The American journal of the medical sciences
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Many challenges have made it difficult to determine the prevalence of spondyloarthritis (SpA) in North America. They include the ethnic heterogeneity of the population, the lack of feasibility of applying current criteria (such as requirements for human leukocyte antigen-B27 testing and imaging studies such as pelvic radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging scanning) and the transient nature of some SpA symptoms (ie, peripheral arthritis and enthesitis). Current estimates of the prevalence of SpA in the United States range between 0.2% and 0.5% for ankylosing spondylitis, 0.1% for psoriatic arthritis, 0.065% for enteropathic peripheral arthritis, between 0.05% and 0.25% for enteropathic axial arthritis and an overall prevalence of SpA as high as >1%. With newer population-based instruments becoming available, the availability of the widely validated European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group criteria and the lower cost and greater feasibility of genetic testing, opportunities for true population-based studies of SpA are possible and will likely soon ensue.
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The effect of white and black rice consumption on lipid profile, hydroperoxides, thiobarbituric reactive substances and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) induced by hypercholesterolemia was investigated in 24 male rabbits; a purified normal diet (NC, n = 6), a high fat/cholesterol (1.0 g/100 g) diet (PC group, n = 6), a high fat/cholesterol diet with 25 g/100 g white ground rice (PCWR group, n = 6), 25 g/100 g black ground rice (PCBR group, n = 6) for 10 weeks. Blood samples were collected for lipid measurements. Results indicate that serum high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was higher (P < 0.05) in the PCBR compared with the PC and PCWR groups. ⋯ Cy-3-Glu was excelled peonidin-3-glucoside by increasing the lag time of NC from 80 to 500 minutes in the presence of 2.0 μM of Cy-3-Glu. Hierarchically, black rice rabbits group was given the best results compared with other groups. The results may be indicating to a suggested mechanism (anthocyanins protection; Cy-3-Glu) of the cardioprotective effect of black rice.
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Practical complications of chronic systemic corticosteroid (SC) use in patients with sarcoidosis are poorly characterized. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of SC use in patients with sarcoidosis on unscheduled sarcoidosis-attributed and nonsarcoidosis-attributed healthcare utilization (SHCU and NSHCU, respectively). ⋯ Greater SC use is associated with small but significant increase in HCU related to infection and increased unscheduled emergency department visits for complaints not directly attributable to sarcoidosis.
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National cholesterol treatment guidelines include a low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (<40 mg/dL) as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) that should be considered when making decisions on treatment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. ⋯ These data suggest a graded association exists between lower levels of HDL-cholesterol and CHD across the full range of LDL-cholesterol levels. As interventions targeting HDL levels are developed, the combinatorial effects of lower HDL levels with various levels of LDL-cholesterol should be examined.
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A traditional method for internal jugular vein catheterization has been through the transjugular approach. These days, ultrasound-guided cannulation is the preferred mode because of the higher success and lower complication rates. ⋯ This complication occurred in one of the patients in whom ultrasound-guided left internal jugular vein catheterization was used. The anatomical basis of this injury is discussed here.