Papers by Rita Lombardini
Journal of Clinical Medicine
A complex dysregulation of lipid metabolism occurs in COVID-19, leading to reduced total choleste... more A complex dysregulation of lipid metabolism occurs in COVID-19, leading to reduced total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, along with a derangement of thyroid function, leading to reduced thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. This study aimed to explore the association between TSH levels during COVID-19 and the variation (Δ) of lipid profile parameters in the period preceding (from 1 month up to 1 year) hospital admission due to COVID-19. Clinical data of 324 patients (mean age 76 ± 15 years, 54% males) hospitalized due to COVID-19 between March 2020 and March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The association between TSH levels at hospital admission and either Δ-TC, Δ-LDL-C, or Δ-HDL-C over the selected time frame was assessed through univariable and multivariable analyses. TSH levels were below the lower reference limit of 0.340 μUI/mL in 14% of COVID-19 patients. A significant reduction of plasma TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C was recorded ...
Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-vmj-10.1177_1358863X211020822 for Effects of structured home-bas... more Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-vmj-10.1177_1358863X211020822 for Effects of structured home-based exercise training on circulating endothelial progenitor cells and endothelial function in patients with intermittent claudication by Leonella Pasqualini, Francesco Bagaglia, Stefano Ministrini, Maria Rosaria Frangione, Christian Leli, Donatella Siepi, Rita Lombardini, Ettore Marini, Meisam Naeimi Kararoudi, Alexander Piratinskiy and Matteo Pirro in Vascular Medicine
Vascular Medicine, 2021
Introduction: Exercise training improves walking capacity in patients with intermittent claudicat... more Introduction: Exercise training improves walking capacity in patients with intermittent claudication (IC). Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), endothelial microparticles (EMPs), and endothelial dysfunction could play a role in this process. Methods: We measured EPCs and EMPs in a group of 60 patients with IC, and in a control group of 20 individuals without IC, before a treadmill test and 2, 24, and 48 hours after the test. Thirty patients with IC were randomly assigned to perform a 12-week home-based exercise training program. The EPC count, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, pain-free walking time (PFWT), and maximum walking time (MWT) were measured at the baseline and after the exercise training program. Results: In patients with IC, EMPs significantly increased 2 hours after the treadmill test, whereas EPCs significantly increased after 24 hours. Among the subjects assigned to complete the training program, we observed a significant increase in the number of E...
The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 2019
BACKGROUND Exercise intervention improves macrovascular function in Metabolic Syndrome (MeS) pati... more BACKGROUND Exercise intervention improves macrovascular function in Metabolic Syndrome (MeS) patients, but few studies have evaluated the effect of exercise on microcirculatory dysfunction, which plays a key role in the development of MeS and its correlated organ damage. We carried out this intervention study to evaluate the influence of an aerobic and resistance training on skin microvascular reactivity in MeS patients. METHODS Post-Occlusive Reactive Hyperemia (PORH) of the forearm skin was evaluated, by laser- Doppler flowmetry, before and after a 12-week program of aerobic and resistance training in 15 MeS patients referring to our Lipid Metabolism Outpatients Clinic, together with anthropometric, fitness and metabolic parameters; 15 matched MeS patients who did not exercise, served as a control group. The exercise training consisted of 2 sessions/week of aerobic and resistant exercise. RESULTS Following exercise program, we observed a significant reduction in body weight, fat mass, fasting blood glucose, serum HbA1c and triglycerides, while HDL-cholesterol significantly increased. The exercise-treated group experienced a significant improvement in the Area of Hyperaemia (AH) after PORH, and in all fitness parameters: VO2max, strength on the pulldown lat machine, chest press, leg press and leg extension. A significant correlation emerged between the increase in AH and the reduction in HbA1c and between increase in AH and strength at the chest press, and at the leg extension. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed that a short-term combined aerobic-resistance training positively affects microvascular reactivity in MeS patients. This improvement is correlated with the reduction of HbA1c and fitness parameters, and particularly with increased muscle strength at the upper and lower limbs.
Open Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 2017
Explore (New York, N.Y.)
