Erectile Dysfunction is a Hallmark of Cardiovascular Disease: Unavoidable Matter of Fact or Opportunity to Improve Men’s Health?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an early manifestation of cardiovascular (CV) disease. For this reason, men with ED should be carefully assessed for CV risk factors in order to prevent future major adverse CV events (MACE). Traditional risk factors are not found in all subjects at high CV risk. In fact, a relevant proportion of MACE occurs in men who are apparently risk factor free. In men with ED, it is important to take into account not only traditional risk factors but also unconventional ones. Several parameters that derive from good clinical assessment of subjects with ED have proven to be valuable predictors of MACE. These include family history of cardiometabolic events, alcohol abuse, fatherhood, decreased partner’s sexual interest, severe impairment in erection during intercourse or during masturbation, impaired fasting glucose, increased triglycerides, obesity even without metabolic complications, decreased penile blood flows or impaired response to an intra-cavernosal injection test. Recognizing these risk factors may help in identifying, among subjects with ED, those who merit stricter lifestyle or pharmacological interventions to minimize their CV risk. Effective correction of risk factors in ED men considered as high risk, besides reducing CV risk, is also able to improve erectile function.

Rarely seen accelerated progression of hidradenitis suppurativa

Malignant nodular hidradenoma, also known as Malignant Hidradenocarcinoma (MHA), is a rare tumor of sweat glands that accounts for less than 0.001% of all tumors [1-3,14]. Although it typically arises de-novo, MHA rarely progresses from hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a disorder of apocrine glands characterized by chronic inflammation [5,6,9]. HS is due to recurrent follicular occlusion leading to painful debilitating cutaneous/subcutaneous abscesses requiring drainage [5,6,9]. Common sites include axillary, anogenital and inguinal regions [5,6,9]. The worldwide prevalence of HS is 1%-4% [5,6]. Incidence of all eccrine carcinomas is ~ 6% [14]. Risk-factors include family history, obesity, and smoking [5,6,9]. Severe complications associated with HS are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma [2,6]. MHA progression is extremely aggressive with 60% cases having metastatic spread within the first 2 years of diagnosis [14].

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Epidemiology and Risk Factors

The number of new cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is increasing with a cumulative total of 495,773 cases worldwide, making it the fourteenth most common malignancy. However, it accounts for 466,003 deaths per year and is the seventh leading cause of cancer deaths. Regional differences in the number of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma appear to reflect differences in medical care, as well as racial differences. Compared to the prevalence of other organ cancers in Japan, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma ranks seventh based on the number of patients, eighth based on morbidity, and fourth based on the number of deaths, with a continuing increase in the mortality rate. Risk factors for developing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma include family history, genetic disorders, diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms. An issue that hinders improvement in the prognosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the development of a strategy to identify patients with these risk factors to facilitate detection of the disease at a stage when intervention will improve survival.

Endometriosis a brief review: evaluation of crucial risk factors and current treatment regimes

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent chronic inflammatory disease associated with substantial morbidity, including dyspareunia, dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain, multiple surgery, and infertility. This disease has a high impact on both woman’s physical and mental wellbeing. The etiology of endometriosis is complex and multifactorial. The risk factors associated with the development of endometriosis include family history, menstrual and reproductive cycle, low body mass index (BMI), diet, alcohol uses, smoking, environmental factors, immune system, genetic factors and intrinsic abnormalities in the endometrium. There exist many theories on the initiation and propagation of different types of endometriotic lesions and consequent biological disturbances, of which the most common is the Sampson’s theory according to which the retrograde flow of menstrual blood is linked to the development of endometriosis. Endometriosis affected women have a higher risk than the general female population, for ovarian cancer, coronary heart disease (CHD), and other long-term disease risks as well for autoimmune and atopic disorders. Therefore it becomes a necessity for the clinician not only to attain right diagnosis but also follow up for the other associated disorders. In this review, we have considered the crucial risk factors and biomarkers of the endometriosis as well as the possible pathogenesis towards the development of endometriosis and its prevention strategies. The currently available therapies for the control and treatment of endometriosis have also been elaborated.

Type 2 Diabetes Family History and Engagement in Protective Nutrition Behaviors: A Cross-Sectional Study of College Students

The objective of this study was to determine whether having a Type 2 diabetes (T2D) family history is significantly associated with protective nutrition behaviors. Data were collected via web-based survey from undergraduate students (18 or older, n=905). Fruits and vegetables consumption and use of posted caloric information were outcome variables and demographic and family history statuses were predictor variables. Poisson and linear regression analyses were used to model all results. Participants with a positive T2D family history were (48.8%; n=441) and those without were (51.2%; n=462). After adjusting for demographic characteristics, there was no statistically significant relationship between T2D family history status and fruit consumption behavior (β =0.036, p=0.280) or vegetable consumption (β = 0.047, p=0.157). However, college students who have a family history of T2D were more conscious about calorie information when ordering/buying food (RR = 0.873, p<0.05). Health educators are tasked to include family history status as a component of T2D intervention procedures as this group is at higher risk for developing T2D.

Risk of Breast Cancer in Women with Mastitis: A Retrospective Population-Based Cohort Study

Background and objectives: Breast cancer is a common cancer in women and has been the fourth leading cause of death in Taiwanese women. Risk factors for breast cancer include family history of breast cancer, genetic factors, and not breastfeeding. Several studies have reported an association between repeated inflammation at a young age, especially among lactating women, and cancer; however, the number of studies about the association of mastitis and breast cancer in nonlactating women is still limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the relationship between mastitis in women aged ≥40 years and breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study design. The data source was the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2010 (LHID 2010), comprising data collected by Taiwan’s National Health Insurance program. Cases of newly diagnosed mastitis in women aged ≥40 years (ICD-9-CM code = 611.0) were selected from the years 2010 to 2012. Women not diagnosed with mastitis were selected as the control group, and their data for the years 2009 to 2013 were obtained through the database. In addition, the non-mastitis group was matched 1:10 by age. Results: A total of 8634 participants were selected from the LHID 2010, which included 734 cases with mastitis and 7900 cases without mastitis. After adjustment for age, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and autoimmune diseases, the Cox proportional hazard model showed that patients with mastitis had a higher risk of breast cancer (aHR = 3.71, 95% CI = 1.9–7.02) compared with the non-mastitis group. The Kaplan–Meier curve also showed that women with mastitis had a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Conclusions: This study confirmed that women with mastitis have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Therefore, women aged ≥40 years could reduce breast cancer risk by taking precautions to prevent mammary gland infection and mastitis.

IMPLEMENTASI ALGORITMA APRIORI DAN FORWARD CHAINING UNTUK MENENTUKAN MAKANAN YANG TEPAT PADA PENDERITA DIABETES

- The high number of diabetes patients in Indonesia is increasing. Some of the factors that cause diabetes in Indonesia include family history, obesity, aging, lack of activity and diet. Too much food containing sugar is also one of the emergences of diabetes. Most diabetics often have complications of diabetes disease and that is based on the criteria of a patient. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research on the rule or dependence of the disease based on patient criteria and determination of diet for diabetics. In this study using a combination of a priori methods to determine the rule of disease and forward chaining to determine patient food. Based on the research tests conducted, it can be concluded that the combination of 2 methods produces a pretty good which in the a priori method uses a minimum value of support 2 and a minimum of confidence 10 and produces 10 rules with 3 combinations of items, as well as forward chaining tests that use 30 data produces an accuracy of 83 %.Keywords - Apriori Algorithm, Forward Chaining, Diabetes Abstrak - Tingginya jumlah pasien diabetes yang terjadi di Indonesia semakin meningkat. Beberapa faktor penyebab penyakit diabetes di Indonesia anatara lain riwayat keluarga, obesitas, pertambahan usia, kurangnya aktivitas dan pola makan. Terlalu banyak makan yang mengandung gula juga merupakan salah satu munculnya penyakit diabetes. Kebanyakan penderita diabetes sering sekali terjadinya kompliksi penyait diabetes dan itu berdasarkan kreteria seorang pasien. Maka dari itu perlu dilakukan penelitian mengenai rule atau keterhungungan penyakit berdasarkan kriteria pasien dan penentuan pola makan bagi penderita penyakit diabetes. Pada penelitian ini menggunakan kombinasi metode apriori untuk menetukan rule penyakit dan forward chainning untuk mentukan makanan pasien. Berdasarkan pada pengujian penelitian yang dilakukan dapat diambil kesimpulan Kombinasi 2 metode ini menghasilkan cukup bagus yang mana pada metode apriori menggunakan nilai minimal support 2 dan minimal confidence 10 dan menghasilkan 10 rule dengan 3 kombinasi item, serta pengujian forward chaining yang menggunakan 30 data menghasilkan akurasi 83% .Kata Kunci - Algoritma Apriori, Forward Chaining, Diabetes

Epidemiology

Atrial fibrillation (AF) poses a substantial public health burden worldwide. About one in four adults over the age of 40 years are expected to develop AF during their lifetime. The risk for developing AF is higher in men compared to women. Globally, individuals of European ancestry appear to have a higher risk of AF onset than individuals from other racial/ethnic descents. Factors predisposing to AF include family history of AF, standard cardiovascular risk factors, and structural heart disease. Hypertension and obesity explain one-third of AF cases in high-income countries. AF can have devastating consequences including an increased risk of death; cardiovascular complications, such as stroke, systemic thromboembolism, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death; and non-cardiovascular complications, such as chronic kidney disease, cognitive impairment and dementia, and poor quality of life. There are major research opportunities to develop an evidence base to effectively prevent and manage AF and its outcomes.

“Why did I get that part of you?” Understanding addiction genetics through family history

Scientists have sought to uncover the genetic bases of many diseases and disorders. In response, scholars defined “geneticization” to describe genetic infiltration of understandings of health and illness. In our research, we interviewed 63 individuals in addiction treatment programs to identify what form of geneticization best fits individuals’ description of their own addiction. Individuals’ narratives of their lives, which include family history and are influenced by cultural and structural factors, affect respondents’ reactions to a potential genetic basis of addiction. Most who had a family history of addiction subscribed to a notion that addiction “runs in families,” while most who lacked a family history of addiction used this fact to reject the notion of genetic inheritance of addiction. We conclude that though we see elements of several different versions of geneticization, Nikolas Rose’s version, that genetics affects peoples’ perceptions of addiction in small but important ways, best describes our respondents’ views.

Melanoma

Melanoma is a cancer of melanocytes, cells that produce the brown-black skin pigment melanin. Melanocytes originate in cells of the neural crest and migrate during embryogenesis, principally to the epidermis, eyes, and some mucous membranes (mouth, nose, esophagus, anus, genitourinary organs, and conjunctiva). Cutaneous melanoma afflicts mainly fair-skinned people of European origin, among whom sun exposure is the major cause. Five-year relative survival can exceed 90%. Invasive cutaneous melanoma in US whites occurs mostly on the trunk (34%), and upper limbs and shoulders (26%). Melanoma incidence rates have been increasing predominantly in European-origin populations. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, from the sun or artificial tanning devices, probably both initiates and promotes melanoma. Nevi are markers of increased melanoma risk and direct precursors in some cases; nevus-prone people may require only modest sun exposure to initiate melanoma. Other risk factors include family history and sun sensitivity.