Weak Association between Skin Autofluorescence Levels and Prediabetes with an ILERVAS Cross-Sectional Study.

A large body of evidence demonstrates a relationship between hyperglycemia and increased concentrations of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). However, there is little information about subcutaneous AGE accumulation in subjects with prediabetes, and whether or not this measurement could assist in the diagnosis of prediabetes is unclear. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 4181 middle-aged subjects without diabetes.

Benzodiazepine and Z-Drug Use and the Risk of Developing Dementia.

Background: Benzodiazepines (BZDs) and Z-drugs (BZDRs) are among the most prescribed medications for anxiety and insomnia, especially among older adults. Our objective was to investigate the association between the use of BZDRs and the risk of dementia.

Methods: A community-based retrospective cohort study was conducted based on the data available from 2002 to 2015 in Catalan Health Service.

Proton pump inhibitors and the risk of Alzheimer's disease and non-Alzheimer's dementias.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most prescribed medications. Previous epidemiological studies have presented contradictory results about PPIs and the risk of dementia. Our objective was to investigate the association between the use of PPIs and an increasing risk of incident AD or non-AD dementias.

Dynamics of Anthropometric Indices in a Large Paired Cohort With 10 Years of Follow-Up: Paving the Way to Sarcopenic Obesity.

Paired cohort investigations assessing the evolution of anthropometric indices are scarce. Here we assessed the 10-year evolution of BMI, total body fat, and lean body mass in 50,019 participants aged 18-90 years at the time of first assessment. A retrospective cohort study using an electronic database that contains anonymized, longitudinal data from Primary Care medical records covering the 2007-2008 and 2017-2018 periods.

Descriptive study of association between quality of care and empathy and burnout in primary care.

Background: The doctor-patient relationship is a crucial aspect of primary-care practice Research on associations between quality of care provision and burnout and empathy in a primary care setting could improve this relationship.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of family physicians (108) and nurses (112) of twenty-two primary care centers in the health district of Lleida, Spain. Empathy and burnout were measured using the Jefferson Physician Empathy Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory, while quality of care delivery was evaluated using Quality Standard Indicator scores.

Randomised intervention study to assess the prevalence of subclinical vascular disease and hidden kidney disease and its impact on morbidity and mortality: The ILERVAS project.

Background And Objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and atherosclerosis are 2 interrelated diseases that increase the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The objectives of the ILERVAS project are: 1) to determine the prevalence of subclinical arterial disease and hidden kidney disease; 2) to assess the impact of early diagnosis of both diseases on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and also on the progression of CKD; 3) to have a platform of data and biological samples.

Methods: Randomized intervention study.

Do primary health centres and hospitals contribute equally towards achievement of the transversal clinical competencies of medical students? Performance on the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in competency acquisition.

Objectives: The adaptation of the educational programmes of European faculties of medicine to the European Higher Education Area guidelines has focused curricula design on competence acquisition. Competencies are defined as the achievements of a predetermined level of efficacy in real-world scenarios. Our objective was to assess whether performance on a common competence evaluation test, the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), resulted in different scores for second-year students after a practical medical training course took place in a primary health centre (PHC) or in a hospital.

Improvement of regeneration with predegenerated nerve transplants in silicone chambers.

We compared regeneration and reinnervation of target organs after sciatic nerve resection and repair with silicone tubes filled with saline solution or with a peroneal nerve segment as a nerve transplant versus an autologous sciatic nerve graft leaving either 4 mm or 6 mm gaps. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of predegeneration and donor immunogenicity of nerve transplants. Functional reinnervation was assessed by noninvasive methods to determine recovery of sweating, sensory and motor functions in the hindpaw after three months postoperation for 4 mm and four months postoperation for 6 mm gap groups.