Associations between diet and disease activity in ulcerative colitis patients using a novel method of data analysis

BACKGROUND: The relapsing nature and varying geographical prevalence of ulcerative colitis (UC) implicates environmental factors such as diet in its aetiology. METHODS: In order to determine which foods might be related to disease activity in UC a new method of dietary analysis was developed and applied. Eighty-one UC patients were recruited at all stages of the disease process. Following completion of a 7 d diet diary, clinical assessment including a sigmoidoscopic examination (scale 0 (normal mucosa) to 6 (very active disease)) was conducted. Food weights for each person were adjusted (divided) by the person's calorific intake for the week. Each food consumed was given a food sigmoidoscopy score (FSS) calculated by summing the products of the (adjusted) weight of food consumed and sigmoidoscopy score for each patient and occurrence of food and dividing by the total (adjusted) weight of the food consumed by all 81 patients. Thus, foods eaten in large quantities by patients with very active disease have high FSSs and vice versa. Foods consumed by <10 people or weighing <1 kg for the whole group were excluded, leaving 75 foods. RESULTS: High FSS foods were characterized by high levels of the anti-thiamin additive sulfite (Mann-Whitney, p < 0.001), i.e. bitter, white wine, burgers, soft drinks from concentrates, sausages, lager and red wine. Caffeine also has anti-thiamin properties and decaffeinated coffee was associated with a better clinical state than the caffeine containing version. Beneficial foods (average intake per week) included pork (210 g), breakfast cereals (200 g), lettuce (110 g), apples and pears (390 g), milk (1250 ml), melon (350 g), bananas (350 g), bacon (120 g), beef and beef products (500 g), tomatoes (240 g), soup (700 g), citrus fruits (300 g), fish (290 g), yogurt (410 g), cheese (110 g), potatoes (710 g) and legumes (120 g). CONCLUSIONS: The dietary analysis method described provides a new tool for establishing relationships between diet and disease and indicates a potentially therapeutic diet for UC

Brain energy rescue:an emerging therapeutic concept for neurodegenerative disorders of ageing

The brain requires a continuous supply of energy in the form of ATP, most of which is produced from glucose by oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria, complemented by aerobic glycolysis in the cytoplasm. When glucose levels are limited, ketone bodies generated in the liver and lactate derived from exercising skeletal muscle can also become important energy substrates for the brain. In neurodegenerative disorders of ageing, brain glucose metabolism deteriorates in a progressive, region-specific and disease-specific manner — a problem that is best characterized in Alzheimer disease, where it begins presymptomatically. This Review discusses the status and prospects of therapeutic strategies for countering neurodegenerative disorders of ageing by improving, preserving or rescuing brain energetics. The approaches described include restoring oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis, increasing insulin sensitivity, correcting mitochondrial dysfunction, ketone-based interventions, acting via hormones that modulate cerebral energetics, RNA therapeutics and complementary multimodal lifestyle changes

Políticas e tecnologias de gestão em serviços de saúde e de enfermagem Políticas y tecnologías de administración en servicios de salud y de enfermería Politics and technologies in the administration of health care and nursing services

