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Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is a chronic disease leading to cardiovascular complications that can be diagnosed early as subclinical vascular damage. To prevent such damage, it is important to increase knowledge of the effects of the different cardiovascular risk factors in patients with T1D. The aim of our study was to assess possible associations between markers of subclinical arterial damage and traditional cardiovascular risk factors, with a special focus on peripheral blood pressure and central blood pressure (cBP), in a sample of young adults with T1D.The study included 172 T1D patients (mean age 24.7 ± 8.7 years, duration of T1D 13.5 ± 9.6 years). Pulse wave velocity (PWV), pulse wave analysis and cBP were assessed by tonometry (SphygmoCor Xcel). Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and carotid distensibility coefficient (cDC) were assessed by high-resolution echo-Doppler analysis and further examined with dedicated hardware.Seventeen patients (10.1%) were classified as hypertensive by office peripheral blood pressure, and 48 patients (27.9%) were classified as hypertensive by cBP. One hundred sixteen patients (68.8%) had cDC under the range of normality, one patient had a PWV (0.6%) above 10 m/s, and no patients had a cIMT above 0.9 mm. In multivariable analysis, central SBP, but not metabolic parameters, remained associated with all the markers of subclinical arterial damage [cIMT ( β = 0.288 ± 0.001; P 0.001), PWV ( β = 0.374 ± 0.007; P 0.001), cDC ( β = -0.149 ± 0.055; P = 0.029)].The independent association between cBP and markers of subclinical vascular damage underlines the importance of haemodynamic factors in the development of early signs of macrovascular disease in T1D patients. Further studies are warranted to better define the role of cBP to stratify cardiovascular risk, to individualize the need for follow-up and to tailor preventive strategies in T1D patients.

Current literature suggests a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications in patients with renal fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD). The aim of our study was to assess the nature and prevalence of pregnancy-related complications in patients subsequently diagnosed with FMD. A call for participation was sent to centers contributing to the European/International FMD Registry. Patients with at least 1 pregnancy were included. Data on pregnancy were collected through medical files and FMD characteristics through the European/International FMD Registry. Data from 534 pregnancies were obtained in 237 patients. Despite the fact that, in 96% of cases, FMD was not diagnosed before pregnancy, 40% of women (n=93) experienced pregnancy-related complications, mostly gestational hypertension (25%) and preterm birth (20%), while preeclampsia was reported in only 7.5%. Only 1 patient experienced arterial dissection and another patient an aneurysm rupture. When compared with patients without pregnancy-related complications, patients with complicated pregnancies were younger at FMD diagnosis (43 versus 51 years old; P P =0.003) but underwent more often renal revascularization (63% versus 40%, P

Key Clinical Message Addison Disease is an uncommon, life‐threatening condition affecting people at any age, including women during pregnancy. If left untreated, the disease can be rapidly fatal, but the prognosis is good if promptly recognized and hormones are replaced., Addison Disease is an uncommon, life‐threatening condition affecting people at any age, including women during pregnancy. If left untreated, the disease can be rapidly fatal, but the prognosis is good if promptly recognized and hormones are replaced.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are recently discovered and highly stable noncoding RNAs acting as gene regulators. These circRNAs can function as miRNA sponges, thereby upregulating or downregulating miRNA target gene expression. MiR-135b is expressed in placenta tissue and can be found in maternal circulation, thus playing a functional role in pregnancy. This miR is a target of circ_100219. This preliminary study was aimed to evaluate circ_100219 and miR-135b expression in pregnant and nonpregnant women, and explore the relationship between circ_100219 and miR-135b in serum and exosomes.Total RNA was isolated from serum and exosomes of 30 healthy pregnant women (32.9 ± 5.1 years) between 23-27 gestational weeks and 30 healthy nonpregnant women (31.3 ± 5.4 years). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to quantify circ_100219 and miR-135b expression. GAPDH and U6 snRNA were chosen as reference for normalizing expression levels. The differences between pregnant and nonpregnant women were assessed with Mann-Whitney test and correlation with Spearman's test.The circ_100219 expression levels were significantly lower both in serum and exosomes of second trimester pregnant women compared to the control group (Our results confirm a role for circ_100219 and miR-135b in physiological pregnancy. Further studies are needed to investigate the circ_100219:miR-135b ratio in pregnancy complications.

