Search

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in developed countries and is a real challenge because survival rates are still very low, often less than 10%. Cardiac arrest registries have proven to be an essential tool in improving the survival of cardiac arrest victims, as they allow us to measure the phenomenon and consequently improve treatment. Ten years ago, we have started collecting data in the province of Pavia, then extended to the provinces of Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lodi, Mantua and Varese, with the aim of achieving regional coverage. The systematic and automatic collection of data has allowed us to monitor numerically and geographically many aspects of cardiac arrest, thus answering many questions and providing evidence that can lead to improvements in the system and care. The purpose of this review is to share the potential of a regional registry to bring the cardiology community closer to this topic, so that other registries can be created and grow in the hope of merging them into a national registry in the future. more...

Background: Obesity is constantly growing worldwide, representing a serious concern also for healthcare costs. Current anti-obesity pharmacological strategies, although effective, represent a significant cost for the patient. Similarly, very low energy ketogenic therapy (VLEKT) protocols with replacement meals also have high costs., Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the average costs of a VLEKT protocol with replacement meals compared with those of isocaloric diets with fresh foods., Methods: VLEKTs with replacement meals and fresh foods were developed considering an ideal young woman and man with grade II obesity (BMI ≥ 35.0 kg/m 2 ). The costs of the individual fresh foods were extrapolated from official Italian databases. The costs of replacement meals were obtained by consulting the catalogs of three companies specialized in VLEKTs operating in Italy., Results: On a monthly basis, VLEKT with fresh food had an average cost of EUR 253.44 and EUR 295.67, while VLEKT with replacement meals had an average cost of EUR 434.91 and EUR 535.99, for the woman and man, respectively., Conclusions: Although more expensive than a common diet, VLEKT should be seen not only as a dietary method for losing weight, but as a non-pharmacological, medicalized nutritional therapy, useful for managing various conditions, even those not directly related to obesity. Like a drug therapy, VLEKT requires the use of specific products that entail a higher cost, to be borne by the patient, but whose benefits should be emphasized, which go beyond weight loss and concern general health, thus considering them as a targeted nutritional strategy. more...

Background: Multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD) represents a common finding at invasive coronary angiography (ICA) among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors. However, optimal invasive treatment strategy for MVD in OHCA remains unknown. Our study aims to assess if complete revascularization improves one-year clinical outcomes in these patients., Methods: This is a multicentric, prospective, observational study. We considered all OHCA patients enrolled in the Lombardia CARe Registry from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2022, who underwent ICA in 8 centers in Northern Italy. Clinical follow-up was performed 1 year after the index hospitalization., Results: Among the 13,354 OHCA patients enrolled, 863 were admitted to the 8 centers involved in the study and ICA was performed in 538 patients. MVD was present in 230 (42.7 %) patients, treated with either complete (77 patients) or incomplete (152 patients) coronary revascularization. At 1 year, death from any cause occurred in 20.8 % of the complete-revascularization group and 53.3 % of the culprit-lesion-only group (p < 0.001), while secondary-outcome event (death from any cause or unfavorable neurological outcome) occurred in 20.8 % and 55.9 %, respectively (p < 0.001). At multivariable analysis, a complete revascularization strategy was independently associated with a reduced risk of death [hazard ratio (HR) 0.29 (95 % confidence intervals (CI): 0.09 to 0.98; p = 0.047)] and death or unfavorable neurological outcome [HR: 0.23 (95 % CI: 0.06 to 0.81; p = 0.022)]., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a complete percutaneous coronary revascularization strategy is associated with improved one-year survival rates in patients with MVD resuscitated from OHCA., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...

