Could the performance of oral glucose tolerance test contribute to the brain health-focused care in multiple sclerosis?

Background: It has not been clarified yet if persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at increased risk to develop glucose metabolism dysregulation. The aims of the present study were to evaluate glucose metabolism characteristics in persons with MS and to compare it to the healthy individuals; to examine the association of glucose metabolism with the level of disability and its progression.

Methods: The study enrolled 78 patients with MS and 26, comparable for age, gender and body mass index (BMI), healthy controls (HC).

Impact of acute hyperglycemia on layer-specific left ventricular strain in asymptomatic diabetic patients: an analysis based on two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.

Background: Hyperglycemia has detrimental effect on ischemic myocardium, but the impact of acute hyperglycemia on the myocardium in asymptomatic diabetic patients has not been fully elucidated. Thus, this follow-up study was aimed to investigate the effects and reversibility of acute hyperglycemia on regional contractile function of left ventricle (LV) in diabetic patients without cardiovascular disease.

Methods: The two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE), including multilayer strain analysis, was used for evaluation of global and regional LV function in asymptomatic, normotensive patients with uncomplicated diabetes, with acute hyperglycemia ( ≥ 11.

Diurnal regulation of sphingolipids in blood.

Key homeostatic functions are regulated in a diurnal manner and a miss-alignment of such rhythms is believed to contribute to the pathophysiology of several diseases. Signaling sphingolipids (SLs) in plasma such as sphingosine 1-phosphate control lymphocytic trafficking, vascular reactivity and platelet activity, physiological functions all of which display a diurnal rhythm themselves. However, the rhythmicity of SL metabolism in plasma and its potential causes have not been sufficiently investigated so far.

The effects of 3-year statin therapy and the achievement of LDL cholesterol target values in familial hypercholesterolemia patients: An experience from Serbia.

Background And Aims: Despite the use of statins, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients often have increased LDL-cholesterol (Ch) and high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This study aimed to analyze the effect of statin therapy on attainment of LDL-Ch treatment targets and appearance of new ASCVD and diabetes in FH patients.

Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of data from medical records of 302 FH patients treated continuously with statins during 3 years.

Endothelial dysfunction of coronary arteries in subjects without diabetes: An association with both insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion response.

Aims: This study was aimed to compare insulin sensitivity and secretion response, lipoprotein and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) levels between the subjects with and without coronary artery endothelial dysfunction (ED).

Methods: ED was detected by intracoronary injection of acetylcholine (ACh) in 47 nondiabetes subjects without stenotic coronary arteries, selected from 316 consecutive patients with coronary angiography performed for suspected coronary artery disease. The subjects were divided into two groups: presence of ACh-induced coronary spasm (group ED+, N = 30) and absence of ACh-induced coronary spasm (group ED-, N = 17).

Decreased Insulin Sensitivity and Impaired Fibrinolytic Activity in Type 2 Diabetes Patients and Nondiabetics with Ischemic Stroke.

We analyzed (a) insulin sensitivity (IS), (b) plasma insulin (PI), and (c) plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with (group A) and without (group B) atherothrombotic ischemic stroke (ATIS), nondiabetics with ATIS (group C), and healthy controls (group D). IS was determined by minimal model (Si). Si was lower in A versus B (1.

Altered Daytime Fluctuation Pattern of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 in Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Strong Association with Persistently Elevated Plasma Insulin, Increased Insulin Resistance, and Abdominal Obesity.

This study was aimed at investigating daily fluctuation of PAI-1 levels in relation to insulin resistance (IR) and daily profile of plasma insulin and glucose levels in 26 type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (group A), 10 T2D patients without CAD (group B), 12 nondiabetics with CAD (group C), and 12 healthy controls (group D). The percentage of PAI-1 decrease was lower in group A versus group B (4.4 ± 2.

High Risk First Degree Relatives of Type 1 Diabetics: An Association with Increases in CXCR3(+) T Memory Cells Reflecting an Enhanced Activity of Th1 Autoimmune Response.

We analyzed the level of (a) CXCR3(+) (Th1) and CCR4(+) (Th2) T memory cells (b) interferon- γ inducible chemokine (IP-10)(Th1) and thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC)(Th2), in 51 first degree relatives (FDRs) of type 1 diabetics (T1D) (17 high risk FDRs (GADA(+), IA-2(+)) and 34 low risk FDRs (GADA(-), IA-2(-))), 24 recent-onset T1D (R-T1D), and 18 healthy subjects. T memory subsets were analyzed by using four-color immunofluorescence staining and flowcytometry. IP-10 and TARC were determined by ELISA.

Relationship between obesity, adipocytokines and inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetes: relevance for cardiovascular risk prevention.

This study aimed to analyse the impact of obesity in type 2 diabetes (T2D) on adipocytokines (adiponectin, leptin and resistin) and inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-6 and hsCRP) as cardiovascular risk factors. A cross-sectional study comparing the basal levels of adipocytokines and inflammatory markers was done in 18 obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) (group A), 21 overweight (25 kg/m² ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m²) (group B), 25 non-obese T2D patients (group C) and 15 non-obese controls (group D). The lowest levels of adiponectin and the highest levels of leptin, resistin, TNF-α, IL-6 and hsCRP were found in group A.

Hypertension in obese type 2 diabetes patients is associated with increases in insulin resistance and IL-6 cytokine levels: potential targets for an efficient preventive intervention.

Increased body weight as well as type 2 diabetes (T2D) are found to be associated with increased incidence of hypertension, although the mechanisms facilitating hypertension in T2D or nondiabetic individuals are not clear. Therefore, in this study we compared the levels of insulin resistance (IR:OGIS), plasma insulin (PI:RIA) levels, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α: ELISA), being risk factors previously found to be associated with hypertension, in T2D patients showing increased body weight (obese and overweight, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) with hypertension (group A, N = 30), or without hypertension (group B, N = 30), and in nonobese (BMI < 25 kg/m²), normotensive controls (group C, N = 15). We found that OGIS index was the lowest (A: 267 ± 35.

[Oxidized LDL and lipids as risk factors for ischemic heart disease in type 2 diabetes].

Background: [corrected] Abnormal lipid profile is an important risk factor in the development of macrovascular atherosclerotic complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Factors that contribute to endothelial cell dysfunction associated with the initiation of atherosclerosis include oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between lipid profile and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetics with and without ischemic heart disease (IHD).

[Blood supply of the internal capsule and basal nuclei].

The internal capsule and basal nuclei are supplied by perforating branches of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), Heubner's artery, middle cerebral artery (MCA), internal carotid artery (ICA) and anterior choroidal artery (AChA). Some of the mentioned perforators vascularize both the internal capsule and basal nuclei, while some of them also perfuse the adjacent brain structures. Dorsal part of the anterior limb, knee and posterior limb of the internal capsule are commonly supplied by lateral MCA perforators.

[Relationship between low glomerular filtration rate, hypertension, and microalbuminuria in type 1 diabetes mellitus].

Aim: To investigate the influence of low glomerular filtration rate, as well as of systolic and diastolic hypertension, on microalbuminuria in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: Twenty seven patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (18 males, 9 females) were studied. All of the patients were below 50 years of age.