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Statistics show that 18% of women in the U.S. are smokers, and smoking remains a risk factor for peripheral artery disease (PAD) in women, although possibly developing in different ways than in men. To better understand this aspect, a study analyzed the data of 40,000 women with no cardiovascular [...]
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If on the one hand type 2 diabetes is associated with higher bone density, paradoxically on the other hand it has increased fracture risk, which is difficult to assess using current methods (such as FRAX scoring or measuring bone mineral density [BMD] using DEXA scanning). In an effort to address [...]
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Apart from local infection, the onset of pneumonia induces systemic inflammation which in turn can trigger life-threatening circumstances for the patient. Hence, it would only seem logical to use anti-inflammatory drugs to prevent systemic damage. This study, which was carried out in the [...]
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Following the publication in 2007 of guidelines highlighting the risk of using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with cardiovascular disease, it is now acknowledged that long-term use of these drugs further increases the risk of ischemic events in these patients. However, [...]
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The Endocrine Society has published new guidelines on vitamin D deficit, the main points being: population screening is not recommended, as there is no evidence of real necessity for this, although screening for vitamin D deficiency in individuals at risk for deficiency, including patients with [...]
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If on the one hand debate is still open on whether triglycerides have a role in promoting cardiovascular disease, on the other the level of fat in our diet keeps growing along with welfare, which translates into an increase in obesity and diabetes. Triglycerides levels are directly associated with [...]
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Is ischemic stroke due to the same causes in young adults as it is in older adults? In an attempt to answer this question, a retrospective analysis was carried out in France investigating the causes of acute ischemic stroke in 318 patients aged 16-54 years: nearly all patients underwent CT or MR [...]
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The use of many β blockers is contraindicated in obstructive bronchopathy, one consequence being that they are rarely used also in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), to avoid the risk of inducing or worsening bronchospasm. The retrospective study discussed here assessed the effects of β [...]
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A recent trial (NEJM 2010 Sep 19), involving patients whose asthma was not controlled by inhaled corticosteroids, showed that the addition of tiotropium was more effective than a higher dose of steroids, and was equivalent to a long-acting β2-agonist (LABAs).
Investigators have recently examined [...]
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After the Framingham study, which showed an increase in long-term mortality in patients – especially women – with new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF), later studies did not confirm this datum; hence, a group of investigators carried out a prospective study based on the participants of the Women's [...]