A chronic continuous or intermittent gastrointestinal tract dysfunction, the irritable bowel synd... more A chronic continuous or intermittent gastrointestinal tract dysfunction, the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), appears to be due to dysregulation of brain-gut-microbiota communication. Furthermore, the "microbiota" greatly impacts the bi-directional brain-gut axis communication. This article describes IBS in relation to similar diseases, presents the background to osteopathy, and proposes osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to manage IBS. In IBS, OMT focuses on the nervous and circulatory systems, spine, viscera, and thoracic and pelvic diaphragms in order to restore homeostatic balance, normalize autonomic activity in the intestine, promote lymphatic flow, and address somatic dysfunction. Lymphatic and venous congestion are treated by the lymphatic pump techniques and stimulation of Chapman׳s reflex points. A simple treatment plan designed to lessen chronic pain and inflammation in IBS is presented based on current evidence-based literature. Since food itself, food all...
The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 2018
BACKGROUND: Exercise intervention improves macrovascular function in Metabolic Syndrome (MeS) pat... more BACKGROUND: Exercise intervention improves macrovascular function in Metabolic Syndrome (MeS) patients, but few studies have evaluated the effect of exercise on microcirculatory dysfunction, which plays a key role in the development of MeS and its correlated organ damage. We carried out this intervention study to evaluate the influence of an aerobic and resistance training on skin microvascular reactivity in MeS patients. METHODS: Post-Occlusive Reactive Hyperemia (PORH) of the forearm skin was evaluated, by laser- Doppler flowmetry, before and after a 12-week program of aerobic and resistance training in 15 MeS patients referring to our Lipid Metabolism Outpatients Clinic, together with anthropometric, fitness and metabolic parameters; 15 matched MeS patients who did not exercise, served as a control group. The exercise training consisted of 2 sessions/week of aerobic and resistant exercise. RESULTS: Following exercise program, we observed a significant reduction in body weight, fa...
Kardiologia Polska, 2003
In peripheral vascular disease (PVD), impaired blood viscosity (BV) plays a major role in residua... more In peripheral vascular disease (PVD), impaired blood viscosity (BV) plays a major role in residual microvascular perfusion. Indeed, during acute leg ischaemia factors influencing microvascular BV include the plasma fibrinogen concentration, red and white blood cell rheology, as well as platelet aggregation and activation. To assess the effects of Iloprost in patients with PVD. The effects of an infusion of a single dose of Iloprost (from 0.5 up to a maximum of 2 ng/kg/min. over 6 hours) in 16 patients with stage II peripheral vascular disease on blood rheology and tissue perfusion were determined in a double-blind placebo-controlled study, using repeated treadmill exercise test to stress leg circulation. Blood viscosity at low shear, soluble P-selectin levels (expression of platelet activation), unfractionated leukocyte and erythrocyte filterability rates, plasma fibrinogen concentration, haematocrit, leukocyte and platelet counts and transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO(2)) were measured in two matched groups of 8 PVD patients before and after Iloprost infusion. Controlled peripheral ischaemia generated an impaired haemorheological profile; Iloprost reduced the impairments in BV and the filterability rates of unfractionated leukocytes and erythrocytes, inhibited platelet activation, and improved erythrocyte deformability. These changes were associated with significant shortening of the TcPO(2) half recovery time (the drop of TcPO(2) occurs because the ischaemic skeletal muscle steals oxygen from the skin), indicating that ischaemic damage had been contained. Our results show that the infusion of a single dose of Iloprost in patients with PVD is associated with a significant improvement in microvascular functioning
The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, Jan 31, 2016
Peak of bone mass (PBM) is generally reached about the age of 18 both in boys and girls. Maximizi... more Peak of bone mass (PBM) is generally reached about the age of 18 both in boys and girls. Maximizing PBM during growth may contribute to fracture risk reduction in adulthood and in the elderly. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects on bone mineral density (BMD) of global physical activity (PA), carried out in the past 15 years, in a population of 70 healthy, young male and female subjects aged 22 to 25. Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and total hip was measured using dual- energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA); global PA, resulting from sports-related, occupational and commuting PA, was evaluated using validated questionnaires. Women spent more time than men both in sports-related, occupational and commuting PA in the age range between 10-15 years. In the female group global PA positively correlated with BMD of the lumbar spine (r=0.38; p=0.02) and the total hip (r=0.36; p=0.04) and BMD of the lumbar spine was independently predicted by global PA and body mass index ...
