Linkage analysis of obesity phenotypes in pre- and post-menopausal women from a United States mid-western population

Background  

Obesity has a strong genetic influence, with some variants showing stronger associations among women than men. Women are also more likely to distribute weight in the abdomen following menopause. We investigated whether genetic loci link with obesity-related phenotypes differently by menopausal status.     

Ablação por Cateter de Taquicardia Atrial Focal com Ativação Precoce Próxima ao Feixe de His,a Partir da Cúspide Aórtica não Coronária

BackgroundAtrial tachycardia (AT) ablation with earliest activation site close to the His-Bundle is a challenge due to the risk of complete AV block by its proximity to His-Purkinje system (HPS). An alternative to minimize this risk is to position the catheter on the non-coronary cusp (NCC), which is anatomically contiguous to the para-Hisian region.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to perform a literature review and evaluate the electrophysiological characteristics, safety, and success rate of catheter-based radiofrequency (RF) delivery in the NCC for the treatment of para-Hisian AT in a case series.MethodsThis study performed a retrospective evaluation of ten patients (Age: 36±10 y-o) who had been referred for SVT ablation and presented a diagnosis of para-Hisian focal AT confirmed by classical electrophysiological maneuvers. For statistical analysis, a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe earliest atrial activation at the His position was 28±12ms from the P wave and at the NCC was 3±2ms earlier than His position, without evidence of His potential in all patients. RF was applied on the NCC (4-mm-tip catheter; 30W, 55ºC), and the tachycardia was interrupted in 5±3s with no increase in the PR interval or evidence of junctional rhythm. Electrophysiological tests did not reinduce tachycardia in 9/10 of patients. There were no complications in all procedures. During the 30 ± 12 months follow-up, no patient presented tachycardia recurrence.ConclusionThe percutaneous treatment of para-Hisian AT through the NCC is an effective and safe strategy, which represents an interesting option for the treatment of this complex arrhythmia. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2021; 116(1):119-126)     

Impact of a daily legume-based meal on dietary and nutritional intake in a group of omnivorous adults

Adopting eco-friendly diets will demand the consumption of more plant-based protein food sources such as legumes. However, assessing the impact of such a dietary shift on the dietary and nutritional intake of traditionally omnivorous populations is needed. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of substituting a traditional omnivorous-based lunch for a vegetarian, legume-based meal on the daily dietary and nutritional intake in a group of omnivorous adults in the city of Porto, Portugal. Nineteen, non-vegetarian, healthy young adults consumed a vegetarian, legume-based meal from Monday to Friday, for 8 consecutive weeks. Socio-demographic data, health status, lifestyle-related information and anthropometric parameters were recorded. Three-day food records were used to collect food intake at baseline and week 8. European Food Safety Authority and World Health Organization reference values were used to assess nutritional inadequacies. Variables were described as medians (P₂₅ and P₇₅). Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann–Whitney tests were used for statistical comparisons. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Participants consumed 38.0 (P₂₅ = 35.0; P₇₅ = 40.0) meals, resulting in an intake of 84.5 g (P₂₅ = 74.9; P₇₅ = 98.4) of cooked legumes per meal, meaning 11 subjects (57.9%) met the Portuguese guidelines for legume consumption (≥80 g/day of legumes). The current dietary intervention did not seem to aggravate the prevalence of nutritional inadequacies for the macro- and micronutrients tested, except for the case of vitamin B₁₂ (52.6% [95% CI: 28.9–75.6] vs. 78.9% [95% CI: 54.4–94.0]). This could be linked to the reduction of dietary sources of this vitamin which is an expected consequence of vegetarian meals. Dietary changes towards grain legume-based diets are desirable yet need to be carefully implemented to prevent exacerbating potential nutrient inadequacies, especially of vitamin B₁₂.