Whole-body computed tomography as first-line imaging procedure to exclude cancer in patients with neurological suspicion of paraneoplastic syndromes: shall clinical practice adhere to recommendations?

INTRODUCTION: To assess the efficacy of whole-body computed tomography (WB-CT) as imaging procedure to exclude cancer in patients with neurological symptoms and signs at clinical onset. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was designed to identify consecutive WB-CT requested by the Neurology Unit with a suspicion of an underlying tumor potentially linked to a paraneoplastic neurological syndrome (PNS) between January 2019 and February 2022. The following data were collected: diagnosis at admission and at discharge, the presence of onconeural antibodies, the scans dose length product (DLP), the estimated effective dose (ED), the total estimated time requested; the PNS-Care-Score was retrospectively calculated only in subjects with available antibodies. RESULTS: The total number of patients included was 158. In 13/158 (positive group) a malignant or locally aggressive neoplasm was found while in 145/158 no malignant lesions were found on the WB-CT. Among the positive group, in 7/13 onconeural antibodies were diagnosed, resulting negative in all cases and the most frequent tumor was lung cancer (30.8%). PNS-Care-Score was of 6-7 in 2/7 (probable PNS) and in no case the PNS-Care-Score was ≥8 (definite PNS). The mean DLP for all the scans was 2798 ± 952 mGy cm (average estimated ED of 42 ± 14 mSv). The total estimated time requested for all scans was 11,060 min. CONCLUSION: If a PNS is suspected, we encourage the prescription of unenhanced chest CT and/or abdomen/testis/female pelvis ultrasound and/or mammography based on clinical picture. The WB-CT using a single portal phase would be appropriate as a second-line technique while magnetic resonance imaging might be indicated for the exclusion of nervous system diseases. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Our suggestion results in saving in terms of radiation exposure, financial resources and time.

Determinants of weight, psychological status, food contemplation and lifestyle changes in patients with obesity during the COVID-19 lockdown: a nationwide survey using multiple correspondence analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced most of the Italian population into lockdown from 11 March to 18 May 2020. A nationwide survey of Italian Clinical Nutrition and Dietetic Services (Obesity Centers or OCs) was carried out to assess the impact of lockdown restrictions on the physical and mental wellbeing of patients with obesity (PWO) who had follow-up appointments postponed due to lockdown restrictions and to compare determinants of weight gain before and after the pandemic. METHODS: We designed a structured 77-item questionnaire covering employment status, diet, physical activity and psychological aspects, that was disseminated through follow-up calls and online between 2 May and 25 June 2020. Data were analyzed by multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: A total of 1,232 PWO from 26 OCs completed the questionnaires (72% female, mean age 50.2 ± 14.2 years; mean BMI 34.7 ± 7.6 kg/m2; 41% obesity class II to III). During the lockdown, 48.8% gained, 27.1% lost, while the remainder (24.1%) maintained their weight. The mean weight change was +2.3 ± 4.8 kg (in weight gainers: +4.0 ± 2.4 kg; +4.2% ± 5.4%). Approximately 37% of participants experienced increased emotional difficulties, mostly fear and dissatisfaction. Sixty-one percent reduced their physical activity (PA) and 55% experienced a change in sleep quality/quantity. The lack of online contact (37.5%) with the OC during lockdown strongly correlated with weight gain (p < 0.001). Using MCA, two main clusters were identified: those with unchanged or even improved lifestyles during lockdown (Cluster 1) and those with worse lifestyles during the same time (Cluster 2). The latter includes unemployed people experiencing depression, boredom, dissatisfaction and increased food contemplation and weight gain. Within Cluster 2, homemakers reported gaining weight and experiencing anger due to home confinement. CONCLUSIONS: Among Italian PWO, work status, emotional dysregulation, and lack of online communication with OCs were determinants of weight gain during the lockdown period.

Metabolic changes after a hypocaloric, low-glycemic-index diet in obese children.

