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The thermal behaviour, mineralogy, texture and micro-structure of the original rocks used as raw materials in the manufacture of ceramics of the potter community in Fran Ali (Oued Laou, Tetouan, Morocco) were studied. The original rocks of the alteration deposit are metapelites and altered philites from the Units Malaguide-Gomáride in the Baetic-Rifian mountain system. The techniques used by local potters and the water used to prepare the ceramic bodies were also studied. Original rocks are metapelites or filadios and raw materials belong to levels caused by exogenous or supergene alteration (quartz-illite and chlorite type clays). The ceramics studied by microscopy exhibit anisotropy.Se ha estudiado el comportamiento térmico, la mineralogía, la textura y la microestructura de las materias primas empleadas en la elaboración de las cerámicas de la comunidad alfarera de Fran Ali (Oued Laou, Tetuán, Marruecos). Las rocas originarias de los distintos afloramientos proceden de Unidades Malaguide-Gomárides de la cadena alpina Bético-Rifeña también se estudiaron. Se detalla la técnica empleada por los ceramistas de esta zona para la elaboración de las piezas. Se analizó el agua empleada para la preparación de la pasta. Las rocas originarias son metapelitas o filadios y las materias primas pertenecen a niveles originados por alteración supergénica o exógena (arcillas de tipo cuarzo-illiticas y cloríticas). Las cerámicas estudiadas al microscopio presentan anisotropía.

Prematurity is one of the most relevant health problems among children in the developed countries. Around 8 to 10% of children birth before the 37 week and/or with a very low birth weight (VLBW) (1500 g). This causes 75% of the prenatal mortality and the 50% of the children disability. The aim of this study was to assess neuropsychological and emotional impairments in 7 year old children who were born VLBW. A clinical interview, the Children Neuropsychological Assessment Battery, and the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC) were administrated. VLBW children showed memory and executive function deficits, as well as, behavioral and attention problems. These results highlight the importance of long term follow up of the VLBW children and point out the necessity of developing adequate neuropsychological and emotional treatment program for these children.

Introduction: Transthyretin-related amyloidosis (ATTRv) is a progressive multisystem disorder, predominantly involving the peripheral nerve system (PNS) and heart. Quantification of small fiber damage may help guide treatment decisions, as amyloid deposits frequently affect those fibers early in disease course. Corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) is a promising method to monitor patients with ATTRv, due to similarities between corneal nerves and PNS, as the cornea is innervated by Aδ and C fibers., Methods: We compared CCM measures from ATTRv patients to a group of healthy individuals, matched by age and gender. We then investigated the correlations between small fiber tests (SFT): CCM, LDI-Flare and CDT, COMPASS-31 and disability scales (RODS and ONLS) in patients., Results: Of 20 patients (6 with V30M), mean age 50.3±15.3Y, 7 female (35%), six (30%) had polyneuropathy and 10 (50%) carpal tunnel syndrome. CDT was abnormal in 9 and LDI-flare in 6 patients. CCM was abnormal in 19 tested patients and significantly reduced when compared to controls (CNFL: 6.31±0.31 vs. 15.21±1.02mm/mm 2 , p<0.001). Mean COMPASS-31-scores were 22.27±22.84; RODS and ONLS were 38.15±12.33 and 2.05±2.3, with no significant differences between sub-group scores. Disease duration was significantly correlated with ONLS (0.43, p=0.05) and RODS (0.46, p=0.03). There were no significant correlations between measures of disability and SFT., Conclusions: In a diverse cohort of ATTRv patients, CCM was the most frequent abnormal measurement. CCM can be a useful test to triage patients in the early disease stages and with few or equivocal symptoms., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives: Hypertension is highly common in heart failure (HF). However, there is limited information on its prevalence, circadian variation, and relationship with the various HF phenotypes. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of hypertension and its patterns in HF., Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study of patients with optimized stable chronic HF. The patients underwent blood pressure (BP) measurement in the office and 24-hour ambulatory monitoring. We estimated the prevalence of hypertension, and its diurnal (controlled, uncontrolled, white coat, and masked) and nocturnal (dipper, nondipper, and reverse dipper) patterns. We also analyzed the factors associated with the different patterns and HF phenotypes., Results: From 2017 to 2021, 266 patients were included in the study (mean age, 72±12 years, 67% male, 46% with reduced ejection fraction). Hypertension was present in 83%: controlled in 68%, uncontrolled in 10%, white coat in 10%, and masked in 11%. Among patients with high office BP, 51% had white coat hypertension. Among those with normal office BP, 14% had masked hypertension. The prevalence of dipper, nondipper, and reverse dipper patterns was 31%, 43%, and 26%, respectively. Systolic BP was lower in HF with reduced ejection fraction than in HF with preserved ejection fraction (P <.001)., Conclusions: Ambulatory BP monitoring in HF identified white coat hypertension in more than half of patients with high office BP and masked hypertension in a relevant percentage of patients. The distribution of daytime patterns was similar to that of the population without HF in the literature, but most of the study patients had a pathological nocturnal pattern., (Copyright © 2023 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Identify the number of cases with a possible diagnosis of short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) or short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with cranial autonomic symptoms (SUNA) in patients with a previous diagnosis of Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) at the Neurology Service of the National Medical Center 20 de Noviembre. This will confirm that these trigeminal-autonomic cephalalgias should be ruled out and considered as differential diagnoses of trigeminal neuralgia., Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional and retrospective study. The complete electronic medical records of 100 patients with a diagnosis of TN were evaluated during the period from April 2010 to May 2020. Autonomic symptoms were intentionally searched for in these patients and compared with the diagnostic criteria of SUNCT and SUNA of the 3rd edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. Chi-square tests and subsequent bivariate regression were performed to determine the association between variables., Results: One hundred patients with a diagnosis of TN were included. After reviewing the clinical manifestations, 12 patients with autonomic symptoms were found and compared with the diagnostic criteria of SUNCT and SUNA. However, they did not meet the absolute criteria to be diagnosed with the previously mentioned diseases, nor to be ruled out., Conclusions: TN is a painful and frequent entity that can present with autonomic symptoms, therefore making it important to identify SUNCT and SUNA as differential diagnoses, to recognize them and treat them appropriately.

