Relationship between aortic stiffness and albumin excretion rate in untreated essential hypertensive patients

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Renal involvement in psychological eating disorders

Psychological eating disorders--anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder--are an increasing public health problem with severe clinical manifestations: hypothermia, hypotension, electrolyte imbalance, endocrine disorders and kidney failure; they are of interest to nephrologists, but pathophysiological mechanisms in determining the renal involvement are still unclear. We describe pathophysiology, histological features and clinical manifestations of the most frequent psychological eating disorders: AN and BN. Regarding AN, we analyze the recent literature, and identify 3 principal pathways towards renal involvement: chronic dehydration-hypokalemia, nephrocalcinosis and chronic rhabdomyolysis. Regarding BN, we describe the correlation between obesity and many proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and adipokines, having potential metabolic and hemodynamic effects on the kidney and an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity-related renal injury, independently of hypertension and diabetes

Challenges and opportunities of light-emitting diode (Led) as key to modulate antioxidant compounds in plants. a review

Plant antioxidants are important compounds involved in plant defense, signaling, growth, and development. The quantity and quality of such compounds is genetically driven; nonetheless, light is one of the factors that strongly influence their synthesis and accumulation in plant tissues. Indeed, light quality affects the fitness of the plant, modulating its antioxidative profile, a key element to counteract the biotic and abiotic stresses. With this regard, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are emerging as a powerful technology which allows the selection of specific wavelengths and intensities, and therefore the targeted accumulation of plant antioxidant compounds. Despite the unique advantages of such technology, LED application in the horticultural field is still at its early days and several aspects still need to be investigated. This review focused on the most recent outcomes of LED application to modulate the antioxidant compounds of plants, with particular regard to vitamin C, phenols, chlorophyll, carotenoids, and glucosinolates. Additionally, future challenges and opportunities in the use of LED technology in the growth and postharvest storage of fruits and vegetables were also addressed to give a comprehensive overview of the future applications and trends of research

Should reduction of increased short-term blood pressure variability be a target of antihypertensive therapy?

It has long been known that blood pressure (BP) is characterized by marked short-term fluctuations occurring within a 24-h period and also by long-term oscillations occurring over more prolonged periods of time. An increased short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) appears to importantly contribute to target organ damage and to the enhanced cardiovascular risk of hypertensive patients, over and above the effect of an increase in mean BP levels. Reducing 24-h mean BP is the main aim of antihypertensive therapy, but initial data are available that additional cardiovascular protection can be achieved by reducing BPV. However, to definitively prove the prognostic role of short-term BPV and the need for its control by treatment, evidence is still needed from intervention trials aimed at demonstrating that by reducing BPV through administration of antihypertensive drugs, a reduction in organ damage and in the rate of cardiovascular events can be obtained

[OP.2D.05] RELATIONSHIP OF OXIDATIVE STRESS WITH CARDIAC HYPERTROPHY IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

OBJECTIVE: Left ventricular hypertrophy is common in hypertensive patients. In these subjects increased oxidative stress has been observed. Our aim was to evaluate the association of biomarkers of both oxidative stress and inflammation with markers of cardiovascular damage in a large group of hypertensives with different stages of renal function. DESIGN AND METHOD: In 517 hypertensives we analyzed left ventricular mass indexed for body surface area, and we assayed plasma levels of 8-isoprostaglandin F2alpha and high sensitivity C reactive protein. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis carried out considering left ventricular mass as dependent variable, and including 8-isoprostaglandin F2alpha, high sensitivity C reactive protein, age, sex, body mass index, estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum glucose, (log)triglycerides, hemoglobin, pulse pressure or systolic blood pressure, mean or diastolic blood pressure, and antihypertensive treatment showed that in hypertensives plasma levels of 8-isoprostaglandin F2alpha were correlated with left ventricular mass (beta=0.269, p\u200a<\u200a0.0001).The bivariate relationship of left ventricular mass with 8-isoprostaglandin F2alpha in hypertensives with estimated glomerular filtration rate higher and lower than 60\u200aml/min/1.73m2 was also calculated separately, demonstrating no significant differences in both correlations coefficients and slopes of the regression lines (r\u200a=\u200a0.254, p\u200a<\u200a0.001 and r\u200a=\u200a0.226, p\u200a<\u200a0.002; respectively).In the overall group, receiver operating characteristic curves showed that 8-isoprostaglandin F2alpha and high sensitivity C reactive protein were predictors of left ventricular hypertrophy, p\u200a<\u200a0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that in hypertensives oxidative stress is correlated to left ventricular hypertrophy independently of other confounding factors. Oxidative stress might participate in the development of hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy

A GIANT ANEURYSM OF PROPER HEPATIC ARTERY IN A CRYOGLOBULINEMIC PATIENT ON HEMODIALYSIS: A CASE REPORT.

