Dtsch Arztebl Int
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Motivational factors in health-relevant modes of behavior are an important matter in medical practice. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a technique that has been specifically developed to help motivate ambivalent patients to change their behav - ior. ⋯ MI has been found useful for strengthening the motivation for behavioral change in patients with various behavioral - ly influenced health problems and for promoting treatment adherence. It can be used to optimize medical interventions. Further research is needed with respect to its specific mechanisms of action, its efficacy in reinforcing health-promoting modes of be - havior, differential indications for different patient groups, and the cost-efficiency of the technique across the spectrum of disorders in which it is used.
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Idiopathic facial pain syndromes are relatively rare. A uniform classification system for facial pain became available only recently, and many physicians and dentists are still unfamiliar with these conditions. As a result, patients frequently do not receive appropriate treatment. ⋯ With the aid of this pragmatic classification system, the clinician can distinguish persistent and attack-like primary facial pain syndromes rather easily and treat each syndrome appropriately.
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The excessive consumption of free sugars, including fructose, is considered a cause of overweight and metabolic syndrome throughout the Western world. In Germany, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults (54%, 18%) and children (15%, 6%) has risen in the past few decades and has now become stable at a high level. The causative role of fructose is unclear. ⋯ The effects that have been observed with the consumption of large amounts of fructose cannot be reliably distinguished from the effects of a generally excessive caloric intake. Further randomized and controlled intervention trials of high quality are needed in order to determine the metabolic effects of fructose consumed under isocaloric conditions. To lessen individual consumption of sugar, sugary dietary items such as sweetened soft drinks, fruit juice, and smoothies should be avoided in favor of water as a beverage and fresh fruit.
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We address the question whether professional soccer players with and without macroinjury of the knee joint are at an elevated risk for knee osteoarthritis. ⋯ A marked association was found between soccer playing and knee osteoarthritis in male professional soccer players. For female professional soccer players, the risk of knee osteoarthritis could not be assessed because of the lack of data. Knee injuries seem to play an important role in the development of knee osteoarthritis in professional soccer players.
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Drugs, psychotherapy, and other treatment modalities are effective for many patients with mental illness. Nonetheless, many patients do not achieve a total remission with the currently available interventions, and the recurrence rates are high. As part of the ongoing search for further treatment options for refractory disorders, there is renewed interest in focal neuromodulatory techniques, including invasive ones, and deep brain stimulation (DBS) in particular. ⋯ DBS may be a therapeutic option for selected patients with otherwise intractable mental illness. Patients should only be treated in the setting of clinical trials. RCTs with longer follow-up times must be conducted in order to substantiate, if possible, the promising evidence that has been found in case series.