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Biomedical subjects

F Contaldo

Publications and source records attributed to F Contaldo.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Left ventricular filling pattern in uncomplicated obesity.

To determine if uncomplicated obesity is associated with systolic dysfunction or impairment of left ventricular (LV) filling, 40 normotensive, white, asymptomatic, obese subjects (16 men and 24 women, mean +/- SD age 35 +/- 13 years; body mass index 36 +/- 6 kg/m2) and 40 normotensive, normal-weight, white volunteers matched for age and sex distribution, were studied by Doppler echocardiography. Endocardial and midwall shortening did not show differences between groups (obese = 33 +/- 4% and 17 +/- 2%; normal weight = 33 +/- 3% and 18 +/- 2%, respectively). LV mass index was higher in obese than in normal-weight subjects (p <0.0001). Obese persons had prolonged isovolumic relaxation time (p <0.0001), lower transmitral peak early diastolic filling wave (E) velocity (p <0.02), higher E velocity deceleration time (p <0.002) and lower E/atrial diastolic filling wave (A) flow velocity ratio (p <0.01) than did normal-weight subjects, even after controlling for age and blood pressure. Between-group differences in E and E velocity deceleration time disappeared when controlling for LV mass index, whereas prolonged isovolumic relaxation time in obesity was independent of LV mass, chamber dimension, and end-systolic stress. LV filling variables were not statistically related to endocardial or midwall shortening, both as absolute value or as a percentage of that predicted from wall stress. We conclude that uncomplicated obesity is associated with primary impairment of LV isovolumic relaxation; abnormalities of early passive filling flow in obesity are associated with increased LV mass.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Influence of obesity on left ventricular midwall mechanics in arterial hypertension.

The evaluation of the effect of obesity on left ventricular systolic performance may differ in relation to the method used to measure left ventricular function and to the type of study population. Whether obesity worsens left ventricular midwall mechanics in arterial hypertension has never been investigated. Accordingly, we assessed echocardiographic left ventricular midwall shortening-circumferential end-systolic stress relations in 156 normotensive and normal-weight (reference) adults, 94 normotensive and overweight (1985 National Institutes of Health partition values) to obese (body mass index > 30 kg/m2) adults, 263 hypertensive and normal-weight adults, and 224 hypertensive and overweight-to-obese adults. There was an inverse relation of midwall shortening to circumferential end-systolic stress in all groups (all P < .005). Left ventricular performance as a ratio of observed to predicted midwall shortening fell below the fifth percentile in 4 of 94 (4%) of overweight-to-obese normotensive individuals. Eighty-eight of 487 hypertensive subjects (18.1%) exhibited depressed midwall shortening as a percentage of the value predicted from wall stress, with no difference between normal-weight (50 of 263 [19%]) and overweight (38 of 224 [17%]) subjects. Sixty-one normotensive and 131 hypertensive subjects were frankly obese. After adjustment for sex and age, midwall shortening, as either absolute values or a percentage of predicted, was not statistically different among obese, overweight, and normal-weight subjects in both normotensive and hypertensive groups. For each quartile of observed-to-predicted midwall shortening ratio, obese subjects had greater left ventricular end-diastolic volume than normal-weight subjects among both normotensive and, more evidently, hypertensive subjects. A predicted midwall shortening was generated from both wall stress and left ventricular volume with the use of multiple regression analysis. High body mass index, mean blood pressure, aging, and male sex independently predicted low afterload and left ventricular volume-independent midwall left ventricular performance (multiple R = .31, P < .0001). Thus, (1) midwall left ventricular systolic performance in asymptomatic overweight or frankly obese individuals is comparable to that in normal-weight individuals in both the presence and absence of arterial hypertension; (2) however, maintenance of normal life ventricular performance in obese individuals is associated with the use of Starling reserve; and (3) this compensatory mechanism is especially evident when arterial hypertension and obesity coexist.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

High prevalence of overweight in a children population living in Naples (Italy).

OBJECTIVE: The present study estimates the prevalence of obesity among ten-year old children living in Southern Italy and compares it with the prevalence of obesity among children living in other western countries. METHODS: 110 children attending the 4th grade of a randomly selected primary school in Naples were studies in the 1992. Eighty-eight per cent of the total school population was examined: 52 girls, 58 boys: mean age = 9.6 years (SEM = +/- 0.10). Each child underwent medical examination and anthropometric assessment. The percentile values for Body Mass Index (BMI = weight/height 2) and triceps skinfolds thickness (mm) were calculated and compared to that of children of the same age and sex living in other countries, chosen from comparable studies available in the literature. RESULTS: Percentile values for triceps skinfolds thickness in Neapolitan children are similar to those reported in the other populations considered for comparison, however BMI values were different. Children in Naples have the highest BMI values at the 50th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentile. The prevalence of obesity among Neapolitan children was estimated using as a cut-off, the BMI value at the 90th percentile of each population considered for the comparison and calculating the rate ratio with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The prevalence of obesity in Naples among girls, was 5.2 times (3.8-6.6 95% CI) as high as in France, 3.3 times (2.2-4.4) as high as in Holland, 1.7 times (0.9-2.5) as high as in USA, 2.5 times (1.7-3.4) as high as in Milan (Northern Italy); among boys it was 4.3 times (3.0-5.6) as high as in France, 4.0 times (2.7-5.2) as high as in Holland, 2.1 times (1.2-3.0) as high as in the USA, 2.5 times (1.7-3.4) as high as in Milan.

Body Mass Index↗
PubMed1995

Assessment of cardiac autonomic control by heart period variability in patients with early-onset familial obesity.

For quantitative assessment of cardiac autonomic control, time and frequency domain measures of heart period variability were calculated by 24 h Holter recording in 10 young obese women with early-onset familial obesity and in 10 control subjects. Ultra low frequency and very low frequency power were lower in obese subjects than in controls (P < 0.05). High frequency power, a pure measure of vagal tone, was comparable between the two groups. However, low frequency power, which analysed over a 24 h Holter recording reflects parasympathetic more than sympathetic activity, was slightly lower in obese subjects than in controls (P = 0.06). Body mass index showed an inverse correlation with total power (r = -0.62; P < 0.05) and separately with ultra low (r = -0.59; P < 0.01), very low (r = -0.64; P < 0.005), low (r = -0.61; P < 0.005) and high frequency power (r = -0.53; P < 0.05). These results demonstrate a parasympathetic withdrawal increasing body weight. The reduction of ultra low frequency and very low frequency power, which are associated with sudden death, may help to explain the higher cardiovascular risk in obesity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Altered glycosylation of pituitary gonadotropins in anorexia nervosa: an alternative explanation for amenorrhea.

To investigate the relevance of glycoprotein polymorphism to gonadotropin bioactivity in vivo, plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), 17 beta-estradiol (E2), testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels in 17 amenorrheic women affected with anorexia nervosa (14-29 years) and 10 age-matched normally cycling women were evaluated. Plasma FSH and LH levels were assayed using radioimmunoassay (RIA) and immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) methods, before and after concanavalin A-Sepharose (Con A) affinity chromatography. Significant RIA-IRMA differences in FSH and LH plasma values were present only in women with anorexia nervosa (p < 0.005). Moreover, in these patients both FSH and LH showed a reduced binding to the Con A, expressed as a percentage of unbound, suggesting altered glycosylation of these moieties. In conclusion, these findings hypothesize the involvement of glycosylation polymorphism in RIA-IRMA differences; support the usefulness of both RIA and IRMA methods in FSH and LH evaluation, before and after Con A chromatography; and suggest a new pathogenetic pathway to explain amenorrhea in anorexia nervosa.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Cardiac abnormalities in young women with anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the characteristics of cardiac involvement in the self-induced starvation phase of anorexia nervosa. METHODS: Doppler echocardiographic indices of left ventricular geometry, function, and filling were examined in 21 white women (mean (SD) 22 (5) years) with anorexia nervosa according to the DSMIII (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) criteria, 19 women (23 (2) years) of normal weight, and 22 constitutionally thin women (21 (4) years) with body mass index < 20. RESULTS: 13 patients (62%) had abnormalities of mitral valve motion compared with one normal weight woman and two thin women (p < 0.001) v both control groups). Left ventricular chamber dimension and mass were significantly less in women with anorexia nervosa than in either the women of normal weight or the thin women, even after standardisation for body size or after controlling for blood pressure. There were no substantial changes in left ventricular shape. Midwall shortening as a percentage of the values predicted from end systolic stress was significantly lower in the starving patients than in women of normal weight: when endocardial shortening was used as the index this difference was overestimated. The cardiac index was also significantly reduced in anorexia nervosa because of a low stroke index and heart rate. The total peripheral resistance was significantly higher in starving patients than in both control groups. The left atrial dimension was significantly smaller in anorexia than in the women of normal weight and the thin women, independently of body size. The transmitral flow velocity E/A ratio was significantly higher in anorexia than in both the control groups because of the reduction of peak velocity A. When data from all three groups were pooled the flow velocity E/A ratio was inversely related to left atrial dimension (r = -0.43, p < 0.0001) and cardiac output (r = -0.64, p < 0.0001) independently of body size. CONCLUSIONS: Anorexia nervosa caused demonstrable abnormalities of mitral valve motion and reduced left ventricular mass and filling associated with systolic dysfunction.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Familial and environmental influences on body composition and body fat distribution in childhood in southern Italy.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the factors affecting body fat excess and distribution in prepubertal age. A cross-sectional survey was carried out on children attending the 4th grade of a primary school in Naples. Eighty-eight per cent of the total sample was examined: 52 girls, 58 boys; mean age = 9.6 yrs (s.e. +/- 0.10). Each child underwent a medical examination, anthropometric measurements and bio-impedance analysis of body composition. The parents were asked to fill in a questionnaire that included demographic data, family history, parent's weight and height, child's perinatal history and his or her involvement in sports activities. Data were analyzed by multiple linear regression. The results showed a direct correlation between parental BMI and children's anthropometric measurements: the children's BMI correlated with the fathers' (P = 0.02) and mothers' BMI (P = 0.027); the children's waist/hip ratio correlated with the fathers' BMI (P = 0.07); the children's subscapular skinfolds correlated with the father's (P = 0.07) and mothers' BMI (P = 0.02); the children's triceps skinfolds correlated with the fathers' BMI (P = 0.004). Among congenital factors, sex was shown to be correlated with the children's waist/hip ratio (P = 0.05) with a lower ratio in the female, indicating a sex influence on body fat distribution even in prepubertal age. The children's BMI correlated with their waist/hip ratio (P = 0.001). Children's systolic blood pressure showed a positive correlation with triceps (P = 0.04) and subscapular (P = 0.05) skinfolds thickness % FAT-PLI (P = 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1993

High serum HDL-cholesterol in pre- and post-menopausal women with breast cancer in southern Italy.

Up until now, conflicting results have been reported on the association between serum cholesterol and risk of breast cancer in women. In this study, the serum concentrations of cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and total lipids in women with breast cancer (BC) have been compared to those of women with benign breast disease (BBD). BC women had higher serum concentration of HDL-cholesterol both in pre- and in post-menopausal age. No difference was observed in the serum concentration of total cholesterol, triglycerides and total lipids. These findings could be explained by an increased estrogen activity which is believed to be involved in the development of breast cancer, and in the modulation of lipid metabolism (lowering LDL-cholesterol and increasing HDL-cholesterol). High serum HDL-cholesterol could be a biochemical index of increased risk of having breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Serum LP(A) levels in randomized healthy men from different European countries.

Serum lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], blood lipids, serum insulin and anthropometric parameters were determined in randomized samples of 38-year-old men living in six European cities: Ede (The Netherlands), Deinze (Belgium), Warsaw (Poland), Lumiar (Portugal), Verona and Naples (respectively in northern and in southern Italy). In total, 406 healthy men were studied. Serum Lp(a), blood lipids and serum insulin were measured in one laboratory. All the anthropometric and metabolic variables considered were statistically different among the participating sites, with the exception of Lp(a) serum levels. In spite of the lack of overall significant inter-center differences (Kruskal-Wallis test), the subjects from the two Italian cities had significantly lower Lp(a) serum levels than the subjects from Belgium and Portugal (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.01). In all cities the distribution of serum Lp(a) levels were highly skewed; the percentage of subjects with serum Lp(a) levels higher than 30 mg/dl (i.e., the commonly accepted risk level of cardiovascular disease) was 6% in both Verona and Naples (Italy), 12% in The Netherlands, 16% in Poland, 18% in Belgium and 19% in Portugal (for the last two cities, respectively, p < 0.02 and p < 0.01 vs Italian cities, chi-square test). Neither anthropometric (body mass index, waist/hip circumference ratio) nor metabolic (serum lipids and insulin) parameters showed any significant relationship with serum Lp(a) levels in any of the sites (Spearman's rank correlation). These data support the possibility of a difference in serum Lp(a) levels among different European countries.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Determinants of body fat in prepubertal age].

In order to evaluate the factors affecting body fat excess and distribution, we have studied children attending the 4th grade of a primary school randomly selected in Naples. 52 girls, 58 boys; mean age = 9.6 years (SE +/- 0.1) were examined. Among the familial factors assessed, a correlation between parental BMI and child's anthropometry was found. Among congenital factors, sex correlates with the children's waist/hip ratio ("t" = -2.07; p = 0.05). Moreover the girl's percent body fat was higher. These two findings suggest the expression of sexual characters in prepubertal age. Systolic blood pressure showed a positive correlation with children's percent body fat ("t" = 2.43; p = 0.016) and subscapular skinfold thickness ("t" = 1.19; p = 0.05), suggesting an influence of these factors on blood pressure level since this age. No correlation was found between children's BMI and weight at birth, family history of diabetes, hypertension or hyperlipidemia. Among environmental factors, only the mothers weight gain during pregnancy ("t" = -2.21; p = 0.03) and breast feeding ("t" = -2.07; p = 0.05) correlated with the children's BMI. The correlation between children's BMI and waist/hip ratio ("t" = 4.64; p = 0.0001), was not confirmed in children who exercise, suggesting a beneficial action of physical activity on body fat distribution. The identification in different populations of factors associated with childhood obesity is important for prevention planning.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

[Dietetic therapy of obesity. Preliminary considerations on the combined therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid in the prevention of cholesterol lithiasis].

The use of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) was found useful in reducing the incidence of cholelithiasis (p < 0.05) without provoking any other alteration in hepatic function. This preliminary experience underlines the appropriateness of carrying out further studies on the utility of preventive treatment for the formation of cholesterol calculi with biliary acids, and in particular UDCA, in obese subjects who are receiving dietary treatment. The protective action of ursodeoxycholic acid in the prevention of biliary lithiasis during the course of low-calorie diets was evaluated in 40 obese subjects (31 females, 9 males) treated for 4 months with fibre-rich (approximately 40 g/day) low-calorie diets of 900-1200 Kcal, of whom 20 received 450-750 mg of UDCA/day and 20 were treated with placebo.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The acute effect of dexfenfluramine on resting metabolic rate and postprandial thermogenesis in obese subjects: a double-blind placebo-controlled study.

The effects of dexfenfluramine (dFE: 30 mg per os) on energy expenditure were evaluated in seven young obese male subjects (mean +/- s.d.: age 30.9 +/- 6.1 years; BMI 39.8 +/- 4.4 kg/m2). Each subject was submitted, on a double-blind protocol and by random order, to four tests in which dFE or placebo (Pla) were administered either in the fasting state or in combination with a mixed test meal. Energy expenditure was measured by indirect calorimetry for 60 min before (BMR) and from 90 to 330 min after dFE or Pla. In those cases where the protocol required it, a mixed test meal (5 MJ, 1200 kcal; percentage of protein, carbohydrate and fat: 15, 55, and 30 respectively) was eaten 120 min after dFE or Pla. In the fasting state resting metabolic rate increased after dFE (mean +/- s.d.: 0.49 +/- 0.20 kJ/min) but not after Pla (-0.04 +/- 0.16 kJ/min) in comparison to BMR, the difference between the two tests being highly significant (P < 0.01). Post-prandial thermogenesis (over 3h) was also significantly higher after dFE than after Pla (232 +/- 85 kJ vs. 181 +/- 73 kJ; P < 0.025). On the other hand, dFE did not affect respiratory quotient (RQ), either in the fasting state or in the fed state. These results show that in obese subjects dFE increases energy expenditure in the post-absorptive state, as well as after the ingestion of food.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Bioimpedance analysis and resting energy expenditure in undernourished and refed anorectic patients.