Background: Despite the importance of Ultrasound-guided Regional Anaesthesia (UGRA) in Emergency Medicine (EM), there is significant variability in UGRA training among emergency physicians. We recently developed a one-day (8 h), simulation-based UGRA course, specifically tailored to help emergency physicians to integrate these skills into their clinical practice., Methods: In this pre/post intervention study, emergency physicians attended a course consisting of a 4-hour teaching on background knowledge and a practical part structured as follows: a scanning session on a healthy individual; a needling station with an ex-vivo model (turkey thighs); a simulation-based learning experience on local anaesthetic toxicity (LAST); a session on the UGRA simulator BlockSim™. Participants rated their level of knowledge across several domains of UGRA practice; for this purpose, we used a 5-points Likert scale (from 0 to 4). Participants also rated the perceived utility of the practical sessions. We extrapolated baseline characteristics of participants, and we paired the answers of pre- and post-course questionnaires using Wilcoxon signed-rank test., Results: Seventy-four emergency physicians across ten Italian regions and Switzerland completed the pre-and post- course questionnaire. Most of them were EM residents (75.68%) who had never performed UGRA. Median self-reported knowledge significantly improved from 1 to 3 in the following domains of UGRA indications: Knowledge of contraindications and UGRA techniques [pre-course 1 (IQR 1-2), post-course 3 (IQR 2-3)]; Equipment and drugs [pre-course 1(IQR 1-1), post-course 3 (IQR2-3)]; LAST recognition [pre-course 1 (IQR 1-2), post-course 3 (IQR 2-4)]; LAST management [pre-course 1 (IQR 1-1,75), post-course 3 (IQR 2-3)] (p < 0.001). A smaller improvement was observed in the domain Knowledge of "sonoanatomy" (from 1 to 2; p < 0.001); this might be due to the fact that a one-hour scanning session on a single healthy volunteer may be insufficient for learners to gain confidence with the relevant sonoanatomy. Most participants rated positively the utility of practical stations (100% for the scanning session; 100% for the ex-vivo station with turkey thigh; 91.8% for the BlockSim™)., Limitations: The main limitation of this study is that measurements are limited to learners' reaction to learning and self-assessment outcomes. We did not measure the impact of our course on participants' performance in simulated settings, or on their behavior in the clinical setting, or on patient outcomes. The sample size of participants was relatively small, although larger than most published similar studies., Conclusions: This one-day simulation-based, UGRA course tailored for emergency physicians led to improved participants' self-reported knowledge across several domains of UGRA practice. The course represents an effective educational strategy and can be replicated in other settings for the initial training of emergency physicians in UGRA., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: The study was granted exempt status by the local institutional review board (Comitato Etico Territoriale Lombardia 6). The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Consent to participate: All subjects participated voluntarily in the course. Informed consent to participate was obtained from all of the participants in the study. Consent to publish: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Written informed consent for publication of identifying images or other personal or clinical details was obtained from all of the participants. Data sharing statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author (SDP), upon reasonable request. Clinical trial number: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

Purpose of Review: This consensus statement from the Italian Society of Motor and Sports Sciences (Società Italiana di Scienze Motorie e Sportive, SISMeS) and the Italian Society of Phlebology (Società Italiana di Flebologia, SIF) provides the official view on the role of exercise as a non-pharmacological approach in lipedema. In detail, this consensus statement SISMeS - SIF aims to provide a comprehensive overview of lipedema, focusing, in particular, on the role played by physical exercise (PE) in the management of its clinical features., Recent Findings: Lipedema is a chronic disease characterized by abnormal fat accumulation. It is often misdiagnosed as obesity, despite presenting distinct pathological mechanisms. Indeed, recent evidence has reported differences in adipose tissue histology, metabolomic profiles, and gene polymorphisms associated with this condition, adding new pieces to the complex puzzle of lipedema pathophysiology. Although by definition lipedema is a condition resistant to diet and PE, the latter emerges for its key role in the management of lipedema, contributing to multiple benefits, including improvements in mitochondrial function, lymphatic drainage, and reduction of inflammation. Various types of exercise, such as aquatic exercises and strength training, have been shown to alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients with lipedema. However, standardized guidelines for PE prescription and long-term management of patients with lipedema are lacking, highlighting the need for recommendations and further research in this area in order to optimise therapeutic strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

This study on the Lombardia Cardiac Arrest Registry (Lombardia CARe,) the most complete nationwide out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) registry in Italy, aims at evaluating post-OHCA intra-hospital mortality risk according to patient's characteristics and emergency health service management (EMS), including level of care of first-admission hospital. Out of 12,581 patients included from 2015 to 2022, we considered 1382 OHCA patients admitted alive to hospital and survived more than 24 h. We estimated risk ratios (RRs) of intra-hospital mortality through log-binomial regression models adjusted by patients' and EMS characteristics. The study population consisted mainly of males (66.6%) most aged 60-69 years (24.7%) and 70-79 years (23.7%). Presenting rhythm was non-shockable in 49.9% of patients, EMS intervention time was less than 10 min for 30.3% of patients, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed for less than 15 min in 29.9%. Moreover, 61.6% of subjects (n = 852) died during hospital admission. Intra-hospital mortality is associated with non-shockable presenting rhythm (RR 1.27, 95% CI 1.19-1.35) and longer CPR time (RR 1.39, 95% CI 1.28-1.52 for 45 min or more). Patients who accessed to a secondary vs tertiary care hospital were more frequently older, with a non-shockable presenting rhythm and longer EMS intervention time. Non-shockable presenting rhythm accounts for 27% increased risk of intra-hospital death in OHCA patients, independently of first-access hospital level, thus demonstrating that patients' outcomes depend only by intrinsic OHCA characteristics and Health System's resources are utilised as efficiently as possible., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