Kardiologia Polska, Oct 1, 2003
In peripheral vascular disease (PVD), impaired blood viscosity (BV) plays a major role in residua... more In peripheral vascular disease (PVD), impaired blood viscosity (BV) plays a major role in residual microvascular perfusion. Indeed, during acute leg ischaemia factors influencing microvascular BV include the plasma fibrinogen concentration, red and white blood cell rheology, as well as platelet aggregation and activation. To assess the effects of Iloprost in patients with PVD. The effects of an infusion of a single dose of Iloprost (from 0.5 up to a maximum of 2 ng/kg/min. over 6 hours) in 16 patients with stage II peripheral vascular disease on blood rheology and tissue perfusion were determined in a double-blind placebo-controlled study, using repeated treadmill exercise test to stress leg circulation. Blood viscosity at low shear, soluble P-selectin levels (expression of platelet activation), unfractionated leukocyte and erythrocyte filterability rates, plasma fibrinogen concentration, haematocrit, leukocyte and platelet counts and transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO(2)) were measured in two matched groups of 8 PVD patients before and after Iloprost infusion. Controlled peripheral ischaemia generated an impaired haemorheological profile; Iloprost reduced the impairments in BV and the filterability rates of unfractionated leukocytes and erythrocytes, inhibited platelet activation, and improved erythrocyte deformability. These changes were associated with significant shortening of the TcPO(2) half recovery time (the drop of TcPO(2) occurs because the ischaemic skeletal muscle steals oxygen from the skin), indicating that ischaemic damage had been contained. Our results show that the infusion of a single dose of Iloprost in patients with PVD is associated with a significant improvement in microvascular functioning
Textbook of Angiology, 2000
Life Sciences, 2004
Artichoke extracts have been shown to produce various pharmacological effects, such as the inhibi... more Artichoke extracts have been shown to produce various pharmacological effects, such as the inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis and of LDL oxidation. Endothelial dysfunction represents the first stage of atherosclerotic disease; it is usually evaluated in humans by a noninvasive ultrasound method as brachial flow-mediated vasodilation (FMV) and by the determination of several humoral markers such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and E-selectin. Aim of the study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with artichoke juice on brachial FMV of hyperlipemics. We studied 18 moderately hyperlipemic patients (LDL cholesterol N 130 b200 mg/dl and/or triglycerides N150 b250 mg/dl) of both genders and 10 hyperlipemic patients, matched for age, sex and lipid parameters. All subjects were under isocaloric hypolipidic diet. A basal determination of serum lipids, soluble VCAM-1, ICAM-1, E-selectin and brachial FMV was performed. Thereafter patients were given 20 ml/die of frozen artichoke juice. The same parameters were repeated after 6 weeks. After artichoke treatment there was an increase of triglycerides (156 F 54 vs 165 F 76 mg/dL, p b 0.05) and a reduction of total cholesterol (261 F 37 vs 244 F 38 mg/dL, p b 0.05) and LDL cholesterol (174 F 31 vs 160 F 34 mg/dL, p b 0.05). Controls showed a significant decrease in total and LDL cholesterol (respectively: 267 F 22 vs 249 F 20 mg/dL and 180 F 24 vs 164 F 23 mg/dL, both p b 0.001). After artichoke there was a decrease in VCAM-1(1633 F 1293 vs 1139 F 883 ng/mL, p b 0.05) and ICAM-1(477 F 123 vs 397 F 102 ng/mL, p b 0.05), brachial FMV increased (3.3 F 2.7 vs 4.5 F 2.4%, p b 0.01), while controls did not exhibit significant changes in VCAM-1, ICAM-1, E-selectin and brachial FMV. Univariate analysis showed that, in artichoke patients, changes of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 were significantly related to changes
Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 2007
Background: Adipose tissue is not an inert deposit of fat; in the truncal area, it seems to be me... more Background: Adipose tissue is not an inert deposit of fat; in the truncal area, it seems to be metabolically active, due to the adipokines produced locally. These substances are related to insulin resistance, inflammation and atherosclerotic damage to the vascular system. The development of ultrasound methodologies enable better estimation of fat distribution and more detailed investigation of the metabolic aspects of the fat depots and their impact on the initial stages of atherosclerosis. Aim of the study: To investigate the influence of abdominal fat on endothelial function, the initial stages of atherosclerotic vascular damage and its relationship with inflammatory status in normaloverweight subjects [n. 162, body mass index (BMI) >25 kg ⁄ m 2 to <30 kg ⁄ m 2 ]. Methods: A total of 162 Caucasian postmenopausal women (mean age 54 ± 4 years, menopausal age 8 ± 4 years) were subdivided on the basis of the median value of the visceral fat distribution and associations with brachial flow-mediated vasoactivity (FMV), BMI, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), total and LDL cholesterol investigated. Results: Subjects with lower levels of visceral fat had a higher brachial FMV (7AE9 ± 4AE3 vs. 5AE1 ± 3AE2%, P < 0AE05) and lower BMI, waist, sI-CAM-1, sVCAM-1, total and LDL cholesterol. In univariate analyses, abdominal visceral fat showed a direct correlation with sICAM-1 (r = 0AE43, P < 0AE001), and an inverse correlation with FMV (r =)0AE49, P < 0AE01). Moreover an indirect relationship emerged between brachial FMV and sICAM-levels (r =)0AE36, P < 0AE05). In a multivariate analysis the predictive variables for brachial FMV were LDL cholesterol (b =)0AE22, P < 0AE05), visceral fat (b =)0AE32, P < 0AE05), sICAM-1 (b =)0AE18, P < 0AE05), HDL cholesterol (b = 0AE25, P < 0AE05) and brachial diameter (b =)0AE27, P < 0AE05). Subcutaneous fat and triglycerides were also included in the model. Conclusions: In Caucasian normal-overweight women, visceral fat thickness was directly associated with the level of soluble ICAM-1 and inversely with FMV, thereby showing its relevance to endothelial function and the inflammatory state.
The use of the ultrasound imaging (USI) in physiotherapy is becoming increasingly common but is h... more The use of the ultrasound imaging (USI) in physiotherapy is becoming increasingly common but is highly operator dependent and there are safe and professional issues regarding its practical use. Currently there are no specific training guidelines relating to physiotherapists using USI. The use of ultrasound technology for medical applications began in the 1950s and has proven to be an effective, safe, non-invasive, and relatively inexpensive tool for assessing morphologic characteristics and structural integrity of visceral organs and soft tissues. The use of ultrasound to assess muscle morphology and guide rehabilitation decision-making in physical therapy practice can be traced back to the late 1960s and has been found to be reliable and valid for specific muscles during particular movements. Over the last decade there has been rapid development of this technique with increased use both by clinicians and researchers. This method is defined in literature with the denomination of Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging (RUSI). In this work we will see how RUSI could be of help in the evaluation of shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS).
Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 2007
Background: Resistin could be the linkage between the adipose tissue and the insulin resistance. ... more Background: Resistin could be the linkage between the adipose tissue and the insulin resistance. In humans, the role of resistin on metabolic and vascular homeostasis is not well defined. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between resistin expression and insulin resistance. Methods and results: We evaluated the relationship between monocyte expression of mRNA and anthropometric and metabolic parameters of insulin resistance. We focused on the potential role of resistin on endothelial function. Thirtynine patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) and clinically free from cardiovascular disease, and 15 healthy subjects were included in this study. All subjects underwent clinical examination, assessment of haematochemical parameters, bioimpedentiometry, measurement of monocyte resistin mRNA and of brachial-artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMV). Patients with MS showed higher levels of interleukin-6 (IL; 2AE1 ± 1AE2 vs. 1AE2 ± 0AE9 pg/mL, P < 0AE05) and reduced FMV (5AE4 ± 3AE9 vs. 8AE3 ± 3AE1%, P < 0AE05). The subjects were divided into two groups: (i) subjects with high expression mRNA resistin levels and (ii) subjects with low or not detectable; Group 1 was younger (50 ± 13 vs. 59 ± 11 years, P = 0AE01), showed higher IL-6 values (2AE3 ± 1AE2 vs. 1AE6 ± 1AE2, P = 0AE03) and lower values of FMV (4AE3 ± 2AE8 vs. 7AE4 ± 3AE9%, P = 0AE003). With univariate analysis monocyte mRNA showed a significant positive correlation with waist circumference (r = 0AE27, P < 0AE05) and IL-6 (r = 0AE26, P < 0AE05) and a negative correlation with FMV (r = )0AE38, P < 0AE005). With multivariate regression analysis brachialartery diameter, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, IL-6 and RNAm resistin expression were independent predictors of reduced FMV. Conclusions: mRNA resistin negatively influences FMV, and is a possible in vivo index of endothelial dysfunction.
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Papers by Rita Lombardini