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Introduction
Skills and Expertise
Publications
Publications (131)
Aims:
Prior studies provided evidence that low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol-lowering statins reduce cardiovascular events while conveying an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between LDL levels and both insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion in a cohort of 356 adult first-degree...
Background Some phenotypical changes may be related to changes in the associations among genes. The set of such associations is referred to as gene interaction (or association) networks. An association network represent the set of association among genes in a given condition. Given two experimental conditions, Differential network analysis (DNA) al...
Aim:
Decreased myocardial mechano-energetic efficiency (MEEi) is associated with NAFLD and poorer prognosis in liver cirrhosis. We aim to investigate the association between liver fibrosis severity and MEEi in individuals participating in the CATAnzaro MEtabolic RIsk factors (CATAMERI) study.
Methods:
Myocardial MEEi, assessed by an echocardiogr...
Background and aims:
Glycated albumin (GA) may assess glycometabolic control over a short period of time respect to HbA1c, and its use to screen for gestational diabetes in pregnancy has been suggested. To this regard few data on reference intervals (RI) for GA on Europid women have been collected, only from cross-sectional investigations. Aim of...
The study of the relations of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) disease with other pathologies (comorbidities) together with patient age variation poses a challenge for medical research. There is evidence that patients affected by T2DM are more likely to develop comorbidities as they grow older. Variation of gene expression can be related to changes...
Background
Alterations in myocardial mechano-energetic efficiency (MEEi), which represents the capability of the left ventricles to convert the chemical energy obtained by oxidative metabolism into mechanical work, have been associated with cardiovascular disease. Although whole-body insulin resistance has been related to impaired myocardial MEEi,...
The study of the relations of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) disease with other pathologies (comorbidities) together with patient age variation poses a challenge for medical research. There is evidence that patients affected by T2DM are more likely to develop comorbidities as they grow older. Variation of gene expression can be related to changes...
Sacubitril/Valsartan (Sac-Val) has improved clinical prognosis in patients affected by heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Comorbidities have a crucial impact on clinical presentation and prognosis in HF patients. Cognitive impairment (CoI) and Depression are a very common comorbidity in patients with HF and is widely recogni...
Background:
Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9) levels have been suggested as novel atherosclerotic biomarker. PCSK9 plays important roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis by regulating the degradation of low-density lipoprotein receptor as well as different inflammatory pathways. Considering the important prognostic role o...
Aims
To assess sex-related differences in whole-body insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion in a group of Caucasian subjects with varying degrees of glucose tolerance.
Methods
Sex-related differences in insulin sensitivity using the hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamp technique and insulin secretion using validated indexes obtained during an oral...
Background: Alterations in myocardial mechano-energetic efficiency (MEEi), which represents the capability of the left ventricles to convert the chemical energy obtained by oxidative metabolism into mechanical work, have been associated with cardiovascular disease. Although whole-body insulin resistance has been related to impaired myocardial MEEi,...
Inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis/progression of atherosclerosis, and inflammatory molecules contribute to the progression of cardiovascular disease. Subjects with normal post-load glucose tolerance and 1-h post-load plasma glucose >155 mg/dL have an increased risk of subclinical target organ damage and incident diabetes. We aimed t...
Biological sex and sociocultural gender matter when it comes to health and diseases. They have been both proposed as the undeniable gateways towards a personalized approach in care delivery. The Gender Working Group of the Italian Society of Internal Medicine (SIMI) was funded in 2019 with the aim of promoting good practice in the integration of se...
Aim:
The primary aim of this study was to determine whether treatment with empagliflozin was able to affect myocardial glucose metabolic rate, assessed by cardiac dynamic 18 F-FDG-PET combined with a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp compared to glimepiride in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Materials and methods:
To further investigate the cardi...
Aims
To characterize the prevalence of NAFLD among subjects with NGT, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by sex in adults with one or more cardio-metabolic risk factors, and to assess whether cardio-metabolic factors explained sex-related differences in NAFLD prevalence.
Methods
The study sample encompasses 742 individuals with NGT, 553 with p...
Metabolic syndrome is a condition characterized by a clustering of metabolic abnormalities associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. An impaired insulin-stimulated myocardial glucose metabolism has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. Wh...
