Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research
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Medical conditions requiring treatment with anticoagulation (AC) or antiplatelet therapy have a huge burden on the average patient, but such conditions can have catastrophic effects on the careers of young, rising athletes, in particular those involved in contact sports at a professional level. Contact sports are defined as sports in which body-to-body contact is expected as part of the game such as football, basketball, soccer and hockey. ⋯ To date, there are no clear medical guidelines on the management of such conditions in athletes. Herein we review the traditional approach to treating such conditions afflicting athletes as well as more recently modified approaches to answer the ultimate question: should anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy in contact sports be career limiting?
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Overproduction of mucus and impaired clearance play important roles in the pathogenesis of muco-obstructive lung diseases (MOLDs). This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of nebulized hypertonic saline (HS) on MOLDs. Five electronic databases including PubMed, Excerpt Medica Database (EMBASE), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov and International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register were searched until June 2019. ⋯ Most adverse events of nebulized HS were mild and transient. In summary, the current available evidence suggests that nebulized HS may increase the QOL in CF, but there was no significant improvement in lung function. However, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions for other MOLDs due to limited data.
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Health science researchers need training and support to effectively pursue independence in their research careers. Little data exist regarding the specific resources that faculty researchers have found or would find useful. In this study, we aimed to better understand the needs of health science researchers to develop recommendations for effective career development programming. ⋯ The authors propose program development guidelines for helping researchers achieve research independence and success. Findings indicate that a broad-reaching K-Club style educational seminar can serve as a valuable foundation supporting professional development. The addition of tailored programs delivered across diverse platforms are predicted to heighten career development success.
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Immunotherapy is an extremely important breakthrough and an exciting new modality of treatment for a wide spectrum of cancers. It is focused around developing agents to stimulate or suppress the immune system, in a specific manner, to fight off a wide spectrum of diseases, particularly cancers. Traditional therapies available for the treatment of cancers include surgical intervention, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a combination of these, which tend to be very non-specific. ⋯ The US Food and Drug Administration has approved numerous agents, after clinical trials showed promising results, for the treatment of multiple cancers. The role of immunotherapy in gastrointestinal cancers has also been very promising, particularly in patients with advanced metastatic disease or malignancies refractory to initial treatment. In this review of literature, we detail and discuss the immunotherapy agents approved for the treatment of GI cancers and glance at the future of immunotherapy for patients with these cancers.
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To determine associations between severity of hypertension and risk of starting dialysis in the presence or absence of diabetes mellitus (DM). A nationwide database with claims data on 258 874 people with and without DM aged 19-72 years in Japan was used to elucidate the impact of severity of hypertension on starting dialysis. Initiation of dialysis was determined from claims using International Classification of Diseases-10 codes and medical procedures. ⋯ Compared with DM- and SBP ≤119 mm Hg, the HR for DM+ and SBP ≥150 mm Hg was 6.88 (95% CI 3.66 to 12.9). Although the risks of hypertension differed only slightly regardless of the presence or absence of DM, risks for starting dialysis with DM+ and SBP ≤119 mm Hg were equivalent to DM- and SBP ≥150 mm Hg, indicating more strict blood pressure interventions in DM+ are needed to avoid dialysis. Future studies are required to clarify the cut-off SBP level to avoid initiation of dialysis considering the risks of strict control of blood pressure.