Should we eradicate Helicobacter pylori infection in patients receiving nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs or low‐dose aspirin?

Whether Helicobacter pylori infection alters the risk of ulcer disease in patients receiving nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or low‐dose aspirin is one of the most controversial topics in peptic ulcer research. This is an important management issue, particularly in countries where peptic ulcer disease is common and the prevalence of H. pylori infection is high. Current evidence shows that H. pylori infection increases the ulcer risk associated with NSAIDs or low‐dose aspirin. Eradication of H. pylori reduces the subsequent risk of endoscopic and complicated ulcers in patients who are about to start long‐term NSAIDs. Among patients with H. pylori infection and a history of ulcer bleeding who continue to use low‐dose aspirin, 1 week of eradication therapy prevents recurrent ulcer bleeding. Failure of eradication and concomitant use of NSAIDs, however, account for most cases of recurrent bleeding with low‐dose aspirin. The apparent protective effect of H. pylori in long‐term NSAIDs users reported in some studies was actually the weeding out of susceptible patients who were intolerant to NSAIDs. There is no convincing evidence that eradication of H. pylori has any clinically important adverse effect on the healing and prevention of ulcers in NSAIDs users.     

Effects of age and causal attribution to aging on health-related behaviors associated with urinary incontinence in older women

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of age and patients' attribution of incontinence to aging on health-related behaviors associated with incontinence. DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants in this study were 74 women who either sought treatment for urinary incontinence at a multidisciplinary continence program or volunteered for a randomized clinical trial of behavioral and drug therapy for incontinence. As part of their clinical evaluation, women were interviewed about how they managed their incontinence and their perceptions of what had caused the condition. Self-management of incontinence was defined as behaviors used to cope with incontinence, rather than treat or cure incontinence. Self-treatment was defined as self-implementation of Kegel exercises, and formal treatment was defined as interaction with a health care provider. RESULTS: Over half of the respondents attributed their incontinence to aging. In multivariate analyses, age was associated with self-management of incontinence, but not self-treatment or formal treatment. In contrast, attribution of incontinence to aging was associated with self-management and self-treatment of incontinence. There was also a trend for attribution of incontinence to aging to be associated with formal treatment for incontinence. Women who attributed their incontinence to aging were less likely to have engaged in self-management strategies and to have received a previous evaluation or treatment; but, they were more likely to have engaged in self-treatment for incontinence. When other relevant variables were added to the regression models, perception that incontinence restricted one's activities became the most significant predictor of performing self-management strategies and performing Kegel exercises. IMPLICATIONS: Attribution to aging may be an impediment to seeking treatment. Education to promote understanding of the actual causes and treatment of urinary incontinence may encourage people to seek appropriate intervention. Additionally, whereas attribution to aging is an important factor contributing to health-related behaviors, other factors, such as perception that one's activities are restricted, may play an important role.     

Inflammatory bowel disease: A survey of the epidemiology in Asia

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has long been considered a disease that affects predominantly a Western population. The incidence and prevalence rates from Asian populations are much lower in comparison. More recent data, however, have shown significantly higher rates in Asians and time trend studies have shown an increase in the incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) and a similar but lower rise in Crohn's disease (CD). The epidemiological changes that are taking place mirror that of the Western experience seen 50 years previously and seem to occur in parallel with the rapid socioeconomic development taking place in Asia. It appears that certain racial groups are more prone than others to develop IBD. For instance, Indians in South‐East Asia have higher rates compared to Chinese and Malays. While there is host genetic predisposition, environmental factor(s) may be responsible for this difference. Migrant studies of South Asians in the UK, where second‐generation immigrants have assumed incidence rates as high as the indigenous whites and Asian Jews who develop high incidence rates comparable to Jews from Europe or North America in Israel point to the role of environmental factors. It is unclear which specific factors are responsible. Studies have suggested a change in diet to a more Westernized one may underlie this epidemiological change in the Asian population. It is likely that there are racial groups amongst Asians who are more susceptible to IBD and who will demonstrate a higher frequency of IBD when exposed to putative environmental factors.     

盐酸帕罗西汀治疗胃肠疾病433例分析

常见胃肠疾病的临床症状常是非特异性及多样性,其中或多或少受到精神因素的影响［１］。为探索针对调整神经功能失调药物在治疗胃肠疾病中的作用,自１９９７年５月至１９９８年７月,我们在常规药物治疗的基础上加用盐酸帕罗西汀（赛乐特）治疗常见胃肠疾病４３３例,疗效满意,现报告如下。材料与方法一、研究对象４３３例胃肠疾病均依据临床表现、内镜、实验室及影象学检查明确诊断,其表１　主要胃肠道症状及治疗效果（例）恶心呕吐腹痛腹胀暖气大便次数及习惯改变吞咽障碍或吞咽不协调病例数１５６１２８８２４３１０有效数１３２１１…     

Sleep-disordered breathing as a mechanism for nocturia: preliminary findings

Nocturia is commonly associated with prostate or bladder problems but is also an important symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a potentially lethal condition. The primary purpose of this study was to test the relationship between symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing and increased nocturnal urine production as described by the Sleep-Disordered Breathing--Nocturia Model. The purpose of the first phase of this three-phase study was to survey community-dwelling older adults (> 55 years) about nocturia and sleep-disturbance symptoms. A random sample of 1,000 older adults, balanced by ethnicity and gender, were surveyed via a mailed questionnaire. The brief questionnaire included characterizing poor sleep quality, obstructive sleep apnea symptoms, nocturia, lower urinary tract symptoms, naps, and self-rated health. The return rate was low (18%, n = 176), but respondents were equally represented by gender and ethnicity across the targeted age groups. Half of the respondents (n = 87) reported > or = 2 voids per night, two-thirds of whom reported nocturia as bothersome. The data showed that African-American women had significant associations between episodes of nocturia and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, poor sleep quality, naps, and lower urinary tract symptoms, thus failing to support the notion that nocturia or sleep-disordered breathing are prostate or gender related. As expected, subjects (n = 80) who volunteered for the later phases of the study, had significantly more problems. These preliminary data suggest that the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and nocturia is important because older adults are at higher risk of injury due to falls that may occur while attempting to toilet in the dark. Also, older adults may also be at higher risk of receiving inappropriate urologic treatment if they are not screened for sleep disorders when reporting nocturia along with symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep-disordered breathing. Phases II and III of the parent study will include a detailed examination of hormonal, biochemical, and physical variables to further test the proposed Sleep-Disordered Breathing--Nocturia Model.     

