Abstract Background The incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) is significantly higher in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) than in the general ...population. Strategies for the prevention of fatal arrhythmias are often insufficient, highlighting the need for additional non-invasive diagnostic tools. The T-wave heterogeneity (TWH) index measures variations in ventricular repolarization and has emerged as a promising predictor for severe ventricular arrhythmias. Although the EMPA-REG trial reported reduced cardiovascular mortality with empagliflozin, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates the potential of empagliflozin in mitigating cardiac electrical instability in patients with T2DM and coronary heart disease (CHD) by examining changes in TWH. Methods Participants were adult outpatients with T2DM and CHD who exhibited TWH > 80 µV at baseline. They received a 25 mg daily dose of empagliflozin and were evaluated clinically including electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements at baseline and after 4 weeks. TWH was computed from leads V4, V5, and V6 using a validated technique. The primary study outcome was a significant ( p < 0.05) change in TWH following empagliflozin administration. Results An initial review of 6,000 medical records pinpointed 800 patients for TWH evaluation. Of these, 412 exhibited TWH above 80 µV, with 97 completing clinical assessments and 90 meeting the criteria for high cardiovascular risk enrollment. Empagliflozin adherence exceeded 80%, resulting in notable reductions in blood pressure without affecting heart rate. Side effects were generally mild, with 13.3% experiencing Level 1 hypoglycemia, alongside infrequent urinary and genital infections. The treatment consistently reduced mean TWH from 116 to 103 µV ( p = 0.01). Conclusions The EMPATHY-HEART trial preliminarily suggests that empagliflozin decreases heterogeneity in ventricular repolarization among patients with T2DM and CHD. This reduction in TWH may provide insight into the mechanism behind the decreased cardiovascular mortality observed in previous trials, potentially offering a therapeutic pathway to mitigate the risk of severe arrhythmias in this population. Trial registration NCT: 04117763.
High consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) has been associated with increased risk of obesity and other metabolic diseases, and this dietary pattern seems to be responsible for chronic changes in ...the gut microbiota. The aim of this study was to assess the associations of UPF with the gut microbiota and obesity-associated biometrics in women.
This cross-sectional study examined 59 women. The following parameters were evaluated: food consumption using NOVA classification, anthropometric and metabolic parameters, and gut microbiome by next-generation sequencing. The mean age was 28.0 ± 6.6 years. The mean caloric intake was 1624 ± 531 kcal, of which unprocessed or minimally processed food (G1) accounted for 52.4 ± 13.5%, and UPF accounted for 31.4 ± 13.6%. Leptin levels adjusted for fat mass were negatively associated with G1 and positively associated with UPF. We found 15 species in the gut microbiota that correlated with G1 (3 positively and 12 negatively) and 9 species associated with UPF (5 positively and 4 negatively).
Higher consumption of UPF was directly associated with leptin resistance, and this study suggests that the consumption of UPF or G1 may affect the composition of the gut microbiota.
•This work represents the first study to correlate gut microbiota species with diet quality markers, using NOVA classification.•We found a different bacterial composition according to the preferential food group consumed: ultra-processed or unprocessed.•Higher ultra-processed food consumption was directly related to leptin resistance in woman.
Childhood obesity is a major public health problem. It has a direct impact on the quality of life of children and adolescents, as well as on their future risk of developing chronic diseases. Dietary ...patterns rich in fats and sugars and lacking dietary fibers, vitamins, and minerals, as well as lack of physical exercise have been associated with the rise of obesity prevalence. However, factors that contribute to the preference for foods rich in these nutrients are not well established. Taste is recognized as an important predictor of food choices, and polymorphisms in taste-related genes may explain the variability of taste preference and food intake. The aim of this research is to evaluate the influence of polymorphisms of the sweet taste receptor gene
on diet and metabolic profile in obese children and adolescents. A cross-sectional study with 513 obese children and adolescents and 135 normal-weight children was carried out. A molecular study was performed for the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs9701796 and rs35874116 of
, and dietary intake, anthropometric parameters (weight, height, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)), and metabolic profile (including fasting glucose, insulin, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and leptin levels) were analyzed. The variant rs9701796 was associated with increased waist-height ratio, as well as with a higher chocolate powder intake in obese children. The variant rs35874116 was associated with a lower dietary fiber intake. In conclusion, there was no relationship between genotypes and risk of obesity. Obese adolescents carrying the serine allele of SNP rs9701796 in TAS1R2 showed higher waist-to-height ratio and chocolate powder intake, whereas those carrying the valine allele of SNP rs35874116 in TAS1R2 were characterized by lower dietary fiber intake.
Obesity is believed to be a risk factor for COVID-19 and unfavorable outcomes, although data on this remains to be better elucidated.
To evaluate the impact of obesity on the endpoints of patients ...hospitalized due to SARS-CoV-2.
This retrospective cohort study evaluated patients hospitalized at a tertiary hospital (Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP) from March to December 2020. Only patients positive for COVID-19 (real-time PCR or serology) were included. Data were collected from medical records and included clinical and demographic information, weight and height, SAPS-3 score, comorbidities, and patient-centered outcomes (mortality, and need for mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy, or vasoactive drugs). Patients were divided into categories according to their BMI (underweight, eutrophic, overweight and obesity) for comparison porpoise.
