K Berger

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..An individual genomic pattern of ncf1 and its two types of pseudogenes (reflected by the DeltaGT/GTGT ratio) may influence the individual capacity to produce ROI...

..Therefore, we sought to explore the relation between residential area and smoking behaviours in Germany...

..While prior studies assessed cardiovascular risk factor knowledge, little is known about determinants of the individual perception of stroke risk...

..This study prospectively assessed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in employees who were severely assaulted by patients in nine German state mental health institutions...

..Using large sample sizes and a replication study approach, we found evidence for a role of a polymorphism in the nitric oxide synthase 3 gene in stroke onset...

..This article reviews the existing studies on the prevalence and risk factors of RLS and critically describes existing methodological problems in the assessment of the disease in epidemiologic studies...

..Population-based studies are rare, and risk factors in the general population are not known...

..All reports are based on single cases or case series of hospitalized patients or those from outpatient clinics. No data from population studies are available...

..The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of stroke and the magnitude of classic stroke risk factors in an occupational cohort of white-collar and blue-collar workers...

..The use of German versions of frequently used stroke scales can reduce bias that is introduced by different levels of knowledge of the English language and thus improve the standardised assessment of neurological deficits in stroke...

..Differences in stroke prevalence estimations and risk factors for incorrect reports are described...

..Vascular brain changes are very prevalent in older populations and have a measurable and considerable impact on functional capabilities of those affected...

..In conclusion, this study was unable to demonstrate an association between the six SNPs which had showed significant single marker association with stroke in the Icelandic stroke cohort and ischaemic stroke in a large German cohort...

..In this study depression is associated with strong impairments in the daily life and more physician contacts of those affected...

..A first follow-up will be conducted 2 years after baseline. The study design allows a comprehensive analysis of the complex and bidirectional association between subclinical arteriosclerosis and depression...

..To better understand potential underlying mechanisms, we assessed microstructural brain integrity and cognitive performance relative to serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)...

..Finally, recommendations are made for criteria, which can be used for the selection of diseases relevant for multimorbidity...

..Our data confirm previous findings that the association between BMI with migraine is limited to migraine frequency and specific migraine features...

..Rational health care decision-making based on outcomes and economic evidence is essential to provide the best possible care for individual patients with atopic dermatitis (AD)...

..Overall, 79.5% of the residents are female. To some extent, there were large differences between the information from the care facilities and the official registry concerning the number of residents...

..In prior studies, self-defined questionnaires and outcomes were used instead...

..The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between six parameters of iron metabolism and depressive mood in a population-based cross-sectional study in Germany...

..Multidrug chemotherapy (CT) is still associated with relevant side-effects. We assessed, under current practice patterns, frequency and severity of CT-induced toxicity and its economic consequences...

..However, there are large unexplained variations in IV heparin use among hospitals...

..Aim of the study was to translate the original version of the Barthel-Index (BI) into German and to investigate the reliability of the German version. In addition, a German version of the BI for postal and telephone use was developed...

..We, therefore, identified predictors for length of stay in acute hospital after ischemic stroke in a pooled analysis of large German stroke registers...

..US studies showed that only 57% of the population knew at least one stroke symptom. This is the first study about stroke knowledge among German populations...

..Further advances and consensus on evaluation methods and standards for the economics of haemophilia are required, however. This need will continue in the face of new, more sophisticated and therefore more costly haemophilia therapies...

..The aim of this study was the evaluation of sleep disturbances and the quality of life (QoL) in PD patients with different dopaminergic treatment strategies...

..These results suggest that clinicians and health policy decision-makers should consider the advantages of prophylactic therapy for haemophilia patients in formulating treatment protocols and allocating health resources...

..Access of European patients with haemophilia to optimal care with safe factor VIII concentrates is limited and depends on the region of residence...

..Application of the new IHS criteria yielded headache categories that were not mutually exclusive, indicating a need for further discussion about the value of probable headache types in epidemiological studies...

..In summary, the total cost for patients increases with the severity of atopic asthma and/or seasonal allergic rhinitis and indirect costs represent a large proportion of the total cost...

..If the impact of environmental socioeconomic parameters on individual health or illness is determined, the unequal small-area distribution of individual social parameters should be considered...

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..Here we present the first large investigation of the protease inhibitor hypothesis in patients with sCAD...

..We investigated the effect of the extended thrombolysis time window on the proportion of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator-treated stroke patients and on the time of treatment initiation after hospital arrival...

..We investigated the individual and combined effects of plasma folate, vitamin B12, and pyridoxal 5-phosphate (PLP) levels on the risk of ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) in a large, prospective German cohort...

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..There was no effect modification of the association between serum CRP levels and measures of SVD by CRP haplotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Our observations suggest that CRP is not causally involved in the pathogenesis of SVD...

..Smoking is an established risk factor for ischemic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), but the impact of smoking on intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is less clear...

..The aim of the present study was to assess single and joint effects of risk factors on the incidence of stroke and TIA and to compare their magnitudes in a large population-based German cohort...

