1.
Brief Report: Hyperbilirubinemia Is Associated With a Decreased Risk of Carotid Atherosclerosis in HIV-Infected Patients on Virological Suppression.
Muccini, C, Galli, L, Poli, A, Carbone, A, Maillard, M, Giusti, MC, Spagnuolo, V, Bigoloni, A, Guffanti, M, Gianotti, N, et al
Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999). 2018;(5):617-623
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between total, direct, and indirect bilirubin and the presence of carotid lesions in a large sample of HIV-1-infected patients on virological suppression. DESIGN Retrospective study on adult HIV-1-infected patients, with a carotid ultrasound (CUS) examination performed between January 2008 and August 2016, with HIV-RNA <50 copies per milliliter at CUS and without previous cardiovascular events. METHODS Intima media thickness was measured in 4 segments: carotid common artery and bifurcation on the left and right sides. Carotid lesion was defined as an intima media thickness ≥1.5 mm in ≥1 region at CUS. Patients were classified as: normal if all bilirubin values before CUS were below the upper normal limit and with hyperbilirubinemia if ≥1 bilirubin value above upper normal limit before CUS was recorded. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine whether hyperbilirubinemia showed association with the presence of ≥1 carotid lesion, after adjusting for confounding factors. RESULTS Overall, 903 patients were evaluated, 511 with ≥1 and 392 without carotid lesions. At multivariate analysis, total [adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 0.57 (0.36 to 0.90), P = 0.016] and indirect hyperbilirubinemia before CUS [adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 0.62 (0.40 to 0.97), P = 0.036] were associated with a lower risk of carotid lesions in addition to younger age, negative hepatitis C virus antibodies, higher nadir CD4, lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and no use of statin; no effect of atazanavir treatment on carotid lesions was detected. CONCLUSIONS In HIV-1-treated patients, total or indirect hyperbilirubinemia was likely associated with the absence of carotid lesions.
2.
An observational, retrospective analysis evaluating switching to raltegravir plus abacavir/lamivudine in HIV-1-infected patients: the ORASWIRAL study.
Galli, L, Poli, A, Muccini, C, Galizzi, N, Danise, A, Spagnuolo, V, Gianotti, N, Carini, E, Lazzarin, A, Castagna, A
Infectious diseases (London, England). 2018;(3):220-222
3.
Lifestyle and specific dietary habits in the Italian population: focus on sugar intake and association with anthropometric parameters-the LIZ (Liquidi e Zuccheri nella popolazione Italiana) study.
Marangoni, F, Brignoli, O, Cricelli, C, Poli, A
European journal of nutrition. 2017;(4):1685-1691
Abstract
PURPOSE In order to collect information on food intake, lifestyle and health status of the Italian population, a random cohort of about 2000 adults was selected in collaboration with the Italian society of general practitioners' network (SIMG). METHODS Cohort subjects underwent a full clinical evaluation, by their family doctor, who also collected anthropometric data and information on the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors; they were also administered diary forms developed to assess dietary use of simple sugars, of sugar-containing food and of selected food items. RESULTS Data obtained indicate that the consumption of simple sugars (either added or as natural part of food) by the Italian adult population is, on average, not high (65 and 67 g/day, among women and men, respectively) and mostly derived from food items such as fruit, milk and yogurt. In addition, no correlations were found, in this low-sugar-consuming cohort, between sugar intake and weight, body mass index and waist circumference. CONCLUSIONS Intakes of simple sugars in the LIZ cohort are not associated with weight, BMI and waist circumference. Prospective data, from cohorts like the LIZ one, might shed further light on the contribution of simple sugar intake to health in countries like Italy.