Effect of randomized prophylactic nitroglycerin on radial artery spasm during transradial catheterization: An analysis based on operator experience.

One limitation to transradial access (TRA) is the occurrence of spasms (RAS), for which the use of prophylactic medications is recommended. Improvement in TRA material combined with the increase in operators' expertise, might mitigate this benefit. We assess the effect of preventive nitroglycerin on RAS during TRA, evaluating the role of the operator's experience. Patients received 500 µg nitroglycerin or placebo. The operator's expertise was classified as: inexperienced (I), intermediate (M), and experienced (E). 2040 patients were included. Prophylactic use of nitroglycerin did not reduce RAS (10.8% vs. 13.4% (placebo), p = 0.07). RAS incidence was 14.5% in I, 12.5% in M, and 9.7% in E (p = 0.01). In group I, nitroglycerin reduced RAS (17.4% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.04), which was not observed in other groups. Overall, nitroglycerin does not prevent RAS, which is more common among inexperienced operators. More experienced operators could abolish preventive nitroglycerin use.

Associations between body composition and lifestyle factors with bone mineral density according to time since menopause in women from Southern Brazil: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate whether body composition, dietary pattern and habitual physical activity are associated with BMD according to time since menopause in women from Southern Brazil with no clinical evidence of disease. METHODS: 99 participants were enrolled and anthropometry, body composition and BMD by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, rest metabolic rate by indirect calorimetry, dietary pattern by semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire and habitual physical activity by pedometer were performed. RESULTS: Mean age was 55.2 ± 4.9 years and mean time since menopause was 6.8 ± 1.0 years. Weight, BMI, lean and fat mass and RMR were higher in women with less than 5 years since menopause with normal versus low bone mass. No differences were found in the studied variables between participants with normal or low bone mass and more than 5 years of menopause. Women with > 5 years since menopause had higher prevalence of osteoporosis, as well as lower BMD in all sites when compared to those with less time since menopause. Calories, carbohydrate, protein, fat and micronutrients intake were similar between groups. When the sample was adjusted for time since menopause, the odds ratio (OR) for low bone mass was 5.21 (95% CI 1.57-17.25, P = 0.004) for BMI <25 kg/m(2), for lean mass <37.5 Kg an OR of 4.4 (95% CI 1.64-11.80, P = 0.004, for fat mass <26.0 Kg an OR of 3.39 (95% CI 1.29-8.85, P = 0.010) and for the intake of vitamin A < 700 mcg/day an OR of 3.00 (95% CI 1.13-7.94, P = 0.012). Low meat and eggs intake or low protein intake did not influence the odds ratio for low bone mass. CONCLUSION: In this cross-sectional study with postmenopausal women with no clinical evidence of disease, time since menopause, low lean and fat mass were associated with low bone mass. Calories and macronutrients intake as well as habitual physical activity did not interfere with BMD, but participants were mostly sedentary. Further studies are needed in order to determine whether the adequate intake of specific food groups and the type of physical activity could attenuate the time since menopause impact on BMD.

Healthier dietary pattern and lower risk of metabolic syndrome in physically active postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between habitual physical activity and dietary intake, body composition, metabolic and hormonal variables, and cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women with no evidence of cardiovascular disease. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 105 women (mean age: 55.2 ± 4.9 years) consulting for climacteric symptoms underwent anthropometric and hormonal assessment. Usual dietary intake was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire and habitual physical activity was assessed with a digital pedometer. Participants were classified as physically inactive (<6000 steps daily) or physically active (≥6000 steps daily). RESULTS: Compared to the inactive group, active women had higher protein, total fat, cholesterol, iron, calcium, and the antioxidant micronutrients zinc and selenium intake as well as differences on food groups: higher meat, egg, and whole-dairy intake and lower intake of chips. Active participants also presented lower diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.012), ultrasensitive C-reactive protein (us-CRP; p = 0.011), fasting glucose (p = 0.003), fasting insulin (p = 0.019), and homeostasis model assessment index (p = 0.017). After adjustment for age and time since menopause, the risk for metabolic syndrome increased with physical inactivity (odds ratio [OR] = 3.55, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-11.66), us-CRP (OR = 6.57, 95% CI, 2.20-19.56), and percentage body fat (OR = 5.65, 95% CI, 1.19-28.89). CONCLUSION: Both physical activity and dietary choices may have contributed toward a more favorable cardiovascular profile and lower risk of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.

