Irish journal of medical science
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Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the Western world, and a major cause of this disease is atherosclerosis. Research has demonstrated that pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) plays a role in cardiovascular disease, as evidenced by the association between PAPP-A and severity of heart damage. ⋯ PAPP-A levels could be used as biomarkers to identify patients at risk of coronary artery disease.
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The Central Statistics Office released new figures on Ireland's health spending in December 2015, based on the System of Health Accounts (SHA2011). These figures differ from previous figures, by virtue of an expanded definition of what constitutes health care. The new figures also provide more detail on health expenditure than the previous figures allowed. ⋯ Suggestions that Ireland is over-spending on health need to be tempered by cognisance that the Irish health system is under-resourced in a number of areas (particularly the number of doctors and the number of hospital beds) and has not fully recovered from cutbacks in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
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Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a hepatoadipokine with pleiotropic metabolic regulatory actions, is emerging as a novel biomarker of progressive nephropathy. We sought to evaluate circulating FGF21 and its association with clinical and biochemical characteristics as well as the urinary albumin excretion (UAE) rates in a population of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) with or without microalbuminuria and their matched healthy controls. ⋯ Serum FGF21 level is strongly associated with early-stage diabetic kidney disease in the high-risk population of patients with T2D (particularly with circulating FGF21 values rising above 181 pg/mL). The association of serum FGF21 with subclinical stages of diabetic nephropathy may unearth perspectives on early detection and prevention of the advanced stages of chronic diabetes microvascular complications through effective FGF21-targeted therapy.
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Homeless people have excessively high morbidity and mortality rates, yet they face barriers accessing primary care. A mobile health clinic, staffed by GP registrars, was developed to provide services to homeless people, particularly rough sleepers and sex workers. ⋯ A GP Registrar-run Mobile Health Clinic achieved its aims of improving access to primary care for rough sleepers and sex workers, and challenging stereotypes of GP Registrars.
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The presence of a structural cardiac defect in the setting of dextrocardia is extremely rare. Graspable models allow enhanced appreciation of aberrant structures and vascular relations, particularly in rare and complex cases. This is the first case report of the use of a replica of a patients' anatomy to plan the surgical strategy in the setting of dextrocardia. ⋯ The ongoing advances in medical image procurement and 3D processing software and printing technology will continue to enhance preoperative planning and thereby improve patient care. We demonstrate the pivotal role played by such technologies in advancing spatial comprehension of complex aberrant anatomy.