1,721,025 research outputs found
Transverse study of personality characteristics in patients with arterial hypertension
Full text linkOBJECTIVE: To verify whether hypertensive patients, with recent or old poor-controlled hypertension, asymptomatic for anxiety and/or depression, seem more disturbed in personality than normotensive patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 122 patients with arterial hypertension (62 women, 60 men, mean age 47 +/- 12.7 years, divided in new-hypertensive patients who don't take any drugs and old-hypertensive patients with a chronic therapy) and 65 normotensive subjects (37 women, 28 men, middle age 41 +/- 11.7 years) answered two self-extiming questionnaires: A.S.Q. by Krug and Cattel and C.D.Q. by Krug and Laughlin. For every group of variables it has been calculated the mean and standard deviation and statistical analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney's t test. A value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significatant. RESULTS: 37 hypertensive patients (30.3%) were positive in the C.D.Q. and 34 (27.8%) in the A.S.Q. test. In the group of normotensive subjects, 13 (20%) were positive in C.D.Q. and 12 (8.4%) in A.S.Q. There was a statistic difference in C.D.Q and A.S.Q. between hypertensive and normotensive subjects. No statistic difference was found in C.D.Q. and A.S.Q. between new and old-hypertensives. CONCLUSIONS: The study has shown a significant higher level of anxiety and depression in hypertensive subjects as compared to normotensives. However, no significant difference in anxiety and depression levels was found between new- and old-hypertensive patients or in relation with the use of antihypertensive drugs
A reappraisal of vitamin D effect on non-skeletal targets and mortality
No full textThere is an incessant debate in the current literature (with
a parallel astonishing increasing number of papers) regard
-
ing possible beneficial health effect of adequate vitamin
D status and vitamin D supplementation [
1
]. Indeed, in
addition to its positive effects on skeletal [
2
,
3
] and mus
-
cle tissue [
4
], vitamin D has been claimed to be beneficial
for patients with cardiovascular, malignant, autoimmune
disease or infections, just to list a few of the at least 137
outcomes reported in the literature [
5
]. The interest in these
extra-skeletal effects, also shared by the lay community,
mainly stems from the observation that hypovitaminosis D
can be easily estimated by blood testing and likewise eas
-
ily treated by supplementation [
6
]. Therefore, if an effect
on non-skeletal tissues is demonstrated, it could represent a
cost-effective public health measure to prevent or retard the
progression of a number of diseases.
Studies aimed at demonstrating the link between vitamin
D and a specific target may be of different kinds (Table
1
Update on vitamin D: pros and cons
No full textControversies on vitamin D currently represent a challenging topic in mineral metabolism research. In particular, current guidelines on vitamin D supplementation did not report consistent recommendation and the issue related to beneficial vs harmful effects of loading vitamin D doses did not lead to any firm universal conclusion. Finally, serum and clinical outcomes of vitamin D supplementation, particularly as far as extra-skeletal effect of the hormone, need to be further investigated
Role of dopaminergic receptors in the human dura mater in the pathogenesis of headache
No full textAims. We hypothesize that dopaminergic receptors of dura mater may play a possible role in headache. Materials and Methods. The dopaminergic receptors of cranial dura mater in man were studied by examining several dural zones (vascular, pen-vascular, inter-vascular) in different brain regions (basal, calvarial, tentorial, occipital, frontal, parietal, temporal). Results. Our results demonstrate that dopaminergic receptors are present in human cranial dura mater and that these receptors show a specific morphological location. There are more dural dopaminergic receptors in the basal region than in the calvarial one. Moreover, these receptors are more abundant in the vascular and perivascular dural zone than in the intervascular one. Conclusions. The location of dopaminergic receptors in the dura mater may represent an important factor in the pathogenesis of headache. Further studies will be necessary in order to determine the role of dopaminergic system in this disease. Clin Ter 2012; 163(3):e101-10
Algometric approach in the diagnostic evaluation of chest pain
No full textObjective. To contribute to a global clinical evaluation of the patients with chest pain, giving a quantitative analysis of the painful experience in the sensory, emotional, value and mixed component and searching significant differences among the different causes of the symptom. Materials and Methods. We have administered the "Questionario Italiano del Dolore" by De Benedictis et al. to 92 patients with chest pain, who were divided into 4 diagnostic groups (acute coronary syndrome, coronary artery disease, oesophagus-gastric disease and other) and compared for the quantitative-qualitative features of the associated pain. Results. PRIrcE (Global Value Component) resulted higher in the group "other" (A) compared to the patients with acute ischemic heart disease (CIA), with a statistically significant difference (test U-Mann-Whitney; p = 0.04). This group shows statistically significant differences in the emotional component (PRIrcA; p = 0.01) even compared to pain associated with oesophagus-gastric disease (G). In regard to PRIrcA, the difference between G group and the group of patients with chronic ischemic heart disease (CIC), as well as the "double" category, resulted markedly significant (p = 0.03 and p = 0.01 respectively). We extrapolated the "describers" chosen by at least 50% of patients in every category and obtained the semantics configuration of chest pain for every diagnosis. Conclusions. PRIrcE resulted lower in CIA group. PRIrcE e PRIrcA are more represented in CIC group. The same conclusion is valid in the differentiation of pain between CIA and G group and between CIA and A group (the most representative of chronic pain). We found higher values in emotional component compared to pain of new onset as pain becomes chronic. Clin Ter 2009, 160(3):183-19
[Economic evaluation of telehomecare in chronic lung diseases.] Clin Ter. 2011 Mar-Apr;162(2):e43-e49. Italian.
No full textEvaluation of compliance to telehomecare (THC) in a group of patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) in a period of 2 years
No full textObjectives. In the present study, we examined data related to adherence to telemonitoring in our CF patients followed at home for a period of 2 years, in the aim to improve the follow-up in terms of efficiency and appropriateness. Materials and Methods. We kept electronic records of transmissions, in spreadsheet format. For each transmission, the main parameters and any action taken were collected. We carried out automatically a monthly summary of activities, a monthly average percentage of adherence to prescribed frequency of transmissions, monitored the contacts and phone calls. Results. We received in the period from February 15, 2010 to February 15, 2012 overall 1364 transmissions in 515 days (1817 spirometry, 414 nocturnal pulse-oximetry and 398 questionnaires on symptoms) The average compliance in the reporting period was 10,16%, with an increasing trend. Conclusions. The improvement of outcome in FC necessarily passes through an improvement of the adherence to treatment. More psychological and behavioural studies are needed in order to gradually remove the obstacles which still prevent a further improvement in long-term outcome
Quality of life in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism
No full textThe clinical picture of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) has changed over the last three decades and many asymptomatic patients are now diagnosed through the unexpected finding of high serum calcium levels. However, though not yet considered as typical features of the disease and therefore not included in the guidelines for surgery, many data are available on neuropsycological manifestations and their impact on quality of life in asymptomatic patients. PHPT patients indeed show early experience nonspecific symptoms, such as weakness, depression, sleep disturbance, memory loss and anxiety. Although the underlining mechanisms have not been still identified, the prevalence of psychiatric and cognitive deficits has been investigated in many studies, as well as the possible association with quality of life and well-being improvement after surgery. This article aims to review the current knowledge on quality of life in PHPT patients before and after surgery and the possible clinical implications of these findings
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