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Average Disease Duration (average + disease_duration)
Selected AbstractsClinical experience with infliximab among Filipino patients with rheumatic diseasesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES, Issue 2 2006Sandra V. NAVARRA Abstract Aim:, To describe the clinical experience with infliximab among Filipino patients with rheumatic diseases, specifically disease indications, dose regimens, clinical response, and adverse events. Methods:, We reviewed the data on Filipino patients who were given infliximab by rheumatologists for a rheumatic disease indication. The case report form included demographic profile, underlying rheumatic disease, comorbidities, concurrent medications, dose and frequency of infliximab, physicians' assessment of clinical response, and adverse events. The frequency of doses, intervals between doses, and discontinuation status were recorded. Results:, Included were 64 patients (35 females), with a mean age of 44 years. Most (41%) had rheumatoid arthritis, followed by psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis (31.2%) and ankylosing spondylitis (17.2%). Average disease duration from diagnosis to initiation of infliximab therapy was 7.6 years ± 6.7 SD. Among 35 patients, the interval between maintenance infusions ranged from 6 to 13.6 weeks, with a mean of 8.27 weeks. Clinical response was good to excellent in more than 80% of patients. Discontinuation rate was 10.9% and 28.1% at 3 and 12 months, respectively. Infusion-related adverse events were mild and transient, and 14 (21.8%) cases of infection resolved with appropriate therapy. Infliximab was temporarily withheld in five (7.8%) patients with active tuberculosis. Summary:, These findings substantiate the superior clinical efficacy of infliximab and manageable adverse events among Filipinos with rheumatic diseases. It also demonstrates dose regimens in clinical practice in a third world setting with limited resources. [source] Vitiligo in an urban academic setting,INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Taraneh Paravar MD Background, Vitiligo is a depigmenting disease of unknown etiology. A more complete understanding of vitiligo and associated conditions will provide better insight into the etiology and potential treatment options for this condition. We sought to gather information regarding associated conditions and other epidemiologic data on vitiligo. Methods, A retrospective chart review was performed of 135 patients with vitiligo seen between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2005 at an academic medical center. Epidemiologic characteristics were recorded. Results, The patient population consisted of 80 women and 55 men with mean age of presentation of 36.8 years and average disease duration of 5.7 years. Vitiligo vulgaris was the predominant type of vitiligo and hypothyroidism was the most common co-morbidity. Anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies were found in 37% and 18% of patients, respectively. The highest proportion of thyroid abnormalities was found in age of onset category 21,30. Anti-nuclear antibodies were found in 33% of patients. Conclusion, The prevalence of anti-nuclear and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies was higher in our vitiligo study than that reported elsewhere. In addition, autoimmune thyroid disease may be more common in adult-onset vitiligo. [source] Experiences of loss and chronic sorrow in persons with severe chronic illnessJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 3a 2007Gerd Ahlström PhD Aims and objectives., The aims of the present study were to describe losses narrated by persons afflicted with severe chronic physical illness and to identify the concomitant occurrence of chronic sorrow. Background., Reactions connected with repeated losses are referred to in the literature as chronic sorrow, which has recently been described in conjunction with chronic illness. Design., A qualitative study with an abductive approach of analysis, including both inductive and deductive interpretations. Method., The study is based on 30 persons of working age with average disease duration of 18 years. The average age was 51 years. All of the persons had personal assistance for at least three months because of considerable need for help in daily life due to physical disability. Each person was interviewed twice. There was also an independent assessment of the deductive results concerning chronic sorrow. Results., The inductive findings show that all persons had experienced repeated physical, emotional and social losses. Most common were ,Loss of bodily function', ,Loss of relationship', ,Loss of autonomous life' and ,Loss of the life imagined'. ,Loss of identity' included the loss of human worth, dignity and a changed self-image. In addition, the deductive findings suggest that chronic sorrow exists in the study population. Sixteen of 30 participating subjects were assessed by both assessors to be in a state of chronic sorrow and there was an especially high agreement with respect to one criterion of chronic sorrow ,Loss experience, ongoing or single event' (28 of 30 subjects). Conclusions., This study shows that persons with severe chronic illness often experience recurring losses. These experiences are consistent with the phenomenon of chronic sorrow. Relevance to clinical practice., Knowledge of the existence of chronic sorrow in persons with chronic illness will enable nurses to support these persons in a more sensitive and appropriate way. [source] The natural history of hidradenitis suppurativaJOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 5 2000JM Von Der Werth Abstract Aim,To investigate aspects of the natural history of hidradenitis. Background,The