中国多省市急性冠状动脉综合征住院患者高胆固醇血症患病现况

Objective To estimate the current prevalence, awareness and treatment status of hypercholesterolemia among inpatients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in China. Methods Sixty-four hospitals across China, including 32 secondary hospitals and 32 tertiary hospitals were selected for baseline survey. Fifty inpatients diagnosed with ACS were recruited consecutively in each participated hospitals. Retrospective information for 2751 patients were collected, and the prevalence, awareness, and treatment status of hypercholosterolemia among the patients were analyzed. Results (1) Mean age of the patients was 65±11. Sixty-nine percent of the patients were males and 31.2% were females. Among them, 39.4% were diagnosed as ST-segment elevation MI, 8. 8% as non-ST-segment elevation MI and 51.8% as unstable angina. Twenty-seven percent of them had previous ACS history. (2) Hypercholesterolemia was found in 19. 6% ACS patients. Among 7 geographic districts (north China, east China, south China, middle China, northeast, northwest and southwest), the prevalence rate of hypercholesterolemia was highest (24.7%) in east China and lowest (10.0%) in middle China. Significant difference was observed among these areas. (3) Awareness rate of hypercholesterolemia was 12.2% among patients with hypercholesterolemia, with significant difference among various areas. Treatment rate was 66.7% among patients with known hypercholesterolemia, with the highest (83.3%) seen in south China and lowest (0%) in southwest area. (4) The prevalence, awareness rate and treatment rate of hypercholesterolemia were higher in recurrent ACS patients than in those without ACS history. Conclusions Nearly 20% ACS inpatients have hypercholesterolemia. It is essential to pay more attention on the treatment of hypercholesterolemia for the purpose of secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.     

Burden of illness score for elderly persons: risk adjustment incorporating the cumulative impact of diseases,physiologic abnormalities,and functional impairments

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a new risk adjustment index-the Burden of Illness Score for Elderly Persons (BISEP)-which integrates multiple domains, including diseases, physiologic abnormalities, and functional impairments. RESEARCH DESIGN SUBJECTS: The index was developed in a prospective cohort of 525 patients aged > or = 70 years from the medicine service of a university hospital. The index was validated in a cohort of 1246 patients aged > or = 65 years from 27 hospitals. The outcome was 1-year mortality. RESULTS: Five risk factors were selected from diagnosis, laboratory, and functional status axes: high-risk diagnoses, albumin < or = 3.5 mg/dL, creatinine >1.5 mg/dL, dementia, and walking impairment. The BISEP score (range 0-7) created four groups of increasing risk: group I (score 0-1), group II (2), group III (3), and group IV (> or = 4). In the development cohort, where overall mortality was 154/525 (29%), 1-year mortality rates increased significantly across each risk group, from 8% to 24%, 51%, and 74%, in groups I to IV respectively (chi(2) trend, = 0.001)--an overall 17-fold increased risk by hazard ratio. The c-statistic for the final model was 0.83. Corresponding rates in the validation cohort, where overall mortality was 488/1246 (39%), were 5%, 17%, 33%, and 61% in groups I to IV, respectively (chi(2) trend, = 0.001)-an overall 18-fold increased risk by hazard ratio. The c-statistic for the final model was 0.77. In each cohort, sequential addition of variables from different sources (eg, administrative, laboratory, and chart) substantially improved model fit and predictive accuracy. BISEP had significantly superior mortality prediction compared with five widely used measures. CONCLUSIONS: BISEP provides a useful new risk adjustment system for hospitalized older persons. Although index performance using different data sources has been evaluated, the full BISEP model, incorporating disease, laboratory, and functional impairment information, demonstrates the best performance.     

The timing of individual face recognition in the brain

Previous neural research on face perception has mainly focused on the distinction between faces and non-face stimuli. However, the brain mechanisms for differentiating one face from another are not well understood. In the present study, using scalp-recorded event-related potentials (ERPs), we investigated the brain responses to faces that varied in identity strength as a result of morphing individual faces to an "average" face in steps of 10%. Participants performed a face identification task. Behavioral results showed categorical boundaries of face identification at 30% and 70%. Face identity strength related to initial brain responses occurring shortly after 200 ms in the ventral P2 and the N250 components: stronger identity strength was associated with a smaller P2 and a larger N250. In contrast, the brain responses within 200 ms, as reflected by the P1, the N170, and the dorsal P2 component, were not affected by face identity strength. Consistent with recent imaging studies and animal research, our results provide the ERP evidence for brain responses to variations in face identity strength relative to an "average" face. Furthermore, with the high temporal resolution of ERPs, our results help to clarify the timing of neural events that are associated with the different stages involved in recognizing individual faces, thus providing a timeline for the classical face recognition model in the brain.     

Agomelatine and its therapeutic potential in the depressed patient

Despite advances in understanding potential disease mechanisms and in developing novel therapeutic approaches to the treatment of major depressive disorder, the disease continues to carry an enormous personal, social, and economic burden. Agomelatine represents an important opportunity to advance the treatment of depression. It is a melatonergic (MT₁ and MT₂) agonist and serotonergic (5HT_2C) antagonist. Evidence from animal models of depression, complements emerging clinical data. In a dose range of 25–50 mg daily, agomelatine is an effective antidepressant with a very favorable side-effect profile. In particular, sleep restorative action in the absence of sedation and minimal effect on sexual function suggests that agomelatine represents a worthwhile treatment alternative for patients with major depressive disorder.     

Orthostatic paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia

An unusual instance of orthostatic paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia in a young woman with no other evidence of heart disease is reported. The relation to autonomic imbalance is discussed.