Introductrion. Hepatic artery aneurysms (HAAs) are unusual vascular lesions often associated with many different pathological conditions. Most of reported cases are described in association with connective tissue diseases, such as polyarteritis nodosa and systemic lupus erythematosus. Case report. We observed a 52-year-old man with hypertension and HCV-related cryoglobulinemia complicated by end stage renal disease on replacement therapy by hemodialysis. He was admitted to our hospital because of the worsening of blood pressure values (170/110 mmHg) associated to new onset abdominal pain. After an initial physical examination, that showed a periumbelical bruit associated to a pulsatile mass in right hypocondrium, an abdominal ultrasound was performed with evidence of aneurysms of both the right branch (diameter max 4,5 cm) and the left branch (diameter max 1.5 cm) of the hepatic artery. An abdominal CT study was also performed and it confirmed the diagnosis of right intrahepatic artery aneurysm with partially thrombosed area in its peripheral distal portion. Discussion. Many different factors can contribute to the aneurysm formation in this patient. Vasculitic involvement due to cryoglobulinemic disease, therapy with steroid drugs, inflammatory state associated to HCV-related hepatitis, chronic kidney disease and replacement therapy by hemodialysis may all be involved in the development of the aneurysmatic hepatic lesion

Level of awareness and knowledge of emergency contraception in patients undergoing induced abortions in a rural part of India

Background: Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECP) was introduced in National Family Welfare programme of India since 2003 and is easily available. Aim of this study was to assess the awareness and knowledge of ECP in the women undergoing induced abortion, which represent huge number of unintended pregnancies in India which have negative impact on health resources.Methods: This questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted for 10 months in Government Medical College in Miraj and included 110 women.Results: 57.2 %, women belonged to 20 to 30 years of age. 89% attended some years of school. 33.6% of patients were not using any contraception while 47.27 % had irregularly used some contraception; only 19.09 % were using contraception regularly. Only 7.2 % patients had ever heard of emergency contraception pills while none had ever used or knew how to use ECPs. None of the patients knew if ECP were available in any government hospitals.Conclusions: The huge number of patients undergoing MTP in represent increased surgical load on the government medical facilities. Majority of literate patients signifies the potential target area for contraception counselling and will be much ready to accept some form of contraception including ECPs as a backup. Only 7.2 % had ever heard of emergency contraception points to the glaring deficits in knowledge and practice of ECP despite government efforts. Government centres should promote ECP aggressively as was done in case of barriers/ CuT methods along with proper counselling

INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AORTIC ROOT DIAMETER AND RENAL FUNCTION IN HYPERTENSIVE SUBJECTS

Recent studies suggest that enlarged aortic root diameter (ARD) may predict cardiovascular events in absence of aneurysmatic alterations. Little is known about the influence of renal function on ARD. Our study was aimed to assess the relationships between glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and ARD in hypertensive subjects

BILATERAL RENAL ARTERY STENOSIS IN A HYPERTENSIVE LUPUS PATIENT WITHOUT RENAL DYSFUNCTION: A CASE REPORT

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with a high prevalence of atherosclero-sis and an enhanced cardiovascular mortality. In adult subjects, several studies have shown the coexistence of SLE and renal artery stenosis, most of them with unilateral in-volvement or with renal dysfunction. We observed a 62-year-old man with SLE and a 10-year history of moderate-to-severe hy-pertension who was admitted to our hospital because of uncontrolled blood pressure val-ues (152/95 mmHg), despite drug therapy. No signs of renal impairment were evident. After an initial physical examination, which presented a periumbilical bruit, a renal ultra-sound was performed with evidence of bilateral renal artery stenosis. An angio-MR study also confirmed the diagnosis and showed a double renal artery on the right side. Many different factors can contribute to the bilateral renal artery stenosis in this patient. Chronic inflammatory state associated to SLE, metabolic alterations with dyslipidemia and steroid therapy may all be involved in the development of the renal atherosclerotic le-sions

Preliminary Evidence of the Efficacy of Time-Resolved Broad-Spectrum Optical Mammography in Monitoring Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

We present initial results of a clinical trial involving breast cancer patients under neoadjuvant chemotherapy, monitored through our time-resolved optical mammograph. Besides hemoglobin, water and lipids, we assess collagen concentration systematically for the first time