Masked polycythaemia vera (PV) has been proposed as a new entity with poorer outcome than overt PV. In this study, the initial clinical and laboratory characteristics, response to treatment and outcome of masked and overt PV were compared using red cell mass and haemoglobin or haematocrit levels for the distinction between both entities. Sixty-eight of 151 PV patients (45%) were classified as masked PV according to World Health Organisation diagnostic criteria, whereas 16 (11%) were classified as masked PV using the British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH). In comparison with overt PV, a higher platelet count and a lower JAK2V617F allele burden at diagnosis were observed in masked PV. Patients with masked PV needed lower phlebotomies and responded faster to hydroxcarbamide than those with overt PV. Complete haematological response was more frequently achieved in masked than in overt PV (79% vs. 58%, P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in the duration of haematological response, the rate of resistance or intolerance to hydroxycarbamide and the probability of molecular response according to type of PV (masked vs. overt). Overall survival, rate of thrombosis and major bleeding, and probability of transformation was superimposable among patients with masked and overt PV.

This study examines the secondary effects of hypocaloric diets. The results show that the positive short-term effects with regards health are not maintained in the long term, as most people eventually return to their original weight. A description is given of how psychological reasons are more important than biological mechanisms when explaining this failure and stress is put on how carrying out successive hypocaloric diets can result in a subgroup of people becoming overweight or obese. Furthermore, an analysis is made of the relationship between diets, eating disorders and the "yo-yo effect", which is in turn associated with a rise in morbimortality due to a wide range of causes. As an alternative to the indiscriminate use of hypocaloric diets, a strategy based on the modification of lifestyle is suggested in order to control weight and improve health.

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We found no children with T2DM. The prevalence of IGT and IR was related to severity of obesity, to the association of acanthosis nigricans and was associated with cardiovascular risk.

Ninety patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who did not respond to medical treatment were randomly assigned to four treatment conditions—two experimental groups: stress management and contingency management; and two control groups: medical treatment and placebo. The subjects underwent 12 individual sessions which were specific for each condition. All the subjects completed symptom‐monitoring diaries. Thirty‐three dropped out during the assessment or treatment. The subjects who received training in contingency management experienced significant reductions in all the characteristic digestive symptoms: abdominal pain (p<0.001), diarrhoea (p<0.05), constipation (p<0.05) and dyspepsia (p<0.001). At the end of the treatment, 50 per cent of the patients remained asymptomatic and 37.5 per cent reduced their symptoms by at least 50 per cent. Among the patients assigned to the condition stress management, 33 per cent got rid of their symptomatology and the subjects showed significant reductions in the following digestive symptoms: abdominal pain (p<0.05), diarrhoea (p<0.05) and dyspepsia (p<0.05). The changes in the placebo group are not representative. The subjects assigned to this condition showed a high dropout rate. Significant changes were not observed in symptomatology in the medical treatment group. The results are maintained after a year of follow‐up. Possible predictive parameters of the progress of the patients are explored. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

KCNJ11 mutations are common in both TNDM and PNDM and are associated with a higher birth weight compared with patients with 6q24 abnormalities. Patients with TNDM should be screened for abnormalities in glucose metabolism in adult life.

ResumenObjetivo: Valorar la utilidad de las distintas intervenciones psicológicas en relación al estado emocional, físico, funcionalidad y la calidad de vida de los pacientes oncológicos en las diferentes fases de la enfermedad.Método: Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica en las bases de datos Medline y CancerLit, entre el año 2000 y 2014.Resultados: Un total de 122 estudios experimentales se describen agrupados según las fases de la enfermedad y los tipos de intervención psicológica aplicados. Se discute acerca de sus garantías metodológicas y se analizan las medidas y valoraciones de eficacia terapéutica para identificar las intervenciones con mejores pronósticos.Conclusiones: En general, los trabajos revisados han logrado resultados favorables en relación a la mejora del estado emocional, físico, funcional y la calidad de vida de los pacientes. No obstante, sus limitaciones metodológicas (uso de muestras pequeñas, dificultades de generalización, ausencia de grupo control, etc.) y, en ocasiones, resultados contradictorios señalan cautela a la hora de concluir sobre la efectividad o no de la intervención psicológica en cáncer y los beneficios de su aplicación.Palabras clave: Cáncer, intervención psicológica, estado emocional, síntomas físicos y calidad de vida. Results: A total of 122 experimental studies are described grouped according to the illness phases and the kind of psychological intervention employed. It is discussed about the methodological guaranties and the measures and the assessments of therapeutic efficiency to identify the interventions with the best prognostic.Conclusions: In general, the studies reviewed have achieved favorable results in relation to the improvement of the emotional, physical, functional state and the quality of life the patients. Nevertheless, their methodological limitations (little samples, difficulties of generalization, control group absence, etc.) and, sometimes, contradictory results suggest to be cautious when concluding about the effectiveness or not of the psychological intervention in cancer and the benefits of its application.

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