Does abdominal obesity accelerate muscle strength decline in older adults? Evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Objective: The present study aimed to analyze how the presence of abdominal obesity can hasten the muscle strength decline in individuals aged 50 years or older over eight years of follow-up. Methods: We used longitudinal data from 5.181 participants from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). The presence of abdominal obesity was defined by the waist circumference > 102 cm for men and > 88 cm for women. After the baseline evaluation, new assessments were performed after 4 and 8 years subsequently. It was used generalized linear mixed models controlled by sociodemographic status, behavioural characteristics, clinical conditions, neuropsychiatric factors, serum and functional markers with handgrip strength decline as the outcome. Results: Although abdominal obese men started the trajectory with greater muscle strength, they had a higher muscle strength decline over eight years of follow-up (- 0.12 kg per year, 95% CI - 0.24 – - 0.01) compared to those men without abdominal obesity. The same results were not observed in women. It is important to mention that the non-stratified models, controlled by sex, incorrectly demonstrated that this outcome was valid for both sexes. Conclusion: Abdominal obesity has different effects on muscle strength decline among men and women over time. The larger adiposity in the abdominal area is predictive for worse trajectory of muscle strength decline only in men.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Objetivo: Analisar o quanto a presença de obesidade abdominal pode acelerar o declínio da força neuromuscular em indivíduos de 50 anos ou mais num período de oito anos de acompanhamento. Método: Foram utilizados dados de 5.181 participantes do English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). A força neuromuscular foi medida através da força de preensão manual. Os participantes foram classificados como obesos abdominais quando apresentassem circunferência de cintura > 102 cm para homens e > 88 cm para mulheres. Após a avaliação na linha de base, as reavaliações foram realizadas em 4 e 8 anos de acompanhamento. Modelos mistos lineares generalizados controlados por fatores socioeconômicos, hábitos de vida, condições de saúde, fatores neuropsiquiátricos, marcadores séricos e funcionalidade foram utilizados tendo o declínio da força de preensão manual como desfecho. Resultados: Apesar dos homens obesos abdominais partirem de uma trajetória com maior força neuromuscular, os mesmos apresentaram maior declínio de força ao longo dos oito anos de acompanhamento (- 0,12 kg ao ano; IC 95% - 0,24 – - 0,01) quando comparados aos não obesos abdominais. O mesmo não foi constatado nas mulheres. É válido destacar que os modelos não estratificados, somente controlados por sexo, demonstravam, incorretamente, que tal situação se dava em ambos os sexos. Conclusão: A obesidade abdominal apresenta diferentes efeitos no declínio da força neuromuscular entre homens e mulheres ao longo do tempo. A maior adiposidade em região abdominal é preditora de uma pior trajetória de força neuromuscular apenas no sexo masculino

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora