To explore the potential targets and mechanisms of β-carotene in the treatment of hyperuricemia (HUA) by integrating network pharmacology analysis with in vivo mouse experiments.

Targets related to β-carotene were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), CTDbase, and Swiss Target Prediction databases. Therapeutic targets for HUA were obtained from the GeneCards, DigSee, and DisGeNET databases. Venn diagram analysis was used to identify overlapping targets between β-carotene-related targets and HUA disease targets, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed on the identified overlapping targets. C57BL/6 mice were divided into 5 groups: normal group, HUA (model group), positive control allopurinol (62.5 mg/kg) group, 20 mg/kg β-carotene group, and 40 mg/kg β-carotene group. Except for the control group, all other groups were induced to establish the HUA mouse model using potassium oxonate and hypoxanthine. Serum levels of uric acid (UA), urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (CRE) were measured using biochemical assay kits. Renal tissue injury was observed using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining.Levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Western blot was used to detect protein expression levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), and cleaved Caspase-1. Immunohistochemical staining was used to observe NLRP3 expression levels in renal tissue.

Matching 254 β-carotene-related targets with 170 HUA-related targets yielded 15 overlapping β-carotene-HUA target genes. KEGG enrichment indicated that β-carotene primarily treated HUA by involving inflammation and apoptosis pathways, with NLRP3 inflammasome enrichment being the most significant. Compared to the model group, both 20 mg/kg β-carotene and 40 mg/kg β-carotene significantly reduced serum UA (F=119.3, P<0.01), BUN (F=112.7, P<0.01), and CRE (F=80.76, P<0.01) levels in HUA mice, alleviated renal injury, decreased renal tissue levels of IL-1β (F=97.8, P<0.01) and IL-18(F=137.0, P<0.01), and downregulated the expression levels of NLRP3 (F=178.4, P<0.01), ASC (F=392.5, P<0.01), and cleaved-Caspase-1 (F=171.6, P<0.01).

β-Carotene can alleviate renal injury and reduce inflammatory responses in HUA mice. Its mechanism may be associated with inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

To systematically analyze the problems existing in China’s public health emergency response plan system, comprehensively review relevant literature, and construct a complete problem framework.

A total of 3 171 relevant literature articles were retrieved from Chinese and English databases from 2003 to 2024, and 225 articles that met the criteria were ultimately included in the analysis. Problem descriptions were extracted, categorized, and organized into a problem list, and a problem system was constructed based on the emergency plan framework.

The system identified 29 types of problems within China’s emergency response plans, encompassing the plan system, preparedness framework, risk assessment, operational foundation, and operational environment.

The developed problem system systematically presents existing issues and provides theoretical and practical references for improving emergency response plans and enhancing public health emergency response capacity.

To explore the comorbidity patterns of chronic heart failure(CHF) patients with different cardiac function grades, and to provide a scientific basis for optimizing treatment plans and improving patient prognosis.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect the clinical information of 495 patients with CHF from 9 hospitals inside and outside Beijing from May 2018 to November 2022. Association rule analysis was applied to investigate comorbidity patterns among patients with varying degrees of cardiac function, and a comorbidity network for CHF patients was constructed and visually analyzed.

The comorbidity prevalence among the 495 CHF patients was 96.57%. The comorbidity ratios for patients with cardiac function grades II, III, and IV were 94.37%, 96.81%, and 97.25%, respectively. Hypertension (67.27%), hyperlipidemia (48.69%), and diabetes (46.46%) were the most common comorbidities among CHF patients, with the highest proportion of patients having two comorbidities (28.90%). As cardiac function declined, the frequency of comorbidities such as renal insufficiency and atrial fibrillation showed an increasing trend. In patients with cardiac function grades II, III, and IV, 34, 11, and 23 strong association rules were identified, respectively, further revealing the associations among hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia in CHF patients. The comorbidity network diagram demonstrated a close association between heart failure patients and conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, indicating a complex comorbid relationship. There was a difference in comorbidity network density among patients with varying cardiac function levels, with patients experiencing deterioration in cardiac function exhibiting more complex comorbid connections.

