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Fulltext Real-world data reveal unmet clinical needs in insulin treatment in Asian people with type 2 diabetes: the Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) Register

Kong APS, Lew T, Lau ESH, Lim LL, Kesavadev J, Jia W, et al.

Diabetes Obes Metab, 2020 04;22(4):669-679.
PMID: 31903728 DOI: 10.1111/dom.13950

AIMS: To explore the pattern of insulin use and glycaemic control in Asian people with type 2 diabetes, stratified by gender, young-onset diabetes (YOD; diagnosed before age 40 years), and diabetic kidney disease (DKD; estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) Register.
RESULTS: Among 18 998 insulin users (47% women, mean ± SD age 59.2 ± 11.7 years, diabetes duration 13.2 ± 8.3 years, glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c] 72 ± 21.4 mmol/mol [8.74 ± 1.95%], median total daily insulin dose [TDD] 0.27-0.82 units/kg), 25% and 29.5% had YOD and DKD, respectively. Premixed (44%) and basal-only (42%) insulin were the most common regimens. Despite being more commonly treated with these two regimens with higher insulin dosages, patients with YOD had worse HbA1c levels than their late-onset peers (73 ± 20.5 vs. 71 ± 21.2 mmol/mol [8.82 ± 1.87% vs. 8.66 ± 1.94%]; P

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext What is new in the 2018 Chinese hypertension guideline and the implication for the management of hypertension in Asia?

Wang JG, Chia YC, Chen CH, Park S, Hoshide S, Tomitani N, et al.

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich), 2020 03;22(3):363-368.
PMID: 31955513 DOI: 10.1111/jch.13803

The new Chinese hypertension guideline comprehensively covers almost all major aspects in the management of hypertension. In this new guideline, hypertension remains defined as a systolic/diastolic blood pressure of at least 140/90 mm Hg. For risk assessment, a qualitative approach is used similarly as in previous Chinese guidelines according to the blood pressure level and the presence or absence of other risk factors, target organ damage, cardiovascular complications, and comorbid diseases. The therapeutic target is 140/90 mm Hg in general, and if tolerated, especially in high-risk patients, can be more stringent, that is, 130/80 mm Hg. However, a less stringent target, that is, 150/90 mm Hg, is used in the younger (65-79 years, if tolerated, 140/90 mm Hg) and older elderly (≥80 years). Five classes of antihypertensive drugs, including β-blockers, can be used either in initial monotherapy or combination. The guideline also provided information on the management of hypertension in several special groups of patients and in the presence of secondary causes of hypertension. To implement the guideline recommendations, several nationwide hypertension control initiatives are being undertaken with new technology. The new technological platforms hopefully will help improve the management of hypertension and generate scientific evidence for future hypertension guidelines, including a possible Asian hypertension guideline in the near future.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext An overview of hypertension and cardiac involvement in Asia: Focus on heart failure

Soenarta AA, Buranakitjaroen P, Chia YC, Chen CH, Nailes J, Hoshide S, et al.

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich), 2020 03;22(3):423-430.
PMID: 31955506 DOI: 10.1111/jch.13753

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of deaths worldwide, contributing to about 30% of all deaths. Half of the cases of CVD are estimated in Asia, the world's most populous continent. Hypertension, a major modifiable risk factor for CVD, results in more deaths than any other CV risk factors in the Asian regions. The total number of patients with hypertension is likely to grow as the population ages. The proportion of the elderly population aged 65 years or more in Asia is expected to increase from 7.4% in 2015 to 10.9% in 2030. It is important to note that more than half (54%) of the world's population live in Asia. Aside of being the biggest single risk factor for global deaths, hypertension is also an important precursor and most common risk factor of heart failure (HF). An increase in HF prevalence is clearly related to the rapid epidemiological transition caused by changes in lifestyle in Asian countries. However, the availability of data on HF burden and health care delivery is limited in Asia compared with Europe and North America. This reality has driven the working group of Asian experts for example the HOPE Asia Network to concentrate on hypertension as risk factors for CVD, with the mission to improve the management of hypertension resulting in organ protection toward a goal of achieving "ZERO" CV event in Asia. This paper aims to give an overview regarding the heart problems caused by hypertension in Asia, focus on HF.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext 2020 Consensus summary on the management of hypertension in Asia from the HOPE Asia Network

Kario K, Park S, Chia YC, Sukonthasarn A, Turana Y, Shin J, et al.

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich), 2020 03;22(3):351-362.
PMID: 31816164 DOI: 10.1111/jch.13751

Hypertension professionals from Asia have been meeting together for the last decade to discuss how to improve the management of hypertension. Based on these education and research activities, the Hypertension, brain, cardiovascular and renal Outcome Prevention and Evidence in Asia (HOPE Asia) Network was officially established in June 2018 and includes experts from 12 countries/regions across Asia. Among the numerous research and review papers published by members of the HOPE Asia Network since 2017, publications in three key areas provide important guidance on the management of hypertension in Asia. This article highlights key consensus documents, which relate to the Asian characteristics of hypertension, home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM), and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Hypertension and hypertension-related diseases are common in Asia, and their characteristics differ from those in other populations. It is essential that these are taken into consideration to provide the best opportunity for achieving "perfect 24-hour blood pressure control", guided by out-of-office (home and ambulatory) blood pressure monitoring. These region-specific consensus documents should contribute to optimizing individual and population-based hypertension management strategies in Asian country. In addition, the HOPE Asia Network model provides a good example of the local interpretation, modification, and dissemination of international best practice to benefit specific populations.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext The influence of the ambient temperature on blood pressure and how it will affect the epidemiology of hypertension in Asia

Park S, Kario K, Chia YC, Turana Y, Chen CH, Buranakitjaroen P, et al.

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich), 2020 Mar;22(3):438-444.
PMID: 31851429 DOI: 10.1111/jch.13762

Epidemiologic studies have consistently demonstrated an increased risk of cardiovascular disease during colder temperatures. Hemodynamic changes associated with cold temperature and an increase in thrombogenicity may both account for the increase in cardiovascular risk and mortality. Studies using both in-office and out-of-office BP measurements have consistently shown an elevation in BP during the colder seasons. The large difference in BP between cold and warm months may increase the incidence of hypertension and reduce the hypertension control rate, potentially resulting in increased cardiovascular risk, especially among those at risk of cardiovascular disease. The current trends in global warming and climate change may have a profound impact on the epidemiology of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, as changes in the climate may significantly affect both BP variability and cardiovascular disease, especially in those with high cardiovascular risk and the elderly. Furthermore, climate change could have a significant influence on hypertension in Asia, considering the unique characteristics of hypertensive patients in Asia. As an increase in ambient temperature decreases the mean daytime average and morning surge in BP, but increases the nocturnal BP, it is difficult to predict how environmental changes will affect the epidemiology and prognosis of hypertension in the Asian-Pacific region. However, these seasonal variations in BP could be minimized by adjusting the housing conditions and using anticipation medicine. In this review, we discuss the impact of seasonal variation in the ambient temperature on hypertension and cardiovascular disease and discuss how this may impact the epidemiology of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext Current status of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in Asian countries: A report from the HOPE Asia Network

Shin J, Kario K, Chia YC, Turana Y, Chen CH, Buranakitjaroen P, et al.

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich), 2020 03;22(3):384-390.
PMID: 31696632 DOI: 10.1111/jch.13724

