Medicina
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Comparative Study
Treatment of patients of high-risk group of medulloblastoma with the adjuvant lomustine, cisplatin, and vincristine chemotherapy.
The prognosis of children with medulloblastoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor of cerebella, is poor especially in case of disseminated disease. Bad outcome of this disease encouraged the investigators to look for new more effective and safer ways of medulloblastoma treatment that would be able to improve the prognosis and quality of live for children with medulloblastoma. Adjuvant chemotherapy administered after radiotherapy prolongs the time to progression as well as overall survival for high-risk group of medulloblastoma patients, while such results vary little in standard-risk medulloblastoma group. ⋯ With this research we proved that adjuvant chemotherapy, prescribed after standard radial (craniospinal and local) treatment, statistically reliably improves survival indices of patients from high risk group and has to be prescribed to all patients from this risk group.
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To adapt the Lithuanian "SF-36" questionnaire, to assess psychometric and life quality criteria for patients with rheumatoid arthritis and for control group. ⋯ Questions of health-related quality of life questionnaire are easy to understand and acceptable for the respondents. Reliability and validity of the questionnaire is rather high. For the exception of emotional status, quality of life in almost all spheres was considered as bad by patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The control group had more complaints about the emotional status.
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To assess the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among middle-aged Kaunas population. ⋯ The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among middle-aged Kaunas residents was 22%. Metabolic syndrome and central obesity correlated with elevated concentration of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Moderately (1-3 mg/L) and severely (>3 mg/L) elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels increase the chance of metabolic syndrome by 4.15 and 7.39 times, respectively (p=0,000). An innovative approach towards cardiovascular risk assessment integrating traditional cardiovascular risk factors, metabolic syndrome and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein values could improve the risk stratification in asymptomatic middle-aged population.
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Comparative Study
[The economic estimates of well-timed diagnostics and early treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus].
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a severe, high-priced, and to date not curable, however, controllable disease. When diabetes mellitus is not treated or is poorly controlled, complications of small and large blood vessels arise, and the mortality increases. The costs of treatment of diabetes-related complications are very high. Estimates performed in other countries show that expenses on treatment of diabetes-related complications are considerably higher than the expenses paid for diabetes control itself. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is often diagnosed too late, when complications requiring expensive treatment are already present. ⋯ Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus in time provides a possibility to reduce expenses of diabetes treatment and care and to prolong a patient's life.
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[Association of metabolic syndrome with ischemic heart disease among middle-aged Kaunas population].
The aim of the present study was to estimate an association of metabolic syndrome with ischemic heart disease (IHD) in middle-aged Kaunas population. ⋯ In the study population cohort prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 19.4% for men and 26.3% for women, prevalence of IHD--14.3% and 19.4%, respectively. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and IHD among men and women increased with age. Comparing prevalence of metabolic syndrome among persons with IHD and without IHD, in the groups of men and women aged 35-44 years metabolic syndrome was not associated with IHD; in the group of men with IHD aged 45-64 years rate of metabolic syndrome was 1.8 times higher than among persons without IHD (odds ratio: 2.25 (95% CI 1.24-4.06)); in the group of women with IHD aged 45-64 years the rate of metabolic syndrome was marginally higher (1.3 times) than among women without IHD (odds ratio: 1.55 (95% CI 0.99-2.43)). The highest rate of metabolic syndrome was determined for men diagnosed with angina pectoris (odds ratio: 3.39 (95% CI 1.36-8.41)). In conclusion, study data showed that metabolic syndrome was associated with IHD in men aged 45-64 years.