Long-term effects of a weight loss intervention with or without exercise component in postmenopausal women: a randomized trial

The aim of this study was to determine the long-term effects of a weight loss intervention with or without an exercise component on body weight and physical activity. Women were randomized to diet (n = 97) or exercise (N = 98) for 16 weeks. During the intervention, both groups had achieved the set goal of 5-6 kg weight loss. All women were re-contacted twelve months after study cessation for follow-up where body weight and physical activity were measured (PASE questionnaire and ActiGraph accelerometer). At follow-up, body weight and physical activity (measured by the PASE questionnaire and accelerometer) were measured again. At follow-up, both mainly exercise (- 4.3 kg, p < 0.001) and diet (- 3.4 kg, p < 0.001) showed significantly reduced body weight compared to baseline. Both the mainly exercise and diet group were significantly more physically active at one year follow-up compared to baseline (PASE: + 33%, p < 0.001 and + 12%, p = 0.040, respectively; ActiGraph: + 16%, p = 0.012. and + 2.2%, p = 0.695 moderate-to-vigorous activity, respectively). Moreover, the increase in physical activity was statistically significantly when comparing exercise to diet (+ 0.6%, p = 0.035). ActiGraph data also showed significantly less sedentary time in mainly exercise group compared to baseline (- 2.1%, p = 0.018) and when comparing exercise to diet (- 1.8%, p = 0.023). No significant within group differences were found for the diet group. This study shows largely sustained weight loss one year after completing a weight loss program with and without exercise in overweight postmenopausal women. Although the mainly exercise group maintained more physically active compared to the diet group, maintenance of weight loss did not differ between groups

Scleroderma-like Pattern in Various Rheumatic Diseases reply

We thank Dr. Lambova for her interesting comment1 on our recent article published in The Journal2 We reported that a systemic sclerosis (SSc) or scleroderma-like capillaroscopic pattern is common in patients with Raynaud phenomenon, and can be frequently observed in patients with connective tissue diseases (CTD) other than SSc

The Quality of Instructional YouTube Videos for the Administration of Intranasal Spray:Observational Study

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis is a common disorder affecting both children and adults. Recommended treatment consists of intranasal corticosteroid spray administration, but only few patients administer the nasal spray in the correct technical manner. A wrong administration technique may result in side effects and affect the efficacy and adherence, thus making accurate administration instructions indispensable. Unfortunately, information about intranasal drug administration is generally not explained accurately, thereby leading to confusion among patients and inaccuracy in the self-administration of drugs. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we analyzed instructional videos available on YouTube for the administration of nasal sprays for allergic rhinitis. Our aim was to determine if the videos provided instructions in accordance with the standardized nationwide patient protocol in the Netherlands for intranasal spray administration. METHODS: Instructional videos for the administration of aqueous formulations of nasal spray for allergic rhinitis were found on YouTube. All videos were reviewed by 2 researchers and scored using the instructions from the Dutch standardized protocol. Correct instructions were given a score of 1, while incorrect or missing instructions were given a score of 0. The interrater reliability using Cohen ĸ was used to determine the differences in the scores between the researchers. RESULTS: We identified 33 YouTube videos made by different health care professionals and pharmaceutical companies around the world. None of the videos displayed all the steps correctly, while 5 of the 33 (15%) videos displayed over 75% of the steps correctly. The median score of the correctly displayed steps was 11 out of 19 (range 2-17, IQR 6). The interrater reliability using Cohen ĸ was statistically significant (range 0.872-1.00, P<.001). The steps "neutral position of the head," "breathing out through the mouth," and "periodically cleaning with water" scored the lowest and were incorrectly displayed in 28 (85%), 28 (85%), and 30 (91%) of the 33 videos, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of our study revealed that only few instructional videos on YouTube provided correct instructions for the administration of nasal sprays to patients. The inaccuracy of the instructions for nasal spray administration in the majority of the videos may lead to confusion in patients and incorrect use of nasal sprays. In the future, it is important to make evidence-based instructional videos that show patients the correct technique of nasal spray administration. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable

Treatment of resistant Raynaud's phenomenon with single-port thoracoscopic sympathicotomy:One-year follow-up

Objective: Follow-up of patients with treatment-resistant Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) one-year after single-port thoracoscopic sympathicotomy (SPTS). Methods: Eight patients (six males, two females, median age of 45 years) with treatment-resistant RP underwent left-sided SPTS at the third rib (R3), unilaterally. Questionnaires were taken, and number and duration of RP attacks were reported over a 2-week period. Perfusion was assessed with a cooling and recovery procedure at baseline and one year after SPTS. Furthermore, laser speckle contrast analysis, pulse wave velocity, heart rate variability and nailfold capillary microscopy were performed. Results: One year after SPTS the duration of the attacks of was reduced with 1.9 h in the left hand versus 0.3 h in the right hand. Furthermore, three aspects of the questionnaire showed a significant improvement (role limitations due to physical health (p = 0.017), pain (p = 0.027) and physical functioning (p = 0.025)). The total area under the curve of the total cooling and recovery procedure of the left hand was larger one year after surgery (101 (75–140) at baseline versus 118 (95–190) one year post-operatively, p = 0.012), implying a better perfusion in the fingers. This was mainly due to the improvement during the recovery phase (21 (1–41) at baseline versus 38 (24–43) one year post-operatively, p = 0.028). Conclusion: One year after unilateral R3 SPTS the benefit with regard to the majority of outcome variables persisted, though some effects seem to attenuate. Long-term effects and long-term follow-up results will be investigated in an on-going study. Clinical trial registration number: NCT02680509

Adverse Drug Reactions of Intranasal Corticosteroids in the Netherlands:An Analysis from the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Center

BACKGROUND: Intranasal corticosteroids are one of the cornerstone treatment options for allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis complaints. Safety information in the summary of product characteristics may not be representative for observations in daily clinical practice. The Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Center (Lareb) collects post-marketing safety information, using spontaneous reporting systems. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to analyse reports of adverse drug reactions associated with intranasal corticosteroids reported in the Dutch spontaneous reporting database of the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Center Lareb to obtain insight into real-world safety data. METHODS: We retrospectively examined all adverse drug reactions of intranasal corticosteroids reported to the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Center Lareb, entered into the database from 1991 until 1 July, 2020. RESULTS: In total, 2263 adverse drug reactions after intranasal corticosteroid use were reported in 1258 individuals. Headache (n = 143), epistaxis (n = 124) and anosmia (n = 57) were reported most frequently. Nasal septum perforation (reporting odds ratio 463.2; 95% confidence interval: 186.7-1149.7) had the highest reporting odds ratio, followed by nasal mucosal disorder (reporting odds ratio 104.5; 95% confidence interval 36.3-301.3) and hyposmia (reporting odds ratio 90.8; 95% confidence interval 45.1-182.7). Moreover, 101 (4.5%) reports were classified as serious by Lareb, including reports of Cushing's syndrome, adrenal cortical hypofunction and growth retardation. CONCLUSIONS: Many side effects are consistent with the safety information in the summary of product characteristics of intranasal corticosteroids. Several serious (systemic) side effects are reported and it is important to realise that intranasal corticosteroids may contribute to the development. Healthcare providers and patients should be aware of the potential (individual) adverse drug reactions of intranasal corticosteroids. This information could help in discussing treatment options