..We investigated the association between tPA therapy and in-hospital mortality in a pooled analysis of German stroke registers...

..Further research is needed to prospectively examine changes in cognitive performance in relation to cytokine genotypes...

..These hypotheses have to be tested in future experiments, but our study demonstrates that results from animal studies cannot be directly transferred to the human situation...

..We found T in position -511 in the IL-1 beta gene more frequent in patients compared to controls (chi(2)=4.44, P=0.034). For the IL-1 alpha-889 polymorphism no significant difference between patients and controls was observed...

..These disease-specific characteristics contribute to sleep-related problems in patients. However, little is known about prevalence and causes of sleep disturbances in caregivers of Parkinson's disease patients...

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..CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity and optimal diet are associated with reduced risk of early atherosclerosis in subjects who never smoked, while no benefit of an otherwise optimal lifestyle is observed in smokers...

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..291, P<0.005). Thus, even in the normotensive range increasing systolic blood pressure is inversely related to cognition...

..Determining the presence of these brain changes using brain imaging might contribute to identify persons at risk for MPS...

..Although obesity is an established risk factor for coronary heart disease, its role as a risk factor for stroke remains controversial...

..Researchers need to be clear about the population for which an overall treatment estimate is most suitable...

..We assessed the prevalence of vertebrobasilar ischemia and structural abnormalities of the extracranial vertebral arteries by US in patients with TA and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and in healthy controls...

..The findings are consistent with findings from lesion and functional neuroimaging studies...

..There is a growing need to evaluate scientifically the effect of CAM methods on symptom severity and quality of life in dystonia, to prevent utilization of costly and ineffective CAM treatments...

..Cognitive and pathological data are needed to determine the clinical significance of these findings as well as to understand the mechanisms underlying these associations...

..The aim of the study was to investigate the relation between alcohol intake and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in participants of the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania...

..We investigate whether a second assessment of alcohol intake substantially improves estimation of the effects of alcohol intake on these outcomes...

..Determining the presence of silent stroke using brain imaging may contribute to identifying individuals at risk for developing gradual neurological deficits...

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..These data suggest that elevated homocysteine is associated with the occurrence of sCAD. The MTHFR C677T polymorphism is associated with the homocysteine level...

..96-0.99 for each additional patient treated with tPA per year). CONCLUSION: In patients with ischemic stroke who are treated with tPA, disturbances of consciousness and increasing age are associated with increased in-hospital mortality...

..Successful treatment of hypertension may reduce this risk; however, a potential negative effect of decreasing diastolic blood pressure level on the occurrence of severe periventricular white matter lesions should be taken into account...

..We investigated predictors for in-hospital mortality and attributable risks of death after ischemic stroke in a pooled analysis of large German stroke registers...

..A recent study added smoking as a risk factor for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in men. In contrast, the impact of smoking on ICH in women is less clear...

..The aim of this study was to analyse whether the SF-36 questionnaire is a useful tool to evaluate the treatment outcome of a drug detoxification program...

..This novel approach might be useful in addressing the heterogeneity of cognitive impairment in depression and in predicting cognitive outcome in depression...

..Dysthymia, in particular, plays an important role regarding the relation of affective disorders and CVDs. Future research on biological models may elucidate the pathophysiological link between subtypes of affective disorders and CVDs...

..However, little is known about the underlying pathophysiology and the relation with cerebrovascular disease or brain atrophy in the elderly...

..The aim of the present analysis was to investigate an association between thyroid function and serum ferritin levels. We hypothesized low serum thyrotropin to be related to high serum ferritin levels...

..In summary, epidemiological evidence suggests that RLS is a common neurological disorder-with high impact on many aspects of the life of those affected...

..Changes in discharge organisation and improved co-operation with rehabilitation centres may shorten LOS. Differences in LOS between the months show considerable seasonal variability...

..Therefore, a standardized process was initiated recently to develop and implement evidence-based indicators for the measurement of quality of acute hospital stroke care...

..Changes in depressive symptoms in milder forms of depressive mood are associated with a larger decline in cognitive function than in severer forms of depressive mood...

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..This finding suggests a potentially beneficial effect of an antidepressive add-on therapy with substances increasing dopamine availability individually tailored according to COMT val158met genotype...

..Difficulties in recognition of symptoms due to right hemispheric stroke challenge efforts to optimise stroke management, particularly in the critical early hours of stroke...

..Healthy lifestyle has been associated with decreased risk of coronary heart disease. In contrast, little is known about its association with stroke risk...

..Stratification for age, age of onset, sex, peripheral neuropathy, and sporadic or familial RLS revealed no effect. Thus, CAG repeat length in the investigated genes is not a major determinant of idiopathic or familial RLS...

..No significant association of these polymorphisms or respective haplotypes with MS was found. No association of CT60 genotypes with T cell expression of ICOS and CTLA-4 after in vitro stimulation was detected...

..However, rare variants of the NF-M gene may act as susceptibility factors for PD and functional analyses of the identified variations are warranted to decipher possible mechanisms in neurodegeneration...