A total of 2547 patients were included. The mean age was 60.3 years, 56.2% were men, 65.2% were white and the mean BMI was 28.1 kg/m
. SAPS-3 score was a risk factor for all patient-centered outcomes (HR 1.032 for mortality, OR 1.03 for dialysis, OR 1.07 for vasoactive drug use, and OR 1.08 for intubation, p < 0.05). Male sex increased the risk of death (HR 1.175, p = 0.027) and dialysis (OR 1.64, p < 0.001), and underweight was protective for vasoactive drug use (OR 0.45, p = 0.027) and intubation (OR 0.31, p < 0.003).
Obesity itself was not an independent factor for worse patient-centered outcomes. Critical clinical state (indirectly evaluated by SAPS-3) appears to be the most important variable related to hard outcomes in patients infected with COVID-19.
Taste is recognized as an important predictor of food choices. Thus, polymorphisms in genes encoding taste receptors may explain the variability in food preference and intake. Here, we aimed to ...determine whether genetic variation in the CD36 gene affects food intake and risk of obesity.
A cross-sectional study was conducted with obese Brazilian children and adolescents (n = 466; BMI-for-age z-score zBMI 3.29 ± 0.61) and normal-weight children (n = 114; zBMI -0.11 ± 0.7). To assess the obesity risk according to genotypes, a logistic regression adjusted for age and gender was performed. Two 24-h food recalls assessed total energy (kcal/day) and macronutrient (% kcal and g/day) intake, consumption of sweet and fatty tasting foods (portion and g/day), as well as the most commonly consumed foods (mL or g/day). The food portion sizes were measured according to Brazilian guidelines. The genetic variant rs1761667 (A/G) in CD36 was genotyped by real-time PCR.
We found no relationship between rs1761667 genotypes and obesity risk. A significant genetic association between CD36 genotype and fat intake was observed for the A allele of rs1761667, which was associated with a decreased intake of total fat (g/day) (p = 0.01), polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (% kcal and g/day), total sugars (g/day) (p = 0.01), fatty foods (portion and g/day) (p < 0.001 for both), and vegetable oils (mL/day) (p = 0.02) only in obese subjects. No differences were found between normal-weight children.
The A allele of the rs1761667 single nucleotide polymorphism in CD36 is associated with decreased fat and sugar intake in obese children and adolescents.
Abstract only
Introduction:
Cardiac troponin (cTn) measurements play a pivotal role in diagnosing and managing myocardial infarction (MI). Nonetheless, to prevent unnecessary expenditure, it is ...essential to optimize the usage of cTn testing. The AHA guidelines underscore the importance of minimizing low-value care, considering the widespread prevalence and substantial expenses related to cardiovascular disease. Hence, our study hypothesis is that expert-recommended cTn testing could effectively decrease unnecessary testing requests.
Aims:
This study aims to contrast the frequency of normal and of serial cTn I test results within a General University Hospital (GUH) setting and a specialized Cardiology University Hospital (CUH).
Methods:
Our cross-sectional study encompassed all cTn I tests performed at both GUH and CUH between November 2022 and March 2023. We excluded patients receiving postoperative care following invasive cardiac procedures and those engaged in research protocols. We categorized the study population by sex and age (<60 or ≥60 years), as well as by whether the cTn I test was serially conducted (≥2 times within 24 hours). A serial cTn I test, as recommended by the 4th Universal definition of MI to detect any rise and/or fall, was considered a correct request. We utilized the chi-square test for categorical variables and the Mann-Whitney test for continuous data, setting a 5% significance level. Normal reference levels were <16 and <34 ng/L for women and men, respectively.
Results:
The study incorporated a total of 5,360 tests performed in GUH, with 46.2% on women and 60.9% on individuals aged ≥60 years. In CUH, 8,487 tests were conducted, with 42.0% on women and 53.8% on individuals aged ≥60 years. GUH displayed a higher proportion of normal cTn I test results compared to CUH (70% versus 45%, p < 0.0001) and a lower percentage of serial cTn I tests (40.3% versus 53.4%, p < 0.0001). Moreover, GUH demonstrated a lower median troponin value of 8 (2.5-33.8) versus 37 (7-455) in CUH, p < 0.0001.
Conclusions:
The increased prevalence of normal cTn I results and the lower frequency of serial cTn I tests in GUH indicate potential economic inefficiencies related to excessive cTn I testing requests. Expert intervention could help in avoiding unnecessary cTnI test requests.
This study reports the effect of different concentrations of nisin (0, 100 and 500 IU mL−1) against Staphylococcus aureus in Minas Traditional Serro cheese manufactured with raw milk. We also ...evaluated the influence of nisin on the physicochemical properties, mechanical characteristics and colour of the cheese over 60 days of ripening. Nisin was effective in reducing S. aureus count in Serro cheese; a reduction of 1.2 and 2.0 log cycles in S. aureus count was observed from the 7th day of ripening for cheese containing 100 IU mL−1 and 500 IU mL−1 of nisin, respectively, compared with the control sample. The major changes in physicochemical properties, mechanical characteristics and colour were associated with cheese ripening, except for the index of ripening, which was lower in the presence of nisin. The addition of nisin is a powerful tool to contribute to the safety of traditional cheese produced with raw milk.
