Objectives. Several beneficial effects of resveratrol have already been published. This study evaluated the effect of resveratrol on the hemorheological parameters in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Methods. In our double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trial, we enrolled 60 outpatients with heart failure. Patients were randomized into two groups: receiving either 100 mg resveratrol capsule daily or placebo for 3 months. Hematocrit was determined by microhematocrit centrifuge. Plasma and whole blood viscosity was evaluated by capillary viscometer. Erythrocyte aggregation was measured by both LORCA and Myrenne aggregometers. LORCA ektacytometer was used for measuring erythrocyte deformability. Exercise capacity was assessed by a 6-minute walk test. Results. Resveratrol treatment did not have any significant effect on hematocrit and viscosity. The erythrocyte deformability also remained unchanged. However, significant improvement of red blood cell aggregation was observed in the resveratrol group compared to baseline after 3 months. Furthermore, positive correlation was found between the exercise capacity and the hemorheological properties (Hct, WBV, and RBC aggregation and deformability) as well. Conclusion. These findings indicate that resveratrol can significantly reduce red blood cell aggregation, which may positively influence microcirculation, which may contribute to the improvement of tissue perfusion and oxygen supply in heart failure.

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Background Data in the literature concerning the effects of physical activity on lipid and IGF-1levels are controversial in postmenopausal women. The aim of the present study was to determine the combined effects of a 12 weeks home-based walking program aiming to achieve 10,000 steps daily and a center- based aerobic exercise training on functional capacity, some important cardio-metabolic parameters, IGF-1 level and psychological items among elderly female patients. Sixty female patients (67.4 ± 5 years) with moderate to high cardiovascular risk were randomly assigned either to an exercise training program for 12 weeks or to the control group. Results Our organized training program resulted in a significantly improved daily physical activity (4232 [IQR: 3162–7219] to 8455 [IQR: 6757–11,488]; p < 0.001 ft-steps), functional capacity (MET) (8.17 ± 1.57 to 8.87 ± 1.76) ( p = 0.002), metabolic status including total cholesterol (5.17 ± 1.13 to 4.77 ± 1.12 mmol/l), LDL cholesterol (3.37 ± 1.05 to 2.81 ± 0.98 mmol/l), triglyceride (1.68 ± 0.71 to 1.28 ± 0.71 mmol/l) and HgbA1c (6.24 ± 0.67 to 6.06 ± 0.58 mmol/l), as well as IGF-1 (59.68 ± 27.37 to 66.79 ± 22.74 ng/ml) levels ( p < 0.05) in the training group. From psychological tests only physical functionality improved significantly ( p = 0.03) in the training group. The training group significantly differed from the control group in four parameters including MET ( p = 0.003), LDL-cholesterol ( p = 0.046), triglyceride ( p = 0.001) and IGF-1 levels ( p < 0.001) after the intervention. Conclusion The applied home-, and- center based training program effectively increased the daily physical activity of the elderly female patients and improved several cardio-metabolic parameters. Further investigations are needed on larger patient population to establish our findings and examine how these positive changes may decrease CV events and mortality.

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The authors report the case of a 31-year-old male patient who presented with rapidly evolving, painful cutaneous ulcers localized in the head and neck regions, destroying the surrounding tissues. He had a 10 year history of inflammatory bowel disease, which remained untreated due to poor compliance. Owing to the atypical localization and bizarre manifestation of the ulcers, the possibility of cutaneous tuberculosis and Crohn’s disease/ / other inflammatory bowel disease associated pyoderma gangrenosum was raised. Based on the clinical characteristics, the histological examination and the use of PARACELSUS scoring system, the diagnosis of pyoderma gangrenosum was confirmed. The implementation of systemic immunosuppressive therapy resulted in the complete healing of the ulcers and total remission of inflammatory bowel disease. The authors underline the possibility of pyoderma gangrenosum in the case of atypical ulcers appearing in the head and neck region, in the diagnosis of which PARACELSUS scoring system can help.