Exercise-induced cardiac costraint by the lungs

A patient of fourty-five years old male, with severe emphysema, underwent bullectomy. He was studied, before and one year after surgery, by standard pulmonary function test and cardiopulmonary exercise test. We found that before bullectomy, tidal volume increases up to 45 W and flattens thereafter. After bullectomy tidal volume increases trough the entire exercise

Rationale, experimental data, and emerging clinical evidence on early and preventive use of levosimendan in patients with ventricular dysfunction

Acute ventricular dysfunction (AVD) is a complex condition with substantial morbidity and mortality, still featuring unique therapeutic challenges. Levosimendan is a calcium sensitizer and ATP-dependent potassium channel opener that was developed as an inodilating drug for the treatment of acute heart failure and cardiogenic shock. Differently from other more widely used inotropic agents, levosimendan has some exclusive characteristics, in terms of mechanisms of action, pharmacodynamic profile, and haemodynamic effects. This may have important clinical implications. In particular, in patients with AVD or in patients with pre-existing severe ventricular impairment undergoing planned myocardial stress, the administration of levosimendan before the onset of overt symptoms or before cardiovascular therapeutic procedures may have the potential to bridge the patient through the critical phase. In this review, we will focus on the rationale, the existing experimental data, and the emerging clinical experience supporting an early, even preventive use of levosimendan in severe ventricular dysfunction, beyond its recognized indications

Which laboratory technique is used for the blood sodium analysis in clinical research? A systematic review

Abstract Background Circulating sodium is analyzed by flame spectrometry and indirect or direct potentiometry. The differences between estimates returned by the three techniques are often relevant. It is unknown whether peer-reviewed international publications focusing on this parameter provide information about the technique. Objectives of the study were to ascertain if information about the employed technique is provided. Content A search in the National Library of Medicine for articles whose title contains "hyponatr[a]emia" was performed. We restricted the search to clinical reports including 10 or more humans published in the 2013–2015 and 2017–2019 periods. Authors of papers not reporting the technique were contacted to obtain this information. The study design and journal quartile ranking of each article were also evaluated. Summary For the final analysis, we included 361 articles (2013–2015, n=169; 2017–2019, n=192). Information about the laboratory technique was given in 61(17%) articles. Thanks to our inquiry, we collected this information for 116(32%) further reports. Indirect potentiometry was the most frequently used technique, followed by direct potentiometry. Spectrometry was used in a small minority of studies. Study design, journal ranking and study period did not modulate the mentioned frequency. Outlook Most articles focusing on hyponatremia do not provide information on the laboratory technique. This parameter is nowadays analyzed by indirect or, less frequently, direct potentiometry. The figures are similar for high and low impact factor journals and for the 2013–2015 and the 2017–2019 periods. Many authors, reviewers and editors likely assume that the results of this parameter are not influenced by the technique

Quality and Safety Aspects of Infant Nutrition

Quality and safety aspects of infant nutrition are of key importance for child health, but oftentimes they do not get much attention by health care professionals whose interest tends to focus on functional benefits of early nutrition. Unbalanced diets and harmful food components induce particularly high risks for untoward effects in infants because of their rapid growth, high nutrient needs, and their typical dependence on only one or few foods during the first months of life. The concepts, standards and practices that relate to infant food quality and safety were discussed at a scientific workshop organized by the Child Health Foundation and the Early Nutrition Academy jointly with the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and a summary is provided here. The participants reviewed past and current issues on quality and safety, the role of different stakeholders, and recommendations to avert future issues. It was concluded that a high level of quality and safety is currently achieved, but this is no reason for complacency. The food industry carries the primary responsibility for the safety and suitability of their products, including the quality of composition, raw materials and production processes. Introduction of new or modified products should be preceded by a thorough science based review of suitability and safety by an independent authority. Food safety events should be managed on an international basis. Global collaboration of food producers, food-safety authorities, paediatricians and scientists is needed to efficiently exchange information and to best protect public health. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

Sustainable and personalized nutrition: From earth health to public health

Sustainable nutrition, equaling earth health, involves a personalized approach designed in terms of precision and avoidance of still cogent but unjustified dogmas, equaling public health. For instance, current dietary recommendations continue to dwell on the need to limit as much as possible the intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA), notwithstanding the mounting evidence that the effects of food on health cannot be predicted from the content of single nutrients without considering the overall macronutrient composition and the role of the food matrix. The traditional recommendation to restrict SFA ignores that their effects on health depend on the interaction between naturally occurring food components and those introduced by food processing. It is warranted to modify the still widely promoted dietary guidelines based upon such single nutrients as SFA and instead personalize dietary habits on the basis of the whole pattern of the food matrix. Accordingly, the double edge of malnutrition, that involves deficiency as well as excess and materializes in many individuals throughout their life course, might be tackled by implementing sustainability, with the additional effect of overcoming global inequalities. Within this context SFA may regain their position of tasty and cheap sources of energy to be adapted to each individual lifestyle

Effects of β2-receptor stimulation by indacaterol in chronic heart failure treated with selective or non-selective β-blockers: a randomized trial

