Vitamin A and D deficiencies: Perspectives for COVID-19

OBJECTIVE: Considering the rapid spread of COVID-19, the scientific community has been looking for ways to recognize factors that may interfere with the outcome of viral infection. Despite the lack of studies with the new coronavirus, it is known that adequate serum levels of micronutrients are essential for the organic response to infectious diseases. Thus, we aim to review the effects of vitamin A, D, iron, zinc, or folate deficiency on the prognosis of patients with respiratory infections with manifestations similar to COVID-19 and discuss about supplementation of the nutrients analyzed in this review. METHODS: The search was conducted in the databases PubMed, Lilacs, and SciELO, including observational studies published between 2010-2020, with results for individuals with respiratory tract infections with manifestations similar to COVID-19. RESULTS: Six articles met the inclusion criteria, all of which were related to deficiencies of vitamins A and D. In general, vitamin A deficiency was associated with cough, fever, and greater total respiratory resistance. Regarding vitamin D, the lack of this nutrient led to higher rates of ICU admission, the need for mechanical ventilation, and mortality. Evidence linking specific relationships between nutritional deficiencies and COVID-19 remain lacking due to the small number of studies and heterogeneities in population subgroups. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, deficiencies of vitamins A and D seem to negatively affect the prognosis of respiratory tract infections. Supplementation of these nutrients for prevention or treatment of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 should respect serum levels, nutritional status and housing conditions (e.g.,endemic location) of individuals

Aspectos metodológicos e desafios da Coorte On-line Comportamento Alimentar e Saúde Mental (COCASa) de docentes e discentes universitários durante a pandemia da COVID-19

O distanciamento social adotado para controle da COVID-19 obrigou Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) a aderirem a novas estratégias para realização das atividades acadêmicas e muitas pesquisas passaram a ser realizadas em ambientes virtuais. O objetivo deste artigo é descrever os aspectos metodológicos e principais desafios enfrentados para a execução do projeto COCASa, um estudo de coorte on-line sobre comportamento alimentar e saúde mental de docentes e discentes de IES do Brasil. O estudo foi iniciado em julho de 2020 e acompanhará os participantes por dois anos. Adotou-se amostragem não probabilística estratificada proporcional com a utilização de escalas, de inquérito alimentar e de questões estruturadas elaboradas pela equipe do projeto. Entre os participantes do baseline, 4.074 discentes e 2.210 docentes iniciaram o questionário e, respectivamente, 76,8% e 85,1% finalizaram o preenchimento. Em ambos os grupos, a maior participação foi de mulheres (docentes: 66,7% e discentes: 76,2%) e residentes nas regiões Nordeste (docentes: 37% e discentes: 50,9%) e Sul (docentes: 27,1% e discentes: 22,5%) do Brasil. A pesquisa on-line amplia a possibilidade de recrutamento de participantes e alcança limites territoriais com menor demanda por financiamento. Durante a pandemia da COVID-19, o uso do ambiente virtual tornou-se uma estratégia viável e acessível para a manutenção das atividades de pesquisa, configurando-se como uma provável tendência a ser adotada pela comunidade científica

EXCESSIVE WEIGHT – MUSCLE DEPLETION PARADOX AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN OUTPATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE

Background Evidence suggests a nutritional transition process in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Obesity, which was once an uncommon occurrence in such patients, has grown in this population at the same prevalence rate as that found in the general population, bringing with it an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Objective The aim of the present study was to determine the nutritional status and occurrence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Methods A case-series cross-sectional study was conducted involving male and female adult outpatients with inflammatory bowel disease. Data were collected on demographic, socioeconomic, clinical and anthropometric variables as well as the following cardiovascular risk factors: sedentary lifestyle, excess weight, abdominal obesity, medications in use, comorbidities, alcohol intake and smoking habits. The significance level for all statistical tests was set to 5% (P< 0.05). Results The sample comprised 80 patients with inflammatory bowel disease, 56 of whom (70.0%) had ulcerative colitis and 24 of whom (30.0%) had Crohn's disease. Mean age was 40.3±11 years and the female genre accounted for 66.2% of the sample. High frequencies of excess weight (48.8%) and abdominal obesity (52.5%) were identified based on the body mass index and waist circumference, respectively, in both groups, especially among those with ulcerative colitis. Muscle depletion was found in 52.5% of the sample based on arm muscle circumference, with greater depletion among patients with Crohn’s disease (P=0.008). The most frequent risk factors for cardiovascular disease were a sedentary lifestyle (83.8%), abdominal obesity (52.5%) and excess weight (48.8%). Conclusion The results of the complete anthropometric evaluation draw one’s attention to a nutritional paradox, with high frequencies of both - muscle depletion, as well as excess weight and abdominal obesity

Fish oil and treadmill exercise have age-dependent effects on episodic memory and oxidative state of the hippocampus

There is a growing interest to better understand how lifestyle choices can improve memory functions. Treadmill exercise (Ex) and long-chain nâ 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) found in fish oil (Fo) are able to stimulate hippocampal antioxidant defenses and improve memory. The aim was to test whether (Fo) and (Ex) can improve rat's performance on memory tasks and optimize hippocampal antioxidant state in an age-dependent manner. Therefore, young and adult rats were exercised and received (Fo) during four weeks. The (Ex) was performed during 30min/day, with the speed gradually increasing from the first to the last week. Afterwards, episodic memory was measured by the recognition of object identity and spatial location. Hippocampal oxidative state was investigated with the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyls content, antioxidant enzymatic activity (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT)), and antioxidant non enzymatic activity (reduced glutathione, sulfhydryl content). The (Fo) adult rats were able to recognize objectâ s shape and placement, however (Fo) young rats had impaired spatial recognition (pThe accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Exploring validated strategies for eating disorders screening in adolescents and adults in Primary Health Care: A scoping review

Eating disorders (ED) are mental conditions in which disordered eating behaviors cause problems in physical and emotional functioning, and they are more common in adolescents and young women. The late diagnosis leads to significant distress and increases the risk of health problems and even death. It is believed that many cases of EDs go unreported, but the suicide rate is high, approximately 26% and has been increasing in recent years. Diagnosing eating disorders is challenging because some dysfunctional eating behaviors are socially accepted. Therefore, it is important for professionals in multidisciplinary teams to work together and use validated strategies to identify cases. Primary Care is the most appropriate time to conduct this screening, as these professionals monitor weight and eating indicators and they also deeply know the social context of the served population.Significant changes in weight and/or the adoption of risk behaviors can be identified in this context, allowing to appropriate referral for specialized care. This study aims to answer the question: What is the evidence of validated screening strategies for eating disorders (ED) in adolescents and adults used in primary care? A scoping review will be conducted following the specific guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute for the protocol and reporting of the review