Relationship Between Self-Reported Oral Health and Self-Esteem in Two Columbia, SC Populations

The importance of oral health to overall health cannot be overstated. For example, oral health can be used for early diagnosis of diseases such as diabetes. Furthermore, it has been well studied that self-esteem is related to oral health. Individuals with proper oral health care have more confidence to interact with others, which results in higher self-esteem. Those who lack the ability to pay for oral healthcare are thus at a great disadvantage. The present study sought to investigate the relationship between oral health and self-esteem in two Columbia, SC populations through surveying. There were two study populations, students at the University of South Carolina and low-income adults at the Free Clinic and a free dental day at Swansea Dental Care. 288 individuals were surveyed on oral health, self-esteem, and demographics. Predictor variables included income, dental insurance, health insurance, number of cosmetic and high-risk procedures, and highest level of education. Results of the analysis indicate that there is a relationship between oral health and self-esteem in this population. Dental insurance and education together predicted oral health most closely. Surprisingly, income did not predict self-esteem. Overall, the results highlight the necessity for accessibility to proper oral health care in order to ensure not only physical health, but mental health as well

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Myocardium in Chronic Kidney Disease

Early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are often underdiagnosed, while their deleterious effects on the cardiovascular (CV) system are already at work. Thus, the assessment of early CV damage is of crucial importance in preventing major CV events. Myocardial fibrosis is one of the major consequences of progressive CKD, as it may lead to reentry arrhythmias and long-term myocardial dysfunction predisposing to sudden death and/or congestive heart failure. Subclinical myocardial fibrosis, with a potential key role in the development of uraemic cardiac disease, can be measured and characterised by appropriate cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) techniques. Fibrosis detection was initially based on the contrast agent gadolinium, due to the superiority in sensitivity and accuracy of contrast-based methods in fibrosis assessment relative to native techniques. However, the severe consequences of gadolinium administration in uraemia (nephrogenic systemic fibrosis) have forced practitioners to re-evaluate the methodology. In the present overview, we review the possible contrast-based and contrast agent-free CMR techniques, including native T1 relaxation time, extracellular volume and global longitudinal strain measurement. The review also summarises their potential clinical relevance in CKD patients based on recently published studies

Viharos tájon (könyvismertető)

A recenzált mű: L. Balogh Béni: Küzdelem Erdélyért. A magyar–román viszony és a kisebbségi kérdés 1940–1944 között. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 2013. 336