Efeitos do condicionamento físico sobre pacientes com fibromialgia Efectos del condicionamiento físico en pacientes con fibromialgia Effects of physical conditioning over patients with fibromyalgia

INTRODUÇÃO: Fibromialgia é uma síndrome crônica, caracterizada por dor músculo-esquelética generalizada. A possibilidade de atenuação dos sintomas com a atividade física abriu novas perspectivas para o tratamento desta doença. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o efeito de um programa de condicionamento físico sobre a capacidade funcional, dor e qualidade de vida de pacientes com fibromialgia. MÉTODOS: Adotado o desenho de coorte para avaliar 18 mulheres, média de 46,4 &plusmn; 5,8 anos de idade, com a síndrome em média de 10,6 &plusmn; 5,7 anos, submetidas a um ano de condicionamento físico supervisionado, predominantemente aeróbio. No início do estudo e trimestralmente foram realizados: teste de esforço cardiopulmonar para determinação da capacidade funcional; avaliação da intensidade de dor empregando a escala analógica visual; contagem dos pontos dolorosos e determinação do limiar de dor à pressão com o uso do algômetro de pressão; aplicação do questionário de qualidade de vida Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) traduzido e adaptado para a população brasileira. RESULTADOS: A capacidade funcional melhorou a partir do terceiro mês (p < 0,05), o limiar de dor aumentou a partir do sexto mês (p < 0,05), houve diminuição da dor pós-esforço (p < 0,05) e do número de pontos sensíveis (p < 0,05) no nono mês. A intensidade de dor diminuiu no 12º mês (p < 0,05). Com exceção do item "estado geral de saúde" (p > 0,05), os demais domínios do questionário de qualidade de vida melhoraram em diferentes períodos do estudo (p < 0,05). CONCLUSÃO: As pacientes com fibromialgia submetidas ao programa de condicionamento físico supervisionado apresentaram melhora da capacidade funcional, da dor e da qualidade de vida.<br>INTRODUCCIÓN: La fibromialgia es un síndrome crónico, caracterizado por dolor músculo-esquelético generalizado. La posibilidad de atenuación de los síntomas con la actividad física abrió nuevas perspectivas para el tratamiento de esta enfermedad. OBJETIVO: Evaluar el efecto de un programa de condicionamiento físico sobre la capacidad funcional, dolor y calidad de vida de pacientes con fibromialgia. MÉTODOS: Adoptado el método de aglomeración para evaluar 18 mujeres, con edad media de 46,4 &plusmn; 5,8 años, con el síndrome en media hace 10,6 &plusmn; 5,7 años, sometidas a un ano de condicionamiento físico supervisado, predominantemente aeróbico. Al iniciar el estudio y trimestralmente, fueron realizados: test de esfuerzo cardiopulmonar para determinar la capacidad funcional; evaluación de la intensidad de dolor empleando la escala analógica visual; contaje de puntos dolorosos y determinación del límite del dolor a la presión con el uso del algómetro de presión; aplicación de cuestionario de calidad de vida "Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey" (SF-36) traducido y adaptado para la población brasileña. RESULTADOS: La capacidad funcional mejoró a partir del tercer mes (p < 0,05), la resistencia al dolor aumentó a partir del sexto mes (p < 0,05), hubo disminución de dolor pos esfuerzo (p < 0,05) y el número de puntos sensibles (p < 0,05) al noveno mes. La intensidad de dolor disminuyó al décimo segundo mes (p < 0,05). Con excepción del ítem "estado general de salud" (p > 0,05), los demás dominios del cuestionario de calidad de vida mejoraron en diferentes periodos del estudio (p < 0,05). CONCLUSIÓN: Las pacientes con fibromialgia sometidas al programa de condicionamiento físico supervisado presentaron mejora de la capacidad funcional, dolor y calidad de vida.<br>INTRODUCTION: Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain. Possible symptom attenuation with physical exercise has opened new perspective for treatment. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the effects of a program of physical exercises (SPPE) on the functional ability, perceived pain and life quality of patients with fibromyalgia. METHODS: A cohort of eighteen female fibromyalgia patients, mean age 46,4 &plusmn; 5,8 years, having the syndrome for 10,6 &plusmn; 5,7 years, were studied along one year of supervised program of predominantly aerobic physical exercises. Patients underwent baseline and quarterly exercise stress tests (EST) to evaluate work capacity; clinical examinations to determine pain intensity through visual analogue scale; tender points count and pain threshold assessment by pressure algometer; as well as interviews using the "Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey" (SF-36) questionnaire. RESULTS: Work capacity improved from the third month (p < 0,05); pain threshold increased from the sixth month (p < 0,05); post-exertion pain improved (p < 0,05) and number of tender points decreased (p < 0,05) in the ninth month. Pain intensity decreased in the twelfth month (p < 0,05). Except for the "general health perceptions" domain (p > 0,05), all the remaining issues of the SF-36 improved at different periods of the study (p < 0,05). CONCLUSION: Work capacity, pain and life quality of female fibromyalgia patients improved over a 12-month program of supervised physical exercise

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Baselines in Gulf of Mexico Fishes

The lack of baseline data has hindered the assessment of impacts from large-scale oil spills throughout their history. Baseline data collected before an adverse event such as an oil spill are critical for quantifying impacts and understanding recovery rates to pre-spill levels. In the case of the two largest oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), Deepwater Horizon and Ixtoc 1, the lack of comprehensive contaminant baselines limits our ability to project when the ecosystem will return to pre-spill conditions and assess the short- and long-term impacts of contamination on ecosystems. Beginning in 2011, we initiated comprehensive sampling in the GoM to develop broad-scale and Gulf-wide hydrocarbon contaminant baselines primarily targeting continental shelf fishes in the USA, Mexico, and Cuba. We also developed a time series of collections over 7 years from the region in which DWH occurred. In the event there is another oil spill in the GoM, the samples from these baselines will provide broad-scale but not installation-specific baseline information for the assessment of impact and recovery. This chapter provides a summary of historical sampling and current baseline data for pelagic, mesopelagic, and demersal fish in the GoM. Further, we outline the importance of ongoing and more specific collection of monitoring data for hydrocarbon pollution

A transcontinental comparison of the diversity and composition of tropical forest understory herb assemblages

Although tropical forests are renowned for their high plant diversity, to date there has been no global quantitative evaluation of the local species richness of terrestrial forest herbs in tropical forests. In this paper, richness and composition of terrestrial herb assemblages is compared in tropical forests of America, Africa and South East Asia. We established 86 non-continuous transects of 445 m each. Herb species richness was analysed and compared to six environmental parameters using minimal adequate regression models and simultaneous autoregressive models. At the global scale, we found a close relationship between herb species richness and temperature parameters, with no differences between continents. The subdivision into three main taxonomic groups (ferns, monocots, dicots) showed that each group has distinct relations to environmental factors and differences in richness between continents. Most of the 72 families found have pantropical distributions but 12, 11, and 16 families were significantly over-represented in America, Africa, and Asia, respectively. Although total species richness was closely related to climatic factors, ferns, monocots and dicots were represented by distinct sets of families with varying species richness on each continent. Which species are found at a given site may thus reflect group-specific evolutionary and historical factors