Serum apolipoproteins, apoB/apoA-I ratio and objectively measured physical activity in elderly

Sex-specific differences in blood lipids and lipid ratios in type 2 diabetic foot patients

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

Few people have reported whether there are sex differences in blood lipids and lipid ratios in type 2 diabetic foot (T2DF) patients in China. This study attempts to identify the contribution to sex-specific differences in blood lipids and lipid ratios in these patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this case-control study, we explore 306 patients with T2DF as the study group and 306 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus as the control group. Patients were diagnosed according to the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2014 (American Diabetes Association). Blood lipid and lipid ratios were determined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria.

RESULTS

We studied male patients with T2DF who were aged 68.00 years (18.00 years) and females who were aged 73.50 years (19.00 years); 61.76% of the patients were men. Men had higher body mass index and glycated hemoglobin levels than women. Compared with type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, T2DF patients had significant differences in total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/HDL-C and apolipoprotein (apo)B/apoA-I ratios. HDL-C, triglyceride, apoA-I and apoB/apoA-I ratio showed cardiovascular disease risk in men, whereas total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apoB, and the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/HDL-C and total cholesterol/HDL-C ratios were better predictors in women. The apoB/apoA-I ratio odds ratio values were 2.18 (95% confidence interval 1.17-4.41) and 2.14 (95% confidence interval 1.14-4.00) in male patients with T2DF before and after adjusting for age, respectively (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

T2DF patients present sex-specific differences in their blood lipid and lipid ratios, especially in the apoB/apoA-I ratio, which could be a better indicator for cardiovascular disease risk.

Antihyperlipidaemic effect of microencapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum LIP-1 on hyperlipidaemic rats

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that Lactobacillus plantarum LIP-1 (hereafter LIP-1) has an obvious hypolipidemic effect, and microencapsulated probiotics can ensure the strains live through the gastrointestinal tract. Although there has been much research on both preparation and assessment methods for probiotics microcapsules, most assessments were made in vitro and few were validated in vivo. In this study, the protective effect of microencapsulation and the possible hypolipidemic mechanisms of probiotic LIP-1 were evaluated in rats. Treatments included rats fed on a normal diet, a high-fat diet, and a high-fat diet with an intragastric supplement of either non-microencapsulated LIP-1 cells (NME LIP-1) or microencapsulated LIP-1 (ME LIP-1). Lipid metabolism indicators were measured during the experiment and following euthanasia.

RESULTS

Microencapsulation increased survival and colonization of LIP-1 in the colon. ME LIP-1 was superior to NME LIP-1 in reducing cholesterol. The mechanisms behind the hypolipidemic effect exerted by LIP-1 are possibly due to promoting the excretion of cholesterol, improving antioxygenic potentials, enhancing recovery from the injury in the liver, cardiovascular intima and intestinal mucosa, promoting the generation of short-chain fatty acids, and improving lipid metabolism.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms that microencapsulation provides effective protection of LIP-1 in the digestive system and the role of LIP-1 in the prevention and cure of hyperlipidaemia, providing theoretical support for probiotics to enter clinical applications. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Can activity monitors predict outcomes in patients with heart failure? A systematic review

Actigraphy is increasingly incorporated into clinical practice to monitor intervention effectiveness and patient health in congestive heart failure (CHF). We explored the prognostic impact of actigraphy-quantified physical activity (AQPA) on CHF outcomes. PubMed and Medline databases were systematically searched for cross-sectional studies, cohort studies or randomised controlled trials from January 2007 to December 2017. We included studies that used validated actigraphs to predict outcomes in adult HF patients. Study selection and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. A total of 17 studies (15 cohort, 1 cross-sectional, 1 randomised controlled trial) were included, reporting on 2,759 CHF patients (22-89 years, 27.7% female). Overall, AQPA showed a strong inverse relationship with mortality and predictive utility when combined with established risk scores, and prognostic roles in morbidity, predicting cognitive function, New York Heart Association functional class and intercurrent events (e.g. hospitalisation), but weak relationships with health-related quality of life scores. Studies lacked consensus regarding device choice, time points and thresholds of PA measurement, which rendered quantitative comparisons between studies difficult. AQPA has a strong prognostic role in CHF. Multiple sampling time points would allow calculation of AQPA changes for incorporation into risk models. Consensus is needed regarding device choice and AQPA thresholds, while data management strategies are required to fully utilise generated data. Big data and machine learning strategies will potentially yield better predictive value of AQPA in CHF patients.