Der Internist
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Vitamin D deficiency is widespread in geriatric patients. While vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in about 50% of healthy older adults, the prevalence in geriatric patients with hip fracture increases to over 80%. This is partly due to the fact that sunlight is unreliable as the main source of vitamin D. ⋯ In geriatric patients, implementing vitamin D supplementation at this dosage is currently preferred. A bolus dose of over 24,000 IU/month should be avoided due to the increased risk of falls and fractures. These recommendations remain relevant after a critical review of the four most recent meta-analyses.
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Testosterone is a natural hormone which is essential to maintaining physical and emotional wellbeing in men, regardless of age. Male hypogonadism is an endocrine condition of testosterone deficiency with the potential to cause multiple morbidities and psychosocial problems. The condition can be of primary (testicular), secondary (hypothalamic-pituitary) or so-called functional origin (as a result of inflammatory conditions, obesity or chronic illness). ⋯ Testosterone replacement therapy should not be initiated in the case of desired paternity, unclear processes of the prostate or mammary gland and high hematocrit. Diagnosis and treatment as well as monitoring of hypogonadism treatment are clearly regulated by international guidelines and replacement therapy is proven to be effective in ameliorating the above-mentioned symptoms when performed according to these guidelines. In functional hypogonadism, which is most often, but not exclusively, found in older men, treatment of the underlying condition/co-morbidity is mandatory prior to starting testosterone substitution.
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E‑cigarettes are increasingly used to replace tobacco cigarettes and to stop smoking, but mainly in the sense of dual use. There is lively debate about the assessment of the health risks of e‑cigarettes, but so far there are no comprehensive data for direct comparison with tobacco cigarettes. Other points of controversy include the potential for smoking cessation and the risk of moving from e‑cigarettes to tobacco cigarettes (gateway hypothesis). The present overview comes to the conclusion that, in accordance with the health policy already largely implemented in Great Britain, e‑cigarettes represent a greatly reduced health risk compared with tobacco cigarettes and are certainly suitable for giving up smoking.
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Rare work-related illnesses do not usually meet the requirements to be recognised and compensated as a legal occupational disease. However, common diseases (e.g. ovarian carcinoma) are sometimes caused by occupational influences (e.g. asbestos), making the occupational disease ovarian cancer caused by occupational exposure to asbestos a rare disease. Since in our modern working world the occupational influences that are harmful to health are decreasing qualitatively (substitutes) and quantitatively (limit values), the diseases they cause are also becoming increasingly rare.
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The case of a 72-year-old female patient with exanthem and concomitant neuropathy of the instep of the foot and progressive ipsilateral lower leg pain is reported. Sonographically, a superficial vein thrombosis with extension into the deep venous system originating from the exanthem was observed. On the basis of the clinical picture as well as the serological and electrophysiological findings, a rare diagnosis of acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans with peripheral neuropathy was made, which could significantly promote the local development of venous thrombosis.