BACKGROUND: A low glycemic index (LGI) diet has been proposed as a treatment for obesity in adults; few studies have evaluated LGI diets in obese children. AIM: The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of two diets, with similar energy intakes, but different glycemic indexes in a pediatric outpatient setting. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A parallel- group, randomized controlled trial was conducted, and 22 obese outpatient children with a body mass index (BMI) Z-score >2 (11 females and 11 males, BMI 28.9±2.9 kg/m²) were included in the study. Patients were randomly allocated to a hypocaloric LGI (GI:60), or to a hypocaloric high glycemic index (HGI) diet (GI:90). The LGI and HGI diets were almost equivalent for macronutrient composition. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were measured at baseline and after 6 months. RESULTS: In both groups there were significant decreases in BMI, BMI Z-score, blood pressure, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Only LGI diets produced a significant decrease in waist circumference and homeostasis model assessment. Analysis of variance demonstrated that the BMI Z-score decrease from baseline values was significantly greater after the LGI diet than after the HGI diet [-0.20 (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.29 to -0.10) vs -0.34 (95%CI -0.43 to -0.24)], mean difference between groups -0.14 (95%CI -0.27 to -0.01), p<0.05). Changes in triglyceride concentrations were significantly lower in LGI as compared to HGI diet (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that a hypocaloric LGI diet has beneficial metabolic effects in comparison to a hypocaloric HGI diet in obese children.

Effects of meals with different glycaemic index on postprandial blood glucose response in patients with Type 1 diabetes treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of high-glycaemic index and low-glycaemic index meals on postprandial blood glucose in patients with Type 1 diabetes treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. METHODS: Sixteen patients with Type 1 diabetes under continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion treatment, age 36±0.5 years (mean±sem), HbA(1c) 7.6±0.2% (56±1.1 mmol/mol), consumed two test meals with an identical macronutrient composition, but with a different glycaemic index: 59 vs. 90. Blood glucose was checked before the test meal and every 30 min thereafter for 180 min. The same preprandial insulin dose was administered on the two occasions. RESULTS: Blood glucose concentrations following the low-glycaemic index meal were significantly lower than those of the high-glycaemic index meal (P<0.05 to P<0.01). The blood glucose area under the curve after the low-glycaemic index meal was 20% lower than after the high-glycaemic meal (P=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that meals with the same carbohydrate content but a different glycaemic index produce clinically significant differences in postprandial blood glucose.

Effects of a phytosterol-enriched dairy product on lipids, sterols and 8-isoprostane in hypercholesterolemic patients: a multicenter Italian study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Plant sterols, added to several food sources, lower serum cholesterol concentrations. Plant sterol-induced cholesterol lowering is paralleled by a mild decrease in plasma levels of the antioxidant beta-carotene, the amount of this decrease being considered clinically non-significant. Whether the effect on lipid profile of daily consumption of plant sterol-enriched low-fat fermented milk (FM) is paralleled by a concomitant variation in a reliable marker of the oxidative burden like plasma isoprostane levels is unresolved. METHODS AND RESULTS: The effect of plant sterol consumption on plasma lipid and isoprostane levels of hypercholesterolemic patients was evaluated in a multicenter, randomized double blind study. Hypercholesterolemic patients consumed a FM daily for 6 weeks. Subjects were randomized to receive either 1.6g of plant sterol-enriched FM (n=60) or control FM product (n=56). After 6 weeks of plant sterol-enriched FM consumption, LDL cholesterol was reduced from 166.2+/-2.0 to 147.4+/-2.8 mg/dL (p=0.01). A significant reduction was observed for total cholesterol (from 263.5+/-2.6 to 231.0+/-3.2mg/dL, p=0.01). There was greater LDL cholesterol lowering among hypercholesterolemic patients with higher LDL cholesterol at baseline. We found a reduction of plasma 8-isoprostane in patients taking plant sterol-enriched FM (from 43.07+/-1.78 to 38.04+/-1.14 pg/ml, p=0.018) but not in patients taking the control product (from 42.56+/-2.12 to 43.19+/-2.0 pg/ml, p=NS). Campesterol and beta-sitosterol levels were not influenced by phytosterol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Daily consumption of low-fat plant sterol dairy product favourably changes lipid profile by reducing LDL-cholesterol, and may also have an anti-oxidative effect through a reduction of plasma isoprostanes.

