Hypertension Among Females in a Highly Disadvantaged Community in Jordan

This study was conducted with the aim of finding the prevalence rate of hypertension and the relationship between hypertension and selected socioeconomic and dietary parameters in females aged 15–49 years in a disadvantaged community in Jordan. A household survey was carried out, using a questionnaire as an instrument for interviewing subjects. About 19% of females had hypertension, ranging between 7.5% in the very young to 58% in women aged 45–49 years. Hypertension was significantly associated with almost all variables studied such as age, education, marital status, parity, obesity, and dietary patterns. Some strategies were suggested to improve the situation in the future.     

Cytokine profile of sickle cell disease in Oman

The aim of our study was to assess the cytokine profile of sickle cell disease (SCD) patients in steady state and in vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC). VOC has a complex nature, involving interactions between sickle red blood cells (RBC), the endothelium, and leucocytes. Endothelial damage due to recurrent adhesion of sickle RBCs may disrupt endothelial function, leading to altered cytokine release. It is therefore pertinent to study the cytokine profile of SCD patients in steady state and in crisis prior to exploring its contribution to vaso-occlusive manifestations, since it is believed that an altered balance of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines plays an important role in painful crisis. Cytokines including IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma were measured by commercially available ELISA kits in SCD patients (n = 60); in steady state (n = 26) and in painful crisis (n = 34) and compared with nonanemic age- and sex-matched normal Omani controls (n = 20). SCD patients in crisis showed elevated levels of TNF-alpha (P < 0.092) and IL-6 (P < 0.024) when compared with steady state. It was also observed that SCD patients in steady state showed a significant elevation in IL-1beta (P < 0.04), IL-6 (P < 0.0001), and IFN-gamma (P < 0.02) as compared to normal subjects. It is thus evident that both type I and type II cytokines are significantly altered in SCD patients. In steady state, type II proinflammatory cytokines are elevated, whereas in crisis, an additional augmentation of type I cytokines occurs, with persistent elevation of type II cytokines, emphasizing the role of perturbed endothelium and activated monocytes in the pathophysiology of vaso-occlusion in sickle cell crisis.     

Copeptin Is Associated with Kidney Length,Renal Function,and Prevalence of Simple Cysts in a Population-Based Study

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) has a key role in osmoregulation by facilitating water transport in the collecting duct. Recent evidence suggests that AVP may have additional effects on renal function and favor cyst growth in polycystic kidney disease. Whether AVP also affects kidney structure in the general population is unknown. We analyzed the association of copeptin, an established surrogate for AVP, with parameters of renal function and morphology in a multicentric population-based cohort. Participants from families of European ancestry were randomly selected in three Swiss cities. We used linear multilevel regression analysis to explore the association of copeptin with renal function parameters as well as kidney length and the presence of simple renal cysts assessed by ultrasound examination. Copeptin levels were log-transformed. The 529 women and 481 men had median copeptin levels of 3.0 and 5.2 pmol/L, respectively (P<0.001). In multivariable analyses, the copeptin level was associated inversely with eGFR (β=−2.1; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], −3.3 to −0.8; P=0.002) and kidney length (β=−1.2; 95% CI, −1.9 to −0.4; P=0.003) but positively with 24-hour urinary albumin excretion (β=0.11; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.20; P=0.03) and urine osmolality (β=0.08; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.10; P<0.001). A positive association was found between the copeptin level and the presence of renal cysts (odds ratio, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.4; P=0.02). These results suggest that AVP has a pleiotropic role in renal function and may favor the development of simple renal cysts.     

Use of Electronic Information Systems in Nursing Homes: United States, 2004

Objectives

This study sought to define the extent of utilization of 12 types of electronic information system (EIS) function in U.S. nursing homes (NH), to relate EIS utilization to selected facility characteristics and to contrast these findings to previous estimates of EIS use in NH.

Design

This study used data from the National Nursing Home Survey (NNHS), a nationally representative, cross-sectional sample of U.S. NH.

Measurements

Data on current use of EIS in 12 functional areas, including administrative and resident care activities, were collected. Information was also collected on facility characteristics including ownership, bed size, and whether the facility was a member of a chain.

Results

Essentially all (99.6%) U.S. NH had ≥1 EIS, a figure that was driven by the nearly universal use of EIS for Minimum Data Set (MDS) reporting (96.4%) and for billing (95.4%). Nearly 43% of U.S. NH had EIS for medical records, including nurse's notes, physician notes, and MDS forms. EIS use ranged from a high of 79.6% for admission, transfer, and discharge to a low of 17.6% for daily care by certified nursing assistants (CNAs). Ownership, membership in a chain, and bed size were associated with use of selected EIS. Larger facilities and those that were part of a chain used more EIS than smaller standalone facilities.

Conclusion

In 2004, NH use of EIS for functions other than MDS and billing was highly variable, but considerably higher than previous estimates.