[When bariatric surgery "bypasses" controlled alcohol consumption]. / Quand la chirurgie bariatrique «bypasse¼ la consommation contrôlée d'alcool.

Obesity is a complex disease with significant morbidity and mortality. Its management is a major health issue. Obesity surgery is currently the most effective treatment for this condition. However, for several years, a link between bariatric surgery and the development of an alcohol use disorder seems to be emerging. As this psychiatric complication has also a high morbidity and mortality rate, it is important to consider prevention tools to limit its occurrence and specific therapeutic approaches for its management.

L'obésité est une maladie complexe associée à une importante morbi-mortalité. Sa prise en charge est un enjeu sanitaire capital. La chirurgie de l'obésité est actuellement le traitement le plus efficace de cette affection. Cependant, depuis plusieurs années, un lien entre la chirurgie bariatrique et le développement d'un trouble de l'utilisation de l'alcool semble se dessiner. Comme cette complication psychiatrique a elle-même une lourde morbi-mortalité, il convient de réfléchir à des outils de prévention visant à en limiter l'apparition et à des approches thérapeutiques spécifiques pour sa prise en charge.

[Severe COVID-19, a new complication to be added to numerous comorbidities associated to obesity]. / COVID-19 sévère, une nouvelle complication à ajouter aux nombreuses comorbidités de l'obésité.

Obesity is associated with a huge number of well-known comorbidities. Nowadays, it represents a higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection, which may lead to the requirement of a mechanical ventilation in intensive care units and premature death. The increase in relative risk of poor prognosis in presence of obesity is particularly high in patients at a younger age. The underlying mechanisms are multiple: alteration of the respiratory performance, presence of frequent comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension or obstructive sleep apnea), finally inadequate and excessive immunological responses, with massive liberation of cytokines (especially interkeukin-1 and interleukin-6). Thus, COVID-19 may challenge the so-called «obesity paradox¼ in intensive care units among patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome where obesity is commonly reported as associated with a better prognosis. In the special case of COVID-19, a condition where obviously obesity aggravates the prognosis, hypothetical mechanisms remain to be well-defined and deserve further validation.

L'obésité est associée à une panoplie de complications diverses, bien connues. Elle représente, maintenant aussi, un risque augmenté d'infection COVID-19 sévère, conduisant à des hospitalisations plus fréquentes, un besoin accru d'assistance respiratoire en unités de soins intensifs (USI) et, in fine, une surmortalité. L'augmentation relative du risque par rapport aux personnes non obèses concerne surtout les sujets jeunes. Les raisons d'un moins bon pronostic sont multiples : altération de la mécanique ventilatoire, présence fréquente de comorbidités (diabète, hypertension ou apnée obstructive du sommeil,) enfin, des réactions immunologiques et inflammatoires inappropriées et excessives, avec libération de cytokines (interleukine-1 and interleukine-6, notamment). Ainsi, la COVID-19 semble remettre en cause l'«obesity paradox¼, décrit dans les USI chez les patients avec un syndrome de détresse respiratoire aiguë où l'obésité était, habituellement, considérée comme conférant une issue plus favorable. Dans le cas particulier, la spécificité de la COVID-19, condition où l'obésité aggrave nettement le pronostic, fait l'objet d'hypothèses mécanistiques qui doivent encore être validées.

[Pregastroplasty psychological assessment at the CHU of Liege using the BIPASS]. / Le bilan psychologique prégastroplastie au CHU de Liège inspiré du BIPASS.

Obesity is a chronic disease that has become a major public health problem with a prevalence that has doubled in the past two decades in most industrialized and developing countries. Currently, bariatric surgery represents the most effective treatment for extreme or severe overweight (BMI ? 40 kg/m² or ? 35 kg/m2 with weight-related comorbidities). Pre-operative bariatric surgery psychiatric and psychological assessment is essential for various reasons. In addition to the selection of candidates for the operation, its objectives are to prepare patients for future postoperative changes as well as to optimize their psychological and psychiatric care. This article describes a standardized tool, the BIPASS (Bariatric Interprofessional Psychosocial Assessment Suitability Scale), which allows a quality assessment in the field.

