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Background and Aims: Three groups of subjects were identified within a representative sample of older Italians: subjects with normal fasting glucose (NFG), with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship among plasma lipids, lipoproteins, other metabolic factors in the three groups, and their role in predicting total fatal events., Methods and Results: 2422 subjects, aged 65-84 years, taking part into the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging were included in the analyses. Factor analysis was conducted separately for men and women. Factor scores were used as independent variables in Cox Proportional Hazard models, to determine factors predicting death at the follow-up in NFG, IFG and T2D subjects. Four major factors were found for men ("insulin resistance", "body size", "total cholesterol", "HDL cholesterol") and four also for women ("insulin resistance", "total cholesterol", "body size", "HDL cholesterol"). For NFG and IFG men, and for both T2D men and women, the "HDL cholesterol" was a significant protective factor for total deaths (NFG men: HR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.67-0.93; IFG men: HR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.45-0.79; T2D men: HR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.34-0.89; T2D women: HR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.44-0.86). Among NFG women, the "body size" factor was also a protective factor with respect to total deaths (HR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.57-0.95)., Conclusion: A factor including HDL Cholesterol and Apo A-I showed protection against all-cause mortality in older men, independently from the glycemia level, and in women only in those diagnosed with T2D., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the independent and combined clinical validity of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and proteinuria on predicting all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in an Italian elderly population., Methods: Baseline eGFR and proteinuria, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality during a mean follow-up time of 4.4 years were evaluated in 3063 subjects aged 65 years and older of the Progetto Veneto Anziani (Pro.V.A.) Study., Results: Subjects with eGFR<60ml/min/1.73m(2) (n=956) presented a higher prevalence of proteinuria in comparison with those with eGFR≥60ml/min/1.73m(2) (33.8% vs 25.1%, p<0.01). After multivariable adjustment including proteinuria and major diseases, eGFR<60ml/min/1.73m(2) was not associated with increased all-cause mortality. After multivariable adjustment including eGFR and major diseases, proteinuria was associated with all-cause mortality in overall subjects (HR=1.43, 95% CI 1.15-1.78, p<0.01), and in both sexes. After multivariable adjustment both eGFR<60ml/min/1.73m(2) (HR=1.68, 95% CI 1.02-2.78, p=0.04), and proteinuria (HR=2.07, 95% CI 1.31-3.27, p<0.01) were associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. Subjects with both impaired eGFR and presence of proteinuria showed a higher risk for both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality compared to those with normal eGFR and absence of proteinuria., Conclusion: In this general Italian elderly population proteinuria is an independent predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, while eGFR is not an independent predictor of all-cause mortality, and it is nominally significantly associated with cardiovascular mortality. However, mortality risk is higher in individuals with combined reduced eGFR and proteinuria., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We evaluated the effectiveness of a new oxygenator-integrated device for removing lipid particles and leukocytes from shed mediastinal blood in 20 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. Another 20 patients undergoing cardiac surgery without the device served as controls. After filtration with the RemoveLL device, lipid particles, leukocytes, and fats were significantly reduced compared to preoperative levels. In the control group, blood fats and lipid particles at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass were significantly increased compared to preoperative levels. Leukocyte counts at the end of bypass were significantly lower in patients who had the filtration device compared to the control group. Platelets counts and hematocrit changes were not significantly different between the 2 groups.