Background and aims Fatty acids (FAs) and their metabolizing enzymes have been associated with several cardiometabolic outcomes. Whether they correlate with cardiovascular risk in type 1 diabetes (T1D), it is unknown. We investigated whether erythrocyte FAs correlated with cardiovascular risk factors and dietary fats in youth with T1D. Methods and results We recruited 154 adolescents with T1D (aged 17.3±2 years,82 boys) and assessed blood pressure, plasma lipids, HbA1c, estimated insulin sensitivity (eIS) and dietary fats based on a 3-days weighed dietary record. Erythrocyte FAs were measured by gas chromatography and desaturase and elongase activities were estimated as product/precursor ratios. Delta-6-desaturase (D6D) activity correlated inversely with eIS (r=-0.32,p=6.6*10-5) and directly with triglycerides (r=0.24, p=0.003), adjusted for z-BMI, age and gender. No single erythrocyte FA correlated with eIS. Erythrocyte membrane stearic acid (SA) correlated with HbA1c adjusted for confounders and eIS (r=-0.26, p=0.002). We found some weak (r≤0.20) correlations between erythrocyte membrane FAs and dietary fats, which were not retained by correction for multiple testing. Conclusion In youth with T1D, D6D activity might exert unfavorable effects per se, beyond its role on FAs composition. This is in accordance with previous data associating D6D activity/D6D-enhancing polymorphisms with metabolic syndrome and incident type 2 diabetes, as well as D6D activity with the regulation of cellular red-ox balance. SA was a favorable marker of glycemic control. Future research is needed to clarify the biological pathways linking D6D and SA with the cardiometabolic health of youth with T1D.

The aim of this school-based study was to identify the possible association between diet and physical activity, as well as the anthropometric, vascular, and gluco-lipid parameters. We administered two validated questionnaires for diet and physical activity (Food Frequency questionnaire (FFQ), Children-Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ-C)) to children at four primary schools in Verona South (Verona, Italy). Specific food intake, dietary pattern, and physical activity level expressed in Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) and PAQ-C score were inserted in multivariate linear regression models to assess the association with anthropometric, hemodynamic, and gluco-lipid measures. Out of 309 children included in the study, 300 (age: 8.6 &plusmn, 0.7 years, male: 50%, Obese (OB): 13.6%, High blood pressure (HBP): 21.6%) compiled to the FFQ. From this, two dietary patterns were identified: &ldquo, healthy&rdquo, and &ldquo, unhealthy&rdquo, Direct associations were found between (i) &ldquo, fast food&rdquo, intake, Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV), and (ii) animal-derived fat and capillary cholesterol, while inverse associations were found between vegetable, fruit, and nut intake and capillary glucose. The high prevalence of OB and HBP and the significant correlations between some categories of food and metabolic and vascular parameters suggest the importance of life-style modification politics at an early age to prevent the onset of overt cardiovascular risk factors in childhood.

High blood pressure (BP) is becoming a growing health issue even in children and adolescents. Moreover, BP elevation in youth frequently translates into children and adult hypertension contributing to the development of cardiovascular disease. The detection of early markers of vascular damage, potentially leading to overt cardiovascular disease, is important for clinical decisions about if and how to treat hypertension and can be useful in monitoring the effectiveness of the treatment. The purpose of this review is to summarize the actual knowledge about subclinical organ damage (SOD) in hypertensive children and adolescents and its association with cardiovascular disease in children and young adults. Our focus is especially put on left ventricular mass, pulse wave velocity, carotid intima-media thickness and microalbuminuria. We also want to address the scientific evidence about possible regression of SOD and cardiovascular risk with the use of behavioural and specific anti-hypertensive therapy. Indications from current guidelines are critically discussed.

In previous studies, dietary and circulating fatty acids (FA) and desaturases activity (delta-5 desaturase [D5D], delta-6 desaturase [D6D], and stearoyl-CoA desaturase [SCD-16]) involved in their metabolism were associated with metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. The aim of the study was to assess the association between different FAs and desaturases activity (estimated as product:precursor ratios) with individual cardiovascular risk factors (in particular, anthropometric measurements and blood pressure [BP]) in children. The FA profile was determined on a whole-blood drop in 243 children (age: 8.6 &plusmn, 0.72 years) participating in a school-based cross-sectional study. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) inversely correlated with indices of adiposity, glucose, and triglycerides. Palmitoleic acid and SCD-16 were directly associated with markers of adiposity and BP, even after adjustment for main confounders. D6D correlated directly with the waist/height ratio. Children with excess weight (&gt, 85th percentile, that is overweight plus obese ones) showed higher palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, and higher SCD-16 activity as compared to normal-weight children. Most of the associations were confirmed in the excess-weight group. Omega-3 FAs, particularly DHA, but not omega-6 FA, showed a potentially beneficial association with metabolic parameters, whereas palmitoleic acid and SCD-16 showed a potentially harmful association with indices of adiposity and BP, especially in obese children.

Objective:Physical activity plays an important role in preventing obesity and related cardiometabolic risk factors. The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a clinical sub-maximal, easy and-cost effective test to asses functional capacity utilized also in epidemiological studies as predictor of cardiovasc

Since the publication of this paper, it has been noted that the author Denise Marcon had been missed out of the author list. The correct author list is shown above.