L'obésité est une maladie chronique devenue un problème de santé publique majeur, avec une prévalence qui a doublé au cours des deux dernières décennies dans la majaorité des pays industrialisés et en voie de développement. Actuellement, la chirurgie bariatrique représente le traitement le plus efficace afin de remédier à cette problématique de surcharge pondérale sévère (IMC ? 40 ou ? 35 kg/m² avec complications). L'évaluation psychiatrique et psychologique préopératoire dans le cadre d'une chirurgie bariatrique s'impose pour divers enjeux. Outre la sélection des candidats à l'opération, ses objectifs sont, notamment, de préparer au mieux les patients aux changements futurs postopératoires ainsi que d'optimiser leur prise en charge psychologique et, éventuellement, psychiatrique. Cet article décrit un outil standardisé, le BIPASS (Bariatric Interprofessional Psychosocial Assessment Suitability Scale), qui permet une évaluation de qualité dans le domaine.

[Management of hypertriglyceridaemia]. / Vignette thérapeutique de l'étudiant. Prise en charge d'une hypertriglycéridémie.

Hypertriglyceridaemia is a common finding in medical practice. The reduction of triglyceride levels may contribute to reduce the cardiovascular risk (at least in patients with low HDL cholesterol) and to avoid the occurrence of acute pancreatitis (in case of severe hypertriglyceridaemia). The discovery of causes of hypertriglyceridaemia (comorbidities, medications) may lead to specific measures. Otherwise, the focus should be put on dietary advises first (reduced caloric intake to promote weight loss, less alcohol, less sucrose), which, if well conducted, may result in spectacular results. If they fail, some pharmacological approaches may be considered, but with generally a limited success rate. Among them, fenofibrate is the best studied and has been shown to be useful for cardiovascular prevention, especially if low HDL cholesterol is associated with hypertriglyceridaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Le médecin est souvent confronté à une hypertriglycéridémie, soit découverte de façon fortuite, soit recherchée dans le cadre d'une approche spécifique. Réduire le taux de triglycérides, à jeun et en post-prandial, peut contribuer à diminuer le risque cardiovasculaire (au moins chez les patients avec cholestérol HDL abaissé) et à limiter le risque de pancréatite aiguë (en cas d'hypertriglycéridémie sévère). Rechercher des causes connues d'hypertriglycéridémie (comorbidités, médicaments) permet de proposer des mesures spécifiques. Sinon, il convient d'envisager, en première intention, des mesures hygiéno-diététiques (réduction pondérale, abstinence d'alcool, évitement des glucides à index glycémique élevé) qui, si elles sont bien respectées, peuvent donner des résultats remarquables. En cas d'échec, des traitements pharmacologiques peuvent être éventuellement envisagés, mais avec un succès souvent limité. Parmi les médicaments, c'est le fénofibrate qui a été le plus étudié et s'est révélé utile en prévention cardiovasculaire, surtout si un taux de cholestérol HDL bas est associé à l'hypertriglycéridémie chez le patient diabétique de type 2.

[Metabolic complications and nutritional deficiencies related to excessive alcohol consumption]. / Complications métaboliques et carences nutritionnelles liées à une consommation excessive d'alcool.

Metabolic disturbances associated with chronic alcohol consumption, among which those affecting glucose regulation, lipid profile, uric acid and nutritional status, are described. In fact, alcohol abuse can lead to overweight and obesity, but also to protein-caloric malnutrition. Finally, we will discuss concerns about vitamin and mineral deficiencies that may be observed in alcoholic people and can contribute to aggravate somatic complications.

