Effects of semaglutide on cardiovascular risk factors and eating behaviors in type 2 diabetes.

Aims: Aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of once-weekly semaglutide on different end-points indicative of metabolic control, cardiovascular risk, dietary behavior, and treatment satisfaction in T2DM.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted in a diabetes clinic. Changes in HbA1c, fasting blood glucose (FBG), weight, blood pressure, lipid profile, and number of antihypertensive drugs at 32 weeks (T1) after the first prescription of semaglutide (T0) were analyzed.

Usefulness of Color Doppler Ultrasonography in the Risk Stratification of Thyroid Nodules.

Introduction: Thyroid ultrasound (US) is crucial for clinical decision in the management of thyroid nodules. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to test if the evaluation of thyroid nodules' vascularization could improve the risk stratification ability of the American College of Radiology (ACR) TI-RADS classification system.

Methods: A total of 873 thyroid nodules undergoing fine-needle aspiration were classified according to ACR TI-RADS US classification.

A Coinfection on a COVID-19 Pneumonia in a Breast Cancer Patient.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), due to (SARS-CoV2), comprises a broad spectrum of clinical presentation ranging from flu-like syndrome to organ failure. The risk of coinfections is high and responsible for a worse prognosis, mainly in the case of bacterial involvement and in the presence of particular comorbidity. We present the clinical, laboratory, radiologic characteristic along with therapeutic management of a patient with COVID-19 and coinfection.

Laser Ablation Versus Radiofrequency Ablation for Benign Non-Functioning Thyroid Nodules: Six-Month Results of a Randomized, Parallel, Open-Label, Trial (LARA Trial).

No direct prospective studies comparing laser ablation (LA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for debulking benign non-functioning thyroid nodules (BNTNs) exist. We aimed at comparing the efficacy and safety of both techniques in patients with solid or predominantly solid BNTN. This six-month, single-use, randomized, open-label, parallel trial compared the following primary endpoints between the RFA and LA groups six months after treatment: (i) nodule volume reduction expressed as a percentage of nodule volume at baseline; (ii) proportion of nodules with more than 50% reduction (successful rate).

Use of sacubitril/valsartan in Marfan syndrome-related cardiomyopathy: The first case report.

Rationale: Marfan syndrome is a rare cause of heart failure due to primary or secondary cardiomyopathy. Recently, sacubitril/valsartan-an angiotensin receptor blocker-neprilysin inhibitor-has been added in clinical practice as a standard therapy for heart failure. To our knowledge, there are no data on sacubitril/valsartan's effects on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with Marfan syndrome.

Risk factors for fragility fractures in type 1 diabetes.

Objective: To determine clinical diabetes-related risk factors for fragility fractures in type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Research Design And Methods: History of bone fragility fractures occurring after T1D diagnosis was assessed by questionnaire in this cross-sectional study in 600 T1D subjects. Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) over the previous 5 years was used as an index of long-term glycemic control; complications were adjudicated by physician assessment.

Influenza B virus infection complicated by life-threatening pericarditis: a unique case-report and literature review.

Background: Acute pericarditis may occur frequently after viral infections. To our knowledge, influenza B virus infection complicated by pericarditis without myocardial involvement has never been reported. We report the first case of life-threatening pericarditis caused by influenza B virus infection.

A Rare Complication following Thyroid Percutaneous Ethanol Injection: Plummer Adenoma.

Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) is a technique used only for benign thyroid nodules, cystic or mixed cystic-solid with a large fluid component. It is a quite low-cost, safe, and outpatient method of treatment. Rare and severe complications have been described after PEI: jugular vein thrombosis and severe ethanol toxic necrosis of the larynx combined with necrotic dermatitis.

A Rare and Severe Complication Following Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration: Retropharyngeal Cellulitis.

Introduction: Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is the most accurate and cost-effective method for evaluating thyroid nodules. We have reported a rare complication related to the procedure: severe retropharyngeal cellulitis.

Case Presentation: A thirty-five-year-old female was admitted to hospital with hoarseness, laryngeal stridor and dyspnea without fever that emerged about 3 days after a first diagnostic FNA.

A pilot study of D-chiro-inositol plus folic acid in overweight patients with type 1 diabetes.

Aims: To improve insulin sensitivity, insulin-sensitizing drugs such as metformin are commonly used in overweight and obese T1D patients. Similarly to metformin, D-chiro-inositol (DCI), as putative mediator of intracellular insulin action, can act as insulin sensitizer. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the hypothesis that DCI plus folic acid may improve glucose control reducing insulin resistance in overweight or obese T1D patients.

PTH(1-34) for the Primary Prevention of Postthyroidectomy Hypocalcemia: The THYPOS Trial.

Context: There are no studies evaluating teriparatide for prevention of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate whether teriparatide can prevent postsurgical hypocalcemia and shorten the hospitalization in subjects at high risk of hypocalcemia following thyroid surgery.

Design: This was a prospective phase II randomized open-label trial.

BMI and BMD: The Potential Interplay between Obesity and Bone Fragility.

Recent evidence demonstrating an increased fracture risk among obese individuals suggests that adipose tissue may negatively impact bone health, challenging the traditional paradigm of fat mass playing a protective role towards bone health. White adipose tissue, far from being a mere energy depot, is a dynamic tissue actively implicated in metabolic reactions, and in fact secretes several hormones called adipokines and inflammatory factors that may in turn promote bone resorption. More specifically, Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT) may potentially prove detrimental.

Glycemic Variability Assessed by Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Short-Term Outcome in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: An Observational Pilot Study.

Poor glycemic control is associated with unfavorable outcome in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), irrespective of diabetes mellitus. However a complete assessment of glycemic status may not be fully described by glycated hemoglobin or fasting blood glucose levels, whereas daily glycemic fluctuations may influence cardiovascular risk and have even more deleterious effects than sustained hyperglycemia. Thus, this paper investigated the effectiveness of a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), registering the mean level of glycemic values but also the extent of glucose excursions during coronary revascularization, in detecting periprocedural outcome such as renal or myocardial damage, assessed by serum creatinine, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and troponin I levels.

"Hypoechoic triangle": a new sonographic sign or marker of advanced autoimmune thyroiditis.

Background: Ultrasonography (US) changes have been noted in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AT). Here, we report that some patients with late stage AT have a distinctive, previously unreported finding on US that we call the "hypoechoic triangle sign" (HET).

Methods: On US, the HET sign was characterized as a well-defined area of low echogenicity, about 10 mm in diameter, between the lateral margin of one or both thyroid lobes, the medial wall of the carotid artery, and, posteriorly, the prevertebral muscles.

Seminal antioxidant capacity in pre- and postoperative varicocele.

In order to explore the impact of surgical treatment on antioxidant defense system in varicocele (VAR), we evaluated seminal total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in 25 patients affected by VAR, in 14 patients studied 10-24 months after varicocelectomy (post-VAR) and separated into normo- and oligospermic groups, and in 24 non-VAR control patients with seminal parameters matched to patients with VAR in the oligo- and normospermic groups (7 subjects with idiopathic oligospermia and 17 normal fertile subjects). TAC was measured in seminal plasma with the system H(2)O(2)-metamyoglobin as a source of radicals, which interact with a chromogen 2,2',-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS), generating a radical cation spectroscopically detectable. The presence of antioxidants induces a lag time in the production of ABTS cation proportional to the concentration of antioxidant compounds.