Clinical trials

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of resistance swallowing rehabilitation using Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR) exercises combined with an innovative swallowing pressure ball in improving swallowing function and swallowing-related quality of life among home-based older stroke patients with dysphagia. Participants will receive a 12-week swallowing rehabilitation program conducted in the home-care setting. Outcome measures include swallowing function assessments, swallowing-related quality of life, and rehabilitation adherence. The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial to explore the feasibility and clinical benefits of resistance-based swallowing rehabilitation in community and home-care environments.

Delirium is the most common and severe neuropsychiatric complication in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), with an incidence as high as 87% in the United States, 75.6% in medical ICUs in Taiwan, and 41.7% in surgical ICUs, with patients developing delirium an average of 2.6 days after admission. Delirium is associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, increased complications, higher in-hospital mortality, greater psychological burden on family members, and elevated clinical pressure on healthcare staff. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend prioritizing non-pharmacological interventions for delirium prevention, among which music intervention has emerged as one of the most promising strategies due to its low risk, low cost, and feasibility in the ICU setting. Although several international studies have supported its potential benefits, evidence remains inconclusive. Mindfulness-based approaches represent another non-pharmacological strategy that intentionally directs attention to present-moment bodily sensations; mindful breathing exercises are particularly suitable for ICU patients, as they only require patients to adopt a comfortable position in bed and focus on each inhalation and exhalation under guidance, quickly restoring awareness to present bodily experience. Incorporating mindful breathing before and after music listening may therefore facilitate emotional regulation and present-moment awareness, enhancing patient engagement and attentional focus during the intervention. Existing delirium prevention studies in Taiwan have predominantly employed multicomponent care bundles, leaving a gap in empirical evidence regarding music as a standalone intervention. Moreover, scholars have highlighted that musical preference and cultural background influence patients' psychological responses to music, underscoring the importance of cultural appropriateness. In response to this gap, the present study proposes a music intervention combining classical music and Taiwan-localized music with mindful breathing exercises, aiming to examine the effects on ICU delirium incidence and severity, compare the effectiveness of classical versus Taiwan-localized music, and explore the potential benefits on patient anxiety and pain, with the hope of providing a culturally informed, evidence-based music repertoire to guide clinical practice in Taiwan.

Physical inactivity and prolonged sedentary behavior are major health concerns, especially for individuals with chronic conditions such as diabetes and prediabetes. Many patients have difficulty following traditional exercise recommendations due to time constraints, limited physical capacity, comorbidities, or lack of access to exercise facilities. Therefore, new and more practical exercise strategies are needed. "Exercise Snacks" is a novel physical activity approach that involves short bouts of exercise performed multiple times throughout the day. Each session is brief and easy to integrate into daily life, such as performing short periods of resistance exercises, brisk walking, stair climbing, or other simple activities. This approach may improve exercise adherence and provide health benefits without requiring long exercise sessions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an Exercise Snacks intervention in sedentary adults with diabetes or prediabetes and to explore its potential effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health, physical function, and body composition. In this study, sedentary adults aged 18-65 years with diabetes or prediabetes will participate in a 12-week study and will be randomly assigned to either an Exercise Snacks group or a control group. Participants in the Exercise Snacks group will perform short exercise sessions lasting approximately 3-5 minutes, including simple resistance exercises and short aerobic activities. These exercise sessions will be performed several times per day and integrated into daily routines. The control group will maintain their usual lifestyle without additional exercise intervention. Participants may use wearable devices or mobile applications to receive reminders and record exercise activity. Assessments will be conducted before and after the intervention to evaluate physical activity adherence, physical function, body composition, blood pressure, blood glucose, and other cardiovascular and metabolic health indicators. This study aims to determine whether short, frequent exercise sessions are a practical and effective alternative to traditional exercise recommendations for sedentary individuals with diabetes or prediabetes. The results of this study may help develop more feasible lifestyle intervention strategies to improve long-term exercise adherence and overall health in individuals with chronic diseases.

Does the m-Health intervention have a positive effect on the health literacy and health promotion behaviors of the study participants?

Non-COVID-19 sepsis (Sepsis) has always been one of the common diseases in critically ill patients. The main treatment strategy is to kill pathogens and mitigate hyperinflammation. One study demonstrated that the supplementation with 576,000 IU cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) as a single dose in critically ill adults in the medical intensive care units (MICUs) can improve clinical outcomes, including acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score (APACHE II), sequential organ failure assessment score (SOFA), and C-reactive protein (CRP). It is a three-year, multi-center, prospective, parallel, double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial for 240 eligible subjects, with administrations of vitamin D3 576,000 IU or placebo every 24 hours for 3 days (72 hours) within 96 hours after intensive care unit (ICU) admission.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is an important enzyme protecting human from the accumulation of aldehyde, the main metabolites of alcohol. The deficiency of ALDH2 gene results in flush and hang over post drinking and most importantly it has been found associated with the incidence of cancer and post myocardial infarction (MI) heart failure. In the previous studies, ALDH2 decreased the ischemic territory post infarction and using a large scaled interaction of genetic variants and ALDH2 as an instrument, the threats of alcohol consumption on Asians' cardiovascular health was underscored. Furthermore, in a meta-analysis reviewing 12 case-control studies also indicated an increase of 48% risks in patients with ALDH2 deficiency. Notably, the genetic deficiency is most prevalent in Asians. In Taiwan one of every two individuals may be the victim and the high prevalence is counted as the top of the world. However, a large scaled prospective study focusing on the prevalence of ALDH2 deficiency in patients with peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD) or acute coronary syndrome （ACS）remains lacking.