Efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and insulin resistance: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a very common, yet undiagnosed, breathing disorder that has many more implications besides disrupted sleep. Its role as an independent risk factor for metabolic abnormalities such as insulin resistance (IR) and impaired glucose tolerance is becoming increasingly recognized. The main treatment for OSAHS is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), however the impact of CPAP on IR and glucose metabolism is still debated.

[SPONTANEOUS BACTERIAL EMPYEMA--A RARE BUT IMPORTANT COMPLICATION OF HEPATIC HYDROTHORAX IN CIRRHOTIC PATIENTS].

Spontaneous bacterial empyema, a complication of hepatic hydrothorax in cirrhotic patients, is a rare but nevertheless important medical entity. The diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of spontaneous bacterial empyema differs from the "usual" empyema, and avoiding proper diagnosis or treatment delay may have far reaching consequences. We report on a patient who was diagnosed in our department with spontaneous bacterial empyema, review the main current literature on the subject and elaborate on the specific therapeutic considerations related to the case management.

Athletes with higher VOmax present reduced oxLDL after a marathon race.

Background: During a session of prolonged and exhaustive exercise, such as a marathon race, large quantities of free radicals are produced and can oxidise (ox) several molecules, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL). To prevent oxidative damage, athletes present higher antioxidant levels. However, the effect of marathon running on the natural IgM or IgG anti-oxLDL autoantibodies is not understood.

Aging and oxidative stress.

The scientific establishment has been discussing the relationship between aging and oxidative stress for quite some time now. While we are still far from a general agreement about this subject, there is an impressive amount of data collected that can be used to draw a compelling picture of the events that take place during the human aging process and their correlation with the oxidant status of the organism. In this review, we bring forth the results of some key studies that can help to elucidate the aging-oxidative stress puzzle, as well as to explain which are the fundamental events in this interplay and why their causal relationships remain so elusive.