Cumulative Impact of Stressful Life Events on the Development of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.

Background: The role of stressful life events in the onset of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is unclear.

Purpose: This study sought to examine associations between type, timing, and number of stressful life events and onset of TC.

Methods: A case-control study conducted among consecutive incident female TC cases and myocardial infarction (MI) controls admitted to two emergency departments in New England.

STOP regain: are there negative effects of daily weighing?

Several recent studies suggest that daily weighing is important for long-term weight control, but concerns have been raised about possible adverse psychological effects. The "STOP Regain" clinical trial provides a unique opportunity to examine this issue both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Successful weight losers (N = 314) were randomly assigned to a control or to a face-to-face or Internet intervention designed to help them maintain their weight loss and were then followed for 18 months.

Toward 21st century blood component replacement therapeutics: artificial oxygen carriers, platelet substitutes, recombinant clotting factors, and others.

In this brief overview, recent progress and current status of blood substitute research and development is summarized. Current blood substitute development efforts are focused on red blood cell substitutes but substitutes for platelets and other blood components are also in progress. Red cell substitutes currently in various stages of development are semi-synthetic or synthetic oxygen carriers that include "stealth" or "masked" red cells, hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers and perfluorocarbon-based oxygen carriers.

The use of community-based modified directly observed therapy for the treatment of HIV-infected persons.

Directly observed therapy, which has been successful in the treatment of tuberculosis, is being adapted for the treatment of HIV to decrease long-term morbidity and mortality. We describe the experiences of 69 HIV-infected individuals who were enrolled in a community-based modified directly observed therapy (MDOT) program. Participants were referred by their primary care physicians based on nonadherence to antiretroviral therapy, and/or active substance use.