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Biomedical subjects

Arve Dahl

Publications and source records attributed to Arve Dahl.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

[Can ischaemic stroke be prevented with statins?].

BACKGROUND: Statins provide a reduction in the risk for ischaemic stroke in patients with coronary artery disease, known atherosclerotic disease, and in patients with risk factors for arterial vascular disease. There is also considerable interest in whether or not statins should be used as a secondary prophylaxis for stroke. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This review is based on articles included on Medline that consider the association between cholesterol and cerebrovascular disease and the use of statins in ischaemic stroke. RESULTS: Cholesterol is a much weaker risk factor for ischaemic stroke than for coronary heart disease. It is especially associated with thromboembolic stroke due to atherosclerosis of the larger vessels. Meta-analysis of earlier studies in patients with coronary artery disease and several more recent studies which include patients with other atherosclerotic disease and risk factors for atherosclerosis have clearly shown a relative risk reduction for ischaemic stroke of between 20 and 30%. Since these studies were of patients in age groups in which stroke rarely occurs, the relative risk reduction was moderate. Risk reduction seems similar in all age groups with atherosclerotic heart disease and for all cholesterol levels. A reduced risk for a new stroke has to date not been shown for patients with previous stroke. CONCLUSION: Given the fact that stroke is caused by several mechanisms and is often not caused by atherosclerosis of larger vessels, definite advice cannot be given on secondary prevention with statins in all stroke patients. At present there are no results from studies where only ischaemic stroke patients were included and with a sufficient number of older patients.

Aged↗

[Treatment of patients with neuromuscular disease in a warm climate].

BACKGROUND: Several patient groups request treatment in a warm climate, in spite of the fact that the effects of such treatment are undocumented. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 47 children and 40 adults with neuromuscular diseases were recruited, stratified according to sex, use or non-use of electric wheelchair, primary myopathy or hereditary neuropathy, and randomised into two adult and two children groups. The patients were treated in a rehabilitation centre, either on Lanzarote or in Norway. All patients were monitored with physical tests and questionnaires at the start of the study, at the end of the treatment period, after three months (all groups) and after six months (adults only). RESULTS: No significant differences in effect between the groups were found. In the warm climate, the adult patient group showed a statistically significant improvement regarding pain, quality of life, depression, and results of physical tests at the end of treatment. After three months, the improvement in physical tests was still present. Among adult patients treated in Norway, improvement in physical tests was statistically significant after three months, but not at the end of the treatment period. INTERPRETATION: This study did not show a statistically significant difference between patients with various neuromuscular diseases treated in a warm climate compared to similar patients treated in Norway.

Adult↗

Genome-wide homozygosity mapping localizes a gene for autosomal recessive non-progressive infantile ataxia to 20q11-q13.

Autosomal recessive ataxias represent genetic and clinical heterogeneity. Unsteady gait is often accompanied by poor coordination of limbs, speech, and eye movements. To date, seven genes have been identified. In addition, five chromosomal loci have been localized in non-related families. Here, we report homozygosity mapping of a novel locus to a 19.5-cM region on chromosome 20q11-q13 in a large inbred Norwegian family with infantile non-progressive ataxia.

Adolescent↗

Symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in patients with the late whiplash syndrome.

The aim of the study was to record the severity of symptoms in patients with the late whiplash syndrome and to assess how the symptom load affected the performance on a simple psychometric test. The Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) with an additional question on neck pain, modified RPQ (mRPQ), and the Short Test of Mental Status (STMS) were applied on 40 chronic whiplash patients. Symptoms reported by the whiplash group were compared to those of 50 normal controls. The patients scored significantly higher than the controls on all symptoms listed in the mRPQ. The most frequent symptoms reported.

Adult↗