Browsing by Author "Gil, V"
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- Body composition phenotypes in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis: a comparative study of caucasian female patients.Publication . Santos, MJ; Vinagre, F; Silva, J; Gil, V; Fonseca, JOBJECTIVES: The amount and distribution of fat and lean mass have important implications for health and systemic inflammation may represent a risk for altered body composition. The aim of this study was to analyse whether changes in body composition are similarly associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), two inflammatory conditions of different pathogenesis. METHODS: Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) were measured in 92 women with SLE, 89 with RA and 107 controls. Results were compared among the 3 groups and correlations of FM percentage were explored within SLE and RA. RESULTS: Abnormal body composition was more frequent in women with SLE and RA than in non-inflammatory controls, despite having a similar BMI. RA diagnosis was significantly associated with overfat (OR=2.782, 95%CI 1.470-5.264; p=0.002) and central obesity (OR=2.998, 95%CI 1.016-8.841; p=0.04), while sarcopenia was more common among SLE (OR=3.003; 95%CI 1.178-7.676; p=0.01). Sarcopenic obesity, i.e. the coexistence of overfat with sarcopenia, was present in 6.5% of SLE and 5.6% of RA women, but no controls. Independent correlations of FM percentage in women with SLE included smoking, disease activity and CRP. In RA, education, disease activity and cumulative corticosteroid dose were identified as independent predictors of FM percentage. CONCLUSIONS: Women with SLE or RA diagnosis are more likely to have abnormal body composition phenotype, with some differences existing between these two conditions. Changes in body composition are partly explained by the inflammatory burden of disease and its treatment.
- Cardiologia personalizada: do risco à terapêuticaPublication . Gil, V
- Cardiovascular risk profile in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis: a comparative study of female patientsPublication . Santos, MJ; Vinagre, F; Silva, J; Gil, V; Fonseca, JOBJECTIVE: Premature atherosclerosis is well-documented both in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients, but cardiovascular (CV) risk is particularly high in lupus women. Although conventional CV risk factors do not fully explain the excessive risk in inflammatory diseases, they remain major contributors to atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether CV risk factors are differentially associated with SLE and RA. METHODS: One hundred women with SLE, 98 with RA and 102 controls matched on age and without overt CV or renal disease were assessed for the presence of Framingham (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, low HDL, diabetes, smoking) and other CV risks (atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), insulin resistance, obesity, central obesity, metabolic syndrome, uric acid, sedentarism, hypothyroidism and family history of premature CV disease). RESULTS: Modifiable CV risk factors are highly prevalent and occur more frequently in SLE and RA than in age-matched controls. Some differences in Framingham risk factors were found between SLE and RA, with hypertension being more common in young lupus women, hypercholesterolemia more frequent in RA and low HDL-C more frequent in SLE. However, the estimated 10-year Framingham CHD risk or the Reynolds Risk Score was comparable in both diseases. Although hypercholesterolemia was more frequent in RA, lupus women display a more atherogenic lipid profile, with significantly lower HDL-C levels (56.5±16 mg/dl versus 63.7±18; p=0.005), and more cases above the high risk cutpoints for cholesterol/HDL-C (14% versus 4.1%; p=0.01) and for AIP (15% versus 6.1%; p=0.03). Also, uric acid levels are higher in SLE women (4.8±1.5 mg/dl) than in RA (4.1±1.1 mg/dl), p=0.001. On the other hand, insulin resistance is significantly higher in women with RA as compared with SLE (median HOMA-IR 3.5 [6.4]) versus 0.72 [2.5]; p<0.0001) and the difference remained significant after adjustment for BMI and corticosteroids. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular risk profile is distinct in SLE and RA women and the contribution of traditional CV risk factors to atherogenesis may be different in these two diseases. Prospective studies are necessary to understand how the control of modifiable risks can improve CV outcome in different inflammatory settings.
