0000000000599891
AUTHOR
Claudio Galli
Eight-week consumption of milk enriched with omega 3 fatty acids raises their blood concentrations yet does not affect lipids and cardiovascular disease risk factors in adult healthy volunteers
Adequate concentrations of omega 3 fatty acids (FA) may be maintained by consuming foods naturally rich in or functional foods enriched with those essential FA. We assessed the effects of an 8-week consumption of milk enriched with 400. mg of omega 3 FA on blood lipid levels and selected cardiovascular risk factors in adult healthy volunteers. Participants (n= 157) were randomized to consume - for eight weeks - either 500. mL/day of 1% fat milk providing 150. mg of eicosapentaenoic (EPA), 150. mg of docosahexaenoic (DHA), and 100. mg of α-linolenic (ALA) acids or 500. mL/day of non-enriched 1% fat milk. At week 8, we observed significant increments of blood EPA and DHA in the intervention g…
Hepatitis E virus infection as a cause of acute hepatitis in Southern Italy
Abstract Background Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of acute hepatitis in developing countries, whereas it is not considered a major health problem in Western World. Aims To investigate the spread of HEV and its possible role in causing acute hepatitis in Southern Italy. Methods Four hundred and thirty patients observed from April to December 2009 were studied and grouped as follows: 55 individuals with acute hepatitis (AH), 33 of whom cryptogenic; 321 individuals with chronic liver diseases (CLD), (278 Italians and 43 immigrants); 54 individuals without liver disease (control-group). Serum samples from all cases were tested for IgG anti-HEV antibodies and those positive to this te…
Optimizing diagnostic algorithms to advance Hepatitis C elimination in Italy: A cost effectiveness evaluation
Objectives: Optimized diagnostic algorithms to detect active infections are crucial to achieving HCV elimination. We evaluated the cost effectiveness and sustainability of different algorithms for HCV active infection diagnosis, in a context of a high endemic country for HCV infection. Methods: A Markov disease progression model, simulating six diagnostic algorithms in the birth cohort 1969‐1989 over a 10‐year horizon from a healthcare perspective was used. Conventionally diagnosis of active HCV infection is through detection of antibodies (HCV‐Ab) detection followed by HCV‐RNA or HCV core antigen (HCV‐Ag) confirmatory testing either on a second sample or by same sample reflex testing. The …