Evaluation of the effect of fat overload in microvascular reactivity in obese women

Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de JaneiroAs mudanças nos hábitos alimentares têm causado efeitos impressionantes na saúde pública, diretamente relacionados ao aumento da ingestão de refeições ricas em gorduras, principalmente gorduras saturadas. A principal consequência desse consumo é o estado prolongado e excessivo da lipemia pós-prandial (LPP), considerada um dos fatores relacionados às anormalidades metabólicas e aos danos vasculares. O objetivo do estudo foiavaliar o efeito da sobrecarga lipídica na reatividade microvascular em mulheres obesas. Das 41 participantes deste estudo, 21 apresentavam o diagnóstico de obesidade, com IMC de 32,41,6 kg/m2 (média SD) e idade 31,65 anos e 20 mulheres saudáveis, com IMC de 21,91,7 kg/m2 e idade 27,25,5 anos. Após a avaliação clínica e laboratorial, as participantes tiveram a microcirculação examinada por dois métodos: a dinâmica do leito periungueal, para avaliação da densidade capilar funcional (DCF), velocidade de deslocamento das hemácias no basal (VDH) e após uma isquemia de 1 min (VDHmax) e tempo de reperfusão (TVDHmax). A segunda técnica foi a do dorso do dedo para avaliação da DCF no repouso, durante a hiperemia reativa e após oclusão venosa. Foi feita a coleta de sangue para avaliação do colesterol total (CT), triglicerídeos (TG), HDL-c e ácidos graxos livres (AGL), glicose, insulina e viscosidade plasmática em 30 e 50 rotações por minuto (rpm). Também foram medidas a pressão arterial sistólica (PAS), diastólica (PAD) e frequência cardíaca (FC). Após essas análises no repouso, todas as participantes receberam uma refeição rica em lipídios, e após 30, 60, 120 e 180 minutos da ingestão da refeição, os exames de videocapilaroscopia e a coleta de sangue foram novamente realizados.As participantes com obesidade apresentaram, após a sobrecarga lipídica, valores significativamente menores do que no jejum para: DCF basal do dorso do dedo (p=0,02); DCF durante hiperemia reativa (p=0,02), DCF pós-oclusão venosa (p=0,02), HDL-c (p<0,0001), LDL-C (p<0,0001) e AGL (p<0,0001) e valores elevados para: VDH (p<0,0001), VDHmax(p=0,003), TVDHmax (p=0,004), glicose (p<0,0001), insulina (p<0,001), CT (p=0,03), TG (p<0,0001) e FC (p=0,03). Alterações na viscosidade não foram observadas no grupo OB após a refeição quando comparado aos seus valores basais em 30 e 50 rpm (p=0,87 e p=0,42, respectivamente). A PAS foi elevada nas participantes OB após a sobrecarga quando comparada às saudáveis em todo tempo de estudo. Concluímos que alimentos ricos em lipídios podem aumentar ainda mais a disfunção microcirculatória e as alterações metabólicas já presentes em mulheres obesas.Changes in eating habits have caused striking effects on public health, directly related to increased intake of food rich in fat, mainly saturated fat. The main consequence of this consumption is the excessive and prolonged state of postprandial lipemia (PPL), considered one an important factor related to metabolic abnormalities and vascular damage. The aim of this study was to assess effects of fat overload on microvascular reactivity in obese women. Of the 41 study participants, 21 had the diagnosis of obesity, with BMI of 32.4 1.6 kg/m2 (mean SD) and age of 31.6 5 years and 20 healthy women with BMI of 21.9 1.7 kg/m2and age 27.2 5.5 years. After clinical and laboratorial assessment, participants had the microcirculation examined by two methods: dynamic, using the nailfold bed to assess functional capillary density (FCD), red blood cell velocity in in control conditions (RBCV) and peak (RBCVmax) and time (TRBCVmax) to reach it after 1 min arterial occlusion. The second technique was the finger dorsum to assess FCD at rest and during the reactive hyperemia response and after venous occlusion. Blood sampling was performed to determine total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), HDL- c and free fatty acids (FFA), glucose, insulin and plasma viscosity at 30 and 50 rotations per minute (rpm). Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures and heart rate (HR) were also measured. After these measurements at rest, all participants received a meal rich in lipids, and after 30, 60, 120 and 180 min after ingestion, videocapillaroscopy exams and blood samples were taken again. Results - Obese participants, after fat overload, presented significantly lower values than at rest at finger dorsum of FCD (p = 0.02), FCD during reactive hyperemia (p = 0.02) and post- venous occlusion (p = 0.02), HDL-C (p <0.0001), LDL-C (p <0.0001) and FFA (p <0.0001) and high values for: RBCV at rest (p<0 ,0001), RBCVmax (p = 0.003), TRBCVmax (p = 0.004), glucose (p <0.0001), insulin (p<0,0001), CT (P = 0.03), TG (P <0.0001) and HR (P = 0.03). Changes in viscosity were not observed in obese group after a meal, when compared to baseline values at 30 and 50 rpm (p = 0.87 and p = 0.42, respectively). SBP was higher in obese participants after overload compared to healthy ones throughout the study period. We conclude that high fat food can further increase microcirculation dysfunction and metabolic abnormalities already present in obese women

Does Resistance Training with Blood Flow Restriction Affect Blood Pressure and Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Older Adults?