We present the case of a 64-year-old man who, after a first episode of acute pancreatitis, was readmitted 20 days later due to severe epigastric pain and later an episode of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the form of hematemesis and melena with hemodynamic instability. An urgent gastroscopy was performed at that time, revealing a probable gastrointestinal fistula in the duodenal bulb with an adherent clot without active bleeding at that time, so an urgent CT angiography was performed that revealed a necrotic peripancreatic collection with the presence of active bleeding inside from the pancreatoduodenal artery. Urgent arteriography identified an image compatible with arterial pseudoaneurysm dependent on the pancreaticoduodenal artery branch, which was successfully embolized. Unfortunately, the patient died a few hours later as a result of septic shock secondary to an infected pancreatic collection.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the confinement of approximately one third of the world population, causing a drastic change in the activities of daily life with many repercussions at the health, economic and social levels., Objectives: The objective of the present work is to present the epidemiological variations in the production of fractures in the period of mandatory confinement in our reference population., Methods: Analytical retrospective comparative study of two groups of patients: Group A: patients admitted before the state of alarm that forced confinement in the period from January 13 to March 13 compared to Group B: patients admitted in the two months of confinement, until the de-escalation period began, March 13-May 13. Epidemiological variables including age, personal history, type of fracture, mechanism of injury, outpatient rate, and hospital stay were recorded., Results: A total of 190 patients were included. 112 in the pre-confinement period and 78 in the confinement (30% decrease). The mean age (p = 0.007) and falls at home (p < 0.001) were higher in the confinement group. The postoperative (p = 0.006) and overall (p < 0.001) hospital stay were significantly less in the confinement group. No differences were found in the anatomical location of the lesion, sex, comorbidities, mechanism of injury, outpatient rate, or death., Conclusions: Based on the results of our study, the period of forced confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic has produced a drastic decrease in the total number of fractures admitted to the traumatology service of a third level hospital. On the other hand, osteoporotic hip fractures have not varied in their incidence and a decrease in the average postoperative and overall stay has been observed., (© 2020 SECOT. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Objetivo. Resumir y analizar la evidencia de la asociación entre Covid-19 y factores climáticos. Material y métodos. Se utilizó la metodología de revisiones rápidas de Cochrane. Se buscaron artículos publicados del 1 de enero al 27 de abril de 2020 en una base de datos académica y preprints. Los títulos y resúmenes fueron revisados por dos investigadores y los textos completos por cinco investigadores. Resultados. De 354 artículos identificados, 26 cumplieron los criterios de elegibilidad establecidos. De éstos, 20 observaron una asociación inversa. Al evaluar su calidad, nueve calificaron con validez moderada, porque si bien ajustaron por covariables en el análisis, son estudios ecológicos. Conclusiones. A pesar de la homogeneidad de resultados, los factores climáticos explican un porcentaje pequeño de la variación de Covid-19. Son necesarios estudios con periodo de análisis más largo que capten tendencia y estacionalidad e incluyan factores de riesgo individuales.

