ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIM: One of the main causes of mortality among obese patients is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is an independent predictor for atherosclerosis and risk of CVD, and has been demonstrated to be related with obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of substantial weight loss after bariatric surgery on CIMT. METHODS: This prospective study was performed on patients with morbid obesity and standard indications for bariatric surgery in a tertiary referral center in Iran. The mean CIMT values were assessed using B-mode ultrasonography before and 6 months after bariatric surgery. RESULTS: A total of 32 patients (25 females, 7 males) with a mean age of 38.18 ± 1.18 years were enrolled. Body mass index (BMI) was significantly reduced from 43.66 ± 6.44 to 29.01 ± 2.56 kg/m2 during 6 months following surgery (p: 0.001). The mean CIMT values at 6 months after surgery were significantly lower than the baseline (0.53 ± 0.06 vs. 0.50 ± 0.08; p: 0.001). Along with a significant hypertension and metabolic syndrome remission, we observed considerable reduction in FBS (p: 0.019), cholesterol (p: 0.061), triglycerides (p: 0.001), and insulin levels (p: 0.001). Besides, liver stiffness was significantly decreased after surgery (6.15 ± 0.82 vs. 5.26 ± 0.83; p: 0.001). There was no statistically significant correlation between changes in quantitative variables and changes in CIMT. CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery results in significant reduction in CIMT, metabolic syndrome factors, and liver stiffness in patients with morbid obesity.
Subject(s)
Bariatric Surgery , Cardiovascular Diseases , Metabolic Syndrome , Obesity, Morbid , Adult , Bariatric Surgery/adverse effects , Body Mass Index , Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology , Carotid Intima-Media Thickness , Female , Humans , Male , Metabolic Syndrome/complications , Obesity, Morbid/surgery , Prospective Studies , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the chest computed tomography (CT) findings in infants with confirmed COVID-19 infection by providing a comprehensive review of the existing literature. DATA SOURCES: A systematic search was conducted on PubMed and Embase from the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak to October 20, 2020, for studies that discussed the chest CT findings in infants younger than 1 year with COVID-19 infection. RESULTS: A total of 35 studies comprising 70 COVID-19 (58.5% boys) confirmed infants were included. The mean age of the included patients was 4.1 months with a range of 1 day to 12 months. Chest CT scans showed bilateral abnormalities in 34 patients, and unilateral lung involvement in 25 patients. Ground-glass opacities (GGO) (71.43%) were found to be the most prevalent chest CT manifestation, followed by peribronchial thickening (60%), linear or band-shaped opacities (32.8%), consolidation (28.57%), nodule (18.57%), effusion (7.14%) and focal lucency (7.14%). CONCLUSIONS: GGO and peribronchial thickening were the most prevalent findings in the infants' chest CT scans. Linear or band-shaped opacities, consolidation, and pulmonary nodules are more common in infants than in adults. These findings suggest that the disease is more likely to be presented as an atypical pneumonia (peribronchial thickening and linear or band-shaped opacities) in this age group. Other chest CT scan manifestations can be classified as typical COVID-19 infection (peripheral GGO), lobar pneumonia (consolidation) and opportunistic infections (pulmonary nodules).
