Health Science, Science and Technology Reviews

Needs and need fulfillment of caregivers of stroke patients in the stroke intensive care unit, Tertiary hospital

Sangwarn Hanfangam — 2025-08-25

This study aimed to examine the needs and need fulfillment of caregivers of stroke patients in the in the stroke intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital, and to compare the differences between their needs and need fulfillment. The sample consisted of 77 primary caregivers of stroke patients aged 20 years or older who were literate, able to communicate in Thai, and had been providing care for at least three days. The research instruments were two-part questionnaires that demonstrated good content validity and reliability, with consistency indices of 0.99 and 0.97, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, with the level of statistical significance set at .05. The results showed that most participants were female (68.83%), with a median age of 49 years, and the majority were married or cohabiting (58.44%). Caregivers reported moderately high to high needs across all domains. The three domains with the highest needs were information, health care, and emotional support. Need fulfillment was high in all domains except for financial needs, which were moderately high. The comparison revealed that caregivers received significantly higher need fulfillment than their perceived needs in four domains: emotional support (Z = 2.73, p = .006), spiritual enhancement (Z = 3.89, p < .001), financial (Z = 2.99, p = .004), and rest (Z = 3.02, p = .003). In conclusion, caregivers of stroke patients have needs in multiple domains, particularly information, health care, and emotional support, while the level of need fulfillment was generally high and higher than the perceived needs in several domains. This reflects the effective quality of care provided. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain care standards and continuously adjust service models to align with the specific needs of caregivers, especially in high-need areas, to promote long-term health outcomes and quality of life for both patients and caregivers.

Effectiveness and equity of a digital–enabled hospital–community ‎hypertension ‎management model: A quasi–experimental study in rural China

Minglin Han — 2025-08-25

Hypertension affects approximately 1.3 billion adults globally and 245 million in China, with awareness, treatment, and control rates notably low in rural Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness, underlying mechanisms, and equity of a digital-enabled hospital–community hypertension management model implemented within the medical alliance framework. A quasi-experimental design was used, with a 16-month intervention in Lingchuan County (n = 1,431) and Guanyang and Gongcheng Counties as the control group (n = 1,545). Outcomes were analyzed through baseline and endpoint surveys, on-site clinical examinations, multivariable logistic regression, and a difference-in-differences (DID) model. The intervention group's blood pressure control rate rose from 59.40% to 76.89%, compared with 45.82% to 59.69% in the control group. Logistic regression identified knowledge, alcohol consumption, and physical activity as significant predictors of blood pressure control. However, the DID interaction term was not statistically significant (β = 0.036, P = 0.734), suggesting that part of the within-group improvement may reflect secular trends or concurrent health-system changes rather than the intervention alone. These findings indicate that a digital-enabled hospital–community model can support graded care and behavioral change in rural settings, while underscoring the need for cautious causal interpretation and longer follow-up. The results offer practical guidance for refining county-level integrated care under China's Healthy China Action and the 2024 hypertension guidelines.

Role of HERC5 silencing in modulating apoptosis of EA.hy926 ‎endothelial cells: A Preliminary in vitro study with implications for deep ‎vein thrombosis

Yiming Su — 2025-08-26

Endothelial cell apoptosis contributes to a variety of vascular pathologies, including endothelial dysfunction implicated in deep vein thrombosis (DVT). HERC5, a HECT-domain E3 ubiquitin ligase tightly regulated in activated endothelial cells, has been reported to participate in inflammatory and immune responses, but its role in endothelial cell apoptosis remains insufficiently characterized. This preliminary in vitro study aimed to investigate the effect of HERC5 silencing on apoptosis of EA.hy926 endothelial cells. Three short hairpin RNAs targeting HERC5 (shHERC5_1, shHERC5_2, and shHERC5_3) were delivered into EA.hy926 cells by lentiviral transduction; non-targeting shRNA (shNC) and untransduced cells (Mock) served as controls. Silencing efficiency was confirmed by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Apoptosis was assessed by Annexin V/Propidium Iodide flow cytometry using shHERC5_3, which produced the greatest protein-level knockdown. Compared with shNC, all three shHERC5 constructs significantly reduced HERC5 mRNA and protein levels (P < 0.05). Flow cytometry showed that HERC5 silencing increased the proportion of late apoptotic cells and decreased the proportion of viable cells relative to shNC. These results provide preliminary in vitro evidence that HERC5 may influence endothelial cell apoptosis. Because endothelial apoptosis is one of several mechanisms associated with endothelial dysfunction and vascular pathologies including DVT, further investigation incorporating thrombosis-related endpoints and in vivo models is warranted to clarify whether HERC5 is mechanistically linked to DVT pathogenesis.