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) can measure 24-hour blood pressure (BP), including nocturnal BP and diurnal variations. This feature of ABPM could be of value in Asian populations for preventing cardiovascular events. However, no study has yet investigated regarding the use of ABPM in actual clinical settings in Asian countries/regions. In this study, 11 experts from 11 countries/regions were asked to answer questionnaires regarding the use of ABPM. We found that its use was very limited in primary care settings and almost exclusively available in referral settings. The indications of ABPM in actual clinical settings were largely similar to those of home BP monitoring (HBPM), that is, diagnosis of white-coat or masked hypertension and more accurate BP measurement for borderline clinic BP. Other interesting indications, such as nighttime BP patterns, including non-dipper BP, morning BP surge, and BP variability, were hardly adopted in daily clinical practice. The use of ABPM as treatment guidance for detecting treated but uncontrolled hypertension in the Asian countries/regions didn't seem to be common. The barrier to the use of ABPM was primarily its availability; in referral centers, patient reluctance owing to discomfort or sleep disturbance was the most frequent barrier. ABPM use was significantly more economical when it was reimbursed by public insurance. To facilitate ABPM use, more simplified indications and protocols to minimize discomfort should be sought. For the time being, HBPM could be a reasonable alternative.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext Target blood pressure and control status in Asia

Chia YC, Kario K, Turana Y, Nailes J, Tay JC, Siddique S, et al.

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich), 2020 Mar;22(3):344-350.
PMID: 31742891 DOI: 10.1111/jch.13714

It is widely accepted that hypertension constitutes a significant cardiovascular risk factor and that treating high blood pressure (BP) effectively reduces cardiovascular risk. An important issue in Asia is not just the high prevalence of hypertension, particularly in some countries, but also the low level of awareness and treatment rates in many regions. The 2017 update of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association hypertension guidelines raised the question about which BP threshold should be used to diagnose and treat hypertension. Although there is a theoretical rationale for a stricter BP criterion in Asia given the ethnic-specific features of hypertension in the region, the majority of countries in Asia have retained a diagnostic BP threshold of ≥140/90 mm Hg. Although lowering thresholds might make theoretical sense, this would increase the prevalence of hypertension and also markedly reduce BP control rates. In addition, there are currently no data from robust randomized clinical trials of the benefits of the lower targets in preventing cardiovascular disease and reducing cardiovascular risk, particularly in high-risk patients and especially for Asian populations. There is also no defined home BP treatment target level for an office BP treatment target of 130/80 mm Hg. However, in this regard, in the interim, lifestyle modifications, including reducing body weight and salt intake, should form an important part of hypertension management strategies in Asia, while studies on treating at lower BP threshold level in Asians and getting to lower BP targets will be helpful to inform and optimize the management of hypertension in the region.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext Diversity of and initiatives for hypertension management in Asia-Why we need the HOPE Asia Network

Kario K, Chia YC, Sukonthasarn A, Turana Y, Shin J, Chen CH, et al.

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich), 2020 Mar;22(3):331-343.
PMID: 31773883 DOI: 10.1111/jch.13733

The Hypertension Cardiovascular Outcome Prevention and Evidence in Asia (HOPE Asia) Network was set up to improve the management of hypertension in Asia with the ultimate goal of achieving "zero" cardiovascular events. Asia is a diverse continent, and the prevalence of hypertension has increased over the last 30 years. There are a number of Asia-specific features of hypertension and hypertension-related cardiovascular complications, which means that a region-specific approach is needed. White-coat hypertension will become more of an issue over time as Asian populations age, and masked hypertension is more prevalent in Asian than in Western countries. Identifying and treating masked hypertension is important to reduce cardiovascular risk. Abnormal patterns of blood pressure (BP) variability common in Asia include exaggerated early morning BP surge and nocturnal hypertension. These are also important cardiovascular risk factors that need to be managed. Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is an important tool for detecting white-coat and masked hypertension, and monitoring BP variability, and practices in Asia are variable. Use of HBPM is important given the Asia-specific features of hypertension, and strategies are needed to improve and standardize HBPM usage. Development of HBPM devices capable of measuring nocturnal BP along with other information and communication technology-based strategies are key developments in the widespread implementation of anticipation medicine strategies to detect and prevent cardiovascular events in patients with hypertension. Region-wide differences in hypertension prevalence, control, and management practices in Asia highlight the importance of information sharing to facilitate best practices.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Epidemiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Asia

Wong SW, Chan WK

Indian J Gastroenterol, 2020 02;39(1):1-8.
PMID: 32152903 DOI: 10.1007/s12664-020-01018-x

