ABSTRACT Objective To examine serum C-reactive protein levels and the prevalence of leukopenia in patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis undergoing treatment with azathioprine and/or mesalazine. Methods Retrospective observational study based on clinical and laboratory data collected from medical records of 76 adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with azathioprine, mesalazine or both. Sex, age, diagnosis, number of blood samples and elevated serum C-reactive protein levels during the follow-up period were recorded. The following variables were analyzed in […]

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine whether pre-hospital statin use is associated with lower renal replacement therapy requirement and/or death during intensive care unit stay. Methods: Prospective cohort analysis. We analyzed 670 patients consecutively admitted to the intensive care unit of an academic tertiary-care hospital. Patients with ages ranging from 18 to 80 years admitted to the intensive care unit within the last 48 hours were included in the study. Results: Mean age was 66±16.1 years old, mean body mass index 26.6±4/9kg/m2 […]

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the association between obesity and levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with heart failure admitted to a tertiary hospital. Methods: Cross-sectional study with a consecutive sampling of hospitalized patients with heart failure. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected, and the nutritional status was assessed through indicators such as body mass index (in kg/m2), waist circumference (in cm), waist-hip ratio, triceps skinfold (in mm) and subscapularis skinfold (in mm). Neck circumference (in cm) was measured […]

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of prehypertension with metabolic, inflammatory and cardiovascular risk profile in asymptomatic individuals. METHODS: Between 2006 and 2009, 11,011 asymptomatic adults (mean age: 43 years; 22% females), underwent a check-up protocol. They were divided into 3 groups: normotensive group (arterial pressure=120/80mmHg), prehypertensive group (arterial pressure >120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg or prior diagnosis of hypertension). Each group metabolic and cardiovascular group profile was assessed. RESULTS: The prevalence of normotension, prehypertension and hypertension was 27.9%, 53.9% and 18.2%, respectively. […]

ABSTRACT The association between total mortality, lipoproteinS, and inflammatory markers, and their implications with aging and longevity are often controversial. Among the most often studied markers are low HDL cholesterol and high C-reactive protein. Particularly in octogenarians, it is expected that the impact of the inclusion of HDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein will improve the stratification of absolute cardiovascular risk. In the present study, we performed a literature review in PubMed about the relation between HDL cholesterol, inflammation and longevity. […]