Impact of psoriasis severity on family income and quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a common disease and the costs of its therapy, medical care and loss of productivity are a major financial burden for patients and society. The financial status of psoriasis patients and its relationship with disease severity and quality of life (QoL) remains ill characterized. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the economic status of psoriasis patients and to investigate its correlation with disease severity and its impact on QoL. METHODS: A total of 83 (45 male) psoriasis patients, treated at a Polish specialty clinic, were assessed for their financial and employment status. QoL was measured with a generic (WHOQOL-BREF) and a skin disease-related QoL instrument (dermatology life quality index--DLQI). The effects of demographic and clinical variables, including disease severity measured by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), on the family income of patients were analyzed by multiple logistic regression. The mediating effect of family income between PASI and QoL was assessed by using the Baron and Kenny's procedure. RESULTS: Patients' family income correlate negatively with psoriasis severity (Spearman's rho = -0.356; P < 0.01). Disease severity in patients with a family income below the social minimum was significantly higher (PASI: 20.5 ± 12.2) than in patients with a higher family income (PASI: 11.7 ± 7.7, P < 0.001). We found that education, disease severity and age predict 50% of the variability in family income (P < 0.001). Disease severity showed the second strongest impact on income after education (P < 0.01). Family income was found to link disease severity to global QoL impairment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Disease severity negatively affects the financial status of psoriasis patients, which in turn, is a mediator of global QoL impairment. Our findings are alarming and call for long-term solutions that equalize employment opportunities for patients with psoriasis.

Density and Viscosity of Binary Mixtures of Thiocyanate Ionic Liquids + Water as a Function of Temperature.

Densities and viscosities have been determined for binary mixtures of the ionic liquids (ILs) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate [BMIM][SCN], or 1-butyl-4-methylpyridinium thiocyanate [BMPy][SCN], or 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium thiocyanate [BMPYR][SCN], or 1-butyl-1-methylpiperidinium thiocyanate [BMPIP][SCN] with water over wide range of temperatures (298.15-348.15) K and ambient pressure. The thermal properties of [BMPy][SCN], i.e. glass transition temperature and the heat capacity at glass transition, have been measured using a differential scanning microcalorimetry, DSC. The decomposition of [BMPy][SCN] was detected. The density and viscosity correlations for these systems have been made using an empirical second-order polynomial and by the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann equation, respectively. The concentration dependences have been described by polynomials. The excess molar volumes and deviations in viscosity have been calculated from the experimental values and were correlated by Redlich-Kister polynomial expansions. The variations of these parameters, with compositions of the mixtures and temperature, have been discussed in terms of molecular interactions. A qualitative analysis of the trend of properties with composition and temperature was performed. Further, the excess partial molar volumes, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], were calculated and discussed. The isobaric expansivities (coefficient of thermal expansion), α, and the excess isobaric expansivities, α(E), were determined for four ILs and their mixtures with water. The results indicate that the interactions of thiocyanate ILs with water is not as strong as with alcohols, which is shown by the positive/slightly negative excess molar volumes in these binary systems. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10953-012-9875-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Mortality in diabetic patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery: a 7-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of diabetic patients after non-cardiac surgery remains controversial. This study was designed to compare the long-term mortality between diabetic and non-diabetic control patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery and to evaluate the possible risk factors. METHODS: We investigated 274 consecutive diabetic patients and 282 non-diabetic control patients who underwent non-cardiac surgery within 1 year in a tertiary care hospital in Finland. The control group was matched for the same type of operations. Patients were followed for up to 7 years on average. The main outcome measure was mortality within 7 years. RESULTS: Mortality both in the short-term postoperatively (< or =21 days) and in the long-term (up to 87 (1/2) months) was significantly higher in the diabetic patients compared with the non-diabetic group: 3.5 vs. 0% (P<0.05) and 37.2 vs. 15% (P<0.00001), respectively. The major causes of death among diabetic subjects were diseases of the cardiovascular system (56.8%) compared with non-diabetic patients (18.6%), P<0.0001. We found that diabetes mellitus per se is not a risk factor for post-operative mortality but a combination of variables had a significant effect on both short- and long-term mortality. CONCLUSION: Diabetic patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery had a significantly higher incidence of short-term post-operative and long-term mortality compared with non-diabetic subjects. We propose a model of predictors of death among diabetic individuals undergoing non-cardiac surgery within a 7-year follow-up. The majority of deaths were associated with cardiovascular diseases.

Screening of the influence of flavonoids on lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase activity, as well as on nonenzymic lipid oxidation.

Thirty nine flavonoids, isolated from plants, were tested in respect of their influence on soybean lipoxygenase activity, cyclooxygenase activity and inhibition of ascorbic acid-stimulated malonaldehyde formation in liver lipids. Almost all of the tested compounds were antioxidants and stimulated cyclooxygenase when arachidonic acid was used as a substrate at a concentration of 100 microM. Eleven flavonoids were inhibitors of soybean lipoxygenase. A good correlation between the chemical structure and the tested activity was observed. The most active compounds in all tests were luteolin, 6-hydroxyluteolin, nepetin, quercetagetin, patuletin and myricetin.

[Effects of labour on parameters of carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism in blood (author's transl)]. / Einfluss der Wehentätigkeit auf Parameter des Kohlenhdrat- und Fettstoffwechsels im Blut.

The influence of several types of uterine contractility in labour on the essential compounds of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism was studied. It has been concluded that the quality (type) of uterine activity is the defnite factor of the dynamic changes of free fatty acids concentration and of the proportions between the aerobic and anaerobic metabolism carbohydrates. The results obtained are discussed.

Effect of flavonoids on the platelet adhesiveness in repeatedly bred rats.

Decrease of the platelet adhesiveness in rats by some flavonoids has been stated using the method of glass wool filter. The antiadhesive activity of investigated flavonoids may be ordered as follows: nobiletin greater than isorhamnetin 5,7,4'-trimethylether 3-glucoside greater than isorhamnetin 3-glucoside. Methylation of hydroxyl groups of isorhamnetin-3-glucoside markedly increases its antiadhesive activity.