•Arsenite toxicity was tested on prostate of prepubertal rats.•Low dose exposure to NaAsO2 compromises prostate maturation.•High dose exposure to NaAsO2 compromises prostate functional activity.•Both ...exposures may compromise the prostate at puberty.
Arsenic is a widely dispersed chemical compound in the environment and has been associated with the development of some diseases and different types of cancer. Little is known about the action of arsenic compounds on prostate development during prepuberty and puberty. This study evaluated prostate morphophysiology after sodium arsenite exposure during prepubertal period in rats. Male Wistar rats at PND23 were randomly distributed into three experimental groups (n = 10/group). The Ctrl group (filtered drinking water); As1 group (0.01 mg/L of NaAsO2); As2 group (10.0 mg/L of NaAsO2) that received the diluted solution in drinking water from PND23 to PND53. Histological and molecular analyzes showed developmental delay in the As1 group and important morphophysiological alterations in As2 group. The results showed that exposure to NaAsO2 during prepuberty compromised structural and functional maturation of the prostate in pubertal rats at both doses evaluated in this study.
•MBP increases apoptosis in HSec Sertoli cells.•MBP induces oxidative stress by suppressing antioxidant enzymes.•GIM-1 improves antioxidant mechanisms in HSec Sertoli cells.•GIM-1 is an important ...antagonist for MBP effects.
This study evaluated oxidative stress markers in Human Sertoli cells cultivated on Geltrex® and exposed to Monobutyl Phthalate (MBP), and the potential cytoprotective role of GIM-1 on the antioxidant response. Exposure was performed at 30 min, 1, 12 and 48 h into 4 groups: control, MBP (10μM), GIM-1 (0,05μM) and MBP + GIM-1. Morphology was evaluated. Antioxidant enzymes were analyzed by colorimetric method; NRF-2, SIRT-1, 8- OHdG and Cleaved Caspase-3 by Western Blot. Larger spaces between cells were shown in MBP treatment; GIM-1 was similar to Control and MBP + GIM-1 showed an intermediate aspect. MBP reduced enzymatic activity of all enzymes and NRF-2 expression, increasing cleaved Caspase-3 expression; while GIM-1 increased antioxidants markers alone and attenuated MPB effects in MBP + GIM-1. MBP induced deleterious effects on Sertoli cells, increasing the oxidative stress, apoptosis and modifying their distribution in culture; however, GIM-1 acted as an important cytoprotective agent reversing our attenuating MBP effects.
Resumo As questões da linguagem neutra e da ideologia de gênero ganharam destaque no ano de 2021 em Santa Catarina a partir da publicação do decreto 1.329/2021 que, dentre outras questões, veda ...expressamente as instituições de ensino e bancas examinadoras de seleção de concursos públicos a utilização de novas formas de flexão de gênero, especialmente na linguagem escrita, uma vez que, segundo o decreto, o aumento no número de palavras da língua portuguesa é contrário às regras gramaticais consolidadas. Neste contexto, o presente artigo visa estudar, sob uma perspectiva feminista, o movimento de supressão do debate sobre flexão de gênero e a articulação de discursos como a “ideologia de gênero” e “defesa da língua portuguesa” em Santa Catarina, considerando as tensões produzidas no campo da política e do direito. Trata-se de um estudo de abordagem qualitativa, sob método indutivo, com técnicas de pesquisa monográfica, teórica e documental, em que se pretende responder ao problema: de que forma se articularam posicionamentos de “ideologia de gênero” e “defesa da língua portuguesa” na aprovação do decreto que suprime o debate emSanta Catarina? A partir dessa análise, que não gira em torno da qualidade da linguagem neutra em si, conclui-se que a atuação política e institucional que enfrenta o debate sobre a linguagem neutra no estado não possui caráter democrático ao tolher o debate público sobre tema referente à educação e à cidadania.
Abstract Neutral language (non-binary language) and gender ideology issues have been highlighted at the state of Santa Catarina after the decree 1.329/2021 which expressly prohibits educational institutions and axamination boards from using gender inflection, especially in written language form, wich, according the decree, would increase the number of p ortuguese words, against the grammatical rules of the language. In this context, this article aims to study, from a feminist perspective, the movement to encourage the debate on gender flexion and the articulation of discourses such as “gender ideology” and “defense of the Portuguese language” in Santa Catarina, considering the tensions in the field of politics and law. This qualitative approach, under an inductive method, use monographic, theoretical and documentary research techniques, in which it is intended to answer the problem: how was the articulation of “gender ideology” and “defense of the Portuguese language” guidelines in the approval of the decree that suppresses the debate in Santa Catarina? From this analysis, which does not revolve the quality of neutral language itself, it is concluded that the political and institutional action that faces the debate on neutral language in the state does not have a democratic character.
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