Insulin glargine in patients with severe hepato-gastroenterology diseases and hyperglycemia receiving parenteral nutrition.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this nonrandomized observational study is to verify and confirm whether it is possible to use insulin glargine (Lantus) subcutaneously in patients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) and whether the analogue is capable of obtaining and maintaining good glycemic control without inducing hypoglycemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample is made up of 25 patients with severe hepato-gastroenterology diseases receiving parenteral nutrition, diagnosed diabetics and non-diabetics, who had previously been prescribed traditional insulin therapy. All were to be given subcutaneous insulin glargine at a dosage equal to the average of insulin/day administered in the preceding days spent receiving PN. RESULTS: Twenty-five consecutive patients, not stratified in any way, were judged eligible in the last six months of 2004 and first eight months of 2005. Four out of these 25 cannot be evaluated, either because (2/4) they did not begin or complete the treatment with Lantus or because the proper number of glycemic tests were not done (2/4); 21/25 patients, 84% of the sample with a mean age of 65.9 years (range 46-93 yr), finished the study and can be evaluated. The mean glycemic values after treatment with glargine were already better on the second day, and on the seventh day the difference was statistically significant. No hypoglycemias occurred which required medical intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the possibility of using insulin glargine in patients receiving parenteral nutrition with hyperglycemia diagnosed diabetics or not diabetics.

Diet composition and the risk of type 2 diabetes: epidemiological and clinical evidence.

In the last 10 years nutritional research on diabetes has improved dramatically in terms of both number of studies produced and quality of methodologies employed. Therefore, it is now possible to attempt to provide the evidence on which nutritional recommendations for the prevention of type 2 diabetes could be based. We therefore performed a literature search and, among the papers published in indexed journals, we selected relevant epidemiological (mostly prospective) and controlled intervention studies. Lifestyle factors that have, so far, been consistently associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes are overweight and physical inactivity. However, recent evidence from epidemiological studies has shown that the risk of type 2 diabetes is also associated with diet composition, particularly with: (1) low fibre intake; (2) a high trans fatty acid intake and a low unsaturated:saturated fat intake ratio; (3) absence of or excess alcohol consumption. All these factors are extremely common in Western populations and therefore the potential impact of any intervention on them is large: indeed, >90 % of the general population has one or more of these risk factors. The ability to correct these behaviours in the population is estimated to reduce the incidence of diabetes by as much as 87 %. Recent intervention studies have shown that type 2 diabetes can be prevented by lifestyle changes aimed at body-weight reduction, increased physical activity and multiple changes in the composition of the diet. Within this context, the average amount of weight loss needed is not large, about 5 % initial weight, which is much less than the weight loss traditionally considered to be clinically significant for prevention of type 2 diabetes. In conclusion, new emphasis on prevention by multiple lifestyle modifications, including moderate changes in the composition of the habitual diet, might limit the dramatic increase in incidence of type 2 diabetes envisaged worldwide.

Soluble leptin receptor and insulin resistance as determinant of sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible associations between sleep apnea syndrome, hyperinsulinemia/insulin resistance and hyperleptinemia in subjects with different degrees of body mass index. DESIGN: To test for the presence or absence of sleep apnea syndrome in association with hyperinsulinemia/insulin resistance and hyperleptinemia. SUBJECTS: Twenty subjects with different body mass index (mean BMI 30.9+/-4.2). MEASUREMENTS: Insulin action and plasma soluble leptin receptor were measured by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp and by ELISA method, respectively. Occurrence of sleep apnea syndrome was assessed by clinical and nocturnal monitoring using a validated sleep apnea recorder. RESULTS: The apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) was positively correlated with plasma soluble leptin receptor (0.76; P<0.001) and negatively with the degree of insulin-mediated glucose uptake (r=-0.73; P<0.001). In a multivariate analysis AHI was associated with plasma soluble leptin receptor and insulin mediated glucose uptake independently of age, gender, BMI, plasma leptin levels and PaCO(2). CONCLUSION: Sleep apnea syndrome is associated with plasma soluble leptin receptor and insulin resistance independently of BMI.

Monitoring of cardiovascular risk factors in the diabetic clinics of an Italian region: the MOFRAD study.

