Neglected features of lifestyle: Their relevance in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Aim: To investigated in non-alcoholic-fatty-liver-disease (NAFLD), with ultrasound (US)-detected fatty liver, and in a group of non-alcoholic and otherwise healthy subjects, relationship of neglected features of lifestyle with NAFLD and obesity.

Methods: Five hundred and thirty-two NAFLD and 667 non-NAFLD healthy subjects, age 21-60 years were studied. Severity of liver steatosis was assessed by US bright liver score.

Fatty liver disease and lifestyle in youngsters: diet, food intake frequency, exercise, sleep shortage and fashion.

Background & Aims: Fatty liver is associated with alcohol habits and/or overweight/obesity. We challenged several lifestyle features associated with fatty liver and, particularly, with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Among them, sleep shortage as a result of nightlife habits and a preference for plus-size fashion were assessed.

Lung transthoracic ultrasound elastography imaging and guided biopsies of subpleural cancer: a preliminary report.

Background: Despite the usefulness of elastography in assessing the stiffness/elasticity of tissues, and its proven diagnostic accuracy in thyroid, breast, and prostate cancers, among others, it is not yet applied in transthoracic ultrasound (TUS) scans to investigate lung nodules.

Purpose: To investigate the potential clinical utility of TUS elastography in diagnosing lung cancer proven by fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB).

Material And Methods: TUS elastography was performed in 95 consecutive patients (71 men, 24 women; age, 62.

Obesity-independent association of human adenovirus Ad37 seropositivity with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Objective: Adenoviruses Ad36 and Ad37 increase adiposity in animals and are associated with obesity in humans; effects on the liver have been reported. The association of Adenovirus Ad36 seropositivity (Ad36+) with obesity but not with the severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been previously shown. We investigate whether nondiabetic Ad37+ patients show a different prevalence of NAFLD and ultrasound Bright Liver score.

Renal resistive index and parathyroid hormone relationship with renal function in nondiabetic patients.

Introduction: The renal resistive index (RRI) reflects intrarenal vascular resistance and stiffness, which are associated with chronic kidney disease. The links connecting renal function, intrarenal arterial resistance, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) with hypertension and metabolic factors remain elusive. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible relationship of RRI with glomerular filtration rate, PTH, hypertension, obesity (body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio), bioelectrical impedance analysis in body composition assessment, serum lipids, and insulin resistance assessed by homoeostasis model insulin resistance index.

Adenovirus-36 seropositivity enhances effects of nutritional intervention on obesity, bright liver, and insulin resistance.

Background: Obesity and liver steatosis are both currently attributed to inappropriate lifestyle and nutrition. Higher prevalence of human adenovirus Ad36 seropositivity (Ad36+) is reported only in obesity.

Aims: To investigate whether a lifestyle-nutritional intervention achieves different outcomes in NAFLD patients, i.

Renal function and severity of bright liver. Relationship with insulin resistance, intrarenal resistive index, and glomerular filtration rate.

Aims: Relationships of renal function and liver disease are described in acute and chronic liver failure. The aim of the study is to investigate which relationship, if any, is present between severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), assessed by bright liver score (BLS) versus mild-moderate renal insufficiency assessed by glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and by ultrasound intra-renal arterial resistive index (RRI). Moreover, which difference, if any, can be found in NAFLD patients with normal versus increased transaminases.

Coffee, nutritional status, and renal artery resistive index.

Background: The relationship between nutrition and atherosclerosis is known, even dissociated from protein malnutrition. Cardiovascular impact of several nutrients is known; among them the action of coffee is still debated and cardiovascular effect of caffeine has been investigated without definite results.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate whether coffee habits, and/or quantity of coffee consumption, have any relationship with renal resistive index (RRI), a hallmark of arterial stiffness (AS).

Lifestyle interventions, insulin resistance, and renal artery stiffness in essential hypertension.

The study investigates lifestyle and effective anti-hypertensive intervention in overweight-obese patients can influence insulin-resistance (HOMA-IR) and US Renal-Resistive-Index (RRI). After a 1-year interventional program (including a personalized Mediterranean diet, physical activity increase, smoking withdrawal counseling), 156 Essential Hypertension (EH) patients still have abnormal HOMA-IR, significantly higher in comparison to 159 control group patients. Body mass index (BMI) and cholesterol-high-density-lipoprotein improvement are the best predictors of a HOMA-IR decrease; RRI improves in EH according to lifestyle interventions, but no predictor to RRI is identified.

Elective coronary stent patients: preinterventional functional status and clinical-instrumental assessment.

The functional status of ischemic heart disease (IHD) is currently assessed using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ), a tool for monitoring and predicting the patient's prognosis. Illness perceptions (IP) are associated with IHD behavioral risk factors. The aim of the study was to find whether different IP, as evaluated by the IP Questionnaire (IPQr), can predict any of the features of the SAQ, i.

Protective role of coffee in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Aim: The benefits of coffee on abnormal liver biochemistry, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma have been reported, but there is a lack of satisfactory explanation. Thus, this study aims to investigate if coffee use has any relationship with bright liver, measured by ultrasound bright liver score (BLS), in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and which relationship, if any, is present with BMI and insulin resistance.

Methods: This study was performed on 245 patients, 137 with NAFLD and 108 controls.

Ad36 adipogenic adenovirus in human non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Aims: Infection with specific pathogens may lead to increased adiposity. The human adenovirus 36 (Ad36) is a relatively new factor in promoting adipogenesis. It seems to improve the metabolic profile, expanding adipose tissue and enhancing insulin sensitivity in animal models.

[Illness perception questionnaire (IPQ-r): an useful paradigm in chronic disease].

The Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQr) is a validated psycho-social tool. Chronic illness out-patients, 48 women and 42 men, 61.36 +/- 14.