Prediction of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality using central hemodynamic indices among elderly people: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Despite widespread usage of central blood pressure assessment its predictive value among elderly people remains unclear.

Objective: To ascertain the capacity of central hemodynamic indices for predicting future all-cause and cardiovascular hard outcomes among elderly people.

Design And Setting: Systematic review and meta-analysis developed at the Del Cuore cardiology clinic, in Antonio Prado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Nitric oxide system and diabetic nephropathy.

About 30% of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus develop clinically overt nephropathy. Hyperglycemia is necessary, but not sufficient, to cause the renal damage that leads to kidney failure. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a multifactorial disorder that results from interaction between environmental and genetic factors.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms and risk of diabetic nephropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) has numerous functions in the kidney, including control of renal and glomerular hemodynamics, by interfering at multiple pathological and physiologically critical steps of nephron function. Endothelial NOS (eNOS) gene has been considered a potential candidate gene to diabetic nephropathy (DN) susceptibility. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene (eNOS-3) polymorphisms have been associated with DN, however some studies do not confirm this association.