[Clinical interventions on the major vascular risk factors (RIVANA study)]. / Intervención clínica sobre los principales factores de riesgo vascular (estudio RIVANA).

BACKGROUND: To describe the diagnostic frequency of classical vascular risk factors, dietary and therapeutic interventions and their control. METHODS: Within the project Vascular Risk in Navarre (RIVANA), a transversal study was made of a random sample of 4,354 people between the ages of 35 and 84; antecedents were gathered by interview and clinical and analytical exploration was carried out. The subjects were classified for each risk factor into: diagnosed by information--when health personnel had informed them that they presented a risk factor; by intervention--when they take medication for it; and by detection in asymptomatic people. The variables of intervention were identified by dichotomic trees expressed by relative frequencies. RESULTS: Forty-five point three percent of the subjects are hypertense: 27% previously diagnosed and 18.3% at the time of the exploration. Thirty-nine percent are hypercholesterolemic: 33.4% previously diagnosed and 5.6% at the time of the exploration. Twenty-one point two percent presented hyperglycemia: 9.7% previously diagnosed and 11.6% at the time of the exploration. Sixty-five point six percent were diagnosed as overweight or obese: 25.9% previously and 39.6% at the time of the exploration. They received dietary counselling and pharmacological treatment respectively: 79.8% and 70.3% of the hypertense; 75.4% and 35% of the hypercholesterolemic; 83.1% and 47.4% of those who presented hyperglycemia and 68.5% and 4% of those who showed overweight or obesity. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of cardiovascular risk factors is high. There is a margin for significant improvement in the detection, intervention and control of the risk factors.

[Evaluation of the clinical practice of Informed Consent in clinical trials]. / Evaluación de la práctica clínica del Consentimiento Informado en los ensayos clínicos.

On the basis of existing publications it would seem legitimate to assume that in a clinical test (CT) the difficulties inherent in the process of researcher-participant communication are in practice greater than desired. Similarly, the hypothesis is adopted that difficulties exist in the formal legibility of the documents of Informed Consent. We present the results of a transversal study made of a random sample (n=160) of the CTs approved by the Ethical Committee of Clinical Research (CEIC) of Navarra during the years 1995-1999. The results found were: in 69.7% of the cases the researcher filed the documents corresponding to the CT, the Informed Consent appears signed by the researcher in 56.6% of the CTs, and in more than 83% of the cases the written information shows shortcomings in legibility, which confirms the correctness of the hypothesis and permits the detection of areas where improvements need to be developed.

[Incidence of idiopathic and secondary Parkinson disease in Navarre. Population-based case registry]. / Incidencia de la enfermedad de Parkinson idiopática y secundaria en Navarra. Registro poblacional de casos.

AIM: To determine the incidence of Parkinson's disease in Navarra, province of Spain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients diagnosed as suffering from Parkinson's disease or related disorders for the neurologists of the region during the period 1994-1995 inclusive were referred to the study. EUROPARKINSON protocol and an epidemiological questionnaire were employed for the assessment. RESULTS: A total of 132 cases of idiopathic (86) and secondary (45) Parkinson's disease were diagnosed during that period. Among men the age adjusted incidence of idiopathic Parkinson's disease was 10.06 x 10(5), while for women it was 4.92 x 10(5). Total adjusted incidence was 7.36 x 10(5). The average age at onset was 67.5 years in men and 72.6 years in women (p < or = 0.007). Men showed an age adjusted incidence of secondary parkinsonism of 3.34 x 10(5) and women of 4.23 x 10(5). Age at onset was earlier in women than in men (71.2 and 74.8 years, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of idiopathic Parkinson's disease in Navarra is higher in men than in women, also supported for an earlier age at onset in men. The epidemiological pattern of secondary Parkinson's disease differs from that of the idiopathic disease.