Advances in medical sciences
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Troponin measurement is one of crucial assessments facilitating diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. Patients with chronic kidney disease are decimated by cardiovascular disease. ⋯ This review presents current knowlegde on analytical differences in troponin T and I measurements, their prognostic significance and their application in diagnosing acute coronary syndrome in chronic kidney disease patients. It also points out poorly known aspects and suggests directions for future research.
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Lung cancer causes an estimated 1.6 million deaths each year, being the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Late diagnosis and, in some cases, the high aggressiveness of the tumour result in low overall five-year survival rates of 12% among men and 7% among women. The cure is most likely in early-stage disease. ⋯ Results of the NLST enabled the implementation of lung cancer screening programme among highrisk patients in the USA and parts of China. In 2017, recommendations of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons also strongly recommend an implementation of a screening programme in the EU. Further studies of improved lung cancer risk assessment scores and of effective molecular markers should intensify in order to reduce all potential harms to the high-risk group and to increase cost-effectiveness of the screening.
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Review Meta Analysis
Association of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene polymorphisms with body mass index: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Many studies with inconsistent results have assessed the association of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene polymorphisms with prevalence of obesity and overweight. This review aims to provide a summary of the literature evaluating the relation between BDNF genotype and body mass index (BMI). ⋯ This meta-analysis suggests that some polymorphisms in BDNF gene including rs925946, rs10501087, rs6265 and rs988712 can be considered as genetic determinants of obesity.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Classical rather than genetic risk factors account for high cardiovascular disease prevalence in Lithuania: A cross-sectional population study.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality accounts for 54% of all deaths in Lithuania, making it the highest among all of the European Union countries. We evaluated the prevalence of several CVD risk factors, including lifestyle, blood biochemistry and genetic predisposition to determine the reasons behind significantly increased CVD prevalence in Lithuania. ⋯ High BMI and poor population plasma lipid profile are the major contributing factors to high CVD mortality and morbidity in Lithuania. Smoking, alcohol consumption and preliminary genetic predisposition results do not explain the difference in CVD mortality between the Lithuanian and wider European populations. CVD prevention programmes in Lithuania should primarily focus on weight loss and improving blood lipid control.
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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID), characterized by abdominal pain and a change in stool form that cannot be explained by structural abnormalities. Its prevalence ranges from 9 to 23% of the worldwide population. The pathophysiology of IBS is diverse and not well understood. ⋯ IBS is diagnosed on the basis of Rome Diagnostic Criteria. Recently, their newest version (Rome IV) has been presented. The aim of this review is to summarize the past decade progress in IBS diagnosis, main pathophysiological aspects and therapeutic management strategy.