Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and Risk Factors for Non-recording of Alcohol Use in Hospitals across Europe: The ALCHIMIE Study.

AIM: To determine the detection rates, clinical features, and risk factors for lack of registration of alcohol use in medical patients admitted in European hospitals. METHODS: A point-prevalence, cross-sectional, multicenter survey involving 2100 medical inpatients from 43 hospitals from 8 European countries. Patients were screened for current alcohol use, using standardized questionnaires. Alcohol use recording in medical records was assessed. RESULTS: Of the 2100, more than a half reported alcohol use. Significant differences were shown in the prevalence of drinking and the recording rates of alcohol use among the hospitals and countries involved. Overall, 346 patients (16%) fulfilled criteria for alcohol use disorder. Alcohol use was registered in 909 (43%) of medical records, with quantification in 143 (7%). Multivariate analysis showed that women (OR 1.49), older age patients (OR 1.23), patients from the Northern European countries (OR 4.79) and from hospitals with high local alcohol prevalence (OR 1.59) were more likely to have lack of alcohol use registration in their medical files. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable proportion of medical patients admitted in European hospitals fulfill criteria for alcohol use disorders. These patients are frequently overlooked during hospitalization and not appropriately registered in medical records. Women, older patients, and inpatients from European areas with high local alcohol use prevalence are at higher risk associated with a non-recording of alcohol use.

Apolipoprotein B vs non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol: Association with endothelial hemostatic markers and carotid intima-media thickness.

BACKGROUND: Both apolipoprotein B (apoB) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) are accepted as alternative risk factors or targets for lipid-lowering therapy, which correlate more strongly with cardiovascular events than low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the differences in plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and of von Willebrand factor (vWF) as endothelial hemostatic markers and carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) as a morphologic marker for atherosclerotic vascular disease among dyslipidemic individuals with apoB levels higher, estimated or lower based on regression equation of apoB vs non-HDL-C. METHODS: A total of 594 dyslipidemic subjects without atherosclerotic manifestation were divided into 3 groups (according to tertiles of apoB levels above, within, and below the line of identity): H-apoB (n = 200), E-apoB (n = 194), and L-apoB (n = 200). PAI-1, vWF, C-IMT and lipids, anthropometric parameters, markers of insulin resistance, and inflammation were measured. Differences in variables between groups were analyzed using analysis of variance. RESULTS: There was a strong association between apoB and non-HDL-C. The correlations of apoB and of non-HDL-C with markers of endothelial damage and C-IMT were very similar. Despite these facts, individuals with higher apoB levels had significantly higher levels of PAI-1 compared with individuals with estimated (P < .05) or lower apoB (P < .001). There were no significant differences in vWF, C-IMT, markers of insulin resistance, obesity, and inflammation. CONCLUSION: Individuals with apoB higher than predicted by non-HDL-C had significantly higher levels of PAI-1, which may contribute to the increased risk of future atherothrombotic events.

Pulse wave analysis and diabetes mellitus. A systematic review.

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the primary cause of death in diabetic patients and one of the explanations may be increased arterial stiffness. Arterial stiffness assessment using pulse wave analysis, is a predictive factor of CV events. The aim of this paper is to review the current knowledge of relations between diabetes mellitus and pulse wave analysis. A MEDLINE search was performed to retrieve both original and review articles addressing the relations and influences on arterial stiffness in diabetics. Pulse wave analysis is considered as a gold standard in CV risk evaluation for patients at risk, especially diabetics. Arterial stiffness assessment may be helpful for choosing more aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, particularly in younger patients to reduce the incidence of CV disease in these patients.