In 1994 the Group for Diabetes Lipoprotein and Atherosclerosis of the Italian Society of Diabetology formulated specific guidelines for the evaluation and reduction of cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the level of implementation of these guidelines in Campania, an Italian Region. The 22 diabetes outpatient clinics in Campania were sent a simple questionnaire to report information on main cardiovascular risk factors for each diabetic patient. Each center had to recruit 50 diabetic patients consecutively seen during the first five months of 1996. The data refer to 778 patients, age 55.6+/-6.4 yr, body mass index: 29.0+/-4.9 kg/m2. Almost 27% were smokers; HbA1C was reported in only 69% of them, while plasma cholesterol and triglycerides in almost 94%; plasma fibrinogen and HDL levels in only 18% and 41%, respectively. The target value for triglycerides (<2.3 mmol/l) and/or cholesterol (<5.2mmol/l) was reached in only 30% of patients, while pharmacological treatment was prescribed to about 52% of patients with increased plasma lipid. Blood pressure was below 140/90 mmHg in almost 68% of patients and pharmacological treatment was prescribed to 64% of those with high blood pressure levels. In conclusion this survey shows that smoking is still a common habit among diabetic patients; the frequency of determination is optimal for plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, moderate for HbA1c, and insufficient for HDL and plasma fibrinogen. Lipid level control is also insufficient. More favorable data are reported for the frequency of measurement and blood pressure control.

Characteristics of some wheat-based foods of the Italian diet in relation to their influence on postprandial glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The present study was aimed at evaluating in patients with type 2 diabetes: (1) the glycaemic response to four starchy foods based on wheat, typical of the Italian diet; (2) the importance of some food characteristics in relation to their effects on postprandial glucose response. Seventeen patients with type 2 diabetes (eleven men and six women) participated in the study. All patients consumed, in random order and on alternate days, 50 g available carbohydrate provided by 90 g white bread and, according to a randomised procedure, an equivalent amount of carbohydrate provided by one (n 8) or two (n 9) of three other different test foods (g): pizza 85, potato dumplings 165, hard toasted bread 60. Foods had a similar nutrient composition. Plasma glucose response, measured for 180 min, was significantly lower after the potato dumplings than after white bread at 90 (P < 0.05), 120 (P < 0.01), and 150 (P < 0.05) min. No difference was observed in postprandial plasma insulin response after the various test foods. The percentage of starch hydrolysed after 5 h in vitro hydrolysis with alpha-amylase was about 30 % lower for potato dumplings than for the other foods. However, no differences in the resistant starch content, the rate of diffusion of simple sugars added to a dialysis tube containing the food, and the viscosity of digesta were observed among the test foods. Scanning electron microscopy of potato dumplings showed a compact structure compatible with impaired accessibility of starch to digestive enzymes. In conclusion, carbohydrate-rich foods typical of the Italian diet which are often consumed as an alternative to pasta dishes are not equivalent in terms of metabolic impact in diabetic patients. Due to their low blood glucose response, potato dumplings represent a valid alternative to other starchy foods in the diabetic diet. Food structure plays an important role in determining starch accessibility to digestion, thus influencing the postprandial blood glucose response.

Long-term dietary treatment with increased amounts of fiber-rich low-glycemic index natural foods improves blood glucose control and reduces the number of hypoglycemic events in type 1 diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in type 1 diabetic patients 1) the long-term feasibility of a high-fiber (HF) diet composed exclusively of natural foodstuffs and 2) the efficacy of this diet in relation to blood glucose control and incidence of hypoglycemic episodes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The study was randomized with parallel groups. Participants were part of a larger multicenter study on the effects of acarbose on glucose control in diabetes. A total of 63 type 1 diabetic patients, age 28 +/- 9 years, BMI 24 +/- 0.6 kg/m2, after a 4-week run-in period on their habitual diet, were randomized to either an HF (n = 32) or a low-fiber (LF) diet (n = 31) for 24 weeks. The two diets, composed exclusively of natural foodstuffs, were weight-maintaining and, aside from their fiber content, were similar for all nutrients. At the end of the run-in period and the dietary treatment, fasting blood samples for the measurement of plasma cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, and HbA(1c) were collected. A daily glycemic profile was performed on a day in which the participants had consumed a standard menu representative of their treatment diet (HF or LF). RESULTS: Of the 63 study subjects, 29 in the HF group (91%) and 25 in the LF group (81%) completed the study Compared with the LF diet, the HF diet after 24 weeks decreased both mean daily blood glucose concentrations (P < 0.05) and number of hypoglycemic events (P < 0.01). When compliance to diet was taken into account, 83% of the subjects on the HF diet and 88% on the LF diet were compliant. In this subgroup, compared with the LF diet, the HF diet significantly reduced mean daily blood glucose concentrations (P < 0.001), HbA(1c) (P < 0.05), and number of hypoglycemic events (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In type 1 diabetic patients, an HF diet is feasible in the long term and, compared with an LF diet, improves glycemic control and reduces the number of hypoglycemic events.

