Vera Lucia Rabello de Castro Halfoun

Precocious markers of cardiovascular risk and vascular damage in apparently healthy women with previous gestational diabetes

AbstractPrevious gestational diabetes mellitus (pGDM) indicates future risk for type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Insulin resistance (IR) may precede T2DM in many years and is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases.AimThis study aims to identify endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular risk factors in women with pGDM.MethodsThis cross-sectional analysis included 45 non diabetic women, 20 pGDM and 25 controls, at least one year after delivery. Body mass index (BMI), abdominal circumference (AC), blood pressure, serum lipids, liver enzymes, uric acid, nonesterified fatty acids, C-reactive protein and plasma glucose, insulin, fibrinogen and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 were measured. HOMA IR and β were calculated. Pre and post induced ischemia videocapillaroscopy was performed in hand nailfold to evaluate microvascular morphologic aspect and functional response.ResultsAC and fasting glucose were significantly higher in pGDM (p = 0.01 and p = 0.002 respectively). Women with pGDM and BMI < 25 kg/m2 had significantly higher levels of fasting insulin and HOMA IR than controls (p = 0.008 and 0.05 respectively). Abnormal morphologic findings were more frequent and papillae rectification were 3.3 times more prevalent in pGDM (p = 0.003). Other microvascular parameters did not differ between groups.ConclusionCardiovascular risk factors and a microcirculation abnormality (papillae rectification) were significantly increased in young non-diabetic women with pGDM.

Estudos morfológicos e funcionais da microcirculação da pele no diabetes mellitus

The main methods to explore skin microcirculation of diabetic patients and some recent knowledge about physiopathology of diabetic microangiopathy are discussed by the authors based on medical literature and on their experience using videocapillaroscopy. Basal hands nailfold videocapillaroscopy shows high prevalence of edema, microaneurisms and capillar efferent segment tortuosity and dilatation as among diabetic individuals as in first-degree relatives even with normal glucose tolerance tests. Dynamic responses to ischemia and other stimulus suggest precocious inadequate vasodilatatory responses, through flow velocity determinations observed in videocapillaroscopy and laser Doppler flowmetry. Measures of capillary transverse segments area and diameter, in dynamic videocapillaroscopy, are incorporated as ischemia/reperfusion response parameters by the authors experience. Physiopathological aspects of those findings are discussed.

Microvascular reactivity in type 1 diabetics

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether differences are present in microvascular response to the schemia induced by dynamic videocapillaroscopy (VCD), through analysis of the measured capillar transverse segment area (CTSA) in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). METHODS The vascular reactivity of the CTSA was studied by VCD, using a reactive hyperemia test in 61 volunteers, being 31 healthy controls without diabetes family history (Group 1) and 30 patients with T1DM without complications (Group 2). The images were captured every two seconds, during reperfusion after one minute induced ischaemia, and they were analyzed by the program Studio Version 8 and Motic Image Plus. The pre-ischemia capillary transverse segment (basal area, BA), the maximum strain post-ischemia (maximum area, MA), and time to achieve it (MAt) were measured during reperfusion, and the increased area percentage (Ap) was estimated. RESULTS The mean differences between groups were evaluated by the t-test. The median comparisons between the groups were studied by the Mann-Whitney test. There was no difference in BA between the groups. The Ap was significantly lower among the diabetic patients, and there was a significant increase in the Mat among the patients of Group 2 when compared to Group 1. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that type 1 diabetes provokes earlier endothelial dysfunction, before the onset of clinically detectable degenerative complications. The outcomes from these alterations need further studies.

Construção de um instrumento para avaliação de satisfação da atenção básica nos centros municipais de saúde do Rio de Janeiro

The aim of the present study was to construct a standard questionnaire to serve as a tool for evaluating the satisfaction of patients with the quality of the services delivered in a primary care unit (PCU) in the city of Rio de Janeiro. A health team elaborated 96 questions about access, pre- and post-consultation services and complementary activities. Discussions with patients from other health units, non-users, professionals from other areas and specialists, resulted in a reduction of the questions to 43, one about the general satisfaction with the PCU, and 42 questions specific to each theme. These questions were applied to 100 patients e re-applied to 47 of them one week later. Reliability was measured by Cronbachs alpha and KR-20 and considered adequate for most of the responses. A specific questionnaire for evaluating patient satisfaction was constructed and validated and may be applied in other primary care units.

Capilaroscopia da prega ungueal em crianças com diabetes mellitus tipo I

Thirty patients with type 1 diabetes (DM1) (target group) and 24 controls were studied through nailfold capillaroscopy. Both groups were age, color and sex matched. Statistically significant high frequencies of edema, dilatation and tortuosity of efferent branches and microectasy were found in microcirculation. Dermal papillae rectification as an isolated finding did not characterize edema because its frequency was high among controls. Rather than is reported in type 2 DM, afferent branch spasticity and long loops were significantly frequent among the target group. These data suggest that nailfold capillaroscopy may be an important method for the diagnosis and follow up of vascular abnormalities in DM1. (Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab 2001;45/5:441-446)