RESUMO
Herod the Great was the founder of a dynasty that reigned on Judea for several generations. His birth date is estimated on year 73 AC and died at 70 years old. Descriptions of the final disease of Herod were obtained from the classical chronicles of Flavius Josephus, "The Jewish war" and "Jewish Antiquities". A medical explanation for his death is attempted. A parasitism caused by Schistosoma haematobium is suggested as the etiology for chronic renal failure (edema, halitosis and orthopnea) and a "gangrene of genitalia that engendered worms" in the words of Josephus. This would be explained by the formation of genital and urinary fistulae, observed in such disease. The asseveration that Herod was "attacked by black bilis" is also discussed, based on the concepts of the Hippocratic medicine of that time.
Assuntos
Pessoas Famosas , Falência Renal Crônica/história , Esquistossomose Urinária/história , História Antiga , Humanos , Masculino , Oriente MédioRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a common and important cardiovascular risk factor in patients on chronic hemodialysis. AIM: To report the prevalence and characteristics of hypertension among patients on chronic hemodialysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cross sectional study of 313 patients (192 male, aged 57 +/- 18 years) dialyzed in 7 representative centers in Santiago, Chile. RESULTS: Patients were on hemodialysis for a mean of 68 +/- 53 months and 67 (21%) were diabetic. 230 (74%) were hypertensive and 223 of these (97%) had predialysis hypertension. A multivariate analysis showed that hypertension was associated with increased weight gain between dialysis, failure to achieve the postdialysis dry weight, increasing age and the presence of diabetes. Among hypertensive patients, 61% were receiving antihypertensive medications, compared with 27% of patients with normal blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: High blood pressure is highly prevalent among patients on chronic hemodialysis and is associated to hypervolemia, age and the presence of diabetes.
