Eating Habits in Patients with Familial Hypercholesterolemia from North-Eastern Romania

(1) Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic autosomal dominant disorder characterized by elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) that develops deposits of lipids in the arterial wall. Since it is underdiagnosed and undertreated, the disease has a high risk of premature cardiovascular disease and death. Patients are not always aware of the changes they should make in their diet. Thus, our study aimed to evaluate through a food frequency questionnaire their eating habits. (2) Methods: We included 70 patients with FH and 20 subjects in a control group that were evaluated through a physical examination and blood tests. They also completed a food frequency questionnaire. (3) Results: Throughout our study, we observed several aspects: regardless of age, patients with FH had higher carbohydrate intakes compared to the control group; from the same group, a positive correlation was observed between salami intake and the levels of glucose and glycated hemoglobin. Moreover, the sour cream preference was associated with higher liver function tests. In the control group, we observed a higher intake of pasta and fast food and fewer fruit portions. (4) Conclusions: As far as we know, this is the first study from Romania that evaluated the eating habits of patients diagnosed with FH. Our study reveals that, although patients with FH avoid junk food, they still have a high intake of carbohydrates when compared to the control group. Further research is needed in order to get a comprehensive nutritional evaluation of these patients.     

Disposition of intravenously administered pharmacologic doses of vitamin E in newborn rabbits

Newborn rabbits were given a single intravenous dose (100 mg/kg) of either alpha-tocopherol or alpha-tocopheryl acetate to compare disposition characteristics of these two forms of vitamin E. The resulting tissue concentrations of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopheryl acetate differed significantly. Tissue concentrations of either form of vitamin E were much higher than those provided by normal nutrition, and remained unchanged (except in the liver) for 6 days after dose. alpha-Tocopheryl acetate was not completely converted to alpha-tocopherol, and only 50% of the dose was recovered 3 days after administration. The entire dose of alpha-tocopherol was recovered intact 3 days after administration. The persistence of very high tissue vitamin E concentrations after a single intravenous dosing, the disappearance from the body of half of the administered dose of alpha-tocopheryl acetate, and the lack of complete conversion of alpha-tocopheryl acetate to alpha-tocopherol when given intravenously have profound implications regarding the current clinical practice of giving repeated pharmacologic doses of vitamin E to newborn infants.     

Abuse characteristics and coping resources as predictors of problem-focused coping strategies among battered women

The current study examines the predictors of three types of problem-focused coping strategies (i.e., amount of help seeking, pursuing an order of protection, and staying away from the abuser) among battered women. Predictor variables are categorized as abuse characteristics and three types of coping resources (i.e., personal, material, and social coping resources). Data from the Chicago Women's Health Risk Study (N=478) are used. Results show that enactment of problem-focused coping strategies is associated with amount of abuse, severity, harassment, and power and control tactics. Coping resources such as general health, employment, and social support influence enactment of coping strategies.     

Evolution of thrombolytic therapy in patients with HeartWare ventricular assist device thrombosis: a single-institutional experience

Open in a separate window OBJECTIVESPump thrombosis remains a major challenge in heart failure patients with left ventricular HeartWare assist device. Current International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation recommendations favour surgical pump exchange over lysis because safety and efficacy of lysis has been controversially reported. This study summarizes our experience on our HeartWare thrombosis prevention strategy as well as thrombolysis through implementation of our institutional standardized HeartWare assist device protocol.METHODSOutcomes of all HeartWare thrombosis patients admitted between 2010 and 2020 were analysed. Thrombolysis therapy using tissue plasminogen activator was used as the first-line therapy in this study and thrombolysis therapy efficacy was defined as freedom from stroke, bleeding, recurrent HeartWare assist device thrombosis or surgical device exchange within 30 days after lysis application.RESULTSA total of 507 patients have been included in this study and 66 patients (13%) collectively developed a first HeartWare-thrombosis after a median of 12 months (8–22 months) after HeartWare implantation. Forty patients were treated with unstandardized lysis, of whom 7 patients had thrombolysis associated complications, such as incomplete thrombus resolution requiring surgical pump exchange in 4 patients, but also intracranial haemorrhage occurring in 3 patients. Three patients died in the non-protocol group. Eight device thrombosis patients were treated according to our protocol, showing no lysis-associated complication.CONCLUSIONSDespite current recommendations, preferring surgical HeartWare pump exchange in thrombosis, thrombolysis therapy for first HeartWare thrombosis can be safe and effective in a standardized protocol setting, including anticoagulation adjustment and intensified blood pressure control management.     

