[Diabetes and socio-economic deprivation. A study in a large French population].

Socio-economically deprived subjects are reported to have an increased risk of diabetes and related complications. The aim of this study was to confirm this relation in a large French population. The study subjects consisted of 32,435 men and 16,378 women aged from 35 to 80 years who had a free health checkup at the IPC Center (Investigations Preventives et Cliniques, Paris-Ile de France) between January 2003 and December 2006.

[French military medicine].

Since its creation in 1708, the French Health Army Service has contributed significantly to colonisation and war campaigns, and has also contributed greatly to improvements in medical technology. Its activity is currently oriented towards peace-keeping operations across the globe, often in association with the public hospital network. Its teaching activities are being adapted to current reforms.

[Cardiovascular risk].

Diseases involving an atherosclerotic process, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure and peripheral arterial disease, are by far the leading cause of death and disability among both men and women of all ethnic groups. The Framingham study and many other epidemiologic investigations have significantly improved the identification of persons at risk and factors amenable to preventive measures. Multivariate risk profiles have been devised in numerous studies with the aim of facilitating global risk assessment.

A critical review of the causes of death among post-mortem toxicological investigations: analysis of 34 buprenorphine-associated and 35 methadone-associated deaths.

Aims: To assess the trends in the number, mortality and the nature of forensic cases involving toxicological detection of buprenorphine or methadone among toxicological investigations performed in Paris from June 1997 to June 2002.

Design: Retrospective, 5 year study with review of premortem data, autopsy, police reports, hospital data, and post-mortem toxicological analyses.

Setting And Participants: 34 forensic cases of buprenorphine and 35 forensic cases of methadone detection among 1600 toxicological investigations performed at the Laboratory of Toxicology in the Medical Examiner's Office in Paris.