Background: The relationship between COVID-19 and out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) has been shown during different phases of the first pandemic wave, but little is known about how to predict where cardiac arrests will increase in case of a third peak., Aim: To seek for a correlation between the OHCAs and COVID-19 daily incidence both during the two pandemic waves at a provincial level., Methods: We considered all the OHCAs occurred in the provinces of Pavia, Lodi, Cremona, Mantua and Varese, in Lombardy Region (Italy), from 21/02/2020 to 31/12/2020. We divided the study period into period 1, the first 157 days after the outbreak and including the first pandemic wave and period 2, the second 158 days including the second pandemic wave. We calculated the cumulative and daily incidence of OHCA and COVID-19 for the whole territory and for each province for both periods., Results: A significant correlation between the daily incidence of COVID-19 and the daily incidence of OHCAs was observed both during the first and the second pandemic period in the whole territory (R = 0.4, p<0.001 for period 1 and 2) and only in those provinces with higher COVID-19 cumulative incidence (period 1: Cremona R = 0.3, p = 0.001; Lodi R = 0.4, p<0.001; Pavia R = 0.3; p = 0.01; period 2: Varese R = 0.4, p<0.001)., Conclusions: Our results suggest that strictly monitoring the pandemic trend may help in predict which territories will be more likely to experience an OHCAs' increase. That may also serve as a guide to re-allocate properly health resources in case of further pandemic waves., Competing Interests: No authors have competing interests. more...

Purpose: Gender differences in patients diagnosed with non-functioning Pituitary Adenomas (NFPA) in a National Referral Center for Pituitary Tumors at the Federico II University of Naples, Italy., Methods: Patients newly diagnosed with non-functioning sellar masses found on pituitary Magnetic Resonance Imaging from January 1st 2016 to December 31th 2018 underwent anthropometric measurements, basal evaluation of pituitary function, and metabolic assessment. Fatty live index (FLI) and visceral adiposity index (VAI) were calculated., Results: Seventy-three patients (35 males, 51.1 ± 17.0 years; 38 females, 41.8 ± 18.1 years) presented with NFPA. Lesions > 1 cm (85.7% vs. 47.3%; χ 2  = 10.26, p = 0.001) and hypopituitarism (77.1% vs. 7.9%; χ 2  = 33.29, p = 0.001) were more frequent in males than females. The highest sizes of pituitary adenomas were significantly associated with male gender (OR = 1.05, p = 0.049; R 2  = 0.060; IC 1.00-1.10). Headache (62.8% vs. 31.6%; χ 2  = 5.96, p = 0.015) and visual field deficits (57.1% vs. 26.3%; χ 2  = 5.93, p = 0.015) were significantly more frequent in males than in females. There was no sex difference in obesity prevalence, but the metabolic syndrome was more common among males than females (60.6% vs. 26.3%; χ 2  = 7.14, p = 0.001). FLI was also higher in males (69.6 ± 27.3 vs. 49.2 ± 31.3; p < 0.001), while there were no differences in VAI., Conclusions: Apart from the possible delay in the diagnosis induced by the gender differences in symptom presentation, the higher prevalence of macroadenomas amongst NFPA in males compared with females let to hypothesize a key role of the sex hormone profile as predictive factors of their biological behavior and metabolic profile. Further studies are, however, mandatory to better support the influence of gender differences on onset, progression, and metabolic consequences of NFPA. more...

