J Res Med Sci
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Hypertension is one of the most common diseases worldwide. For many decades, it was considered as a problem related to adult population; however, its incidence in children has also been increased in recent years. Although secondary causes of hypertension are more common in children, few studies have been published focusing on the growing epidemic rate of essential hypertension in children and adolescents. Considering the importance of essential hypertension and its cardiovascular consequences, we review briefly its epidemiology and risk factors in children.
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There is a belief that in patients with acromegaly, first-generation somatostatin analogs (SSAs) might improve cardiovascular (CV) structure and function. However, most published clinical trials involved only a few patients and their results are rather variable. We aimed to conduct a systematic review on available studies on the impact of these drugs on CV parameters. ⋯ We found that first-generation SSAs have a beneficial effect on cardiac parameters such as HR and LVMi. For other parameters such as LVEF, BP, LV diameter, and E/A ratio, we were not able to draw a firm conclusion.
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Noninvasive respiratory support techniques are widely used to treat respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants, and the effectiveness of these methods should be compared. In the current study, nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP), nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation (NIMV), and heated humidified high-flow nasal cannula (HHHFNC) were compared. ⋯ Based on the high prevalence of failure of HHHFNC treatment than the other two methods (NCPAP and NIMV), HHHFNC is not recommended as the initial treatment of RDS.
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The high socioeconomic impact of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture is due to their high mortality, morbidity, and disease-related costs. Nowadays, bone mineral density (BMD) is a comparatively expensive way to diagnose and follow up patients with osteoporosis. Transforming growth factor-β3 (TGF-β3) is a protein categorized into cytokines. Some previous in vitro studies showed TGF-β3 effects on osteocytes and bone formation. Therefore, we conducted this study to find if there is any significant relationship between TGF-β3 and BMD results. ⋯ There was a significant relationship between TGF-β3 serum level and BMD. TGF-β3 serum level may be used as a marker for the diagnosis and follow-up of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture.
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Constipation is a common disorder in pediatrics, although the underlying pathogenesis is not fully understood. The current study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of different colonic transit time (CTT) indices for differentiating normal from nonnormal sensation in children with chronic functional constipation identified by anorectal manometry (ARM). ⋯ CTT is a simple and noninvasive technique for classifying patients with constipation. It can be used for identifying children suffering from chronic constipation with nonnormal sensation reliably, instead of ARM. Colonic inertia may be a manifestation of global motility dysfunction. Children with delayed distal colonic transits are more likely to have abnormal defecation dynamics.