Search results for "Population"
showing 10 items of 9945 documents
Screening for colorectal cancer with immunochemical faecal occult blood tests.
2012
Population-based studies have shown that guaiac faecal occult blood testing followed by colonoscopy in case of positivity can reduce colorectal cancer mortality. However these tests have been criticised for their fairly low sensitivity. For this reason attention has been given to alternative tests. The aim of this paper is to review the evidence for screening for colorectal cancer using qualitative immunochemical faecal occult blood tests. For the complete range of tested cut-off values, immunochemical faecal occult blood tests lead to higher diagnostic yield, improved sensitivity and greater participation. The optimal number of samples and the optimal cut-off value has to suit local resour…
Is MRI imaging in pediatric age totally safe? A critical reprisal.
2017
Current radiological literature is strongly focussed on radiation imaging risks. Indeed, given there is a small but actual augment in cancer risk from exposure to ionizing radiation in children, it is important to understand what the risk of alternative techniques could be. We retrospectively review literature data concerning possible MR imaging risks, focussing on the biological effects of MR, sedation and gadolinium compound risks when dealing with infant patients. The main concerns can be summarized in: (1) Biological effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF) employed—whose mechanisms of interaction with human tissues are polarization, induced current, and thermal heating, res…
Electrocardiography for Assessment of Hypertensive Heart Disease: A New Role for an Old Tool
2016
Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH), detected either by electrocardiography (ECG) or echocardiography (ECHO), has long been recognized as a powerful predictor of serious cardiovascular (CV) sequelae. A very large and highly consistent body of evidence indicates that LVH is not only an adaptation to increased hemodynamic load in hypertension, but is also independently associated with an enhanced risk for myocardial infarction, cardiac sudden death, congestive heart failure, and stroke in the general population, as well as in patients with systemic hypertension, coronary heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and atrial fibrillation. Intriguingly, the cumulative incidence of cardiovascula…
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: literature review.
2014
A significant percentage of the general population report problems caused by wheat and/or gluten ingestion, even though they do not have celiac disease (CD) or wheat allergy (WA), because they test negative both for CD-specific serology and histopathology and for immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated assays. Most patients report both gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal symptoms, and all report improvement of symptoms on a gluten-free diet. This clinical condition has been named non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS).We attempt to define the current pathogenic, clinical, and diagnostic criteria of this "new" disease, to provide a practical view that might be useful to evaluate, diagnose, and ma…
Halitosis: new insight into a millennial old problem.
2011
The problem of halitosis has been reported since ancienttimes. References have been found in papyrus manuscriptsdating back to 1550 BC. Hippocrates advised that any girlshould have pleasant breath, making sure always to washher mouth with wine, anise and dill seeds [1].More than50 years ago, Blackburn [2] investigated halitosis in a case-series of 73 patients affected by leukemia. He found apeculiar odor of the breath resembling that of a freshlyopened corpse. This characteristic smell is not associatedwith clinical involvement of the gum, mouth, or upperrespiratory or alimentary tract. He associated this particularsmell with the hematologic disease. Nearly 15 years ago,the role of cadaveri…
Inverse association between type 2 diabetes and aortic root dimension in hypertensive patients
2017
Background Some data support the concept that aortic root diameter (ARD) in hypertension may be regarded as a marker of subclinical organ damage. The impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) on cardiac structure and function is known, although the relationship between DM and ARD is not clear. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of DM on ARD in hypertensive patients. Methods We enrolled 1693 hypertensive patients (aged 63.7 ± 9.6 years). The population was divided into two groups: the first one with DM (n = 747) and the second one without DM (n = 946). ARD was measured by echocardiography at level of Valsalva's sinuses using echocardiography M-mode tracings. It was considered a…
Exploration into Uric and Cardiovascular Disease: Uric Acid Right for heArt Health (URRAH) Project, A Study Protocol for a Retrospective Observationa…
2018
The relevance of cardiovascular role played by levels of serum uric acid is dramatically growing, especially as cardiovascular risk factor potentially able to exert either a direct deleterious impact or a synergic effect with other cardiovascular risk factors. At the present time, it still remains undefined the threshold level of serum uric acid able to contribute to the cardiovascular risk. Indeed, the available epidemiological case studies are not homogeneous, and some preliminary data suggest that the so-called "cardiovascular threshold limit" may substantially differ from that identified as a cut-off able to trigger the acute gout attack. In such scenario, there is the necessity to clar…
Methodology for high-quality studies on course and prognosis of inflammatory bowel disease.
2012
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are characterized by a chronic course with an alternation of relapses and remissions. Questions about prognosis are important for the patient who wants to know how the disease will affect his/her life and also for clinicians to make management decisions. Correct selection of the patients is the basis for good methodological studies on the course of IBD. A great proportion of data on the course of IBD is derived from a limited number of cohort studies. Studies help to define the endpoints for clinical trials and to identify subsets of patients in whom the prognosis of the disease can be stratified according to clinical features. Specific scientific requirem…
Food allergy in irritable bowel syndrome: The case of non-celiac wheat sensitivity
2015
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders, having a prevalence of 12%-30% in the general population. Most patients with IBS attribute their symptoms to adverse food reactions. We review the role of diet in the pathogenesis of IBS and the importance of dietary factors in the management of these patients. The MEDLINE electronic database (1966 to Jan 2015) was searched using the following keywords: "food", "diet", "food allergy", "food hypersensitivity", "food intolerance", "IBS", "epidemiology", "pathogenesis", "pathophysiology", "diagnosis", "treatment". We found 153 eligible papers; 80 were excluded because: not written in English, exclusive biochem…
May Dyspnea Sensation Influence the Sexual Function in Men With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome? A Prospective Control Study
2019
Abstract Introduction Dyspnea sensation is frequently present in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) patients; however, its possible influence on sexual function and body image has not been well analyzed. Aims To evaluate sexual function, the prevalence of sexual dysfunction (SD), and body image during sexual activity and its relationship with dyspnea in men with OSA. Methods 129 men were included in the prospective study, with 61 diagnosed with OSA (cases) and 68 age- and BMI-matched healthy control subjects. Patients were assessed for the severity of heart failure by the New York Heart Association scale and dyspnea by the Visual Analogue Scale. OSA was confirmed by in-laboratory polyso…