Osteoporosis in Parkinson’s disease and the role of lean body mass: a cross-sectional study in a Brazilian tertiary center

BackgroundParkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative illness and has the highest increase rate in recent years. There is growing evidence to suggest that PD is linked to higher osteoporosis rates and risk of fractures.ObjectiveThis study aims to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with osteoporosis as defined by the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and World Health Organization in patients with mild to moderate PD.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study at a tertiary public hospital in Fortaleza, Brazil, dating from May 2021 until April 2022. The study sample was comprised of patients with mild to moderate PD who were at least 40 years old and who had the ability to walk and stand unassisted. Bone Mineral Density (BMD) of both the hip (neck of the femur) and the lumbar spine were obtained via properly calibrated Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scanning. The FRAX (Fracture Risk Assessment Tool) score was used to determine a person’s 10-year risk of major osteoporotic fracture. The Revised European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP 2) was used as a basis to confirm a sarcopenia diagnosis with the following parameters: low muscle strength gauged by handgrip strength and low muscle quantity by DXA. Physical performance was carefully evaluated by using the Short Physical Performance Battery test. Osteoporosis and osteopenia were diagnosed following the NOF guidelines and WHO recommendations.ResultsWe evaluated 107 patients in total, of whom 45 (42%) were women. The group’s mean age was 68 ± 9 years, and the mean disease time span was 9.9 ± 6.0 years and mean motor UPDRS was 43 ± 15. We found that 42.1% and 34.6% of the sample had osteopenia and osteoporosis following NOF criteria, respectively, and 43% and 33.6% following the WHO recommendations. Lower lean appendicular mass was associated to osteopenia and osteoporosis in multinomial logistic regression analysis in both diagnostic criteria.ConclusionOur findings provide additional evidence for the protective role of lean mass against osteoporosis in patients with PD

Height gain predictors in children born small for gestational age treated with recombinant human growth hormone

INTRODUÇÃO: Crianças nascidas pequenas para a idade gestacional (PIG) possuem risco aumentado de apresentar baixa estatura na vida adulta. O benefício do tratamento com rhGH (recombinant human growth hormone) está bem estabelecido nas crianças nascidas PIG e com inadequação do catch up de crescimento, sendo importante estudar as variáveis preditoras de ganho estatural nesses indivíduos. OBJETIVO: Avaliar resposta terapêutica e variáveis clínicas associadas à recuperação do crescimento em dois anos de tratamento com rhGH em um grupo de crianças nascidas PIG. MÉTODOS: Foram selecionadas 35 crianças nascidas PIG em uso de rhGH há pelo menos dois anos e avaliadas as seguintes variáveis: sexo, idade gestacional, SDS de peso ao nascimento, SDS de comprimento ao nascimento, índice ponderal ao nascimento, idade cronológica no início do tratamento, SDS de estatura-alvo, dose de rhGH, relação entre idade óssea e idade cronológica, delta SDS de IGF-I. RESULTADOS: A média do SDS de estatura teve um incremento significante de 0,55 SDS (p < 0,01) e 0,86 SDS (p < 0,01), no primeiro e segundo anos de tratamento com rhGH, respectivamente. A dose de rhGH foi identificada como preditora de ganho estatural após um ano de tratamento, enquanto o SDS de comprimento ao nascimento e a idade gestacional se mostraram preditoras de crescimento após dois anos de rhGH. CONCLUSÃO: Foi confirmada uma resposta de crescimento positiva ao tratamento com rhGH nas crianças nascidas PIG sem catch up de crescimento nos primeiros dois anos de vida. A avaliação de características individuais ao nascimento e ao início do rhGH, assim como a identificação das variáveis preditoras do crescimento, são importantes na decisão e otimização do tratamentoINTRODUCTION: Children born small for gestational age (SGA) are at increased risk for short stature in adulthood. Treatment benefits with rhGH (recombinant human growth hormone) is well established in children born SGA and inadequate growth catch up, therefore it is very importante to study height gain predictors in these individuals. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate therapeutic response and clinical variables associated with growth recovery in two years of rhGH treatment in a group of children born SGA. METHODS: Thirty-five children born SGA in use of rhGH for at least two years were selected and the following variables were evaluated: gender, gestational age, birth weight SDS, birth length SDS, birth weight index, chronological age at the beginning of treatment, target-height SDS, rhGH dose, chronological age and bone age relation, and delta IGF-I SDS. RESULTS: The mean height SDS had a significant increase of 0.55 SDS (p < 0.01) and 0.86 SDS (p < 0.01) in the first and second year of treatment with rhGH, respectively. The rhGH dose was identified as a height gain predictor after one year of treatment, while birth length SDS and gestational age were predictors of growth gain after two years of rhGH. CONCLUSION: A positive growth response to rhGH treatment was confirmed in children born SGA with no growth catch up in their first two years of life. Evaluation of individual characteristics at birth and in the beginning of rhGH treatment, as well as the identification growth predictors, are important for the decision and treatment optimizatio

Terapia de privação androgênica: castração química

A terapia de privação androgênica (TDA) é a base para redução de níveis séricos circulantes de andrógenos. Sua principal aplicabilidade é no tratamento do carcinoma de próstata, porém, tal terapia também vem sendo aplicada na castração química destinada a bloquear estímulos sexuais em paciente com doenças psiquiátricas que impossibilitem o convívio social. Esse documento tem o propósito de descrever as opções de castração química destinadas a reduzir os níveis séricos de testosterona total e livre disponíveis para uso

Síndrome de Turner - sugestão de protocolo de condutas em crianças e adolescentes

A síndrome de Turner (ST) ocorre em 1 a cada 2.000-4.000 meninas e pode afetar múltiplos órgãos ao longo de todos os estágios da vida, necessitando de cuidados multidisciplinares. Este protocolo de condutas na ST foi elaborado com base no Clinical practice guidelines for the care of girls and women with Turner syndrome: proceedings from the 2016 Cincinnati International Turner Syndrome Meeting e no Turner syndrome: mechanisms and management, como sugestão a ser aprovada para uso no complexo do Hospital Universitário Walter Cantídio - HUWC. O protocolo descreve as manifestações clínicas da síndrome, os critérios para suspeição e indicação da análise cromossômica, os rastreios necessários no momento do diagnóstico e ao longo da vida e as recomendações para uso do hormônio de crescimento (GH) e para a terapia de reposição hormonal (TRH) nos casos confirmados