Dietary polyphenols have been widely investigated as antidiabetic agents in cell, animals, human study, and clinical trial. The number of publication (Indexed by Web of Science) on “polyphenols and diabetes” significantly increased since 2010. This review highlights the advances and opportunities of dietary polyphenols as antidiabetic agents. Dietary polyphenols prevent and manage Type 2 diabetes mellitus via the insulin‐dependent approaches, for instance, protection of pancreatic islet β‐cell, reduction of β‐cell apoptosis, promotion of β‐cell proliferation, attenuation of oxidative stress, activation of insulin signaling, and stimulation of pancreas to secrete insulin, as well as the insulin‐independent approaches including inhibition of glucose absorption, inhibition of digestive enzymes, regulation of intestinal microbiota, modification of inflammation response, and inhibition of the formation of advanced glycation end products. Moreover, dietary polyphenols ameliorate diabetic complications, such as vascular dysfunction, nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, coronary diseases, renal failure, and so on. The structure–activity relationship of polyphenols as antidiabetic agents is still not clear. The individual flavonoid or isoflavone has no therapeutic effect on diabetic patients, although the clinical data are very limited. Resveratrol, curcumin, and anthocyanins showed antidiabetic activity in human study. How hyperglycemia influences the bioavailability and bioactivity of dietary polyphenols is not well understood. An understanding of how diabetes alters the bioavailability and bioactivity of dietary polyphenols will lead to an improvement in their benefits and clinical outcomes.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. Negative prognosis is mainly due to the late diagnosis in advanced stages, when the disease is already therapeutically overcome. Studies in recent years have focused on identifying biomarkers that could play a role in early diagnosis, leading to the improvement of morbidity and mortality. Currently, the only biomarker widely used in the diagnosis of PC is carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19.9), which has, however, more of a prognostic role in the follow-up of postoperative recurrence than a diagnostic role. Other biomarkers, recently identified as the methylation status of ADAMTS1 (A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 1) and BNC1 (zinc finger protein basonuclin-1) in cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), may play a role in the early detection of PC. This review focuses on the diagnosis of PC in its early stages.

The no-reflow phenomenon following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients is a predictor of unfavorable prognosis. Patients with no-reflow have many complications during admission, and it is considered a marker of short-term mortality. The current research emphasizes the circumstances of the incidence and complications of the no-reflow phenomenon in STEMI patients, including in-hospital mortality. In this case-control study, conducted over two and a half years, there were enrolled 656 patients diagnosed with STEMI and reperfused through PPCI. Several patients (n = 96) developed an interventional type of no-reflow phenomenon. One third of the patients with a no-reflow phenomenon suffered complications during admission, and 14 succumbed. Regarding complications, the majority consisted of arrhythmias (21.68%) and cardiogenic shock (16.67%). The anterior localization of STEMI and the left anterior descending artery (LAD) as a culprit lesion were associated with the highest number of complications during hospitalization. At the same time, the time interval >12 h from the onset of the typical symptoms of myocardial infarction (MI) until revascularization, as well as multiple stents implantations during PPCI, correlated with an increased incidence of short-term complications. The no-reflow phenomenon in patients with STEMI was associated with an unfavorable short-term prognosis.

Cardio-renal and metabolic modifications during gestation are crucial determinants of foetal and maternal health in the short and long term. The cardio-renal metabolic syndrome is a vicious circle that starts in the presence of risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease and ageing, all predisposing to a status dominated by increased arterial stiffness and alteration of the vascular wall, which eventually damages the target organs, such as the heart and kidneys. The literature is scarce regarding cardio-renal metabolic syndrome in pregnancy cohorts. The present paper exposes the current state of the art and emphasises the most important findings of this entity, particularly in pregnant women. The early assessment of arterial function can lead to proper and individualised measures for women predisposed to hypertension, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, and diabetes mellitus. This review focuses on available information regarding the assessment of arterial function during gestation, possible cut-off values, the possible predictive role for future events and modalities to reverse or control its dysfunction, a fact of crucial importance with excellent outcomes at meagre costs.

Introduction. Maternal age for the first pregnancy is increasing and so, the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in pregnancy is also increasing. Heart disease is the main reason for maternal death during pregnancy in developed countries. Arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis and a predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The most widespread parameters for detecting subclinical atherosclerosis are augmentation index (AIx) and pulse wave velocity (PWV). The objective of this prospective study was to assess the differences between arterial function in pregnant vs. non-pregnant women of the same age, and its changes throughout the gestation period. Materials and Methods. Between 2010–2019, 887 patients were enrolled into 2 groups: pregnant (N1 = 471) and non-pregnant (N2 = 416). Data about their anthropometric characteristics, arterial function (for group 1 in all three trimesters and 6 weeks post-partum), smoking status and physical activity were collected. Results. There were statistically significant differences (p < α, α = 0.05) between the two groups regarding the body mass index, brachial AIx, systolic, diastolic and central blood pressure, and pulse pressure values. In the first group, there was a decrease of both brachial AIx and PWV in the second and third trimester, followed by a post-partum increase; better outcomes were noticed in physically active women. Conclusions. Arterial function modifies during pregnancy and these alterations differ according to the trimester of gestation. Further research is needed to establish the cut-off values for this category. Pregnant women can have better outcomes through physical activity.