Arch Med Sci
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Aortic stenosis (AS) is considered severe when the aortic valve area (AVA) is < 1.0 cm2 and the mean aortic valve gradient (mAVG) exceeds 40 mm Hg. Since many patients with AVA < 1.0 cm2 do not manifest an mAVG > 40 mm Hg, we sought to determine the AVA at which mAVG tends to exceed 40 mm Hg in a sample of subjects with varied transvalvular flow rates. ⋯ Subjects with AVA of 0.8 and 0.9 cm2 rarely had mAVG > 40 mm Hg, even when the transvalvular flow rate was normal. Using current guidelines, it is not clear if such cases should be classified as severe.
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Alzheimer's disease (AD) and ambient particulate matter 10 (PM10) have been associated in epidemiological studies. However, the relationship between PM10 and risk of AD has not been proven to be causal. Thus we used two-sample multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine this relationship. ⋯ Increased PM10 levels were found to be significantly related to an increased risk of AD. This study provided evidence of genetic prediction of a causal relationship between PM10 and the risk of AD, suggesting that air pollution control may have significant implications for the prevention of AD.
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The aim of this study was to assess differences in the effects of income level on the primary and secondary prevention of stroke in the Chinese population. ⋯ Low-income individuals were less likely to control smoking and their diet and use preventive medications, while high-income individuals were less likely to control their alcohol consumption and blood pressure. Moreover, medication use was low for both primary and secondary prevention in high-income individuals.
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Cisplatin is one of the most frequently used chemotherapeutics, which is known to cause both tumor and normal lung tissue damage through the generation of free radicals and cells apoptosis/necrosis. Melatonin is a neurohormone that regulates numerous physiological processes in the body both through receptor pathways and by maintaining tissue redox homeostasis. ⋯ These results can potentially be connected with the ability of melatonin to inhibit the activity of XO, caspase-3 and alkaline DNase and/or its ability to scavenge free radicals, thus preventing lung damage induced by cisplatin.
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Central precocious puberty (CPP) is a rare disease of poorly understood etiology. The cause is mostly idiopathic. However, congenital and acquired structural changes in the central nervous system are also involved. ⋯ Proper diagnosis and treatment make it possible to avoid a number of complications of untreated CPP. There are only a few studies analyzing the prevalence and risk factors for the disease. The aim of this paper is to discuss the current causes of CPP with particular consideration of neurological aspects.