The impact of essential and toxic elements on cardiometabolic risk factors in adults and older people.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Evidence suggests an association between essential and toxic elements and the worsening of cardiometabolic risk factors. This study aimed to investigate the concentrations of zinc, copper, selenium, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury and their relationship with cardiometabolic risk factors in adults and older people. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out with 112 adults with a mean age of 59 (sd 14) years old and a BMI of 29.30 (sd 5.11) Kg/m2. The subject's weight and height were measured for body mass index (BMI) calculation, classified according to the cut-off points recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). We evaluated sociodemographic, clinical, lifestyle, waist circumference - WC, visceral adiposity index - VAI, glycemic lipid profile, blood pressure, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Cardiovascular risk was defined by The Global Risk Score (GRS) score. Plasma zinc, selenium, copper levels, urinary arsenic, cadmium, and mercury levels were measured using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique (ICP-MS). RESULTS: There was a negative association between urinary arsenic and VAI (ß - 0.03, p < 0.01), triglycerides (ß - 1.10, p < 0.01), and VLDL cholesterol (ß - 0.14, p = 0.02). Plasma copper and copper/zinc ratio were positively associated with fasting glucose and hs-CRP (ß 0.38, p < 0.01; ß 36.02, p = 0.01, ß 0.004, p < 0.01, ß 0.68, p < 0.001, respectively). Urinary arsenic (ß - 0.14, p = 0.04) and cadmium (ß - 36.42, p = 0.04) were negatively associated with systolic blood pressure. Also, urinary cadmium was negatively associated with diastolic blood pressure (ß - 21.55, p = 0.03), and urinary mercury showed an opposite behavior (ß 1.45, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Essential and toxic elements in urine and plasma could be potential biomarkers for cardiovascular risk factors. A healthy lifestyle should be adopted; in addition, government policies should be developed to guarantee sustainable production and a safe environment.

NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND PERIOPERATIVE FASTING TIME VERSUS COMPLICATIONS AND HOSPITAL STAY OF SURGICAL PATIENTS.

INTRODUCTION: many factors can have a negative influence over surgical results, such as a compromised nutritional status and the extension of the perioperative fasting time. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the influence of the nutritional status and the perioperative fasting time over the occurrence of surgical complications and over hospital stay, in patients who have undergone surgery of the gastrointestinal tract and/or abdominal wall, and who were subjected to a nutritional care protocol. METHODS: cohort study, conducted with 84 patients, from June to November 2014. Data collection was performed by applying a structured questionnaire, search over the records and medical and/or nutritional prescription. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA/SE 12.0 and significance level of 5%. RESULTS: nutritional risk was present in 26.2%, and from these 45.4% carried out preoperative nutritional therapy, having an average of 6.6 ± 2.79 days. The preoperative fasting was 4.5 (3.66; 5.50) hours and the postoperative fasting 5.1 (2.5; 20.5) hours. No associations were found between the parameters for assessing body composition and the presence of complications. A negative correlation was observed between the length of hospital stay and the BMI (p = 0.017),while a positive correlation was observed between weight loss and the length of hospital stay (p = 0.036). Patients with higher postoperative fasting time had a higher occurrence of complications (p = 0.021). CONCLUSION: the compromised nutritional status and the extension of perioperative fasting time are associated with the occurrence of surgical complications and increased length of hospital stay.

Introducción: muchos factores pueden influir negativamente en los resultados quirúrgicos, tales como el estado nutricional deteriorado y la extensión del tiempo de ayuno perioperatorio. Objetivo: evaluar la influencia del estado nutricional y el tiempo de ayuno perioperatorio en la aparición de complicaciones quirúrgicas y la duración de la estancia hospitalaria en pacientes sometidos a cirugía del tracto gastrointestinal y/o la pared abdominal, que fueron sometidos a protocolo de atención nutricional. Métodos: estudio de cohorte, realizado con 84 pacientes, de junio a noviembre de 2014. La recolección de datos se realizó mediante la aplicación de un cuestionario estructurado, búsqueda en los registros y prescripción médica y/o nutricional. Para el análisis estadístico se utilizó el programa STATA/SE 12.0 y se adoptó el nivel de significación del 5%. Resultados: el riesgo nutricional estuvo presente en el 26,2% de los casos, y de estos el 45,4% realizaron terapia nutricional preoperatoria, con una media de 6,6 ± 2,79 días. El ayuno preoperatorio fue de 4,5 (3,66; 5,50) horas y el ayuno postoperatorio fue de 5,1 (2,5; 20,5) horas. No se encontraron asociaciones entre los parámetros para evaluar la composición corporal y la presencia de complicaciones. Se observó una correlación negativa entre la duración de la estancia y el IMC (p = 0,017), y una correlación positiva entre la pérdida de peso y el tiempo de estancia hospitalaria (p = 0,036). Los pacientes con mayor tiempo de ayuno postoperatorio tuvieron una mayor incidencia de complicaciones (p = 0,021). Conclusión: el mal estado nutricional y la extensión del tiempo de ayuno perioperatorio están asociados a la aparición de complicaciones quirúrgicas y a una mayor duración de la estancia hospitalaria.