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible correlation between oxidative stress and subclinical myocardial damage, assessed with speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), in normal glucose tolerance (NGT) patients with one-hour plasma glucose values ≥ 155 mg/dL (NGT ≥ 155), comparing them to NGT < 155 subjects, impaired glucose tolera...
Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible correlation between oxidative stress and subclinical myocardial damage, assessed with speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), in normal glucose tolerant (NGT) patients with one-hour plasma glucose values ≥155 mg/dl (NGT≥155), comparing them to NGT<155 subjects, impaired glucose...
Background: The association of circulating asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels with cardiovascular risk and arterial stiffness has been reportedly demonstrated, although the causal involvement of ADMA in the pathogenesis of these conditions is still debated. Dimethylaminohydrolase 2 (DDAH2) is the enzyme responsible for ADMA hydrolysis in the...
Recent studies demonstrated that in normoglucose-tolerant subjects (NGT), 1-h post load plasma glucose value ≥155 mg/dL, during OGTT, identifies a worse cardio-metabolic risk profile with increased risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). T2DM patients present increased oxidative stress, due to high blood glucose levels, which plays a central role...
Heart failure (HF) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represent two important public health problems, and despite improvements in the management of both diseases, they are responsible for high rates of hospitalizations and mortality. T2DM accelerates physiological cardiac aging through hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Thus, HF and T2DM are chro...
Vitamin D represents a group of secosteroids involved in the calcium and phosphate metabolism. The active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxylcalciferol, exerts its biological mechanisms via the VDR (vitamin D receptor) which acts as a regulator of several target genes. Hypovitaminosis D is associated with many diseases, which are not only limited to...
Background
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) represents an increasing cause of liver disease worldwide. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients. Although NAFLD pathophysiology is not fully understood alterations in fat metabolism seem to play a role. Autoantibodies against apolipoprotei...
Background and Objectives: Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) is a chronic disease associated with fluid accumulation in the interstitial tissue. Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) plays a role in reducing lymphoedema, like intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC). By the present pilot study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a synergistic treatment w...
Objective: To investigate the impact of albumin levels on the aspirin efficacy, since aspirin inhibits platelet aggregation (PA) by cyclooxygenase one irreversible acetylation that is less effective in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Patients and Methods: A total of 612 aspirin (100 mg/day)-treated T2DM patients were followed-up for...
Authors would like to correct the error in their publication.
Aims
Evidence indicate that 1h post-load glucose levels (1hPG)≥155 mg/dl identify amongst subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) a new category of prediabetes (NGT 1h-high). A compromised myocardial mechano-energetic efficiency (MEE) is associated with type 2 diabetes and predicts adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Herein, we explored the assoc...
Objective
investigating the potential association between neutrophils degranulation and patterns of myocardial dysfunction in a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Background
Two distinct phenotypes of diabetic cardiomyopathy have been described: a restrictive phenotype with diastolic dysfunction (restrictive/DD) and a dilativ...
Background
Prior studies in animal models showed that increased cardiac expression of TRIB3 has a pathogenic role in inducing left ventricular mass (LVM). Whether alterations in TRIB3 expression or function have a pathogenic role in inducing LVM increase also in humans is still unsettled. In order to address this issue, we took advantage of a nonsy...
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Identifying among GDM women those who are at high risk may help prevent T2DM and, possibly CVD. Several studies have shown that in women with GDM, hyperglycemia at 1 h during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)...
Aims
To assess the proportion of women with gestational diabetes (GDM) by performing postpartum Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) and to identify GDM phenotypes at high-risk of postpartum dysglycemia (PPD).
Methods
Observational, retrospective, multicenter study involving consecutive GDM women. Recursive partitioning (RECPAM) analysis was used to...
Background
Women with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) have a higher excess risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) than their male counterparts. However, whether the risk for CVD is higher in prediabetic women than men is still debated. We aimed to determine whether sex-related differences exist in left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and myocardial mechano-en...
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with oxidative stress but the underlying mechanisms promoting oxidative stress as well as its relationship with cardiovascular events is still unclear. In 375 T2DM patients who were followed-up for approximately 5 years we measured the serum levels of soluble NOX2–derived peptide (sNOX2-dp), a marker of...
PurposeTo evaluate clinical features, treatments, and outcomes of osteoporotic patients admitted to internal medicine and geriatric wards compared with non-osteoporotic patients (REPOSI registry).Methods
We studied 4714 patients hospitalized between 2010 and 2016. We reported age, sex, educational level, living status, comorbidities and drugs taken...