Cet article envisage les diverses perturbations métaboliques liées à la consommation chronique d'alcool, dont les troubles du métabolisme du glucose, des lipides et de l'acide urique, mais aussi les répercussions sur le statut nutritionnel. En effet, l'éthylisme chronique peut avoir différentes conséquences sur l'état nutritionnel du patient : le surpoids et l'obésité, d'une part, la dénutrition protéino-calorique, d'autre part. Nous examinerons également les carences en vitamines et en oligoéléments souvent observées chez les personnes éthyliques chroniques, carences susceptibles d'aggraver les complications somatiques rencontrées.

[Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer : case serie of 8 patients from a single family and literature review]. / Cancer gastrique diffus héréditaire. Série de 8 patients appartenant à une même famille et revue de la littérature.

Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer is a form of gastric cancer associated, in about 40 % of cases, with a germline mutation of the CDH1 gene. The management of patients with a pathogenic mutation of this gene is based on total prophylactic gastrectomy because, until proven otherwise, endoscopic monitoring is insufficient. We report a series of eight patients with pathogenic CDH1 mutation who underwent total prophylactic gastrectomy in our centre.

Le cancer gastrique diffus héréditaire est une forme de cancer gastrique associé, dans 40 % des cas environ, à une mutation germinale du gène CDH1. La prise en charge des patients porteurs d'une mutation pathogène de ce gène repose sur la gastrectomie totale prophylactique car, jusqu'à preuve du contraire, la surveillance endoscopique est insuffisante. Nous rapportons une série de huit patients porteurs d'une mutation pathogène de CDH1 ayant bénéficié d'une gastrectomie totale prophylactique dans notre centre. Mots-clés : Gastrectomie prophylactique - Cancer gastrique diffus héréditaire - Mutation CDH1.

[Assessment of a digestive malabsorption syndrome]. / Vignette diagnostique de l'étudiant. Exploration d'un syndrome de malabsorption digestive.

Malabsorption syndrome is a complex clinical entity that needs to be carefully explored. Patients present frequently chronic diarrhoea associated with weight loss. These symptoms affect patient's quality of life. The assessment of this syndrome requires a detailed anamnesis, a careful clinical exam, the use of biological measurements in both blood and faeces, and, if necessary, other more complex investigations including radionuclide tests. It is important to find the right pathogenesis in order to start effective treatments if possible. First, there are classical bowel pathologies like celiac disease and rarely Crohn disease. Second, biliopancreatic pathologies may also result in a malabsorption syndrome. Of note, this syndrome is very common after abdominal surgery like intestinal resection following mesenteric ischemia, biliopancreatic and gastric surgery. We will use a clinical case of malabsorption after an abdominal surgery to illustrate how to explore these patients who are suffering from malabsorption.

Le syndrome de malabsorption est une entité clinique, rencontrée régulièrement en consultation, qui combine des symptômes digestifs et généraux. Il se caractérise essentiellement par des troubles du transit (diarrhée chronique), associés fréquemment à une perte de poids. Cette symptomatologie altère la qualité de vie des patients, il est donc important de mettre au point le/les mécanisme(s) responsable(s) de la malabsorption afin de pouvoir envisager les différentes possibilités thérapeutiques et améliorer au maximum la qualité de vie du patient. Pour ce faire, nous devons, dans un premier temps, procéder à une anamnèse minutieuse et un examen clinique soigné, ensuite prescrire et exploiter les analyses de laboratoire (sur sang et sur selles) adaptées ainsi que les examens complémentaires de médecine nucléaire, d'imagerie médicale et d'endoscopie digestives. Il existe tout d'abord, une série de pathologies gastro-intestinales qui présentent ce syndrome, telles que la maladie coeliaque dans sa forme classique et, plus rarement, la maladie de Crohn ainsi que les pathologies bilio-pancréatiques. Le syndrome de malabsorption est également très fréquent dans les suites de chirurgies digestives lourdes telles que l'ischémie mésentérique entraînant un syndrome de grêle court, la pancréatectomie partielle ou totale, la gastrectomie totale, ainsi que les chirurgies du système biliaire. Nous allons, au travers d'un cas clinique, illustrer l'approche diagnostique sur le plan anamnestique, clinique et technique d'une malabsorption secondaire à une chirurgie digestive.

