Bone turnover and its relationship with bone mineral density in pre- and postmenopausal women with or without fractures.

Objective: This work was carried out in order to investigate possible relationships between bone turnover rate, as evaluated by bone biomarkers and skeletal mass, as evaluated by bone mineral density (BMD).

Method: Fifty-eight normal women and 30 female patients with osteoporotic fractures were enrolled. Three groups were defined: (1) fertile subjects (n = 24), mean age 33.

Age- and menopause-related changes in speed of sound and ultrasound attenuation of the os calcis in a healthy Italian female population.

This study assessed changes in ultrasonometric variables of bone (speed of sound, broadband ultrasound attenuation and stiffness) related to age and years since menopause in a normal Italian female population. Two hundred and thirty-one healthy female subjects, age range 18-78 years, divided into two groups (113 pre-menopausal, age range 18-51 years, and 118 post-menopausal, age range 46-78 years), were investigated. The results obtained show that there was a linear decrease in speed of sound, broadband ultrasound attenuation and stiffness with age; a similar pattern was also observed in post-menopausal women as far as the correlations between ultrasonometric variables and both age and years since menopause were concerned.

[Correlations between the efficacy of thrombolytic therapy and appearance of abnormal Q waves in the early stages of acute myocardial infarction].

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the time course of the appearance of abnormal Q waves on the electrocardiogram (ECG) over the first 6 hrs of the symptoms of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to determine what implications, if any, such Q waves have for the efficacy of thrombolytic therapy. Severe myocardial ischemia can produce early QRS changes in the absence of infarction. Abnormal Q waves on the baseline ECG may not be an accurate marker or irreversibly injured myocardium.

The measurement of urinary amino-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen to monitor bone resorption in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

This study was carried out in order to evaluate clinical usefulness of cross-linked N-telopeptides (NTx) of type I collagen determination, in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Twenty-six consecutive patients (6 males and 20 females, aged 56.3 +/- 15.

[Dilated myocardiopathy and polymyositis. A clinical case and critical review of the literature].

A patient affected by a "limb-girdl syndrome" type of polymyositis shows clinical symptoms and signs of progressively worsening dilatative myocardiopathy. The diagnosis was based on well established criteria, such as the following: EF < 45-55%, left ventricular telediastolic diameter higher than 2.7 cm/mq, and normal wall thickness (L.