Correlation between the Altered Gut Microbiome and Lifestyle Interventions in Chronic Widespread Pain Patients: A Systematic Review

: Background: Lifestyle interventions have a direct impact on the gut microbiome, changing its composition and functioning. This opens an innovative way for new therapeutic opportunities for chronic widespread patients. Purpose: The goal of the present study was to evaluate a correlation between lifestyle interventions and the gut microbiome in patients with chronic widespread pain (CWP). Methods: The systematic review was conducted until January 2023. Pain and microbiome were the two keywords selected for this revision. The search was conducted in PubMed, Chochrane, PEDro and ScienceDirect, where 3917 papers were obtained. Clinical trials with lifestyle intervention in CWP patients were selected. Furthermore, these papers had to be related with the gut microbiome, excluding articles related to other types of microbiomes. Results: Only six articles were selected under the eligibility criteria. Lifestyle interventions were exercise, electroacupuncture and ingesting a probiotic. Conclusions: Lifestyle intervention could be a suitable choice to improve the gut microbiome. This fact could be extrapolated into a better quality of life and lesser levels of pain

Long-Term Follow-Up of a Pediatric Cohort With Short QT Syndrome

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to define the clinical characteristics and long-term follow-up of pediatric patients with short QT syndrome (SQTS).BackgroundSQTS is associated with sudden cardiac death. The clinical characteristics and long-term prognosis in young patients have not been reported.MethodsThis was an international case series involving 15 centers. Patients were analyzed for electrocardiography characteristics, genotype, clinical events, Gollob score, and efficacy of medical or defibrillator (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator [ICD]) therapy. To assess the possible prognostic value of the Gollob score, we devised a modified Gollob score that excluded clinical events from the original score.ResultsTwenty-five patients 21 years of age or younger (84% males, median age: 15 years, interquartile range: 9 to 18 years) were followed up for 5.9 years (interquartile range: 4 to 7.1 years). Median corrected QT interval for heart rate was 312 ms (range: 194 to 355 ms). Symptoms occurred in 14 (56%) of 25 patients and included aborted sudden cardiac death in 6 patients (24%) and syncope in 4 patients (16%). Arrhythmias were common and included atrial fibrillation (n = 4), ventricular fibrillation (n = 6), supraventricular tachycardia (n = 1), and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (n = 1). Sixteen patients (84%) had a familial or personal history of cardiac arrest. A gene mutation associated with SQTS was identified in 5 (24%) of 21 probands. Symptomatic patients had a higher median modified Gollob score (excluding points for clinical events) compared with asymptomatic patients (5 vs. 4, p = 0.044). Ten patients received medical treatment, mainly with quinidine. Eleven of 25 index cases underwent ICD implantation. Two patients had appropriate ICD shocks. Inappropriate ICD shocks were observed in 64% of patients.ConclusionsSQTS is associated with aborted sudden cardiac death among the pediatric population. Asymptomatic patients with a Gollob score of <5 remained event free, except for an isolated episode of supraventricular tachycardia, over an average 6-year follow-up. A higher modified Gollob score of 5 or more was associated with the likelihood of clinical events. Young SQTS patients have a high rate of inappropriate ICD shocks

Manejo de plagas en el refugio de la soja Bt.

El orden Lepidoptera agrupa la mayor cantidad de especies cuyas larvas causan daños de importancia al cultivo de soja. Entre ellas,la oruga bolillera, Helicoverpa spp, y las defoliadoras Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner, Rachiplusia nu Gueneé y Chrysodeixis includens Walker son las que ocurren con mayor frecuencia en este cultivo. Cabe destacar que sus daños pueden llegar a ocasionar pérdidas del rendimiento cercanas al 60% en caso de no ser controladas. Para el manejo de esta problemática, desde el año 2012 se dispone de la soja Bt, representada por variedades que expresan la proteína Cry1Ac, que ofrece una protección contra las principales especies de lepidópteros plagas del cultivo. Entre los elementos que hacen al buen manejo de esta tecnología se resalta la implementación del refugio, entendiéndose como tal un área sembrada con soja no Bt. El refugio tiene como objetivo retrasar el aumento de la frecuencia de individuos resistentes. Esto se logra mediante el cruzamiento de los insectos resistentes que puedan surgir de la soja Bt y los insectos susceptibles que surjan del refugio. La preservación del refugio ante los daños de orugas de lepidópteros puede realizarse a través de aplicaciones de insecticidas bajo el esquema de manejo integrado de plagas, respetando los niveles de daño económico recomendados para cada caso. Si bien son numerosas las alternativas disponibles para el manejo de orugas en soja, surge la necesidad de evaluar cuáles serían las más convenientes para su empleo en el área refugio de la soja Bt.Fil: Casmuz, A. S.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Vera, M. A.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Fadda, L. A.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Valdez Quiroga, C.F.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Díaz Arnijas, G.H.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Villafañe, D.A.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Eraso Di Giuseppe, M.N.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Cejas Marchi, E.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Ramos, L.M.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Rojas, J.D.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Murúa, M.G.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino; Argentina. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Dami, Luciana Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino; Argentina. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Herrero, M.I.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino; Argentina. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Daniel, F.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Gastaminza, G.A.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; Argentin

The state of health in the European Union (EU-27) in 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study 2019