[Nutrition in the elderly]. / La nutrition de la personne âgée.

Ageing of the body predisposes to a high incidence of undernutrition in the elderly person wherever he or she is living, but the prevalence of malnutrition is particularly high in hospitalized or instutionalized patients. Early detection of malnutrition is important because malnutrition may have significant consequences and evaluation of nutritional status has to be a routine screening in the elderly. There is no single parameter which supplies a full assessment of the patient's nutritional status. It is then necessary to use screening tools for the identification of patients at nutritional risk, based on anamnestic, antropometric and biological data. The MNA (Mini Nutritional Assessment) test is a simple, non invasive, well-validated screening tool for malnutrition in the elderly and is recommended for early detection of risks of malnutrition. Numerous conditions in relationship with physiological ageing, comorbidity, polymedication and the way of life of the individual predispose to undernutrition. Healthy nutrition in older patients should respect the guidelines for protein and energy requirements, excepted in severely ill patients and/or in case of malnutrition in which case the protein-energy intake should be increased.

[Alcoholism, an addiction leading to multiple somatic complications]. / L'alcoolisme, un modèle d'addiction aux complications somatiques multiples.

Alcoholism is, after smoking, the most common addiction in our society. It is associated with multiple familial, social and professional negative consequences. In addition, alcohol disturbs cellular metabolism and its excessive chronic consumption may lead to multiple dysfunctions that can provoke somatic complications targeting numerous tissues or organs. The present article describes the most important ones involving the liver, the digestive tract, the heart, both the central and peripheral nervous system, and bone marrow. We also discuss the metabolic disturbances associated with chronic alcohol consumption, among which those affecting glucose regulation, lipid profile, uric acid and various vitamins. Finally, we describe the nutritional deficiencies that may be observed in alcoholic people and may contribute to aggravate somatic complications.

[European guidelines for the management of diabetes, prediabeties and cardiovascular disease. First part. Management of diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors]. / Srecommandations européennes pour la prise en charge du diabète, du pré-diabète et des maladies cardio-vasculaire. 1ère partie. Gestion du diabetè et des facteurs de risque cardio-vasculaire.

The patient with prediabetes or diabetes has a high or very high risk of cardiovascular diseases.We summarize the recent guidelines jointly published by the European Society of Cardiology and the European Society for the Study of Diabetes. In this first article, we focus mainly on the preventive approaches of cardiovascular diseases in patients with prediabetes or (type 1 or type 2) diabetes. The crucial importance of a global multifactorial strategy is emphasized and the target levels of various risk factors are updated. The management of these cardiovascular complications in presence of diabetes will be considered in a second article.

[Clinical evaluation of an obese person]. / La vignette diagnostique de l'etudiant. Mise au point d'un patient consultant pour obésité.

Obesity is increasingly prevalent in our society and medical consultations for evaluation and management of weight excess are frequent. Before considering a therapeutic strategy, a careful initial clinical assessment is mandatory. The diagnostic approach of an obese person should be similar as for any other chronic pathology. The objectives of the present clinical description are to report the main steps of an exhaustive anamnesis, the signs to be more specifically detected at the clinical examination and the other useful investigations to be programmed at first glance in a person who is visiting his/her medical doctor because of obesity. Based upon the data collected during this careful evaluation, therapeutic modalities may be defined, ideally in the frame of a multidisciplinary approach.

[Obesity: a model of complex interactions between genetics and environment]. / L'obésité: un modèle d'interactions complexes entre génétique et environnement.

Obesity is explained by the joint actions of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors, such as a westernized lifestyle (sedentary lifestyle, calorie-dense foods), inducing an obesogenic environment. The search for obesity susceptibility genes remains complex, despite recent adavances made in the obesity genetics field. Except very rare monogenic type obesity, common obesity is thought to be polygenic and the genetic contribution to interindividual variation in common obesity has been estimated at 40-70 %. The genome-wide association studies have led to identify numerous genetic loci associated with body mass index and obesity risk. However, the predictive value of these loci to the obesity risk at the population level remains low. Finally, the influence of environmental factors on genetic susceptibility to weight gain is also related to epigenetic factors. Nutritional unbalance during fetal development may change the intrauterine environment and lead to altered gene expression (fetal programming) with alterations in DNA or histone methylation resulting in an increased susceptibility to chronic disease in adulthood, such as obesity.

[Metabolic surgery: an increasing place in the management of diabetes]. / Chirurgie métabolique: une place croissante dans le traitement du diabète.

Bariatric surgery becomes more and more important in the management of the obese patient with type 2 diabetes, especially in case of failure of medical approaches. Metabolic improvement results not only from weight loss and the subsequent reduction in insulin resistance, but also from modifications of digestive hormones (especially incretins) that contribute to promote insulin secretion. This new paradigm, moving from bariatric surgery to metabolic surgery, opens new perspectives. The present article briefly describes innovative surgical techniques focusing on endocrine and metabolic improvement rather than on weight loss, the preliminary results of metabolic surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes and a body mass index <35 kg/m2 and, finally, some data regarding the surgical management of obese patients with type I diabetes not well treated with classical medical means.

[Obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes: risk factors for breast cancer]. / Obésité, insulinorésistance et diabète de type 2: facteurs de risque du cancer du sein.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are two risk factors of breast cancer, especially after menopause. Underlying mechanisms are multiple and include hyperinsulinism due to insulin resistance (insulin, as insulin-like-growth factor -IGF-, is a growth factor), hyperleptinaemia associated with hypoadiponectinaemia, and high levels of estrogens resulting from aromatization of androgens in adipose tissue. In presence of type 2 diabetes associated with obesity, hyperglycaemia might provide energy substrate promoting tumour growth. These data have therapeutic implications with expected favourable effects of weight loss, resulting in a reduction of fat mass and insulin resistance, and the promising results recently reported with metformin contrasting with the negative effects of exogenous administration of high doses of insulin.

[Metabolic surgery: an evolution (or revolution) of bariatric surgery?]. / La chirurgie métabolique, vers une (r)evolution de la chirurgie bariatrique?

Bariatric surgery has proven its efficacy to obtain a marked and sustained weight loss and dramatically improves metabolic control in obese patients. The frequently observed remission of type 2 diabetes occurs very early, before any marked weight reduction. Increasing evidence suggests that this favourable effect results from profound changes in gut hormones involved in the regulation of energy intake behaviour and glucose homeostasis rather than simply from mechanical food restriction or malabsorption imposed by the surgical procedure. The better knowledge of these pathophysiological mechanisms, especially well studied with Roux-en Y gastric bypass, resulted in recent innovation in the technical procedures leading to a shift from bariatric surgery to metabolic surgery. Such type of surgery is currently evaluated in patients with type 2 diabetes, but with only a moderate obesity (BMI < 35 kg/m2), or even without obesity (BMI < 30 kg/m2). The Belgian Metabolic Intervention (BMI) Study Group would like to contribute very soon to this evaluation in a multidisciplinary approach.

[Management of an obese person with metabolic syndrome]. / La vignette thérapeutique de l'etudiant. Prise en charge d'une personne obèse avec syndrome métabolique.

The management of an obese person requires a careful evaluation first, a multidisciplinary approach and a stepwise therapeutic strategy. The latter should favour lifestyle modifications, eventually the use pharmacological agents in good responders, and reserve bariatric surgery to well selected cases, refractory to medical treatment. Continuous motivational reinforcement is crucial for long-term success. In obese individuals at high metabolic risk, such strategy should aim at reducing the incidence of new-onset type 2 diabetes.