International Journal of Exercise Science 14(3): 410-422, 2021. Resistance training (RT) with blood flow restriction (BFR) appears to accelerate muscle hypertrophy and strength gains in older populations. However, the training-related effects of RT with BFR upon blood pressure (BP) and cardiac autonomic modulation in the elderly remains unclear. The objective of this study is to compare the chronic effects of low-intensity RT performed with soft BFR (BFR) vs. high-intensity (HI) and low-intensity RT (CON) without BFR on BP and heart rate variability (HRV) indices in older adults. Thirty-two physically inactive participants (72 ± 7 yrs) performed RT for upper and lower limbs (50-min sessions, 3 times/week) for 12 weeks, being assigned into three groups: a) BFR; 30% of 1 repetition maximum (RM) with BFR corresponding to 50% of arterial occlusion pressure; b) HI; 70% of 1RM without BFR; c) CON; 30% of 1 RM without BFR. Resting BP and HRV were assessed at rest in the supine position, before and after exercise interventions. Systolic BP (Δ = -7.9 ± 8.0 mmHg; p = 0.002; effect size = 0.62), diastolic BP (Δ = -5.0 ± 6.0 mmHg; p = 0.007; effect size = 0.67) and mean arterial pressure (Δ = -6.3 ± 6.5 mmHg; p = 0.003/effect size = 0.77) reduced after BFR, remaining unaltered in HI and CON. HRV indices of sympathetic and vagal modulation did not change in all groups (p ≥ 0.07 for all comparisons). 12-wk RT with low intensity and relatively soft BFR substantially reduced BP at rest in older adults vs. traditional RT performed with either low or high intensity. Those reductions were not parallel to changes in autonomic modulation

Assessing medication use patterns by clinical outcomes severity among inpatients with COVID-19: A retrospective drug utilization study

Purpose: This study assessed medication patterns for inpatients at a central hospital in Portugal and explored their relationships with clinical outcomes in COVID-19 cases. Methods: A retrospective study analyzed inpatient medication data, coded using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system, from electronic patient records. It investigated the association between medications and clinical severity outcomes such as ICU admissions, respiratory/circulatory support needs, and hospital discharge status, including mortality (identified by ICD-10-CM/PCS codes). Multivariate analyses incorporating demographic data and comorbidities were used to adjust for potential confounders and understand the impact of medication patterns on disease progression and outcomes. Results: The analysis of 2688 hospitalized COVID-19 patients (55.3% male, average age 62.8 years) revealed a significant correlation between medication types and intensity and disease severity. Cases requiring ICU admission or ECMO support often involved blood and blood-forming organ drugs. Increased use of nervous system and genitourinary hormones was observed in nonsurvivors. Corticosteroids, like dexamethasone, were common in critically ill patients, while tocilizumab was used in ECMO cases. Medications for the alimentary tract, metabolism, and cardiovascular system, although widely prescribed, were linked to more severe cases. Invasive mechanical ventilation correlated with higher usage of systemic anti-infectives and musculoskeletal medications. Trends in co-prescribing blood-forming drugs with those for acid-related disorders, analgesics, and antibacterials were associated with intensive interventions and worse outcomes. Conclusions: The study highlights complex medication regimens in managing severe COVID-19, underscoring specific drug patterns associated with critical health outcomes. Further research is needed to explore these patterns

Structural and functional changes in the microcirculation of lepromatous leprosy patients - Observation using orthogonal polarization spectral imaging and laser Doppler flowmetry iontophoresis

<div><p>Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous infection of skin and peripheral nerves caused by <i>Mycobacterium leprae</i> and is considered the main infectious cause of disability worldwide. Despite the several studies regarding leprosy, little is known about its effects on microvascular structure and function <i>in vivo</i>. Thus, we have aimed to compare skin capillary structure and functional density, cutaneous vasomotion (spontaneous oscillations of arteriolar diameter), which ensures optimal blood flow distribution to skin capillaries) and cutaneous microvascular blood flow and reactivity between ten men with lepromatous leprosy (without any other comorbidity) and ten age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Orthogonal polarization spectral imaging was used to evaluate skin capillary morphology and functional density and laser Doppler flowmetry to evaluate blood flow, vasomotion and spectral analysis of flowmotion (oscillations of blood flow generated by vasomotion) and microvascular reactivity, in response to iontophoresis of acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside. The contribution of different frequency components of flowmotion (endothelial, neurogenic, myogenic, respiratory and cardiac) was not statistically different between groups. However, endothelial-dependent and -independent vasodilatations elicited by acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside iontophoresis, respectively, were significantly reduced in lepromatous leprosy patients compared to controls, characterizing the existence of microvascular dysfunction. These patients also presented a significant increase in the number of capillaries with morphological abnormalities and in the diameters of the dermal papilla and capillary bulk when compared to controls. Our results suggest that lepromatous leprosy causes severe microvascular dysfunction and significant alterations in capillary structure. These structural and functional changes are probably induced by exposure of the microvascular bed to chronic inflammation evoked by the <i>Mycobacterium leprae</i>.</p></div

Acetylcholine intophoresis.

<p>Microvascular skin blood flow during acetylcholine iontophoresis (A) in controls and (B) in lepromatous leprosy patients. The arrows indicate where the plateau is reached.</p

Microvascular measurements before and during iontophoresis using laser Doppler flowmetry.

<p>Microvascular measurements before and during iontophoresis using laser Doppler flowmetry.</p

Skin microvascular perfusion and flowmotion spectral analysis in controls and in Lepromatous Leprosy (LL) patients measured by laser Doppler flowmetry.

<p>Skin microvascular perfusion and flowmotion spectral analysis in controls and in Lepromatous Leprosy (LL) patients measured by laser Doppler flowmetry.</p

Iontophoresis of sodium nitroprusside.

<p>Microvascular skin blood flow during sodium nitroprusside iontophoresis (A) in controls and (B) in lepromatous leprosy patients. The arrows indicate where the plateau is reached.</p

Orthogonal polarization spectral imaging of skin microcirculation.

<p>Orthogonal polarization spectral imaging of skin microcirculation.</p