0000000000419724
AUTHOR
José Luis Díaz
Consensus document of an expert group from the Spanish Society of Arteriosclerosis (SEA) on the clinical use of nuclear magnetic resonance to assess lipoprotein metabolism (Liposcale®)
The assessment and prevention of cardiovascular risk (CVR) that persists in patients with dyslipidaemia despite treatment and achievement of goals specific to the plasma concentration of cholesterol linked to low density (c-LDL) is a clinical challenge today, and suggests that conventional lipid biomarkers are insufficient for an accurate assessment of CVR. Apart from their lipid content, there are other lipid particle characteristics. The results of this study show that there are a number of lipoprotein compounds that determine atherogenic potential and its influence on the CVR. However, such additional characteristics cannot be analysed by the techniques commonly used in clinical laborato…
Relationship Between Cognitive-Behavioral Impairment and Clinical and Functional Parameters in ALS and Reliability of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen to Assess ALS: Preliminary Findings
Background Although it is widely recognized that a high percentage of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have cognitive and behavioral impairment, the associated clinical and functional parameters remain unknown. ALS is typically assessed via screening tests, such as the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS). Objective To investigate the relationship between cognitive-behavioral impairment and other clinical and functional parameters and to compare the assessment results from a set of standardized neuropsychological tests with those from the ECAS. Methods Forty individuals with ALS participated in the study. We assessed attention, memory and learning abilit…
COPD at the end of life: Predictors of the emotional distress of patients and their family caregivers.
BackgroundFew studies have focused on patients' emotional distress with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and their main family caregivers.MethodsCross-sectional data about emotional, functional, and burden-related variables were collected from 85 patients with end-stage COPD and their 85 respective main family caregivers to determine the variables that could predict their emotional well-being. Descriptive analyses, comparison of means, hierarchical regression models, and comparative quali-quantitative analyses were carried out.ResultsData show that the great majority of patients with COPD spend years with this diagnosis, and have been admitted to the hospital several t…
Documento de consenso de un grupo de expertos de la Sociedad Española de Arteriosclerosis (SEA) sobre el uso clínico de la resonancia magnética nuclear en el estudio del metabolismo lipoproteico (Liposcale)
Resumen La evaluacion y prevencion del riesgo cardiovascular (RCV) que persiste en los pacientes con dislipidemia a pesar del tratamiento y de haber alcanzado los objetivos especificos de la concentracion plasmatica de colesterol unido a lipoproteinas de baja densidad (c-LDL) es un reto clinico en la actualidad, y sugiere que los biomarcadores lipidicos convencionales resultan insuficientes para una evaluacion precisa del RCV. Mas alla de su contenido lipidico, existen otras caracteristicas propias de las particulas lipoproteicas que determinan su potencial aterogenico y su influencia en el RCV. Sin embargo, dichas caracteristicas adicionales no pueden ser analizadas por las tecnicas utiliz…
Effect of a short-term psychological intervention on the anxiety and depression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a psychological intervention in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients, consisting of four semi-structured sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy combined with counselling techniques. An intervention group and a control group were established. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess levels of anxiety and depression. In total, fifty-four patients took part. Prior to the intervention, the intervention group displayed rates of 63.3 and 36.7 per cent for anxiety and depression, respectively, falling to 16.7 and 10.0 per cent afterwards. The psychological intervention demonstrated potential for the reduction of levels of anxiety …
Effect of one-year dextromethorphan/quinidine treatment on management of respiratory impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Abstract Treatment with Dextromethorphan/Quinidine (DM/Q) has demonstrated benefit on pseudobulbar affect and bulbar function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The aim of this study was to assess whether DM/Q could provide long-term improvement in bulbar function and thereby prolong noninvasive respiratory management in ALS. Materials and methods This prospective, case-cohort study, recruited ALS patients with bulbar dysfunction. Subjects included were compared with cross-matched historical controls. Cases received DM/Q (20/10 mg twice daily) during one-year follow-up; bulbar dysfunction was evaluated with the Norris scale bulbar subscore (NBS) and bulbar subscale of AlSFRS-R (ALSFRSb…
Bulbar impairment score and survival of stable amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients after noninvasive ventilation initiation
There is general agreement that noninvasive ventilation (NIV) prolongs survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and that the main cause of NIV failure is the severity of bulbar dysfunction. However, there is no evidence that bulbar impairment is a contraindication for NIV. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of bulbar impairment on survival in ALS patients with NIV. ALS patients for whom NIV was indicated were included. Those patients who refused NIV were taken as the control group. 120 patients who underwent NIV and 20 who refused NIV were included. The NIV group presented longer survival (median 18.50 months, 95% CI 12.62–24.38 months) than the no-NIV group (3.00 mont…