Keyword: diabetes

A pilot study in menopausal women with prediabetes: refining the blood exerkine irisin assay in relationship with the calcium-phosphorus metabolism

Objective. In this pilot study, we aimed to analyze the blood irisin levels in relation to glucose and mineral metabolism assays in menopausal women with non-diabetic altered glucose regulation: impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Methods. This was a prospective, transversal, non-interventional, bi-centric (bi-country) study, between December 2024 and October 2025. Results. The patients (N=47) with IGT (N=21) or IFG (N=26) had a similar age (63±9.24 versus 63.46±8.16years, p=0.856), menopause duration (14.05±9.37 versus 16.76±8.07years, p=0.297), and body mass index with mean values within the obesity range (34.84±5.07 versus 31.34±6.46kg/sqm, p=0.765). Average 25-hydroxyvitamin D showed an insufficiency (28.62±8.09 versus 28.06± 6.99ng/mL). The IGT versus IFG group were found with statistically significantly higher 1-hour glycaemia in the oral glucose tolerance test (207.04±34.72 versus 179.40±33.91mg/dL, p=0.009), 2-hour insulin (101.44±67.26 versus 48.97±34.35 µUI/mL, p=001), fasting insulin (13.00±7.38 versus 8.36±3.96µUI/mL, p=0.008); HOMA-IR (3.53±2.32 versus 2.27±1.17; p=0.21) with mean levels sustaining insulin resistance. Conclusion. Circulating irisin was marginally elevated in the IGT versus the IFG group and positively correlated with body mass index in both. We found no correlation with the glucose profile, but with selective mineral metabolism assays. This pilot study requires an expansion of the sample size to pinpoint the potential practical utility of irisin as a biomarker.

Metformin – old treatment for diabetes, new treatment for psoriasis

Metformin was a revelation in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes, being widely used, with remarkable outcomes. Lately, research has greatly expanded the indications of metformin treatment, which can be used not only in diabetes but also in many other conditions. Although still debatable, several studies have shown the beneficial effects of metformin treatment in patients with psoriasis. This article is a review of the latest data of scientific literature about the effects of metformin administration in patients with diabetes and psoriasis, but also in nondiabetic patients with psoriasis

Colorectal cancer epidemiology and risk factors

Colorectal cancer is an important health problem, being the third most frequent cancer pathology both in men and women. Programmes have been developed to decrease CRC incidence and mortality, including primary prevention strategies focusing on population education regarding diet and physical activity and secondary prevention programmes such as screening. Modifiable risk factors are known to be diet, obesity, smoking, alcohol and read meat consumption. Non-modifiable risk factors are age, inflammatory bowel disease, genetic syndromes and family history of colorectal cancer.

Inadequate perioperative control of modifiable risk factors in total knee arthroplasty and implications on functional results

Diabetes and increased body mass index are two of the most associated comorbidities in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. With the number of patients undergoing knee arthroplasty increasing and with the incidence of diabetes and increased BMI, we can expect that in the coming decades the association of the two comorbidities will be frequent. An ethical issue arises when the patients who are refused for total knee arthroplasty are instructed to change the risk factors, and they fail either because of a mental problem or because of a physical problem. This study analyzes the effects of controlled, uncontrolled, uncomplicated and complicated diabetes on the rates of post- knee arthroplasty complications. The study proposes to evaluate obese patients in terms of functional outcomes and postoperative complications after total knee arthroplasty.

Gut microbiota and obesity

Worldwide, adults and childhood obesity are increasing alarmingly, being a major health problem. Obesity is correlated with an increased incidence of various systemic diseases including cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes mellitus type 2. Risk factors for obesity are dysbiosis, genetic, socioeconomic, behavioural and environmental. The gut microbiota has beneficial effects on human health, like host immune system stimulation, being influenced by pH, or nutrient intake. Studies performed on humans and animal models reported differences regarding microbiota at lean and obese individuals. The consumption of probiotics and prebiotics may balance the microbiota with positive effects in obesity. The main aim of this review is to reveal the interaction between dysbiosis and obesity.