Arch Med Sci
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The aim of the research was to compare the dynamics of venous ulcer healing when treated with the use of compression stockings as well as original two- and four-layer bandage systems. ⋯ A systematic compression therapy, applied with preliminary blood pressure of 40 mmHg, is an effective method of conservative treatment of venous ulcers. Compression stockings and prepared systems of multi-layer compression were characterized by similar clinical effectiveness.
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High prevalence of coeliac disease (CD) has been reported among patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). We evaluated the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of screening for CD by rapid test of anti-transglutaminase antibodies in the cardiology outpatients' clinic. ⋯ Early detection of CD in a cardiological setting allows prompt treatment with a gluten-free diet of gluten-dependent complaints with potential benefits for the course of DCM.
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Positive evolutionary pressure has preserved the ability to synthesize chemically authentic morphine, albeit in homeopathic concentrations, throughout animal phyla. The prototype catecholamine dopamine (DA) serves as an essential chemical intermediate in morphine biosynthesis both in plants and animals, thereby providing considerable insight into the roles reciprocal "morphinergic" and catecholamine regulation of diverse physiological processes. ⋯ Endogenous "morphinergic" in concert with NO-coupled signaling systems have evolved as autocrine/paracrine regulators of metabolic homeostasis, energy metabolism, mitochondrial respiration and energy production. Basic physiological processes involving "morphinergic"/NO-coupled regulation of cardiovascular mitochondrial function, with special emphasis on the interactive effects of ethanol, are discussed within the context of our review.
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The aim of the study was to determine the effect of long-term cyclosporine A (CsA) treatment in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome on autonomic nerve function and peripheral blood flow assessed with thermography. ⋯ It may be hypothesized that cyclosporine A administered even in low doses induces small vessel dysfunction measured by the thermographic method. This effect seems to be independent of sympathetic nervous system involvement, which was absent in cyclosporine A treated nephrotic children.
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The combination of pulsed wave (PW) and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) has been proposed as a new method to assess left ventricular (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony (LVMD), but results have not been validated. We investigated the correlation of a combination of PW and TDI with a positive response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). ⋯ Left vertricular dyssynchrony detected by the method combining PW and TDI demonstrated a high reproducibility, sensitivity, specificity and agreement with a positive response to CRT.