Introduction: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become an essential tool in paediatric ophthalmology. However, none of the currently available OCT devices include any kind of normative database for the paediatric population, which can lead to important interpretation errors., Objective: To review the paediatric OCT normative databases., Material and Methods: The applications and implications of the use of paediatric OCT normative databases are reviewed., Results: The paediatric normative databases that have been published so far in scientific literature with different OCT devices for Spanish and European population are presented., Conclusions: The knowledge and interpretation of paediatric OCT normative databases in our daily clinical practice is crucial in order for the correct interpretation of OCT thickness maps., (Copyright © 2019 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Asthma is related to caries but the risk factors are not completely determined. Therefore, the objective of the study was to determine the risk of dental caries in pediatric asthmatic patients in inhalation treatment with salbutamol and budesonide who went to the National Hospital Arzobispo Loayza., Methods: Case-control study that consisted of 184 pediatric patients, between 5 and 12 years old, who attended the pneumology and pediatric dentistry service of the National Hospital Arzobispo Loayza during the years 2016-2017. The group of cases (n = 92) was composed of patients with moderate asthma medicated with inhaled salbutamol and budesonide, while the control group (n = 92) was composed of healthy patients. The risk of dental caries was evaluated with the dietary record, oral hygiene index and number of carious lesions., Results: The risk according to the type of cariogenic diet was moderate in both groups (p = 0.768). The oral hygiene index in the control group was regular in 63% (n = 58) and in the case group, bad in 60.9% (n = 56); p=0.001. The number of carious lesions in the control group was moderate in 50% (n = 46) and in the case group, high in 47.8% (n = 44); p = 0.001. Therefore, the risk of dental caries in the case group was high in 50% (n = 46) and in the control group it was moderate in 72.8% (n = 67); p = 0.001., Conclusion: The risk of dental caries in asthmatic patients on inhaled therapy with salbutamol and budesonide is significantly higher than that of healthy patients., (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba)

Double-J ureteral stents disposal is associated with the appearance of side effects in up to 90% of the patients. The main causes of these symptoms are related to stent's design and the materials they are manufactured from. Vesicoureteral reflux and bladder trigone irritation are the etiopathogenic causes of ureteral stents associated morbidity. Due to this, and in order to improve patients' quality of life, stents that avoid reflux have been developed. Among anti-reflux designs, the first was a double-J stent the bladder tip of which is provided with a polymeric membrane that prevents retrograde flow of urine through its internal drainage channel. This design showed satisfactory vesicaresults, although not statistically significant. Their use in renal transplantation has also been assessed not only to decrease morbidity and ascending infection but also to improve graft survival. Other designs try to thin the distal end and even change it to a surgical suture thread, with the aim of eliminating the internal drainage channel in order to cause the minimum interference with the UVJ. Recently, two prototypes were evaluated in animal models and have achieved reduction of VUR. The first consists of a valve attached to the distal end of a traditional double-J stent, acting as a backflow prevention device. The second design is an intra-ureteral stent that acts like a double-J stent, but without crossing the UVJ and therefore preventing reflux completely. Nowadays, the use of these devices is not implemented in hospitals due to the absence of scientific evidence supporting the superiority of these designs over conventional stents.

