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Biomedical subjects

G Urbinati

Publications and source records attributed to G Urbinati.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Cholesterol levels in Italian school children: results of an opportunistic survey.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A high prevalence of elevated serum total cholesterol (TC) levels has been described among Italian children. Universal screenings for TC have been suggested, though present recommendations are in favour of more selective and opportunistic surveys. Aim of the study was to assess TC distribution among 13-year-old schoolchildren in Central Italy. Further aim was to evaluate the indications for universal, selective or opportunistic screenings for TC. METHODS AND RESULTS: Children were examined opportunistically within a permanent screening programme for Mediterranean anemia carried out in the Lazio Region. TC was measured by dry chemistry in 3734 boys and 3644 girls aged 13 years from 77 schools in 37 municipalities. Results were grouped for 8 geographically and demographically similar areas. Mean TC was 137.6 mg/dl in boys and 144.3 mg/dl in girls. Desirable levels (< 170 mg/dl) were observed in about 90% of the children and fewer than 2% displayed levels indicative of genetic hypercholesterolemia (> 200 mg/dl). However, in two areas mainly populated by descendants from Northern Italy mean TC was remarkably high (158.7 and 152.2 mg/dl in boys and 164.5 and 160.0 in girls) and the percentage with desirable levels dropped to 68.6% and 74.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show average good TC levels among Italian schoolchildren in Central Italy. This is probably due to their traditional Mediterranean diet. It can thus be suggested that only selective and/or opportunistic screenings for TC are indicated. However, in some areas where fewer children have desirable levels and almost 30% require dietary education, large-scale screenings are highly recommended.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

A common mutation of the insulin receptor substrate-1 gene is a risk factor for coronary artery disease.

Insulin resistance is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis. Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) plays a key role in tissue insulin sensitivity. A common mutation (G972R) of the IRS-1 gene has been shown to impair IRS-1 function, and it has been associated with reduced insulin sensitivity and lipid abnormalities. This led us to investigate the role of the G972R mutation in predisposing individuals to coronary artery disease (CAD). The DNA of 318 subjects with angiographically documented coronary atherosclerosis (>50% stenosis) and 208 population control subjects was analyzed for the presence of the G972R mutation. This mutation was detected by nested polymerase chain reaction and BstNI restriction enzyme digestion. The frequency of the G972R mutation was significantly higher among patients with CAD than controls (18. 9% versus 6.8%, respectively; P<0.001). After controlling for other coronary risk factors, the relative risk of CAD associated with the G972R mutation was 2.93 (95% CI 1.30 to 6.60; P<0.02) in the entire cohort. This risk was found to be even higher in the subgroups of obese subjects (odds ratio [OR] 6.97, 95% CI 2.24 to 21.4; P<0.001) and subjects with clinical features of insulin resistance syndrome (OR 27.3, 95% CI 7.19 to 104.0; P<0.001). The IRS-1 gene variant was associated with a higher frequency of diabetes mellitus (14.9% among carriers versus 6.5% among noncarriers; P<0.01) and with a 60% increase of plasma total triglycerides (P<0.001). Also, plasma concentrations of total cholesterol and the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol were significantly (P<0.001) higher among carriers than noncarriers, although to lesser a extent. These effects were independent of CAD status. The G972R mutation in the IRS-1 gene was found to be a significant independent predictor of CAD. Moreover, this mutation greatly increased the risk of CAD in obese subjects and in patients with the cluster of abnormalities of insulin resistance syndrome. Besides the increased frequency of diabetes, carriers showed a more atherogenic lipid profile, suggesting a potential role of the IRS-1 gene in the pathogenesis of lipid abnormalities associated with CAD.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Ten-year incidence and natural history of gallstone disease in a rural population of women in central Italy. The Rome Group for the Epidemiology and Prevention of Cholelithiasis (GREPCO).

