Search results for "RFA"
showing 10 items of 11106 documents
Ocular surface assessment in soft contact lens wearers; the contribution of tear osmolarity among other tests.
2014
: Purpose: To determine whether tear osmolarity contributes to the assessment of the ocular surface in soft contact lens (CL) wearers. Methods: Prospective, case–control series in 44 CL wearers (28 tolerant and 16 intolerant) and 34 healthy subjects. Every patient underwent a thorough ophthalmic examination with a tear osmolarity test (TearLab System), conjunctival impression cytology and meibomian lipid sampling. Symptoms, break-up time (BUT), tear osmolarity, conjunctival expression of HLA-DR and meibomian fatty acid composition were evaluated. Results: Tear osmolarity did not differ between controls and CL wearers (p = 0.23). Flow cytometry results expressed in antibody-binding capaci…
An evaluation of transient elastography in the discrimination of HBeAg-negative disease from inactive hepatitis B carriers
2009
Summary. Liver biopsy is frequently required in HBeAg-negative disease to determine the stage of fibrosis. It can be difficult to distinguish cohorts with undetectable HBeAg who may have varying degrees of fibrosis due to different stages of disease. We have assessed the utility of transient elastography (TE) to evaluate differences in HBeAg-negative patients. A total of 220 HBsAg-positive individuals were studied: 125 (group 1) had an inactive HBsAg carrier state and 95 (group 2) were HBeAg-negative, anti-HBe-positive patients with persistently or intermittent elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and/or HBV DNA >105 copies/mL. Mean stiffness was 4.83 ± 1.2 kPa in group 1 vs 8.53 ± …
An observational study to evaluate the long-term outcomes of treatment with etanercept in patients with plaque-type psoriasis
2015
Background There is an unmet need for long-term, real-life data on the effect of a drug-free interval between treatment cycles in patients with plaque psoriasis being treated with etanercept, which is licensed for intermittent and continuous treatment. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the average duration of the drug-free interval between etanercept treatment cycles in patients with plaque psoriasis. Methods This was a non-interventional, open-label, multicentre, prospective study in patients for whom the decision had already been made to initiate treatment with etanercept during routine practice in German centres. Clinical outcomes were documented over 36 months with study …
Treatment of acute venous thromboembolism with dabigatran or warfarin and pooled analysis
2014
Background— Dabigatran and warfarin have been compared for the treatment of acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) in a previous trial. We undertook this study to extend those findings. Methods and Results— In a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy trial of 2589 patients with acute VTE treated with low-molecular-weight or unfractionated heparin for 5 to 11 days, we compared dabigatran 150 mg twice daily with warfarin. The primary outcome, recurrent symptomatic, objectively confirmed VTE and related deaths during 6 months of treatment occurred in 30 of the 1279 dabigatran patients (2.3%) compared with 28 of the 1289 warfarin patients (2.2%; hazard ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.…
Relationship between aortic root size and glomerular filtration rate in hypertensive patients
2016
OBJECTIVE: Recent studies suggest that enlarged aortic root diameter (ARD) may predict cardiovascular events in absence of aneurysmatic alterations. Little is known about the influence of renal function on ARD. Our study was aimed to assess the relationships between glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and ARD in hypertensive subjects. METHODS: We enrolled 611 hypertensive individuals (mean age: 52 ± 15 years; men 63%). ARD was measured by echocardiography at the level of Valsalva's sinuses using M-mode tracings. It was considered as absolute measure, normalized to body surface area (ARD/BSA) and indexed to height (ARD/H). GFR was estimated by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaborati…
Prevalence and predictors of left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with hypertension and normal electrocardiogram.
2013
Background: Electrocardiography (ECG) has low sensitivity for detecting left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), while echocardiography cannot be routinely performed. Design/methods: In this study we evaluate the prevalence of LVH and diastolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients with normal ECG. We excluded patients with cardiovascular (CV) diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or presenting ECG-LVH or other ECG anomalies. The enrolled 440 hypertensive patients underwent echocardiographic examination (Acuson Sequoia 512); LV mass was indexed by body surface area (LVMI) and LVH was defined as LVMI >125 g/m2 in men and >110 g/m2 in women. Diastolic function was evaluated by mitral inflow a…
Influence of metabolic syndrome on hypertension-related target organ damage
2005
MuleG, Nardi E, Cottone S, Cusimano P, Volpe V, Piazza G, MongioviR, Mezzatesta G, Andronico G, Cerasola G (Universitadi Palermo, Palermo, Italy). Influence of metabolic syndrome on hypertension-related target organ damage. J Intern Med 2005; 257: 503-513. Objectives. The aim of our study was to analyse, in a wide group of essential hypertensive patients without diabetes mellitus, the influence of metabolic syndrome (MS) (defined according to the criteria laid down in the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults) on markers of preclinical cardiac, renal and retinal damage. Design. Cros…
An adaptive display for the treatment of diverse trauma PTSD victims.
2009
El trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT) puede desarrollarse después de la exposición a un evento aterrador. Las personas que sufren de trastorno de estrés postraumático presentan hiperactividad y evitación, y experimentan síntomas que provocan angustia y deterioro en áreas de vida significativas. Los programas de comportamiento cognitivo, incluida la terapia de exposición, son actualmente el tratamiento de elección para el TEPT. Aunque estos programas son eficaces, hay margen de mejora; La utilización de la terapia de exposición por los médicos es baja y las tasas de desgaste son altas. La aplicación de nuevas tecnologías, especialmente la realidad virtual (VR), podría ayudar a superar …
Estimation of pulmonary arterial pressure by measuring the size of the right pulmonary artery in the suprasternal echocardiogram.
1982
We studied 175 patients within 24 hr before cardiac catheterization with suprasternal echocardiography to evaluate whether pulmonary arterial hypertension can be derived by measuring the size of the right pulmonary artery. Group I consisted of 103 patients without pulmonary arterial hypertension (enddiastolic less than or equal to 12 mm Hg; mean pressure less than 20 mm Hg) and group II consisted of 72 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The right pulmonary artery could be imaged in 91.2% of the patients studied. The size of the right pulmonary artery at the end of diastole in group I measured 17.9 +/- 0.2 mm (mean +/- SEM) and correlated best to the body surface area in this gro…
Comparison of computed virtual chromoendoscopy and conventional chromoendoscopy with acetic acid for detection of neoplasia in Barrett's esophagus.
2007
Background and study aims Computed virtual chromoendoscopy (CVC) is a new imaging technique that enhances mucosal surface contrast and highlights the vascular pattern without the need for dye-spraying as in conventional chromoendoscopy. The aim of this prospective randomized pilot study with a crossover design was to compare CVC with conventional chromoendoscopy with acetic acid (CAA) for the detection of high grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN) or early cancer in patients with Barrett's esophagus. Patients and methods 57 patients with Barrett's esophagus (mean length 3.8 cm) and a history of HGIN/early cancer or suspected HGIN/early cancer were randomly allocated to undergo either CAA o…