- [Diabetes Screening in Patients with Macrovascular Coronary Disease: Are the New European Guidelines a Step Backwards?]Publication . Ribeiro, A; Baptista, SB; Faustino, M; Alves, P; Abreu, PF; Gil, V; Morais, CBACKGROUND: The new European guidelines on diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases propose that the FINnish Diabetes RIsk SCore should be used to evaluate the risk of diabetes mellitus and that diabetes mellitus screening in coronary artery disease patients should be based on fasting glucose and HbA1c. The 2 hour oral glucose tolerance test, recommended for all pts in the previous guidelines, is now only recommended for 'inconclusive' cases. We aimed to evaluate this new strategy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fasting glucose, HbA1c and glucose tolerance test (75 g, 2h) were prospectively evaluated in a consecutive group of pts with coronary artery disease. ADA criteria (both glucose tolerance test and HbA1c) were used to define diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus risk was evaluated according to the FINnish Diabetes RIsk SCore. RESULTS: A total of 135 patients were included (mean age 62.3 +/- 13.1 years, 99 males). Glucose tolerance test and HbA1c together diagnosed 18 (13.3%) new cases of diabetes mellitus and 77 (57.0%) patients with pre-diabetes mellitus. Fasting glucose + HbA1c (guidelines strategy) identified 12/18 patients with diabetes mellitus (Sens 66.7%; negative predictive value 95.1%; Kappa 0.78; p < 0.0001) and 83/95 patients with glucose anomalies (pre- diabetes mellitus + diabetes mellitus) (Sens 87.4%; negative predictive value 76.9%). Performing glucose tolerance test in the 29 patients with an elevated FINnish Diabetes RIsk SCore would allow identifying 15/18 patients with diabetes mellitus (Sens 83.3%; negative predictive value 97.5%; Kappa 0.85; p < 0.0001) and 86/95 patients with glucose anomalies (Sens 90.5%; negative predictive value 81.6%). DISCUSSION: Although this strategy improved the screening accuracy, one in each six patients with diabetes mellitus would still remain undiagnosed, as compared to measuring HbA1c and performing an glucose tolerance test in all patients. CONCLUSION: Using the FINnish Diabetes RIsk SCore to select candidates to additional glucose tolerance test improves the accuracy for identifying diabetic patients, as compared with fasting glucose + HbA1c alone. However, 1/6 patients diabetes mellitus is still left undiagnosed with this strategy proposed by the current guidelines.
- Early peripheral endothelial dysfunction predicts myocardial infarct extension and microvascular obstruction in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.Publication . Baptista, SB; Faustino, M; Brízida, L; Loureiro, J; Augusto, J; Abecasis, J; Monteiro, C; Leal, P; Nédio, M; Abreu, PF; Gil, V; Morais, CINTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The role of endothelial dysfunction (ED) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is poorly understood. Peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) allows non-invasive evaluation of ED, but has never been used for this purpose early after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (P-PCI). Our purpose was to analyze the relation between ED assessed by PAT and both the presence of microvascular obstruction (MVO) and infarct extension in STEMI patients. METHODS: ED was assessed by the reactive hyperemia index (RHI), measured by PAT and defined as RHI <1.67. Infarct extension was assessed by troponin I (TnI) release and contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (ceCMR). MVO was assessed by ceCMR and by indirect angiographic and ECG indicators. An echocardiogram was also performed in the first 12 h. RESULTS: We included 38 patients (mean age 60.0±13.7 years, 29 male). Mean RHI was 1.87±0.60 and 16 patients (42.1%) had ED. Peak TnI (median 118 mg/dl, IQR 186 vs. 67/81, p=0.024) and AUC of TnI (median 2305, IQR 2486 vs. 1076/1042, p=0.012) were significantly higher in patients with ED, who also showed a trend for more transmural infarcts (63.6% vs. 22.2%, p=0.06) and larger infarct mass on ceCMR (median 17.5%, IQR 15.4 vs. 10.1/10.3, p=0.08). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was lower and wall motion score index (WMSI) was higher on both echocardiogram and ceCMR in patients with ED. On ceCMR, MVO was more frequent in patients with RHI <1.67 (54.5% vs. 11.1%, p=0.03). ECG and angiographic indicators of MVO all showed a trend toward worse results in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of ED assessed by PAT 24 h after P-PCI in patients with STEMI is associated with larger infarcts, lower LVEF, higher WMSI and higher prevalence of MVO.
- Early vascular alterations in SLE and RA patients--a step towards understanding the associated cardiovascular riskPublication . Santos, MJ; Carmona-Fernandes, D; Canhão, H; Silva, J; Fonseca, J; Gil, VAccelerated atherosclerosis represents a major problem in both systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and endothelial damage is a key feature of atherogenesis. We aimed to assess early endothelial changes in SLE and RA female patients (127 SLE and 107 RA) without previous CV events. Biomarkers of endothelial cell activation (intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), thrombomodulin (TM), and tissue factor (TF)) were measured and endothelial function was assessed using peripheral artery tonometry. Reactive hyperemia index (RHI), an indicator of microvascular reactivity, and augmentation index (AIx), a measure of arterial stiffness, were obtained. In addition, traditional CV risk factors, disease activity and medication were determined. Women with SLE displayed higher sICAM-1 and TM and lower TF levels than women with RA (p = 0.001, p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). These differences remained significant after controlling for CV risk factors and medication. Serum levels of vascular biomarkers were increased in active disease and a moderate correlation was observed between sVCAM-1 levels and lupus disease activity (rho = 0.246) and between TF levels and RA disease activity (rho = 0.301). Although RHI was similar across the groups, AIx was higher in lupus as compared to RA (p = 0.04). Also in active SLE, a trend towards poorer vasodilation was observed (p = 0.06). In conclusion, women with SLE and RA present with distinct patterns of endothelial cell activation biomarkers not explained by differences in traditional CV risk factors. Early vascular alterations are more pronounced in SLE which is in line with the higher CV risk of these patients.
- Endothelial dysfunction evaluated by peripheral arterial tonometry is related with peak TnI values in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary angioplastyPublication . Baptista, SB; Faustino, M; Simões, J; Nédio, M; Monteiro, C; Lourenço, E; Leal, P; Abreu, PF; Gil, VPURPOSE: The role of endothelial-dependent function in patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is not clear. Endothelial dysfunction may contribute to the pathophysiological processes occurring after STEMI and influence the extension of myocardial necrosis. Endothelial-dependent dysfunction evaluated by peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) has already showed to be correlated with microvascular coronary endothelial dysfunction. Our purpose was to evaluate the impact of endothelial dysfunction on peak Troponin I (TnI) values, as a surrogate for the extension of myocardial infarction, in patients with STEMI treated with primary angioplasty (P-PCI). METHODS: 58 patients with STEMI treated with P-PCI (mean age 59.0 ± 14.0 years, 46 males) were included. Endothelial function was assessed by reactive hyperaemia index (RHI) determined by PAT. Patients were divided in two groups according to the previously reported RHI threshold for high risk (1.67). The extension of myocardial necrosis was evaluated by peak TnI levels. RESULTS: RHI median value was 1.78 (IQR0.74);25 patients had endothelial dysfunction (RHI b 1.67). The two groups had no significant differences in age, gender, main risk factors and pain-to-balloon time. Patients with an RHI b 1.67 had significant larger infarcts: TnI 73.5 ng/mL (IQR 114.42 ng/mL) versus TnI 33.2 ng/mL (IQR 65.2 ng/mL); p = 0.028. On multivariate analysis, the presence of an RHI b 1.67 kept significant impact on TnI peak values (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of endothelial-dependent dysfunction, assessed by PAT, is related with higher peak TnI values in STEMI patients treated with P-PCI. These results strength the possibility that endothelial-dependent dysfunction may be a marker of poor prognosis and eventually a therapeutic target in patients with STEMI.
- Forma rara de edema pulmonar agudo:a proposito de um caso clínicoPublication . Ricardo, J; Anaya, MJ; Barbosa, M; André, N; Magno, P; Morais, J; Proença, G; Rabaçal, C; Gil, VApresentamos o caso de um homem de 21 anos, que foi submetido a apendicectomia sob anestesia geral e que imediatamente após a extubação desencadeou quadro de edema putmonar agudo. A propósito, faremos uma breve revisão da literatura, enfatizando os mecanismos fisiopatotógicos subjacentes e os aspectos mais importantes do diagnóstico e tratamento.
- Índice de anisocitose eritrocitária e disfunção endotelialPublication . Vasconcelos, P; Nédio, M; Heitor, S; Gil, V; Bragança, NIntrodução: O índice de anisocitose eritrocitária (RDW) foi recentemente apontado como indicador de risco cardiovascular e como possível marcador de disfunção fisiológica global. Um RDW elevado pode reflectir um estado inflamatório e elevado stress oxidativo ambos associados à progressão do processo aterosclerótico. A tonometria arterial periférica (PAT) é um método não invasivo para avaliação da função endotelial. Esta é aferida pelo índice de hiperemia reativa (RHI) que avalia as mudanças na amplitude das ondas de pulso em resposta à isquémia local (oclusão arterial temporária). A disfunção endotelial, por sua vez, é um sinal precoce do processo aterosclerótico. Objectivos: Determinar a associação entre os valores de RDW e de RHI, em doentes com disfunção endotelial documentada por tonometria arterial periférica (PAT). Material e métodos: Estudámos 239 doentes, admitidos por diferentes patologias na Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos de Cardiologia (UCIC) do nosso hospital e submetidos a PAT. Identificámos os doentes com disfunção endotelial e agrupamo-los de acordo com os tercis da distribuição de RDW para cada sexo (medido à data do referido exame). Avaliámos a eventual relação entre o os valores de RDW e de RHI, nestes doentes. A codificação, registo e análise estatística dos dados foi feita em SPSS - v19.0. Resultados: Do total de doentes estudados, 190 (79,5%) apresentavam disfunção endotelial, de acordo com os resultados da PAT (RHI≤2,3): 47% com RHI <1,7; 37% com RHI 1,7-2,1 e 16% com RHI 2,1-2,3. Destes 62% eram do sexo masculino. A média de idades encontrada foi 63 anos. O RDW destes doentes variou entre 11,9% e 21,3%. No sexo masculino, 41,5% apresentavam RDW elevado (≥ 13,7%) enquanto, no sexo feminino, apenas 18,1% apresentavam RDW superior ao valor de referência (≥ 14,4%). Aplicando o teste qui-quadrado para tendência linear, verificou-se que não existe associação estatisticamente significativa entre o valor de RDW e de RHI (p-value=0,838). Conclusões: Na amostra estudada, não se encontrou associação estatisticamente significativa entre os valores de RDW e RHI, pelo que consideramos que o RDW não é um bom marcador de disfunção endotelial. No entanto, a realização de estudos prospectivos com amostras de maiores dimensões e incluindo outras variáveis, serão necessários para esclarecer a relação entre o índice de anisocitose eritrocitária e disfunção endotelial.
- Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm: a challenging diagnosis.Publication . Faustino, M; Ranchordás, S; Abecasis, J; Freitas, A; Ferreira, M; Gil, V; Morais, C; Neves, JPLeft ventricular pseudoaneurysm is a rare complication of acute myocardial infarction, associated with high mortality. However, it can present in a non-specific manner, complicating and delaying the diagnosis. The authors present the case of a 65-year-old patient, hypertensive, with no other known relevant medical history, who presented with chest pain, cough and left pleural effusion, initially attributed to a pulmonary process. However, these were in fact the result of a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm following silent acute myocardial infarction. The diagnosis was suspected on echocardiography and confirmed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and the patient underwent successful surgical pseudoaneurysm repair. This case illustrates an atypical presentation of a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm, in which the manifestations resulted from pericardial and pleural extension of the inflammatory process associated with contained myocardial rupture. The case demonstrates the need for a high index of suspicion, and the value of imaging techniques to confirm it, in order to proceed with appropriate surgical treatment, and thus modify the course of the disease.