The Cardioprotective Effects of Nutritional Ketosis: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) persist as the primary cause of death worldwide, accounting for roughly 17.9 million fatalities each year. The prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes (key risk factors for CVD) continues to escalate at an alarming rate, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies to address this global health crisis.

Control of G protein-coupled receptor function via membrane-interacting intrinsically disordered C-terminal domains.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) control intracellular signaling cascades via agonist-dependent coupling to intracellular transducers including heterotrimeric G proteins, GPCR kinases (GRKs), and arrestins. In addition to their critical interactions with the transmembrane core of active GPCRs, all three classes of transducers have also been reported to interact with receptor C-terminal domains (CTDs). An underexplored aspect of GPCR CTDs is their possible role as lipid sensors given their proximity to the membrane.

Control of G protein-coupled receptor function via membrane-interacting intrinsically disordered C-terminal domains.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) control intracellular signaling cascades via agonist-dependent coupling to intracellular transducers including heterotrimeric G proteins, GPCR kinases (GRKs), and arrestins. In addition to their critical interactions with the transmembrane core of active GPCRs, all three classes of transducers have also been reported to interact with receptor C-terminal domains (CTDs). An underexplored aspect of GPCR CTDs is their possible role as lipid sensors given their proximity to the membrane.

Prognosis and Interplay of Cognitive Impairment and Sarcopenia in Older Adults Discharged from Acute Care Hospitals.

Sarcopenia and cognitive impairment are associated with an increased risk of negative outcomes, but their prognostic interplay has not been investigated so far. We aimed to investigate the prognostic interaction of sarcopenia and cognitive impairment concerning 12-month mortality among older patients discharged from acute care wards in Italy. Our series consisted of 624 patients (age = 80.

Plasma aldosterone is increased in class 2 and 3 obese essential hypertensive patients despite drug treatment.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether body mass index (BMI) is independently correlated with plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) in treated essential hypertensive patients, and whether the relationship between BMI and high blood pressure (BP) can be partially mediated by PAC despite renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade.

Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design and included 295 consecutive essential hypertensive patients referred to our centre for uncontrolled BP despite stable antihypertensive treatment for at least 6 months. The main exclusion criteria were age >65 years; glomerular filtration rate <30 ml/min; and therapy with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, direct renin inhibitors, amiloride or oral contraceptives.

Microalbuminuria and left ventricular mass in overweight and obese hypertensive patients: role of the metabolic syndrome.

Background: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and microalbuminuria are common in hypertensive patients and are often associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, it is not clear whether MetS could modify the association between cardiac and renal damage.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess if the relationship of albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) and left ventricular mass (LVM) could be independent from MetS in hypertensive overweight/obese patients.

The association of left ventricular hypertrophy with metabolic syndrome is dependent on body mass index in hypertensive overweight or obese patients.

Background: Overweight (Ow) and obesity (Ob) influence blood pressure (BP) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). It is unclear whether the presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) independently affects echocardiographic parameters in hypertension.

Methods: 380 Ow/Ob essential hypertensive patients (age ≤ 65 years) presenting for referred BP control-related problems.

Cannabinoid CB1 receptor expression in relation to visceral adipose depots, endocannabinoid levels, microvascular damage, and the presence of the Cnr1 A3813G variant in humans.

Dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system in the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with metabolic and cardiovascular complications of obesity. We studied perirenal VAT CB1 receptor expression in relation to anthropometry, VAT area and endocannabinoid levels, kidney microvascular damage (MVDa), and the presence of the CB1 gene A3813G variant, the frequency of which was also evaluated in a large population of obese-hypertensive (OH) patients with or without the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Perirenal VAT and kidney samples were obtained from 30 patients undergoing renal surgery.

A manual of guidelines to score the modified cumulative illness rating scale and its validation in acute hospitalized elderly patients.

Objectives: To update previous guidelines to score the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) and test their usefulness in hospitalized elderly patients.

Design: The CIRS was scored retrospectively in a cohort of elderly patients followed for 18 months.

Setting: An acute internal medicine ward in an academic tertiary care hospital.

A human fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) functional gene variant is associated with lower blood pressure in young males.

Background: Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors, preventing endocannabinoid (EC) degradation, reduce blood pressure (BP) and heart rate in young male (YM) hypertensive rodents. The functional human FAAH 129T gene variant results in reduced protein level and enzymatic activity but its relationship with BP is unknown. This study investigates the relationship among FAAH P129T alleles and cardiovascular features in YMs at baseline and after 9-year follow-up, and in older male obese hypertensive (OH) patients, in whom the EC system (ECS) is overactive.