Introduction: The use of health services has seen a steep rise. The frequent users are responsible for significant economic, human and social impact. The objective is to analyze the characteristics of frequent attenders in our Health Center, in order to evaluate the possibility of taking corrective measures to improve the quality of care and efficiency in the use of resources., Materials and Methods: Descriptive observational study of a sample of 379 patients over 18 years old. The dependent variables were attendance (number of visits to their family doctor during the previous year), frequent attendance (10 or more visits to the family doctor in the last year), and persistent frequent attenders (10 or more visits to the family doctor in each of the last two years). Data were collected from medical records and by telephone interview., Results: The mean attendance was 6.83 (95%CI: 6.13-7.53), frequent attendance reached 25.4% (95%CI: 21.4-29.6), and persistent frequent attenders, 1.6% (95%CI: 0.5-2.9). Frequent attendance was associated with sex, age, marital status, educational level, family structure, existence of chronic disease, use of anxiolytic and antidepressants, request for additional tests, and referrals to other specialists, proximity to the health center, and level of satisfaction with their family doctor., Conclusions: The low persistent frequent attenders found suggests that frequent attendance could be largely due to factors related to professional and organization. Studies are required to address the high level of consumption of psychotropic drugs, and improving professional skills in dealing with mental problems., (Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objective: Atherogenic dyslipidemia, which is characterized by increased triglyceride levels and reduced HDL cholesterol levels, is underestimated and undertreated in clinical practice. We assessed its prevalence and the achievement of therapeutic objectives for HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in patients treated at lipid and vascular risk units in Spain., Patients and Method: This was an observational, longitudinal, retrospective, multicenter study performed in 14 autonomous Spanish communities that consecutively included 1828 patients aged ≥18 years who were referred for dyslipidemia and vascular risk to 43 lipid clinics accredited by the Spanish Society of Arteriosclerosis. We collected information from the medical records corresponding to 2 visits conducted during 2010 and 2011-12, respectively., Results: Of the 1649 patients who had a lipid profile in the first visit (90.2%), 295 (17.9%) had atherogenic dyslipidemia. The factors associated with atherogenic dyslipidemia were excess weight/obesity, not taking hypolipidemic drugs (statins and/or fibrates), diabetes, myocardial infarction and previous heart failure. Of the 273 (92.5%) patients with atherogenic dyslipidemia that had a lipid profile in the last visit, 44 (16.1%) achieved the therapeutic objectives for HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The predictors of therapeutic success were normal weight and normoglycemia., Conclusion: One of every 6 patients treated in lipid and vascular risk units had atherogenic dyslipidemia. The degree to which the therapeutic goals for HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels were achieved in these patients was very low., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: The subdermic single-rod contraceptive implant is used for more than 2.5 million of womens around the world (in Mexico there are around 600 000 collocated implants). in a small number of cases an incorrect insertion procedure is caused by a complex localizaron.., Methods: A clinical, retrospective, descriptive study was conducted in the period January 2011 to December 2013. the Family Planning Service of the General Hospital of Mexico Dr. Eduardo Liceaga., Results: A total of 21 patients were included. In all cases the implant was not palpable in 20 patients and was located by ultrasound and removed. 10 implants were in Fatty tissue, 6 in muscle, 2 in fatty tissue and muscle and 2 were located in armpit., Conclusions: Due to simplitcity and accessibility, the ultrasound is the selected method for identifying deeply non-palpable implants.

Introduction: Although antihypertensive treatment can reduce the risk of cardiovascular morbimortality, studies aimed at evaluating the association between antihypertensive drug use and incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) yield mixed results. This study aimed to determine the possible relationship between antihypertensive drug use and development of AF., Material and Methods: Case control study., Cases: Hypertensive patients with AF diagnosed at least one year after the start of drug treatment for hypertension., Controls: Hypertensive patients without AF with pharmacological antihypertensive treatment for at least one year, matching by sex, age and duration of antihypertensive therapy at diagnosis of AF cases. The study included 136 cases and 132 controls., Variables: AF, antihypertensive drugs, control of hypertension, duration of treatment with antihypertensive drugs, number of antihypertensive drugs., Analysis: Crude OR were calculated, with logistic regression being used to calculate the adjusted odds ratios., Results: Overall, diuretics was close to statistical significance: OR 0.616 (95% CI 0.365 to 1.040), as a protective factor for development of AF. Calcium channel blockers behaved as a protective factor against development of AF at 75 years or older (OR 0.366; 95% CI 0.173 to 0.772), and within this age in women (OR 0.343; 95% CI 0.145-0.811)., Conclusions: Calcium channel blockers in the group of 75 years or more, especially in women, worked statistically significant as a drug protecting against the appearance of AF. Diuretics may have a protective role in AF incidence in all hypertensive patients., (Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.)