Anthropometry, bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and resting energy expenditure (REE) were evaluated in young female patients affected by anorexia nervosa who were either severely malnourished (MnA) or already refed (RfA) and in a control group of healthy young women (WnC). Fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM), evaluated from skinfold thickness, were severely decreased in the MnA group while they were very similar in the RfA group and in the WnC group. With respect to BIA parameters, impedance (Z) was significantly higher in absolute terms in the MnA but lower than in the other groups when expressed as specific impedance, i.e. after normalization for both FFM and height. Phase angle significantly differed between the three groups, being significantly (P < 0.01) lower in the MnA (3.70 +/- 0.83 degrees) and the RfA (4.36 +/- 0.82) than in the WnC (5.17 +/- 0.40). REE was comparable in RfA subjects and WnC subjects, while it was sharply decreased (P < 0.01) in the MnA patients both in absolute value and after adjustment for body composition (FFM and FM) or body weight. This cross-sectional study shows that marked changes in BIA parameters occur in undernourished anorectic patients and also in the anorectic subjects who were previously very underweight but studied only after having already regained a normal body size. REE was deeply decreased in the undernourished anorectic women even when the differences in body composition or Wt were taken into account, indicating the occurrence of a significant adaptation of energy expenditure to chronic underfeeding.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1992

Postprandial thermogenesis in leanness and anorexia nervosa.

Resting energy expenditure (REE) and postprandial thermogenesis (PPT) after the ingestion of a mixed test meal (3.56 MJ, 850 kcal) were determined in 7 anorectic patients, 7 very lean women and 8 control women. REE is absolute value was sharply decreased in the anorectics, but did not significantly differ between the very lean and the control subjects. On the other hand, when adjusted for body weight, REE only tended (p = 0.18) to be lower in the anorectics in comparison to the control women. PPT was similar in the anorectics (187.2 +/- 24.6 kJ/4 h) and the controls (200.7 +/- 16.8 kJ/4 h), but lower in the lean subjects (137.5 +/- 20.0 kJ/4h: p less than 0.05) than in the other two groups. The present study shows that the thermic response to the ingestion of a mixed test meal was not decreased in undernourished anorectic patients whereas it was significantly reduced in very lean healthy women.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Fasting serum insulin in relation to fat distribution, serum lipid profile, and blood pressure in European women: the European Fat Distribution Study.

Samples of 38-year-old women were randomly selected from five European centers: Ede (The Netherlands), Warsaw (Poland), Gothenburg (Sweden), Verona (northern Italy), and Afragola (Naples-southern Italy). In total, 452 healthy women were studied. Anthropometric measurements were taken by one operator in each country after common training of all operators and blood parameters of all women were determined in one laboratory. Body mass index (BMI) was different among centers, mainly due to the higher values in southern Italy. Women from southern Europe had more central fat distribution than women from north European centers. Fasting serum insulin was higher in women from Poland and The Netherlands than in the other three centers. After adjustment for BMI, fasting insulin was significantly related to subscapular skinfold, subscapular to triceps skinfold ratio, waist circumference, and waist to thigh circumference ratio, although the partial correlations varied somewhat between the centers. In the pooled data, waist circumference showed the highest correlations with fasting serum insulin when adjusted for BMI. Fasting serum insulin showed significant partial correlations, adjusted for BMI, with lipid profile and blood pressure only in women from the two Italian centers. In the pooled data, fasting serum insulin was significantly positively correlated with serum triglycerides and total cholesterol and negatively to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and HDL/total cholesterol, independently of BMI and waist circumference. While blood pressure was not related to insulin in the pooled women, when adjusted for BMI and waist circumference; here as well, there were some differences in relationships between the centers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1991

Postprandial thermogenesis in lean and obese subjects after meals supplemented with medium-chain and long-chain triglycerides.

The thermic effect of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) was studied in six lean and six obese young males by evaluating postprandial thermogenesis (PPT) after the ingestion of mixed meals containing either 38 g long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) or 30 g MCTs plus 8 g LCTs. Postabsorptive resting metabolic rate (RMR) was higher (P less than 0.05) in the obese individuals than in the lean ones. PPT, evaluated as 6-h incremental areas above RMR, was greater (P less than 0.05) in both groups after meals containing MCTs. The thermic effect of MCTs was 119.7 +/- 33.9 and 144.7 +/- 48.8 kJ/6 h in the lean and the obese subjects, respectively. The postprandial response of glucose, insulin, and free fatty acids did not depend on the type of oil contained in the meal. Our study shows that PPT is enhanced in both lean and obese subjects when LCTs in a mixed meal are replaced with MCTs.

Adult↗