Background: Acne is a chronic, inflammatory and debilitating skin disorder. Dietary factors and nutritional status are among the exacerbating factors of acne. Phase angle (PhA), a direct measure of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), represents an indicator of the chronic inflammatory state. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a healthy dietary pattern that can exert anti-inflammatory effects in several inflammatory diseases. We aimed to investigate the difference in PhA and adherence to the MD and their associations with the severity of acne in a sample of naïve treatment patients with acne compared to control group., Materials: In this cross-sectional, case-control, observational study, we enrolled 51 patients with acne and 51 control individuals. Body composition was evaluated by a BIA phase-sensitive system (50 kHz BIA 101 RJL, Akern Bioresearch, Florence, Italy, Akern). For adherence to the MD, we have used the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) questionnaire. The clinical severity of acne was assessed by using the global acne grading system (GAGS), a quantitative scoring system to assess acne severity., Results: Patients with acne had a worse body composition, in particular smaller PhA (p = 0.003), and a lower adherence to the MD (p < 0.001) than the control group, in spite of no differences in gender, age and BMI between the two groups. Stratifying patients with acne according to GAGS categories, both PhA (p = 0.006) and PREDIMED score (p = 0.007) decreased significantly in severe acne than mild/moderate acne. The GAGS score was negative correlations with PhA (r = - 0.478, p < 0.001) and PREDIMED score (r = - 0.504, p < 0.001). The results of the multivariate analysis showed PhA and PREDIMED score were the major determinants of GAGS score (p < 0.001). The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis reporting a value of PhA of ≤ 6.1° and a PREDIMED score of ≤ 9 identified patients with acne with the highest clinical severity of the disease., Conclusions: Novel correlations were reported between PhA and the degree of adherence to the MD with acne severity. Of interest, PhA and PREDIMED scores might represent possible markers of the severity of acne in a clinical setting. This study highlights how a cooperation between dermatologist and nutritionists might provide a combination key in the complex management of acne patients. more...

Background When implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) battery is depleted most patients undergo generator replacement (GR) even in the absence of persistent ICD indication. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias and the overall prognosis of patients with and without persistent ICD indication undergoing GR. Predictors of 1-year mortality were also analyzed. Methods and Results Patients with structural heart disease implanted with primary prevention ICD undergoing GR were included. Patients were stratified based on the presence/absence of persistent ICD indication (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% at the time of GR and/or history of appropriate ICD therapies during the first generator's life). The study included 371 patients (82% male, 40% with ischemic heart disease). One third of patients (n=121) no longer met ICD indication at the time of GR. During a median follow-up of 34 months after GR patients without persistent ICD indication showed a significantly lower incidence of appropriate ICD shocks (1.9% versus 16.2%, P <0.001) and ICD therapies. 1-year mortality was also significantly lower in patients without persistent ICD indication (1% versus 8.3%, P =0.009). At multivariable analysis permanent atrial fibrillation, chronic advanced renal impairment, age >80, and persistent ICD indication were found to be significant predictors of 1-year mortality. Conclusions Patients without persistent ICD indication at the time of GR show a low incidence of appropriate ICD therapies after GR. Persistent ICD indication, atrial fibrillation, advanced chronic renal disease, and age >80 are significant predictors of 1-year mortality. Our findings enlighten the need of performing a comprehensive clinical reevaluation of ICD patients at the time of GR. more...

Introduction: An increase in the incidence of OHCA during the COVID-19 pandemic has been recently demonstrated. However, there are no data about how the COVID-19 epidemic influenced the treatment of OHCA victims., Methods: We performed an analysis of the Lombardia Cardiac Arrest Registry comparing all the OHCAs occurred in the Provinces of Lodi, Cremona, Pavia and Mantua (northern Italy) in the first 100 days of the epidemic with those occurred in the same period in 2019., Results: The OHCAs occurred were 694 in 2020 and 520 in 2019. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) rate was lower in 2020 (20% vs 31%, p<0.001), whilst the rate of bystander automated external defibrillator (AED) use was similar (2% vs 4%, p = 0.11). Resuscitation was attempted by EMS in 64.5% of patients in 2020 and in 72% in 2019, whereof 45% in 2020 and 64% in 2019 received ALS. At univariable analysis, the presence of suspected/confirmed COVID-19 was not a predictor of resuscitation attempt. Age, unwitnessed status, non-shockable presenting rhythm, absence of bystander CPR and EMS arrival time were independent predictors of ALS attempt. No difference regarding resuscitation duration, epinephrine and amiodarone administration, and mechanical compression device use were highlighted. The return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rate at hospital admission was lower in the general population in 2020 [11% vs 20%, p = 0.001], but was similar in patients with ALS initiated [19% vs 26%, p = 0.15]. Suspected/confirmed COVID-19 was not a predictor of ROSC at hospital admission., Conclusion: Compared to 2019, during the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak we observed a lower attitude of laypeople to start CPR, while resuscitation attempts by BLS and ALS staff were not influenced by suspected/confirmed infection, even at univariable analysis., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. more...

