Search results for "Native"
showing 10 items of 1727 documents
Screening
2012
Background The early detection of cancer and other diseases is generally considered beneficial, yet there is evidence that in some diseases screening may be of limited benefit. To clarify this issue, we present the statistical principles that underlie screening. Methods We define screening and discuss the conditions for its successful use. We give illustrative examples from among the currently recommended types of screening in Germany and from the recent medical literature, particularly with regard to mammography.
Comparing medical treatments for Crohn’s disease
2013
The drugs available for inflammatory bowel disease are aminosalicylates, antibiotics, steroids, immunosuppressors and biologics. The effectiveness of these drugs has been evaluated in many randomized clinical trials, mainly versus placebo. Few studies have been conducted comparing the different drugs among themselves, owing to the methodological problems raised by comparative trials, such as sample size and blindness. This review focuses mainly on the randomized clinical trials that have compared different treatments. Of course comparisons are mainly between drugs used in a particular setting (mild, moderate and severe disease). However, on many occasions there is no homogeneity in these cl…
Variability in recording and scoring of respiratory events during sleep in Europe: a need for uniform standards.
2015
Abstract: Uniform standards for the recording and scoring of respiratory events during sleep are lacking in Europe, although many centres follow the published recommendations of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The aim of this study was to assess the practice for the diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing throughout Europe. A specially developed questionnaire was sent to representatives of the 31 national sleep societies in the Assembly of National Sleep Societies of the European Sleep Research Society, and a total of 29 countries completed the questionnaire. Polysomnography was considered the primary diagnostic method for sleep apnea diagnosis in 10 (34.5%), whereas polygraphy was …
Why are Cochrane hepato-biliary reviews undervalued by physicians as an aid for clinical decision-making?
2009
Abstract Background Cochrane systematic reviews are of higher quality than reviews published in scientific journals, yet are used less than other sources for clinical decision-making. Aim To assess whether the characteristics of the Cochrane systematic reviews can account for their scant use by physicians. Materials and methods We analysed the 87 Cochrane hepato-biliary reviews dealing with therapeutic topics posted in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews through December 2008, which we classified according to four characteristics: empty reviews; outdated reviews; content of reviews; implications for practice. Results Six empty reviews found no eligible randomised trials and six foun…
Evaluation of the quality of publications on randomized clinical trials using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement guid…
2011
The main reason for conducting a clinical trial (CT) is to test the effect of a drug or medical procedure to improve treatment of a disease. CTs contribute most when they are rigorously conducted and the results are published adequately. The aim of this study is to assess, using the CONSORT statement guidelines, the quality of reporting of completed CTs conducted at a tertiary hospital to determine which sections of the articles should be improved. CTs published between 2002 and 2008 were identified by searching the MEDLINE and Cochrane Library. Forty of 127 completed CTs were published. There was a marked increase in the number of articles and the quality of the journals that published the…
Use of the word "cured" for cancer patients-implications for patients and physicians: the Siracusa charter
2015
Long-term survival for adult patients with solid tumours continues to increase. For some cancers, the possibility of recurrence after a number of years is extremely low, and the risk of death becomes similar to that of the general population of the same sex and age. During the Fifth European Conference on Survivors and Chronic Cancer Patients held in Siracusa, Italy, June 2014, oncologists, general practitioners, epidemiologists, cancer patients and survivors, and patient advocates joined to discuss the possible use of the term “cured” in reference to some adult patients with solid tumours. The specific focus was the appropriateness of using the term in communicating with cancer patients, s…
Calcium Dependence of the Mechanical Response Evoked by Okadaic Acid in Smooth Muscle
1995
The effects of okadaic acid (OA), obtained from a culture of the marine dinoflagellate Prorocentrum Lima were studied on isolated strips of rat myometrium. The contractile response evoked by OA at 5, 10, and 20 μM in normal physiological solution was unaffected in the presence of tetrodotoxin (10 μM), indomethacin (3 μM), or a cocktail of antagonists which blocked muscarinic, adrenergic, histaminergic, serotonergic, and opioid receptors. Similarly, the response to OA was unaffected in the presence of nifedipine at a concentration (1 μM) which completely or highly blocked the response to KCl (60 mM), oxytocin (1 μM), or acetylcholine (100 μM). In a Ca 2+ -free 1 mM EGTA-containing solution, …
Cardiorespiratory Coordination after Training and Detraining. A Principal Component Analysis Approach
2016
Our purpose was to study the effects of different training modalities and detraining on cardiorespiratory coordination (CRC). Thirty-two young males were randomly assigned to four training groups: aerobic (AT), resistance (RT), aerobic plus resistance (AT + RT), and control (C). They were assessed before training, after training (6 weeks) and after detraining (3 weeks) by means of a graded maximal test. A principal component (PC) analysis of selected cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory variables was performed to evaluate CRC. The first PC (PC1) coefficient of congruence in the three conditions (before training, after training and after detraining) was compared between groups. Two PCs were …
Crataegus laevigata decreases neutrophil elastase and has hypolipidemic effect: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
2011
Crataegus laevigata is a medicinal plant most commonly used for the treatment of heart failure and psychosomatic disorders. Based on previous experimental findings, this double-blind placebo-controlled study was aimed at finding beneficial effects of C. laevigata on biomarkers of coronary heart disease (CHD). The study included 49 diabetic subjects with chronic CHD who were randomly assigned to the treatment for 6 months with either a micronized flower and leaf preparation of C. laevigata (400 mg three times a day) or a matching placebo. Blood cell count, lipid profile, C-reactive protein, neutrophil elastase (NE) and malondialdehyde were analyzed in plasma at baseline, at one month and six…
Translational Research for Improving the Care of Familial Hypercholesterolemia: The “Ten Countries Study” and Beyond
2016
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common and serious form of inherited hyperlipidaemia. Dominantly inherited with high penetrance, untreated FH leads to premature death from coronary artery disease due to accelerated atherosclerosis from birth. Despite its importance, there is still a major shortfall in awareness, detection and treatment of FH worldwide. International models of care for FH have recently been published, but their effective implementation requires the garnering of more knowledge about the condition. The "Ten Countries Study" aims to investigate diagnostic, epidemiological and service aspects, as well as physician practices and patient experiences of FH in several…