The vegetation of the sandy hills ("lomas") constitutes the main originality of the Peruvian and Chilean desert with a high number of endemics that shapes the vicarious associations. In this work, a phytosociological view of sandy environments of the Peruvian coastal desert is presented. According to the Braun-Blanquet method, we have made up 32 phytosociological inventories and added 138 ones from others authors. In each inventory, we have analyzed its floristic composition and ecological parameters, as altitude, soil and geomorphology. All releves were synthesized in a table to deduce the different associations, higher phytosociological units, and the distribu tion of its flora along the Peruvian coast and the Andean Cordillera. Using the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, the diversity of this flora is discussed making a comparison with historical data about the use of the territory with livestock during pre-Inca and Inca cultures, and Spanish invasion. As a result, two associations from Southern Peru -Nolanetum scaposo-spathulatae and Palauetum camanensis-weberbaueri-, two alliances -Nolanion humifusae from central Peru, and Nolanion spathulatae from the Southern Peru- and a new order -Tetragonio crystallinae-Plantaginetalia limensis- are described. In Nolanetum scaposo-spathulatae, Dictyophragnus englerianus, Leptoglossis lomana, Nolana scaposa, N. spathulata, Palaua velutina and Tetragonia vestita are the main characteristics, while in Palauetum camanensis-weberbaueri association N. scaposa and P. velutina are replaced by Palaua camanensis and P. weberbaueri. Nolanion humifusae alliance integrates species as Geranium limae, Hymenocallis amancaes, Nolana humifusa, N. latipes, Palaua rhombifolia or Villanova oppositifolia. Likewise, Cistanthe weberbaueri, Cryptantha parviflora, Hoffmannseggia miranda, Lupinus mollendoensis, Nolana confinis, N. pallidula, N. scaposa, N. spathulata, Palaua camanensis, P. velutina, P. weberbaueri, Tetragonia vestita and Weberbauerella brongniartioides are the characteristic species of Nolanion spathulatae alliance. The Tetragonio crystallinae-Plantaginetalia limensis order presents characteristic plants don't linked with eutrophic soils, as Calandrinia alba, Cryptantha limensis, Dyschoriste repens, Monnina macrostachya, Oxalis lomana, Palaua malvifolia, Pectocarya lateriflora, Plantago limensis or Tetragonia crystallina, with a distribution that claps the geographical area of the new alliances. On the other hand, the vegetation of the desert ravines is discussed in the context of the coastal river plant communities and its disturbance by the dunes. After the application of the Shannon-Wiener diversity index on the synthetic table columns, we can deduce that an increase in Andean and European ruderal species is linked to an intensive livestock activity. The transhumance between the Andes and the coast from pre-Inca times until now, produces the plant dispersion of high Andean plants toward the coast; the Spanish colonization was the origin of the presence of European plants in the "lomas" vegetation of Peru.

Objective: Knowledge regarding prognostic factors in gastric cancer is essential to decide on single patient management. We aim to establish the value of large lymph node size in order to improve perioperative approach., Material and Methods: Charts of one hundred and twenty-eight consecutive patients undergoing gastrectomy for resectable gastric cancer were reviewed between January 1996 and December 2005. Patients were split in two groups according to large lymph node size harvested, group I, lymph node size 10 mm. Overall five-year survival related to cancer were analyzed as a main endpoint. Prognostic factors as TNM classification and degree of differentiation have been considered., Results: There were no differences regarding age and gender (67.4 vs. 64; p = 0.34 and 66,1 vs. 68,1%; p = 0.27, respectively). Nevertheless, a significant difference has been found according to T1-T2 of TNM stage (78.1 vs. 39.1% p = < 0.001), for N grade staging, has statistical signification for grade N0 (62.7 vs. 30.5%; p < 0.001), and for Ia and Ib stages (57.6 vs. 17.4%). Five years overall survival has a great statistical signification (p log-rank = 0.0003), however, overall survival between groups with positive lymph nodes according to lymph node size was close to signification, (p log-rank = 0.0636)., Conclusions: Our data indicates that large lymph node size could be a powerful predictor for overall survival in gastric cancer, when it could be evaluated in preoperative period. In our opinion lymph node size should be considered for perioperative chemotherapy schemas. Detection and staging techniques for lymph node affection acquire much more importance.