Aims: To develop and validate a multi-parametric practical score to predict the probability of survival to hospital admission of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) victim by using Utstein Style-based variables., Methods: All consecutive OHCA cases occurring from 2015 to 2017 in two regions, Pavia Province (Italy) and Canton Ticino (Switzerland) were included. We used random effect logistic regression to model survival to hospital admission after an OHCA. We computed the model area under the ROC curve (AUC ROC) for discrimination and we performed both internal and external validation by considering all OHCAs occurring in the aforementioned regions in 2018. The Utstein-Based ROSC (UB-ROSC) score was derived by using the coefficients estimated in the regression model. The score value was obtained adding the pertinent score components calculated for each variable. The score was then plotted against the probability of survival to hospital admission., Results: 1962 OHCAs were included (62% male, mean age 73 ± 16 years). Age, aetiology, location, witnessed OHCA, bystander CPR, EMS arrival time and shockable rhythm were independently associated with survival to hospital admission. The model showed excellent discrimination (AUC 0.83, 95%CI 0.81-0.85) for predicting survival to hospital admission, also at internal cross-validation (AUC 0.82, 95%CI 0.80-0.84). The model maintained good discrimination after external validation by using the 2018 OHCA cohort (AUC 0.77, 95%CI 0.74-0.80)., Conclusions: UB-ROSC score is a novel score that predicts the probability of survival to hospital admission of an OHCA victim. UB-ROSC shall help in setting realistic expectations about sustained ROSC achievement during resuscitation manoeuvres., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors report no conflicts of interest related specifically to this manuscript., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...

Aims: An increase in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) incidence has been reported in the very early phase of the COVID-19 epidemic, but a clear demonstration of a correlation between the increased incidence of OHCA and COVID-19 is missing so far. We aimed to verify whether there is an association between the OHCA difference compared with 2019 and the COVID-19 epidemic curve., Methods and Results: We included all the consecutive OHCAs which occurred in the Provinces of Lodi, Cremona, Pavia, and Mantova in the 2 months following the first documented case of COVID-19 in the Lombardia Region and compared them with those which occurred in the same time frame in 2019. The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 from 21 February to 20 April 2020 in the study territory was 956 COVID-19/100 000 inhabitants and the cumulative incidence of OHCA was 21 cases/100 000 inhabitants, with a 52% increase as compared with 2019 (490 OHCAs in 2020 vs. 321 in 2019). A strong and statistically significant correlation was found between the difference in cumulative incidence of OHCA between 2020 and 2019 per 100 000 inhabitants and the COVID-19 cumulative incidence per 100 000 inhabitants both for the overall territory (ρ 0.87, P < 0.001) and for each province separately (Lodi: ρ 0.98, P < 0.001; Cremona: ρ 0.98, P < 0.001; Pavia: ρ 0.87, P < 0.001; Mantova: ρ 0.81, P < 0.001)., Conclusion: The increase in OHCAs in 2020 is significantly correlated to the COVID-19 pandemic and is coupled with a reduction in short-term outcome. Government and local health authorities should seriously consider our results when planning healthcare strategies to face the epidemic, especially considering the expected recurrent outbreaks., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.) more...

Obesity and unhealthy eating habits have been associated with sleep disturbances (SD). The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a healthy nutritional pattern that has been reported to be associated with better health and sleep quality. Thus, the aim of the study was to investigate whether adherence to the MD is associated with sleep quality in a population of middle-aged Italian adults. This cross-sectional study included 172 middle-aged adults (71.5% females; 51.8 ± 15.7 years) that were consecutively enrolled in a campaign to prevent obesity called the OPERA (Obesity, Programs of Nutrition, Education, Research and Assessment of the best treatment) prevention project that was held in Naples on 11-13 October 2019. Anthropometric parameters, adherence to the MD and sleep quality were studied. Overall, 50.6% of the subjects were good sleepers (the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) < 5) while 49.4% were poor sleepers (PSQI ≥ 5). Our results demonstrated that good sleepers, when compared to poor sleepers ( p < 0.001) had significantly higher adherence to the MD as assessed by PREDIMED (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea) score, lower BMI (body mass index) and waist circumference (WC). The higher PSQI, the higher the BMI ( p < 0.001) and WC values ( p < 0.001), thus suggesting that poor sleep was more common in subjects with obesity. In addition, a negative correlation between PSQI and the PREDIMED score ( p < 0.001) was found. to the intake of the cluster of foods enclosed in the MD, rather than the intake of the single food, predicted PSQI. By performing a receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, we determined a cut-off value at a PREDIMED score < 9 as the threshold for screening poor sleepers. In conclusion, good sleepers had lower BMI and WC and higher adherence to the MD than poor sleepers. PSQI was positively associated to BMI and WC while it was negatively associated to adherence to the MD. The consumption of the MD dietary pattern rather than the intake of a single nutrient has a beneficial effect on sleep quality. Hence, the assessment of sleep should be taken into account in the management of obesity and promoting adherence to the MD could be a tool to improve SD. more...

