Chest
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To understand how Medicaid recipients with asthma view their experience with care. ⋯ Asthmatic patients rated the quality of the information that their physicians provide very highly and reported that that they understand how to treat exacerbations. However, they do not take prescribed inhaled steroids on a daily basis. In addition, many asthmatic patients reside in homes where cigarette smoking is present.
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To determine the trends in the prevalence of overweight and obese individuals among patients with myocardial infarction (MI), and to assess the association between weight and outcomes after MI. ⋯ The prevalence of overweight and obese individuals among patients with MI is high and increased over time. Despite a higher prevalence of other cardiovascular risk factors among patients with excess weight, these patients did not experience worse outcomes, underscoring the need to further study the paradoxical relation between weight and post-MI outcomes.
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The circulating levels of adhesion molecules, such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), have been demonstrated to be elevated in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS). However, the impact of percutaneous transluminal mitral valvuloplasty (PTMV) on the elevated circulating levels of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 in patients with MS has never been investigated. ⋯ In patients with moderate-to-severe MS, the venous plasma level of soluble VCAM-1 fell significantly after PTMV, and the elevated plasma soluble VCAM-1 concentration was associated with hemodynamic abnormality rather than with rheumatic activity.
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Essential hypertension and symptoms of depression such as unexplained fatigue and tiredness are frequently encountered in primary medical care clinics. Although, exhaustive evaluation rarely detects unsuspected underlying disorders, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is commonly associated with each of these conditions. We tested the hypothesis that therapy with antihypertensive and antidepressant medications predicts the increased likelihood of OSA. ⋯ We found that the likelihood of having a diagnosis of OSA increases when either antihypertensive or antidepressant medications have been prescribed. The probability is highest in the young and middle-age groups receiving prescriptions for both medications. The possibility of OSA should be considered in any patient with hypertension and depression or unexplained fatigue who is receiving antihypertensive and antidepressant medications.
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Clinical Trial
Increased responses to inhaled oxitropium bromide in asthmatic patients with active hepatitis C virus infection.
The interaction between chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and bronchial asthma is of considerable interest. This study was designed to examine whether differences in airway responses to an inhaled anticholinergic agent exist between asthmatic patients with and without active HCV infection. ⋯ In patients with asthma, active HCV infection is associated with increased bronchodilator responses to inhaled oxitropium bromide. HCV infection may modulate acetylcholine-mediated airway tone.