Efficacy and safety of acarbose in the treatment of Type 1 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicentre study.

AIMS: The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acarbose in patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: A multicentre double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was performed. After a 6-week run-in, 121 patients were randomized to acarbose or placebo and to high- or low-fibre diet for 24 weeks. Acarbose dose was 50 mg t.d.s. for the first 2 weeks and 100 mg t.d.s. for the subsequent weeks. RESULTS: At the end of 24 weeks of treatment the intention to treat analysis showed that acarbose compared with placebo decreased 2 h postprandial plasma glucose levels (12.23 +/- 0.83 vs. 14.93 +/- 0.87 mmol/l; F = 6.1, P < 0.02) (least square means +/- SEM). No significant effect of acarbose was recorded on HbA1c or on the number of hypoglycaemic episodes. The effect of acarbose on blood glucose control was not influenced by the amount of carbohydrate and/or fibre intake. The incidence of adverse events were 75% and 39% in acarbose and placebo groups, respectively; they were mild and confined to the gastrointestinal tract. CONCLUSIONS: The use of acarbose in combination with insulin reduces postprandial plasma glucose levels in Type 1 diabetic patients who are not satisfactorily controlled with insulin alone but without significant effect on HbA1c.

Does a high-carbohydrate diet have different effects in NIDDM patients treated with diet alone or hypoglycemic drugs?

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of a nigh-carbohydrate diet on blood glucose and plasma lipids in NIDDM patients with either mild or severe glucose intolerance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A crossover design with a 15-day intervention diet was used. Eighteen patients were separated into two groups on the basis of hypoglycemic treatment (diet, n = 9, or diet plus glibenclamide, n = 9) and were assigned to a 15-day treatment with a high-carbohydrate/low-fiber diet containing 60% energy from carbohydrate and 20% from fat or a low-carbohydrate/low-fiber diet with 40% energy from carbohydrate and 40% from fat and then crossed over to the other diet for 15 more days. RESULTS: The high-carbohydrate diet produced a significant increase in postprandial blood glucose in patients on glibenclamide (13.6 +/- 1.4 vs. 11.0 +/- 1.8 mmol/l, P < 0.002, while no difference was recorded in the group on diet alone (9.7 +/- vs. 8.9 +/- 0.6 mmol/l). Postprandial insulin levels were significantly higher after the high-carbohydrate diet in the group on diet along (248 +/- 32 vs. 192 +/- 28 pmol/l, P < 0.01), while no significant differences were observed in the other group (226 +/- 19 vs. 202 +/- 24 pmol/l) The high-carbohydrate diet also induced a significant increase in fasting plasma triglyceride concentrations in both groups (1.36 +/- 0.2 vs. 1.12 +/- 0.2 mmol/l, P < 0.05 and 1.4 +/- 0.3 vs. 1.1 +/- 0.1 mmol/l, P < 0.05). No differences were observed in fasting plasma cholesterol and HDL. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of the high-carbohydrate diet on blood glucose control in NIDDM patients differ according to severity of glucose intolerance.

Dietary carbohydrates and glucose metabolism in diabetic patients.

Dietary carbohydrates represent one of the major sources of energy for the human body. However, the main (if not the only) therapy for diabetes since ancient times has been based on reducing dietary carbohydrates drastically because of their effects on blood glucose levels. The introduction of insulin in the 1920s and then of oral hypoglycaemic drugs led to various studies evaluating the biochemical characteristics of carbohydrates and their effects on glucose metabolism in diabetic patients. This review considers the role of dietary carbohydrates in the diet of diabetic patients in the light of the most recent studies and provides a short summary of the biochemistry of carbohydrates and the physiology of carbohydrate digestion.

