Search results for "case-control"
showing 10 items of 1685 documents
Smoking, diabetes, blood hypertension: possible etiologic role for Peyronie’s disease? Analysis in 279 patients with a control group in Sicily
2015
Objective: To assess the proportion of patients with Peyronie’s Disease (PD) and the possible association with its potential risk factors in the general population of the central and western Sicily in our weekly andrological outpatient clinic. Materials and methods: We recruited a sample of 279 consecutive patients consulting our andrological outpatient clinic. Two arms were created: the first one composed by PD patients (men with symptoms suggestive for PD), the second one composed by patients with other andrological diseases (control arm). For each patient we evaluated the age, cigarette smoking, diabetes, blood hypertension and erectile function. In the PD arm we administered validated q…
Erythrocyte deformability in morbid obesity before bariatric surgery. Influence of abdominal obesity.
2010
Although there are several studies dealing with erythrocyte deformability (ED) in obese patients, research on this topic in morbidly obese subjects is scarce. In these studies ED seems to be decreased, although the cause remains unknown. A case-control study in 76 morbid obese subjects (23 women and 53 men, aged 44 ± 13 years) and in 79 normal-weight controls (30 women and 49 men, aged 43 ± 13 years) was undertaken. ED has been determined by ektacytometric techniques in a Rheodyn SSD, by means of the elongation index (EI) at 12, 30 and 60 Pascals, along with anthropometric, lipidic, metabolic and inflammatory parameters. EI was statistically lower in morbidly obese subjects than in controls…
Free amino acid pool and muscle protein balance after resistance exercise.
2003
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a resistance exercise session (RES) on free amino acid concentrations and protein synthesis and breakdown of the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle during recovery in male subjects.Both the exercise group (EG) and the control group (CG) consisted of six healthy physically active men. On the experiment day in fasting conditions, a stable isotopic tracer of L-[ring-2H(5)] phenylalanine was infused and EG started a heavy 50-min hypertrophic RES for lower extremities after 55 min of infusion. At the same time, CG was at rest. During recovery of 195 min after RES, several blood samples were drawn from the femoral artery (FA) and the femoral vein (FV) …
Neuromuscular control during gait in people with haemophilic arthropathy
2019
Introduction: Effects of haemophilic arthropathy on neuromuscular control during gait are currently unknown. Aims: (a) To assess how haemophilic arthropathy affects the complexity of neuromuscular control during gait; (b) To investigate the relationship between complexity of neuromuscular control and joint impairment. Methods: Thirteen control subjects (CG) walked overground at their preferred and a slow velocity and thirteen people with haemophilic arthropathy (PWHA) walking at their preferred velocity. Surface electromyography (EMG) was collected from eleven leg muscles. Electromyography variance explained by muscle synergies (sets of co-activated muscles that can be recruited by a single…
Reduced right atrial contractile force in patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction: A study in human atrial fibers—contractile force and …
2017
Summary Background/Objective The aim of our study was to evaluate right heart contractile force in patients with diastolic dysfunction (DD) with preserved left heart ejection fraction undergoing cardiac surgery. We examined the contractile properties of skinned human fibers obtained from the right auricle in two groups (DD and controls). Methods Right atrial tissue from 64 patients, who were undergoing cardiac surgery, were collected before extracorporal circulation. Tissue was conserved and prepared as "skinned fibers". We exposed the dissected fibers to increasing calcium concentrations and recorded the force values. Results Patients with DD develop significantly less force at middle and …
Implicit and explicit self-concept of neuroticism in borderline personality disorder
2019
In the past, research on personality in borderline personality disorder (BPD) used primarily questionnaires suggesting heightened neuroticism in BPD. Self-report instruments inform about the conscious or explicit self-concept. BPD patients are known to show negative distortion with exaggeration of negative affect in the self-report. Neuroticism represents a risk factor for mental disorders. Indirect measures are available that tap into the implicit self-concept of neuroticism. The implicit self-concept refers to individual differences in associative representations of the self. The present study examined for the first time the implicit in addition to the explicit self-concept of neuroticism…
Altered tactile localization and spatiotemporal integration in complex regional pain syndrome patients
2018
Background In complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), altered perception of the affected hand and neglect-like symptoms of the affected body side are common features. In this study, we presented tactile stimuli to the affected hands in CRPS patients and matched healthy controls. Methods The participants' task was to point at the perceived positions of the stimuli using a tracking device. The spatial coordinates of the perceived positions were analysed for accuracy and consistency. We also presented patterns consisting of two stimuli at distinct positions with a delay of 100 ms. These patterns are known to induce spatiotemporal integration ("sensory saltation"). Results CRPS patients were les…
The value of N-terminal fragment of brain natriuretic peptide and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 levels as predictors of cardiovascular outc…
2008
Aims We sought to determine the association between two major biomarkers, the inactive N-terminal fragment of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and long-term cardiovascular outcomes in a cohort of subjects who had a myocardial infarction or unstable angina 3–36 months previously. Methods and results Plasma NT-proBNP and TIMP-1 were measured in a nested case control study of 250 randomly matched subject pairs enrolled in the long-term intervention with pravastatin in ischaemic disease (LIPID) and LIPID extended follow-up studies. Cases ( n = 250) were defined as those who had a cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction or s…
Factors Influencing Morbidity and Mortality after Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Critical Analysis of 221 Resections
1999
A critical analysis of morbidity and mortality for pancreatico-duodenectomy was performed on 221 patients. During the 1960s and 1970s, the morbidity and mortality for pancreaticoduodenectomy were so high that many thought the operative procedure ought to be abandoned. During the 1980s, however, many centers reported mortality rates around 5% and a morbidity of 25% to 35%. Others still reported a mortality of more than 10% and a morbidity of up to 65%. The reasons for these discrepancies are of major interest. In a prospective case-control study 760 patients with malignant and benign diseases of the pancreas were treated in our hospital between September 1, 1985 and April 30, 1997. In 221 ca…
Vestibular impairment in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4C.
2014
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4C (CMT4C) is a hereditary neuropathy with prominent unsteadiness. The objective of the current study is to determine whether the imbalance in CMT4C is caused only by reduced proprioceptive input or if vestibular nerve involvement is an additional factor. We selected 10 CMT4C patients and 10 age-matched and sex-matched controls. We performed a comprehensive evaluation of the vestibular system, including video Head Impulse Test, bithermal caloric test, galvanic stimulation test and skull vibration-induced nystagmus test. None of the patients experienced dizziness, spontaneous or gaze-evoked nystagmus, but all had significant vestibular impairment when tested …