Restoration of E-cadherin/beta-catenin expression in pancreatic cancer cells inhibits growth by induction of apoptosis

BACKGROUND: beta-Catenin is a component of the E-cadherin/catenin adhesion complex that maintains epithelial cell integrity. We have previously observed decreased beta-catenin expression in both human pancreatic cancer cell lines and primary tumors. To determine the significance of this finding with respect to pancreatic carcinogenesis, this study evaluated the effects of restoring expression of beta-catenin with and without E-cadherin in pancreatic cancer cells. METHODS: MiaPaca-2 cells were stably transfected with full-length cDNAs for beta-catenin, E-cadherin, or a mutated E-cadherin lacking the beta-catenin-binding domain. Doubly transfected cell clones containing beta-catenin and either E-cadherin or deleted E-cadherin were also selected. Assays for cell adhesion, cell cycle profile, motility, and apoptosis were performed. RESULTS: Cell clones expressing beta-catenin alone or beta-catenin and deleted E-cadherin did not differ significantly from the parental cell lines in any of the assays performed. In contrast, MiaPaca-2 cell clones expressing both beta-catenin and E-cadherin showed tight adhesion, decreased cell growth, and a significantly increased apoptotic index as compared to the parental line or singly transfected clones. CONCLUSIONS: MiaPaca-2 cells undergo apoptosis at a significantly increased rate after restoration of the E-cadherin/beta-catenin adhesion complex. This increase in apoptosis is dependent on the ability of E-cadherin to bind beta-catenin. Loss of beta-catenin expression may therefore provide pancreatic cancer cells with a growth advantage that contributes to tumor progression.     

Behavioral Health Risk Factors and Motivation to Change among Cardiovascular General Hospital Patients Aged 50 to 79 Years

Little is known about the (co-)occurrence of smoking, alcohol at-risk drinking, physical inactivity and overweight, and the motivation to change these behavioral health risk factors (HRFs) in older general hospital patients with cardiovascular disease. Between October and December 2016, all consecutively admitted patients aged 50 to 79 years were proactively recruited on 3 cardiology wards and asked to participate in a survey on HRFs and behavior change motivation. Of the eligible patients, 80.4% participated in the survey (n = 328). The mean age was 66.5 years (standard deviation 9.0), and 65.5% were male. At least 1 HRF was present in 91.8% (n = 280), at least 2 HRFs in 54.4% (n = 166), and 3 or 4 HRFs in 12.1% (n = 37) of participants. The proportion of older adults who contemplated or were changing or planning to change their behavior to meet health behavior recommendations ranged between 66.0% (smoking) and 93.2% (alcohol consumption). The results indicate a notable co-occurrence of behavioral HRFs in older patients with cardiovascular disease. The majority of older adults were at least considering changing the respective behavior. To prevent and treat diseases efficiently, hospitalization may be a suitable moment for systematic multiple HRF screening and intervention.     

MR imaging of human brain at 3.0 T: preliminary report on transverse relaxation rates and relation to estimated iron content

PURPOSE: To determine the transverse relaxation rates R2 and R2' from several gray matter regions and from frontal cortical white matter in healthy human brains in vivo and to determine the relationship between relaxation rates and iron concentration [Fe]. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six healthy adults aged 19-42 years underwent thin-section gradient-echo sampling of free induction decay and echo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 3.0 T. Imaging covered the mesencephalon and basal ganglia. RESULTS: Relaxation rates (mean +/- SD) were highest in globus pallidus (R2 = 25.8 seconds-1 +/- 1.1, R2' = 12.0 seconds-1 +/- 2.1) and lowest in prefrontal cortex (R2 = 14.4 seconds-1 +/- 1.8, R2' = 3.4 seconds-1 +/- 1.1). Frontal white matter measurements were as follows: R2 = 18.0 seconds-1 +/- 1.2 and R2' = 3.9 seconds-1 +/- 1.2. For gray matter, both R2 and R2' showed a strong correlation (r = 0.92, P < .001 and r = 0.90, P < .001, respectively) with [Fe]. Although the slopes of the regression lines for R2' versus [Fe] and for R2 versus [Fe] were similar, the iron-independent component of R2' (2.2 seconds-1 +/- 0.6), the value when [Fe] = 0, was much less than that of R2 (12.7 seconds-1 +/- 0.7). CONCLUSION: The small iron-independent component R2', as compared with that of R2, is consistent with the hypothesis that R2' has higher iron-related specificity.