There is a relationship between physical activity and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in healthy people and in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). The purpose of this study was to determine whether this relationship between sports or recreational physical activity levels and HRQL has a dose-response gradient in patients with IHD.

Using one generic and three IHD-specific HRQL questionnaires, differences in HRQL scores (adjusted for confounders) were determined for physically a) inactive vs. active patients and b) inactive vs. patients being active 1-2, 3-5, or >5 times per week.

Data were provided by 6143 IHD-patients (angina N = 2033; myocardial infarction N = 2266; ischemic heart failure N = 1844). Regardless of diagnosis or instrument used, when patients were dichotomized as either inactive or active, the latter reported throughout higher physical and emotional HRQL (all p < 0.001; d = 0.25-0.70). When categorized by physical activity levels, there was a positive HRQL dose-response least a moderate active one (1-2 times per week), in particular in cardiac rehabilitation settings.

To evaluate the efficacies of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) and tegafur-uracil (UFT) as adjuvant therapy in patients with resected stage I-IIIA breast cancer by immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based subtype and to determine the relationships between clinicopathological factors and long-term outcomes.

A pooled analysis of the randomized controlled N·SAS-BC01 and CUBC studies was conducted. Expression of hormone receptors (HRs; estrogen and progesterone receptors), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and Ki67were assessed by IHC. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and nuclear/histological grades were determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and hazard ratios were determined by Cox model adjusted for baseline tumor size and nodal status.

A total of 689 patients (342 CMF and 347 UFT) were included in the analyses with a median follow-up of 11.1years. There was no significant difference in RFS or OS between the two cohorts (RFS 0.96 [95% confidence interval 0.71-1.30], log-rank test p = 0.80; OS 0.93 [0.64-1.35], p = 0.70). There was no difference in RFS or OS between the two cohorts for HR+/HER2- and HR+/HER2+ subtypes. RFS was significantly longer in patients treated with UFT compared with CMF in patients with HR-/HER2+ subtype (0.30 [0.10-0.88], p = 0.03). A high TILs level was associated with a better OS compared with low TILs level (p = 0.02).

This long-term follow-up study showed that RFS and OS were similar in patients with luminal-type breast cancer treated with CMF and UFT.

This long-term follow-up study showed that RFS and OS were similar in patients with luminal-type breast cancer treated with CMF and UFT.

To estimate the frequency of epiretinal membrane (ERM) in eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) treated with Ex-Press shunt implant. Secondarily, we aimed to assess the role of concomitant cataract surgery and the impact of the ERM on central foveal thickness and macular volume.

In this prospective, consecutive, case-control study, we enrolled 54 patients affected by PAOG and scheduled for Ex-Press device implant with or without contemporary phacoemulsification. Contralateral eyes affected by POAG and receiving anti-glaucomatous eyedrops constituted the control group. Complete ophthalmologic evaluation and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed before and 1, 3 and 6months after surgery.

Twenty-six eyes received the Ex-Press implant alone, and 28 eyes underwent the combined procedure. Six months postoperatively, we observed 18 (33%) cases of ERM 15 (28%) of cellophane macular reflex (CMR) and 3 (6%) of pre-macular fibrosis (PMF). In the control group, 9 (17%) eyes developed an ERM 8 (15%) were CMR, and 1 (2%) was PMF. The frequency of ERM statistically differs between treated and contralateral eyes (P = 0.032, χ

test). The ERM frequency did not statically differ between eyes subjected to simple or combined surgery (P = 0.846, χ

test). selleckchem Mean central foveal thickness and mean macular volume did not significantly differ between groups.

The Ex-Press glaucoma shunt may increase the risk of ERM onset regardless of the concomitant cataract surgery; however, most cases were cellophane macular reflex with limited functional and anatomical impact.

The Ex-Press glaucoma shunt may increase the risk of ERM onset regardless of the concomitant cataract surgery; however, most cases were cellophane macular reflex with limited functional and anatomical impact.

To assess corneal densitometry in patients with Fabry disease (FD) and to compare corneal densitometry differences in FD patients to different corneal manifestations.

Ten participants (20 eyes) with FD and 10 age-matched healthy volunteers (20 eyes) were recruited. All participants were assessed by standardized ophthalmic examinations and the corneal densitometry analysis by Pentacam HR. Densitometry measurements were analyzed in standardized grayscale units.

Seven patients developed conjunctival vessel tortuosity, cornea verticillata appeared in 6 patients, and two patients had Fabry cataract. Retinal vessel tortuosity occurred in 4 patients, and dilation of retinal vessels appeared in 3 patients, all symptoms occurred in both eyes. The first diagnosis of FD up to examination was 4.7 ± 3.23years, and first ERT up to examination was 2.6 ± 2.27years. The initial time to diagnosis was negatively related to the corneal densitometry value of the 0-2-mm (r = - 0.556, p = 0.011) and 2-6-mm (r = - 0.482, p = 0.032) zones in the posterior layer. FD group have significantly higher corneal densitometry in anterior 0-2-mm zone and 2-10-mm zone anterior and posterior layer than the control group (p ≤ 0.035, respectively). When divided into two groups by the existence of cornea verticillata, there was a statistically significant difference in the anterior layer, 6-10-mm zone (p = 0.031); in the central layer, 0-2mm (p = 0.012), 2-6mm (p = 0.001), 6-10mm (p = 0.002), and total (p = 0.002); and in the posterior layer, 6-10mm (p = 0.004) and total (p = 0.002).

FD patients show higher corneal densitometry, and corneal densitometry may have potential for early diagnosis and reminding progress of FD.

FD patients show higher corneal densitometry, and corneal densitometry may have potential for early diagnosis and reminding progress of FD.