Effects of red wine on established markers of arterial structure and function in human studies: current knowledge and future research directions

Evidence from observational studies suggests that mild-to-moderate consumption of red wine is associated with reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Various individual chemical components of red wine also show salutary effects on vascular homeostasis, that is, enhanced endothelial function and arterial distensibility, both in vitro and in animal studies. However, testing the beneficial potential of red wine in primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention on established surrogate cardiovascular markers requires further study with longer term intervention trials. This report reviews and critically appraises the published evidence for the effects of red wine on endothelium-dependent vasodilation, arterial stiffness and arterial wave reflections in healthy subjects and in patients with cardiovascular disease. Suggestions for future research directions are also provided.     

AM-1000A神经功能重建仪配合超声波治疗脑卒中后肩痛的疗效

目的观察AM-1 000A神经功能重组仪配合超声波治疗脑卒中后肩痛的疗效。方法本科收治68例脑卒中后肩痛患者,随机分为治疗组(神经功能重建仪配合超声疗波疗法)38例和对照组(传统针刺法)30例,于治疗前后肩疼痛程度改善情况、生活自理能力。结果治疗组总有效率100%,对照组总有效率86.7%。结论 AM-1 000A神经功能重建仪配合超声波疗法治疗脑卒中后肩痛疗效显著,无创伤,无痛苦,更容易被患者接受。     

Impact of parathyroidectomy on cardiovascular risk in primary hyperparathyroidism: A narrative review

AimsPrimary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), one of the most frequent endocrine disorders, is not only associated with bone and kidney disorders but also with increased cardiovascular risk. This cardiovascular risk is not part of the indication for surgery owing to discordant evidence of the effects of parathyroidectomy (PTX), especially in mild PHPT which is the most common presentation of PHPT. This literature review focuses on the effects of PTX on the cardiovascular risk in PHPT. The MEDLINE database was searched via the PubMed interface, selecting relevant articles published after 1990 in English.Data synthesisIn the most recent series, PTX appeared to have a positive impact on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Surgery improves arterial hypertension, markers of glucose homeostasis, vascular and cardiac remodeling and electrocardiographic impairments due to classical PHPT. However, the results of surgery on mild PHPT are conflicting.ConclusionsPTX seems to improve cardiovascular risk in patients presenting the classical form of PHPT. This improvement is correlated with preoperative serum calcium and/or PTH level, depending on the cardiovascular risk factor. However, many aspects of this improvement are not fully understood. Future studies should assess the effects of PTX on nocturnal hypertension, cardiac morphology and functions. The results for mild PHPT are conflicting owing to the limited size of the cohorts included in studies and the lack of randomized trials. Surgery is not currently recommended for patients presenting mild PHPT based on the cardiovascular risk and more studies are needed to better understand the interest of PTX on cardiovascular outcomes.     

Third International Conference on Shape Memory and Superelastic Technologies

Summary. More than 10 years after its clinical introduction, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has proved to be the safest treatment modality for more than 90% of urinary stones. Absolute contraindications are untreated coagulopathy, urinary tract infection and pregnancy. After careful preparation, even patients with severe coagulopathy (haemophiliacs A/B, thrombocytopenia) can be treated successfully by ESWL. Shock wave lithotripsy for an increasing amount of small symptomatic renal calculi resulted in a stone-free rate of 50% and a complaint-free rate of 52%. A 50% chance of success justifies initial ESWL treatment for stones in caliceal diverticula. A stone-free rate of 70% was reported for stone-bearing horseshoe kidneys, but the recurrence rate was 29%. Therefore, percutaneous stone removal may become necessary in such cases.

The utilization of indwelling stents has contributed to the extension of indication for ESWL monotherapy, even for staghorn calculi, as acute morbidity is reduced. Double-J stents, however, do not improve the stone-free rate and special attention should be paid to double-J morbidity. Depending on stone localization, post-ESWL long-term stone-free rates are 58–84% with a recurrence rate of 6–11 % and despite persisting fragments, the infection rate is low.

The main features of third generation lithotripters are a combined localization system allowing interdisciplinary shock wave lithotripsy, a wide energy range of the shock wave source resulting in an efficacy similar to that of the Dornier HM3 and integration of the shock wave source and fluoroscopy unit in an endoscopic treatment table for multifunctional use. Finally, a modified version of the Clayman-Preminger efficacy quotient for clinical comparison of different lithotripters, is outlined.     

Placental transfusion insult in the predisposition for SIDS: A mathematical study

A difference has been observed between the newborn hearing screening tests of thirty-one SIDS cases versus control infants that survived the first year of life [Rubens DD, Vohr BV, Tucker R, O'Neil CA, Chung W. Newborn oto-acoustic emission hearing screening tests. Preliminary evidence for a marker of susceptibility to SIDS. Early Hum Dev 2008;84(4);225-9]. This study is motivated by the hypothesis that the predisposition for SIDS may be caused by inner ear and brainstem damage from a high venous pressure insult at birth that disrupts an infant's ability to detect rising CO₂ levels following the first month of life. The injury is not immediately lethal due to the persistence of fetal physiological responses during the early postnatal period [Guntheroth WG. Crib death, the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Armonk NY: Futura Publishing Co.; 1995. p. 291]. Elastic vessels are assumed in the umbilical vein and newborn venous circulation at the time of a potential high pressure placental transfusion insult and pulse wave propagation is simulated using the nonlinear one-dimensional equations of blood flow in elastic vessels. Peak pressures in the auricular veins increase with the amplitude and length of the umbilical surge, reaching over 60 mm Hg when two consecutive surges separated by 100 ms, of a peak pressure of 100 mm Hg, and a pulse interval of 200 ms are propagated in a network with low peripheral reflections. Our findings support the proposed mechanism for inner ear damage in SIDS and the potential benefit of a newborn hearing screening test in identifying susceptibility and early preventative measures following birth.     

