Efficacy and Safety of Varenicline for Smoking Cessation in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence of effective smoking cessation interventions in patients with diabetes is limited. The unique behavioral and metabolic characteristics of smokers with type 2 diabetes warrants a randomized clinical trial of the smoking cessation drug varenicline.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of varenicline in patients with type 2 diabetes with an intention to quit smoking.

Alcoholic Consumption of Young Italians During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.

Background: The international health emergency caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which, at the end of 2019, hit the world, forced the governments of all countries to adopt stringent restrictive measures to contain the spread of the virus. Several studies have revealed worsening levels of anxiety, depression and perceived stress related to these restrictions and the resulting lifestyle changes. Some studies have also confirmed the presence of a relationship between SARS-CoV-2-related emotional distress and drinking behavior.

The Lesson from the First Italian Lockdown: Impacts on Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms and Sleep Quality in Patients with Remission of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, decisions were taken to adopt restrictive legislative measures, such as the first half of the 2020 lockdown. In those months, patients with inflammatory bowel disease experienced social isolation and reduced access to health care.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate, in this condition, the presence of remission subgroups that were most impacted by the lockdown.

The analysis of alcohol consumption during the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 Italian lockdown.

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 lockdown resulted in deep changes of lifestyles, promoting in many people the onset of psychological symptoms generally associated with drug and alcohol abuse. The aim of this study was to assess the variation of alcohol drinking habits in a sample of Italian citizens during lockdown and to identify the psychosocial factors surrounding it.

Methods: An online anonymous questionnaire was created and submitted from April 9 to April 28, 2020.

International randomised controlled trial evaluating metabolic syndrome in type 2 diabetic cigarette smokers following switching to combustion-free nicotine delivery systems: the DIASMOKE protocol.

Introduction: Reducing exposure to cigarette smoke is an imperative for public health and for patients with diabetes. Increasingly, combustion-free nicotine delivery systems (C-F NDS) such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are substituting conventional cigarettes and accelerating the downward trends in smoking prevalence. However, there is limited information about the long-term health impact in patients with diabetes who use C-F NDS.

Gut Microbiota in Alzheimer's Disease, Depression, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Role of Oxidative Stress.

Gut microbiota consists of over 100 trillion microorganisms including at least 1000 different species of bacteria and is crucially involved in physiological and pathophysiological processes occurring in the host. An imbalanced gastrointestinal ecosystem (dysbiosis) seems to be a contributor to the development and maintenance of several diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, depression, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Interestingly, the three disorders are frequently associated as demonstrated by the high comorbidity rates.

MiR-27a-3p and miR-124-3p, upregulated in endometrium and serum from women affected by Chronic Endometritis, are new potential molecular markers of endometrial receptivity.

Problem: Chronic endometritis (CE) is usually asymptomatic and different studies demonstrated the relation with infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. Altered regulation of protein-encoding genes in CE has been demonstrated, but no evidence about the involvement of microRNAs in the pathology is present in literature.

Method Of Study: In the endometrium from 15 women with CE and 15 healthy women, by RT-qPCR single assays, we investigated some microRNAs targeting IL11, CCL4, IGF1, and IGFBP1, which mRNAs had been found differentially expressed in endometrium of women affected by CE.

Effects of tadalafil treatment combined with physical activity in patients with low onset hypogonadism: results from a not-randomized single arm phase 2 study.

Purpose: To investigate a possible relation between penile Doppler ultrasound examination (PDUE) parameters and efficacy of chronic therapy with tadalafil (TAD) combined with a protocol of aerobic physical activity (PA) in patients with late onset hypogonadism (LOH).

Methods: The study evaluated 30 patients consecutively enrolled with LOH and erectile dysfunction which present contraindication to hormonal replacement therapy for concomitant prostate disease. These patients were subjected to a combined protocol with phosphodiesterase V selective inhibitors (TAD 5 mg daily) and aerobic PA.

Use of an integrated strip-free blood glucose monitoring system increases frequency of self-monitoring and improves glycemic control: Results from the ExAct study.

Aims: We investigated the impact of using an integrated, strip-free system compared to the use of single-strip systems on testing frequency and glycemic control in individuals with insulin-treated diabetes.

Methods: This multinational, comparative, cluster-randomized, observational study included 311 patients with type 1 and insulin-treated type 2 diabetes who were performing SMBG at suboptimal frequencies. Sites were cluster-randomized to "integrated strip-free" system (EXP group) or any "single-strip" system (CNL group).

Arterial erectile dysfunction: different severities of endothelial apoptosis between diabetic patients "responders" and "non responders" to sildenafil.

Background: The low pharmacological response to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors represents an expression of higher endothelial damage in certain categories of patients with erectile dysfunction and high cardiovascular risk. The present study evaluated this objective in type 2 diabetic patients with erectile dysfunction, classified as "non responders" to Sildenafil.

Methods: Eighteen "responder" and twelve "non responder" type 2 diabetic patients were evaluated, relatively to different levels of endothelial damage, through the diagnostic use of a new immunophenotype of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (CD45neg/CD34pos/CD144pos) and endothelial microparticles (CD45neg/CD144pos/Annexin Vpos), recently developed and published by our group.

Seminal vesicles and diabetic neuropathy: ultrasound evaluation.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the ultrasound characteristics of the seminal vesicles (SV) of infertile patients with diabetes and neuropathy, and possible changes in relation to duration of diabetes. Sixty infertile patients with type 2 diabetes and symptomatic neuropathy were selected. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to duration of diabetes (group A ≤ 5 years, group B between 5 and 15 years, and group C ≥ 15 years).

Spermatic and ultrasound characterization of young diabetic patients.

Aim: Different authors showed clear correlations between diabetic disease and male reproductive damage (es. rate of nuclear DNA fragmentation, mithocondrial DNA mutations, increased of enzymatic glication products, etc..

Oxidative stress and cellular stress response in diabetic nephropathy.

Oxidative stress has been suggested to play a main role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications. As a consequence of this increased oxidative status, a cellular-adaptive response occurs requiring functional chaperones, antioxidant production, and protein degradation. This study was designed to evaluate systemic oxidative stress and cellular stress response in patients suffering from type 2 diabetes-induced nephropathy and in age-matched healthy subjects.