An elevated level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is directly associated with development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which may present as coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease. The new cholesterol management guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association aim to address a comprehensive approach to prevent and reduce the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The new guidelines recommend initiation of heart healthy lifestyle modifications and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase inhibitor ("statin") therapy in individuals who are at a high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. It is estimated that these guidelines could result in "statin" therapy for one in every three adults in the United States. This article presents a review of the current cholesterol management guidelines, recommendations from relevant randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses obtained from the searches in Medline/PubMed and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and publications from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service, and the United States Preventive Services Task Force.

The use of water for various treatments (hydrotherapy) is probably as old as mankind. Hydrotherapy is one of the basic methods of treatment widely used in the system of natural medicine, which is also called as water therapy, aquatic therapy, pool therapy, and balneotherapy. Use of water in various forms and in various temperatures can produce different effects on different system of the body. Many studies/reviews reported the effects of hydrotherapy only on very few systems and there is lack of studies/reviews in reporting the evidence-based effects of hydrotherapy on various systems. We performed PubMed and PubMed central search to review relevant articles in English literature based on "effects of hydrotherapy/balneotherapy" on various systems of the body. Based on the available literature this review suggests that the hydrotherapy has a scientific evidence-based effect on various systems of the body.

Background: Numerous surgical procedures have been described for pilonidal sinus disease, but treatment failure and disease recurrence are frequent. Conventional off-midline flap closures have relatively favorable surgical outcomes, but relatively unfavorable cosmetic outcomes. Aim: The author reported outcomes of a new simplified off-midline technique for closure of the defect after complete excision of the sinus tracts. Patients and Methods: Two hundred patients of both sexes were enrolled for modified D-shaped excisions were used to include all sinuses and their ramifications, with a simplified procedure to close the defect. Results: The overall wound infection rate was 12%, (12.2% for males and 11.1% for females). Wound disruption was necessitating laying the whole wound open and management as open technique. The overall wound disruption rate was 6%, (6.1% for males and 5.5% for females) and the overall recurrence rate was 7%. Conclusion: Our simplified off-midline closure without flap appeared to be comparable to conventional off-midline closure with flap, in terms of wound infection, wound dehiscence, and recurrence. Advantages of the simplified procedure include potentially reduced surgery complexity, reduced surgery time, and improved cosmetic outcome.

Background: Psychosocial stress is one important risk factor for myocardial infarction. Aim: The study was to assess the impact of the 2008-2009 economic recession on myocardial infarction occurrences in different socioeconomic areas of Raritan Bay region, New Jersey. Materials and Methods: The patients, who were treated for acute myocardial infarction from January 2006 to June 2012, were grouped based on the average incomes of their residence districts in the Raritan Bay region. The Spearman Rank Correlation test was used to assess the correlation between the monthly occurrences of myocardial infarction and Dow Jones stock averages, as well as the correlation between the myocardial infarction occurrences and NJ State unemployment rates. Results: Among 1,491 cases that were identified, 990 cases resided in areas with income below the state average and 477 were from areas above the average. After the onset of the recession, the myocardial infarction occurrences trended up in the low-income area group but not in the high-income area group; and this increasing trend is correlated with the rise in NJ State unemployment rates but not with the changes in stock averages. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that unemployment contributed to an increased risk of myocardial infarction among the residents in low socioeconomic areas after the 2008-2009 economic recession.

Background: Tubular adenomas are rare benign neoplasms of female breast affecting women, predominantly of child-bearing age group. Definitive diagnosis of this tumor is usually achieved after histopathological study. Clinical, radiological, and even cytological features are often insufficient for accurate diagnosis. Aim: The aim of the present study was planned to analyze clinical and radiological features of histologically confirmed cases of tubular adenoma of breast to find out a clue for accurate preoperative cytological diagnosis. Materials and Methods: In our 10-year research program, all histologically confirmed tubular adenoma cases of breast were studied. Clinico-radio-cytological features, if available, were analyzed and tabulated. Results: Thirty-three cases of tubular adenoma of breast were studied. Radiological and cytological assessments are available for 12 and 26 cases, respectively. Tubular adenoma could be diagnosed in only two cases (7.7%) by cytological assessment, but in none by radiological assessment. Conclusions: Clinico-cyto-radiological assessment could identify the benign nature of the tumors in most cases, but final confirmation was possible only after histopathological study.

Background: According to official data, 60-70% of clinical decisions about hospitalization and discharge are based on laboratory results. Aims: The objective of this study is to examine the frequency of errors before, during, and after analysis in a major medical laboratory. Materials and Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted throughout 2012 (January-December 2012). Errors are recorded by the Quality Control Committee in a specially designed record. Results: A total of 303,866 samples, 2,430,928 tests were received for analysis. The total number of errors was 153,148 (6.3%) (116,392 for inpatients and 36,756 for outpatients). Analysis of the results revealed that about 65.09% of the errors occur across preanalytical phase, whereas 23.2% and 11.68% are related to analytical and postanalytical phase, respectively. Conclusion: More than half of the laboratory errors are related to preanalytical phase; therefore, proper training and knowledge of intervening factors are essential for reducing errors and optimizing the quality.

Background : Nocardia species have a complex cell wall structure similar to that of mycobacteria, and the extraction of DNA from this bacterium is extremely diffi cult. Currently, to identify Nocardia species particularly, it is essential to utilize molecular techniques. Aims : In the present study, we investigated STET (sodium chloride-TRIS-EDTA-triton) buffer for the extraction of high-quality genomic DNA from 20 clinical and environmental isolates. Materials and Methods: The extracted DNA was evaluated for portion of the 16S rRNA, 65-kDa heat-shock protein and 16S rRNA genes via polymerase chain reaction. Results: The extracted DNA had high molecular mass, and its concentration and purity was suitable when tested in 1% agarose gel, and using UV spectrophotometry. Amplifi cation of three different genes was successfully performed. Conclusion: This paper reveals an inexpensive, reproducible and effi cient method of DNA extraction from Nocardia species, which is appropriate for accurate identifi cation of this bacterium via polymerase chain reaction and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Context: Spontaneous thrombosis of renal artery is extremely rare. Its presentation is that of commonly encountered problem of acute abdomen underscoring the need for a clinician to be aware of it. Case Report: We report a case of a 56-year-old male with no previous health problems presented with complaint of abdominal pain and nausea. Computed tomography angiogram (CTA) of the abdomen and pelvis confirmed thrombus in left renal artery. He showed good response to the treatment with resolution of the thrombus and improvement in the renal perfusion. Conclusion: Our case does conform to the others experience of good outcome when treatment is initiated in a timely manner. This patient had resolution of symptoms and restoration of perfusion with anticoagulation. The purpose of this case report is to remind busy practicing physicians to keep spontaneous renal thromboembolism in differential diagnosis in a patient with acute abdomen.

Context: Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare but severe disease. The diagnosis is usually late when a patient is evaluated for renal insufficiency. Untreated cases may develop serious complications or advance to end-stage renal disease. Case Report: We report a 66-year-old man who presented with worsening kidney function. He was successfully given the diagnosis of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis. Prednisone (1 mg/kg per day) was initiated. The patient's symptoms continued to improve at 1 month with stable kidney function. Conclusion: Clinicians should have high index of suspicion for retroperitoneal fibrosis when patients present with an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or C-reactive protein (CRP) and renal insufficiency from obstructive uropathy. The diagnosis of retroperitoneal fibrosis is primarily made from imaging by computed tomography (CT) scan. Biopsy should be performed in patients who do not have typical findings on CT scan and to exclude the possibility of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease.