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A Andreoli

Publications and source records attributed to A Andreoli.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Effects of different sports on bone density and muscle mass in highly trained athletes.

PURPOSE: It is known that participating in sports can have a beneficial effect on bone mass. However, it is not well established which sport is more beneficial for increased bone mineral density (BMD) and appendicular muscle mass (AMM). This study investigated the effects of different high-intensity activities on BMD and AMM in highly trained athletes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-two male subjects aged 18--25 yr participated in the study. The sample included judo (J; N = 21), karate (K; N = 14), and water polo (W; N = 24) athletes who all competed at national and international level. Twelve age-matched nonathletic individuals served as the control group (C). All athletes exercised regularly for at least 3 h x d(-1), 6 d x wk(-1). Segmental, total BMD, and AMM were measured with a dual-energy x-ray (DXA) absorptiometry (Lunar Corp., Madison, WI). DXA analysis also includes bone mineral content (BMC) and fat and lean masses. RESULTS: Total BMD(C) was significantly lower (mean +/- SD: 1.27 +/- 0.06 g x cm(-2), P < 0.05) than either judo or karate athletes (total BMD(J) (1.4 +/- 0.06 g x cm(-2)) and total BMD(K) (1.36 +/- 0.08 g x cm(-2))) but not different from the W athletes (total BMD(W) (1.31 +/- 0.09 g x cm(-2))). AMM was significantly lower in the C group compared with the three athletic groups (P < 0.05). Fat mass was higher in the W versus J and K athletes but not different from the C group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This cross-sectional study has shown that athletes, especially those engaged in high-impact sports, have significantly higher total BMD and AMM than controls. These results suggest that the type of sport activity may be an important factor in achieving a high peak bone mass and reducing osteoporosis risk.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2001

Carotid endarterectomy: can we select surgical candidates at high risk for stroke and low risk for perioperative complications?

DESPITE EVIDENCE OF the efficacy of carotid endarterectomy from the large randomized multicenter trials completed in the 1990s, the physician who treats patients with carotid artery stenosis still is faced with a difficult management decision. More recently, subgroup analyses have been conducted of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients enrolled in these trials to identify clinical and radiological factors that increase the rates of morbidity and mortality associated with surgery, as well as those that increase the risk of stroke without surgery. Knowledge of these factors is important to recommend the best course of action for the individual patient. In this article, we summarize the conclusions of some of the subgroup analyses from the major carotid endarterectomy trials.

Carotid Stenosis↗
PubMed2001

Familial expression of anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mannan antibodies in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis: a GISC study.

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies in familial Crohn's disease (CD) have suggested that anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae mannan antibodies (ASCAs) may represent a new specific marker of genetic susceptibility. In this study we aimed to assess the importance of ASCAs by comparing their presence in a large number of patients with sporadic and familial occurrence of CD or ulcerative colitis (UC) and their unaffected relatives. METHODS: Serum samples from 96 patients with sporadic CD, 97 patients with sporadic UC, and 50 unrelated healthy controls were tested for ASCAs by a standard ELISA method. Moreover, 73 families with two or more members affected by CD and/or UC were recruited. From these families 58 CD patients, 84 UC patients, and 216 unaffected first degree relatives were investigated. RESULTS: ASCAs were detected in 34 of 96 patients with sporadic CD (35%, p < 0.01 vs controls), 11 of 97 patients with sporadic UC (12%), and two of 50 controls (4%). ASCAs were significantly (p < 0.04) more frequent in patients with familial CD (55%) and familial UC (25%) than in sporadic cases. Moreover, ASCAs were found in 25% of unaffected relatives, and this rate did not significantly differ in CD, UC, and mixed families (28%, 26%, and 22%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In this study we confirm that ASCAs occur particularly frequently in CD patients, especially with the presence of a positive family history. However, they are also significantly increased in UC patients with a family history and in a considerable number of unaffected relatives of inflammatory bowel disease families, irrespective of the characteristics of their families (UC, CD, mixed, ASCA positive, and ASCA negative). The presence of ASCAs in unaffected relatives might point toward a genetic predisposition to either CD or UC.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Clinical features in familial cases of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in Italy: a GISC study. Italian Study Group for the Disease of Colon and Rectum.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have reported genetic anticipation, genomic imprinting, and phenotypic concordance of some clinical features in familial cases of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of our study was to investigate the phenotypic features of affected members in a large sample of CD and UC Italian families. METHODS: In a multicenter study, CD and UC families were recruited. Affected members were questioned about date of birth, gender, age at onset of symptoms and at diagnosis, location and extension of disease, occurrence of extraintestinal manifestations, use of steroids and/or of immunosuppressive drugs, need for resective surgery, and number of relapses per year (< 1 yr or > or = 1 yr). Statistical analysis was performed with chi2, Fisher's, Mann-Whitney U, and binomial probability tests, when appropriate. RESULTS: A total of 128 families with 270 affected members were studied: 35 were CD, 64 UC, and 29 mixed families (when UC and CD affected different members). In 99 of 128 families (77%), the diagnosis was concordant. In CD families, a high concordance for localization (46%), extraintestinal manifestations (67%), need for steroids (77%), need for immunosuppressive drugs (100%), need for surgery (29%), and relapse rate (36%) was found. In UC families, a high concordance for disease extension (33%), need for steroids (47%), and relapse rate (34%) was disclosed. A higher than expected concordance for ileal localization (p < 0.4) in CD families and extensive colitis (p < 0.05) in UC families was demonstrated. A generation difference of 15-20 yr in mean ages at onset of symptoms and at diagnosis was recorded. No features of more aggressive disease in subsequent generations and no differences in gender of transmitting parents and relatives were found. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a high rate of concordance for diagnosis and clinical features in UC and, especially, CD families. The disease occurred 15-20 yr earlier than in previous generations without features of increased severity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Body composition analysis and changes in airways function in obese adults after hypocaloric diet.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between weight-loss and pulmonary function indexes, focusing on forced expiratory flows (ie, FEV(1), forced expiratory flow at 50% of vital capacity [FEF(50)], forced expiratory flow at 75% of vital capacity, and forced expiratory flow at 25 to 75% of vital capacity [FEF(25--75)]). Specifically, to determine the effect of losses in total and segmental fat mass (FM) and of modifications in lean body mass, after restricted hypocaloric diet, on pulmonary function among obese adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, observational. SETTINGS: Human Physiology Division, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, "Tor Vergata" University, Rome, Italy. PATIENTS: Thirty obese adults (mean [+/- SD] baseline body mass index [BMI], 32.25 +/- 3.99 kg/m(2)), without significant obstructive airway disease, were selected from among participants in a weight-loss program. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Anthropometric, body composition (BC), and respiratory parameters of all participants were measured before and after weight loss. Total and segmental lean body and FM were obtained by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Dynamic spirometric tests and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) were performed. The BC parameters (ie, body weight [BW], BMI, the sum skinfold thicknesses, thoracic inhalation circumference, thoracic expiration circumference, total FM, and trunk FM [FMtrunk]) were significantly decreased (p < or = .0001) after a hypocaloric diet. The mean vital capacity, FEV(1), FEF(50), FEF(25-75), expiratory reserve volume, and MVV significantly increased (p < or = 0.05) with weight loss. The correlation coefficient for Delta FEF(25--75) (r = 0.20) was numerically higher than Delta FEF(50) and Delta FEV(1) (r = 0.14 and r = 0.08, respectively) for the BW loss. Moreover, the correlation coefficient for Delta FEF(25--75) (r = 0.45) was significantly higher (p < or = 0.02) than those for Delta FEF(50) and Delta FEV(1) (r = 0.38 and r = 0.15, respectively) for FMtrunk loss. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that a decrease in total and upper body fat obtained by restricted diet was not accompanied by a decrease in ventilatory muscle mass. FMtrunk loss was found to have improved airflow limitation, which can be correlated to peripheral airways function.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Food habits in a southern Italian town (Nicotera) in 1960 and 1996: still a reference Italian Mediterranean diet?

BACKGROUND: A follow-up analysis of cohorts surveyed in the "Seven Countries Study" has provided increasing evidence of an association between diet and morbidity or mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) and cancer. The effects of the "Mediterranean diet" on mortality is still evident in Italy, where food patterns differ significantly in different geographical areas. OBJECTIVE: To examine differences in food habits in Nicotera, one of the Italian rural areas of the Seven Countries Study, between 1960 and 1996. METHODS: In 1996, 80 subjects, 37 females and 43 males, aged 40-59 years, were examined in Nicotera assessing food intake by means of a semiquantitative questionnaire of food frequency, validated for the Italian population. In 1960, food intake of a sample of Nicotera subjects was assessed by weighed record method for three seasons. RESULTS: Food choices differed markedly between 1960 and 1996. Consumption of animal foods increased, as did that of cakes, pies and cookies and sweet beverages in both male and female groups; an increase of alcoholic beverages was observed only in females. CONCLUSIONS: In 1960, Nicotera inhabitants were following a diet defined as a "reference Italian Mediterranean diet", but by 1996 the Nicotera diet approached that of an average Italian diet, whose characteristics fall short of a true Mediterranean diet. This change in dietary habits may be responsible for an increased risk of CHD and cancer in the general population in the absence of other factors.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Use of quality control indices in moderately hypocaloric Mediterranean diet for treatment of obesity.

