Hippokratia
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At the current stage, the criteria for making the diagnosis of SLE (ARA, 1982) include only two neuropsychiatric manifestations: seizures and psychoses. In view of the need for early detection of the lesions of the nervous system, we set ourselves to the task of developing an approach for making the diagnosis of NPSLE (neuropsychiatric SLE) on the basis of criteria with high sensitivity and specificity. ⋯ The results from the performed examinations showed a high percentage (64.44%) of neuropsychiatric lesions in the patients with SLE. According our results, NPSLE diagnosis should be made in the presence of at least one indicator from the first group of criteria (seizures, psychosis, cerebrovascular event, lesion of cranial nerves, motor disturbances, quantitative alterations of consciousness) and at least two indicators from the second group of criteria (cognitive dysfunction, headache due to lupus, peripheral neuropathy, MRI changes, EEG changes, ENMG changes, positive aRPA, positive aPL) after ruling out other causes (except for SLE) for their occurrence.
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Diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension are two common diseases that often coexist. Patients with diabetes have much higher rate of hypertension than that in general population. The co-existence of these disorders appears to accelerate microvascular and macrovascular complications and greatly increases the cardiovascular risk, risk of stroke and end stage renal disease. ⋯ On the basis of experimental arguments and clinical observations that have shown their apparent superiority in slowing diabetic nephropathy, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers are preferred as the first choice alone or in combination with diuretics. Second choice should be long-acting calcium-channel blockers or cardioselective beta blockers. Clinicians should be aware of the need for aggressive treatment of hypertension and spend more time in order to provide maximal benefit to the treatment of diabetes mellitus and hypertension.
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Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common problem all over the world, which attacks mainly pregnant women, infants and children. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of IDA in children 12-24 months old in a specific area of Thessalia, located in the central part of Greece, and to identify the environmental risk factors associated with it. ⋯ Although the prevalence of IDA in this area of Greece is similar to the one observed in the rest of the developed world, it still consists a public health problem. The mobile method for Hb estimation should be introduced in Greece since its reliability to detect IDA has been, once more, confirmed. The application of simple questionnaires for the detection of the environmental IDA risk factors could help in the prognosis and prevention of anemia. Further improvement of the IDA status in Greece could be achieved through the dissemination of information about iron rich foods, the amelioration of environmental conditions and the application of reliable, easy to use and cheap methods for Hb estimation.
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Diabetes mellitus is recognized as a leading cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal failure. Chronic renal failure is associated with insulin resistance and, in advanced renal failure, decreased insulin degradation. Both of these abnormalities are partially reversed with the institution of dialysis. ⋯ The management of the patients with hyperglycemia and chronic renal failure calls for close collaboration between the diabetologist and the nephrologists. This collaboration is very important so that the patient will not be confused and will not lose confidence to the doctors. Furthermore good glycemic control in these patients seems to reduce microvascular and macrovascular complications.
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OBJECTIVE-METHODS: Adamantiades-Behcet disease (ABD) is a multi-systemic vasculitis of unknown origin, with a characteristic geographic distribution, that affects vessels of all kinds and sizes and is characterized by recurrent mucosal, skin and ocular lesions. In the present study, a series of 36 patients from Northern Greece is analyzed retrospectively in regard to the epidemiological, clinical and immunological parameters. ⋯ The findings of the present study come in agreement with those reported for other Mediterranean series. HLA-B51 seems to predispose to more severe disease, while early therapeutic intervention is beneficial for these patients.