Spatial variability in threshold temperatures of heat wave mortality: impact assessment on prevention plans

Spain’s current heat wave prevention plans are activated according to administrative areas. This study analyses the determination of threshold temperatures for triggering prevention-plan activation by reference to isoclimatic areas, and describes the public health benefits. We subdivided the study area – the Madrid Autonomous Region (MAR) – into three, distinct, isoclimatic areas: ‘North’, ‘Central’ and ‘South’, and grouped daily natural-cause mortality (ICD-10: A00-R99) in towns of over 10,000 inhabitants (2000–2009 period) accordingly. Using these three areas rather than the MAR as a whole would have resulted in a possible decrease in mortality of 73 persons (38–108) in the North area, and in aborting unnecessary activation of the plan 153 times in the Central area and 417 times in the South area. Our results indicate that extrapolating this methodology would bring benefits associated with a reduction in attributable mortality and improved effectiveness of public health interventions.     

The Relation between the Color M‐Mode Propagation Velocity of the Descending Aorta and Coronary and Carotid Atherosclerosis and Flow‐Mediated Dilatation

Background: To improve clinical outcomes, noninvasive imaging modalities have been proposed to measure and monitor atherosclerosis. Common carotid intima‐media thickness (CIMT) and brachial artery flow‐mediated dilatation (FMD) have correlated with coronary atherosclerosis. Recently, the color M‐mode‐derived propagation velocity of descending thoracic aorta (AVP) was shown to be associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: CIMT, FMD, and AVP were measured in 92 patients with CAD and 70 patients having normal coronary arteries (NCA) detected by coronary angiography. Patients with acute myocardial infarction, renal failure or hepatic failure, aneurysm of aorta, severe valvular heart disease, left ventricular ejection fraction <40%, atrial fibrillation, frequent premature beats, left bundle branch block, and inadequate echocardiographic image quality were excluded. Results: Compared to patients with normal coronary arteries, patients having CAD had significantly lower AVP (29.9 ± 8.1 vs. 47.5 ± 16.8 cm/sec, P < 0.001) and FMD (5.3 ± 1.9 vs. 11.4 ± 5.8%, P < 0.001) and higher CIMT (0.94 ± 0.05 vs. 0.83 ± 0.14 mm, P < 0.001) measurements. There were significant correlations between AVP and CIMT (r =−0.691, P < 0.001), AVP and FMD (r = 0.514, P < 0.001) and FMD and CIMT (r =−0.530, P < 0.001). Conclusions: The transthoracic echocardiographic determination of the color M‐mode propagation velocity of the descending aorta is a simple practical method and correlates well with the presence of carotid and coronary atherosclerosis and brachial endothelial function. (Echocardiography 2010;27:300‐305)     

Liver failure after hepatectomy: A risk assessment using the pre-hepatectomy shear wave elastography technique

ObjectiveTo determine the efficacy of liver stiffness (LS) measurements utilizing the Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) technique for predicting post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsData from eighty consecutive patients who were undergoing hepatectomy for HCC were prospectively identified and evaluated with preoperative SWE. The SWE was measured with advanced ultrasound equipment (Philips EPIQ7; Philips Healthcare, Seattle, WA, USA). PHLF classification was defined according to the International Study Group of Liver Surgery Recommendations (ISGLS).ResultsSWE was successfully performed in 77 patients. According to the ISGLS criteria, PHLF occurred in 35.1% of patients (27 patients), including 2/25 patients with Grade A/B, respectively. Elevated SWE values (P = 0.002) and histological cirrhosis (P = 0.003) were independent predictors of PHLF according to the multivariate analysis. Patients with SWE values higher than or equal to 6.9 kPa were identified at higher risk of PHLF (area under the curve: 0.843, sensitivity: 77.8% and specificity: 78.0%). Postoperative dynamic course of the median the Model For End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score showed irregular changes among patients with an SWE >6.9 kPa. Patients with an SWE <6.9 kPa, postoperative dynamic course of the median MELD score gradually decreased.ConclusionLS measured with SWE is a valid and reliable method for the prediction of PHLF grade A/B among patients with HCC. SWE could become a routine examination for the preoperative evaluation of PHLF.     

Unexpected action effects elicit deviance‐related brain potentials and cause behavioral delay

To examine how people deal with perceivable consequences of their voluntary actions, we recorded event‐related potentials (ERPs) during a self‐paced, two‐choice random generation task. Sixteen participants were asked to press one of two buttons randomly at a regular but self‐selected interval of once per 1–2 s. Each button press produced either a 1000‐Hz or 2000‐Hz tone, but participants were told that the tones were irrelevant to the task. The button–tone combinations were initially fixed, but in subsequent blocks, a button press infrequently produced the tone associated with the opposite button (p=.15). This cognitively mismatched tone elicited N2, P3, and late positive potential (or positive slow wave) of the ERP and delayed the timing of the next button press. These results suggest that action effects are difficult to ignore and that an action effect that is different from a performer's expectation may cause task disruption.