The growing burden of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) parallels the increasing prevalence of obesity in Asia. The overall prevalence of NAFLD in Asia is now estimated to be 29.6% and may have surpassed that in Western populations. NAFLD increases with increasing age and is closely associated with metabolic syndrome. Ethnic differences exist in the prevalence of NAFLD, but the underlying factors are unclear. There were initial concerns about lean NAFLD being associated with more severe liver disease and increased mortality, but subsequent studies suggested otherwise. Only some NAFLD patients progress to develop advanced liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, while the liver status remains unchanged in the majority; fibrosis stage is the most important predictor of disease-specific mortality in NAFLD. Surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a challenge due to undiagnosed cirrhosis and the development of HCC in non-cirrhotic NAFLD patients. Diabetes mellitus shares a bidirectional relationship with NAFLD; NAFLD is highly prevalent among patients with diabetes mellitus, and diabetes mellitus is associated with more severe NAFLD. Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a major cause of chronic liver disease in Asia; NAFLD and CHB are increasingly observed together because of the increasing prevalence of NAFLD. Despite studies reporting favorable virologic outcome in CHB patients with NAFLD, NAFLD has been found to be independently associated with fibrosis progression and poorer prognosis in CHB patients. Therefore, NAFLD in CHB patients should be given more attention.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Combining left atrial appendage closure and catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: 2-year outcomes from a multinational registry

Phillips KP, Romanov A, Artemenko S, Folkeringa RJ, Szili-Torok T, Senatore G, et al.

Europace, 2020 02 01;22(2):225-231.
PMID: 31665276 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euz286

AIMS: Clinical practice guidelines do not recommend discontinuation of long-term oral anticoagulation in patients with a high stroke risk after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) with Watchman has emerged as an alternative to long-term anticoagulation for patients accepting of the procedural risks. We report on the long-term outcomes of combining catheter ablation procedures for AF and LAAC from multicentre registries.
METHODS AND RESULTS: Data were pooled from two prospective, real-world Watchman LAAC registries running in parallel in Europe/Middle-East/Russia (EWOLUTION) and Asia/Australia (WASP) between 2013 and 2015. Of the 1140 patients, 142 subjects at 11 centres underwent a concomitant AF ablation and LAAC procedure. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.4 ± 1.4 and HAS-BLED score 1.5 ± 0.9. Successful LAAC was achieved in 99.3% of patients. The 30-day device and/or procedure-related serious adverse event rate was 2.1%. After a mean follow-up time of 726 ± 91 days, 92% of patients remained off oral anticoagulation. The rates of the composite endpoint of ischaemic stroke/transient ischaemic attack/systemic thromboembolism were 1.09 per 100 patient-years (100-PY); and for non-procedural major bleeding were 1.09 per 100-PY. These represent relative reductions of 84% and 70% vs. expected rates per risk scores.
CONCLUSION: The long-term outcomes from these international, multicentre registries show efficacy for all-cause stroke prevention and a significant reduction in late bleeding events in a population of high stroke risk post-ablation patients who have been withdrawn from oral anticoagulation.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext Use of SGLT-2 Inhibitors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Abdominal Obesity: An Asian Perspective and Expert Recommendations

Sheu WHH, Chan SP, Matawaran BJ, Deerochanawong C, Mithal A, Chan J, et al.

Diabetes Metab J, 2020 02;44(1):11-32.
PMID: 32097996 DOI: 10.4093/dmj.2019.0208

The prevalence of obesity in Asia is of epidemic proportions, with an estimated 1 billion overweight/obese individuals in the region. The majority of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are overweight/obese, which increases the risk of cardiorenal outcomes in these patients; hence, sustained reductions in body weight and visceral adiposity are important management goals. However, most of the glucose-lowering therapies such as insulin, sulfonylureas, glinides, and thiazolidinediones induce weight gain, which makes the management of overweight/obese T2DM patients challenging. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are the only oral glucose-lowering agents that have been shown to reduce body weight and visceral adiposity. In addition, SGLT-2 inhibitors therapy reduces ectopic fat deposition and improves adipose tissue function and weight-related quality of life. In this article, we aim to consolidate the existing literature on the effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors in Asian patients with T2DM and to produce clinical recommendations on their use in overweight or obese patients with T2DM. Recommendations from international and regional guidelines, as well as published data from clinical trials in Asian populations and cardiovascular outcomes trials are reviewed. Based on the available data, SGLT-2 inhibitors represent an evidence-based therapeutic option for the management of overweight/obese patients with T2DM.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext Quantifying the risk of Zika virus spread in Asia during the 2015-16 epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean: A modeling study

Luo XS, Imai N, Dorigatti I

Travel Med Infect Dis, 2020 01 26;33:101562.
PMID: 31996323 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101562

BACKGROUND: No large-scale Zika epidemic has been observed to date in Southeast Asia following the 2015-16 Latin American and the Caribbean epidemic. One hypothesis is Southeast Asian populations' partial immunity to Zika.
METHOD: We estimated the two conditions for a Zika outbreak emergence in Southeast Asia: (i) the risk of Zika introduction from Latin America and the Caribbean and, (ii) the risk of autochthonous transmission under varying assumptions on population immunity. We also validated the model used to estimate the risk of introduction by comparing the estimated number of Zika seeds introduced into the United States with case counts reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
RESULTS: There was good agreement between our estimates and case counts reported by the CDC. We thus applied the model to Southeast Asia and estimated that, on average, 1-10 seeds were introduced into Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. We also found increasing population immunity levels from 0 to 90% reduced probability of autochthonous transmission by 40% and increasing individual variation in transmission further reduced the outbreak probability.
CONCLUSIONS: Population immunity, combined with heterogeneity in transmission, can explain why no large-scale outbreak was observed in Southeast Asia during the 2015-16 epidemic.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext Regional Variation of Mortality in Heart Failure With Reduced and Preserved Ejection Fraction Across Asia: Outcomes in the ASIAN-HF Registry

MacDonald MR, Tay WT, Teng TK, Anand I, Ling LH, Yap J, et al.

J Am Heart Assoc, 2020 01 07;9(1):e012199.
PMID: 31852421 DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.119.012199

Background Data comparing outcomes in heart failure (HF) across Asia are limited. We examined regional variation in mortality among patients with HF enrolled in the ASIAN-HF (Asian Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure) registry with separate analyses for those with reduced ejection fraction (EF; <40%) versus preserved EF (≥50%). Methods and Results The ASIAN-HF registry is a prospective longitudinal study. Participants with symptomatic HF were recruited from 46 secondary care centers in 3 Asian regions: South Asia (India), Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore), and Northeast Asia (South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China). Overall, 6480 patients aged >18 years with symptomatic HF were recruited (mean age: 61.6±13.3 years; 27% women; 81% with HF and reduced rEF). The primary outcome was 1-year all-cause mortality. Striking regional variations in baseline characteristics and outcomes were observed. Regardless of HF type, Southeast Asians had the highest burden of comorbidities, particularly diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, despite being younger than Northeast Asian participants. One-year, crude, all-cause mortality for the whole population was 9.6%, higher in patients with HF and reduced EF (10.6%) than in those with HF and preserved EF (5.4%). One-year, all-cause mortality was significantly higher in Southeast Asian patients (13.0%), compared with South Asian (7.5%) and Northeast Asian patients (7.4%; P<0.001). Well-known predictors of death accounted for only 44.2% of the variation in risk of mortality. Conclusions This first multinational prospective study shows that the outcomes in Asian patients with both HF and reduced or preserved EF are poor overall and worst in Southeast Asian patients. Region-specific risk factors and gaps in guideline-directed therapy should be addressed to potentially improve outcomes. Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier: NCT01633398.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Establishment of Asia-Pacific Network for Enterovirus Surveillance

Chiu ML, Luo ST, Chen YY, Chung WY, Duong V, Dussart P, et al.

