PUPPOSE: This study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and educational needs for sexuality of the elderly. METHOD: This was a descriptive study, in which data were collected from February to April 2002 from 354 elderly who were residing in Chung-Chung province. RESULT: 1. The level of knowledge regarding sexuality was below average. 2. The level of the attitudes toward sexuality of the elderly was neither positive nor negative. 3. The educational needs of the elderly were above average. 4. Higher level of knowledge on sexuality was significantly correlated with more positive attitudes and education needs for sexuality, and more positive attitudes toward sexuality was significantly correlated with more educational needs for sexuality. CONCLUSION: Particularly men, with good health, and those who were in intimate relationships with their spouses and still engaged with active sexual life showed somewhat higher level of knowledge and positive attitudes as well as higher educational needs. Therefore, further development and applying of sexuality promotion programs for healthy elder couples should be considered in the future to enhance the quality of life of elder population. In addition, it is also suggested to develop an alternative intervention program on sexuality for elderly who are women, those with meager health, and the bereaved.
Aged* ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Quality of Life ; Sexuality* ; Spouses

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). In particular, the focus of many studies has been on ischemic heart disease, as it is a eading cause of death in diabetic patients. However, independent of coronary artery disease, DM can also lead to cardiac structural and functional changes, supporting the presence of diabetic cardiomyopathy. The pathologic mechanismin the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy is multifactorial including metabolic disturbance, myocardial fibrosis, microvascular disease, and autonomic dysfunction. Functionally, diabetic patients have a higher prevalence of LV (left ventricle) diastolic dysfunction. Because most diabetic patients with early myocardial disease have a wide spectrum of diastolic dysfunction at rest, assessment of LV functional reserve during exercise is helpful for early identification of myocardial dysfunction. Recent research has demonstrated that LV diastolic functional reserve (DFR) assessed by diastolic stress echocardiography was significantly reduced in patients with DM, compared with a control group, suggesting DFR might be an early indicator of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Glycemic control might be the most important and basic therapeutic strategy for preventing the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, more extensive studies are needed to garner further evidence of preventive and therapeutic strategies of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathies ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cause of Death ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies ; Diastole ; Echocardiography, Stress ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Prevalence

The purpose of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate a nutrition education program for middle aged men at a worksite. To be read easily, induce interest, and selected at need, seven 6-page leaflet aets were developed, which was the most preferable from chosen by the subjects. The contents of leaflet set were [Changing life style], [Good food habit],[Weight control and diet],[Cardiovascualr disease and diet], [Alimentary disease and diet],[Diaabetes and diet],and [Liver disease and diet]. Nutrition education was provided for 61 middle aged men(30 professors, 31 office workers) at a worksite from 40 mins to one hour. And the level of nutrition knowledge and nutrition attitude were tested to evaluate the effects of the nutrition education program with a developed leaflet set before and after nutrition education. After the nutrition deucation. the nutrition knowledge score had increased significantly at p<0.001, from average 9.3 point to 11.4 point. The level of nutrition knowledge was increased significantly at p<0.001, and the prevalence of misconceptions and the uncertainty of knowledge were decreased significantly at p<0.05. There was a significant difference between professors and office workers both before and after the program. Also, there was a significant increase in the attitude about nutrition score after the program and this means that the subjects were flexibly more open minded about nutrition than before(from 39.9 point, at p<0.001). The difference in the nutrition attitude score between professors and office workers was not significant both before and after the nutrition deucation. The developed leaflet set was evaluated very positively in understanding, interest, timing, and usage by the subjects.
beta-Aminoethyl Isothiourea ; Education* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged* ; Prevalence ; Uncertainty ; Workplace*

No abstract available.
Erythema Nodosum* ; Erythema*

No abstract available.
Forehead* ; Hamartoma*

No abstract available.
Colitis, Ulcerative* ; Ulcer*

No abstract available.
Darier Disease* ; Friction* ; Keratosis* ; Minocycline

BACKGROUND: Thyroid autoimmunity has been increasingly reported to be associated with chronic urticaria (CU), and the possible clinical benefit of thyroid hormone or anti-thyroid drugs in some CU patients with autoimmune thyroid disease has been studied. However, the effect of thyroid hormone or anti-thyroid drugs on clinical symptoms of CU remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the clinical response of urticaria to the treatment of thyroid dysfunction. METHODS: Medical records of patients with CU evaluated for thyroid autoimmunity and thyroid function were collected and reviewed. RESULTS: Of 184 patients with CU, 43 patients (23.4%) had thyroid autoantibodies and 26 patients (14.1%) had thyroid dysfunction. While none of the five patients with Graves' disease showed any improvement of urticaria after treatment with anti-thyroid drugs, two of the 10 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis showed improved urticaria after being treated with levothyroxine. CONCLUSION: Although levothyroxine treatment was effective in a minority of patients with CU, there may be a causal relationship between CU and thyroid autoimmunity.
Autoantibodies ; Autoimmunity* ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroiditis ; Thyroxine* ; Urticaria*

BACKGROUND: Thyroid autoimmunity has been increasingly reported to be associated with chronic urticaria (CU), and the possible clinical benefit of thyroid hormone or anti-thyroid drugs in some CU patients with autoimmune thyroid disease has been studied. However, the effect of thyroid hormone or anti-thyroid drugs on clinical symptoms of CU remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the clinical response of urticaria to the treatment of thyroid dysfunction. METHODS: Medical records of patients with CU evaluated for thyroid autoimmunity and thyroid function were collected and reviewed. RESULTS: Of 184 patients with CU, 43 patients (23.4%) had thyroid autoantibodies and 26 patients (14.1%) had thyroid dysfunction. While none of the five patients with Graves' disease showed any improvement of urticaria after treatment with anti-thyroid drugs, two of the 10 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis showed improved urticaria after being treated with levothyroxine. CONCLUSION: Although levothyroxine treatment was effective in a minority of patients with CU, there may be a causal relationship between CU and thyroid autoimmunity.
Autoantibodies ; Autoimmunity* ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroiditis ; Thyroxine* ; Urticaria*

Two case of a rare from of congenital ichthyosis in infants born to the same parents are presented. Typical features revealed of parchment like skin, ectropion of upper eyelids, and fixed semiflexion attitude of the upper limb. The skin lesion were followed by desquamation and appearance of normal looking skin from the the second day of life to a month. Diagnosis of collodion baby was established by clinical features, histopathological and laboratory studies. A brief feview of literatures were presented.
Collodion* ; Diagnosis ; Ectropion ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Ichthyosis ; Infant ; Parents ; Skin ; Upper Extremity