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Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy is a non-invasive treatment that utilizes electromagnetic fields to stimulate and promote natural healing processes within the body. PEMF therapy works by emitting low-frequency electromagnetic pulses, which penetrate deep into tissues and cells, enhancing cellular function and health. PEMF applications are vast, ranging from enhancing recovery in athletes to supporting overall well-being in everyday individuals. PEMF therapy is increasingly recognized in the realm of sports and physical activity for its profound benefits in enhancing performance, accelerating recovery, and preventing injuries. By improving circulation, enhancing tissue oxygenation, and promoting the body's natural healing processes, PEMF therapy has become an invaluable tool in sports medicine, contributing to optimized physical health and prolonged athletic careers. In this review, we explore the effects of PEMF on exercise and the underlying physiological mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)—and its worse form, metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), characterised by inflammation and liver damage—corresponds to the liver's involvement in metabolic syndrome, which constitutes an economic burden for healthcare systems. However, the biomolecular pathways that contribute to steatotic liver disease are not completely clear. Abnormalities of bone metabolism are frequent in people affected by metabolic liver disease, with reduced bone density and an increased risk of fracture. Receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK), receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL), and osteoprotegerin(OPG) are critical regulators of bone metabolism, performing pleiotropic effects, and may have potential involvement in metabolic disorders like MASLD, resulting in a topic of great interest and intrigue. This narrative review aims to investigate this potential role and its implications in MASLD development and progression and in hepatocellular carcinoma, which represents its worst complication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metformin is a highly effective medication for managing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Recent studies have shown that it has significant therapeutic benefits in various organ systems, particularly the liver. Although the effects of metformin on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis are still being debated, it has positive effects on cirrhosis and anti-tumoral properties, which can help prevent the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, it has been proven to improve insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia, commonly associated with liver diseases. While more studies are needed to fully determine the safety and effectiveness of metformin use in liver diseases, the results are highly promising. Indeed, metformin has a terrific potential for extending its full therapeutic properties beyond its traditional use in managing diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of this study was to investigate whether albumin structural alterations correlate with DKD severity and evaluate whether native and reduced albumin concentrations could complement the diagnosis of DKD. To this end, one hundred and seventeen T2DM patients without (n = 42) and with (n = 75) DKD (DKD I-III upon KDIGO classification) were evaluated; the total albumin concentration (tHA) was quantified by a bromocresol green assay, while structural alterations were profiled via liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). The concentrations of native albumin (eHA, effective albumin) and reduced albumin (rHA) were subsequently assessed. The HRMS analyses revealed a reduced relative amount of native albumin in DKD patients along with an increased abundance of altered forms, especially those bearing oxidative modifications. Accordingly, both eHA and rHA values varied during the stages of progressive renal failure, and these alterations were dose-dependently correlated with renal dysfunction. A ROC curve analysis revealed a significantly greater sensitivity and specificity of eHA and rHA than of tHA for diagnosing DKD. Importantly, according to the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the eHA was identified as an independent predictor of DKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: The long‐term results of web‐based behavioural intervention in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have not been described in patients followed in specialised centres. Aims: To analyse the long‐term effectiveness of web education compared with the results achieved by a group‐based behavioural intervention in the same years 2012–2014. Methods: We followed 679 patients with NAFLD (web‐based, n = 290; group‐based, n = 389) for 5 years. Weight loss ≥10% was the primary outcome; secondary outcomes were attrition, changes in liver enzymes and in biomarkers of steatosis (Fatty liver Index) and fibrosis (Fibrosis‐4 index). Results: The cohorts differed in age, education, working status and presence of diabetes. Attrition was higher in the web‐based cohort (hazard ratio: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.24–1.88), but not different after adjustment for confounders. Among patients in active follow‐up, 50% lost ≥5% of initial body weight and 19% lost ≥10%, without difference between cohorts. Alanine aminotransferase levels fell to within the normal range in 51% and 45% of web‐ and group‐based cohorts, respectively. Fatty Liver Index declined progressively and, by year 5, it ruled out steatosis in 4.8%, whereas 24.9% were in the indeterminate range. Fibrosis‐4 index increased in both cohorts, driven by age, but the prevalence of cases ruling‐in advanced fibrosis remained very low (around 1%). Improvements in the class of both surrogate biomarkers were associated with ≥5% weight loss. Conclusions: Although burdened by attrition, web‐based behavioural intervention is feasible and effective in NAFLD, expanding the cohort involved in behavioural programs and reducing the risk of progressive disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are no drugs approved by regulatory agencies for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); incretin combination therapies are being developed for treatment of type 2 diabetes and research has moved to test their usefulness in NAFLD. We reviewed the literature on the effectiveness of dual and triple peptides combining receptor agonists of the glucagon-like peptide 1, the glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide, and glucagon to treat NAFLD and its associated metabolic diseases, and/or the cardiovascular risk intimately connected with the cluster of the metabolic syndrome. Other combination peptides involved the glucagon-like peptide 2 receptor, the fibroblast growth factor 21, the cholecystokinin receptor 2, and the amylin receptor. Both dual and triple agonists are promising, based on animal, pharmacokinetic and proof-of concept studies, showing effectiveness both in the presence and the absence of diabetes on a few validated surrogate NAFLD biomarkers, but the majority of studies are still in progress. Considering the long natural history of NAFLD, final proof of their efficacy on primary clinical liver outcomes might be also derived from the analysis of large databases of National Healthcare Systems or Insurance companies, when used in diabetes for improving glycemic control, after careful propensity-score matching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic liver disease (CLD), including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its advanced form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), affects a significant portion of the population worldwide. NAFLD is characterised by fat accumulation in the liver, while NASH is associated with inflammation and liver damage. Osteosarcopenia, which combines muscle and bone mass loss, is an emerging clinical problem in chronic liver disease that is often underappreciated. The reductions in muscle and bone mass share several common pathophysiological pathways; insulin resistance and chronic systemic inflammation are the most crucial predisposing factors and are related to the presence and gravity of NAFLD and to the worsening of the outcome of liver disease. This article explores the relationship between osteosarcopenia and NAFLD/MAFLD, focusing on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of this condition in patients with CLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioural lifestyle interventions focused on diet and physical activity are a cornerstone for the treatment of obesity. However, their effects vary substantially across individuals in terms of magnitude and durability. Personalized approaches that target psychological well‐being may be promising to facilitate healthy behaviours and sustained weight loss. This preliminary study aimed to explore whether the sequential combination of behavioural lifestyle intervention (BLI) and well‐being therapy (WBT) may result in more favourable outcomes than BLI alone in promoting weight loss (primary outcome) and improving psychological well‐being, distress, dietary behaviours and physical activity (secondary outcomes). A total of 83 patients with obesity were randomly assigned to BLI/WBT (N = 38) or BLI group (N = 45). The BLI group received a 12‐week behavioural weight loss programme, whereas the BLI/WBT group received the same programme followed by an additional 4‐week WBT, adapted for group interventions. Data were collected at pretreatment (baseline, T1), at the end of BLI/WBT (T2), at 6‐month (T3) and 12‐month (T4) follow‐ups. There was a significant weight loss in both treatment groups at T2, T3 and T4. The BLI/WBT group showed greater improvements in depressive symptoms at T3 and T4, in autonomy at T2, in personal growth at T4 and in global well‐being at T4 compared with BLI group. WBT yielded no additional effect on weight loss. However, the secondary outcomes indicate that WBT may have enduring effects that reduce vulnerability to psychological distress in patients with obesity. In order to confirm these preliminary findings and explore whether a more intensive and individualized WBT can foster sustained weight loss, future studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Behavioral programs are needed for prevention and treatment of NAFLD and the effectiveness of a web-based intervention (WBI) is similar to a standard group-based intervention (GBI) on liver disease biomarkers. Objective: We aimed to test the long-term effectiveness of both programs on diabetes incidence, a common outcome in NAFLD progression. Methods: 546 NAFLD individuals (212 WBI, 334 GBI) were followed up to 60 months with regular 6- to 12-month hospital visits. The two cohorts differed in several socio-demographic and clinical data. In the course of the years, the average BMI similarly decreased in both cohorts, by 5% or more in 24.4% and by 10% or more in 16.5% of cases available at follow-up. After excluding 183 cases with diabetes at entry, diabetes was newly diagnosed in 48 cases during follow-up (31 (16.6% of cases without diabetes at entry) in the GBI cohort vs. 17 (9.7%) in WBI; p = 0.073). Time to diabetes was similar in the two cohorts (mean, 31 ± 18 months since enrollment). At multivariable regression analysis, incident diabetes was significantly associated with prediabetes (odds ratio (OR) 4.40; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.97–9.81; p < 0.001), percent weight change (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.41–0.79; p < 0.001) and higher education (OR 0.49; 95% CI 0.27–0.86; p = 0.014), with no effect of other baseline socio-demographic, behavioral and clinical data, and of the type of intervention. The importance of weight change on incident diabetes were confirmed in a sensitivity analysis limited to individuals who completed the follow-up. Conclusion: In individuals with NAFLD, WBI is as effective as GBI on the pending long-term risk of diabetes, via similar results on weight change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LINKED CONTENT: This article is linked to Petroni et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17768 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17789 