Vaccine, 2020 01 03;38(1):1-9.
PMID: 31679864 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.09.111

Enteroviruses (EV), the major pathogens of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and herpangina, affect millions of children each year. Most human enteroviruses cause self-limited infections except polioviruses, enterovirus A71 (EV-A71), enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), and several echoviruses (Echo) and coxsackieviruses (CV). Especially, EV-A71 has repeatedly caused large-scale outbreaks in the Asia-Pacific region since 1997. Some Asian countries have experienced cyclical outbreaks of severe EV-A71 infections and initiated development of EV-A71 vaccines. Five EV-A71 vaccine candidates have been clinically evaluated and three of them were approved for marketing in China. However, none of the China-approved products seek marketing approval in other countries. This situation supports a role for collaboration among Asian countries to facilitate clinical trials and licensure of EV-A71 vaccines. Additionally, enterovirus D68 outbreaks have been reported in the US and Taiwan currently and caused severe complications and deaths. Hence, an Asia-Pacific Network for Enterovirus Surveillance (APNES) has been established to estimate disease burden, understand virus evolution, and facilitate vaccine development through harmonizing laboratory diagnosis and data collection. Founded in 2017, the APNES is comprised of internationally recognized experts in the field of enterovirus in Asian countries working to raise awareness of this potentially fatal and debilitating disease. This article demonstrated the summaries of the first expert meeting, 2017 International Workshop on Enterovirus Surveillance and Vaccine Development, held by APNES in Taipei, Taiwan, March 2017.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext Current Perspectives and Unmet Needs of Primary Immunodeficiency Care in Asia Pacific

Leung D, Chua GT, Mondragon AV, Zhong Y, Nguyen-Ngoc-Quynh L, Imai K, et al.

Front Immunol, 2020;11:1605.
PMID: 32903579 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01605

Background: The Asia Pacific Society for Immunodeficiencies (APSID) conducted nine primary immunodeficiency (PID) Schools in 5 years since inauguration to provide PID care training for early career physicians in Asia Pacific, a region with divergent needs in PID resources and training. Objective: To identify differences in PID patient care resource and training needs across Asia Pacific and propose a corresponding action plan. Methods: The Human Development Index (HDI) indicates the degree of socio-economic development in each country/region. Information related to investigations and learning issues were extracted from the abstracts and personal statements from all Schools and mapped onto resource and training needs. Correlations between HDI and country/region-specific parameters were tested by two-tailed Pearson correlation. Results: A total of 427 abstracts were received in nine Schools between 2015 and 2020, predominantly on immunodeficiencies affecting cellular and humoral immunity. Genetic confirmation was described in 61.8% of abstracts, and its absence negatively correlated with HDI (r = -0.696, p = 0.004). Essential immunologic and genetic tests were not available in 25.4 and 29.5% of abstracts, respectively, and their absence negatively correlated with HDI (r = -0.788, p < 0.001; r = -0.739, p = 0.002). HDI positively correlated with average testing level (r = 0.742, p = 0.002). Cases from medium-HDI countries/regions focused on learning how to investigate a patient for PIDs in cases of severe or atypical infections, whereas those from very-high-HDI countries/regions, from which most faculty members originated, listed hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene therapy, newborn screening, and research as learning issues more frequently. Conclusion: There are unique HDI-related PID resource and training needs in each country/region. APSID proposes HDI group-specific strategies to improve PID care and education in her member countries/regions. Further quantitative analysis of needs in PID care in Asia Pacific is needed for lobbying governments to increase their support for PID care and research.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext Asia Pacific Stroke Conference 2020: Bringing Innovation to Stroke Care in Asia Pacific Countries

Tan KS, Kwon SU, Jung KH, Rha JH, Yoon BW, Venketasubramanian N

Cerebrovasc Dis, 2020;49 Suppl 1:III-IV.
PMID: 33264787 DOI: 10.1159/000513104
Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Public Health Implications of African Swine Fever in Asia

Binns C, Low WY

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2019 11;31(8):677-678.
PMID: 31762300 DOI: 10.1177/1010539519889539
Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fluoride contamination, health problems and remediation methods in Asian groundwater: A comprehensive review

Yadav KK, Kumar S, Pham QB, Gupta N, Rezania S, Kamyab H, et al.