Background: The European Union (EU) faces many health-related challenges. Burden of diseases information and the resulting trends over time are essential for health planning. This paper reports estimates of disease burden in the EU and individual 27 EU countries in 2019, and compares them with those in 2010.Methods: We used the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study estimates and 95% uncertainty intervals for the whole EU and each country to evaluate age-standardised death, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates for Level 2 causes, as well as life expectancy and healthy life expectancy (HALE).Results:In 2019, the age-standardised death and DALY rates in the EU were 465.8 deaths and 20,251.0 DALYs per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively. Between 2010 and 2019, there were significant decreases in age-standardised death and YLL rates across EU countries. However, YLD rates remained mainly unchanged. The largest decreases in age-standardised DALY rates were observed for "HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases" and "transport injuries" (each -19%). "Diabetes and kidney diseases" showed a significant increase for age-standardised DALY rates across the EU (3.5%). In addition, "mental disorders" showed an increasing age-standardised YLL rate (14.5%).Conclusions: There was a clear trend towards improvement in the overall health status of the EU but with differences between countries. EU health policymakers need to address the burden of diseases, paying specific attention to causes such as mental disorders. There are many opportunities for mutual learning among otherwise similar countries with different patterns of disease

Time-Trends in Air Pollution Impact on Health in Italy, 1990–2019: An Analysis From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Objectives: We explored temporal variations in disease burden of ambient particulate matter 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM2.5) and ozone in Italy using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.Methods: We compared temporal changes and percent variations (95% Uncertainty Intervals [95% UI]) in rates of disability adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost, years lived with disability and mortality from 1990 to 2019, and variations in pollutant-attributable burden with those in the overall burden of each PM2.5- and ozone-related disease.Results: In 2019, 467,000 DALYs (95% UI: 371,000, 570,000) were attributable to PM2.5 and 39,600 (95% UI: 18,300, 61,500) to ozone. The crude DALY rate attributable to PM2.5 decreased by 47.9% (95% UI: 10.3, 65.4) from 1990 to 2019. For ozone, it declined by 37.0% (95% UI: 28.9, 44.5) during 1990–2010, but it increased by 44.8% (95% UI: 35.5, 56.3) during 2010–2019. Age-standardized rates declined more than crude ones.Conclusion: In Italy, the burden of ambient PM2.5 (but not of ozone) significantly decreased, even in concurrence with population ageing. Results suggest a positive impact of air quality regulations, fostering further regulatory efforts

Mapping age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence in adults in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000-2018

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the world is not on track to meet targets set for ending the epidemic by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Precise HIV burden information is critical for effective geographic and epidemiological targeting of prevention and treatment interventions. Age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence estimates are widely available at the national level, and region-wide local estimates were recently published for adults overall. We add further dimensionality to previous analyses by estimating HIV prevalence at local scales, stratified into sex-specific 5-year age groups for adults ages 15-59 years across SSA. METHODS: We analyzed data from 91 seroprevalence surveys and sentinel surveillance among antenatal care clinic (ANC) attendees using model-based geostatistical methods to produce estimates of HIV prevalence across 43 countries in SSA, from years 2000 to 2018, at a 5 × 5-km resolution and presented among second administrative level (typically districts or counties) units. RESULTS: We found substantial variation in HIV prevalence across localities, ages, and sexes that have been masked in earlier analyses. Within-country variation in prevalence in 2018 was a median 3.5 times greater across ages and sexes, compared to for all adults combined. We note large within-district prevalence differences between age groups: for men, 50% of districts displayed at least a 14-fold difference between age groups with the highest and lowest prevalence, and at least a 9-fold difference for women. Prevalence trends also varied over time; between 2000 and 2018, 70% of all districts saw a reduction in prevalence greater than five percentage points in at least one sex and age group. Meanwhile, over 30% of all districts saw at least a five percentage point prevalence increase in one or more sex and age group. CONCLUSIONS: As the HIV epidemic persists and evolves in SSA, geographic and demographic shifts in prevention and treatment efforts are necessary. These estimates offer epidemiologically informative detail to better guide more targeted interventions, vital for combating HIV in SSA

Mapping age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence in adults in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2018

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the world is not on track to meet targets set for ending the epidemic by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Precise HIV burden information is critical for effective geographic and epidemiological targeting of prevention and treatment interventions. Age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence estimates are widely available at the national level, and region-wide local estimates were recently published for adults overall. We add further dimensionality to previous analyses by estimating HIV prevalence at local scales, stratified into sex-specific 5-year age groups for adults ages 15–59 years across SSA. Methods: We analyzed data from 91 seroprevalence surveys and sentinel surveillance among antenatal care clinic (ANC) attendees using model-based geostatistical methods to produce estimates of HIV prevalence across 43 countries in SSA, from years 2000 to 2018, at a 5 × 5-km resolution and presented among second administrative level (typically districts or counties) units. Results: We found substantial variation in HIV prevalence across localities, ages, and sexes that have been masked in earlier analyses. Within-country variation in prevalence in 2018 was a median 3.5 times greater across ages and sexes, compared to for all adults combined. We note large within-district prevalence differences between age groups: for men, 50% of districts displayed at least a 14-fold difference between age groups with the highest and lowest prevalence, and at least a 9-fold difference for women. Prevalence trends also varied over time; between 2000 and 2018, 70% of all districts saw a reduction in prevalence greater than five percentage points in at least one sex and age group. Meanwhile, over 30% of all districts saw at least a five percentage point prevalence increase in one or more sex and age group. Conclusions: As the HIV epidemic persists and evolves in SSA, geographic and demographic shifts in prevention and treatment efforts are necessary. These estimates offer epidemiologically informative detail to better guide more targeted interventions, vital for combating HIV in SSA