Article Abstract:
Physically-fit cystic fibrosis patients may have a significantly lower risk of death. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease interfering with normal body secretions and is characterized by numerous respiratory difficulties. Lung function and physical fitness were measured in 109 cystic fibrosis patients, aged seven to 35, and they were followed for eight years after testing. Patients at the highest level of physical fitness had an 83% survival rate, compared to 51% for patients at the middle level of fitness and 28% for patients at the lowest level. After correcting for other risks associated with cystic fibrosis, physically-fit patients were three times more likely to survive than patients at low levels of fitness. High levels of fitness may simply reflect less severe cases of cystic fibrosis. Exercise testing may still be useful in predicting disease outcome.
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Article Abstract:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held an open meeting of its Circulatory System Devices Panel on December 7 and 8, 2006, in response to the debate over the safety of drug-eluting stents following the release of data showing an increased risk of late stent thrombosis. The advisory group was divided on the implications of the findings, with some insisting that the new data necessitated a black-box warning while others maintained it would not have much impact on doctors' practices.
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Article Abstract:
A comparative study of the effects of using bare-metal and drug-eluting stents for off-label indications is presented. The drug-eluting stents are found to be better than the bare-metal stents, as they lead to a lower rate of repeat revascularization.
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