JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
The effects of nonpharmacologic interventions on blood pressure of persons with high normal levels. Results of the Trials of Hypertension Prevention, Phase I.
To test the short-term feasibility and efficacy of seven nonpharmacologic interventions in persons with high normal diastolic blood pressure. ⋯ Weight reduction is the most effective of the strategies tested for reducing blood pressure in normotensive persons. Sodium reduction is also effective. The long-term effects of weight reduction and sodium reduction, alone and in combination, require further evaluation.
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Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a rare, inherited multisystem neoplastic disorder. There is no biochemical test available to distinguish VHL disease gene carriers from their healthy siblings. We evaluated DNA polymorphism analysis as a method for identifying disease gene carriers. ⋯ DNA polymorphism analysis can identify individuals likely to carry the VHL disease gene among asymptomatic members of disease families. This technique serves to focus attention on those individuals who require periodic medical examination and may help to alleviate the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease.
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To determine the prevalence of recent cocaine use and the reliability of patient self-reported cocaine use. ⋯ These results underscore the magnitude of cocaine abuse among black, inner-city men. Patient self-report of illicit drug use is highly inaccurate. Accuracy of self-report may be increased by asking less specific questions.