Search results for "CLINICAL TRIALS"
showing 10 items of 490 documents
Protest beliefs in contingent valuation: Explaining their motivation
2006
Abstract The definition and treatment of protest responses in contingent valuation (CV) can have a significant influence on the estimated values of the good in question if these responses are censored. In order to understand how protest responses are motivated, in a CV about forest biodiversity in Germany we used an item battery to identify respondents' protest beliefs. The items were measured for all respondents, irrespective of their willingness to pay (WTP) in principle. Then, a scale based on these beliefs is taken as a dependent variable of regression analyses. In addition to environmental concern we used norms, the warm glow of giving and dilemma concern as further explanatory variabl…
The role of red yeast rice (RYR) supplementation in plasma cholesterol control: A review and expert opinion.
2019
1. Preamble : Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) [1]. Increased levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and many clinical trials have shown that reducing LDL-C levels significantly reduced the CHD and CVD risk [[2], [3], [4], [5]]. Thus LDL-C-lowering is the main approach for the management of cardiovascular disease. Current guidelines suggest LDL-C levels targets based on the individual CV risk; such targets can be achieved by several means, which include both lifestyle changes and pharmacological approaches [6], with statins being the cornerstone …
Gamma-secretase modulation with Abeta42-lowering nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and derived compounds.
2006
The amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides and specifically the highly amyloidogenic isoform Abeta42 appear to be key agents in the pathogenesis of familial and sporadic forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The final step in the generation of Abeta from the amyloid precursor protein is catalyzed by the multiprotein complex gamma-secretase, which constitutes a prime drug target for prevention and therapy of the disease. However, highly potent gamma-secretase inhibitors that block formation of all Abeta peptides have provoked troubling side effects in preclinical animal models of AD. This toxicity can be readily explained by the promiscuous substrate specificity of gamma-secretase and its essential role…
Reducing treatment duration in patients infected with hepatitis C genotype 1: any need for further studies?
2009
The recommended treatment duration with pegylated interferon-α plus ribavirin for patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 is 48 weeks. Interestingly, a subpopulation of genotype 1 patients experience rapid decreases in HCV RNA levels once treatment is initiated and attain rapid virological response, defined as undetectable HCV RNA at week 4 of therapy. Several studies have shown that these patients can be effectively treated for a 24-week period without any significant decreases in sustained virological response rates. The aim of this review was to consider the existing clinical evidence regarding the use of a 24-week treatment schedule among genotype 1 patients and to hi…
Promoting influenza prevention for elderly people in Hong Kong using health action process approach: study protocol.
2018
People 65 years or older are at greater risk of serious complications from the seasonal influenza compared with young. To promote elderly people’s behavioral compliance toward influenza prevention, the aim of the current project is to develop, implement, and evaluate a theory-based low-administration-cost intervention building on a leading psychological theory, the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA). The target group is Hong Kong Chinese elderly people aged 65 or older who rarely or never adopt any preventive actions. This project will be conducted in three phases over 24 months. In phase 1, intervention program will be developed building on the HAPA theoretical framework which comprises…
Special Issue "Centenarians-A Model to Study the Molecular Basis of Lifespan and Healthspan".
2021
People are living longer, not, as was previously the case, due to reduced child mortality, but because we are postponing the ill-health of old age [...]
Cross-sectional assessment of nut consumption and obesity, metabolic syndrome and other cardiometabolic risk factors: the PREDIMED study
2013
INTRODUCTION: Prospective studies have consistently suggested that nut consumption is inversely related to fatal and non-fatal coronary heart disease. Limited data are available on the epidemiological associations between nut intake and cardiometabolic risk factors. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate associations between frequency of nut consumption and prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors [obesity, metabolic syndrome (MetS), type-2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia] in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 7,210 men and women (mean age, 67 y) recruited into the PREDIMED study. MetS was defined by the harmonized ATPIII and I…
Lifestyles and risk factors associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet: a baseline assessment of the PREDIMED trial
2013
Background: The traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern (MedDiet) is associated with longevity and low rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, there is little information on who is more likely to follow this food pattern. Aim: To evaluate how different factors are associated with lower MedDiet adherence in older Spanish subjects. Methods: We included 7305 participants (men aged 55-80 y, women 60-80 y) at high-risk of CVD recruited into the PREDIMED trial (ISRCTN35739639). Socioeconomic, anthropometric, lifestyle characteristics and CVD risk factors were recorded. A validated 14-item questionnaire was used to evaluate MedDiet adherence at baseline. Multivariate models were used to …
A 14-item Mediterranean diet assessment tool and obesity indexes among high-risk subjects: the PREDIMED trial
2012
Objective Independently of total caloric intake, a better quality of the diet (for example, conformity to the Mediterranean diet) is associated with lower obesity risk. It is unclear whether a brief dietary assessment tool, instead of full-length comprehensive methods, can also capture this association. In addition to reduced costs, a brief tool has the interesting advantage of allowing immediate feedback to participants in interventional studies. Another relevant question is which individual items of such a brief tool are responsible for this association. We examined these associations using a 14-item tool of adherence to the Mediterranean diet as exposure and body mass index, waist circum…
Evidence on the effectiveness of occupational health interventions.
2006
Background At present there exists no overview of the range of evidence currently available regarding the effectiveness of occupational health interventions (OHI). Methods Articles published in 2000 and 2001 in 16 general and specialized biomedical journals were searched for evaluations of OHI studies. Results Out of 8,687 articles searched there were 148 OHI studies. In 21% of the studies the study design was a randomized controlled trial, in 28% it was a controlled trial, an interrupted time-series in 7% and a different design in 44%. The occupational health outcomewasexposurein27%ofthestudies,workerbehaviorin12%,diseasesymptomsin 30%, disability or sickness absence in 24%, injuries in 4%…