Objective: To identify the factors associated with dyspareunia, during the 60-180 days following childbirth, in women with a history of one or two childbirths., Methods: A case study of 304 women, matched by age and parity who visited family planning services in a hospital in Acapulco, State of Guerrero, Mexico, 60-180 days after giving birth. A questionnaire was administered to assess socioeconomic status (age, level of education, partner's level of education, marital status, employment, social security, and homeownership), obstetric history (type of birth, parity, location of the birth, tearing, episiotomy, and complications), and gynecological status (constricted introitus, scar tissue at the episiotomy site, symptoms of vaginitis, vaginal dryness, contraceptive use, and breast feeding duration). Cases were defined as those women who related pain, burning, or bleeding following vaginal intercourse after childbirth. An unconditional logistic regression model was applied and odd ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval were calculated., Results: Of the 368 women who had reinitiated sexual relations, 152 (41.3%) mentioned dyspareunia. The factors associated with dyspareunia were: an infection with or without episiorrhaphy dehiscence (OR=34.09; CI95%: 10.59-109.78); symptoms of vaginitis (OR=7.43; CI95%: 3.68-14.99); tightness in the introitus of the vagina (OR=6.38; CI95%: 2.92-13.94), and breast feeding exclusively (OR=4.86; CI95%: 2.44- 9.69)., Conclusions: Dyspareunia was related to complications with episiotomy and its possible sequelae, such as infection, episiorrhaphy dehiscence, and constricted introitus. More attention should be given to the episiotomy site during the postpartum period and greater selectivity is needed when deciding which women require an episiotomy.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes in the nutricional habits and nutricional status of the Catalan population over 10 years interval of the two Catalan Nutricional Surveys conducted in 1992-93 and 2002-03., Methods: 2641 individuals in 1992-93 and 2060 individuals in 2002-03 aged 10 to 75 years participated in the surveys. Two 24 hour recall, a food frequency questionnaire, and a general questionnaire with information on physical activity, knowledge and opinions on nutrition and supplements use were administered. Weight (Kg), height (cm) and waist circumference (WC) (cm) were measured. A subsample of the population underwent a biochemical evaluation. Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, tryglicerides and beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol and retinol were measured., Results: A decrease in the consumption of fruit, vegetables, potatoes, meat and fish and an increase in the consumption of dairy products and fast food (in young individuals) were reported. An increase in the mean value of Body Mass Index (BMI) was observed among males, and an increase in WC mean value was observed in males and females. BMI value decreased in females (except among the younger ones). The prevalence of obesity increased among males (from 9.9% to 16.6%), but not in females. Both total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol decreased. A decrease was observed in the percentage of population with sedentary habits during leisure time., Conclusions: There is a need for an effective nutrition policy promoting healthy nutrition in accordance with the ongoing dietary guidelines.

This cross-sectional, multicenter study investigated the prevalence of chronic kidney disease and associated disorders, in an adult population sample (> 18 years old) attending Primary Care services in Spain. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (Modification Diet in Renal Disease equation) was used for analysis of kidney disease prevalence according to NFK-KDOQI (The National Kidney Foundation-Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative) stages. Data were collected on serum creatinine, other laboratory parameters blood pressure, and medical history of cardiovascular risk factors or disease (hypertension, dislypidemia, diabetes, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke or peripheral arteriopathy) in 7,202 patients attending Primary Care Centers. 47.3% were males, mean age 60,6 +/- 14,3 years, BMI 28.2 +/- 5.3, with 27,6% overweight (27-30 kg/m2) and 32,1% obese (BMI>or=30 kg/m2), The prevalence of cardiovascular risks factors were: absence in 17.3%, one factor 26.9% two 31.2%, and 23.6% presented three or more The frequency of CV risk factors was: hypertension (66.7%), dyslipidemia (48%) and diabetes (31.5%). Congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke or peripheral vascular disease frequency was lower than 10% The prevalence of eGFR < 60 ml/min x 1.73 m2 was: stage 3 (30-59 ml/min/1.73 m2) 19.7%; stage 4 (15-29 ml/min/1.73 m2) 1.2%; stage 5 no dialysis (GFR < 15 ml/min) 0.4%. This prevalence increased with age in both sexes and 33,7% of patients attending Primary Care services over 70 years presented a eGFR < 60 ml/min. Of the total patients with eGFR < 60 ml/min 37.3% had normal serum creatinine levels. This study documents the substantial prevalence of significantly abnormal renal function among patients at Primary Care level. Early identification and appropriate nephrological management of these patients with renal disease is an important opportunity for an adequate prescription of drugs that interfere with renal function, to delay the progression of renal disease and modify CV risk factors.

