Background: From autumn 2020 until spring 2021 Germany experienced the second wave of SARS-CoV‑2 infections. As in the previous wave, the older population in nursing homes was hard hit by this infection because of the lack of available vaccines. Due to the multimorbidity in this susceptible group the mortality was high.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: A diabetic foot infection (DFI) contributes to high mortality and morbidity in diabetics due to its often rapid progressive and intricately treatable infection. DFIs are usually a polymicrobial infection and characterizing the entire bacterial load is still challenging. Prompt and effective treatment of DFI is nevertheless mandatory to safe limbs and lives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe diabetic foot syndrome (DFS) is the most important cause for non-traumatic major amputation in adult individuals and actually one of the most frightening events in diabetics' life. Despite the often protracted treatment of infected DFS at the end patients are often confronted with amputation. We investigated 352 individuals with infected DFS in two age separated-groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrimary aldosteronism (PA) is the leading cause of secondary hypertension. The source of aldosterone hypersecretion is often due to a unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma, and unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy is recommended in such patients. Before surgery, confirmation of unilateral hypersecretion is necessary.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid feedback control is a dynamic, adaptive system. In situations of illness and deprivation of energy representing type 1 allostasis, the stress response operates to alter both its set point and peripheral transfer parameters. In contrast, type 2 allostatic load, typically effective in psychosocial stress, pregnancy, metabolic syndrome, and adaptation to cold, produces a nearly opposite phenotype of predictive plasticity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough technical problems of thyroid testing have largely been resolved by modern assay technology, biological variation remains a challenge. This applies to subclinical thyroid disease, non-thyroidal illness syndrome, and those 10% of hypothyroid patients, who report impaired quality of life, despite normal thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations under levothyroxine (L-T4) replacement. Among multiple explanations for this condition, inadequate treatment dosage and monotherapy with L-T4 in subjects with impaired deiodination have received major attention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Although hyperthyroidism predisposes to atrial fibrillation, previous trials have suggested decreased triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations to be associated with postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF). Therapy with thyroid hormones (TH), however, did not reduce the risk of POAF. This study reevaluates the relation between thyroid hormone status, atrial electromechanical function and POAF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe heart is a major target organ for thyroid hormone action. Severe overt hypothyroidism can result in diastolic hypertension, lowered cardiac output, impaired left ventricular contractility and diastolic relaxation, pericardial effusion and bradycardia. However, the function of the atrial pacemaker is usually normal and the degree by which the heart rate slows down is often modest.
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