Irish journal of medical science
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This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal changes and risk factors of anxiety and depression, as well as their values in predicting major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) occurrence in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. ⋯ Anxiety and depression are common and progress sustainably with female, diabetes, and higher Gensini score as their independent risk factors; meanwhile, depression but not anxiety may predict increased accumulating MACE occurrence in CHD patients.
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In patients with obesity (PwO) and heath care providers (HcPs), there appears to exist a discrepancy between recognition of obesity as a disease and the underlying biology of the disease. This is evident when considering PwO and HcPs appear to agree obesity is a disease but position lifestyle related factors as the main barriers to treatment with "eat less and move more" considered the best treatment approach. This does not align with current evidence regarding obesity treatments and the underlying pathophysiology. An understanding of PwO beliefs and perceptions may facilitate improved communication strategies with regard to the underlying pathophysiology of obesity as a disease. This has the potential to lead to improvements in both prevention and treatment strategies. Therefore, we evaluated PwO beliefs and perceptions of obesity as a disease, obesity causation and obesity treatment recorded during clinical evaluation. ⋯ PwO appear to have conflicting beliefs regarding obesity as a disease and the underlying biology. This has the potential to hinder attempts to treat the disease via lifestyle intervention and may also reduce likelihood to consider alternative treatment options. These beliefs and perceptions need to be explored further, along with those of HcPs, policy makers and the general public. Collectively this may facilitate changing the narrative around obesity as a disease and positively impact both the prevention and treatment of this disease.
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The individuals over 65 years old constitute an important patient population of medical intensive care units (ICUs). ⋯ Age and gender were not found to be predictors of mortality. There was no survival advantage between young and elderly patients. Co-morbid diseases, apart from malignancy, had no effect on mortality. In developing countries, where patients with terminal illness and multiple co-morbid diseases are treated in the ICU, age should not be a determining factor in patient selection for ICU or in the treatment decisions to be applied to patients.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of a dysphagia screening test (DST) in patients who have undergone resection for head and neck cancer (HNC). In addition, we examined whether or not combined effects of DSTs improve the detection accuracy of penetration/aspiration. ⋯ Based on our results, it is recommended that MWST or FT be used when only one type of DST is performed. In addition, the combination of two DSTs may detect aspiration patients more accurately than one alone.
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Hope is considered as an important therapeutic factor in health and illness. Chronic pain affects a significant proportion of the world's population and causes great emotional and physical suffering to patients. ⋯ The findings of this review demonstrate that hope is influenced by several patient factors and has a positive impact on patients with chronic pain. The current literature supports the usefulness of hope as a therapeutic intervention for not only chronic pain but many chronic illnesses.