Carotid intima media-thickness is increased in obese children metabolically healthy, metabolically unhealthy, and with metabolic syndrome, compared to the non-obese controls

The prevalence of obesity continues to increase. Obesity is associated with cardiovascular risk factors: elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia and glycemic alterations, causing metabolic syndrome. A subgroup of obese, Metabolically Healthy Obese (MHO), appears to be less prone to the development of metabolic disturbances. Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is a non-invasive marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and it is associated with increased risk of CVD events. To investigate the cardiovascular risk, demonstrated through the increase of cIMT in obese subjects without Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), we have studied cIMT in MHO, metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) and obese with MetS diagnosed with the IDEFICS criteria and compared to a control group. 224 obese children aged 6 to 21 years (13,50 ± 4.01 years) and 103 normal weight subjects aged 7 to 19 years (13.2 ± 4.1 years) were studied. The body mass index (BMI) of the obese children was ≥ the 95th percentile. Based on the IDEFICS criteria, we divided the obese subjects in three groups: MHO if no criteria were out of range, MUO if, at least, one of the criteria was out of range and MetS group if all the IDEFICS criteria were present. In all the subjects cIMT was measured with color Doppler by a vascular surgeon. Differences in the means of the variables were tested by ANOVA. Based on the IDEFICS criteria, 32 subjects were affected by MetS (14..3%), 66 were considered MUO (29.4%) and 126 MHO (56.3%). Comparison of mean cIMT highlighted a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the groups of obese children (MHO, MUO and MetS) and controls for both carotid arteries. We did not find significative difference in the value of cIMT in MHO, MUO and MetS subjects, and all groups showed cIMT value higher compared to cIMT of the controls.

Study of liver function in healthy elderly subjects using the 13C-methacetin breath test

BACKGROUND

The issue of whether or not liver function is compromised in the healthy elderly population remains unsolved.

AIM

To investigate the putative age-related modifications of hepatic function using the 13C-methacetin breath test. Because endogenous CO2 production changes with age, motor activity and nutrition, a different form of processing the results was investigated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty-nine elderly subjects (mean age, 79.8 +/- 7.9 years; female/male ratio, 17/12) and 28 adult subjects (mean age, 40.6 +/- 12.3 years; female/male ratio, 13/15) underwent 13C-methacetin breath test and trans-abdominal echosonography with Doppler pulsed wave analysis of the coeliac axis and portal vein.

RESULTS

Although the 13CO2 peak occurred within 15-30 min in both elderly and adult subjects, it was significantly decreased in the former (30.66% +/- 9.2% vs. 38.33% +/- 6.05%; P < 0.001), as was the cumulative excretion (33.07% +/- 7.06% vs. 39.81% +/- 5.68%; P < 0.001). When correcting for the effects of CO2 excretion by age, the age-related modification of the cumulative dose became more evident (elderly group 30.15% +/- 6.46% vs. adult group 37.97% +/- 5.92%; P < 0.0001). The elderly group also showed an increase in the intra-hepatic resistance index using Doppler pulsed wave analysis, which inversely correlated with the results of the breath test.

CONCLUSIONS

Hepatic function is not well preserved in healthy humans throughout life and may be due to an increase in vascular resistance.

[Multiple symmetrical lipomatosis (MSL): a clinical case and a review of the literature]

Multiple symmetric lipomatosis (MSL) is a rare condition of the fatty tissue affecting mostly white men between 20 and 65 years old especially in the mediterranean region. The disease is characterized by a massive development of large unencapsulated lipomas mainly located on the subcutaneous tissue of the cervical, deltoid, thoracic, abdominal and lumbar areas and it is often accompanied by hyperuricemia, dyslipemia, macrocytic anaemia, peripheral neuropathy, impaired glucose tolerance and alcohol consumption. Alcohol could both promote the development of lipomas through changes in the number and function of beta-adrenergic receptors and because of its lipogenic and antilipolytic action. Other authors have hypothesized that the defective lipolysis is due to a disorder in the mitochondria of brown fat whose distribution is similar to the peculiar position of the lipomas in the MSL. In this report the authors describe an atypical clinical picture of MSL in a 65-years-old white man.

"Venous hemofiltration associated with loco-regional chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with liver neoplasm"

In order to evaluate the possibility to administer high FUDR doses, 52 patients with liver metastases were treated with loco-regional chemotherapy associated with venous hemofiltration. The clinical and pharmacological results of this approach are discussed.

Prevention of deep venous thrombosis in vascular surgical procedures by LMW-heparin

The risk of Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) in the immediate postoperative period varies from 0.8 to 96% of cases depending on major or minor operations and on age of patients. We have employed 8,000 I.U. AXa/daily of LMW-Heparin injected subcutaneously from one day preoperatively and prolonged for 8 days after surgical procedures in 40 patients operated upon by an aorto-femoral bypass in 25 cases, a femoro-popliteal below the knee in 8 and an extra-anatomical bypass in 7. The onset of DVP in the lower limbs was investigated by clinical examination, venous Doppler pressure evaluation, waveform analysis and echotomography and the 125I-Fibrinogen uptake test. There was no intraoperative increased bleeding and the preclotting of the prosthetic grafts was inaffected. A DVT was detected during the second postoperative day, by means of the 125I-Fibrinogen test in the calf of only one patient (1/40-2.5%), submitted to an aorto-bifemoral bypass, in whom the clinical pattern and ultrasound investigations were negative. The single daily subcutaneous administration has never caused side effects in the site of injection and it seems a real improvement in the heparin treatment. These results emphasize the advantage of the use of LMW-Heparins in patients submitted to arterial surgical reconstructions of the lower limbs for the prevention of the DVT.

Arterial repair of the lower limbs: prevention of prosthetic grafts occlusion by LMW-heparin

The postoperative thrombosis of prosthetic grafts may be due to many factors: technical errors, poor run-off, prosthetic material, graft length, trauma by subcutaneous tunnellization or repeated microtrauma across the joint areas, evolution of atherosclerotic lesions, emorheological changes. In 50 patients submitted to surgical arterial repair of the lower limbs, we have employed 8,000 I.U. AXa/daily of LMW-Heparin, injected subcutaneously for 6 months after the operations to prevent immediate and late thrombosis. During the follow-up, one patient died, four stopped any treatment and in two the medication was changed. Hence our results are based on 43 cases: 10 patients operated upon by aorto-femoral bypass, 19 femoro-popliteal and 14 extra-anatomical procedures. During the follow-up all the patients were investigated by ultrasounds (pressure measurement, waveform analysis and duplex scanning echotomography); moreover 13/43 (30%) were studied by angioscintigraphy and 11/43 (25.5%) by a conventional or digital subtraction angiography. Thrombosis of the grafts at one year term occurred in none aorto-femoral, in one femoro-popliteal (5.2%) and in one extra-anatomical bypass (7.1%). This figure compares favourably with the results obtained in our experience in the patients treated by a variety of drugs. In such group the incidence of occlusion is 3.9% in aorto-femoral, 9.3% in femoro-popliteal and 11% in extra-anatomical grafts. Those results emphasize the possibility to improve the patency of the grafts in the arterial repair of the lower limbs by LMW-Heparin overall in femoro-popliteal and extra-anatomical areas.