60 EAA units), and (3) managing enrolment in a complicated trial design where two medical teams Selleckchem Belnacasan are involved (the intensivist as the blinded caregiver and nephrologists as the unblinded performers of the intervention). The study is nearing the halfway mark and is currently experiencing excellent recruitment success. (C) 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“The plague of obesity afflicts an increasing group

of people. Moreover type 2 diabetes, which is the most serious illness accompanying excessive weight, is becoming more and more common. Traditional methods of obesity treatment, such as diet and physical exercise, fail. This applies especially to people with class III obesity. The only successful way of treating obesity in their case is bariatric surgery. There are three types of bariatric surgery: restrictive procedures (reducing stomach volume), malabsorptive procedures, and mixed procedures, which combine both methods. In spite of the risk connected with the surgery and complications after it, bariatric procedures are advised to patients with class III obesity and class II with an accompanying illness which increases the probability of death. It has been proved

that bariatric surgery not only eliminates obesity but also very frequently (in 90% of cases) leads to the remission of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, the remission occurs very fast – it takes place a long time before the patients reduce their weight, even within a few days after surgery. Detailed studies have Prexasertib shown that the remission of diabetes is caused mostly by the change of the gastro-intestinal hormones’ profile, resulting from the surgery. These hormones include GLP-1, GIP, peptide YY, FG-4592 ghrelin and oxyntomodulin. Additionally, the change of the amount of adipose tissue

after the surgery influences the level of adipokines, i.e. the hormones of the adipose tissue, among which the most important are leptin, adiponectin and resistin. Thus, bariatric surgery not only changes the shape of the gastrointestinal tract but it also modulates the hormonal activity. Bariatric surgery is considered as therapy not only for the obese but also for diabetic patients.”
“Objective. The objective of this study is to determine the utility of simple asthma control questionnaires in assessing the asthma control in our practice setting. Methods. The Asthma Control Test (ACT), Asthma Therapy Assessment Questionnaire (ATAQ), and mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (mini AQLQ) were administered to previously diagnosed asthma patients. Spirometry was performed to obtain the prebronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). The relationship between test scores (ACT and ATAQ) and the FEV1 and mini AQLQ scores, respectively, was explored. Results. A total of 106 patients (mean age 41 +/- 15.3 years, 61 (57.5%) females) participated in the study.