Stroke/thromboembolism and intracranial hemorrhage in a real-world atrial fibrillation population: the Complications of Atrial Fibrillation in the Bologna Area (CAFBO) study.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic events (IEs) and intracranial hemorrhages (ICHs) are feared complications of atrial fibrillation (AF) and of antithrombotic treatment in patients with these conditions. METHODS: Patients with AF admitted to the EDs of the Bologna, Italy, area with acute IE or ICH were prospectively recorded over 6 months. RESULTS: A total of 178 patients (60 male patients; median age: 85 years) presented with acute IE. Antithrombotic therapy was as follows: (1) vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in 31 patients (17.4%), with international normalized ratio (INR) at admission of < 2.0 in 16 patients, 2.0 to 3.0 in 13 patients, and > 3.0 in two patients; (2) aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) (ASA) in 107 patients (60.1%); and (3) no treatment in 40 patients (22.5%), mainly because AF was not diagnosed. Twenty patients (eight male patients; median age: 82 years) presented with acute ICH: 13 (65%) received VKAs (INR, 2.0-3.0 in 11 patients and > 3.0 in two patients), while six (30%) received ASA. Most IEs (88%) and ICHs (95%) occurred in patients aged > 70 years. A modeling analysis of patients aged > 70 years was used to estimate annual incidence in subjects anticoagulated with VKAs in our Network of Anticoagulation Centers (NACs), or those expected to have AF but not included in NACs. The expected incidence of IE was 12.0%/y (95% CI, 10.7-13.3) in non-NACs and 0.57%/y (95% CI, 0.42-0.76) in NACs (absolute risk reduction [ARR], 11.4%/y; relative risk reduction [RRR], 95%; P < .0001). The incidence of ICH was 0.63%/y (95% CI, 0.34-1.04) and 0.30%/y (95% CI, 0.19-0.44), respectively (ARR, 0.33%/y; RRR, 52.4%/y; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: IEs occurred mainly in elderly patients who received ASA or no treatment. One-half of patients with IEs receiving anticoagulant treatment had subtherapeutic INRs. Therapeutic approaches to elderly subjects with AF require an effective anticoagulant treatment strategy.

Fermentation of endogenous substrates is responsible for increased fasting breath hydrogen levels in celiac disease.

Fasting breath hydrogen (FBH) levels are frequently increased in celiac disease (CD). In this study we sought to determine whether the unknown source of the fermented substrates is endogenous glycoproteins shed or exuded through the damaged mucosa. To test the role of nonabsorbable exogenous substrates, we subjected 39 untreated and 23 treated CD patients and 37 healthy volunteers to the H(2) breath test after administration of lactulose after both an unrestricted and a restricted pretest meal. To test the relevance of endogenous substrates, we measured breath H(2) excretion during a 9-hour fast and after the administration of lactulose solution. To determine whether the luminal content of CD patients contains an increased amount of fermentable substrates, we incubated samples of jejunal juice from 7 untreated CD patients, 6 healthy volunteers, and 6 dyspeptic patients in vitro with a fecal homogenate obtained from a healthy H(2)-producer volunteer and measured the cumulative H(2) production. Untreated CD patients showed higher FBH levels than did treated patients and healthy volunteers. Only in untreated CD did FBH levels show no difference if a restricted or an unrestricted dinner was eaten the evening before the test. Nine-hour FBH levels were significantly higher in untreated CD than in healthy volunteers, whereas no difference was found after administration of lactulose. In vitro H(2) production was significantly higher in untreated CD patients than in controls. Increased FBH levels in CD do not depend on fermentation of malabsorbed exogenous substrates; endogenous substrates are increased in the lumens of CD patients and may be responsible for increased FBH levels.

Mixing of the intestinal content and variations of fermentation capacity do not affect the results of hydrogen breath test.

OBJECTIVE: Although the hydrogen (H(2)) breath test has been in use for many years for diagnosis of sugar malabsorption, research is still underway to improve its diagnostic accuracy. In this study, we investigated whether possible confusing factors caused by the ingestion of the test solution itself (such as the delivery to the colon of other fermentable substrates pre-existing in the small bowel lumen, the release of preformed H(2) trapped in the feces, or differences in the fermenting capacity of the colonic bacteria) may interfere with the increase of breath H(2) concentration, an expression of malabsorption of the test substrate. METHODS: In 25 patients with untreated celiac disease and 23 sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers, breath H(2) excretion was measured after ingestion of a 250-ml solution containing sorbitol, a poorly absorbed alcohol sugar. On 2 other separate days, 12 randomly selected subjects in each group underwent breath H(2) excretion measurement after ingestion of 250 ml of a sugar free, nonabsorbable electrolyte solution and 250 ml of a solution containing lactulose, a nonabsorbable disaccharide. RESULTS: After sorbitol ingestion, celiac disease patients showed a significantly higher breath H(2) excretion than did healthy volunteers. Otherwise, breath H(2) responses to electrolyte solution and lactulose showed no difference between the two groups of subjects. CONCLUSIONS: In a group of patients with sugar malabsorption, increased breath H(2) excretion does reflect malabsorption. The washout or the mixing of the intestinal content or intergroup difference of fermenting activity of the colonic bacteria do not represent interfering factors and do not modify the accuracy of the H(2) breath test in day-to-day clinical practice.

Lactose malabsorption and intolerance and peak bone mass.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Lactose malabsorption per se is not associated with alterations of bone mineral density (BMD) or calcium intake, but when intolerance symptoms are present a lower calcium intake and reduction of BMD values are evident. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether lactose intolerance interferes with the achievement of an adequate peak bone mass in young adults. METHODS: Of 103 enrolled healthy subjects, 55 proved to be lactose malabsorbers with H(2) breath test after lactose administration, and 29 of them experienced intolerance symptoms (diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence). Lumbar and femoral BMD by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was measured, and calcium intake and biochemical indices of bone and mineral metabolism were evaluated. RESULTS: Lumbar and femoral BMD, calcium intake, and mineral metabolism did not differ between malabsorbers and absorbers, although among malabsorbers, intolerant subjects showed significant alterations of all these parameters in comparison with tolerant subjects. A strict correlation was evident between BMD values and both severity of symptoms and calcium intake and between calcium intake and severity of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Lactose intolerance prevents the achievement of an adequate peak bone mass and may, therefore, predispose to severe osteoporosis.