IntroductionPain and frailty are prevalent conditions in the older population. Many chronic diseases are likely involved in their origin, and both have a negative impact on quality of life. However, few studies have analysed their association.Methods
In light of this knowledge gap, 3577 acutely hospitalized patients 65 years or older enrolled in th...
Objective:
Most but not all studies suggested that women with type 2 diabetes have higher relative risk (RR) for cardiovascular disease (CVD) than men. More uncertainty exists on whether the RR for CVD is higher in women with prediabetes compared with men with prediabetes.
Research design and methods:
In a cross-sectional study, in 3,540 adults...
Gestational diabetes (GDM) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy worldwide, with 5 to 20% of newborns being offspring of mothers with GDM1,2. In addition to the impact of GDM on pregnancy care and outcomes3,4, it has become evident that GDM affects women well beyond delivery. Indeed, women with a history of GDM have an increased risk...
Background
Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is linked to a raised risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), although the underlying mechanisms are not completely known. A reduced myocardial mechano‐energetic efficiency (MEE) has been found to be an independent predictor of CVD.
Objective
To evaluate the association between NAFLD and a compro...
Many specialists use the remote management of people with chronic disease as diabetes, but structured management protocols have not been developed yet. The COVID-19 pandemic has given a big boost to the use of telemedicine, as it allows to maintain the physical distance, essential to the containment of contagion having regular health contact. Encou...
Abstarct
Introduction
Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with type 2 diabetes; nonetheless, it is unknown whether the relationship between NAFLD and CVD occurs also in subjects with prediabetes. Herein, we evaluated whether NAFLD is associated with prevalent CVD in subjects with differe...
Aim
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need for substantial changes in the procedures for accessing healthcare services. Even in the current pandemic, we should not reduce our attention towards the diagnosis and treatment of GDM. The purpose of this document is to provide a temporary guide for GDM screening, replacing the current guid...
Magnesium (Mg2+) levels are associated with insulin resistance, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We evaluated the clinical utility of physiological Mg2+ in assessing subclinical cardiovascular organ damage including increased carotid artery intima- media thickness (c-IMT) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in a cohort...
Background and aims
Despite evidence that pregnancy planning improves outcomes, in Italy, as in many other countries worldwide, <50% of women with diabetes prepare their pregnancy. The aim of this study was to document training and knowledge on diabetes and pregnancy (D&P) among diabetes professionals.
Methods and results
We administered an anonym...
Obese subjects showed different cardiovascular risk depending by different insulin sensitivity status. We investigated the difference in left ventricular mass and geometry between metabolically healthy (MHO) and unhealthy (MUHO) obese subjects. From a cohort of 876 obese subjects (48.3 ± 14.1 years) without cardio-metabolic disease and stratified a...
Objective:
Impaired insulin-stimulated myocardial glucose uptake has occurred in patients with type 2 diabetes with or without coronary artery disease. Whether cardiac insulin resistance is present remains uncertain in subjects at risk for type 2 diabetes, such as individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or those with normal glucose toler...
Aims:
Experimental evidence indicate that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) may stimulate glucose uptake and improve β-cell function. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether lower levels of HDL may affect the risk to develop type 2 diabetes.
Materials and methods:
Incident rate of type 2 diabetes and changes in insulin sensitivity and β-cell...
Introduction
Insulin resistance plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio, visceral adiposity index (VAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP) and triglycerides × fasting glucose (TyG) index are surrogate measures of insulin sensitiv...
Magnesium (Mg2+) is an enzyme co-factor that plays a key role in many biochemical reactions, as well as in glucose metabolism. Clinical evidences have demonstrated that depletion of serum Mg2+ increases exponentially with the duration of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Diabetes is associated with low Mg2+, and hypomagnesemia is associated with ins...
Mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) have been recently introduced as an easily accessible tool for providing information to pregnant women with diabetes. Despite the growing number of apps on the topic "diabetes & pregnancy", a smartphone app offering comprehensive and individualized information to both women (before and during gestation) a...
Aims
In 2010, Italian health professionals rapidly implemented the one-step screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) based on a 75 g OGTT, to comply with the diagnostic criteria proposed by the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG). The change was promoted by the two main Italian scientific societies of...
