abnormities. The prevalence of ACAN defect is estimated to be 1.2% in the whole cohort; it increased to 14.3% among those with advanced bone age and to 35.7% among those with both advanced bone age and family history of short stature. Nonetheless, 5 of 11 ACAN mutation carries had no advanced bone age. Two individuals received growth hormone therapy with variable levels of height SD score improvement.Conclusion: Our data suggest that ACAN mutation is 1 of the common causes of Chinese pediatric short stature. Although it has a higher detection rate among short stature patients with advanced bone age and family history, part of affected probands presented with delayed bone age in Chinese short stature population. The growth hormone treatment was moderately effective for both individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background The prevalence rate of overweight and obese has been escalating over the past two decades in China. Even so, the association between obesity and stroke still remains unclear to some extent. Aims The aim of this study was to elucidate the association between body mass index and stroke in a large Chinese population cohort. Methods A cohort of 26 607 Chinese people, aged over 35 years, was investigated in 1987. Baseline information of body weight and height was used to calculate BMI (weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, kg/m2). Cox proportional hazards model was fitted to estimate hazard ratios of stroke adjusted for age, educational level, smoking and alcohol consumption. Results The 11-year follow-up revealed (241 149 person-years) a total of 1108 stroke events (614 ischemic, 451 hemorrhagic, and 44 undefined stroke). Body mass index ≥ 30·0 was an independent risk factor for stroke both in men and women. Compared with normal weight, hazard ratios for total stroke were 0·74 in men underweight (95% confidence interval: 0·53∼1·03), 1·63 overweight (95% confidence interval: 1·35∼1·96), and 2·20 with obesity (95% confidence interval: 1·47∼3·30); and with ischemic stroke, hazard ratios were 0·52 in those underweight (95% confidence interval: 0·30∼0·89), 2·08 overweight (95% confidence interval: 1·65∼2·62), and 3·80 with obesity (95% confidence interval: 2·47∼5·86). In women, the corresponding hazard ratios for total stroke were 0·79 underweight (95% confidence interval: 0·58∼1·07), 1·42 overweight (95% confidence interval: 1·16∼1·73), and 1·57 with obesity (95% confidence interval: 1·06∼2·31); and for those with ischemic stroke, 0·92 underweight (95% confidence interval: 0·59∼1·43), 1·90 overweight (95% confidence interval: 1·44∼2·50), and 2·42 with obesity (95% confidence interval: 1·50∼3·93). There appeared an evident dose-response relationship between body mass index and the risk of developing stroke, which still appeared, however, adjusted low for hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Decreased risk for stroke in the leanest group was confined to men only. No association was found between body mass index and hemorrhagic stroke in both genders. Conclusions Our data suggest that body mass index was an independent risk factor for total and ischemic stroke but not for hemorrhagic stroke in both genders. Association between body mass index and stroke was extremely mediated by hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Decreased risk for the leanest group was confined to men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Men who have sex with men (MSM) have become one of the populations with severely HIV prevalence in China. However, very few genetic studies have been done on HIV-1 spreading in this population. In this study, the genetic characterization of HIV-1 strains prevalent in the MSM in Shijiazhuang, China, was analyzed basing on the HIV-1 full-length gag, pol, and partial env gene. 21 drug-naïve HIV-1 sero-positive patients were enrolled into the study. Full length gag, pol, partial env genes and some near full length genomes were amplified with nest RT-PCR followed by sequencing. Multiple subtypes, including CRF01_AE (52.9%), subtype B (35.3%) and CRF07_BC (11.8%), were found in the population. Phylogenetic analysis showed close relationship between our strains with those from Beijing MSM but not those from paid blood donors of local area. Drug resistance surveillance evaluation showed no transmitted drug resistance (TDR). However, some drug-resistance related polymorphism sites (V181I and V106I) were popularly found in B subtype strains. The findings will contribute to understanding the distribution and evolution of HIV-1 in MSM and also help the behavior change intervention. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) among Chinese women.Method: In this cross-sectional survey study we analyzed the answers to a modified Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms questionnaire provided by 19024 women older than 20 years and from 6 regions in China.Results: The overall prevalence of MUI was 9.4%. The prevalence of MUI increased with age and reached 24.1% among women older than 70 years. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that age, vaginal delivery, chronic constipation, pelvic organ prolapse, chronic pelvic pain, respiratory system disease, menstrual disorder, urinary system disease, alcohol consumption, pelvic surgery, obesity, and a low educational level were independent risk factors for MUI.Conclusion: We found age, vaginal delivery, and chronic constipation to be the main risk factors for MUI among adult women in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prevalence of anxiety and depression is high in people with Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). However, there are currently no known reported studies about anxiety/depression in pSS patients from China. Our aim was to compare anxiety/depression in pSS patients and healthy controls; to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and/or depression among pSS patients in China; to evaluate its relationship with the disease activity, fatigue, pain, education, ocular surface disease, oral health, swallowing disorders, employment status, European League Against Rheumatism Sjögren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index(ESSPRI) as well as to analyze potential determinants of anxiety and depression. Methods: In this study, 160 pSS patients and 170 age- and sex- matched healthy controls were included. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and so on. Independent samples t-tests, χ2 analyses and multivariable stepwise logistic regression modeling were used to analyze the data. Results: We found 33.8% pSS patients were anxiety, and 36.9% had depression, which were significantly higher than controls. And there were significant correlations among education, employment status, disease activity, fatigue, ocular surface disease, ESSPRI, oral health, swallowing disorders and anxiety/depression. Meanwhile, logistic regression analysis revealed that oral health and swallowing disorders were significantly associated with anxiety in pSS patients; as well as fatigue was significantly associated with depression. Conclusions: The prevalence of depression and anxiety was high in adult pSS patients. Interestingly, oral health and swallowing disorders were the most important predictors of anxiety in pSS patients. Therefore, rheumatologists should pay attention to the potential mental comorbidities while managing patients with pSS and provide the basis for mental health providers in order to identify effective strategies for preventing and treating depression and anxiety among adult pSS patients. Simultaneously, rheumatologists should also focus on the oral health and swallowing disorders in pSS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Over 350 million smokers live in China, and this represents nearly one-third of the smoking population of the world. Smoking cessation is critically needed to help reduce the harms and burden caused by smoking-related diseases. It is therefore important to identify the determinants of quitting and of quit intentions among smokers in China. Such knowledge would have potential to guide future tobacco control policies and programs that could increase quit rates in China. Objective To identify the correlates of intentions to quit smoking among a representative sample of adult smokers in six cities in China. Methods Data from wave 1 (2006) of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Policy Evaluation Project China Survey, a face-to-face survey of adult Chinese smokers in six cities: Beijing, Shenyang, Shanghai, Changsha, Guangzhou and Yinchuan, was analysed. Households were sampled using a stratified multistage design. About 800 smokers were surveyed in each selected city (total n=4815). Results Past quit attempts, duration of past attempts, Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI), outcome expectancy of quitting, worry about future health and overall opinion of smoking were found to be independently associated with intentions to quit smoking, but demographic characteristics were not. Conclusions The determinants of quit intentions among smokers in China are fairly similar to those found among smokers in Western countries, despite the fact that interest in quitting is considerably lower among Chinese smokers. Identifying the determinants of quit intentions provides possibilities for shaping effective policies and programs for increasing quitting among smokers in China. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common among older adults. The epidemiology of MDD is greatly influenced by sociocultural and economic factors. This study examined the 1-month and lifetime prevalence of MDD and its socio-demographic correlates in older adults living in Hebei province, an agricultural area of China.Methods: Multistage, stratified, random sampling was administered between April and August 2016. The diagnosis of MDD was established with the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition (DSM-IV) Axis I Disorders.Results: A total of 3911 participants were enrolled. The 1-month and lifetime prevalence of MDD in older adults was 2.0% (95%CI: 1.6-2.4%) and 3.4% (95%CI: 2.8-4.0%), respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that female gender [P < 0.001, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.6, 95%CI: 1.53-4.53], presence of comorbid major medical conditions (P < 0.001, aOR = 4.8, 95%CI: 2.17-10.39) and family history of psychiatric disorders (P = 0.013, aOR = 3.4, 95%CI: 1.30-8.96) were independently and significantly associated with higher odds of MDD.Conclusion: The prevalence of MDD in older adults in Hebei province, China, was lower than most findings in China and other countries. Nevertheless, continued surveillance of elderly depression in China along with the development of primary, secondary and tertiary preventative interventions for the elderly with MDD is indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have estimated the prevalence and correlates of bipolar disorder (BP) in agricultural areas of China. This study examined the one-month and lifetime prevalence of BP, its subtypes and socio-demographic factors in the adult population of Hebei province, a predominantly agricultural area of China.Methods: A multistage, stratified, cluster random sampling method was used to estimate the prevalence and correlates of BP in adults in Hebei province, China. The expanded version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders-Patient Edition (SCID-I/P/C) were administered to establish the diagnosis of BP.Results: A total of 20,884 participants were screened. The weighted lifetime prevalence of BP, BP type I (BP-I), type II (BP-II), and BP not otherwise specified (BP-NOS) were 0.20% (95% CI: 0.14-0.26%), 0.13% (95% CI: 0.08-0.18%), 0.03% (95% CI: 0.009-0.06%) and 0.03% (95% CI: 0.009-0.06%), respectively. The weighted one-month prevalence estimates were 0.12% (95% CI: 0.08-0.17%) for BP, 0.07% (95% CI: 0.04-0.11%) for BP-I, 0.03% (95% CI: 0.006-0.05%) for BP-II, and 0.02% (95% CI: 0.003-0.04%) for BP-NOS. Multiple Poisson regression analysis revealed that positive family history of any psychiatric disorder (P<0.001, OR=6.48, 95% CI: 2.53-16.56) was significantly associated with greater risk of BP.Conclusion: The prevalence of BP in Hebei province appears lower than in most areas of China and other countries. Continued surveillance of BP in China along with the development of primary and tertiary preventative interventions for psychiatric disorders is indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric disorder which is associated with significant disability and psychosocial factors. There are only few epidemiological studies of MDD in economically underdeveloped regions of China. This study examined the 1-month and lifetime prevalence of MDD and their sociodemographic correlates in Hebei province, China.Methods: Using multistage, stratified and random sampling, the study was conducted between April and August 2016. The diagnosis of MDD was established using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders-Patient Edition.Results: The weighted 1-month and lifetime prevalence of MDD were 0.9% (95%CI: 0.8-1.1%) and 1.6% (95%CI: 1.4-1.8%), respectively in the sample of 14,654 adult participants. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the age group of 45-59 years (P < 0.001, OR=3.206, 95%CI:1.693-6.072), female gender (P < 0.001, OR=2.171, 95%CI: 1.522-3.097), married marital status (P < 0.001, OR=0.328, 95%CI: 0.198-0.545), college educational level or higher (P = 0.006, OR=0.145, 95%CI: 0.037-0.573), employment (P = 0.010, OR=2.305, 95%CI: 1.220-4.353), major medical conditions (P < 0.001, OR=3.758, 95%CI: 2.607-5.418) and family history of psychiatric disorders (P < 0.001, OR=3.947, 95%CI: 2.203-7.071) were significantly associated with MDD.Conclusion: The prevalence of MDD in Hebei province was found to be lower than in most areas of China and other countries. Further studies are warranted to confirm the low prevalence of MDD in other economically underdeveloped regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations in human Krüppel-like factor 1 (KLF1) have recently been reported to be responsible for increased fetal hemoglobin (HbF) and hemoglobin A2 (HbA2). Because increased HbF and HbA2 levels are important features of β-thalassemia, we examined whether there is any relationship between KLF1 mutation and β-thalassemia in China. To do this, we first studied the incidence of KLF1 mutations in 2 Chinese populations: 3839 individuals from a thalassemia endemic region in south China and 1190 individuals from a nonthalassemia endemic region in north China. Interestingly, we found that the prevalence of KLF1 mutations is significantly higher in the thalassemia endemic region than that in nonthalassemia endemic region (1.25% vs 0.08%). Furthermore, we identified 7 functional variants including 4 previously reported (p.Gly176AlafsX179, p.Ala298Pro, p.Thr334Arg, and c.913+1G>A) and 3 novel variants (p.His299Asp, p.Cys341Tyr, and p.Glu5Lys) in southern China. The 2 most common mutations, p.Gly176Alafs×179 and p.His299Asp, accounted for 90.6% of the total. We found that zinc-finger mutations in KLF1 were selectively represented in 12 β-thalassemia intermedia patients and resulted in significantly different transfusion-free survival curves. Our findings suggest that KLF1 mutations occur selectively in the presence of β-thalassemia to increase the production of HbF, which in turn ameliorates the clinical severity of β-thalassemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: The objective was to determine the prevalence and metabolic parameters of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in southern China. Study design: The study was observational with a parallel study. Participants were studied in a medical examination center. A population of 915 women of reproductive age was investigated at the time of their annual physical examination to determine the prevalence of PCOS in unselected women from southern China. Results: Our results demonstrated a 2.2% (20/915) prevalence of PCOS. Women with PCOS had higher levels of luteinizing hormone and higher luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratios than those in the other groups. Women with PCOS had higher fasting insulin levels and lower fasting glucose/fasting insulin ratios than women in any of the other groups. Conclusions: Some clinical and biochemical characteristics were apparent in PCOS patients in our population, and ethnic differences may be considered when studying the clinical and metabolic features of PCOS in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There is increasing evidence that naturally occurring HIV-1 genetic diversity can have an impact on drug resistance. Recently, our previous study has demonstrated the natural presence of the V179D and K103R/V179D mutations associated with resistance to nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) in HIV-1 CRF65_cpx strains. The aim of this study is to investigate the presence of natural drug-resistance mutations (DRMs) in other HIV-1 subtypes or CRFs circulating in China. A total of 14,403 pol sequences from China were retrieved from the Los Alamos HIV Sequence Database, 10,041 of which were treatment naïve and presented substantial genetic diversity. Besides the natural presence of V179D and K103R/V179D in CRF65_cpx, the natural presence of V179E was found in CRF55_01B. In all but one of the 228 patients infected with CRF55_01B, NNRTI resistance mutation V179E was present and the combination of V179E and E138G was detected in 14 treatment-naïve patients, with a rate of 6.2%. A significant trend for increasing prevalence of E138G mutation in CRF55_01B strains over time was observed (p <.001). Phylogenetic analysis was conducted to clarify the epidemiological relationship of CRF55_01B strains. Most of the sequences containing E138G mutation scattered in the big CRF55_01B cluster, which indicated the rising prevalence of E138G was mainly due to multiple mutation events rather than local transmission clusters of a particular variant containing E138G mutation. Our findings highlight the importance of molecular surveillance of CRF55_01B strains and the urgent need for implementation of effective preventive measures to reduce the transmission of CRF55_01B. • Natural presence of V179E was found in CRF55_01B. • Increasing prevalence of E138G in CRF55_01B over time was observed. • The rising prevalence of E138G was mainly due to multiple mutation events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]