Seasonal variations of nonmotor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease in Southeast China

Rising Incidence of Acute Epiglottitis in Eastern China: An Eight-Year Retrospective Study and Its Association with the 24 Solar Terms

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of acute epiglottitis (AE) patients in East China and examine the correlation between the incidence of AE and the 24 solar terms (24 STs).

Methods

A retrospective, observational study was conducted on patients diagnosed with AE between January 2014 and December 2021 at a single-center medical institution in East China. The clinical characteristics of patients with AE and their correlation with the 24 STs were investigated.

Results

A total of 287 patients with AE were included in this study, among which there were 179 males (62.37%) and 108 females (37.63%), with a mean age of 47.79 ± 13.83 years (range 16-87 years). Of these patients, 100 (34.84%) had at least one comorbidity and the most common comorbidities were hypertension, smoking and type 2 diabetes. The duration of hospitalization was 3 days (IQR, 1-16 days). All patients, except for one who required tracheal intubation, were cured with intravenous antibiotic administration and the combined use of corticosteroids. The incidence of AE showed significant fluctuations between the 24 STs and the highest number of cases occurred during the Summer solstice (24 cases, 8.36%).

Conclusion

The incidence of AE was seen to increase annually in this study. The main features of AE are sore throat, dysphagia, odynophagia and fever, which may be accompanied by inflammation in surrounding areas. A clear correlation exists between the incidence of AE and the fluctuations within the 24 STs, notably with the peak incidence observed during the Summer solstice, which approximately corresponds to June 21 to July 7 in the Gregorian calendar.

Quality of life: Seasonal fluctuation in Parkinson's disease

Objective

Although the seasonal variation of motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) has been reported, the association between seasonal change and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease remains to be explored.

Methods

We recruited 1,036 patients with PD in this cross-sectional retrospective study. The patients were divided into four groups based on their date of assessment, according to the classical four seasons: group 1: March to May (n = 241); group 2: June to August (n = 259); group 3: September to November(n = 273); group 4: December to February (n = 263). The 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) and other clinical evaluation scales for motor and non-motor symptoms were administered. The determinants of the quality of life (QoL) were analyzed by multiple stepwise regression analyses.

Results

A significant difference in PDQ-39 was found between group 1 (spring months) and group 3 (autumn months) after correction (p = 0.002). The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS-III) score was higher in group 1 (spring months) than in group 3 (the autumn months) (p = 0.033). The most severe determinant of QoL was the UPDRS-III score in group 1 and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score in groups 2, 3, and 4.

Interpretation

The current study reported seasonal fluctuation of QoL in patients with PD, with higher scores during the spring months and lower scores in the autumn months. Since the determinants for QoL also vary by season, clinicians might need to focus on specific factors across seasons before initiating therapy.