The COVID-19 pandemic has opened several new disease scenarios, yielding novel syndromes that have never been seen before and resurrecting old inflammatory phenomena that are no longer recorded, such as radiation recall (RR) syndromes. Radiation recall syndrome is a limited field inflammatory reaction that occurs in a volume that was irradiated several months or years previously before being induced by a triggering factor. The most frequently reported phenomena are skin reactions; however, other organs could be involved, such as the lungs in radiation recall pneumonitis (RRP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComputed tomography (CT) scanning is the gold standard when estimating pleural effusion volume; however, the procedure exposes patients to ionizing radiation. Our study was aimed at developing ultrasound-based calculation models that can quantify the volume of pleural effusion in seated patients and validating each model using volumetric chest CT analyses as reference. Our study enrolled 36 hospitalized patients who underwent a chest CT scan and ultrasound, in the seated position, with the aid of a convex probe.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic heart failure (CHF) is characterized by an ongoing nonresolving inflammatory status, where T lymphocytes seem critical. It has been recently recognized that transition from acute to chronic inflammation could be caused by defects in resolving inflammation, the resolution of which is mediated by a novel family of ω-3-derived specialized proresolving lipid mediators such as resolvins. We analyzed 27 elderly patients with CHF and 23 healthy age-matched control subjects, and we reported significantly lower levels of D-series resolvin (RvD)1 in plasma of patients with CHF that were associated with a reduced ability of their leukocytes to produce this lipid via its biosynthetic enzyme 15-lipoxygenase and that correlated with gas exchange dysfunction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: In the new GOLD classification the reduction of FEV1, expressed as percentage of predicted value (FEV1PP), is considered an important prognostic factor. However, the use of FEV1PP may introduce bias, especially if based on equations derived from populations different from the one under study. We evaluated how well the GOLD classification stratifies the mortality risk when FEV1PP is based on an equation developed in the same population that gave rise to cases, externally developed equations, or as FEV1 divided by cubed height (FEV1/Ht).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Whether a fixed cutoff or the lower limit of normal of the FEV1/FVC ratio should be used to diagnose bronchial obstruction is still a matter of debate. This issue is particularly important for elderly people.
Objectives: We used equations applicable up to 90 years of age to evaluate the mortality of elderly people diagnosed with bronchial obstruction using either a fixed cutoff of 0.
Objectives: The effects of statins on insulin sensitivity, metabolic homeostasis and adipokines in humans are controversial. Several studies have investigated the impact of statin therapy on plasma leptin concentrations but the results have been inconsistent. The aim of the present study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of available evidence to calculate the effect size of statin therapy in changing serum leptin concentrations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFlow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery reflects endothelium-dependent vasodilator function; since it correlates with coronary endothelial function, its reduction could predict cardiovascular events. Several studies have investigated the potential impact of fibrates therapy on endothelial function, but clinical findings have not been fully consistent. We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials in order to clarify whether fibrate therapy could improve endothelial function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Background: Age-related changes in pulmonary function increase respiratory muscle work. In the face of this increased demand, poor muscle mass, frequently associated with age and multi-morbidity, can reduce endurance and strength of respiratory muscles. Furthermore, poor muscle mass may per se contribute to exercise intolerance and lower physical performance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe term "sarcopenia" describes the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. It represents a major risk factor for functional loss and disability in older persons. Multiple underlying pathophysiological mechanisms have been posed at the basis of the sarcopenia phenomenon, including intrinsic (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAging Clin Exp Res
October 2014
ANCA-associated vasculitis affects more than 20 per million of the population per year and prevails in the elderly. Renal involvement, either isolated or in the context of systemic vasculitis, is common. We report the case of an 86-year-old patient who presented with a histologically proven renal limited vasculitis and with fever and fatigue but with normal renal function and urine analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe increase of life expectancy together with the decline of birth rates implies a global aging of populations living in industrialized countries. Since advanced age is associated with an exponential consumption of health care resources, this phenomenon is likely to pose a substantial threat to the stability of public health systems. Prevention of physical disability represents a major public health priority.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: Restrictive lung dysfunction (RLD; defined as reduced forced vital capacity [FVC] in the presence of normal forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1]/FVC ratio) is highly prevalent in the elderly, and is associated with diabetes, metabolic syndrome (MetS) and abdominal obesity. The aim of this study was to assess the relative contribution of diabetes, MetS and abdominal obesity in characterizing RLD in the elderly.
Methods: This was cross-sectional analysis of 192 consecutive, community-dwelling persons (mean age 70.
Although less extensively studied compared to pulmonary obstructive diseases, restrictive lung disease (RLD) is highly prevalent and frequently disabling in the adult and, more, the elderly population. The underlying conditions may be either primarily pulmonary diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or non respiratory conditions secondarily affecting the lung, e. g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiabetes Metab Res Rev
January 2010
Our survey in Cameroon recorded obesity and dysglycemia in inhabitants, which are similar to those reported elsewhere in the region. Typically these metabolic disturbances are attributed to the adoption of a new urban lifestyle including diminished physical activity and an altered ('Western') diet. Unexpectedly we found that, like urban populations, our rural population had high rates of metabolic disturbances, despite living in villages and being physically active and consuming traditional diet that is high in plant sources of food and low in meat.
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