Strengthening the monitoring and management of comorbidities in clinical CHF patients could help integrate medical resources, optimize personalized intervention strategies, and enhance the overall effectiveness of chronic disease prevention and control.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is highly prevalent among elderly women. Current research on the effects of physical activity types and region-specific dietary patterns is insufficient. Large-scale cross-sectional studies are needed to analyze these multidimensional factors.

To investigate the impact of physical activity and dietary patterns on PMOP and their interaction effects.

In May 2022, a baseline survey was conducted among postmenopausal women aged 60 and above in Hongguang Town, Pidu District, Chengdu. Physical activity levels were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and dietary information was collected via a food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis, and bone density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the independent and interaction effects.

A total of 1 136 postmenopausal women (mean age 67.2±5.1 years) were included, with a PMOP prevalence of 32.8%. After adjustment, recreational physical activity was negatively associated with PMOP (OR=0.64, 95% CI: 0.45-0.92). The Sichuan-style high-sodium red meat pattern and freshwater fish–poultry pattern showed no significant association after adjustment. Interaction analysis revealed that walking had a significant synergistic effect with dietary patterns (P_interaction=0.008), while other physical activities did not.

Physical activity and dietary patterns have independent and synergistic effects on PMOP. This study provides region-specific clues for exercise and dietary interventions for PMOP in Southwest China. Future research should validate these findings through multicenter studies.

To explore the mediating role of depression between cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) and disability status among older adults, and to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and management of disability among the elderly.

Based on cross-sectional data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2020, 8 270 elderly individuals aged≥60 years were included. Correlation and mediation analyses were conducted to examine the associations among depression, CMM and disability. The PROCESS 4.1 macro was employed to test the mediating effect of depression, and the mediating variables were verified using the Bootstrap method.

The detection rate of disability was 19.1%. After controlling for confounders, both CMM and depression were positively correlated with disability(r=0.142, r=0.209, P<0.001). CMM significantly predicted disability status of the elderly (β=0.414, t=13.040, P<0.001), with depression accounting for 17.39% of the total effect (β=0.072, 95% CI:0.056-0.091).

Cardiometabolic multimorbidity can directly or indirectly influence the disability status through the mediating role of depression. Relevant authorities should enhance public awareness campaigns and implement integrated intervention strategies addressing both physiological and psychological aspects to mitigate disability risk in older adults.

To reveal the trajectory of depressive symptoms among bereaved older adults in China and to explore the factors influencing them.

Based on the longitudinal data provided by the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), this study used the Latent growth mixture model (LGMM) to identify individuals’ depressive symptom trajectories over time, and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse the influencing factors.

Four patterns of trajectories of depressive symptoms among bereaved older adults were found: low depression rapidly increasing group (10.2%), high depression rapidly decreasing group (11.5%), high depression slowly increasing group (23.9%), and low depression continuously stable group (54.4%). The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, in the trajectory of depressive symptom onset among elderly parents who lost their children in China, living in urban areas, having fewer days with poor sleep per week, and reporting good self-rated health status are all protective factors, while low life satisfaction is a risk factor (all P<0.05).

This study reveals heterogeneity in changes in depressive symptoms among bereaved older adults in China. The government and medical institutions should meet individualized support measures based on the characteristics of different groups.

To analyze the prevalence of multimorbidity and disability among urban and rural elderly in China, exploretheir association, and inform policy optimization.

Using the 2020 CHARLS database, descriptive analysis, chi-square tests, and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used to depict the urban-rural differences. Cluster analysis identified multimorbidity patterns. Binary logistic regression (for BADL disability) and generalized ordered logistic regression (for IADL disability levels) were used to analyze the impact of multimorbidity patterns on disability.

