ABSTRACT
HIGHLIGHTS: Anti-diabetic drugs used at admission in myocardial infarction patients were studied.195 admissions corresponding to different patients were under analysis.No difference in survival was seen in patients using or not using DPP-4 inhibitors. INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus is frequently associated to cardiovascular disease. We aimed at studying the relations between anti-diabetic drugs in use at admission by diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction and survival after a period of at least 36 and up to 52 months after admission. METHODS: Retrospective study based on electronic records. Data from a total number of 195 admissions corresponding to different patients were under analysis. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier analysis, as well as Cox analysis, failed to show a difference in survival associated to the use of DPP-4 inhibitors (n = 35 patients). A non-significant trend toward increased survival was seen with metformin (n = 92 patients), and in the opposite direction with both insulin (n = 51 patients) and sulfonylureas (n = 51 patients). CONCLUSIONS: The use of DPP-4 inhibitors at admission, in patients with Diabetes mellitus admitted for acute myocardial infarction, was not associated to a different survival after no less than 36 months and up to 52 months after admission.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) removes phosphate groups from many types of molecules. The aim of the present research was to study the relation between plasma ALP and survival in diabetic patients with myocardial infarction. METHODS: Retrospective study: from 954 admissions (15 months period) in a coronary care unit, we selected 200 admissions corresponding to 195 patients with myocardial infarction and diabetes mellitus. Survival after no less than 48 months, and up to 61 months, after the myocardial infarction episode, was under study, in association with ALP levels. RESULTS: A relatively weak but significant correlation was seen between the peak plasma cardiac troponin I and ALP levels (r: 0.21, significance level: 0.003). Using the median value for ALP as cut-off (74 IU/L), plasma creatinine was significantly higher in patients with higher values for ALP. Patients with elevated ALP had decreased survival in Kaplan-Meier analysis (significance level in log-rank test: 0.032). This finding was noted for male patients (significance level in log-rank test: 0.035), but not for female patients (significance level in log-rank test: 0.497). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated ALP acts as a prognostic indicator of decreased survival in diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction, possibly in association to decreased renal function. This finding is limited to male patients, pointing to a possible different role for phosphatase activity in cardiovascular disease in male and female diabetic patients.
ABSTRACT
Seroprevalence of and risk factors for toxoplasmosis in sheep from different properties in the Jaboticabal microregion, São Paulo State, Brazil were determined. Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were found in sera of 52.0% of 488 sheep tested by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT > or =64). T. gondii seropositivity in sheep was significantly associated with gender of the sheep, pasturing system, contact with cats, and the use of mineral supplements and the type of feed.
