Der Internist
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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 central circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and interaction of clock genes with the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis are responsible for very distinct cortisol concentrations. Unphysiologically high doses of glucocorticoids that do not follow the circadian rhythm lead to increased rates of morbidity, mortality and reduced quality of life. ⋯ Novel modified-release hydrocortisone preparations offer diverse benefits with regard to their effect on metabolism, cardiovascular risk, immunity and sleep, which might be beneficial in particular in multimorbid elderly.
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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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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.