The use of flash glucose monitoring significantly improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetes managed with basal bolus insulin therapy compared to self-monitoring of blood glucose: A prospective observational cohort study.

Aim: This prospective, observational cohort study aimed to measure HbA1c change over 3-6 months in type 2 diabetes managed with basal-bolus insulin and FreeStyle Libre® Flash Glucose Monitoring System (FSL) use compared to self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG).

Methods: Sixteen Italian hospitals enrolled patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 322, [109 FSL, 213 SMBG users]) using basal-bolus insulin therapy for ≥ 1 year, HbA1c 8.0-12.

Imaging in experimental models of diabetes.

Translational medicine, experimental medicine and experimental animal models, in particular mice and rats, represent a multidisciplinary field that has made it possible to achieve, in the last decades, important scientific progress. In this review, we have summarized the most frequently used imaging animal models, such as ultrasound (US), micro-CT, MRI and the optical imaging methods, and their main implications in diagnostic and therapeutic fields, with a particular focus on diabetes mellitus, a multifactorial disease extremely widespread among the general population.

Continuous Electrical Monitoring in Patients with Arrhythmic Myocarditis: Insights from a Referral Center.

Background: The incidence and burden of arrhythmias in myocarditis are under-reported.

Objective: We aimed to assess the diagnostic yield and clinical impact of continuous arrhythmia monitoring (CAM) in patients with arrhythmic myocarditis.

Methods: We enrolled consecutive adult patients ( = 104; 71% males, age 47 ± 11 year, mean LVEF 50 ± 13%) with biopsy-proven active myocarditis and de novo ventricular arrhythmias (VAs).

Consensus on diagnosis and management of Cushing's disease: a guideline update.

Cushing's disease requires accurate diagnosis, careful treatment selection, and long-term management to optimise patient outcomes. The Pituitary Society convened a consensus workshop comprising more than 50 academic researchers and clinical experts to discuss the application of recent evidence to clinical practice. In advance of the virtual meeting, data from 2015 to present about screening and diagnosis; surgery, medical, and radiation therapy; and disease-related and treatment-related complications of Cushing's disease summarised in recorded lectures were reviewed by all participants.

Bone Strain Index predicts fragility fracture in osteoporotic women: an artificial intelligence-based study.

Background: We applied an artificial intelligence-based model to predict fragility fractures in postmenopausal women, using different dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) parameters.

Methods: One hundred seventy-four postmenopausal women without vertebral fractures (VFs) at baseline (mean age 66.3 ± 9.

Liprins in oncogenic signaling and cancer cell adhesion.

Liprins are a multifunctional family of scaffold proteins, identified by their involvement in several important neuronal functions related to signaling and organization of synaptic structures. More recently, the knowledge on the liprin family has expanded from neuronal functions to processes relevant to cancer progression, including cell adhesion, cell motility, cancer cell invasion, and signaling. These proteins consist of regions, which by prediction are intrinsically disordered, and may be involved in the assembly of supramolecular structures relevant for their functions.

Profound architectural and functional readjustments of the secretory pathway in decidualization of endometrial stromal cells.

Certain cell types must expand their exocytic pathway to guarantee efficiency and fidelity of protein secretion. A spectacular case is offered by decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells (EnSCs). In the midluteal phase of the menstrual cycle, progesterone stimulation induces proliferating EnSCs to differentiate into professional secretors releasing proteins essential for efficient blastocyst implantation.

Iron and erythropoiesis: A mutual alliance.

The large amount of iron required for hemoglobin synthesis keeps iron homeostasis and erythropoiesis inter-connected, both iron levels being affected by increased erythropoiesis, and erythropoiesis regulated by serum iron. The connection between these 2 processes is maintained even when erythropoiesis is ineffective. In the last years great advances in the understanding of the mechanisms of this crosstalk have been achieved thanks to the discovery of 2 essential players: hepcidin, the master regulator of iron homeostasis, and erythroferrone, the long sought erythroid regulator.

Imaging of Substantia Nigra in Parkinson's Disease: A Narrative Review.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms due to the degeneration of the pars compacta of the substantia nigra (SNc) with dopaminergic denervation of the striatum. Although the diagnosis of PD is principally based on a clinical assessment, great efforts have been expended over the past two decades to evaluate reliable biomarkers for PD. Among these biomarkers, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based biomarkers may play a key role.

