Irish journal of medical science
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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a deadly, chronic, progressive, irreversible interstitial lung disease characterized by the formation of scar tissue resulting in permanent lung damage. The average survival time following diagnosis is only 3-5 years, with a 5-year survival rate shorter than that of many cancers. Alveolar epithelial cell injury followed by irregular repair is the primary pathological process observed in patients with IPF. An evident characteristic of IPF is the development of fibroblastic foci representing active fibrotic areas. Most of the cells within these foci are believed to be myofibroblasts, which are thought to be the primary source of abnormal extracellular matrix production in IPF. The lung phenotype in IPF is characterized by significantly different processes from healthy lungs, including irregular apoptosis, oxidative stress, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways. ⋯ These findings strongly suggest that the mechanism of lung fibrosis is heavily under control of non-coding RNAs, and RNA-based therapies could be a promising approach for future therapeutic interventions to lung fibrosis.
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Overlap syndrome is the association of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and with other chronic respiratory diseases. Patients with overlap syndrome have a worse prognosis compared with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder or OSA alone. Additionally, patients with combined chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and OSA are more likely to develop pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure much earlier than those without overlap. ⋯ This study confirms that OSA patients with modest daytime level of hypoxemia and mild-moderate chronic airflow limitation have a high prevalence of PH. Chronic airway obstruction may be asymptomatic in some subjects and this stresses the necessity of pulmonary function test in OSA.
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Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) impose burdens on individuals and communities, while their prevalence in young people has risen continually in recent years. Partner notification is an effective public health strategy which can limit STI transmission. ⋯ As STIs are becoming increasingly prevalent in young adults, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of the interventions used to break the transmission chain and how different beliefs and attitudes may affect them. Self-efficacy was a key component in PN intentions, suggesting that the belief in someone's ability or skillset to perform a sexual health behaviour is positively related to their intention to perform the behaviour.
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COVID-19 saw an increase in child mental health presentations internationally. Clinicians analogised the exponential increase in anorexia nervosa to a 'tsunami' or 'outbreak', raising parallel concerns regarding medical and psychological risks (Marsh in The Guardian, 2021; Leask in NZ Herald, 2021; Monteleone et al. in Eat Weight Disord 26(8):2443-2452, 2021) . It is unclear whether Ireland emulated this picture of increased referrals with increased medical compromise. ⋯ This study supports the growing consensus of a pandemic specific increase in eating disorder referrals to both medical and psychiatry services. However, there was little to indicate a change in clinical profile or severity. Ongoing monitoring of referrals is necessary to ensure adequate service availability and expertise.
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Level one evidence reported poorer outcomes among patients taking dietary supplements after breast cancer (BC) diagnosis. ⋯ In summary, supplement use is prevalent among BC patients. Development of guidelines in relation to safe use of dietary supplements after cancer diagnosis is crucial.