Severe head injury (SHI) is one of the most important health, social, and economic problems in industrialized countries. Most of the recent studies related to this entity still show pessimistic results, with percentages of mortality and unfavourable outcomes very similar than those reported in the last quarter of century. In order to make predictions for patients with SHI, different "prognostic formulas or models" reviewed in this manuscript, have been developed with the main objective of performing reliable predictions for patients with this pathology. These models are constructed by using a group of "prognostic indicators or factors" and different "prognostic scales" useful for measuring the final outcome. The different "statistical techniques or methods" necessary to develop these prognostic models are also analyzed in this paper.

Objectives: Propofol is a short-acting, hypnotic agent that is increasingly being used for gastrointestinal endoscopic sedation. There are concerns about the use of propofol by non anesthesiologists due to its potential for respiratory and cardiovascular depression. This report describes our experience concerning effectiveness and safety of propofol administered in endoscopic procedures by the endoscopist and the assistant nurse., Methods: In this prospective study, a total of 102 consecutive endoscopies (60 colonoscopies and 42 upper endoscopies) performed under sedation with propofol were included. In 27 (26.47%) endoscopies propofol was administered alone and in 75 endoscopies (73.53%) it was combined with benzodiazepines and/or opioids. Seventy-six (74.51%) endoscopies were performed in patients under 65 years of age and 26 (25.49%) in patients over 65 years of age. Ninety-one (89.22%) endoscopies were performed in patients with low surgical risk (ASA I-II) and 11 (10.78%) in patients with high surgical risk. The medication was administered by the endoscopist that performed the procedure and the assistant nurse., Results: The mean dose of propofol used was 72.14 mg for gastroscopies and 71.33 for colonoscopies (p = 0.92). The mean dose of propofol when infused alone was 84.81 mg whereas in combination with benzodiazepines/opioids was 66.93 mg (p = 0.06). The doses of propofol required were lower for those colonoscopies in which midazolam and/or meperidine was combined and in patients over 65 years of age (p = 0.006 y p = 0.001, respectively). Eleven (10.8%) minor complications were reported, and managed by the own endoscopist. Patients had no memories of the procedure. The tolerance rated by the endoscopist was excellent-good, fair, bad-very bad in 83, 5 and 12% of the gastroscopies and in 79, 8 and 13% of the colonoscopies respectively. Nevertheless bad tolerance did not hinder the completion of the procedure in any case., Conclusions: The administration of propofol by the endoscopist and the assistant nurse, is an effective and safe method of sedation in patients of low and high-risk as well as in elderly patients. The doses of propofol required for an adequate sedation were lower in patients over 65 years of age and for colonoscopies in which medication was combined.

During the past "Decade of the Brain" several neuroprotective agents have been tested in phase III clinical trials for severe head injury (SHI) but unfortunately none of them significantly improved the outcome of these patients. In contrast to the success achieved by these drugs in animal laboratory studies, the results in terms of neuroprotection in the clinical setting have been disappointing. This paper has been divided in three parts: in the first one, we summarize the pathophysiological mechanisms related to SHI, targeted by the neuroprotective agents. In the second part we review the main clinical trials carried out for SHI to date, and in the third one, we analyze the possible reasons that explain why these agents have failed to show efficacy.

