Search results for "Health Policy"
showing 10 items of 970 documents
Ethical Aspects of Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Transfer
2016
Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) (cloning), as a reproductive or therapeutic method, and mitochondrial DNA transfer, as a method to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial diseases, are analyzed in this paper from a bioethics perspective. The licit purpose of being able to treat certain diseases, as in the case of SCNT, cannot justify, in any case, resorting to illicit means such as the manipulation, selection, and elimination of human embryos in the blastocyst phase, by using cell lines obtained from them. Crossing this line paves the way (as utilitarian ethics advocates) to assuming any cost in scientific experimentation so long as satisfactory results are obtained. With mitochondr…
Communication about vaccination: A shared responsibility
2016
ABSTRACT Vaccine hesitancy is an important issue to be addressed, due to the risk of decrease of vaccination coverage and consequent control of preventable diseases. While it is not considered a specific determinant, poor or inadequate communication can contribute to vaccine hesitancy and negatively influence vaccination uptake. As a contribution to the ongoing discussion regarding this theme and in the perspective of the implementation of the upcoming national vaccination plan in Italy, the Erice Declaration was drafted by experts in the field of immunization following a 5-day residential, independent workshop regarding communication topics in vaccinology. The aim of the current letter is …
Telomere Length and Frailty: The Helsinki Birth Cohort Study
2018
Objectives: Telomere length is associated with aging-related pathologies. Although the association between telomere length and frailty has been studied previously, only a few studies assessing longitudinal changes in telomere length and frailty exist. Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Setting and participants: A subpopulation of the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study consisting of 1078 older adults aged 67 to 79 years born in Helsinki, Finland, between 1934 and 1944. Measures: Relative leukocyte telomere length (LTL) was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction at the average ages of 61 and 71 years, and at the latter the participants were assessed for frailty according to …
Evolution of transmitted HIV-1 drug resistance and viral subtypes circulation in Italy from 2006 to 2016
2018
Objectives: The aim was to evaluate the evolution of transmitted HIV-1 drug resistance (TDR) prevalence in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve patients from 2006 to 2016. Methods: HIV-1 sequences were retrieved from the Antiviral Response Cohort Analysis (ARCA) database and TDR was defined as detection of at least one mutation from the World Health Organization (WHO) surveillance list. Results: We included protease/reverse transcriptase sequences from 3573 patients; 455 had also integrase sequences. Overall, 68.1% of the patients were Italian, the median CD4 count was 348 cells/μL [interquartile range (IQR) 169–521 cells/μL], and the median viral load was 4.7 log 10 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL (IQR …
Endocrinology of Aging From a Muscle Function Point of View: Results From the Toledo Study for Healthy Aging.
2016
Aging is a process that involves a reduction in muscle strength and anabolic hormone concentrations, which impacts significantly on health.To study the hormone/total strength (H/TS) ratio as a proxy of anabolic insensitivity status in elders, and its relationship with disability, hospitalization, and mortality risk.A total of 1462 persons aged ≥65 years from the Toledo Study of Healthy Aging participated in this study. Serum concentrations of insulin like growth factor 1, total and free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and 17β-estradiol were measured. Total maximal voluntary isometric strength was obtained (handgrip, shoulder, hip, and knee) using standa…
New insights in primary ciliary dyskinesia
2017
Introduction: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disease with an estimated prevalence of 1:20.000 births. It is characterized by abnormal motility of cilia, leading to impaired mucociliary clearance, and subsequent infection and chronic inflammation of the airways. PCD also affects spermatozoa and cilia in the Fallopian tubes, contributing to fertility issues; dyskinesia of embryonic nodal cilia causes a random distribution of the organs. Areas covered: An overview of the history, genetics, clinical manifestations in children and adults, diagnostic tests, treatments, and prognosis are reviewed. We also discuss current research and future prospects of PCD. Expert opinion: As …
Cystic fibrosis treatment: targeting the basic defect
2017
ABSTRACTIntroduction: Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a disease caused by different class mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. It can therefore benefit from a personalized medicine approach based on the individual genotype of each patient.Areas covered: This review provides a detailed overview of the current major development of new CF treatments that target the basic CF defect. The review summarizes gene therapy, mRNA repair strategies, read-through agents, and CFTR-modulators (potentiators, correctors, stabilizers, amplifiers and different combination therapies).Expert opinion: We are currently perhaps at the most exciting stage in the history of CF, with the poten…
Association between trans fatty acid intake and overweight including obesity in 4 to 5-year-old children from the INMA study
2019
Background: Trans fatty acid (TFA) intake has been positively associated with obesity in adults, although the evidence in children is scarce. There is growing evidence that TFA of industrial or natural origin may have different effects. Objectives: We aimed to explore the association between total, industrial, and natural TFA intake and overweight including obesity in 4 to 5-year-old Spanish children. Methods: We cross-sectionally analyzed data of 1744 children aged 4 to 5 from the INMA study, a prospective mother-child cohort study in Spain. We estimated the intake of total, industrial, and natural TFA in grams per day (g/day) using a validated food frequency questionnaire and expressed it…
Actual and perceived weight status and its association with slimming and energy-balance related behaviours in 10- to 12-year-old European children: t…
2016
Both parents' and children's perception of children's weight status may be important predictors of slimming and energy-balance related behaviours, independent of children's actual weight status.; We examined the cross-sectional association of children's self-reported slimming and energy-balance related behaviours with children's (i) actual, (ii) self-perceived and (iii) parent-perceived weight status.; Data of 10- to 12-year-old European children and their parents were used. Multilevel logistic and linear regression analyses were performed, adjusting for age, gender, parental weight controlling behaviours, education, marital status and ethnicity.; Independent of their actual weight status, …
Bacterial-viral load and the immune response in stable and exacerbated COPD: significance and therapeutic prospects.
2016
Silvestro Ennio D’Anna,1 Bruno Balbi,2 Francesco Cappello,3,4 Mauro Carone,2 Antonino Di Stefano21Department of Rehabilitation, Cardiorespiratory Unit, Fondazione Istituto G. Giglio di Cefalù, 2Pneumology Unit and Laboratory of Cytoimmunopathology of Heart and Lung, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, IRCCS, Veruno (NO) and Cassano delle Murge (BA), 3Human Anatomy Section, Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neuroscience, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; 4Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, ItalyAbstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent airflow limitation and an abnormal inflammatory respon…