A large number of studies have been published on very-low calorie diets and markedly hypocaloric dietary regimens for treatment of obesity. However, scanty data are available on moderately hypocaloric diets based on the Mediterranean diet model. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of a moderately hypocaloric Mediterranean diet (MHMD) by assessing changes in body composition and in metabolic profile in 19 obese women, aged 32+/-4 years, body weight 84.7+/-9.6 kg, body mass index (BMI) 33.67+/-2.61 kg/m2. The energy content of the diet (mean 6.5 MJ/day) matched the resting metabolic rate and its content in macronutrients (55% carbohydrate, 25% fat, 20% protein, 30 g fibre) was based on the Italian Recommended Dietary Allowances (LARN). Based on the Mediterranean diet model, available nutritional indices like the animal/vegetable protein ratio, the Cholesterol/Saturated Fat Index, the Glycaemic Index, the Atherogenic Index, the Thrombogenic Index and the Mediterranean Adequacy Index were taken into account in elaborating diets. At baseline and after 2 months, body composition by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, metabolic profile, uric acid, fibrinogen and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were assessed. Following MHMD, body weight decreased to 78.1+/-10.5 kg and BMI to 31.18+/-2.74 kg/m2. Total (-4.9+/-0.9 kg) and segmental fat mass decreased, no significant loss of total and segmental lean body mass was observed. No decrease of fasting blood glucose (5.05+/-0.45 vs 4.98+/-0.43 mmol/l, NS), of the area under the curve (AUC) for glucose (29.50+/-6.24 vs 28.07+/-5.29, NS) as well as of HDL-cholesterol (1.30+/-0.30 vs 1.33+/-0.33 mmol/l, NS) and of triglycerides (1.70+/-1.00 vs 1.46+/-0.66 mmol/l, NS) was observed. However, a significant decrease of basal insulin (11.48+/-6.77 vs 8.07+/-4.17 mU/ml, p<0.01) as well as of the AUC for insulin (263+/-118 vs 208+/-82,p<0.005), of total (5.40+/-1.04 vs 4.97+/-0.92 mmol/l,p<0.05) and LDL-cholesterol (3.36+/-1.07 vs 2.90+/-0.74 mmol/l,p<0.005), of uric acid (0.30+/-0.06 vs 0.28+/-0.05 mmol/l,p<0.01) and fibrinogen (359+/-78 vs 324+/-87 mg/100 ml, p<0.0001) was observed. In conclusion, MHMD prevents loss of fat-free mass and improves metabolic parameters in obese people. We advocate a wider use of nutritional indices and body composition assessment as tools for quality control of hypocaloric diets.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2001

Validity and reliability of a new portable telemetric calorimeter designed to measure oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the precision and the accuracy of a new portable telemetric calorimeter developed for the measurement of oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production and pulmonary ventilation. DESIGN: An in vitro validation study. METHODS: An experimental protocol was designed to generate a series of tidal volumes (from 100 ml to 6000 ml at 200 ml steps) at different respiratory rates (5, 8, 14, 20, 40, 60, 75 breaths-min(-1)). For this purpose, a standardized pulmonary waveform generator system was utilized. Moreover, in order to evaluate the measure of O2 and CO2 concentrations at different temperatures (-10 degrees, 0 degrees, 15 degrees, 25 degrees, 40 degrees C), the instrument was placed inside an adjustable temperature and humidity chamber. RESULTS: The accuracy of flow measurements was within +/-3% in respect to the real values throughout the entire range of physiological values, whereas the measurements of gas concentrations were within +/-1% between 0 and 25 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: The new portable telemetric calorimeter represents an easy to use instrument for the measure of energy expenditure during the activities of daily living.

Calorimetry, Indirect↗
PubMed2000

Resting metabolic rate in Italians: relation with body composition and anthropometric parameters.

