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Biomedical subjects

F Galetta

Publications and source records attributed to F Galetta.

77 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effects of simvastatin on blood levels of lipoprotein (a)].

The efficacy of Simvastatin to reduce plasma cholesterol is well documented. Other molecule within the lipo-lipoprotein family, such as, particularly, lipoprotein (a) -Lp(a)-, have been recently found to have a predictive and/or causative role in atherosclerosis. Based on the above consideration, we studied 20 patients (7 females and 13 males), mean age 52.4 +/- 14.2 years, affected by primary hypercholesterolemia to evaluate the effect of simvastatin on Lp(a), in addition to the classic lipidic parameters. Five weeks after suspension of lipid-lowering drugs and on a normal caloric-fat diet, were given 20 mg simvastatin/day for 12 months. Clinical and laboratory parameters, cholesterol (CH), triglycerides (TG), high density and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-CH and LDH-CH) measured enzymatically, apoproteins A1, B measured radial immunodiffusion technique and Lp(a) measured as apoprotein(a) with immunoradiometric assay and were evaluated before therapy and after 12 months of therapy. Simvastatin determined a significant reduction in total cholesterol and cholesterol-LDL (CH 327.7 +/- 44.4 vs 255.5 +/- 37.3, p < 0.0001; LDL-CH 257.1 +/- 60.9 vs 183.8 +/- 46.9, p < 0.0001) and a significant increase in HDL-CH (36.7 +/- 5.9 vs 40.2 +/- 5.7, p < 0.005); no variation was observed in triglycerides (TG) levels. Simvastatin therapy further determined a significant increase in Lp(a) plasma levels (43.8 +/- 25.6 vs 50.5 +/- 28.0, p < 0.02). The our data, in agreement with those documenting the beneficial effect of Simvastatin in greatly decreasing CH and LDL-CH, but point out the need for further studies concerning the long-ter effect of simvastatin on Lp(a), in order to fully establish its role in the secondary prevention of atherosclerosis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effects of physical activity on the cardiovascular autonomic function in the aged].

The objective of this trial was to evaluate whether cardiovascular vagal-sympathetic relationship, which is expected to be decreased in the elderly, can be modified by physical activity performed in advanced age. Cardiovascular autonomic function, as assessed by heart rate and arterial blood pressure during lying to standing, deep breathing, handgrip isometric stress test and Valsalva manoeuver, was estimated through Ewing's test in 10 sedentary healthy elderly subjects (mean age 68 +/- 3.1) compared to 10 long-distance runners of the same age (mean age 69 +/- 4.6). The endurance athletes, suitable for competition, had been practicing sport activity for a long time. Moreover in order to evaluate the influence of physical activity on cardiovascular response to exertion in the elderly all subjects were submitted to maximal electrocardiographic exercise test on a cycloergometer (multistage program with 30 watt x 3 min. steps). Heart rate, arterial systolic and diastolic blood pressure were recorded; double product was calculated at baseline; furthermore, total and maximal watts were recorded. For each of the parameters, Student's "t" test for independent observations was used in order to evaluate statistical differences among the two groups. Our data exhibited better results in cardiovascular reflex response due to parasympathetic (Valsalva and deep breathing test) neurovegetative modulation in the trained subjects with respect to the sedentary controls: Valsalva ratio (VR) = 2.04 +/- 0.44 vs 1.40 +/- 0.18 p < 0.001); deep breathing test (FC) = 23.6 +/- 6.2 vs 15.1 +/- 2.5 p < 0.01.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The pancreas in diabetes mellitus. The echographic aspects].

Forty patients with diabetes mellitus (25 with insulin-dependent and 15 with non-insulin dependent diabetes) were studied by means of US in order to evaluate possible volumetric alterations in the pancreas and their eventual progression over time. Thirty healthy subjects were also studied as a control group. The following variables were recorded: thickness of the head, body and tail of the pancreas and area of its head. The patients were also divided into 5 groups according to the age of diabetes (< 1, > 1, > 7, > 14, > 21 years). The results showed 25 IDDM patients to exhibit significant reduction in these variables relative to controls (p < = 0.01), especially in the body (average reduction -40%) and tail (average reduction -20%) of the pancreas. NIDDM patients exhibited non-significant reductions in pancreatic size. The study of the 5 groups of IDDM patients, divided according to the duration of diabetes, revealed all pancreatic variables to reduce more than in controls within a year since diagnosis, to exhibit relative increase during the next 7 years and finally to reduce again in the following years. These results show that anatomic damage to the pancreas occurs within the first year of diabetes. Moreover, IDDM was seen to alter the normal proportions among the single anatomic structures forming the pancreas, especially relative to two anatomic ratios--i.e., head/body and tail/body pancreatic thickness. The relative values in IDDM patients were markedly higher than those in controls (p < 0.001). The patients were again divided into 5 groups according to the age of diabetes: the values of the above ratios in the course of diabetes greatly differed from those observed in controls--i.e., they increased within the first year of diabetes, were steady during the next 7 years, and returned to normal values after 21 years of diabetes, which meant the return to the normal anatomic ratios among the three parts of the pancreas.

Adolescent↗