Alveolar \u3b22-receptor blockade worsens lung diffusion in heart failure (HF). This effect could be mitigated by stimulating alveolar \u3b22-receptors. We investigated the safety and the effects of indacaterol on lung diffusion, lung mechanics, sleep respiratory behavior, cardiac rhythm, welfare, and exercise performance in HF patients treated with a selective (bisoprolol) or a non-selective (carvedilol) \u3b2-blocker. Study procedures were performed before and after indacaterol and placebo treatments according to a cross-over, randomized, double-blind protocol in forty-four patients (27 on bisoprolol and 17 on carvedilol). No differences between indacaterol and placebo were observed in the whole population except for a significantly higher VE/VCO2 slope and lower maximal PETCO2 during exercise with indacaterol, entirely due to the difference in the bisoprolol group (VE/VCO2 31.8\u2009\ub1\u20095.9 vs. 28.5\u2009\ub1\u20095.6, p\u2009<\u20090.0001 and maximal PETCO2 36.7\u2009\ub1\u20095.5 vs. 37.7\u2009\ub1\u20095.8\u2009mmHg, p\u2009<\u20090.02 with indacaterol and placebo, respectively). In carvedilol, indacaterol was associated with a higher peak heart rate (119\u2009\ub1\u200934 vs. 113\u2009\ub1\u200930 bpm, with indacaterol and placebo) and a lower prevalence of hypopnea during sleep (3.8 [0.0;6.3] vs. 5.8 [2.9;10.5] events/hour, with indacaterol and placebo). Inhaled indacaterol is well tolerated in HF patients, it does not influence lung diffusion, and, in bisoprolol, it increases ventilation response to exercise

Hormones in breast milk and effect on infants’ growth : A systematic review

Breast milk is characterized by a dynamic and complex composition which includes hormones and other bioactive components that could influence infant growth, development, and optimize health. Among the several beneficial effects associated with prolonged breastfeeding, a 13% decrease in the risk of overweight and obesity has been reported. Recent research has focused on breast milk hormones contributing to the appetite and energy balance regulation and adiposity. Accordingly, we conducted a literature systematic review with the aim to provide an update on the effect of leptin, ghrelin, Insulin Growth Factor 1, adiponectin, and insulin on infants\u2019 and children\u2019s growth and body composition. The revised literature reveals contrasting findings concerning the potential role of all these hormones on modeling growth and fat mass apposition and health outcomes later in life. Further studies are needed to gain further insight into the specific role of these bioactive components in metabolic pathways related to body composition. This could help gain a further insight on infants\u2019 growth, both in physiological and pathological settings

Serial Morphological and Functional Assessment of Drug-Eluting Balloon for In-Stent Restenotic Lesions Mechanisms of Action Evaluated With Angiography, Optical Coherence Tomography, and Fractional Flow Reserve

ObjectivesThis study sought to elucidate the underlying mechanism through which drug-eluting balloons (DEB) restore coronary blood flow, by assessing the coronary vessel before, immediately after, and at 6-month follow-up with angiography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fractional flow reserve (FFR).BackgroundIn-stent restenosis (ISR) treatment remains challenging. Drug-eluting balloons have been shown to be a valid treatment option in several studies. These studies focused on efficiency of the device, whereas the mechanisms of action of DEB in ISR treatment have not been investigated.MethodsIn this prospective, single-center observational study, patients with ISR were treated with a second-generation DEB. Serial angiographic, OCT, and FFR measurements were performed before and after the procedure, as well as at 6-month follow-up.ResultsTwenty-five patients were assigned to DEB treatment, with an angiographic and device success of 100% and 92%, respectively. Late luminal loss was 0.01 ± 0.43 mm. Median percent changes [interquartile range] between pre-and post-procedure, and post-procedure and follow-up were, respectively: lumen volume 75.1% increase [43.7 to 115.0], and 8% increase [−14.0 to 25.8]; stent volume 23.7% increase [15.5 to 40.0], and −1.2% decrease [−6.9 to 5.9]; and neointimal volume −14.4% decrease [−29.2 to −9.5], and −15.8% decrease [−38.1 to 28.3]. The FFR gradient along the treated stent (difference in FFR between the distal and the proximal stent edge) was 0.37 ± 0.18 pre-procedure, 0.06 ± 0.04 post-procedure, and 0.05 ± 0.05 at follow-up. In all post-procedural OCT images, intrastent dissections were seen, which were sealed at follow-up OCT.ConclusionsDEB restore coronary blood flow by means of a short-term mechanical effect, causing an increase in lumen and stent volumes and compression of neointimal hyperplasia (with intra-stent dissections). Due to the local drug effect, patency persists and may even improve at follow-up, with further increase in lumen volume, decrease in neointimal volume, and complete sealing of neointimal dissections

Inside ventilatory regulation in pulmonary hypertension: several hidden data are still undiscovered

During exercise, ventilation for a given work rate is increased in pulmonary hypertension. In the present editorial a new look at the ventilatory behaviour, which may change the common approach to VE/VCO2 relationship analysis, is presented