Oral magnesium supplementation improves vascular function in elderly diabetic patients

Magnesium (Mg) ions directly influence vascular tone and responsiveness and are cofactors for acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation. Alterations in extracellular Mg are able to modify the formation and release of nitric oxide (NO), altering arterial smooth muscle tone. Previous in vivo studies in humans have shown that parenteral or oral Mg supplementation increase endothelial-dependent vasodilation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of Mg oral supplementation on endothelial function in elderly diabetic and hypertensive subjects. Sixty elderly (≥ 65 years) diabetic patients were recruited (mean age: 71.1 ± 6.1 years; M/F: 35/25). Endothelial function,…

Platelet Function During Ticlopidine and Eicosapentaenoic Acid Administration in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Antiplatelet drugs have been reported to be useful in unstable angina. This study was designed to investigate the effects of simultaneous administration of ticlopidine and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on platelet function in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. Ticlopidine significantly reduced platelet aggregation induced by ADP and collagen with no effect on arachidonate metabolism. The aggregation responses to collagen, ADP and arachidonate were not altered significantly by EPA (as fish oil) intake whereas thromboxane A(2) formation was reduced, but not completely inhibited. Combined therapy seems to achieve a more marked degree of inhibition of aggregation together with a fall in the u…

OXIDATIVE STRESS AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Introduction: Brain tissue is particularly susceptible to oxidative damage, which has been associated with pathological findings of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), such as amyloid plaques and protein fibrils. Oxidative stress alterations, including increased production of reactive oxygen metabolites, decline of antioxidant systems, and decreased efficiency in repairing damaged molecules, have been linked to the development of AD. Postmortem studies on brain tissue from AD patients have shown several oxidative damage markers, such as increased lipid peroxidation, oxidative damage of proteins, glyco-oxidation, and reduction of antioxidant enzyme systems. Methods: We studied 40 patients referred to …

QUALITÀ DELLA VITA NEGLI ANZIANI: POSSIBILI INDICATORI

Ageing, lifestyle modifications, and cardiovascular disease in developing countries.

Developing countries face the double menace of still prevalent infectious diseases and increasing cardiovascular disease (CVD) with epidemic proportions in the near future, linked to demographic changes (expansion and ageing), and to urbanisation and lifestyle modifications. It is estimated that the elderly population will increase globally (over 80% during the next 25 years), with a large share of this rise in the developing world because of expanding populations. Increasing longevity prolongs the time exposure to risk factors, resulting in a greater probability of CVD. As a paradox, increased longevity due to improved social and economical conditions associated with lifestyle changes in t…

Influence of Metabolic Control on Thromboxane Biosynthesis and Plasma Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type-1 in Non-insulin-dependent Diabetes mellitus

SummaryWe have previously shown that tight metabolic control by insulin therapy reduced thromboxane-dependent platelet activation in noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients. The present study was undertaken to determine whether a similar effect could be obtained without switching diabetics in secondary failure to insulin treatment. For this purpose, we gave strict diet and exercise advise program and adjusted on a weekly basis the oral antidiabetic therapy (glipizide) that 26 patients with NIDDM had been given over the previous months.Basal measurements of urinary ll-dehydro-TXB2 and PAI-1 confirmed previous findings of enhanced levels of these parameters in NIDDM patients w…

DISTURBI COMPORTAMENTALI E SINDROME DA OVERLAPPING PER POLITERAPIA ANTIPSICOTICA

I disturbi comportamentali delle demenze (BPSD) accompagnano la storia naturale di queste malattie sin dall’esordio, con vesti diverse che vanno dalle sindromi nevrotiche a quelle psicotiche vere e proprie. Si distinguono alterazioni dell’umore in senso ansioso-depressivo, del ritmo sonno-veglia, facile irritabilità e sintomi psicotici veri e propri con deliri e allucinazioni, disturbi di personalità e agitazione psicomotoria, comportamenti specifici quali aggressività, vocalizzi persistenti e perseverazioni. La prevalenza è elevata e variabile a seconda della tipologia della demenza, del momento storico della sua evoluzione, del setting in cui il paziente è gestito; la loro entità non semp…

Screening for Autoantibodies to Tissue Transglutaminase Reveals a Low Prevalence of Celiac Disease in Blood Donors with Cryptogenic Hypertransaminasemia

Patients with chronic cryptogenic hypertransaminasemia are at high risk of developing celiac disease (CD). In fact, among the various serological disorders, CD patients at onset frequently present hypertransaminasemia. In this study, we evaluated usefulness and reliability of the new test for antitissue transglutaminase (tTG) in screening for CD as well as in estimating the prevalence of CD in a population of blood donors presenting unexplained hypertransaminasemia at donation. Controls were 180 consecutive healthy donors without hypertransaminasemia and 20 CD patients with known antiendomysial antibody (EmA) positivity. Out of 22,204 blood donors over a period of 2 years, we found 258 subj…