Introduction: Gallbladder adenocarcinoma is an aggressive tumor and is one of the digestive tract malignancies with the poorest prognosis. Because of loco-regional extension and delayed diagnosis, curative resection is often impossible. To determine histological prognostic factors and survival in relation to tumoral stage at diagnosis, we performed a retrospective study of our patients with gallbladder carcinoma., Patients and Method: Sixty-two patients with gallbladder adenocarcinoma diagnosed over a 15-year period were retrospectively included in this study. The surgical procedures performed in this group of patients were laparoscopic cholecystectomy, open cholecystectomy and palliative surgery in patients with unresectable tumors. For each tumoral stage, age, sex, cellular differentiation, tumor size, the presence of metastatic nodes, histological variables linked to poor prognosis, and survival were compared., Results: Of the 62 patients included, 45 were women and 17 were men. The mean age was 75 years. No significant differences were found in relation to age or sex among the different tumoral stages. Cellular differentiation and survival were poorer with advanced tumoral stage. A significant predominance of histological factors of poor prognosis was found in T2 and T3 tumors., Conclusions: Preoperative diagnosis of gallbladder adenocarcinoma is difficult except in advanced cases. It is often incidentally diagnosed at histological examination of gallbladders, and shows little local advancement and a good degree of cellular differentiation. The etiology of this tumor is unknown but its prevalence is greater among women. Clinical symptoms are similar to those caused by gallstones. In this study no relationship was found between age and sex and tumoral stage. In advanced tumoral stages poor cellular differentiation is predominant as well as other histological markers of poor prognosis. Good survival was found in T3 tumors, possibly linked to good cellular differentiation. Due to high associated comorbidity, none of the patients underwent reintervention.

The knowledge of the so called prognostic factors or indicators involved in severe head injury (SHI) is an issue of great interest to make predictions about the future of patients with this pathology. Those indicators constitute the basic elements of the different prognostic formulas or models carried out in order to make predictions in SHI. The mentioned models, therefore, will be constructed by a group of variables (prognostic indicators or factors) and several scales (prognostic scales) that are useful for measuring the final outcome of these patients. In this paper we resume, after an exhaustive review of the literature, the knowledge about the prognostic factors related to SHI. These indicators have been classified as follows: clinical, radiological, physiological, and biochemical. Moreover, we have briefly described the prognostic scales more commonly used in SHI.

The purpose of this article is to define the concept of Mediterranean Diet or Diets and to describe the associated health benefits recognised by the scientific community. The characteristics of the Mediterranean Diet are described as well as the effects the foods comprising it have on the most common pathologies such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. The Spanish Society of Community Nutrition's consensus based Healthy Diet Pyramid, along with Greece's pyramid for food guidelines for the adult population (from the Greek Ministry of Health), are presented and compared. They are the graphic representation of the food and physical activity guides of two typically Mediterranean countries. Nutritional and sociological trends are also discussed and their impact on the evolution of the Mediterranean Diet.

Background: occasionally, the risk of malignant transformation may be difficult to establish in adenomatous polyps due to the fact that they contain areas with variable grades of dysplasia. A measurement of tissue tumor markers may be useful to recognize these adenomas., Objectives: the aims of this study were: to established firstly the relationship between carbohydrate antigen 19.9 (CA-19.9) content in the colorectal mucosa and the characteristics of polyps, and secondly, the diagnostic value of the formers measurement., Patients and Methods: tissue CA-19.9 concentration was measured in 155 colorectal samples obtained from 145 patients (21 normal mucosa; 113 adenomatous polyps; 21 adenocarcinoma). Cytosol CA-19.9 content was determined by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbant assay, and the measurement of this protein was achieved by quantitative assay. Tissue samples were also processed for histological examination., Results: we demonstrated that CA-19.9 levels in adenomatous polyps and adenocarcinomas were significantly higher than in the normal mucosa. These levels varied significantly according to polyp size, histological type, and grade of dysplasia. CA-19.9 contents were higher in polyps with a high risk of malignant transformation than in those with a low risk of severe dysplasia. The cut-off value 214 U/mg of protein properly differentiated both types of risk. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed that cytosol CA-19.9 levels allow classifying polyps according to their histological features., Conclusions: we concluded that the measurement of CA-19.9 content in adenomatous polyps may be useful to classify these tumors and confirm the feasibility to separate adenomas into two groups: low and high risk of malignant change.