Ruth Loos and colleagues report findings from a meta-analysis of multiple studies examining the extent to which physical activity attenuates effects of a specific gene variant, FTO, on obesity in adults and children. They report a fairly substantial attenuation by physical activity on the effects of this genetic variant on the risk of obesity in adults.

Background-Cystatin C (CyC) is more sensitive than serum creatinine (sCr) to rapidly detect acute changes in renal function. Methods and Results-We measured CyC together with sCr in 410 consecutive patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing either coronary and/or peripheral angiography and/or angioplasty. sCr was assessed at baseline and 24 and 48 hours after contrast media exposure. CyC was assessed at baseline and at 24 hours. Major adverse events (including death of any cause and dialysis) at 12 months were assessed. At 48 hours after contrast media exposure, contrast-induced acute kidney injury (defined as a sCr increase Ն0.3 mg/dL) occurred in 34 patients (8.2%). A CyC increase concentration Ն10% at 24 hours after contrast media exposure was detected in 87 patients (21.2%). This was the best CyC cutoff for the early identification of patients at risk for contrast-induced acute kidney injury (negative predictive valueϭ100%; positive predictive valueϭ39.1%). According to the defined cutoffs (that is, increase in CyC Ն10% and sCr Ն0.3 mg/dL), major adverse events occurred in 16 of 297 patients (5.4%) without any cutoffs satisfied (group 1), in 9 of 49 patients (18.4%) with only a CyC increase Ն10% (group 2), and in 9 of 31 patients (29%) with both cutoffs satisfied (group 3). By logistic regression analysis, the independent predictors of major adverse events at 1 year were group 2 (odds ratioϭ2.52; 95% confidence interval,

Both LOCM and IOCM induce a dose-dependent renal cell apoptosis. NAC and ascorbic acid but not sodium bicarbonate prevent this contrast-induced apoptosis.

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