Chronic disease prevalence was 88.38%, and multimorbidity prevalence was 69.84%. Urban older adults had a higher multimorbidity rate (73.27%) than their rural counterparts (68.62%). Cluster analysis identified five comorbidity patterns, with Pattern 5 (complex multimorbidity pattern) being the most prevalent (urban:39.97%, rural:28.93%). Rural older adults exhibited significantly higher proportions of moderate and severe IADL disability (11.65%, 8.04%) compared to urban residents (7.83%, 6.94%). Regression analyses demonstrated a significant association between multimorbidity and higher disability prevalence, with Pattern 5 having the strongest impact on both BADL (OR=2.87, 95% CI:2.22-3.71) and IADL (moderate disability: OR=3.16, 95% CI:2.60-3.84; severe disability: OR=2.62, 95% CI:1.98-3.47).

Multimorbidity is highly prevalent and significantly associated with disability among older adults in both urban and rural China, with the complex multimorbidity pattern (Pattern 5) showing the strongest association. Urban older adults experience more complex multimorbidity patterns, while rural older adults face more severe disability. Policy development should address urban-rural disparities through targeted health management strategies and interventions.

To explore the correlation between body roundness index (BRI) and hypertension in middle-aged and elderly people.

The research data were from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The baseline data of participants in 2011 and the follow-up data from 2013 to 2020 were collected, and the body roundness index was calculated. Cox regression was used to analyze the relationship between BRI and hypertension. The linear trend test was used to explore the linear trend of the incidence of hypertension in the four quartiles of BRI. The dose-response relationship between BRI and hypertension was analyzed by restricted cubic spline model. The receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under the curve were used to evaluate BRI and common obesity assessment, so as to evaluate their ability to predict hypertension risk.

Cox regression analysis showed that after adjusting the relevant covariates, BRI was correlated with the incidence of hypertension. The incidence of hypertension in the highest quartile of BRI was 1.29 times higher than that in the lowest quartile. Linear trend test showed that the incidence of hypertension increased with the increase of BRI quartile level (27.27%, 29.78%, 37.69%, 43.70%). RCS analysis showed that the higher the BRI, the greater the risk of hypertension. ROC curve analysis showed that the diagnostic performance of BRI was better than that of BMI, WHtR and WWI.

High BRI is associated with an increased risk of hypertension in middle-aged and elderly people in China.

To understand the core information awareness of chronic diseases and its influencing factors among adult residents in Quanzhou City, and to provide a direction for further improving the health literacy of Quanzhou residents.

Using data from the 2023 Quanzhou Chronic Disease Social Factors Survey, the core information awareness of chronic diseases among residents was descriptively analyzed. Multivariate unconditional logistic regression was employed for analyzing influencing factors.

The core information awareness of chronic diseases among adult residents in Quanzhou 2023 was 78.5%. The awareness rate was higher in males (79.6%) than in females (77.7%) and showed a declining trend with increasing age (χ²=290.339, P<0.01). The higher education, the higher the awareness rate (χ²=481.641, P<0.01). Urban residents had a higher awareness rate (80.7%) compared to rural residents (77.3%), and residents in demonstration areas for comprehensive prevention and control of chronic diseases had a higher awareness rate (80.8%) than those in non-demonstration areas (76.0%). Multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that influencing factors included age (age 45-<65: OR: 0.805, 95% CI: 0.700-0.927; age 65 or above: OR: 0.646, 95% CI: 0.550-0.759), education level (primary school OR: 1.252, 95% CI: 1.102-1.424; junior high school OR: 1.905, 95% CI: 1.663-2.181; high school or Technical secondary school OR: 2.715, 95% CI: 2.251-3.275; College degree or above OR: 4.309, 95% CI: 3.419-5.431) and demonstration areas for comprehensive prevention and control of chronic diseases (OR: 1.120, 95% CI: 1.016-1.235). Generally, an educational attainment of primary school or above and a demonstration areas for comprehensive prevention and control of chronic diseases were the factors that promoted the awareness of core information of chronic diseases. Adult residents aged 45 and above and those in non-demonstration areas for comprehensive prevention and control of chronic diseases are risk factors for lack of awareness of core information of chronic diseases.

The core information awareness of chronic diseases among Quanzhou residents still needs improvement. Focusing on influencing factors such as age, education, and demonstration areas for comprehensive prevention and control of chronic diseases can better enhance the health literacy of residents regarding chronic diseases, effectively preventing and controlling chronic diseases.