Arch Med Sci
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Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a severely underdiagnosed and undertreated genetic disorder. Little is known about regional variation in the prevalence of FH, and information for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is scarce. This paper assesses the prevalence of FH and related cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Poland. ⋯ We believe that our study might facilitate the planning of a strategy to manage the disease at a population level, i.e. to develop a national strategy for the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of FH.
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The association of chest pain versus dyspnea with demographics, coronary angiographic findings, and outcomes of patients undergoing coronary angiography is unknown. ⋯ Patients undergoing coronary angiography presenting with dyspnea were older and had higher serum creatinine, lower LVEF, more frequent cardiogenic shock, less obstructive CAD, and less percutaneous coronary intervention compared to patients presenting with chest pain but similar 2-year mortality.
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Vascular dementia (VaD) is a heterogeneous disease that can vary in clinical presentation and cognitive profile. The cognitive profiles of different VaD subtypes depend on the anatomical distribution of the vascular insults that have been documented. ⋯ The results indicate that specific subtypes and underlying vascular mechanisms will help predict clinical courses and produce more focused treatment and prevention of VaD.
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Most studies concerned with the quality of life (QoL) of women with reduced bone mineral density (BMD) focus on patients with vertebral and non-vertebral fractures. Our objective was to evaluate QoL among patients with reduced BMD regardless of their fracture history compared to women with normal BMD. ⋯ It seems necessary to evaluate QoL of women with reduced BMD before fractures occur, to aid development of health education aiming to reduce the incidence of osteoporosis and prevent fractures.
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The best mode of undescended testis (UDT) treatment remains controversial. However, knowledge gained from randomized controlled studies and meta-analyses allowed different groups of researchers to set out guidelines on management of patients with UDT. The authors reviewed recent literature and came to the following conclusions: (1) Hormonal treatment is not recommended, considering both the immediate results (only 15-20% of retained testes descend) and the possible long-term adverse effects on spermatogenesis. (2) Surgery is the treatment of choice; orchiopexy is successful in about 95% of UDT, with a low rate of complications (about 1%). (3) Orchiopexy should be performed between 12 and 18 months of age, or at first contact if diagnosed later.