AIMS: To investigate the incidence, risk factors and natural history of gallstone disease, a random sample of females belonging to a rural population was enrolled in a ten-year longitudinal study. METHODS: The study has been performed in a small town on the hills south of Rome. In 1985, a random sample of 426 females, aged 20-69 years, was screened by real-time ultrasonography for gallstones and previous cholecystectomy. Screening methods included anthropometry, collection of a blood sample and a questionnaire on the occurrence of abdominal symptoms. During 1995, all these subjects were invited for a 10-year follow-up examination. RESULTS: The overall 10-year incidence of gallstone disease was 6.3% (5.5% of new gallstones and 0.8% of cholecystectomies). Only 23.1% of the women with gallstones were aware of their condition. More than three quarters (76.9%) had not suffered biliary pain. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated a positive independent association of new gallstone disease with body mass index and parity. Out of the initially asymptomatic gallstone women, 15.4% experienced at least one episode of biliary pain, 23.1% were submitted to elective cholecystectomy and 61.5% remained asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates a high incidence of gallstone disease in women belonging to a rural free-living population in Italy and suggests body mass index and parity as possible true risk factors. Moreover, it confirms that a remarkable proportion of asymptomatic patients become symptomatic and eventually undergo cholecystectomy.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Community prevention: the role of women].

Socio-cultural, biological, psychological and environmental determinants of health develop within the community. Therefore, any intervention aimed at promoting health must derive from and evolve within the community itself, with the participation of all its members, each of whom charged with a specific and well-defined role to play. Deep changes have occurred in modern society, as a consequence of industrialization and urbanization. This notwithstanding, the biological and social role of women in family management has remained unchanged, even after the spreading of female work. The community-based control of chronic and degenerative diseases calls for the acquirement of a lifestyle more suitable to maintaining health. To this purpose, women can be charged with the responsibility of carrying our activities aimed at improving scientific knowledge to the benefit of the whole community.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1991

A form of familial hypobetalipoproteinaemia not due to a mutation in the apolipoprotein B gene.

Familial hypobetalipoproteinaemia (FHBL) is a dominant disorder of lipoprotein metabolism characterized by levels of apolipoprotein B-carrying lipoproteins (VLDL, IDL and LDL) which are 50% of the normal levels in the heterozygotes and almost absent in the homozygotes. Several reports have recently shown that the underlying defect in FHBL involves different mutations in the apo B gene which lead to reduced levels of apo B mRNA or to the production of truncated forms of apo B having either a lower synthetic rate or a higher catabolic rate than normal apo B. We here present a three-generation family with several FHBL members in which the linkage analysis shows absence of co-segregation between apo B gene alleles and the hypocholesterolaemic phenotype. We conclude that a dominantly transmitted mutation in a gene other than that for apo B is responsible for the low plasma cholesterol levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Blood lipids in Italy. Regional differences.

Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels have been evaluated in samples from fasting males aged 20--59 in Northern (Brisighella), Central (Rome) and Southern (Pozzuoli) Italy. Regularly performed quality controls between laboratories assured comparability of data. A statisitically significant difference of mean serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels was observed for most age-groups in the 3 different areas, lower values being found in the southern population as compared to the central and northern ones. These results support previous findings and the thesis that large differences in blood lipid levels may still exist even within the same country and that they at least in part may be culturally determined in connection with different dietary habits.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Respiratory function and cardiovascular risk factors. Research Group for the Integrated Community Control of Chronic-degenerative diseases in the Health District of Sezze -- Di.S.Co. -- Observational strategy to assess the community health status].

Within the Project Community Control of Chronic Diseases in the Health District of Sezze-Di.S.Co.-2940 men, aged 20-69 were examined between 1984 and 1987, and a pulmonary function test was performed together with the measurement of a number of cardiovascular risk factors. Blood tests, blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, ECG, spirometry and a questionnaire on life-style and diseases were available. The aim of this paper was to describe pulmonary function tests and to study their association with cardiovascular risk factors. Vital capacity (CV) and forced expiratory volume in one second (VEMS), adjusted by height were inversely related with age. Main cardiovascular risk factors were analysed in tertiles of CV and VEMS: fasting blood glucose, serum cholesterol, uric acid, haematocrit, diastolic blood pressure, number of cigarettes per day decreased going from the first to the third tertile, whilst HLD-cholesterol and alcohol consumption increased. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed an inverse relation of CV and VEMS with age, fasting blood glucose, number of cigarettes smoked per day, uric acid, heart rate, skinfold thickness whilst alcohol consumption and weight were inversely related. The models explained between 52% (VC) to 57% (VEMS) of the variance.

Adult↗