Revista médica de Chile
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Revista médica de Chile · Aug 2016
[Conflict of interest disclosure as a tool to improve the reliability of research].
Conflicts of interest are situations in which professional judgment concerning a primary interest, tends to be influenced by a secondary interest. These conflicts could compromise the reliability of biomedical research and result in the dissemination of biased results. ⋯ To be useful, it must be based on clear principles, it should help to perform a critical analysis and should be considered in the design of every research project. This review is an analysis of the conflicts of interest disclosure, its scope and limitations and should contribute to develop a greater awareness of its importance.
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Revista médica de Chile · Aug 2016
[Perceptions of faculty members and students about undergraduate training in primary health care].
It is unknown if medical education is preparing physicians to successfully work at primary health care settings. ⋯ Medical Schools are not preparing professionals for primary health care but for hospital care and specialized medicine.
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Since doctors disposed of effective tools to serve their patients, they had to worry about the proper management of available resources and how to deal with the relationship with the industry that provides such resources. In this relationship, health professionals may be involved in conflicts of interest that they need to acknowledge and learn how to handle. This article discusses the conflicts of interest in nephrology. ⋯ Conflicts of interest of professionals in the renal area and related scientific societies, with the industry producing equipment, supplies and drugs are reviewed. Dichotomy, payment for referral, self-referral of patients and incentives for cost control are analyzed. Finally, recommendations to help preserve a good practice in nephrology are made.
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Revista médica de Chile · Aug 2016
Review[Current evidence on health benefits of the mediterranean diet].
The Mediterranean diet is currently considered a functional diet with an increasing amount of scientific evidence that supports its beneficial effects in human health. Several observational cross-sectional and prospective cohort studies show an association between this diet and a lower prevalence and incidence of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases as well as a reduced overall mortality. Additionally, clinical interventional studies, particularly the PREDIMED (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea) initiative, have shown, with high quality scientific evidence, that a Mediterranean diet -supplemented either with olive oil or nuts- can lower by 30% the incidence of cardiovascular disease, reverse the metabolic syndrome, and prevent the development of diabetes and aging-related cognitive decline. Chile has one of the five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, and therefore the implementation of this food pattern and lifestyle in our country may determine large benefits to the health status and quality of life in the Chilean population.