Dtsch Arztebl Int
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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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Review Meta Analysis
The Presentation, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections.
The reported incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Germany is rising. For example, the number of new reported cases of syphilis rose from 3034 in 2010 to 4410 in 2012. ⋯ Sexually transmitted infections are common around the world, and any such infection increases the patient's risk of contracting other types of sexually transmitted infection. Molecular genetic diagnostic techniques should be made widely available.
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Review Meta Analysis
The Effects of Climate Change on Patients With Chronic Lung Disease. A Systematic Literature Review.
Ever since higher overall mortality rates due to heat stress were reported during the European heat waves of 2003 and 2006, the relation between heat waves and disease-specific events has been an object of scientific study. The effects of heat waves on the morbidity and mortality of persons with chronic lung disease remain unclear. ⋯ Heat waves significantly increase morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic lung disease. The argument that the excess mortality during heat waves is compensated for by a decrease in mortality in the subsequent weeks/months (mortality displacement) should not be used as an excuse for delay in implementing adaptive strategies to protect lung patients from this risk to their health.
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Systematic reviews provide a structured summary of the results of trials that have been carried out on any particular subject. If the data from multiple trials are sufficiently homogenous, a meta-analysis can be performed to calculate pooled effect estimates. Traditional meta-analysis involves groups of trials that compare the same two interventions directly (head to head). Lately, however, indirect comparisons and network metaanalyses have become increasingly common. ⋯ Indirect comparisons and network metaanalyses are an important further development of traditional meta-analysis. Clear and detailed documentation is needed so that findings obtained by these new methods can be reliably judged.
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Review Meta Analysis
Mind-Body Medicine in the Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease.
In mind-body medicine (MBM), conventional lifestyle modification measures such as dietary counseling and exercise are supplemented with relaxation techniques and psychological motivational elements. This review studied the effect of MBM on cardiac events and mortality in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). ⋯ In patients with CHD, MBM programs can lessen the occurrence of cardiac events, reduce atherosclerosis, and lower systolic blood pressure, but they do not reduce mortality. They can be used as a complement to conventional rehabilitation programs.