Search results for " Vita"
showing 10 items of 610 documents
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of acetyl-L-carnitine for ALS.
2013
Our objective was to assess the effects of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) with riluzole on disability and mortality of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Definite/probable ALS patients, 40-70 years of age, duration 6-24 months, self-sufficient (i.e. able to swallow, cut food/handle utensils, and walk), and with forced vital capacity (FVC) > 80% entered a pilot double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group trial and were followed for 48 weeks. ALC or placebo 3 g/day was added to riluzole 100 mg/day. Primary endpoint: number of patients no longer self-sufficient. Secondary endpoints: changes in ALSFRS-R, MRC, FVC and McGill Quality of Life (QoL) scores. Analysis was made in the intention-to-tr…
The risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with increased plasma homocysteine levels is reduced by short but not long-term therapy with …
2006
Hyperhomocysteinemia is considered an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis, atherothrombosis and Venous ThromboEmbolism (VTE) [1], [2] and [3]. Normal total plasma homocysteine concentrations range from 5 to 15 μmol/L in the fasting state. Hyperhomocysteinemia is classified as moderate (homocysteine concentration, 15 to 30 μmol/L), intermediate (> 30 to 100 μmol/L), and severe (> 100 μmol/L) on the basis of concentrations measured during fasting. Although severe hyperhomocysteinemia is rare, mild hyperhomocysteinemia occurs in approximately 5% to 7% of the general population. In this case, patients are typically asymptomatic until the third or fourth decade of life when premature Cor…
Genetic variants in a sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter gene and age-related cataract
2018
BACKGROUND: Cataract is a major health burden in many countries and a significant problem in India. While observational studies show lower cataract risk with increasing dietary or plasma vitamin C, randomised controlled trials of supplements have been negative. Genetic variants in vitamin C transporter proteins (SLC23A1), especially rs33972313, may provide evidence on a causal association of vitamin C with cataract. METHODS: We used data from a randomly selected population-based study in people aged 60 years and above in north and south India. Of 7518 sampled, 5428 (72%) were interviewed for socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, attended hospital for lens imaging and blood collection and wer…
Association between a SLC23A2 gene variation, plasma vitamin C levels, and risk of glaucoma in a Mediterranean population
2011
Purpose Several dietary factors have been associated with glaucoma. Among them, dietary antioxidant intake (i.e., vitamin C and vitamin A) in association with glaucoma has been analyzed, but with mixed results. Genetic factors may play a role in modulating the effect of dietary antioxidant intake on glaucoma; however, nutrigenetic studies in this field are scarce. Our aim was to study the association between selected polymorphisms in key proteins related to vitamin C and vitamin A concentrations and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods We performed a case-control study matched for age, sex, and bodyweight. We recruited 300 subjects (150 POAG cases and 150 controls) from a Mediterrane…
Serum vitamin E levels negatively correlate with severity of age-related macular degeneration.
1999
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) pathogenesis has been related to UV radiation and other factors that may promote increased oxidative damage to the retina. Patients with different AMD grading (n = 25) were compared with an age-matched group of AMD-free subjects (n = 15), both groups older than 60 years. A modification of the AMD grading system is proposed that allows patient grading and not single eye grading. AMD patients showed statistically significant lower serum levels of vitamin E and Zn than AMD-free subjects. Moreover, a negative correlation (Spearman's correlation coefficient r = -0.815, P < 0.001) could be established between AMD grading of both the patients' eyes and serum …
Orthostatic Changes in Blood Pressure and Cognitive Status in the Elderly: The Progetto Veneto Anziani Study.
2016
We studied a cohort of 1408 older subjects to explore whether postural changes in blood pressure (BP; defined as orthostatic hypo- or hypertension) can predict the onset of cognitive deterioration. Orthostatic hypotension was defined as a drop of 20 mm Hg in systolic or 10 mm Hg in diastolic BP and orthostatic hypertension as a rise of 20 mm Hg in systolic BP. Orthostatic BP values were grouped into quintiles for secondary analyses. Two cognitive assessments were considered: (1) cognitive impairment, that is, Mini-Mental State Examination scores ≤24/30, and (2) cognitive decline (CD), that is, a 3-point decrease in Mini-Mental State Examination score from the baseline to the follow-up. At t…
Exhaustive physical exercise causes oxidation of glutathione status in blood: Prevention by antioxidant administration
1992
We have studied the effect of exhaustive concentric physical exercise on glutathione redox status and the possible relationship between blood glutathione oxidation and blood lactate and pyruvate levels. Levels of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in blood increase after exhaustive concentric physical exercise in trained humans. GSSG levels were 72% higher immediately after exercise than at rest. They returned to normal values 1 h after exercise. Blood reduced glutathione (GSH) levels did not change significantly after the exercise. We have found a linear relationship between GSSG-to-GSH and lactate-to-pyruvate ratios in human blood before, during, and after exhaustive exercise. In rats, physical…
Cognitive functioning in orthostatic hypotension due to pure autonomic failure.
2004
Psychophysiological science proposes close interactions between cognitive processes and autonomic responses, yet the consequences of autonomic failure on cognitive functioning have not been documented. This pilot study investigates, for the first time, the cognitive profile of 14 patients with Pure Autonomic Failure (PAF). Each patient was administered a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests and neuroimaging investigation. A number of patients (n = 6) presented with cognitive impairment. The two most frequent types of impairment were: deficits of speed and attention, and executive functioning. Impairments of free recall memory, intellectual functioning, nominal and calculation f…
Hypovitaminosis D predicts the onset of orthostatic hypotension in older adults
2016
A number of small cross sectional studies have demonstrated that hypovitaminosis D (represented by low 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels) is associated with orthostatic hypotension (OH). We investigated if hypovitaminosis D is associated with the onset of OH in older adults over a follow-up of 4.4 years. 25OHD was categorized using sex-specific quartiles; OH was defined as a drop of ≤20 mm Hg in systolic or ≤10 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure <3 minutes of standing. Among 1308 elderly without OH at baseline, using an adjusted logistic regression analysis and taking those with higher baseline serum 25OHD as reference, there was a significant increase in the onset of OH in those with lo…
Vitamin D Intake and Magnetic Resonance Parameters for Knee Osteoarthritis: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative
2018
Purpose: There is evidence that vitamin D may play a role in the osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis, but the few data available are limited to X-rays and clinical findings. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a higher intake of vitamin D was associated with a better architecture of the cartilage of the knee, assessed with magnetic resonance (MRI), in a large cohort from North America. Methods: 783 participants (59.8% females; mean age: 62.3 years) with an MRI assessment from the Osteoarthritis Initiative were included. Vitamin D dietary intake was calculated as the sum of food and oral supplementation. A coronal 3D FLASH with Water Excitation MR sequence of the right knees was us…