Erectile dysfunction predicts mortality in middle-aged and older men independent of their sex steroid status.

Background: erectile dysfunction is associated with mortality, whereas the association between low testosterone (T) and higher mortality remains controversial. Sexual dysfunction and low T often coexist, but the relative importance of sexual symptoms versus low T in predicting mortality is not known. We studied the interrelationships between sex steroids and sexual symptoms with all-cause mortality in a large prospective cohort of European men.

Prognostic value of circulating cytokines on overall survival and disease-free survival in cancer patients.

Through their tumor-promoting and/or tumor-suppressive properties, cytokines can influence progression of cancer. We systematically reviewed the current literature on the prognostic value of the circulating cytokines IL-1α/β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α, TGF-β and IFN-γ to predict overall and disease-free survival in any type of cancer patients. PubMed was systematically searched and based on eligibility assessment using our five criteria of the Reporting Recommendations for Tumor Marker Prognostic Studies (REMARK) checklist, six unique studies were reviewed.

The glomerular filtration rate estimated by new and old equations as a predictor of important outcomes in elderly patients.

Background: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) increases with age, and new glomerular filtration rate-estimating equations have recently been validated. The epidemiology of CKD in older individuals and the relationship between a low estimated glomerular filtration rate as calculated by these equations and adverse outcomes remains unknown.

Methods: Data from the BELFRAIL study, a prospective, population-based cohort study of 539 individuals aged 80 years and older, were used.

Drug prescriptions unadapted to the renal function in patients aged 80 years and older.

Background: Drug-related problems are common in older people. Often they are related to low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which has a high prevalence among older adults.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate inappropriate drug prescriptions and dose adaptations in a very old population and their relationship with the eGFR.

A framework provided an outline toward the proper evaluation of potential screening strategies.

Objectives: Screening tests are often introduced into clinical practice without proper evaluation, despite the increasing awareness that screening is a double-edged sword that can lead to either net benefits or harms. Our objective was to develop a comprehensive framework for the evaluation of new screening strategies.

Study Design And Setting: Elaborating on the existing concepts proposed by experts, a stepwise framework is proposed to evaluate whether a potential screening test can be introduced as a screening strategy into clinical practice.

Frequency of the CCR5-Delta32 mutant allele is not increased in Belgian hepatitis C virus-infected patients.

A 32-base pair deletion in the CC-chemokine receptor 5 gene (CCR5), associated with resistance to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, has recently been suggested to act as an adverse host factor in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. To examine this hypothesis, we determined the CCR5-Delta32 allele frequency by polymerase chain reaction in a Belgian cohort of 163 HCV-infected patients and 310 healthy control subjects. The resulting CCR5-Delta32 allele frequencies were 0.