The effect of age on short-term outcomes after abdominal surgery for pelvic organ prolapse

OBJECTIVES: To compare perioperative morbidity and 1-year outcomes of older and younger women undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse (POP). DESIGN: Prospective ancillary analysis. SETTING: Academic medical centers in National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Colpopexy and Urinary Reduction Study. PARTICIPANTS: Women with POP and no symptoms of stress incontinence. INTERVENTION: Abdominal sacrocolpopexy with randomization to receive Burch colposuspension for treatment of possible occult incontinence or not. MEASUREMENTS: Perioperative complications and Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification and quality-of-life (QOL) questionnaires (Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory, Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire, and Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and 6 weeks and 3 and 12 months postoperatively). RESULTS: Three hundred twenty-two women aged 31 to 82 (21% aged > or =70), 93% white. Older women had higher baseline comorbidity (P<.001) and more severe POP (P=.003). Controlling for prolapse stage and whether Burch was performed, there were no age differences in complication rates. Older women had longer hospital stays (3.1+/-1.0 vs 2.7+/-1.5 days, P=.02) and higher prevalence of incontinence at 6 weeks (54.7% vs 37.2%, P=.005). At 3 and 12 months, there were no differences in self-reported incontinence, stress testing for incontinence, or prolapse stage. Improvements from baseline were significant on all QOL measures but with no age differences. CONCLUSION: Outcomes of prolapse surgery were comparable between older and younger women except that older women had slightly longer hospital stays.     

Impact of behaviour and lifestyle on bladder health

Bladder conditions, including UTI, UI, and bladder cancer, are highly prevalent and affect a wide range of populations. There are a variety of modifiable behavioral and lifestyle factors that influence bladder health. Some factors, such as smoking and obesity, increase the risk or severity of bladder conditions, whereas other factors, such as pelvic floor muscle exercise, are protective. Although clinical practice may be assumed to be the most appropriate ground for education on behavioral and lifestyle factors that influence bladder health, it is also crucial to extend these messages into the general population through public health interventions to reach those who have not yet developed bladder conditions and to maximize the prevention impact of these behaviors. Appropriate changes in these factors have the potential for an enormous impact on bladder health if implemented on a population‐based level.     

Management guidelines for uninvestigated and functional dyspepsia in the Asia-Pacific region: First Asian Pacific working party on functional dyspepsia

Dyspepsia is most optimally defined as pain or discomfort centred in the upper abdomen. The symptom complex may be caused by peptic ulcer disease, gastro-oesophageal reflux, or gastric cancer but is most often due to functional (or non-ulcer) dyspepsia. While upper endoscopy is the method of choice to determine the underlying cause of dyspepsia, it is expensive. A more pragmatic approach is needed in the Asia-Pacific region where health services are limited. A detailed treatment algorithm is given for managing patients presenting with new-onset dyspepsia and documented functional dyspepsia after endoscopy, and evidence to support this approach is reviewed. Prompt endoscopy is recommended for patients with alarm features. In patients without alarm features, treatment for 2–4 weeks with an empirical anti-secretory or prokinetic agent, followed by investigation using non-invasive Helicobacter pylori testing and treatment for patients who do not respond or relapse, is recommended. Trials of management strategies are now needed to establish the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the approaches recommended.     

Priming of human neutrophils with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl- phenylalanine by a calcium-independent, pertussis toxin-insensitive pathway

Resting neutrophils may be "primed" to augmented effector function, eg, superoxide (O2-) production in the respiratory burst, upon a second stimulation with a variety of soluble agonists including formylated methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). At priming concentrations of FMLP (5 x 10(-9) mol/L) that did not initiate O2- generation, two metabolic activities were noted: (1) approximately a threefold increase in the baseline intracellular calcium (Ca++i) level, that was not dependent on extracellular Ca++, and (2) a rapid rise in intracellular pH that was blocked by 5-(N,N- dimethyl) amiloride (DA), that had no effect on the Ca++i response to priming. Furthermore, there were no significant increases in inositol metabolites in cells primed and stimulated with FMLP compared with cells receiving the stimulating dose of FMLP alone and pretreatment with pertussis toxin (PT) (before the addition of the priming -5 x 10(- 9) mol/L dose of FMLP), whereas abolishing the response to FMLP during the second stage of stimulation, had (1) no effect on FMLP-primed cells subsequently stimulated with PMA, and (2) only partially ablated the rise in Ca++i initiated with FMLP. That FMLP priming involved distinctive processes to those of the well characterized FMLP-coupled Ca++-dependent activation cascade was shown by the full priming effect attained in a Ca++-free buffer, which did not sustain an O2- response to a second-stage FMLP stimulation, but sustained a primed response to PMA. These data demonstrate that FMLP primes human neutrophils by a Ca++-independent and PT-insensitive pathway, offering a functional model for studying heterogeneous FMLP receptor-coupled reactions.