Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a dominantly inherited disorder present from birth that markedly elevates plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and causes premature coronary heart disease. There are at least 20 million people with FH worldwide, but the majority remains undetected and current treatment is often suboptimal. To address this major gap in coronary prevention we present, from an international perspective, consensus-based guidance on the care of FH. The guidance was generated from seminars and workshops held at an international symposium. The recommendations focus on the detection, diagnosis, assessment and management of FH in adults and children, and set guidelines for clinical purposes. They also refer to best practice for cascade screening and risk notifying and testing families for FH, including use of genetic testing. Guidance on treatment is based on risk stratification, management of non-cholesterol risk factors and safe and effective use of LDL lowering therapies. Recommendations are given on lipoprotein apheresis. The use of emerging therapies for FH is also foreshadowed. This international guidance acknowledges evidence gaps, but aims to make the best use of contemporary practice and technology to achieve the best outcomes for the care of FH. It should accordingly be employed to inform clinical judgment and be adjusted for country-specific and local healthcare needs and resources.
Febuxostat (TEI-6720; TMX-67), an oral non-purine, selective inhibitor of xanthine oxidase (NP-SIXO), is being developed by Teijin, with licensees Ipsen and TAP Holdings, for the potential treatment of gout. In February 2005, it was reported that launch in Japan was expected to be delayed for several years due to the need for additional clinical trials; in May 2005, an EU filing was expected by the end of 2005.
1. All previous studies on the effects of changes in sodium intake on the renal dopamine (DA) response (increase in urinary DA output) have used sudden, large changes in oral sodium intake. The present study was designed to study the role of renal DA and the suppression of sympathetic nervous system activity in the natriuretic response to step-wise, gradual increases in sodium intake. 2. Seven healthy, male Chinese subjects (23-25 years) were studied. During the 12-day study period (day -3 to 8), subjects were given the same basic diet containing 1900 calories, 75 g protein, 20 mmol sodium and 45 mmol potassium. From days 1 to 8, subjects also received 'Slow sodium' tablets (Ciba-Geigy) equivalent to 50 mmol on day 1, 100 mmol on day 2, 150 mmol on day 3,200 mmol on day 4, 250 mmol on day 5, and 300 mmol on days 6 to 8. Body weight was recorded and blood pressure was measured after lying supine for 10 min in the morning before breakfast on entry and at the end of the low and high sodium intake periods. Urine was collected for 24 h on day -3 and from days 0 to 8 for the measurement of sodium, potassium, creatinine, free DA and free noradrenaline (NA). 3. After 4 days of sodium restriction, mean arterial pressure (mean +/- SEM) had decreased from 83.0 +/- 1.3 to 79.4 +/- 0.5 (P < 0.05) and body weight from 70.2 +/- 3.1 to 68.3 +/- 3.0 (P < 0.02). Following sodium loading, MAP and body weight did not change, but pulse rate had decreased from 64.1 +/- 2.8 to 57.4 +/- 2.6 (P < 0.02). 4. There was a 13-fold increase in sodium excretion (P < 0.02) by the last day of the high sodium intake period. There were no significant changes in urine volume and urinary excretion of potassium, creatinine and free DA throughout the high sodium intake period. In contrast, there was a 19.9-26.5% decrease in urine NA 4 and 6 days after the start of the increase in sodium intake. 5. Healthy Chinese subjects do not have a renal DA response to gradually increasing sodium intake over an 8-day period. Any tendency to hypervolaemia-related rises in blood pressure during the high sodium intake period may be partly offset by a reduction in sympathetic nervous system activity.
Journal Article Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching (second edition) Get access Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching (second edition)I. McGrath Edinburgh University Press 2016, 344 pp., £22.11isbn978 0 7486 4567 1 Brian Tomlinson Brian Tomlinson Brian Tomlinson has been a kitchen porter, teacher, teacher trainer, curriculum developer, film extra, football coach, and university academic in Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, UK, Vanuatu, and Zambia, and has given presentations in over seventy countries. He is President of MATSDA, a Visiting Professor at the University of Liverpool, and a TESOL Professor at Anaheim University. He has over one hundred publications and has just co-authored with Hitomi Masuhara The Complete Guide to the Theory and Practice of Materials Development for Language Learning (to be published in 2017 by Wiley). Email: brianjohntomlinson@gmail.com Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar ELT Journal, Volume 71, Issue 4, October 2017, Pages 529–531, https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccx039 Published: 06 September 2017
Objective To investigate whether asymptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis is associated with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Chinese with type 2 diabetes. Methods In this prospective cohort study, 2,144 Hong Kong Chinese with type 2 diabetes and without history of stroke or atrial fibrillation were recruited in 1994–1996 and followed up for a median of 14.51 years. Participants were assessed at baseline for MCA stenosis using transcranial Doppler. We performed survival analysis to assess the association between asymptomatic MCA stenosis and first CVD event, defined as ischemic stroke, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or cardiovascular death. Results Of the 2,144 subjects, MCA stenosis at baseline was detected in 264 (12.3%). Rates of stroke, ACS and cardiovascular death per 100 were, respectively, 2.24, 2.92 and 1.11 among participants with stenosis, higher than among those without stenosis. Ten-year cumulative occurrence of stroke, ACS and cardiovascular death in subjects with MCA stenosis was 20%, 24% and 10%, respectively, higher than the corresponding values for subjects without stenosis(all P<0.001). After adjusting for covariates, MCA stenosis was found to be an independent predictor of stroke [hazard ratio (HR) 1.40, 95%CI 1.05–1.86; P = 0.02], ACS (HR 1.35, 95%CI 1.04–1.75; P = 0.02) and cardiovascular death(HR 1.56, 95%CI 1.04–2.33; P = 0.03). Conclusions Asymptomatic MCA stenosis is a risk factor for CVD in Chinese with type 2 diabetes, and detection of asymptomatic MCA stenosis by transcranial Doppler can identify diabetic individuals at high risk of future CVD. This finding is particularly important for diabetic individuals in Asia, where intracranial atherosclerosis is common.