Epicardial adipose tissue thickness and type 2 diabetes risk according to the FINDRISC modified for Latin America.

BACKGROUND: The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) is a tool to predict 10-year risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and visceral adiposity is associated with higher cardio-metabolic risk. The objective of the study was to assess the relationship of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness with T2DM risk according to the FINDRISC tool. METHODS: The study was conducted in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela, and included 55 subjects of whom 37 (67.3%) were women and 18 (32.7%) men with ages between 18 and 75 years. A record was made of weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), fasting glucose, baseline insulin, plasma lipids, Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), and EAT thickness. The FINDRISC tool, with WC cut-off points modified for Latin America (LA-FINDRISC) was used. RESULTS: BMI, WC, plasma insulin concentration, HOMA-IR index, and EAT thickness were higher (P<0.0001) in the high-risk group compared to subjects in the low-moderate risk group according to the LA-FINDRISC. LA-FINDRISC was positively correlated with BMI (r=0.513; P=0.0001), WC (r=0.524; P=0.0001), fasting blood glucose (r=0.396; P=0.003); baseline plasma insulin (r=0.483; P=0.0001); HOMA-IR index (r=0.545; P=.0.0001); and EAT thickness (r=0.702; P=0.0001). The multivariate regression analysis showed that fasting blood glucose (P=0.023) and EAT thickness (P=0.007) remained independently associated with high T2DM risk. CONCLUSIONS: LA-FINDRISC was associated with EAT thickness and insulin resistance markers. Both were independently and directly associated with high risk for diabetes in the LA-FINDRISC category.

Effect of sitagliptin on epicardial fat thickness in subjects with type 2 diabetes and obesity: a pilot study.

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of sitagliptin addition on the epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled on metformin monotherapy. This was a 24-week interventional pilot study in 26 consecutive type 2 diabetic patients, 14 females and 12 males average age of 43.8 ± 9.0 years, with Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥ 7% on metformin monotherapy. Subjects who met the inclusion criteria were added on sitagliptin and started on sitagliptin/metformin combination at the dosage of 50 mg/1000 mg twice daily. EAT and visceral and total body fat were measured, respectively, with echocardiography and bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline and after 24 weeks of sitagliptin/metformin treatment in each subject. HbA1c and plasma lipids were also measured. EAT decreased significantly from 9.98 ± 2.63 to 8.10 ± 2.11 mm, p = 0.001, accounting for a percentage of reduction (∆%) of -15% after 24 weeks of sitagliptin addition, whereas total body fat percentage, visceral fat, and body mass index (BMI), decreased by 8, 12, and 7%, respectively (p = 0.001 for all). After 6 month, EAT ∆% was significantly correlated with ∆% of visceral fat (r = 0.456; p = 0.01), whereas no correlation with either BMI ∆% (r = 0.292; p = 0.147) or HbA1c ∆% was found. The addition of Sitagliptin produced a significant and rapid reduction of EAT, marker of organ-specific visceral fat, in overweight/obese individuals with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on metformin monotherapy. EAT as measured with ultrasound can serve as no invasive and accurate marker of visceral fat changes during pharmaceutical interventions targeting the fat.

Epicardial fat thickness as cardiovascular risk factor and therapeutic target in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with biological and nonbiological therapies.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness may act as a therapeutic target during treatments with drugs modulating the adipose tissue. We evaluate EAT thickness in RA patients treated with biological and nonbiological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). A cross-sectional study was conducted with a cohort of 34 female RA patients and 16 controls matched for age and body mass index (BMI). Plasma glucose, basal insulin, plasma lipids, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were assessed. EAT thickness and left ventricular mass (LVM) were measured by echocardiography. No significant differences in waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, basal insulin, and lipid parameters were found between the groups. The control group showed lower concentrations (P = 0.033) of hs-CRP and LVM (P = 0.0001) than those of the two RA groups. Patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors showed significantly lower EAT thickness than those treated with nonbiological DMARDs (8.56 ± 1.90 mm versus 9.71 ± 1.45 mm; P = 0.04). Women with no RA revealed reduced EAT thickness (5.39 ± 1.52 mm) as compared to all RA patients (P = 0.001). Results suggest that RA patients have greater EAT thickness than controls regardless of BMI and WC.

[Infective endocarditis by Rhizobium radiobacter. A case report]. / Endocarditis infecciosa por Rhizobium radiobacter. Reporte de un caso.

Rhizobium radiobacter is a Gram-negative, nitrogen-fixing bacterium, which is found mainly on the ground. It rarely causes infections in humans. It has been associated with bacteremia, secondary to colonization of intravascular catheters, in immunocompromised patients. The aim of this paper was to report the case of an infective endocarditis caused by R. radiobacter, in a 47-year-old male, diagnosed with chronic kidney disease stage 5, on replacement therapy with hemodialysis and who attended the medical center with fever of two weeks duration. The patient was hospitalized and samples of peripheral blood were taken for culture. Empirical antibiotic therapy was started with cefotaxime plus vancomycin. The transthoracic echocardiogram revealed fusiform vegetation on the tricuspid valve, with grade III-IV/IV regurgitation. On the seventh day after the start of antibiotic therapy, the patient had a clinical and paraclinical improvement. The bacterium identified by blood culture was Rhizobium radiobacter, ceftriaxone-resistant and sensitive to imipenem, amikacin, ampicillin and ampicillin/sulbactam. Because of the clinical improvement, it was decided to continue treatment with vancomycin and additionally, with imipenem. At 14 days after the start of antibiotic therapy, the patient was discharged with outpatient treatment with imipenem up to six weeks of treatment. The control echocardiogram showed the absence of vegetation on the tricuspid valve. This case suggests that R. radiobacter can cause endocarditis in patients with intravascular catheters.

