Atherosclerosis and obstructive sleep apnea in patients with ischemic stroke.

Background: Of late, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been suggested to be a risk factor for atherosclerotic artery disease. In the present study, we analyzed the prevalence of atherosclerosis in stroke patients with and without OSA.

Patients And Methods: Two hundred and fourteen consecutive patients with ischemic stroke were included in this study.

Features of chronic hemodialysis practice after the Marmara earthquake.

After disasters, treatment of chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients is problematic because of logistic and medical reasons. This study analyzes features of HD practice in the regions affected by the Marmara earthquake that struck northwestern Turkey in August 1999. Questionnaires asking about HD infrastructure, medical/social problems of chronic dialysis patients, and the fate of dialysis personnel after the disaster were sent to dialysis units located in the affected region.