Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine

FRIDAY, Aug. 29, 2025 -- Machine learning (ML) models predict in-hospital mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with lymphoma , according to a study published online Aug. 20 in PLOS ONE . Ling Xu, from the Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dongguan, China, and colleagues developed and validated ML models to predict in-hospital mortality in adult ICU patients with lymphoma in a retrospective cohort study using data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database. Fifteen machine learning models were developed and compared using receiver operating characteristic curves and an area under the curve (AUC) analysis. The analyses included 1,591 patients, with 342 (21.5 percent) in-hospital deaths. The researchers found that Lasso regression identified significant predictors of mortality, including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), platelets, prothrombin time (PT), heart rate, systolic blood pressure, activated partial thromboplastin time, oxygen saturation, and bicarbonate. The highest predictive performance was seen for the CatBoost classifier, with an AUC of 0.7766. The critical role of BUN was highlighted in a SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) analysis, which was the most important factor in mortality prediction, followed by platelets and PT. Individualized risk assessments were provided by the SHAP force plot, demonstrating the ability of the model to identify high-risk subgroups. "The ML models, particularly the CatBoost Classifier, may assist in risk estimation of in-hospital mortality among ICU patients with lymphoma," the authors write. "These models not only offer additional insights alongside traditional approaches but also provide interpretable risk assessments through SHAP value analysis." Abstract/Full Text

FRIDAY, Jan. 17, 2025 -- Tea consumption offers protective effects on mortality among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study published online Jan. 13 in Renal Failure . Jin Li, Ph.D., from the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine in China, and colleagues examined the long-term impact of tea consumption among 17,575 patients with CKD from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 1999 to 2018. The researchers found there were 5,835 deaths during follow-up, including 1,823 cardiovascular-related deaths. Compared with never drinking tea, consuming up to four cups of tea per day was significantly associated with lower all-cause mortality among patients with CKD stage 1 to 2 (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.80 to 0.99; P = 0.04), after adjustment for confounding variables; the association between tea consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality was not significant (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.72 to 1.05; P = 0.15). There was a dose-response effect observed, with the risks for all-cause mortality mitigated by consuming up to three to five cups of tea per day, especially in early CKD stages. In CKD stage 1 to 2, an intake of one cup per day higher of oxidized tea was associated with a 10 percent lower risk for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.90; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.82 to 0.99; P = 0.03). Replacing one cup of green tea with one cup of oxidized tea was associated with a significantly lower risk for all-cause and CVD mortality (hazard ratios [95 percent confidence intervals], 0.92 [0.86 to 0.98; P = 0.01] and 0.89 [0.80 to 1.00; P < 0.05], respectively) in those with CKD stage 1 to 2. "We suggested that CKD patients limit their daily intake of tea to no more than four cups, and choose appropriate varieties and flavors, such as oxidized tea and sugar-free tea," the authors write. Abstract/Full Text Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2024 -- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in older adults has become a global public health burden, according to a study published in the Jan. 31, 2025, issue of Autoimmunity Reviews . Liji Chen, from the Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China, and colleagues assessed the global burden of IBD in the elderly. The analysis included data from the Global Burden of Disease Study. The researchers found that during the study period (1990 to 2019), the number of IBD prevalent cases, incident cases, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and deaths in older adults increased significantly. There was a trend downward for age-standardized rates of incidence, prevalence, DALYs, and mortality. Consistently high disease burdens were seen in the Americas, European regions, and high Sociodemographic Index (SDI) countries. The fastest growth in prevalence and incidence and the fastest decline in DALYs and mortality were seen in middle SDI countries. For prevalence, incidence, and DALYs for IBD, the age-standardized rates were highest in the 60- to 64-year-old age group, while age-standardized rates of mortality were highest in the 80- to 84-year-old and 85- to 89-year-old age groups. There were no gender differences observed. "Consequently, public health officials need to recognize the influence of aging populations and other determinants on the burden of IBD among older individuals, crafting tailored interventions to mitigate this burden effectively," the authors write.