Articles: function.
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Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · Dec 2022
Atherosclerotic renovascular disease and cardiovascular risk: new concepts.
Renal vascular hypertension (RVHT) is one of the most common secondary forms of hypertension. It is estimated that 1% to 5% of all cases of hypertension can be attributed to RVHT. RVHT is generally caused by progressive stenosis of the renal artery most often due to atherosclerosis, and less often caused by fibromuscular dysplasia. ⋯ Atherosclerotic renovascular disease is recognized as a relevant risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Studies published so far documented ARAS as a predictor of higher cardiovascular risk and showed that mortality after incidental ARAS diagnosis is much higher than that observed in the general population. Proper recognition of the patients with ARAS who would benefit from interventional treatment is crucial, particularly for identification of patients with true resistant hypertension, flash pulmonary edema, and progressive impairment of renal function.
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Meta Analysis
Association between arsenic exposure and inflammatory cytokines and C-reaction protein: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Previous studies have reported controversial results on levels of inflammatory cytokines in patients with arsenic exposure. This study aims to evaluate the associations between arsenic exposure and inflammatory cytokines and C-reaction protein (CRP). ⋯ Many cytokines (such as IL-6, IL-8, and IL-12) have altered in individuals with arsenic exposure, this indicates arsenic exposure could trigger the cell-mediated inflammatory response. Regular examining immune function (such as inflammatory cytokines) in individuals with the risk of arsenic exposure is important to human health.
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Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is the leading cause of knee pain in middle-aged and older individuals. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) has been applied to treat patients with KOA to reduce pain and improve function. Patients (n = 123) diagnosed with KOA who received ESWT were selected to participate in this study, and were grouped according to their body mass index (BMI). ⋯ With pain in WOMAC as the demarcation criterion, the tibial plateau soft tissue ratio, femoral intercondylar apex soft tissue ratio, and medial tibial soft tissue ratio also are positively correlated with pain relief in patients. When the Lequesne and WOMAC scores were the demarcation criteria, the patients' function improved significantly when the patella apical soft tissue ratio exceeded 2.401 and 2.635, respectively. ESWT can effectively alleviate pain and improve knee function in patients with KOA, and the soft tissue around the knee joint should also be an important reference factor in KOA treatment.
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Alzheimer disease (AD) is a common cause of dementia, and there are still a lack of treatment options to reverse or prevent disease progression. Existing evidence shows that acupuncture has advantages in the treatment of AD, but whether the efficacy of acupuncture belongs to the placebo effect remains controversial, and there is no strict systematic review and network meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with Western medicine in the treatment of AD. ⋯ This study will evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture combined with Western medicine in improving cognitive function and activities of daily living in AD patients. The results of this study will verify whether the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of AD belongs to the placebo effect, which will also provide a reference for the clinical use of acupuncture combined with Western medicine in the treatment of AD.
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Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) is an autosomal recessive systemic disorder characterized by retinitis pigmentosa, polydactyly, obesity, intellectual disability, renal impairments, and hypogonadism. The purpose of this study was to determine the ocular characteristics of a boy with BBS caused by a novel homozygous variant in the ARL6 (alternative named BBS3) gene who had been originally diagnosed with retinitis punctata albescens. ⋯ In children with night blindness and progressive visual dysfunction, it is important for ophthalmologists to consult clinical geneticists and pediatricians to rule out the possibility of systemic diseases such as BBS.