Effectiveness of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals in secondary cardiovascular prevention.

Background: The effectiveness of statin treatment to reduce coronary events and mortality has been hardly examined considering goals of LDL-C. We aimed to analyse such association in secondary cardiovascular prevention.

Methods: Retrospective cohort analysis of electronic health records from the SIDIAP database, Catalonia-Spain.

Final Stage of Chronic Kidney Disease with Conservative Kidney Management or Renal Replacement Therapy: A Primary-Care Population Study.

Background: Studies focus on the incidence and risk factors (RFs) associated with reaching the final stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD-G5) and receiving kidney replacement therapy (KRT). Analysis of those related to reaching CKD-G5 while receiving conservative kidney management (CKM) has been neglected.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study analysing electronic health records of individuals aged ≥ 50 with eGFR < 60 mL/min/m.

Trends in glycemic control, cardiovascular risk factors and chronic complications of type 2 diabetes, 2012-2016, in a healthcare area of Barcelona.

Aims: This study aimed to analyse the evolution of the metabolic control, cardiovascular risk factors and chronic complications in a Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) population in a healthcare area of Barcelona.

Methods: We carried out a comparative study of T2D patients (20.457) between 2012 and 2016 (data recorded in the "Electronic Clinical-Station in Primary Care") concerning: age, gender, body mass index (BMI), arterial blood pressure (BP), HbA1c, LDL-Cholesterol, smoking, heart failure (HF), micro and macrovascular complications.

Efficacy of an electronic reminder for HIV screening in primary healthcare based on indicator conditions in Catalonia (Spain).

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of an electronic reminder in primary healthcare in patients diagnosed with an indicator condition (IC) to improve HIV screening.

Methods: We developed a prospective interventional study in 51 primary healthcare centres in Barcelona randomly assigned into one of two study groups: control and alert. Between June 2018 and May 2019, an electronic reminder appeared in the electronic medical record each time a diagnosis of an IC in patients aged 16-65 years was registered in the alert group.

Effectiveness of the Epley manoeuvre in posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: a randomised clinical trial in primary care.

Background: Evidence on the effectiveness of the Epley manoeuvre in primary care is scarce.

Aim: To evaluate effectiveness at 1 week, 1 month, and 1 year of a single Epley manoeuvre versus a sham manoeuvre in primary care.

Design And Setting: Multicentre, double-blind randomised controlled trial in two primary care practices in Spain from November 2012 to January 2015.

Association between affective disorders presenting before and during pregnancy and pre-term birth, considering socio-demographic factors, obstetric factors, health conditions, and use of medication.

Objective: To study the relationship between maternal affective disorders (AD) before and during pregnancy, and pre-term birth.

Design: Retrospective observational study.

Location: Sexual and reproductive health units at the Institut Català de la Salut (ICS) in Catalonia, Spain.

Association between EBRT dose volume histograms and quality of life in prostate cancer patients.

Aim: To evaluate the association between dose-volume histogram (DVH) values in organs at risk (OAR) and patient-reported HRQoL outcomes.

Background: Data on the association between DVHs and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in prostate cancer (PCa) patients are limited.

Materials And Methods: Five-year follow-up study of 154 patients with organ-confined (stage T1/T2) PCa treated with EBRT between January 2003 and November 2005.

Effectiveness of Brief Systemic Therapy versus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in routine clinical practice.

Background: Combining strategies and techniques from different therapeutic approaches is a common procedure in routine mental health practice. It has been claimed that the integration of systemic brief therapies offers useful psychotherapeutic alternatives, especially in our overloaded public mental health services. However, this claim has rarely been put to the test, and comparison with well-established empirically-based treatments has been scarce.

Predicting factors of health-related quality of life in octogenarians: a 3-year follow-up longitudinal study.

Purpose: The proportion of very old people is rising, and so, describing their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important point of interest. The aim of this study was to analyse the predictive factors on HRQoL throughout a 3-year follow-up period, in a community-based cohort of octogenarian people.

Methods: From 290 subjects aged 85 and over, sociodemographic and geriatric data, including levels of frailty phenotype assessment, and HRQoL using the EuroQol 5D3L (EQ-5D) instrument were collected.

Asthma inhaler adherence determinants in adults: systematic review of observational data.

Nonadherence to inhaled medication leads to poor asthma control and increased healthcare utilisation. Many studies exploring adherence determinants have been conducted, but summaries of the evidence are scarce. We performed a systematic review of observational research on determinants of asthma inhaler adherence among adults.

Quality of life impact of treatments for localized prostate cancer: cohort study with a 5 year follow-up.

Purpose: To assess long-term quality of life (QoL) impact of treatments in localized prostate cancer patients treated with radical prostatectomy, external beam radiotherapy or brachytherapy.

Material And Methods: Observational, prospective cohort study with pre-treatment QoL evaluation and follow-up until five years after treatment. 704 patients with low or intermediate risk localized prostate cancer were consecutively recruited in 2003-2005.

[Reference guidelines for the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey version 2 based on the Catalan general population].

Background And Objective: The SF-12 health survey is the short version of the SF-36. The main interpretation strategy for these health related quality of life (HRQL) questionnaires is the use of population based reference values. This study aims to obtain the population based norms for the Spanish version of SF-12 version 2 (SF-12v2), to evaluate its construct validity and to compare the scores obtained by the standard and the specific method of calculation.

Efficacy of low-frequency low-intensity electrotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer-related lymphoedema: a cross-over randomized trial.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of low-frequency low-intensity electrotherapy and manual lymphatic drainage in the treatment of chronic upper limb breast cancer-related lymphoedema.

Design: Cross-over single-blind random clinical trial.

Setting: Rehabilitation service.

[Cost comparison of three treatments for localized prostate cancer in Spain: radical prostatectomy, prostate brachytherapy and external 3D conformal radiotherapy].

Objective: To compare the initial costs of the three most established treatments for clinically localized prostate cancer according to risk, age and comorbidity groups, from the healthcare provider's perspective.

Methods: We carried out a cost comparison study in a sample of patients consecutively recruited between 2003 and 2005 from a functional unit for prostate cancer treatment in Catalonia (Spain). The use of services up to 6 months after the treatment start date was obtained from hospital databases and direct costs were estimated by micro-cost calculation.

Discriminative capacity of the EQ-5D, SF-6D, and SF-12 as measures of health status in population health survey.

Purpose: To compare the EQ-5D, SF-6D, and SF-12 in terms of their capacity to discriminate between groups defined by relevant socio-demographic and health characteristics in a general population survey.

Methods: Data were obtained from the 2006 Catalan Health Interview Survey, a representative sample (n = 4,319) of the general population of Catalonia (Spain). Effect sizes (ES) and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated to evaluate the instruments' capacity to distinguish between groups based on socio-demographic variables, recent health problems, perceived health, psychological distress, and selected chronic conditions.