Vitex trifolia L. Leaf herbal bar soap: Product formulation, determination of its active constituents, and product stability study

Wanhuda Paduka — 2026-08-27

Vitex trifolia L. (Lamiaceae) is mainly distributed in Asia, including Thailand. In traditional Thai medicine, its leaves have been used for the treatment of several conditions, such as swelling, nasal polyps. Traditional folk wisdom uses boiled leaves of V. trifolia for bathing to treat skin diseases, including fungal infections, tinea, and tinea capitis. Previous studies have reported that leaf extracts of V. trifolia contain various bioactive compounds possessed strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the efficacy of a V. trifolia bar soap formulation. Physicochemical stability was investigated through the evaluation of physical characteristics, pH, volume of bubbles, foamability, erosion of soap, and overall stability under different storage conditions. Stability testing was conducted under accelerated conditions and at different temperatures (4°C, 30°C, and 45°C) for a period of 90 days. The contents of total phenolic compounds, total flavonoid compounds, and total proanthocyanidins in the V. trifolia bar soap were analyzed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, aluminum chloride colorimetric method, and vanillin-HCl assay, respectively. The results showed that the developed 0.4% (w/v) V. trifolia bar soap (Formula 2) exhibited stable physical and chemical properties. Furthermore, the bar soap effectively retained its bioactive constituents, including total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids, and total proanthocyanidins, during storage (p<0.05). This study indicates that V. trifolia bar soap maintain both bioactive compound content and product stability throughout the evaluation period, supporting its potential development as a stable and effective herbal skincare product.

Efficacy and adverse effects of Phyllanthus emblica combined with Andrographis paniculata syrup versus brown mixture for symptomatic cough relief in Long-COVID patients: A single-blind randomized controlled trial

Pimlada Pongchaichanon — 2026-08-27

Objective: To compare the efficacy and side effects of herbal cough syrup containing Phyllanthus emblica and Andrographis paniculata with a brown mixture in relieving cough symptoms in patients with post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID). Methods: This study was a phase 2a clinical trial designed as a single-blind randomized controlled trial conducted between April and September 2025 at the Center of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine. The participants were 58 volunteers with a persistent cough associated with a post-COVID-19 condition for more than two months. They were randomly assigned to either the treatment group or the control group, with 29 participants in each group. All participants received the assigned treatment for 3 consecutive days and were followed up over 7 days. Outcome measures included the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), used to assess cough-related quality of life, and the Cough Severity Diary (CSD), used to evaluate the daily severity of cough symptoms. Results: The treatment group, of which 82.76% were female, had a mean age of 42.34 ± 11.16 years, while the control group consisted of 68.96% female participants with a mean age of 40.72 ± 11.68 years. Following treatment, the treatment group demonstrated a significant improvement in total LCQ scores, increasing from 13.15 ± 3.55 to 16.83 ± 3.09 (p < 0.001), and a significant reduction in total CSD scores from 3.95 ± 1.87 to 1.42 ± 1.78 (p < 0.001). Similarly, the control group showed an increase in LCQ scores from 12.51 ± 2.79 to 15.90 ± 3.33 (p < 0.001) and a decrease in total CSD scores from 4.46 ± 1.86 to 1.44 ± 1.46 (p < 0.001). However, between-group comparisons revealed no statistically significant difference in post-treatment LCQ scores (p = 0.276) or CSD scores (p = 0.794). Regarding side effects, one adverse event (3.45%) was reported in the experimental group, presenting as facial edema and assessed as "possible" according to the Naranjo algorithm; the symptom resolved following dose reduction. No adverse events were observed in the control group. Conclusion: The herbal cough syrup containing Phyllanthus emblica and Andrographis paniculata demonstrates comparable efficacy to Brown mixture in alleviating cough symptoms and improving the quality of life in patients with post-COVID-19 conditions. It may represent an appropriate alternative treatment for post-COVID-19 cough. Further studies with larger sample sizes and long-term follow-up are recommended to confirm its efficacy and safety.