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) may progress to advanced liver disease (AdvLD). This study characterized comorbidities, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and associated costs among hospitalized patients with AdvLD due to NASH in Italy.Methods and Results: Adult nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/NASH patients from 2011 to 2017 were identified from administrative databases of Italian local health units using ICD-9-CM codes. Development of compensated cirrhosis (CC), decompensated cirrhosis (DCC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver transplant (LT) was identified using first diagnosis date for each severity cohort (index-date). Patients progressing to multiple disease stages were included in >1 cohort. Patients were followed from index-date until the earliest of disease progression, end of coverage, death, or end of study. Within each cohort, per member per month values were annualized to calculate all-cause HCRU or costs(€) in 2017. Of the 9,729 hospitalized NAFLD/NASH patients identified, 97% were without AdvLD, 1.3% had CC, 3.1% DCC, 0.8% HCC, 0.1% LT. Comorbidity burden was high across all cohorts. Mean annual number of inpatient services was greater in patients with AdvLD than without AdvLD. Similar trends were observed in outpatient visits and pharmacy fills. Mean total annual costs increased with disease severity, driven primarily by inpatient services costs.Conclusion: NAFLD/NASH patients in Italy have high comorbidity burden. AdvLD patients had significantly higher costs. The higher prevalence of DCC compared to CC in this population may suggest challenges of effectively screening and identifying NAFLD/NASH patients. Early identification and effective management are needed to reduce risk of disease progression and subsequent HCRU and costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Fatty liver is rather common in pregnancy, occurring in two totally different conditions, i.e. nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in pregnancy and acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP). The former is a common condition, resulting by chance association because of the epidemics of obesity and the older age of many pregnant women in Western countries; the latter is a rare disease whose pathophysiology is still incompletely understood. Areas covered: We reviewed the evidence-based knowledge on fatty liver in/of pregnancy. For NAFLD, a few large retrospective and prospective studies identify immediate and late risks for both the mother and the fetus. For AFLP, only small retrospective studies are available, indicating that prompt delivery and eventual referral to Liver Units for liver support or transplantation are mandatory to avoid maternal and fetal death. Expert opinion: The number of pregnant women with fatty liver is expected to increase in the next years. Pharmacologic treatment of NAFLD might be postponed, even when new drugs are approved by health authorities for the general population. In the case of AFLP, we need to improve our ability to correctly identify and treat the most severe cases not resolving with delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hyperglycemia in trauma patients may stem from metabolic response to stress, both in the presence and the absence of underlying diabetes. We aimed to test the association of stress hyperglycemia with risks of adverse events subjects undergoing orthopedic surgery. Patients and Methods: In a prospective observational study, we enrolled 202 consecutive patients with hyperglycemia at hospital admission for trauma injuries requiring orthopedic surgery. Based on history, diabetes was present in 183, and 13 more were defined as unknown diabetes on the basis of HbA1c ≥48mmol/mol. Stress hyperglycemia was defined in subjects with/without diabetes by a stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) >1.14, calculated as admission glucose/average glucose, estimated from glycosylated hemoglobin. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the risk of post-surgery adverse events associated with different states of hyperglycemia, after correction for demographic and clinical confounders. Results: Stress hyperglycemia was diagnosed, either as superimposed to diabetes (54/196 cases, 27.6%) as well as in the 6 cases without diabetes. At least one complication was recorded in 68 cases (33.7%), the most common being systemic infection (22.8% of cases). In the total cohort, stress hyperglycemia, irrespective of the presence of diabetes, increased the risk of adverse events (any events, odds ratio [OR], 4.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.11–9.30), cardiovascular events (OR, 7.09; 95% CI, 2.47–19.91), systemic infections (OR, 4.21; 95% CI, 1.97–9.03) and other adverse events (OR, 6.30; 95% CI, 1.41–28.03), after adjustment for confounders; hospital stay was much longer. The same was true when the analysis was limited to the diabetes cohort or by comparing pure stress hyperglycemia vs diabetes without stress hyperglycemia. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of stress hyperglycemia for adverse events in the setting of orthopedic surgery following trauma injuries. This condition requires stricter management, considering the much longer length of hospital stay and higher costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Following lifestyle intervention programs based on dietary restriction and habitual physical activity, weight loss, however large, is reported to peak within six months. Despite maintenance protocols, only few cases continue to lose weight thereafter. The majority of cases regain weight and adherence to lifestyle changes are fostered by long-term contact with a supportive team. In general, surgical procedures are reported to produce much larger weight loss and to impact more favorably on long-term weight loss maintenance. Areas covered: We performed a PubMed search on lifestyle modification studies, focusing on the role of behavior programs for the long-term management of obesity in comparison with surgical procedures. Behaviorally-achieved weight loss outcomes can be improved by integrating standard behavior therapy with self-regulation cognitive skills, motivational interviewing and/or phone/internet-based recall systems. Expert commentary: Clinically-important long-term weight loss is achievable by behavior therapy in a small proportion of subjects with obesity, however severe, through personalized programs associating lifestyle modification interventions, with procedures aimed at developing commitment and responsibility skills. A new area of research is the integration of cognitive-behavior therapy with bariatric (metabolic) surgery, either pre- or post-operatively, to exploit long-term adherence to healthy diet and habitual physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The analysis of the relation between weight loss goals and attrition in the treatment of obesity has produced conflicting results. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of weight loss goals on attrition in a cohort of obese women seeking treatment at 8 Italian medical centres. Methods: 634 women with obesity, consecutively enrolled in weight loss programmes, were included in the study. Weight loss goals were evaluated with the Goals and Relative Weights Questionnaire (GRWQ), reporting a sequence of unrealistic ('dream' and 'happy') and more realistic ('acceptable' and 'disappointing') weight loss goals. Attrition was assessed at 12 months on the basis of patients' medical records. Results: At 12 months, 205/634 patients (32.3%) had interrupted their programme and were lost to follow-up. After adjustment for age, baseline weight, education and employment status, attrition was significantly associated with higher percent acceptable and disappointing weight loss targets, not with dream and happy weight loss. Conclusion: In 'real world' clinical settings, only realistic expectations might favour attrition whenever too challenging, whereas unrealistic weight loss goals have no effect. Future studies should assess the effect of interventions aimed at coping with too challenging weight goals on attrition. © 2015 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: Ephedrine/caffeine combination (EC) has been shown to induce a small-to-moderate weight loss in obese patients. Several mechanisms have been proposed, among which an increased thermogenic capacity of skeletal muscle consequent to the EC-induced up-regulation of uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) gene expression. We did a parallel group double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-week trial to investigate this hypothesis. Thirteen morbidly obese women (25–52 years of age, body-mass index 48.0±4.0 kg/m2, range 41.1–57.6) were randomly assigned to EC (200/20 mg, n = 6) or to placebo (n = 7) administered three times a day orally, before undergoing bariatric surgery. All individuals had an energy-deficit diet equal to about 70% of resting metabolic rate (RMR) diet (mean 5769±1105 kJ/day). The RMR analysed by intention to treat and the UCP3 (long and short isoform) mRNA levels in rectus abdominis were the primary outcomes. Body weight, plasma levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, triglycerides, free fatty acids, glycerol, TSH, fT4, and fT3 were assessed, as well as fasting glucose, insulin and HOMA index, at baseline and at the end of treatments. Body weight loss was evident in both groups when compared to baseline values (overall −5.2±3.2%, p<0.0001) without significant differences between the treated groups. EC treatment increased the RMR (+9.2±6.8%, p = 0.020), differently from placebo which was linked to a reduction of RMR (−7.6±6.5%, p = 0.029). No significant differences were seen in other metabolic parameters. Notably, no changes of either UCP3 short or UCP3 long isoform mRNA levels were evident between EC and placebo group. Our study provides evidence that 4-week EC administration resulted in a pronounced thermogenic effect not related to muscle UCP3 gene expression and weight loss in morbidly obese females under controlled conditions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02048215 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity is one of the most important medical and public health problems of our time: it increases the risk of many health complications such as hypertension, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes, needs long-lasting treatment for effective results and involves high public and private costs. Therefore, it is imperative that enduring and low-cost clinical programs for obesity and related co-morbidities are developed and evaluated.Methods/design: TECNOB (TEChnology for OBesity) is a comprehensive two-phase stepped down program enhanced by telemedicine for the long-term treatment of obese people with type 2 diabetes seeking intervention for weight loss. Its core features are the hospital-based intensive treatment (1-month), that consists of diet therapy, physical training and psychological counseling, and the continuity of care at home using new information and communication technologies (ICT) such as internet and mobile phones. The effectiveness of the TECNOB program compared with usual care (hospital-based treatment only) will be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome is weight in kilograms. Secondary outcome measures are energy expenditure measured using an electronic armband, glycated hemoglobin, binge eating, self-efficacy in eating and weight control, body satisfaction, healthy habit formation, disordered eating-related behaviors and cognitions, psychopathological symptoms and weight-related quality of life. Furthermore, the study will explore what behavioral and psychological variables are predictive of treatment success among those we have considered.Discussion: The TECNOB study aims to inform the evidence-based knowledge of how telemedicine may enhance the effectiveness of clinical interventions for weight loss and related type-2 diabetes, and which type of obese patients may benefit the most from such interventions. Broadly, the study aims also to have a effect on the theoretical model behind the traditional health care service, in favor of a change towards a new "health care everywhere" approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]