[Optimisation of pharmacological therapy in a patient with a newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes]. / Optimisation du traitement pharmacologique chez un patient avec un diabète de type 2 nouvellement diagnostiqué.

The diabetic patient, when type 2 diabetes is newly diagnosed, raises a therapeutic problem commonly observed in clinical practice, which is more complex than expected at first glance. The physician has to select the most appropriate antidiabetic oral agent as first choice, to consider the potential of using combined glucose-lowering therapies, to fix glycaemic target taking into account the individual benefit/risk ratio, and to offer the best protection against cardiovascular complications. The present clinical case illustrates such therapeutic problem describing a patient with a high cardiovascular risk profile who experienced a hypoglycaemic episode after the prescription of glibenclamide following the discovery of a moderate hyperglycaemia.

[Congestive heart failure and diabetes mellitus: an intricated relationship]. / Insuffisance cardiaque et diabète de type 2: une relation à double sens.

The present article analyses the intimate relationship between diabetes mellitus and congestive heart failure. This relationship is indeed "bidirectional". On the one hand, it is well known that diabetes mellitus, especially type 2 diabetes, predisposes to congestive heart failure due to intricated mechanisms. In most cases, there is a combination of various well-known risk factors, such as obesity, arterial hypertension and coronary heart disease, with a specific diabetic cardiomyopathy, whose pathophysiology is complex. On the other hand, several studies showed that congestive heart failure increases the risk of new type 2 diabetes, probably due to decreased muscular perfusion and excessive neurohumoral response. Remarkably, such a risk could be reduced by a drug capable of inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system, as previously reported in patients with arterial hypertension. The recent launch and the increasing use of thiazolidinediones (glitazones) raise the interest for congestive heart failure in diabetic patients. Indeed, because of their positive effect on insulin resistance and various pleiotropic effects, glitazones may exert some cardiovascular protection; however, both rosiglitazone and pioglitazone are associated with fluid retention, which could reveal or aggravate episodes of congestive heart failure.

[What about the controversy regarding rosiglitazone]. / Le point sur la controverse à propos de la rosiglitazone.

The present article aims at summarizing the recent controversy about rosiglitazone (Avandia), an insulin sensitizer used as oral antidiabetic agent in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. We will present and briefly discuss 1) the results of the meta-analysis that raised suspicion about a possible excess of coronary complications with rosiglitazone; 2) the more favourable results of the large prospective clinical trial RECORD, but which are currently limited to an interim analysis; and 3) the reassuring data from several large US databases comparing the cardiovascular prognosis of type 2 diabetic patients treated with different antidiabetic drugs. We will conclude, referring to the recent position statement of the Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration, by providing some practical recommendations.

[Recent treatment perspectives in lipidology]. / Actualités thérapeutiques en lipidologie.

Clinical lipidology has gained its recognition with the publication of numerous clinical trials since the 4S study in 1994. Since that time statins have fully confirmed their promises and play now a crucial role in the battle against cardiovascular diseases. The last decade has been dominated by two demonstrations that apparently are discordant: (1) the lower the cholesterol level with the pharmacological intervention, the lower the risk of cardiovascular complications, arguing for the use of very efficacious cholesterol-lowering therapies; and (2) the cardiovascular protection provided by statins is present whatever the baseline cholesterol level, supporting the concept of pleiotropic effects of statins. As a consequence, statin treatment should be prescribed and intensified according to the high individual cardiovascular risk rather than because of the cholesterol level stricto sensu. Statin therapy should be completed by the addition of ezetimibe when LDL cholesterol level remains above target values or by the addition of fenofibrate when triglyceride levels are high and/or HDL cholesterol level is low. New pharmacological approaches aiming at further improving lipid profile, especially by targeting low HDL cholesterol levels, are currently in clinical development.