Leptin is produced primarily by adipocytes. Although originally associated with the central regulation of satiety and energy metabolism, increasing evidence indicates that leptin may be an important mediator in cardiovascular pathophysiology.

Elevated body mass index (BMI) has been reported as a risk factor for heart failure. Prevention of heart failure through identification and management of risk factors and preclinical phases of the disease is a priority. Levels of natriuretic peptides as well as activity of their receptors have been found altered in obese persons with some conflicting results. We investigated cardiac involvement in severely obese patients by determining N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and attempting to correlate the levels of these peptides in serum and plasma, respectively, with BMI, duration of obesity, waist circumference, and echocardiographic parameters. Thirty-three patients with severe obesity (mean BMI: 46.39 kg/m 2 , mean age: 39 years) were studied. The control group contained 30 healthy age-matched individuals (BMI: <25 kg/m 2 , mean age: 43 years). The t-test and Spearman correlation were used for statistical analysis. Log-NT-proBNP was significantly higher (P = 0.003) in obese patients (mean 1.67, 95% CI: 1.50-1.83 log pg/mL) compared to controls (mean: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.17-1.47 log pg/ mL). The Log-NT-proBNP concentration correlated with duration of obesity (r = 0.339, P < 0.004). No difference was detected in the Log-BNP concentration (P = 0.63) of obese patients (mean: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.46-1.00 log pg/mL) compared to controls (mean: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.51-0.81 log pg/mL). NT-proBNP, but not BNP, is increased in severely obese patients and its concentration in serum is correlated with duration of obesity. NT-proBNP may be useful as an early diagnostic tool for the detection of cardiac burden due to severe obesity.

We report on a 61-years-old male patient, who had an extensive arch and descending thoracic aorta aneurysm diagnosed while treating a pulmonary infection. The objective of this work is to report an unusual single stage surgical approach to correct an extensive arch and descending thoracic aorta aneurysm.Descriptors: Aorta, surgery. Aortic aneurysm, thoracic, surgery. Tratamento do aneurisma de arco e aorta descendente: abordagem cirúrgica em uma etapaSingle stage surgical approach for arch and descending thoracic aorta aneurysm Resumo Paciente de 61 anos procurou atendimento médico com quadro clínico de infecção pulmonar. O estudo radiológico de tórax revelou aneurisma de aorta descendente com comprometimento do arco aórtico. Ressalta-se a correção cirúrgica em uma única etapa, por meio de abordagem operatória não convencional, que possibilitou a correção total do aneurisma. Descritores: Aorta, cirurgia. Aneurisma da aorta torácica, cirurgia. DANTAS, SA ET AL -Single stage surgical approach for arch and descending thoracic aorta aneurysm Braz J Cardiovasc Surg 2005; 20(1): 85-87

INTRODUCTION:Obesity increases triglyceride levels and decreases high-density lipoprotein concentrations in plasma. Artificial emulsions resembling lipidic plasma lipoprotein structures have been used to evaluate low-density lipoprotein metabolism. In grade III obesity, low density lipoprotein metabolism is poorly understood.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the kinetics with which a cholesterol-rich emulsion (called a low-density emulsion) binds to low-density lipoprotein receptors in a group of patients with grade III obesity by the fractional clearance rate.METHODS:A low-density emulsion was labeled with [14C]-cholesterol ester and [3H]-triglycerides and injected intravenously into ten normolipidemic non-diabetic patients with grade III obesity [body mass index higher than 40 kg/m2] and into ten non-obese healthy controls. Blood samples were collected over 24 hours to determine the plasma decay curve and to calculate the fractional clearance rate.RESULTS:There was no difference regarding plasma levels of total cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol between the two groups. The fractional clearance rate of triglycerides was 0.086 ± 0.044 in the obese group and 0.122 ± 0.026 in the controls (p = 0.040), and the fractional clearance rate of cholesterol ester (h−1) was 0.052 ± 0.021 in the obese subjects and 0.058 ± 0.015 (p = 0.971) in the controls.CONCLUSION:Grade III obese subjects exhibited normal low-density lipoprotein removal from plasma as tested by the nanoemulsion method, but triglyceride removal was slower.

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