Renal function and carotid atherosclerosis in adults with no known kidney disease

Abstract Background and aims A high prevalence of atherosclerotic lesions characterizes patients with chronic kidney disease, though there is little data on the relationship between kidney function and atherosclerotic changes in the healthy population or in people with no known renal impairment. The aim of our study was to analyze, in a comprehensive general population with no known kidney disease, the relationship between renal function and subclinical carotid atherosclerotic damage. Methods and results A general real-life population of 611 participants (233 males and 378 females; age ≥18 years) with no known kidney failure was selected for the study. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) w…

Influence of a new bicycle crank design on aerobic parameters of non-cyclists

Relationships between maximal oxygen uptake and endothelial function in healthy male adults: a preliminary study

Aerobic capacity, as indicated by maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2) max) has an important role in contrasting the traditional cardiovascular risk factors and preventing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is known that endothelial function, measured as flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, is strictly linked to atherogenesis and cardiovascular risk. However, the relationship between VO(2) max and FMD has not been fully investigated especially in healthy non-obese subjects. This preliminary study cross-sectionally investigated the relationship between VO(2) max and FMD in 22 non-obese, healthy sedentary male subjects. Dividing the cohort in two subgroups of 11 subjects each …

Emerging Increase in the prevalence and severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: epidemiological study from general Mediterranean population

Background and Aims: The worldwide spread of obesity and diabetes is leading to a drastic increase in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its complications.We aimed to assess prevalence of NAFLD and of its severity among a general Mediterranean population. Methods:We considered 886 consecutive individuals included in the ABCD study (ISRCTN15840340). Hepatic ultrasound (US) was used to diagnose steatosis and FibroScan (M and XL probe) to measure liver stiffness and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). Liver stiffness >6.9 KPa was considered suggestive of significant liver fibrosis (Petta S et al., Hepatology 2015), and CAP ≥ 310 dB was considered suggestive of moderate-severe …

Epidemiology and Microbiology of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections: Preliminary Results of a National Registry

Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) represent a wide range of clinical conditions characterized by a considerable variety of clinical presentations and severity. Their aetiology can also vary, with numerous possible causative pathogens. While other authors previously published analyses on several types of SSTI and on restricted types of patients, we conducted a large nationwide surveillance programme on behalf of the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases to assess the clinical and microbiological characteristics of the whole SSTI spectrum, from mild to severe life-threatening infections, in both inpatients and outpatients. Twenty-five Infectious Diseases (ID) Centres throu…