The objectives of this study were to obtain values for resting metabolic rate in Italians in relation to parameters of body composition, and to compare them to predicted values using the FAO/WHO/UNU equation. We performed a cross-sectional observational study of 131 healthy subjects (46 males and 85 females) at the Human Nutrition Unit, University Tor Vergata, Rome. Body composition was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and resting metabolic rate was calculated using the Weir formula. Resting metabolic rate was 1,865 +/- 234 kcal/day in males and 1,354 +/- 154 kcal/day in females. These values decreased slightly with age. The relationships with weight and age were stronger than that with lean mass from DXA as independent variables in multiple regression analysis. Mean resting metabolic rates predicted with FAO/WHO/UNU and Harris-Benedict formula were not significantly different from measured values except for the Harris-Benedict value for females (p < 0.01). Individual differences between measured and predicted values were notably high. The measured values were higher than those reported in the literature. The prediction of resting metabolic rate is more accurate with simple anthropometric parameters than with fat-free mass obtained by DXA. The individual error in the predicted values can be so high that for individual use a measured value is preferred over an estimated value.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2000

Age-related clinical severity at diagnosis in 1705 patients with ulcerative colitis: a study by GISC (Italian Colon-Rectum Study Group).

Clinical-endoscopic parameters of UC presentation were studied in 1705 out-patients, observed consecutively in 17 Italian gastroenterology centers (males 60.2%; average age at diagnosis 38.5 +/- 16.4 years), and were subdivided arbitrarily into quartile age groups at diagnosis (0-25, 26-35, 36-50, >50). A significantly greater prevalence in males, increasing with age, was shown at diagnosis (P = 0.0002), which seems to correlate with the condition of being an ex-smoker, most frequently found in males. The greater frequency of exsmokers could also, in part, justify the second peak of incidence in old age. Greater colitis extent, greater clinical activity, and greater use of steroids as the first therapeutic step are shown to prevail among younger patients and among women (P = 0.02 and P = 0.019, respectively). The same is observed for symptoms mainly representing clinical severity such as diarrhea, fever, and weight loss (P = 0.004; P = 0.006; P = 0.009, respectively). This study confirms the UC risk factor represented by the condition of being an ex-smoker and shows a greater severity of illness on diagnosis in younger patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Body composition in italian and Danish women.

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to compare the body composition and fat distribution measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DPX, Lunar) in different age decades of age-matched Danish and Italian women. The subjects comprised 133 healthy Italian women (age 20-60 years) age-matched to a representative sub-sample of healthy Danish women (n=375). Total and abdominal body fat tissue mass were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Italian women were shorter and fatter compared with age-matched Danish women, but in middle-age, had a less abdominal fat distribution. There was no difference in total body bone mineral density.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2000

Effect of subclinical hypothyroidism on body fluid compartments.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was aimed to assess the effects of subclinical hypothyroidism on body composition (BC). SUBJECTS: Thirty-one women (age: 37 +/- 9.9 years) with a wide range of body mass index (BMI) were studied. Subclinical hypothyroidism was defined by a basal TSH > or = 4 mU/L and/or TRH stimulated peak > or = 30 mU/L. MEASUREMENTS: For each subject, weight, height, BMI, multifrequency bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) and D2O and NaBr dilution tests were performed to assessed total body water (TBW) and extracellular water (ECW). Thyroid function (basal and TRH stimulated TSH, free T3, and free T4) were determined from fasting blood samples for all subjects. Total body dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were used to measure fat mass (FM) and lean mass (Lean). RESULTS: The results of BIS were compared with the TBW and ECW estimated by the dilution techniques on the same individuals. The correlation was R2 = 0.65 for impedance at 5 kHz and ECW by NaBr and R2 = 0.72 for impedance at 100 kHz and TBW by D2O. Intracellular water (ICW) was calculated as differences between TBW and ECW measured by dilution methods. Percent of ECW and ICW were related to BMI (ANOVA, p < 0.001). No difference in TBW, body water distribution and body composition related to thyroid function was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: In our patients affected with subclinical hypothyroidism, with or without obesity, only obesity appeared related to TBW, ECW and ICW; the subclinical hypothyroidism, on the contrary, had no effect on compartments of body fluids. Bioimpedance is a valid tool to assess body fluid distribution in subclinical hypothyroidism.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2000

Multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis in women with a normal and hypertensive pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: An increase in total body water is common in normal pregnancy. It is thought to be an important mechanism of maternal adaptation to pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to assess longitudinal changes in body water compartments in pregnant women and to correlate these measurements with the course of pregnancy. DESIGN: One hundred seventy-three pregnant women with apparently normal, single pregnancies participated in this longitudinal study. Anthropometric measurements and multifrequency bioelectrical impedance were performed during the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy. RESULTS: One hundred three of the women completed all of the measurements; 50 of the women had a normal pregnancy and 13 had gestational hypertension. Total body water, extracellular water, and intracellular water values in normal pregnancies showed a significant, progressive increase throughout pregnancy. In women with gestational hypertension, total body water, extracellular water, and intracellular water values showed an opposite trend, suggesting a lack of plasma volume expansion through fluid-retention mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis can be used to monitor variations in body water compartments in normal pregnancy and detect gestational hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Stress and exacerbation in ulcerative colitis: a prospective study of patients enrolled in remission.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether psychosocial factors influence the course of ulcerative colitis, hypothesizing that high perceived stress among patients with inactive disease will increase the risk of subsequent exacerbation. METHODS: Sixty-two patients with known ulcerative colitis were enrolled into a prospective cohort study while in clinical remission. Their perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and stressful life events were followed, along with potential confounders, for up to 45 months; exacerbation status was monitored for up to 68 months. RESULTS: The 27 patients who experienced an exacerbation were compared with those who remained in remission. Having a score in the upper tertile on the long-term (past 2 yr) baseline Perceived Stress Questionnaire significantly increased the actuarial risk of exacerbation (hazards ratio = 2.8, 95% confidence interval 1.1-7.2). At any given study visit, high long-term stress tripled the risk of exacerbation during the next 8 months (risk for the three tertiles, 8.3%, 16.7%, and 26.2%, p = 0.02). Shorter sleep time, briefer remission, histological activity, and use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, antibiotics, or oral contraceptives also increased the medium- and/or long-term risk of exacerbation, but adjustment for these variables did not eliminate the associations with stress. Exacerbation was not associated with stressful life events, depressive symptoms, short-term (past month) perceived stress, smoking, disease extent or duration, or severity of recent course. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term stress does not trigger exacerbation in ulcerative colitis, but long-term perceived stress increases the risk of exacerbation over a period of months to years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Anastomotic configuration and mucosal 5-aminosalicyclic acid (5-ASA) concentrations in patients with Crohn's disease: a GISC study. Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio del Colon e del Retto.

OBJECTIVE: Recurrence of Crohn's disease quite inevitably occurs after resection of distal small bowel and proximal colon, involving the neoterminal ileum close to the anastomosis. Oral 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) administered soon after surgery delays recurrence and reduces its severity. We recently observed that in operated patients submitted to prophylactic treatment with oral 5-ASA the rate of recurrence was significantly higher in those with end-to-end anastomosis than in those with other types of anastomosis (end-to-side, side-to-side). The hypothesis investigated in the present study was that patients with end-to-side or side-to-side anastomosis would benefit from a higher mucosal concentration of 5-ASA with respect to patients with end-to-end anastomosis. Therefore, the mucosal 5-ASA concentration was measured in the perianastomotic area of both groups. METHODS: The study was carried out in 19 patients submitted to radical surgery for Crohn's ileitis or ileocolitis, under oral prophylactic treatment with 5-ASA (Asacol). All patients were on regular endoscopic follow-up and were free of recurrence. Two biopsies were collected 3 cm from the anastomosis, in the neoterminal ileum, and two biopsies were collected at the colonic site 3 cm below the anastomosis. 5-ASA concentrations (ng/mg) were measured in tissue homogenates by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection. RESULTS: The mucosal concentration of 5-ASA in the neoterminal ileum was significantly lower in patients with end-to-end anastomosis than in those with other types of anastomosis (median values: 29.4 ng/mg vs 92.9 ng/mg respectively; p < 0.001). Six of 10 patients (60%) with end-to-end anastomosis, but none of the nine patients with other types of anastomosis, showed 5-ASA mucosal concentrations <40 ng/mg at the neoterminal ileum. On the contrary, no patients with end-to-end anastomosis showed mucosal concentrations of 5-ASA >90 ng/mg, compared with the 57% of patients in the group with other types of anastomosis. No differences were observed for colonic biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: The different mucosal concentrations in these two groups may be explained by the difference in segmental transit time induced by the different anastomotic configurations. A slower preanastomotic transit time, demonstrated in patients with end-to-side or side-to-side anastomosis, could offer a prolonged contact time between the intestinal content and the mucosa, resulting in an increase in drug absorption.

Adult↗