Objetivo: identificar se os enfermeiros do Brasil têm conhecimento das políticas e tecnologias de gestão nos serviços de saúde e enfermagem. Métodos: realizamos revisão integrativa da literatura, utilizando as bases de dados: LILACS, MEDLINE, SciELO, BDENF e PAHO e os descritores: gestão em saúde, tecnologia em saúde, tecnologia assistencial e enfermagem, incluindo as publicações nos idiomas português, espanhol e inglês. Resultados: A análise resultou em 11 referências completas, no período de 2003 a 2007. Constatamos que os enfermeiros possuem articulação nos serviços de enfermagem e competência técnica no exercício profissional, porém, apresentam-se frágeis politicamente, o que limita sua autonomia profissional e os torna ainda subordinados a outros profissionais. Conclusão: diante dos avanços e constantes mudanças no setor saúde, particularmente no nível organizacional e técnico-científico, torna-se imprescindível que o(a) enfermeiro(a) desenvolva suas habilidades políticas, gerenciais e de liderança com participação responsável e de forma interdisciplinar.<br>Objetivo: Identificar si los enfermeros en Brasil tienen conocimiento de las políticas y tecnologías de administración en los servicios de salud y enfermería. Métodos: Fue realizada una revisión integradora de la literatura, utilizando las bases de datos: LILACS, MEDLINE, SciELO, BDENF y PAHO y los descriptores: administración en salud, tecnología en salud, tecnología asistencial y enfermería, incluyendo las publicaciones en los idiomas portugués, castellano e inglés. Resultados: El análisis resultó en 11 referencias completas, en el período de 2003 a 2007. Fue constatado que los enfermeros poseen articulación en los servicios de enfermería y competencia técnica en el ejercicio profesional, sin embargo, se presentan frágiles políticamente, lo que limita su autonomía profesional y los vuelve subordinados de otros profesionales. Conclusión: Delante del avance y constantes cambios en el sector de la salud, particularmente en el nivel organizacional y técnico-científico, es imprescindible que el(la) Enfermero(a) desarrolle sus habilidades políticas, administrativas y de liderazgo con participación responsable y de forma interdisciplinar.<br>Objective: To determine if Brazilian nurses have knowledge of politics and technologies for the administration of health care and nursing services. Method: A integrative literature review was conducted using the LILACS, MEDLINE, SciELO, BDENF, and PAHO databases. The key words "administration of health care," "health technology," and "health care technology and nursing," limited to publications in Portuguese, Spanish, and English were used to search the databases. Results: Eleven publications from 2003 to 2007 were retrieved. Nurses could articulate well in the nursing services and had technical competencies for professional nursing practice; however, they were fragile politically; this limited their professional autonomy and made them to be subordinated to other health care professionals. Conclusion: Advancement and continuing changes in health care, particularly in the organizational and technical-scientific levels, require nurses to develop and strengthen their political, management, and leadership skills to participate equally in a interdisciplinary leadership team

Primeiro episódio da esquizofrenia e assistência de enfermagem Primer episodio de la esquizofrenia y asistencia de enfermería First episode of schizophrenia and nursing care

A esquizofrenia é um dos principais problemas de saúde da atualidade, exigindo considerável investimento do sistema de saúde. A intervenção no primeiro episódio do transtorno oferece uma oportunidade única no tratamento da esquizofrenia, influenciando no curso da doença. O presente artigo consiste em uma revisão crítica de literatura cujos objetivos são examinar o conhecimento sobre o primeiro surto de esquizofrenia e discutir a contribuição da enfermagem na assistência. Foi utilizada pesquisa bibliográfica em índice informatizado de referências. Os dados obtidos permitiram organizar informações sobre o conceito geral de esquizofrenia, seu primeiro surto, tipos de intervenções e a atuação de enfermagem. Observamos que existe pouca literatura brasileira relacionada ao primeiro surto esquizofrênico, na área da enfermagem, poucos serviços especializados e disponíveis e poucos recursos sociais. Tal condição mostra a necessidade de estudos relacionados ao primeiro surto.<br>La esquizofrenia es uno de los principales problemas de salud de la actualidad, exigiendo considerable inversión del sistema de salud. La intervención en el primer episodio del trastorno ofrece oportunidad única en el tratamiento de la esquizofrenia, influyendo en el curso de la enfermedad. El presente artículo consiste en una revisión crítica de la literatura cuyos objetivos son examinar el conocimiento sobre el primer episodio de esquizofrenia y discutir acerca de la contribución de la enfermería en la asistencia. Fue utilizada la investigación bibliográfica en índice informatizado de referencias. Los datos obtenidos permitieron organizar informaciones sobre el concepto general de esquizofrenia, su primer episodio, tipos de intervenciones y la actuación de enfermería. Observamos que existe poca literatura brasileña relacionada a la primera aparición de signos de esquizofrenia, en el área de la enfermería, pocos servicios especializados disponibles y pocos recursos sociales. Tal condición muestra la necesidad de estudios relacionados al primer episodio.<br>Schizophrenia is one of the main health problems in current days, requiring considerable investment from the health system. Intervening in the first episode offers a unique opportunity in the treatment of schizophrenia and influences the course of the illness. This article consists of a critical literature review aimed at examining knowledge on first episode schizophrenia and discussing the contribution of nursing care. A research was carried out in bibliographical databases. The data collected made possible the organization of information on the general concept of schizophrenia, its first episode, types of intervention and nursing performance. We found out that in Brazil there are few studies related to first episode schizophrenia in Nursing, few available specialized services, and few social resources. This situation reveals the need for more studies on first episode schizophrenia