Background: A venous leg ulcer (VLU) has a significant negative impact on quality of life. Prevention of a VLU is not yet imbedded in clinical practice because risk factors for developing a first VLU are not well known. Objectives: To explore further the progression of chronic venous disease (CVD) into …

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease which is characterized by vasculopathy, tissue fibrosis and activation of the innate and adaptive immune system. Clinical features of the disease consists of skin thickening and internal organ involvement. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the disease …

Purpose: There is growing international interest in the implementation of structured osteoarthritis management programs (OAMPs) to deliver best evidence osteoarthritis (OA) care. A consortium of researchers, clinicians and consumers concerned with optimising implementation of OAMPs have established the …

Cutaneous melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops from benign melanocytes to one of the most aggressive types of skin tumors in human. In cutaneous melanoma progression, the metastasis phase is the most challenging phase to treat. To enable earlier treatment options, a better understanding of …

Atherosclerosis is the development of lipid-laden plaques in arteries and is nowadays considered as an inflammatory disease. It has been shown that high doses of ionizing radiation, as used in radiotherapy, can increase the risk of development or progression of atherosclerosis. To elucidate the effects …

Introduction: Cystic fibrosis is a life-limiting, inherited multi-organ disorder affecting Caucasians in the world today. The respiratory system is most often involved, which results in a limited life-span and decreased quality of life. Exercise is an important part of the therapy for cystic fibrosis; …

Cardiovascular disease is an important cause of disability in activities of daily living (ADL) through its effect on physical functioning. However, it is unclear whether subclinical vascular abnormalities and rate of change in subclinical vascular abnormalities is also associated with an impaired physical …

The capacity to make music and understand it is an evolutionary development not shared by animals. Learning to play an instrument has been shown to involve the development of larger brain volume. A strong correlation has been found between high musical activity and preservation of non-verbal memory, …

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical tachyarrhythmia associated with significant morbidity and mortality and is expected to affect approximately 30 million North Americans and Europeans by 2050. AF is a persistent disease, caused by progressive, often age-related, derailment of proteostasis …

BACKGROUND: Paratonia is a progressive motor problem that is observed in individuals with dementia and is not a well-known phenomenon. This study explores the development and risk factors of paratonia in moderate stage dementia patients. METHODS: A multi-center, longitudinal, one-year follow-up cohort …