Is there any vindication for low dose nonselective β-blocker medication in patients with liver cirrhosis?

Background/aims: Nonselective β-blockers (NSBBs), such as propranolol, reportedly exert a pleiotropic effect in liver cirrhosis. A previous report suggested that survival was higher in patients receiving adjusted doses of NSBBs than in ligation patients. This study investigated whether low-dose NSBB medication has beneficial effects in patients with liver cirrhosis, especially in terms of overall survival.

Effect of nonalcoholic Fatty liver disease on the development of type 2 diabetes in nonobese, nondiabetic korean men.

Background/aims: We have a limited understanding of the effect of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on the development of type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The study subjects included male who had received biennial medical check-ups between 2005 and 2009 and who had been diagnosed with fatty liver disease. The subjects with sustained NAFLD (FL, n=107) and sustained non-NAFLD (NFL, n=1,054) were followed to determine the development of type 2 diabetes.

[Gastroduodenal intussusception due to pedunculated polypoid gastrointestinal stromal tumor].

The gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a mesenchymal tumor of the digestive tract showing differentiation along the line of interstitial cell of Cajal. The most GISTs in the stomach generally show the appearance of submucosal tumors. It is rare for GISTs to appear as a pedunculated polypoid lesion on endoscopy.

Pregnancy-induced hypertension, but not gestational diabetes mellitus, is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism in pregnancy.

Background And Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the association of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Subjects And Methods: This was a retrospective study of 57,009 pregnancies during 2002-2008 at Cheil General Hospital, Kwandong University. The diagnosis of VTE {deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (PE)} was based on clot visualization via ultrasound or computed tomography.