Work-Related Asthma and Its Impact on Quality of Life and Work Productivity.

Background: The impact of work-related asthma (WRA) on quality of life (QoL) and work productivity remains largely neglected/uncertain despite its high prevalence.

Objective: To investigate the association of WRA with QoL and work productivity as compared with subjects with non-WRA and those without asthma and rhinitis.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among workers during their periodic occupational health visit in Belgium.

New diagnostic and treatment strategies in renal artery stenosis: a promising pursuit or disappointment foretold?

Clinical management of renal artery stenosis has seen a major shift, after randomised clinical trials have shown no group benefit of endovascular intervention relative to optimal medical control. However, the inclusion criteria of these trials have been criticised for focusing on a subset of patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis where intervention was unlikely to be beneficial. Moreover, new imaging and computational techniques have become available, which have the potential to improve identification of patients that will respond to interventional treatment.

Estimation of Intraglomerular Pressure Using Invasive Renal Arterial Pressure and Flow Velocity Measurements in Humans.

Background: Glomerular hyperfiltration resulting from an elevated intraglomerular pressure (Pglom) is an important cause of CKD, but there is no feasible method to directly assess Pglom in humans. We developed a model to estimate Pglom in patients from combined renal arterial pressure and flow measurements.

Methods: We performed hemodynamic measurements in 34 patients undergoing renal or cardiac angiography under baseline conditions and during hyperemia induced by intrarenal dopamine infusion (30 g/kg).

Renal sympathetic nerve activity after catheter-based renal denervation.

Background: Catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) has been considered a potential treatment for therapy resistant hypertension (RHT). However, in a randomized placebo-controlled trial, RDN did not lead to a substantial blood pressure (BP) reduction. We hypothesized that variation in the reported RDN efficacy might be explained by incomplete nerve disruption as assessed by renal I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (I-mIBG) scintigraphy.