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Background affective temperaments have been so far understudied in the field of obesity. Therefore, we aimed to assess affective temperaments in outpatients with obesity reporting symptoms of binge eating (BE) and multiple weight cycling (MWC) and to investigate the likelihood of an association between affective temperaments and risk of both conditions. Methods A total of 300 individuals with obesity seeking treatment at the Obesity Unit of an academic hospital were asked to complete self-report measures of affective temperaments, BE, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and quality of life. Results Even in the absence of full-blown mental disorders, symptoms of anxiety and depression emerged in the sample; 197 individuals (65.6%) reported BE and 162 (54%) MWC. The most frequent affective temperament was the depressive one. Depression symptoms and cyclothymic scores (directly), and age and hyperthymic score (inversely) were significantly associated with BE risk, while being an active smoker (directly) and hyperthymic score (inversely) were significantly associated with MWC risk, after controlling for confounders in a multiple logistic regression. Limitations sample size was small, the study was limited to a single center, no formal definition of weight cycling exists and MWC was self-reported. Conclusions A substantial number of outpatients with obesity reported BE and MWC notwithstanding the absence of a formal psychiatric diagnosis. Cyclothymic scores were positively associated with BE while the hyperthymic temperament showed a protective effect on both BE and MWC. These findings suggest the need for multidisciplinary treatments for people with obesity enhancing research on temperament-based psychological interventions.

Background The effect of statins on plasma concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the main angiogenic growth factor with pro-inflammatory and atherogenic properties, is controversial. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to obtain a conclusive result in humans. Methods PubMed-Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were searched to identify RCTs investigating the impact of statins on plasma VEGF concentrations. A random-effects model and the generic inverse variance method were used for quantitative data synthesis. Meta-regression, sensitivity analysis and publication bias assessments were performed using standard methods. Results Eight RCTs examining the effects of statins on plasma VEGF concentrations were included. Meta-analysis suggested a significant reduction of plasma VEGF levels following statin therapy (weighed mean difference: − 19.88 pg/mL, 95% CI: − 35.87, − 3.89, p = 0.015). VEGF reductions were observed in the subsets of trials with treatment durations ≥ 4 weeks (− 19.54, − 37.78, − 1.30, p = 0.036), LDL-C reductions ≥ 50 mg/dL (− 28.59, − 43.68, − 13.50, p p = 0.017), and diseased populations (− 21.08, − 39.97, − 2.18, p = 0.029), but not in the opposite subsets. Meta-regression also suggested a significant association between changes in plasma VEGF levels and LDL-C changes, treatment duration, but not molar dose of statins. Conclusions These results suggest a significant reduction in plasma VEGF concentrations following statin therapy. This effect depends on duration of treatment, LDL-lowering activity, lipophilicity of statins, and health status of studied individuals. Further RCTs are needed to explore if the VEGF reduction is implicated in the statin benefits on cardiovascular outcomes.