Amount Of Risk Factors Research Articles

Exploring clinical indicator variations in stroke patients with multiple risk factors: focus on hypertension and inflammatory reactions

BackgroundStroke stands as the second leading cause of death worldwide. Currently, extensive research has been conducted on stroke risk factors. However, when stroke patients contend with multiple risk factors, the impact on clinical indicators remains uncertain.ObjectivesThis study seeks to investigate potential significant variations among distinct ranges of clinical indicators in instances where stroke patients experience multiple risk factors and various ischemic stroke subtypes.Material and methodsThe research encompassed 440 stroke patients admitted to the First People's Hospital of Wenling City, Zhejiang Province, China. These patients were classified based on the type and quantity of risk factors and subtypes of ischemic stroke they presented. The χ2 test was employed to assess the relationship between the risk of comorbid diseases and clinical indicators in stroke patients.ResultsThe results of our study have underscored a significant correlation between various comorbid risk factors in stroke patients and the patients' age (P < 0.010). Furthermore, we observed noteworthy disparities in the plasma levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and INF-γ between patients devoid of risk factors and those presenting with comorbid risk factors associated with stroke. Significant differences in INF-γ were observed between the two subtypes of ischemic stroke, namely lacunar infarction and cardioembolic stroke.ConclusionAge is correlated with an elevated risk of stroke. Individuals exhibiting multiple stroke risk factors and diverse ischemic stroke subtypes commonly present with abnormal lipid levels and imbalances in Th1/Th2 cytokines. These factors significantly contribute to the onset and progression of stroke. Furthermore, inflammatory responses, particularly those induced by atherosclerosis, play a pivotal role in the genesis of stroke and exert a substantial influence on its prognosis.

QOL-27. Sociocultural variables have a major impact on participation in patients treated for pediatric posterior fossa tumors

Abstract OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the extent of participation barriers in patients with pediatric posterior fossa tumors (PFTs) at long-term follow-up. While most studies focus on pathobiological variables that promote the occurrence of adverse late effects, the present analysis aims to investigate the importance of environmental variables. METHOD: Ten years after tumor diagnosis, 42 patients (mean age: 17 years) treated at our pediatric neuro-oncology unit were assessed for school and social difficulties using a questionnaire developed within the framework of this study. Participation barriers were assumed if patients and/or their parents reported difficulties at school or with peers. The children and adolescents were classified into groups with adequate and limited participation. Potential pathobiological (treatment type, hydrocephalus, tumor recurrence, gender, age at diagnosis, seizures, cerebellar mutism) and environmental risk factors (parental and maternal education, siblings, primary language, discrepancies between personal and environmental values, regular physical activity, private housing) were identified and examined to see if the participation groups differed in the amount of risk factors. RESULTS: Almost a decade after treatment, two thirds of the patients had school and/or social difficulties. Not only pathobiological risk factors (type of treatment, hydrocephalus, tumor recurrence, cerebellar mutism and seizures), but also environmental factors (low maternal education level, siblings, a main language other than German, discrepancies between social and personal values, and irregular physical activity) were associated with limited participation. These variables discriminated significantly between patients with and without participation barriers. CONCLUSION: Participation barriers in patients treated for pediatric PFT are frequent. In addition to pathobiological variables, environmental risk factors also play an important role in limiting school and social participation. This underlines the fact that a sole consideration of pathobiology is not sufficient when examining risk factors for the occurrence of late effects. The adoption of biopsychosocial perspectives in future studies is inevitable.

Trajectories of delinquency among young adult prisoners

Using latent class growth analysis, this prospective longitudinal study aimed to identify different trajectories of delinquency among prisoners ( N = 2352) of youth correctional facilities. Criminal behaviour was monitored with crime register data on individuals from ages 14 to 25. Analyses revealed four developmental pathways: early- and late-starting desisters (31.8 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively) and early- and late-starting persisters (21.2 percent and 41.8 percent, respectively). The effects of potential risk and protective factors from multiple domains (individual, family, peer and social factors) were analysed with analyses of variance and χ² tests for each of the distinct trajectory groups. The quantity of risk factors was higher throughout the observation period in the persisting groups. Cumulative disadvantages could often be found in the persistent trajectories when low social bonds and low commitment to social norms persisted until (early) adulthood. Similarly, higher social capital and social competencies were more prevalent among offenders who desisted from crime, regardless of the severity of their offences committed as adolescents.

Different Clinical Phenotypes of Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source: A Subgroup Analysis of 86 Patients

Introduction and Study AimEmbolic strokes of undetermined source (ESUS) represent a rather recent diagnostic entity under clinical research for relapse prevention in cryptogenic stroke patients. Despite strict diagnostic criteria, ESUS definition ignores major clinical and radiological aspects, so including heterogeneous cases and probably influencing trial results. This study researches clinically relevant phenotypes among ESUS patients. Patients and MethodsWe evaluated ESUS patients admitted at Trento Stroke Unit over a 4-year period. Vascular risk factors (RFs), neurological deficit severity, presence of potential embolic sources, and ASCOD phenotype were recorded. Ischemic lesions were categorized considering their extension in 4 groups. Subgroup comparisons by predefined differences in age, amount of RFs, history of previous stroke, deficit severity, and stroke lesion extension were done. ResultsESUS cases were 86. Patients younger than 50 years old (n = 17) had a lower prevalence of RFs, left atrial enlargement, left ventricle diastolic dysfunction, a higher proportion of ASCOD score A0 (P < .05). Patients without RFs (n = 18) differed from those with greater than or equal to 3 RFs (n = 23) for a younger age and a lower prevalence of potential causes of embolism (P < .05). Patients without a previous stroke (n = 70) were younger, had a lower prevalence of RFs, left ventricle diastolic dysfunction, a higher prevalence of ASCOD score A0 (P < .05). No differences were observed comparing minor and major clinical and radiological strokes. Discussion and ConclusionsESUS patients can be distinguished in 2 opposite phenotypes defined by a lower and a higher load of atherosclerotic pathology. They may suggest possible underlying pathogenic mechanisms and support interpretation of ongoing trials results.

Lung cancer risk prediction method based on feature selection and artificial neural network.

A method to predict the risk of lung cancer is proposed, based on two feature selection algorithms: Fisher and ReliefF, and BP Neural Networks. An appropriate quantity of risk factors was chosen for lung cancer risk prediction. The process featured two steps, firstly choosing the risk factors by combining two feature selection algorithms, then providing the predictive value by neural network. Based on the method framework, an algorithm LCRP (lung cancer risk prediction) is presented, to reduce the amount of risk factors collected in practical applications. The proposed method is suitable for health monitoring and self-testing. Experiments showed it can actually provide satisfactory accuracy under low dimensions of risk factors.

Paired-like homeodomain 2: a novel therapeutic target for atrial fibrillation?

Paired-like homeodomain 2: a novel therapeutic target for atrial fibrillation?

Information Technology Risks &amp; the Extent of Their Impact: An Analysis of Zimbabwean Insurance Companies in the Context of E-Commerce

The conditions for doing business are rapidly changing. The Internet and related advances in information technology significantly affect financial services in general and insurance markets and banks in particular. The growing importance of e-commerce represents a watershed event for insurance markets and banking institutions, as it does for most industries. By managing Information Technology risks, e-commerce will enable insurers to classify, underwrite, and price risk as well as settle claims more accurately and efficiently. The risk connected with the wide application of information technologies in business grows together with the increase of enterprise’s correlation from its customers, business partners and outsourced operations. Technological progress generates dependencies which evoke growth of diversities, complexity, non-descriptiveness and quantity of risk factors. In insufficient investments on information security the issue of IT risk management becomes more significant, concentrating on searching optimal proportion between threats and costs of IT systems protections. In such dynamic development of Information Technology the time needed for appropriate reaction on risk is decidedly shortened. The lack of appropriate preparation may lead the company to collapse, thus appropriate reaction on risk constitutes about possibilities of survival and development of enterprise. One of the most important stages of this process is risk analysis, used for optimization, and correctly for minimizations of losses connected with risk. The dissertation will present the issue of IT security risk management; discuss the most significant stage of risk management which is IT security risk analysis. Chosen computer applications supporting these processes will be presented. Selected research connected with IT security risk management will be discussed in the literature review. Overally, the Internet – through a secure platform of I.T, will significantly enhance the efficiency of the insurance markets and institutions and benefit consumers by lowering transaction and information costs. The foundation for the purpose of this research has been created by a prospective study to explore I.T risks & the extent of their impact on the Zimbabwean insurance companies in the context of e-commerce. In order to fulfill the purpose of this study, a frame of reference will be emerged based on a vast literature review. With the focus at quantitative research as a general approach and descriptive research as the type of research in this study, a structured questionnaire will be used as the data collection instrument. To accomplish this, a survey of 25 people (in almost all active insurance companies in Zimbabwe) will be carried out. The respondents from almost every department within the targeted insurance companies will be randomly chosen. Focus will be on the perception of insurers and re-insurers regarding the subject of study, and thus, the perception of other stakeholders such as insurance agents/brokers and even their customers will be suggested for future research, due to limitation and demarcation of this research.

Risk factors and protective factors in relation to subjective health among adult female victims of child sexual abuse

Objective To investigate the relationships between risk and protective factors and health outcome in a sample of adult females who had been victims of child sexual abuse. Method Both person- and variable-oriented analyses were applied to questionnaire data from a non-clinical group of women ( n = 152) reporting sexual abuse during childhood. Results Six groups with different patterns of risk and protective factors were found by cluster analysis. Two groups (Good Coping and Support Compensation) had significantly better health than expected in spite of severe abuse. Self-esteem and social support were strong predictors of health in the regression models. Conclusion The relationships between risk and protective factors and health may be different in different groups of victims of child sexual abuse. Self-esteem was closely related to health outcome displaying the importance of this concept in clinical practice. Availability of resources seems to be more important for health outcomes than the amount of risk factors.

Childhood risk factors and adolescent drug and alcohol abuse

Childhood risk factors for adolescent drug and alcohol abuse are reviewed. Childhood personality manifesting the “difficult child” syndrome and psychopathological features of hyperactivity and antisocial traits are predictive of later substance abuse, especially when these traits persist into adolescence. Key interpersonal risk factors include family mismanagement, parental substance use, low academic performance and commitment, and association with substance-using peers. A schema outlines postulated predictive paths of substance use that are comprised of various risk factors. The source of origin, time of emergence, and quantity of risk factors are proposed to account for differing levels of substance involvement.