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2019 Oct 30;182:109362.
PMID: 31254856 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.06.045

In low concentration, fluoride is considered a necessary compound for human health. Exposure to high concentrations of fluoride is the reason for a serious disease called fluorosis. Fluorosis is categorized as Skeletal and Dental fluorosis. Several Asian countries, such as India, face contamination of water resources with fluoride. In this study, a comprehensive overview on fluoride contamination in Asian water resources has been presented. Since water contamination with fluoride in India is higher than other Asian countries, a separate section was dedicated to review published articles on fluoride contamination in this country. The status of health effects in Asian countries was another topic that was reviewed in this study. The effects of fluoride on human organs/systems such as urinary, renal, endocrine, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, brain, and reproductive systems were another topic that was reviewed in this study. Different methods to remove fluoride from water such as reverse osmosis, electrocoagulation, nanoﬁltration, adsorption, ion-exchange and precipitation/coagulation were introduced in this study. Although several studies have been carried out on contamination of water resources with fluoride, the situation of water contamination with fluoride and newly developed technology to remove fluoride from water in Asian countries has not been reviewed. Therefore, this review is focused on these issues: 1) The status of fluoride contamination in Asian countries, 2) health effects of fluoride contamination in drinking water in Asia, and 3) the existing current technologies for defluoridation in Asia.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext Diagnosis and management of latent tuberculosis infection in Asia: Review of current status and challenges

Paton NI, Borand L, Benedicto J, Kyi MM, Mahmud AM, Norazmi MN, et al.

Int J Infect Dis, 2019 Oct;87:21-29.
PMID: 31301458 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2019.07.004

Asia has the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB) and latent TB infection (LTBI) in the world. Optimizing the diagnosis and treatment of LTBI is one of the key strategies for achieving the WHO 'End TB' targets. We report the discussions from the Asia Latent TubERculosis (ALTER) expert panel meeting held in 2018 in Singapore. In this meeting, a group of 13 TB experts from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam convened to review the literature, discuss the barriers and propose strategies to improve the management of LTBI in Asia. Strategies for the optimization of risk group prioritization, diagnosis, treatment, and research of LTBI are reported. The perspectives presented herein, may help national programs and professional societies of the respective countries enhance the adoption of the WHO guidelines, scale-up the implementation of national guidelines based on the regional needs, and provide optimal guidance to clinicians for the programmatic management of LTBI.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology
Fulltext APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 Mutations in Asian Patients with Early-Onset Alzheimer Disease

Giau VV, Bagyinszky E, Youn YC, An SSA, Kim S

Int J Mol Sci, 2019 Sep 25;20(19).
PMID: 31557888 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194757

The number of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is rapidly increasing in Asia. Mutations in the amyloid protein precursor (APP), presenilin-1 (PSEN1), and presenilin-2 (PSEN2) genes can cause autosomal dominant forms of early-onset AD (EOAD). Although these genes have been extensively studied, variant classification remains a challenge, highlighting the need to colligate mutations across populations. In this study, we performed a genetic screening for mutations in the APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 genes in 200 clinically diagnosed EOAD patients across four Asian countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Korea, between 2009 and 2018. Thirty-two (16%) patients presented pathogenic APP, PSEN1, or PSEN2 variants; eight (25%), 19 (59%), and five (16%) of the 32 patients presented APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 variants, respectively. Among the 21 novel and known non-synonymous variants, five APP variants were found in Korean patients and one APP variant was identified in a Thai patient with EOAD. Nine, two, and one PSEN1 mutation was found in a Korean patient, Malaysian siblings, and a Thai patient, respectively. Unlike PSEN1 mutations, PSEN2 mutations were rare in patients with EOAD; only three variants were found in Korean patients with EOAD. Comparison of AD-causative point mutations in Asian countries; our findings explained only a small fraction of patients, leaving approximately 84% (p = 0.01) of autosomal dominant pedigrees genetically unexplained. We suggest that the use of high-throughput sequencing technologies for EOAD patients can potentially improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of AD.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology

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