Chronotype is the attitude of a subject in determining individual circadian preference in behavioral and biological rhythm relative to the external light-dark cycle. Obesity and unhealthy eating habits have been associated with evening chronotype. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a healthy nutritional pattern that has been reported to be associated with better health and quality of sleep. Thus, the aim of the study was to investigate the association of chronotype categories with adherence to the MD in a population of middle-aged Italian adults. This cross-sectional study included 172 middle-aged adults (71.5% females; 51.8 ± 15.7 years) that were consecutively enrolled in a campaign to prevent obesity called the OPERA (obesity, programs of nutrition, education, research and assessment of the best treatment) Prevention Project that was held in Naples on 11-13 October 2019. Anthropometric parameters, adherence to the MD and chronotype were studied. Chronotype was classified as morning in 58.1% of subjects, evening in 12.8% and intermediate in 28.1%. Our results demonstrated that individuals with evening chronotype, when compared to intermediate ( p < 0.001) and morning chronotype ( p < 0.001), were more prone to follow unhealthy lifestyle, performing less regular activity and being more frequently smokers. In addition, they showed the lowest adherence to the MD compared to morning ( p < 0.001) and intermediate chronotypes ( p < 0.001). The lower the chronotype score, the higher body mass index (BMI) values in the whole population (r = -0.158; p = 0.038), thus suggesting that evening chronotype was a common finding in subjects with obesity. In addition, positive correlations of chronotype score with age (r = 0.159; p = 0.037) and PREDIMED score (r = 0.656; p < 0.001) were found. The adherence to the MD, more than the intake of the single food items, was found to predict morning and evening chronotypes. In conclusion, evening chronotype was associated with unhealthy lifestyle and low adherence to the MD. Chronotype score was inversely associated to BMI and positively associated to age and adherence to the MD. Thus, the assessment of chronotype should be taken into account in the management of obesity and in the development of nutritional strategies. more...

Purpose: The role of load distributing band device (LDB, AutoPulse®, Zoll Medical Corporation, Chelmsford, MA, USA) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is still a matter of debate, with few studies reaching conflicting results available in literature. We sought to assess whether the use of the LBD device could affect survival to hospital discharge in the different Utstein categories., Materials and Methods: All consecutive patients enrolled in our provincial cardiac arrest registry (Pavia CARe) from January 2015 to December 2017 were included and pre-hospital data were computed as well as survival to hospital discharge., Results: Among 1401 resuscitation attempts, the LDB device was used in 235 (17%) patients. The LDB device was significantly more used for shockable cardiac arrest (42.6% vs 13.7%, p < 0.001). The rate of ROSC and of survival to hospital discharge in the LDB group compared to the manual group was 40% vs 17% (p < 0.001) and 10% vs 7% (p = 0.2), respectively. However, after correction for independent predictors of LDB use, LDB device was a strong independent predictor of survival to hospital discharge only for non-shockable witnessed OHCA [n = 624/1401, OR 11.9 (95% CI 1.5-95.2), p = 0.02]. In this categories of patients LDB group showed longer resuscitation time [49.3 min (IQR 37-71) vs 23.6 (IQR 15-35), p < 0.001] and a higher rate of conversion to a shockable rhythm (33/83 = 40% vs 29/541 = 5%, p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Utstein categories-based analysis showed that the LDB device positively affect survival to hospital discharge for non-shockable witnessed cardiac arrests with a neutral effect for shockable rhythms., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...

Background: The likelihood of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is influenced by unmodifiable (gender, aetiology, location, the presence of witnesses and initial rhythm) and modifiable factors (bystander CPR and the time to EMS arrival). All of these have been included in the ROSC After Cardiac Arrest (RACA) score., Purpose: To test the ability of the RACA score to predict the probability of ROSC in two different regions with different local resuscitation networks: the Swiss Canton Ticino and the Italian Province of Pavia., Methods and Results: All OHCAs occurred between January 1 st 2015 and December 31 st 2017 were included. The original regression coefficients for all RACA score variables were applied. The probability to obtain the ROSC as measured with the RACA score was divided in tertiles. Overall, 2041 OHCAs were included in the analysis. The RACA score showed good discrimination for ROSC (AUC 0.76) and calibration, without interaction (p 0.28) between the region and the probability of ROSC. The probability of ROSC was 15% for RACA scores <0.28, 20% for RACA scores between 0.28 and 0.42, increasing to 55% for RACA scores >0.42., Conclusions: The application of the RACA score reliably assess the probability to obtain the ROSC, with equal effectiveness in the two regions, despite different organization of the resuscitation network. Patients with a RACA score >0.42 had more than 50% probability to obtain ROSC., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...