Can Dietary Patterns Impact Fertility Outcomes? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

There are conflicting results on the effect of diet on fertility. This study aimed to assess the effect of different dietary patterns on fertility outcomes in populations who conceive spontaneously and those requiring assisted reproductive technology (ART). A systematic search and meta-analysis were performed for studies investigating dietary patterns or whole diets in reproductive aged women requiring ART or conceived naturally. Outcomes were live births, pregnancy rates and infertility rates. In amount of 15,396 studies were screened with 11 eligible studies. Ten different diet patterns were grouped broadly into categories: Mediterranean, Healthy or Unhealthy. For the Mediterranean diet, on excluding high risk-of-bias studies (n = 3), higher adherence was associated with improved live birth/pregnancy rates in ART [OR 1.91 (95% CI 1.14-3.19, I2 43%)] (n = 2). Adherence to various Healthy diets was associated with improved ART outcomes (ProFertility diet and Dutch Dietary Guidelines) and natural conception outcomes (Fertility diet). However, due to the variability in Healthy diets' components, results were not pooled. Studies demonstrated preliminary evidence for the role of dietary patterns or whole diets in improving pregnancy and live birth rates. However, due to heterogeneity across the literature it is currently unclear which diet patterns are associated with improvements in fertility and ART outcomes.

Randomized Clinical Trial on Prevention of Radial Occlusion After Transradial Access Using Nitroglycerin: PATENS Trial.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether administration of nitroglycerin at the beginning or end of a transradial approach (TRA) procedure would preserve radial patency. BACKGROUND: The TRA is becoming the preferred vascular access route in coronary interventions. Radial artery occlusion (RAO) is the most frequent complication. Routine vasodilator treatment aims to reduce spasm and possibly prevent RAO. METHODS: The authors designed a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, 2-by-2 factorial, placebo-controlled trial encompassing patients undergoing the TRA. Patients were randomized to either 500 µg nitroglycerin or placebo; each arm was also subrandomized to early (upon sheath insertion) or late (right before sheath removal) nitroglycerin administration to evaluate the superiority of nitroglycerin in the prevention of RAO with 24 hours on Doppler ultrasound. RESULTS: A total of 2,040 patients were enrolled. RAO occurred in 49 patients (2.4%). Fifteen of these patients (30.6%) showed re-establishment of flow at 30 days. Nitroglycerin, compared with placebo, did not reduce the risk for RAO at either of the 2 time points (early, 2.5% vs 2.3% [P = 0.66]; late, 2.3% vs 2.5% [P = 0.66]). By multivariable analysis, the presence of spasm (OR: 3.53; 95% CI: 1.87-6.65; P < 0.001) and access achieved with more than 1 puncture attempt (OR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.43-4.66; P = 0.002) were independent predictors of RAO. CONCLUSIONS: The routine use of nitroglycerin was not associated with a reduction in the rate of RAO, regardless of the time of administration (at the beginning or end of the TRA procedure).

Nutrition in Menopausal Women: A Narrative Review.

Among the various aspects of health promotion and lifestyle adaptation to the postmenopausal period, nutritional habits are essential because they concern all women, can be modified, and impact both longevity and quality of life. In this narrative review, we discuss the current evidence on the association between dietary patterns and clinical endpoints in postmenopausal women, such as body composition, bone mass, and risk markers for cardiovascular disease. Current evidence suggests that low-fat, plant-based diets are associated with beneficial effects on body composition, but further studies are needed to confirm these results in postmenopausal women. The Mediterranean diet pattern along with other healthy habits may help the primary prevention of bone, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases in the postmenopausal period. It consists on the use of healthy foods that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and is associated with a small but significant decrease in blood pressure, reduction of fat mass, and improvement in cholesterol levels. These effects remain to be evaluated over a longer period of time, with the assessment of hard outcomes such as bone fractures, diabetes, and coronary ischemia.

Effects of high protein, low-glycemic index diet on lean body mass, strength, and physical performance in late postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether increasing protein consumption to twice the recommended daily allowance (RDA) by The Institute of Medicine affects lean body mass (LBM), muscle strength, and physical performance in late postmenopausal women. METHODS: Parallel-group randomized trial with 26 apparently healthy women aged ≥ 65 years. Participants were randomly assigned to low-glycemic index diets with protein consumption at current RDA (0.8 g/kg body weight) or twice the RDA (2RDA, 1.6 g/kg body weight). Protein intake was assessed by 24-hours urinary nitrogen excretion. Change in LBM was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at 3 and 6 months. Secondary outcomes were appendicular lean mass, handgrip strength by dynamometry, and physical performance by gait speed. RESULTS: Mean age was 70.8 ±â€Š3.6 years, and mean BMI was 26.1 ±â€Š3.5 kg/m2 in the overall sample. The RDA and 2RDA groups did not differ regarding baseline dietary intake. Changes from baseline in LBM (0.07 kg; 95% CI, -0.39; 0.52 kg; P = 0.100) and appendicular lean mass (0.07 kg; 95% CI, -0.34; 0.47 kg; P = 0.100) did not differ between the groups. Total body fat (-1.41 kg; 95% CI, -2.62; 0.20 kg; P = 0.019) and trunk fat mass (-0.90 kg; 95% CI, -1.55; -0.24 kg; P = 0.005) decreased similarly in both groups at the end of intervention. Adjusting for baseline BMI did not alter these findings. Handgrip strength and 4-m gait speed increased after the intervention, with no significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Protein intake exceeding the RDA did not increase LBM, strength, and physical performance in a sample of late postmenopausal woman consuming a low-glycemic index diet for 6 months.

Skeletal muscle mass is associated with higher dietary protein intake and lower body fat in postmenopausal women: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between skeletal muscle mass and dietary protein intake, habitual physical activity, body composition, and metabolic variables. METHODS: One hundred three healthy postmenopausal women from southern Brazil (age 55.2 ±â€Š4.9 y, body mass index 27.2 ±â€Š4.6 kg/m) were enrolled. Bone mineral density, %body fat, %trunk fat mass, and appendicular lean mass were assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, resting metabolic rate by indirect calorimetry, and habitual physical activity by pedometer. Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was expressed as appendicular lean mass standardized to body mass index. The cutoff for low lean mass was <0.512. Protein intake was measured by a validated food frequency questionnaire and categorized into tertiles: ≤0.93 g/kg body weight (BW), 0.94 to 1.29 g/kg BW, and ≥1.3 g protein/kg BW. RESULTS: The prevalence of low lean mass (SMI <0.512) was 7%. Waist circumference, %body fat, trunk fat mass, and diastolic blood pressure were higher, whereas SMI and mean daily steps were lower in women with protein intake ≤0.93 g/kg BW. SMI was positively correlated with physical activity (r = 0.205, P = 0.038) and protein intake (r = 0.334, P = 0.001), and negatively correlated with waist circumference (r = -0.505, P < 0.001) and %body fat (r = 0.808, P < 0.001). Linear regression analysis adjusted for age, time since menopause, previous smoking behavior, and energy intake showed an independent, positive contribution of protein intake (mean difference 0.007, 95% CI, 0.001-0.014, P = 0.044) and an independent, negative contribution of %body fat (mean difference -0.010, 95%CI, -0.011 to -0.008, P < 0.001) to SMI. CONCLUSIONS: In our healthy postmenopausal women, SMI was positively associated with protein intake and negatively associated with %body fat.