A high-monounsaturated-fat/low-carbohydrate diet improves peripheral insulin sensitivity in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

It is commonly believed that high-carbohydrate (CHO) diets improve peripheral insulin sensitivity; however, this concept is based on anecdotal evidence. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients treated with insulin, a high-monounsaturated-fat (MUFA) diet is more effective than a high-complex-CHO diet in reducing blood glucose levels. The aim of our study was to compare the effect of a high-MUFA diet and a high-CHO diet on peripheral insulin sensitivity and metabolic control in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients. Ten non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients aged 52 +/- 8 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 26.7 +/- 3.5 kg/m2 who were being treated with diet alone (n = 5) or with diet plus glibenclamide (n = 5) were randomly assigned to a 15-day period of either a high-MUFA/low-CHO diet (CHO, 40%; fat, 40%; protein, 20%; fiber, 24g) or a low-MUFA/high-CHO diet (CHO, 60%; fat, 20%; protein, 20%; fiber, 24g) and were then crossed-over to the other diet. Diets were similar in their content of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and saturated fats, and were administered to the patients in a metabolic ward. The dosage of hypoglycemic drugs was maintained at a constant level throughout the study. With the high-MUFA/low-CHO diet, a decrease in both postprandial glucose (8.76 +/- 2.12 v 10.08 +/- 2.76 mmol/L; P < .05) and plasma insulin (195.0 +/- 86.4 v 224.4 +/- 75.6 pmol/L; P < .02) levels was observed. Furthermore, fasting plasma triglyceride levels were reduced after the high-MUFA fat/low-CHO diet (1.16 +/- 0.59 v 1.37 +/- 0.59 mmol/L; P < .01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Prevention of early-morning hyperglycemia in IDDM patients with long-acting zinc insulin.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether an insulin regimen with a long-acting zinc insulin (Ultratard HM) could help control fasting hyperglycemia in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A randomized sequential crossover trial with 6-wk treatment periods was used. Ten IDDM patients from the diabetes clinic at the Medical School who had persistent fasting hyperglycemia (greater than 10 mmol/L) were studied. Patients with nocturnal hypoglycemia were excluded. All patients completed the study. Insulin regimens consisted of three daily injections of a short-acting insulin (Actrapid HM) before meals and either a long-acting zinc insulin (Ultratard HM) or an intermediate isophane insulin (Protaphane HM) before the evening meal. Each regimen was followed for 6 wk. RESULTS: Fasting blood glucose levels (at 06:00 and 08:00) were significantly lower after the long-acting insulin regimen (6.26 +/- 0.88 vs. 10.82 +/- 4.27 mM, P less than 0.05 and 9.26 +/- 1.02 vs. 14.03 +/- 1.08 mM, P less than 0.05, respectively). Plasma-free insulin levels mirrored blood glucose concentrations because they were significantly higher at 06:00 and 08:00 after the long-acting insulin regimen (49.5 +/- 10.1 vs. 20.1 +/- 4.3 pM, P less than 0.05 and 31.6 +/- 5.0 vs. 16.5 +/- 3.4 pM, P less than 0.05, respectively). At any other time of the day, blood glucose and plasma insulin levels were not significantly different with either one of the two insulin regimens. CONCLUSIONS: A long-acting zinc human insulin injected before the evening meal can help to control persistent fasting hyperglycemia in IDDM patients.

Lipid intake and atherosclerosis.

The importance of diet in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis is well known. Among the different nutrients, lipids certainly have a primary role. Dietary cholesterol can influence the progression of atherosclerosis by increasing cholesterol levels or by modifying the composition of lipoproteins. Epidemiological and clinical studies have clearly demonstrated a relationship between the intake of saturated fatty acids and atherosclerosis. Among these fatty acids, stearic acid has the smallest effect on cholesterol levels. Until a few years ago it was though that monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) did not affect lipoprotein metabolism. However, very recently it has been shown that MUFA have the same hypocholesterolemic effect as polyunsaturated fatty acids; moreover they do not induce a decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Therefore the overall metabolic effect of MUFA seems to be beneficial.