Background: The debate on the diagnostic value of high intercostal spaces (ICSs) and of the number of diagnostic leads in Brugada syndrome (BrS) has been settled by a recent expert consensus statement., Objective: To test the validity, and the underlying anatomy, of the new electrocardiographic (ECG) diagnostic criteria using echocardiographic, molecular, and clinical evidence in 1 clinical study population with BrS., Methods: We analyzed 114 patients with BrS and with a spontaneous or drug-induced type 1 ECG pattern recorded in 1 or more right precordial leads in fourth, third, and second ICSs. The right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) was localized by using echocardiography. All probands were screened on the SCN5A gene., Results: The percentage of mutation carriers (MCs) and the event rate were similar regardless of the diagnostic ICS (fourth vs high ICSs: MCs 23% vs 19%; event rate 22% vs 28%) and the number of diagnostic leads (1 vs ≥2: MCs 20% vs 22%; event rate 22% vs 27%). The concordance between RVOT anatomical location and the diagnostic ICSs was 86%. The percentage of the diagnostic ECG pattern recorded was significantly increased by the exploration of the ICSs showing RVOT by echocardiography (echocardiography-guided approach vs conventional approach 100% vs 43%; P < .001)., Conclusion: The high ICSs are not inferior to the standard fourth ICS for the ECG diagnosis of BrS, and the interindividual variability depends on the anatomical location of the RVOT as assessed by using echocardiography. This approach significantly increases diagnostic sensitivity without decreasing specificity and fully supports the recently published new diagnostic criteria., (Copyright © 2014 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

Background: Apart from waist circumference, other adiposity measures, such as subscapular skin fold (SST), arouse growing interest due to their relationship to metabolic complications and cardiovascular risk. The IGF-I system is deregulated in obese subjects in proportion to their degree of visceral adiposity., Aim: To examine the association among IGF-I, IGF-binding protein (BP)-1 and -3 levels and different measures of adiposity in a sample of adult male population in Southern Italy., Materials and Methods: A complete database for this analysis was available for 229 (age range 50-82 yr) participating at 2002-2004 Olivetti Heart Study follow-up., Results: After adjustment for age, IGF-I was inversely associated with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (p<0.05). IGFBP-1 was inversely associated with BMI, waist circumference, SST, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index, fat mass. HOMA index, age, and SST significantly predicted the IGFBP-1 plasma levels, with 24% of IGFBP-1 variability explained at a linear regression analysis., Conclusions: IGFBP-1 inversely correlated to adiposity and HOMA index. Among adiposity indexes, SST was the best predictor of IGFBP-1 levels. The evaluation of some components of the IGF system, and simple measures of body adiposity, such as SST, may represent a further tool to better evidence phenotype profiles associated to the pathogenetic mechanism of cardiovascular risk factor clustering in male adults. more...

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) can be sporadic or they can arise in complex hereditary syndromes. Patients with hereditary NETs can be identified before the development of tumors by performing genetic screenings. The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical and prognostic impact of a preclinical genetic screening in subjects with hereditary NET syndromes. 46 subjects referred for hereditary NET syndrome [22 MEN1, 12 MEN2, 12 Familial Paragangliomatosis (FPGL)] were enrolled and divided in 2 groups (group A, 20 subjects with clinical appearance of NET before the genetic diagnosis; group B, 26 subjects with genetic diagnosis of hereditary NET syndromes before the clinical appearance of NETs). The main outcome measures were severity of disease, prognosis, and survival. The rate of surgery for MEN1-, MEN2-, FPGL4-related tumors was 90% in group A and 35% in group B (p<0.01). Both symptoms related to tumors and symptoms related to therapies were significantly less frequent in group B than in group A (p<0.05). Tumor stage was locally advanced or metastatic in 50% of group A and in no one of group B (p<0.01). The mortality rate was 25% in group A and 0% in group B (p<0.05). An early genetic screening for hereditary NET syndromes results in an improvement in clinical presentation and morbidity. A potential impact of the genetic screening on the mortality rate of these subjects is suggested and needs to be investigated in further and more appropriate studies., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.) more...

