An amino acid mixture, enriched with Krebs cycle intermediates, enhances extracellular matrix gene expression in cultured human fibroblasts.

In the human body, the skin is one of the organs most affected by the aging process. Nutritional approaches aimed to counteract the age-induced decline of extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition could be a valuable tool to decrease the degenerative processes underlying skin aging. Here, we investigated the ability of a six-amino acid plus hyaluronic acid (6AAH) formulation enriched with tricarboxylic acid (TCA) intermediates to stimulate ECM gene expression.

[Integrated social and health care supported by home telemonitoring in patients with heart failure: the European SmartCare project in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region].

Background: Home care for patients with chronic diseases and specifically with heart failure (HF) is one of the main challenges of health care for the future. Telemedicine, applied to HF, allows intensive home monitoring of the most advanced patients, improving their prognosis and quality of life. The European SmartCare project was carried out in the Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) region with the aim of improving integrated health and social care in patients with chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCD) through home telemonitoring (TM) and promoting self-management and patient empowerment.

[Pharmaceutical prescription of proton pump inhibitors and ranitidine in the general population living in the area of the Healthcare Authority and University of Udine (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Northeastern Italy)].

Objectives: to describe the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and ranitidine in the general population living in the area of the Healthcare Authority and University of Udine (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Northeastern Italy) and to evaluate whether there are any cases of co-prescription of medications in those classes.

Design: analysis of health-related administrative databases (list of potential healthcare beneficiaries, prescriptions of medications, exemption from medical charges because of chronic conditions, list of general practitioners).

Setting And Participants: population of the Italian area of the Healthcare Authority and University of Udine (approximately 250,000 inhabitants) ≥1 year of age as of January 1st, 2016.

The influence of patients' complexity and general practitioners' characteristics on referrals to outpatient health services in an Italian region.

Background: Patient referrals to outpatient health services may affect both health outcomes and health expenditures. General practitioners (GP) have a crucial role in driving the use of outpatient services and recognizing factors which affect referrals is important for health managers and planners.

Objectives: We investigated patient- and physician-related determinants of patient referrals in an Italian region.