Impact of preoperative glycometabolic status on outcomes in cardiac surgery: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Historically, impaired glucose metabolism has been associated with early and late complicated clinical outcomes after cardiac surgery; however, such a condition is not specific to subjects with diabetes mellitus and involves a larger patient population.

Methods: Databases were screened (January 2000 to December 2020) to identify eligible articles; studies that evaluated the association between preoperative metabolic status, as assessed by glycosylated hemoglobin levels and clinical outcomes, were considered. The studies were stratified in thresholds by baseline glycosylated hemoglobin level (lower vs higher).

Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy in patients with cardiac magnetic resonance showing left ventricular myocarditis.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) in myocarditis patients with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and electroanatomical mapping (EAM) showing left ventricular abnormalities.

Methods: We performed right ventricular EMB in 144 consecutive patients (66% men, age 43 ± 15 years) with acute symptoms and CMR-proved diagnosis of left ventricular myocarditis. Right ventricular EMB sensitivity has been evaluated in patients with different localization and extension of abnormal substrate at both CMR and -- when performed -- EAM.

The Spectrum of COVID-19-Associated Myocarditis: A Patient-Tailored Multidisciplinary Approach.

Background: Myocarditis lacks systematic characterization in COVID-19 patients.

Methods: We enrolled consecutive patients with newly diagnosed myocarditis in the context of COVID-19 infection. Diagnostic and treatment strategies were driven by a dedicated multidisciplinary disease unit for myocarditis.

Vitamin D in the Covid-19 era: a review with recommendations from a G.I.O.S.E.G. expert panel.

Vitamin D (VITD) is a key hormone for bone health and has relevant extra-skeletal effects that might play a role in the prevention and treatment of COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19). Literature regarding this scenario is voluminous but controversial. Glucocorticoid Induced Osteoporosis Skeletal Endocrinology Group (G.

Six-month respiratory outcomes and exercise capacity of COVID-19 acute respiratory failure patients treated with continuous positive airway pressure.

Background: COVID-19 long-term sequelae are ill-defined since only a few studies have explored the long-term consequences of this disease so far.

Aims: To evaluate the 6-month respiratory outcome and exercise capacity of COVID-19 acute respiratory failure (ARF) patients treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) during the first wave of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A retrospective observational study included COVID-19 patients with ARF.

Real-world performance of the MiniMed™ 670G system in Europe.

Aim: To evaluate the real-world performance of the MiniMed 670G system in Europe, in individuals with diabetes.

Materials And Methods: Data uploaded from October 2018 to July 2020 by individuals living in Europe were aggregated and retrospectively analysed. The mean glucose management indicator (GMI), percentage of time spent within (TIR), below (TBR) and above (TAR) glycaemic ranges, system use and insulin consumed in users with 10 or more days of sensor glucose data after initial Auto Mode start were determined.

In search of an ideal drug for safer treatment of obesity: The false promise of pseudoephedrine.

Obesity is a major public health problem worldwide. Only relatively few treatment options are, at present, available for the management of obese patients. Furthermore, treatment of obesity is affected by the widespread misuse of drugs and food supplements.

COVID-19 and the pituitary.

Background: Despite COVID-19 being identified as severe respiratory viral infection, progressively many relevant endocrine manifestations have been reported greatly contributing to the severity of the clinical presentation. Systemic involvement in COVID-19 is due to the ubiquitous expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, responsible for the entry in the cells of SARS-CoV-2, Several reports in humans and animal models showed a significant ACE2 mRNA expression in hypothalamus and pituitary cells. Moreover, higher mortality and poorer outcomes have been widely described in COVID-19 patients with obesity, diabetes and vertebral fractures, which are all highly prevalent in subjects with pituitary dysfunctions.

Operative Feasibility and Short-Term Oncologic Outcome of Rigid Versus Flexible Platforms in Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision.

Several transanal platforms were used to perform transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME). They can be classified into rigid reusable platforms or flexible single-use platforms. The choice of transanal platform usually depends on the availability and the surgeon's discretion.