Objective: To evaluate skeletal muscle biopsy from asymptomatic patients affected with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer and to identify pathological features which may be indicative of tumor-associated muscle disorders, potentially leading to cachexia., Methods: Patients affected with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer at clinical onset of disease underwent biopsy of the rectus abdominis muscle during elective laparoscopic tumor resection, before chemotherapeutic treatment. Morphometric analyses, ATPase histochemistry and immunohistochemical studies using antibodies directed to N-CAM and to MHC-emb, two sound makers of muscle denervation and injury-induced muscle regeneration, were performed on intraoperative muscle biopsies from ten patients. Muscle biopsies from rectus abdominis of seven subjects affected with non-neoplastic condition, which underwent laparoscopic surgery, were used as controls., Results: In patients' biopsies, we observed a surprisingly high percentage of myofibers with internalized or central nuclei compared to controls (9.15 +/- 8.9 versus 0.6 +/- 0.9, p<0.0003). In addition, in the 30% of patients, small myofibers expressing the MHC-emb have been identified (0.4 +/- 0.5 positive fibers/mm(2)), while in 50% of patients, larger fibers positive for N-CAM have also been detected (0.7 +/- 1.1 positive fibers/mm(2)), suggesting that investigated muscle biopsies exhibit other evidence of muscle fiber injury/regeneration and/or denervation. Among the 10,000 analysed myofibers in control biopsies, no MHC-emb and N-CAM-positive muscle fibers have been detected. Thus, patients affected with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer at clinical onset of disease display early signs of a subclinical myopathy., Discussion: Factors and mechanisms of this cancer-associated myopathy are yet unknown. The facts that the great majority of the abnormally nucleated myofibers are of the fast type and that regenerating myofibers are present, suggest a myogenic response to the colorectal cancer and not to the laparoscopic modalities of the biopsy harvesting. Follow-up of the patients will elucidate the clinical relevance of our observation, and further studies investigating the molecular mechanism underlying this early cancer-associated myopathy will hopefully provide some pathogenetic clues leading to the identification of potential specific targets for therapeutic intervention to prevent tumor cachexia. more...

Background and Aims: Bone mineral density (BMD) is one of the main determinants in the pathogenesis of fractures. However, data on factors predicting longitudinal variations in BMD are still limited and incomplete. Such data would be of great importance in order to better focus prevention strategies in both the clinical setting and at the population level. The aim of the study was to investigate the predictive value of both serological and questionnaire variables for bone mass variations in healthy women participating in a population-based longitudinal study carried out in Napoli, Italy., Methods: High completion rate (85.2%) and adequate sample size were obtained: 139 women (45 to 79 years of age) were examined at study entry and then again after two years (24 +/- 2 months) following the same protocol. They underwent medical examination, questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, blood sampling and urine collection. BMD was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at the lumbar spine (L1-L4) and femoral neck. Data analysis included calculation of the percent variation in BMD in the 2-year period. Longitudinal data underwent stepwise analysis for a global evaluation of mutual interactions between independent variables., Results and Conclusions: Our findings indicate that dietary and serum calcium, and serum 25(OH)vitamin D are the only independent determinants of BMD variations at the lumbar and femoral level, respectively. While the pharmacological significance of calcium and vitamin D in the therapy of established osteoporosis is still controversial, the present longitudinal data evidence their role as essential nutrients in determining the natural history of BMD variations. more...

We are living in an era characterized by cost-containment. Thus, expenditure for the health system represents one of the most important items of the national balance. Nowadays, the optimal management of health organization is essential. In addition, patients expect hospitals to provide more and more effective and efficient cures. With respect to this need, in order to achieve high standard of health cure, the identification of work and the time that the medical departments dedicate to a specific therapeutic and/or diagnostic procedure represent a fundamental tool for the optimal management of patients. However, to provide reliable results, these data should be collected in the largest number of structures possible. For this purpose, 17 departments of cardiology have organized a network with the goal of creating the most important data base on this matter available in Italy. The evaluation of the data obtained (more than 8000 medical procedures) allows us to identify the resources normally used for curing patients admitted to cardiological departments. These provide an extensive view of the work load in the Public Health Services fundamental to implementing a health service in accordance with the criteria of Total Quality Management. The present paper illustrates the scope of this study and the methods used to create the data base. In addition, it discusses some cultural aspects related to the introduction of managerial criteria in the medical arena. The detailed results, regarding the items analyzed, will be presented in a special paper. more...