Purpose
Emerging data demonstrate that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. A cutoff point of 155 mg/dL for the 1-hour (h) post-load plasma glucose, during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), identifies patients with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) at high risk to develop T2DM and cardiovascular (CV)...
Context
Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) are highly pathophysiologic heterogeneous prediabetes conditions encompassing from youth to elderly people.
Objective
Herein we evaluate whether distinct age-related phenotypes exist among individuals with IFG or IGT.
Research Design
479 young (aged 18-35 years), 699 adul...
Objectives:
We aimed to analyze the prevalence and impact of COPD in older patients hospitalized in internal medicine or geriatric wards, and to investigate adherence to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines, associated clinical factors, and outcomes.
Design:
Data were obtained from REgistro POliterapie SIM...
Aims
A value of 1‐hour post‐load plasma glucose (PG) ≥155 mg/dl combined with the recently established HbA1c diagnostic thresholds for prediabetes increases the ability to predict diabetes and to detect subclinical cardiovascular organ damage. Herein, we evaluated whether a value of 1‐hour PG ≥155 mg/dl may recognize non‐diabetic individuals with a...
Preclinical studies suggested that IgG2c isotype may specifically impair skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity in mice. In this study we investigated the association between serum levels of the four IgG subclasses and insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic individuals. Total IgG, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 levels were measured in 262 subjects. Whole-body...
Context
Recently, a value of 1-h post-load glucose concentration (1-h-PG) ≥155 mg/dl (8.6 mmol/l) in individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) has been found to be associated with an increased risk for future type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In this review, we analyze the implication of 1-h-PG determination in prediction of T2DM and cardiovascular dis...
AimsDecreased insulin clearance has been reported to be associated with insulin resistance-related disorders and incident type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether higher levels of uric acid (UA), a known risk factor of type 2 diabetes, are associated with a reduced insulin clearance. Methods440 non-diabetic individuals were st...
Background:
Blood viscosity (BV) might influence glucose delivery to peripheral tissues and play an important role in insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus. However, the exact relationship between BV and insulin resistance is not yet clear.
Objectives:
Aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of the acute reduction in BV on insulin...
Aims:
Hemoglobin glycation index (HGI), which is the difference between the observed value of HbA1 and the predicted HbA1c based on plasma glucose levels, represents a measure of the degree of non-enzymatic glycation of hemoglobin and it has been found to be positively associated with diabetic complications. Herein we investigated whether HGI is a...
Purpose:
To compare the effect of liraglutide, sitagliptin and insulin glargine added to standard therapy on left ventricular function in post-ischemic type-2 diabetes mellitus patients.
Methods:
We evaluated 32 type-2 diabetes mellitus Caucasians with history of post-ischemic chronic heart failure NYHA class II/III and/or left ventricular eject...
Hemoglobin glycation index (HGI), defined as the difference between the observed HbA1c value and the value of HbA1c predicted from plasma glucose levels, represents a measure of the degree of non-enzymatic glycation of hemoglobin and it has been found to be positively associated with micro- and macro-vascular complications in subjects with type 2 d...
Background and aims:
A link between increased blood viscosity and type 2 diabetes has been previously reported. Herein, we investigated the association of blood viscosity with prediabetes, identified by glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) according to the new American Diabetes Association criteria, and subclinical atherosclerosis.
Methods and results...
The increasing incidence of diabetes and obesity worldwide induced the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), in 2014, to launch a new initiative to raise awareness on the important links between hyperglycemia in pregnancy, adverse maternal and fetal outcome, and risks for the future health of both mother and newborn. FIGO pr...
The fixed dose combination of sitagliptin 50 mg and metformin 850 mg (Janumet ®), is indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in addition to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in patients treated with metformin alone.
Methods:
We report a 69-year-old man with type 2 diabetes that developed sudden loss of eyebrows and eye...
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disease that can cause serious damage to various organs. Among the best-known complications, an important role is played by cognitive impairment. Impairment of cognitive functioning has been reported both in type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus. While this comorbidity has long been known, no major advances...
Background
The cardiovascular effect of liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 analogue, when added to standard care in patients with type 2 diabetes, remains unknown.
Methods
In this double-blind trial, we randomly assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk to receive liraglutide or placebo. The primary composite outcome...