Arch Med Sci
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The determination of goitre prevalence in children by ultrasonography is an important tool for considering iodine deficiency disorders. Our objective was to describe measurements of thyroid volumes by ultrasonography in Egyptian South Sinai schoolchildren and compare these with the WHO/International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders normative thyroid volume criteria (WHO/ICCIDD). ⋯ Prevalence of goitre is high in South Sinai schoolchildren. The body surface area reference should be preferred to the reference based on age. South Sinai schoolchildren had larger thyroids than WHO/ICCIDD thyroid volumes, perhaps due to hard polluted water with a high fluorine level.
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The aim of this multicenter, prospective study was to evaluate the long-term prognostic value of low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography (LDDSE) in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and depressed left ventricular (LV) function. ⋯ In patients with AS and depressed LVEF, LDDSE is a useful tool for long-term risk stratification.
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The effect of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention measures aimed at elderly patients requires further evidence. We investigated the effect of statin treatment (targeted to achieve guideline goals) on CVD outcomes in different age groups to determine whether statins are more beneficial in the elderly. ⋯ All age groups benefited from statin treatment, but the elderly on "structured care" had a greater absolute and relative CVD risk reduction than the younger patients when compared with the corresponding patients assigned to "usual care". These findings suggest that we should not deprive older patients of CVD prevention treatment and lipid target achievement.