Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Dec 2021
Review[Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - diagnosis, course of disease and treatment options].
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset motor neuron disorder which is characterized by progressive motor symptoms, such as muscle weakness, muscle atrophy and spasticity. In Germany, 6000-8000 people are affected by ALS. Between 1200 and 1600 newly diagnosed patients are expected each year. Protein deposits in the cytoplasm of motor neurons are a molecular feature of ALS. The most common protein aggregates result from excessive deposition of TDP-43. ⋯ ALS is not curable - however, various individual treatment options have to be considered for improving survival, symptom control and social participation. The care in specialized ALS centers is recommended to ensure optimal treatment regarding symptomatic medication, assistive devices, nutrition support and ventilation therapy. Optimal care is achieved by interdisciplinary collaboration of general practitioners, specialized physicians, neurologists and ALS experts being integrated in multiprofessional care networks.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Dec 2021
Historical Article[Salerno, the first medical school in Europe - Birthplace of university medicine].
Salerno in southern Italy is regarded as the birthplace of modern European university medicine. A practical and scientifically oriented medical discipline developed from monastic and monastery medicine. The Salernitan school, which considered itself as "Civitas Hippocratica", was based initially on the traditions of Hippocrates, the Alexandrian doctors and Galen. ⋯ By the 12th century, nearly the entire literature by Aristotle, Hippocrates, Galen, Avicenna and Rhazes was available in Latin. Salerno became an important medical training centre - for women and men - with a fixed course curriculum and provided a public health system. Medical training was firmly established under Emperor Friedrich II who placed it under state supervision.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Dec 2021
Historical Article[Kurt Huldschinsky: A pioneer in the struggle against rickets].
Kurt Huldschinsky (1883-1940) was a German pediatrician who was one of the international leaders in the field of rickets research between the two world wars. After his medical studies, he served at the Kaiserin-Auguste-Victoria-Haus in Berlin and at the University Children's Hospital in Vienna, among other places. After World War I, he worked with the famous orthopedist Konrad Biesalski at the Oskar-Helene-Heim for the healing and education of frail children in Berlin. ⋯ As a Jew, however, he had to flee Germany from the National Socialists in 1933/34. Together with his wife and daughter, he emigrated to Egypt, where he died in Alexandria on October 31, 1940. As Huldschinsky was for many decades almost forgotten, this article recalls the life and work of a meritorious physician and scientist.
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The importance of height for mortality and life expectancy is a matter of controversy. The data on this in different countries vary depending on ethnicity, socio-economic and other factors such as age at the time of the study. ⋯ A recent Dutch study shows a negative correlation between height and life expectancy in older women. Gender-specific differences in hemodynamics depending on body size or aortic length play a decisive role alongside age at the time of the examination.
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The climate crisis and its consequences represent the greatest challenge facing human health and health care system in the 21st century. It threatens to undermine the last decades of health gains. Rising temperatures, fires, floods and droughts can directly and indirectly cause human pathologies, that are physical and mental. ⋯ Health sector has the central responsibility as the fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter to transform in a climate-neutral and sustainable way, e. g. by efficient use of resources. Further education and training in this area should be intensified and included in curricula for medical staff. Furthermore, medical professionals must educate patients about the burden of climate change, climate resilience, and the benefits of CO2 reduction - for human but also for planetary health.