Paracetamol and antibiotics in childhood and subsequent development of wheezing/asthma: association or causation?

Several studies found an association between early administration of paracetamol and antibiotics and development of wheezing. This could be due to confounding: wheeze and asthmatic symptoms in early childhood are difficult to distinguish from respiratory tract infections that are widely treated with these drugs; in case of persistence of symptoms up to school age, this could explain the observed relationship

Cognitive and memory training in adults at risk of dementia: A Systematic Review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Effective non-pharmacological cognitive interventions to prevent Alzheimer's dementia or slow its progression are an urgent international priority. The aim of this review was to evaluate cognitive training trials in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and evaluate the efficacy of training in memory strategies or cognitive exercises to determine if cognitive training could benefit individuals at risk of developing dementia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic review of eligible trials was undertaken, followed by effect size analysis. Cognitive training was differentiated from other cognitive interventions not meeting generally accepted definitions, and included both cognitive exercises and memory strategies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ten studies enrolling a total of 305 subjects met criteria for cognitive training in MCI. Only five of the studies were randomized controlled trials. Meta-analysis was not considered appropriate due to the heterogeneity of interventions. Moderate effects on memory outcomes were identified in seven trials. Cognitive exercises (relative effect sizes ranged from .10 to 1.21) may lead to greater benefits than memory strategies (.88 to -1.18) on memory.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Previous conclusions of a lack of efficacy for cognitive training in MCI may have been influenced by not clearly defining the intervention. Our systematic review found that cognitive exercises can produce moderate-to-large beneficial effects on memory-related outcomes. However, the number of high quality RCTs remains low, and so further trials must be a priority. Several suggestions for the better design of cognitive training trials are provided.</p

ERYTHROBLASTIC ISLANDS IN THE BONE-MARROW OF RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS WITH ANEMIA

An increase of erythroblastic islands with recognizable central macrophages was observed in bone marrow of 6 RA patients suffering from anaemia. It is possible that this morphological finding might be an expression of the ineffective erythropoiesis observed in RA patients with anaemia

Changes in social characteristics and risk factors for asthma and allergies among children and adolescents in Italy

One of the main objectives of SIDRIA-2 study was to evaluate the possible changes in the occurrence of social characteristics and risk factors for asthma and allergies in childhood, comparing the data obtained in 2002 to those collected in 1994-1995. A positive change in socio-economic characteristics of the childrens' and adolescents' families was generally observed. The levels of exposure to outdoor (traffic) and indoor (passive smoking) pollutants are still high, although a decreasing trend in parents' smoking habits is evident

Maternal complications and procedures in pregnancy and at birth and wheezing phenotypes in children

Rationale: There is increasing interest in the potential influence of fetal and early life conditions on childhood wheezing. Objectives: To investigate the associations between maternal complications and procedures in pregnancy and at birth and the risk of various wheezing phenotypes in young children. Methods: We studied 15,609 children, aged 6\u20137 yr, enrolled in a population-based study. Standardized questionnaires were completed by the children\u2019s mothers. Results: Of the children, 9.5% (1,478) had transient early wheezing, 5.4% (884) had persistent wheezing, and 6.1% (948) had late-onset wheezing. Maternal hypertension or preeclampsia was associated with an increased risk of all three wheezing phenotypes (for transient early wheezing: odds ratio [OR], 1.40; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.08\u20131.82; for persistent wheezing: OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.15\u20132.19; and for late-onset wheezing: OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.06\u20132.01). Use of antibiotics for urinary tract infections was associated with transient early wheezing (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.16\u20132.00), whereas antibiotic administration at delivery was associated with both transient early wheezing (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.01\u20131.46) and persistent wheezing (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.10\u20131.75). Children who had amother with diabetes were also more likely to have persistent wheezing (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 0.99\u20133.00). Neither amniocentesis/chorionic villus sampling, nor weight gain in pregnancy, nor cesarean section was associated with the subsequent development of wheezing. Maternal asthma or atopy was not an effect modifier of the associations found. Conclusions: Some maternal complications during pregnancy and at delivery may increase the risk of developing different phenotypes of wheezing in childhood