natural history of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is not well known. There is incomplete published data on the average age of disease onset, progression of the disease, average monthly incidence and duration of boils, and factors that relieve or exacerbate disease symptoms. Study design,Questionnaire-based survey among HS patients identified from hospital records of three hospitals in Nottinghamshire, UK. Results,One hundred and ten of 156 questionnaires (70.5%) were returned, 93 from females and 17 from males. The average patient's age was 40.1 years and the average reported age of disease onset was 21.8 years. At the time of the survey patients had suffered an average disease duration of 18.8 years. Most patients (98 of 110) still had experienced active disease within the past year. There was some evidence that in women the condition has a tendency to ease or subside after the menopause. Forty-four per cent of women felt that their condition was aggravated by menstruation. Thirty-eight per cent of patients gave a positive family history of the disorder. The average duration of painful boils was 6.9 days. In addition, 62% of patients acknowledged the presence of permanently painful boils that failed to subside. Patients developed a median of two boils per month. Factors that could aggravate the condition were primarily sweating or heat, stress or fatigue and tight clothing or friction. Factors that could improve the condition consisted largely of a variety of medical treatments and a number of life-style measures, such as swimming or baths. Twenty-four per cent of patients had failed to find anything at all to help their condition, despite an average disease duration of almost 19 years. Conclusions,The study highlights several of the factors that make HS one of the most distressing dermatological diseases, such as the average monthly incidence of painful lesions, their average duration and the chronicity of the disease. It seems striking that the mean duration of an HS boil (6.9 days) roughly equals the duration of an average course of antibiotics. The postulated response of HS to oral antibiotics may thus simply have its explanation in the natural history of the condition itself. [source] Phenotypic characterisation of autosomal recessive PARK6-linked parkinsonism in three unrelated Italian families,MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 6 2001Anna R. Bentivoglio MD Abstract The clinical features of nine patients (three women and six men) affected by PARK6-linked parkinsonism, belonging to three unrelated Italian families, are reported. The occurrence of affected men and women within one generation suggested an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance in all three families. Mean age at disease onset was 36 ± 4.6 years; all cases except one presented with asymmetrical signs, consisting of tremor and akinesia of one upper limb or unilateral short step gait. Affected individuals had a mean age of 57 ± 8.5 years, and average disease duration was 21 ± 7.8 years. Parkinsonian features included benign course, early onset of drug-induced dyskinesias, and a good and persistent response to levodopa. There were no other associated features (i.e., pyramidal or cerebellar signs, dysautonomia, or diurnal fluctuations unrelated to drug treatment). Cognition was unaffected. The clinical picture was remarkably similar in all patients; no relevant family-related differences were found. PARK6 disease is a new form of early-onset parkinsonism without other atypical clinical features. © 2001 Movement Disorder Society. [source] The relationship between focal erosions and generalized osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritisARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 6 2009Daniel H. Solomon Objective Among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who have had the disease for 10 years, more than half have focal erosions, and the risk of fracture is doubled. However, there is little information about the potential relationship between focal erosions and bone mineral density (BMD). The aim of this study was to determine whether lower BMD is associated with higher erosion scores among patients with RA. Methods We enrolled 163 postmenopausal women with RA, none of whom were taking osteoporosis medications. Patients underwent dual x-ray absorptiometry at the hip and spine and hand radiography, and completed a questionnaire. The hand radiographs were scored using the Sharp method, and the relationship between BMD and erosions was measured using Spearman's correlation coefficients and adjusted linear regression models. Results Patients had an average disease duration of 13.7 years, and almost all were taking a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug. Sixty-three percent were rheumatoid factor (RF) positive. The median modified Health Assessment Questionnaire score was 0.7, and the average Disease Activity Score in 28 joints was 3.8. The erosion score was significantly correlated with total hip BMD (r = ,0.33, P < 0.0001), but not with lumbar spine BMD (r = ,0.09, P = 0.27). Hip BMD was significantly lower in RF-positive patients versus RF-negative patients (P = 0.02). In multivariable models that included age, body mass index, and cumulative oral glucocorticoid dose, neither total hip BMD nor lumbar spine BMD was significantly associated with focal erosions. Conclusion Our results suggest that hip BMD is associated with focal erosions among postmenopausal women with RA, but that this association disappears after multivariable adjustment. While BMD and erosions may be correlated with bone manifestations of RA, their relationship is complex and influenced by other disease-related factors. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||