Dtsch Arztebl Int
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The prevalence of non-end stage renal failure among adults in Germany is unknown. Accurate figures would enable us to estimate the overall need for kidney replacement therapies and the unexploited potential for disease prevention. Renal failure is also an important cardiovascular risk factor. Until now, American prevalence figures have often been applied to Germany despite dissimilarities between the two populations. ⋯ This study provides the first representative estimate of the prevalence of renal failure in Germany. The condition is highly dependent on age but less prevalent than previously assumed on the basis of American prevalence figures.
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Inflammatory bowel diseases are common in Europe, with prevalences as high as 1 in 198 persons (ulcerative colitis) and 1 in 310 persons (Crohn's disease). ⋯ The treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases requires individually designed therapeutic strategies and the close interdisciplinary collaboration of internists and surgeons.
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Aside from idiopathic Parkinson syndrome (Parkinson's disease), there are a number of other, so-called atypical parkinsonian syndromes: dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). DLB is a common disease, with a prevalence of 0.4% (400 cases per 100 000 persons) in the elderly; MSA and PSP both have a prevalence of 5 to 10 per 100 000 persons, while the prevalence of CBD is about 1 per 100 000. ⋯ Causal treatments for neurodegenerative diseases are now being developed and tested, and thus a molecular diagnosis is desirable. This will require the cooperation of primary care physicians with specialized centers.