European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Aug 2008
Selective effects of CPAP on sleep apnoea-associated manifestations.
Visceral adiposity and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) may be independently associated with daytime sleepiness/low performance, insulin resistance, hypercytokinaemia, and/or hypertension. The objectives of this study are to simultaneously test these associations at baseline and after 3 months of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. ⋯ In obese sleep apnoeics, visceral fat is strongly associated with insulin resistance and inflammation. CPAP decreases sleepiness and moderates hypertension but does not affect visceral adiposity, insulin resistance, hypoadiponectinaemia or hypercytokinaemia, all of which are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Jul 2008
Multicenter StudyThe metabolic syndrome increases cardiovascular mortality in Taiwanese elderly.
The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is high among the elderly. However, evidence that mortality increases with MetS is rare. In this study, we investigated the relationship between MetS, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all cause mortality in the elderly. ⋯ The elderly with MetS, compared to those without MetS, had a higher CVD and all cause mortality in Taiwan. Furthermore, different combinations of MetS components posed different risks to the mortality, which deserves further research in the future.
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The major physiological function of erythropoietin (EPO) is thought to be the induction of erythropoiesis. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that EPO as well as recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) and its analogues have tissue-protective effects and prevent tissue damage during ischaemia. This mini review summarizes the present knowledge on protective vascular effects of EPO and discusses the potential underlying mechanisms.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Apr 2008
Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound surgery. Ablation of soft tissue at bone-muscle interface in a porcine model.
Pain management treatments of patients with bone metastases have either efficacy problems or significant side effects. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation has recently proved to be of palliative value. Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) uses focused ultrasonic energy to non-invasively create a heat-coagulated lesion deep within the body in a controlled, accurate manner. The surgeon can monitor and control energy deposition in real time. This technology represents a potential treatment modality in oncological surgery. We investigated the ability of two MRgFUS methods to accurately and safely target and ablate soft tissue at its interface with bone. ⋯ MRgFUS by both energy deposition methods can be used to produce controlled well-localized damage to soft tissue in close proximity to bone, with minimal collateral damage.