Articles: disease.
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To figure out which diagnosis is more suitable and which antiepileptic drugs are more sensitive to epileptic negative myoclonus (ENM) as the first seizure type in atypical benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes. We reviewed the electroencephalogram (EEG) database of Linyi People's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University and medical records of patients with ENM onset. The characteristics of epileptic seizures, onset age, treatment process, growth and development history, past disease history, family history, degree of mental deterioration, cranial imaging, and video-EEG were studied retrospectively and followed up. ⋯ ENM as the first or only symptom was a special phenomenon in benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) variants. Ignorance of midline spikes mainly in Cz or Pz in BECTS might lead to missed diagnosis of ENM. Whether benzodiazepines are viable as a choice of BECTS variants with electrical status epilepticus in sleep when ENM is the first symptom still needs a large sample evidence-based observation.
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To evaluate the performance of different blood cells-derived indexes in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio, platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and aggregate inflammation systemic index were calculated in 199 consecutive RA patients and 283 sex and age-matched controls (147 healthy donors and 136 patients with other rheumatic diseases). Area under the curve (AUCs), sensitivity and specificity were calculated to evaluate the accuracy of indexes in discriminating between RA and controls. ⋯ The accuracy of the indexes in differentiating RA from healthy donors was significantly higher than that (AUCs < 0.6 for all comparisons) differentiating RA from rheumatic diseases. In RA, SIRI and aggregate inflammation systemic index showed significant association with C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Our results do not support the use of blood cells-derived indexes for the diagnosis of RA, suggesting that they might reflect chronic inflammatory burden in rheumatic diseases rather than, specifically, in RA.
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Heterogeneous associations exist between alcohol consumption and the initial presentation of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Studies regarding the association between abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) and alcohol consumption are still limited and controversial. We hypothesize that patients with alcohol-related diseases are susceptible to AAA formation due to the presence of overlapping epidemiological factors and molecular mechanisms. ⋯ In addition, male gender, older age, and chronic kidney disease were also associated with an increased risk of developing AAA. An interaction model showed that males with alcohol-related diseases had a 10.4-fold higher risk of AAA than did females without alcohol-related diseases. We observed an association between alcohol-related diseases and AAA even after adjusting for several comorbidities and medications in a nationwide population database.
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This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the impact of epilepsy, myasthenia gravis (MG), and multiple sclerosis (MS) on pregnancy and family planning decision-making in a cohort of Saudi women. Women with epilepsy, MG, and MS were recruited consecutively at the time of their follow-up visits at a neurology clinic. Data were collected using 3 standardized questionnaires, and presented using descriptive statistics. ⋯ Over 50% of women reported that they were not counseled on issues related to pregnancy and childbirth. In conclusion, we identified a major influence of epilepsy, MG, and MS on pregnancy and family planning. Comprehensive counseling programs are needed to help women with these neurological diseases make informed family-planning decisions.
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Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the standard of care for the treatment of complex coronary artery disease. However, the optimal surgical treatment for patients with reduced left ventricular function with low ejection fraction (EF) is inconclusive. In our center, left-sided coronary grafting with bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) is generally the preferred method for surgical revascularization, also for patients with low EF. ⋯ Long-term survival (median follow up of 14 years, interquartile range, 11.2-18.9) was also similar between the groups. Propensity score matching (129 matched pairs) yielded similar early and long-term outcomes for the groups. This study did not demonstrate any clinical benefit for BITA compared with SITA revascularization in individuals with low EF.