Awareness of albuminuria in an Italian population-based cohort of patients treated with hypoglycemic drugs.

Background: Albuminuria is a powerful predictor of renal and cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes and a good indicator of the evolution of renal disease. Our aim was to obtain information concerning the identification of albuminuria as well as the utilization of antihypertensive, lipid-lowering and antiplatelet drugs in patients with diabetes.

Methods: Subjects were enrolled from individuals registered with 3 Italian local health units by querying the drugs reimbursable, hospital laboratory investigation and hospital discharge databases.

Co-morbidity and acute decompensations of COPD requiring non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and the impact of chronic and/or acute non-respiratory co-morbidity on short and longer-term outcome of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in acute decompensations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF).

Design And Setting: An observational study in a three-bed respiratory monitoring unit in a respiratory ward of a non-university hospital.

Patients: We grouped 120 consecutive COPD patients requiring NIPPV for AHRF (pH 7.