An exploratory genome-wide association study of leprosy susceptibility genes in a Thai cohort

Sukanya Wattanapokayakit — 2026-08-27

Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Although candidate gene studies have explored genetic susceptibility to leprosy, only a limited number of genomic loci have been independently replicated. In contrast, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have provided clear evidence that host genetic factors—varying across different ethnic populations—play a critical role in determining human susceptibility to infection and in influencing the progression of infectious diseases. We performed genome-wide association study involving 344 individuals with leprosy - 103 with paucibacillary form and 241 multibacillary form - and 200 control individuals, using the Illumina Ommi express platform. This study highlights a potential genome-wide association signal for leprosy on chromosome 18 (18q21.33–18q22.1) supported by suggestive evidence (P-values<1×10^-5). Within this region, the lead variant rs9949621 demonstrated the strongest association (P-values<4.75×10^-6, Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.53, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 0.40-0.70) and is located near the HMSD gene. The association peak extended across a broader region encompassing several SERPIN family genes (SERPINB2, SERPINB10, HMSD, and SERPINB8), where multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) consistently showed P-values below 5.0×10⁻⁵. Collectively, this suggests that variants within this gene cluster may influence genetic susceptibility to leprosy. Importantly, all associated SNPs appeared to confer a protective effect, as the minor alleles were more frequent in controls than in cases, indicating reduced disease risk in carriers. Our genome-wide association study (GWAS) suggests a potential novel link between HMSD and several genes within the SERPIN family and susceptibility to leprosy in the Thai population. While these results highlight a promising genetic association, they will need to be confirmed through independent replication studies and supported by functional investigations. Additional high-resolution genotyping or sequencing analyses will also be necessary to refine these findings and clarify their biological significance.

Time-to-complication and trajectory mapping of microvascular complications in youth-onset type 2 diabetes: A scoping review

Siriwan Chukumnird — 2026-08-28

Youth-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has emerged as a growing global health concern and is characterized by a more aggressive disease course than adult-onset T2DM. This scoping review aimed to map existing evidence on the timing of onset and trajectories of microvascular complications in youth-onset T2DM. The review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Searches were performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and CINAHL covering publications from 2016 to 2026. A total of 107 records were identified, yielding six longitudinal studies predominantly derived from the TODAY, TODAY2, and SEARCH cohorts that met the inclusion criteria. The review indicates that microvascular complications can manifest as early as the time of diagnosis or within the first 3–5 years of disease onset. Cumulative incidences of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) were 54.8%, 51.0%, and 32.4%, respectively, over a mean follow-up of 13.3 years. These complications progress rapidly during adolescence and young adulthood. Trajectory analysis reveals that the early hyperfiltration group exhibits the highest risk of developing albuminuria. These findings address a critical knowledge gap regarding the time-to-complication and disease trajectory in youth-onset T2DM. The results further support the pivotal role of nurses in implementing systematic, proactive screening from the early stages of disease, and underscore the need for evidence-based clinical guidelines for complication surveillance in primary and tertiary healthcare settings.

Lived experiences of schoolteachers in managing health emergency situations in schools: A phenomenological study

Seubtrakul Tantalanukul — 2026-08-28

This descriptive phenomenological qualitative study aimed to describe and understand the real-life experiences of schoolteachers when facing health emergency situations in schools. Eighteen participants were recruited through qualification-based purposive sampling and chain-referral (snowball) sampling from primary and secondary schools in Uttaradit Province, Thailand, all of whom had encountered at least one health emergency at school. Data were collected through individual semi-structured in-depth interviews, using an interview guide developed specifically for this study and validated for content validity by three experts using the Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC = 0.67–1.00), with a mean interview duration of 56.4 minutes. Data analysis followed Colaizzi's seven-step phenomenological method, and trustworthiness was established using Lincoln and Guba's criteria. Five main themes emerged: (1) acute panic and confusion during the crisis; (2) instinct-driven action and accumulated personal experience; (3) the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills; (4) existing supports and gaps within the school support system; and (5) needs, obstacles, and expectations toward the healthcare system. The fundamental structure of the phenomenon revealed that teachers are positioned as first responders without adequate preparation in knowledge, skills, equipment, or institutional support, although some existing supports worth building upon were also identified, resulting in prolonged psychological impact and an urgent need for competency development through structured programs designed by emergency nursing specialists, which should incorporate initial assessment skills prior to decision-making and gender-sensitive first-aid guidelines for cross-gender student care. These findings provide a foundational evidence base for developing practice-oriented training programs that genuinely address teachers' needs, and for formulating school health safety policies in the Thai context.