Endocarditis infecciosa por Rhizobium radiobacter: Reporte de un caso / Infective endocarditis by Rhizobium radiobacter: A case report

Rhizobium radiobacter es una bacteria Gram-negativa, fijadora de nitrógeno que se encuentra principalmente en el suelo. Rara vez causa infecciones en humanos. Ha sido asociada a bacteriemia secundaria a colonización de catéteres intravasculares en pacientes inmunocomprometidos. El objetivo de este trabajo es informar un caso de endocarditis infecciosa por R. radiobacter. Se trata de paciente masculino, de 47 años de edad, con diagnóstico de enfermedad renal crónica estadio 5 en tratamiento sustitutivo con hemodiálisis, quien acude a centro asistencial por presentar fiebre de dos semanas de evolución. Es hospitalizado, se toman muestras de sangre periférica para hemocultivo y se inicia antibioticoterapia empírica con cefotaxime más vancomicina. El ecocardiograma transtorácico revelo vegetación fusiforme en válvula tricúspide con regurgitación grado III-IV/IV. Al séptimo día del inicio de la antibioterapia el paciente presenta mejoría clínica y paraclínica. La bacteria identificada por hemocultivo es Rhizobium radiobacter resistente a ceftriaxona y sensible a imipenem, amikacina, ampicilina y ampicilina/sulbactam. Debido a la mejoría clínica se decide continuar tratamiento con vancomicina y se anexa imipenem. A los 14 días de iniciada la antibioterapia el paciente es dado de alta con tratamiento ambulatorio con imipenen hasta cumplir seis semanas de tratamiento. En el ecocardiograma control se evidencio ausencia de la vegetación en la válvula tricúspide. Este caso sugiere que R. radiobacter puede ser una causa de endocarditis en pacientes portadores de catéteres intravasculares.

Rhizobium radiobacter is a Gram-negative, nitrogen-fixing bacterium, which is found mainly on the ground. It rarely causes infections in humans. It has been associated with bacteremia, secondary to colonization of intravascular catheters, in immunocompromised patients. The aim of this paper was to report the case of an infective endocarditis caused by R. radiobacter, in a 47-year-old male, diagnosed with chronic kidney disease stage 5, on replacement therapy with hemodialysis and who attended the medical center with fever of two weeks duration. The patient was hospitalized and samples of peripheral blood were taken for culture. Empirical antibiotic therapy was started with cefotaxime plus vancomycin. The transthoracic echocardiogram revealed fusiform vegetation on the tricuspid valve, with grade III-IV/IV regurgitation. On the seventh day after the start of antibiotic therapy, the patient had a clinical and paraclinical improvement. The bacterium identified by blood culture was Rhizobium radiobacter, ceftriaxone-resistant and sensitive to imipenem, amikacin, ampicillin and ampicillin/ sulbactam. Because of the clinical improvement, it was decided to continue treatment with vancomycin and additionally, with imipenem. At 14 days after the start of antibiotic therapy, the patient was discharged with outpatient treatment with imipenem up to six weeks of treatment. The control echocardiogram showed the absence of vegetation on the tricuspid valve. This case suggests that R. radiobacter can cause endocarditis in patients with intravascular catheters.

[Epicardial adipose tissue and its association to plasma adrenomedullin levels in patients with metabolic syndrome]. / Tejido adiposo epicárdico y su asociación con niveles plasmáticos de adrenomedulina en pacientes con síndrome metabólico.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EAT) and plasma adrenomedullin plasma levels in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS). METHODS: Twenty-one patients (12 females and 9 males) with MS according to the International Diabetes Federation guidelines, aged 22-58 years, were enrolled into the study and compared to 19 age-matched control subjects without MS. Plasma glucose, lipid, and adrenomedullin levels were assessed. EAT, left ventricular mass, and carotid intima-media thickness were evaluated by transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiography. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in age, sex, and height. Body weight, abdominal circumference (AC), body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were significantly higher (p=0.0001) in MS patients; this group also showed significantly higher glucose (p=0.001), total cholesterol (p=0.01), LDL-C (p=0.03), VLDL-C (p=0.005), triglyceride (p=0.002), Tg/HDL ratio (p=0.0001), and plasma adrenomedullin (3.49±1.21 vs 1.69±0.92 ng/mL; p=0.0001) levels and lower HDL-C (p=0.02) levels as compared to the control group. EAT was significantly thicker in MS patients compared to the control group (8.45±3.14 vs 5.43±0.96; p=0.0001), showed a positive correlation to BMI (r=0.347; p=0.02), AC (r=0.350; p=0.02), DBP (r=0.346; p=0.02), and adrenomedullin levels (r=0.741; p=0.0001). In multiple linear regression analysis, adrenomedullin was the only parameter associated to EAT (R(2)=0.550; p=0.0001). CONCLUSION: In this small patient group, a statistically significant association was found between EAT and plasma adrenomedullin levels, which may be considered as a potential biomarker of MS.